EXTRA MILE
Going the Extra Mile:
Evergreen Companies
E
vergreen
Companies
is a stellar
business with
an unlikely
start. Initially, its
founder, Andy Walser,
was not even involved
in the landscape
industry at all. Working
as an accountant, he
started mowing grass
around a few hog
barns for the company
that he worked for.
That, metaphorically
speaking, is where
the seeds of the company were sewn. In 2008, Evergreen was
founded and has since grown to a full-service commercial seeding
and erosion control contractor.
With no experience in the industry, Andy simply jumped into it
headfirst and learned as he went. Initially, he just did mowing
with part-time help from his nephew. One day, he saw someone
hydroseeding a lawn and got the idea to expand. Purchasing a
small hydroseeding machine, he stated doing that until he was
hired to hydroseed on a commercial project. Quickly thereafter,
he transitioned to doing commercial bid work. Andy attributes
some of this initial success and expansion to “asking a lot of dumb
questions and figuring things out as I went.” Ultimately, it came
down to getting someone to trust him and his company enough
to give him a try on a medium- to large-sized project.
Today, the bulk of the work Evergreen does is for county and
state projects, including road and ditch work and erosion control.
From the small start of Andy and his nephew, the company has
seen steady growth, now employing 7–8 full-time workers. Andy
likes to emphasize the importance of erosion control in terms
of maintaining the environment and clean water. All too often,
erosion control is overlooked or seen as a waste of resources. In
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reality, it is an important aspect of maintaining buffer zones,
controlling runoff, and protecting valuable topsoil.
Among Evergreen’s current services are the following:
• Erosion control: Including slope stabilization methods such
as hydroseeding, mulching, erosion control blankets, and
turf reinforcement mats.
• Dust control: Calcium chloride applications which eliminate
the negative effects of dust pollution on gravel roads and
parking lots.
• Seeding: Commercial or residential turf grass or native
seeding using the best equipment available.
The growth of the company can be attributed to a few simple
principles. Go above and beyond to do the best job. If the job is
done right to begin with, nobody will have to come back and fix
it later. Spending more time up front is the key to success. That
success comes with a good reputation for quality, which Andy and
his employees strive to maintain. Andy knows all too well what
that process is like, having started from zero and building the
company from scratch both in terms of finances and knowledge.
For more information, contact Andy at 507-317-6282 or andy@
evergreencompanies.org. You can also visit them online at
evergreencompanies.org. +