Sowing Seeds of Success
Hugger’s Lawn & Landscape, Inc.– growing from the ground up
Not even the threat of a hurricane could keep Ishaq Hugger from tackling a big project—and getting it done on time and done right. It was October 2016 when Hugger’s Lawn & Landscape, Inc. was called on to clean, prep and lay sod for a big event near Jacksonville, Florida. Hurricane Matthew was imminent, yet Ishaq wasn’t about to let the storm displace his freshly placed sod. “The event planners were trying to get all the pieces in place for an anniversary celebration in the historic San Marco neighborhood, and they asked us if we could have the landscaping done before the hurricane came. As long as we could get the materials, we knew we could do it,” Ishaq says. “We brought in a big crew and cleaned the entire property and prepped it, brought in the sod and laid it in one day, from sunup to sundown—and a few hours into the night. The next day we got it all edged and it was done.”
When asked if the sod might float away with the hurricane’s rainfall, Ishaq was confident that his crew had installed that sod as solidly as they could. “More than two years later that sod is still there,” he says.
Planting Seeds
Ishaq started his business in June 2007, providing a full range of landscaping services, including hardscapes and lawn maintenance, across Jacksonville, Duval County and the surrounding areas. The firm handles both commercial and residential landscaping projects, with commercial making up about 70 percent of his business.
Beyond basic lawn maintenance, his services also include tree pruning, integrated pest control, and irrigation and garden lighting installation.
Before he launched the business, he tried a few other professions, from software design and programming to truck driving, but they just didn’t hold his interest.
“I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and wanted to own my company, but I didn’t know what it would be. My uncle was an incredible landscaper whose work looked like it should be featured in magazines. His attention to detail was amazing. I was intrigued that he could take something that grows and make it look it so good,” he says.
While thinking about what he’d like to do, landscaping came back to him, which may seem like a particularly unusual choice for a person with tree and plant allergies. “It doesn’t make sense, but I love it,” he says. He hit the ground running with a firm belief in providing quality service and incredible results.
“I’ve been in corporate America most of my working career, and I learned that customer service is key to any business. Making money is fine, but you have to think about your name and reputation. If your quality and service are not good, then that speaks volumes about the company and the person who is running the company,” he says.
Lessons Learned
In his 12 years of running this business, he’s learned how to operate efficiently, but he’s always focused on meeting his clients’ needs, he says.
“Every customer has an idea of what they want, but it is up to us to help them determine what would meet their needs best. I think we do a good job because I believe in delivering good quality,” he adds.
When Ishaq started Hugger’s Lawn & Landscape, it was just him and “Smiley” (his car, which looked like it was smiling from a dent on the bumper). “It got me and my 21-inch push lawnmower and weed trimmers where I needed to go,” he says. “I started out with just the money I had, and I started out small.” In those early days, he continued working a full-time job and doing the landscaping in the evenings and on the weekends.
His first job was his first lesson learned. He knew a lady who wanted her yard raked and he wasn’t sure what to charge, so he quoted her $80 for the front and backyard. By the time he finished, he had filled 50 big trash bags with two years’ accumulation of leaves in her backyard. He started the job at 8 a.m. and finished it at 9:30 p.m.
“This job was the one I needed to test me,” he says. “From that time on, I knew I’d never underbid again, if I could help it, and I also knew I could do the work.” As time went on, I was still using the push mower and learning the business, and I came home smelling like dirt, grass and gasoline from working seven days a week. It was hard work, but I knew it was what I wanted to do.”
He calls the Great Recession of 2008 a “favor from God.”
“I could count on my hands how many clients I lost in that recession and it was less than five,” he says. “I had a peace because I knew this was something I was supposed to be doing. There were many companies bigger than me that were folding, but I was still able to go out and maintain properties. That was an eye-opener; if I could make it through that, I could pretty much make it through anything.”
In Full Bloom
Over the years, the company has grown substantially. The firm recently landed a contract in Texas that will allow him to expand his commercial line of business, too. Toward that goal, he’s also looking to add more staff and is working with an adviser to draft benefits for employees, as well. “My goal, and I know I’m setting the bar high, is to become a household brand name in both residential and commercial,” he says.
“From the start, when we look at a landscape, we say: God created it and we will give it the heavenly beauty it deserves,” Ishaq says.
Hugger’s Lawn & Landscape continues to grow, primarily through word-of-mouth referrals. “I truly believe, regardless of what we’re doing or what type of project we’re working on, that giving our best is critical,” Ishaq says. “When we start a project, I ask my employees to step back and look at the space before we break ground or even take a plant off the truck. I ask them to look at the property, whether they are mowing or landscaping. Look at it, take it in and see how it looks now versus when you finish. I guarantee that you’ll have a different feeling when you have that visual. I tell them to trust and believe in what you’re doing and enjoy it. It is a feeling that will carry you through to a job well done.”