Kevin Terhaar of North Metro Companies, LLC pictured with his 11-year-old son, Logan.

Primrose School in Lakeville, Minn.

At first glance, Kevin Terhaar seems strictly old-school when it comes to running his Medina, Minn.-based landscaping business, North Metro Companies, LLC. As the son of parents who both worked full-time jobs and had a farm in Rogers, Minn., he subscribes to the get-up-early-and-work-until-dark ethic.

“Growing up on a cattle and crop farm, my parents taught me how to work hard, to get the job done, and to get the job done on time,” Kevin says. “Hard work is what I enjoy.”

Yet he’s also savvy enough to use digital technology and software to get the job done faster and more efficiently. For example, North Metro Companies utilizes BuildingBlok, FaceTime, and IndusTrack in its day-to-day operations. BuildingBlok is used to track employees’ hours and movements between sites. IndusTrack is a GPS-tracking device located in all the company’s vehicles.

“We use FaceTime on all our phones so I can help my foremen overcome whatever hurdles they might have, even if they’re on a job in Iowa or Wisconsin,” he says. “They can walk me through the site, and within a few minutes, I can lead them down the right path and have them on their way.”

Landscaping has come a long way since the early 1980s, when Kevin first learned the ropes from his nursery-owner uncle, Terry, before launching his own company. Back then, Kevin points out, you didn’t use cell phones or email to talk to your clients. “If you were out on a job site, you had to drive around to find a pay phone in order to make a call,” he says.

But for all the changes that have occurred, the core values of his business remain the same, Kevin adds.

“Working for my uncle’s nursery was an asset in starting my own company,” he explains. “He taught me the value of instilling yourself with pride in what you do.”

His partners in the industry agree that Kevin puts these principles to practice. “The bottom line is that Kevin is fair and honest and he does what he says he’s going to do,” says Mike Swanson of JMS Custom Homes, who’s worked with him since 1986. “That’s something difficult to find right now in our industry, especially with the labor shortage. A lot of people make commitments they don’t live up to. Kevin gets the job done on time and he stays within budget.”

The key to success in this line of work, Kevin says, is a mixture of sharp organizational skills and relentless positivity.

“We’re very organized ... everything runs smoothly,” he says of his staff. “My biggest strength is probably my personality and having a positive attitude. No matter how I’m feeling or how tired I am, I’m there in the morning with a smile on my face, getting everybody loaded up and moving.

Overcoming Adversity

Kevin admits there have been times when a positive attitude was hard to find. About eight years ago, the recession and banking industry issues threatened to derail his business.

After careful reorganization, North Metro Companies became more efficient and focused, Kevin says. Today, his company has 28 employees who work on a wide range of residential and commercial projects, ranging from landscape design to installation.

The biggest difference between landscaping now and when he started in the ‘80s is the emphasis today on water conservation, Kevin says. From high-efficiency sprinkler heads to rain gardens to community cisterns, customers want landscaping that’s sustainable.

“When I started 30 years ago, conservation never came up,” he says. “But people now want to save water and be friendlier toward the environment. Homeowners are very interested in that, and builders are adopting those philosophies, too.”

He admits customers can sometimes be more demanding than they were in the past and today’s homebuyers “are so much more hands-on with their landscaping. They want it exactly how they want it, and they want it right now.”

The Power of Experience

But these changing demands and expectations do not faze him. With more than 35 years of experience, he’s learned how to handle practically anything that comes his way.

“Being well-educated in the landscaping field is very important, but having the experience and know-how is also critical,” he says. “It’s not that I’m so much smarter than the next guy—I’m not.” Kevin explains that his wide-ranging experience enables him to formulate quick, effective solutions on projects.

He jokingly adds, “Nobody likes getting older, but there are benefits to it that I really embrace. People look at the graying hair and they see wisdom and experience and longevity in the business.”

Kevin also takes pride in the family ties that are essential to North Metro Companies. His wife MaryBeth works as an office administrator, and their 28-year-old son Nick does accounting for the company. In recent years, their grade-school age son Logan has started helping out around the landscaping headquarters as well.

“He’s only 11, but he can drive a Bobcat and unload trucks as good as any foreman,” Kevin says proudly. “He’s here every single Saturday, working in the yard, doing anything you ask him to do. He wanted to learn how to do it right and be a good operator—and he’s done it. He takes it seriously.”

While Kevin says he’s not sure what changes are ahead in the field of landscaping, he knows the Terhaar family work ethic will stay strong for years to come.

“It’s that ability to get the job done, to be an extremely hard worker and to take pride in what you do,” he says. “It’s difficult to find these days, but it’s absolutely invaluable.”