Bensalem Lawn Care Business Took Root At Early Age

Brian Landis was 11 or 12 when he started cutting his neighbor's lawn on Williamson Court.

Today he manicures 19 of the 30 lawns on the block along with about 60 others in lower Bucks. And he has two trucks, several employees and bigger plans for the future.

His mother, Kathy Doran, isn't surprised.

"Even when he was little you'd see him with his little bubble lawnmower in the backyard behind his dad when he cut the grass," she said.

"It's something he enjoys," she added.

Landis -- now 21 and pursuing a degree in landscape architecture and business entrepreneurships at Temple University -- recently became sole proprietor of Landis Lawn Care Maintenance.

He used to just cut his neighbors' lawns. Today he works about 60 hours a week in Bensalem, Feasterville, Churchville and Langhorne planting shrubs, maintaining flowerbeds, fertilizing, seeding, aerating and thatching -- skills he taught himself. In the winter, snow removal is on his docket.

Meanwhile at Temple, he's learning botany, horticulture, landscape engineering and how to build patios and retaining walls.

"That's where you can really make some money," he said with a smile in reference to the small construction work.

When he was a teen, Landis acknowledges, cash was a motivating factor in expanding his client list.

"I always had more money than my friends," said the St. Ephrem and Archbishop Ryan grad. "Now I love doing it."

"I get to be outside, be my own boss and I meet a lot of people."

And, he adds, his one full-time and several part-time employee are all friends he grew up with.

In addition to eyeing patio construction, Landis plans to add a truck every two years.

He credits his mom -- a small business banker at Wells Fargo -- with helping him with paperwork and taxes and hooking him up with some of her clients, who gave him business advice. His stepfather, Kevin Doran, helped in the early days with estimates for clients along with his truck purchases. Brian got his first truck when he was only in 11th grade.

Kathy Doran says it's nice to hear her only child give her credit, and she's proud of him.

"As a parent, you like to support your child in their ventures," she said.

"My goal is that maybe he can retire his mother at an early age," she added with a laugh.

 Landis Lawn Care Maintenance can be reached at 215-301-2856 and landislawncaremaintenance@gmail.com.