Our Story
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO
I started The Color Green in 2004; but as with everything else in life, there’s a backstory.
Growing up in the 1980’s, my love for working outdoors began to take root at my grandma’s house.
My grandma came to America at the age of 17 from Finland, just five months before The Great Depression started with the stock market crash. She was a model of hard work and sacrifice as she and my grandpa began their lives together, building a family in the middle of economic upheaval.
One of the main ways I got to connect with my grandma as she aged into her golden years was working in her yard. Her lawn and garden was a big deal to her, but it was more than she could handle on her own.
I loved going to my Grandma’s house and being with her: Getting to use her Snapper self-propelled mower; the smell of fresh cut grass; pausing to eat fresh berries, plums, tomatoes and carrots out of her garden. I love seeing how relieved she was to see her lawn get the attention it deserved.
Fast forward. After high school, I got a job at a local landscaping company. I couldn’t believe I could get paid to do something I enjoyed so much but I was young and dumb, and got fired for doing a tire burnout in the work truck.
I then got a job working in the home medical equipment services field, as I got married and began building a family of my own. 8 years later, I hadn’t yet lost my love of working outdoors, and that combined with the need to make some extra money to support my growing family led me to start landscaping work on my own during evenings and weekends. Then, before I knew what I was doing, I had a full time business.
My former boss (who had fired me for burning out in the work truck!) and some other landscape contractors were kind enough to mentor me. I rode the economic wave a few years later and got licensed for irrigation and installation, and added several employees. It was an exciting time!
And then the economy crashed.
As we entered The Great Recession, I had to scale back to a solo operation and primarily do residential landscape maintenance service. It was a tough crash, and I wasn’t ready for it.
But I quickly found that I had a great family whose support and encouragement would get us through.
A scaled back business afforded me the opportunity to have my older kids work alongside me in the summers. I was able to deepen my connection with them, and instill a work ethic and a love for the outdoor, all while showing them the joy and relief people experience when their yard is taken care of.
My oldest son, Caleb now grown up and married continues to grow in his role as our company grows. And as we add more people to our team, we seek to replicate and multiply the bond we share in our work: a love for working outdoors, cultivating people and plants.
Toward a beautiful yard…and enjoyable life!
Erik Wright, Owner