Ed
Ed started out with an education in Horticulture, Architectural Drafting and Business Management. He was helping to manage a Garden Centre when it occurred to him that landscaping would be the next logical step. So in 1987, armed with this experience and a great love for working outdoors, Ed began what would eventually become Kro-Bert Landscaping.
Not only has Ed been running Kro-Bert Landscaping for over 30 years, he instructed the Landscaping Apprenticeship program at Red River College. He sat on two landscape related boards at Red River College, one to develop the Apprenticeship program and one to develop a Greenspace Management course. For the most part, Ed has been instrumental in training his competition.
In addition to instructing the Apprenticeship program for two years, Ed has also trained the vast majority of his staff. This, of course, includes the next generation of Kro-Bert Landscaping, his son Kevin, who has grown up in the business and has been working alongside his father since he was 16.
Ed prides himself, not only in being one of the longest running landscapers in the business, but also in being very clear about what a customer can expect from their service in simple, easy to understand terms. In Ed’s words, “We explain what is going to happen in a way that they can understand throughout every step of the process. We like to answer every question they have, so that they know what they are getting for their money, right down to knowing that when we are done we will sweep the street.”
Although Kevin is being groomed to take over the business, Ed is nowhere near ready for retirement yet. He loves working outdoors and the sense of accomplishment that comes from a job well done. Landscaping has been his passion for over 30 years and he plans to continue it as long as he can do a job that he is proud of and one that makes his customers happy.
Kevin
Kevin literally grew up in the landscaping business. Even though he officially started working at Kro-Bert Landscaping with his dad full time after he got out of high school, he has been traveling with Ed on the job since he was about eight. He was trained on the job by his father, since Ed was a certified landscaping instructor, and continues to improve and grow his skills every single day.
Kevin enjoys the outdoors every bit as much as his father does and more often than not, he will be the one on the job site these days. He loves what he does and enjoys the challenge of every new yard and every new job. His goal is to do the best possible job for his customers and give them a final product that they will love. He says, “You get what you put into things. The harder you work and the more you are dedicated to your job, the more it will show in the final product.”
The main thing that Ed instilled in Kevin is the constant drive to do better. Kevin has the belief that you never know everything there is to know about the landscaping business, and he is always trying to learn, grow and improve the way he works. Ed set the standard and Kevin is committed to maintaining and improving on that standard.
What he loves most about being a landscaper is the rewarding feeling he gets from taking someone’s yard, whether in a new home, or an existing yard that needs TLC, and transforming it into something that absolutely thrills his customer. He also loves the reaction he gets from a happy customer. He says, “The biggest investment people make in their life is their home, and to help people enjoy their yard more is the biggest reward I get from the job.”
For Kevin, one of Kro-Bert Landscaping’s greatest strengths is that it is a family business, which allows them to give great personal service to their customers. What he sees for the future is to stay busy doing work that results in happy, satisfied customers.