When Lawn Doctor of New Haven – Litchfield & Northern Fairfield County launched in 1987, John Demeyer’s parents hoped to build a better life for their family. They laid the foundation by working in the business day in and day out, handling everything from back-of-house responsibilities to lawn care services. Nearly 40 years later, Demeyer, who was just five when the business opened, has taken over the Eastern Connecticut territory alongside his wife, Trinity, while his parents enjoy retirement.
“I’ve grown up in this brand,” Demeyer said. “When I was five, it was the two of them going out, working on the trucks, doing everything. From then to now, the business has evolved from literally zero customers to 4,000.”
From watching his parents build the company to eventually taking the reins himself, Demeyer has preserved its core systems and values while continuing to find new ways to grow.
Demeyer joined the operation full time in 2009, and as he began preparing to take over officially, he considered the opportunities at hand to modernize and bring new efficiencies to the business without losing the local DNA.
While he looked at technical changes, he also considered the team itself. By bringing in new blood, Demeyer tapped into new perspectives and experts who supported the necessary business transitions.
“Changing the main CRM software was the big thing my parents were hesitant to do, especially without some younger blood there to help the process along,” Demeyer said. “It used to be that you had a Yellow Pages ad, and people would call you when they needed service. With the new technology, it turned into proactive sales and upsells, and we saw explosive growth from that point. That change probably doubled the size of the business within the span of four or five years.”
As Lawn Doctor has grown its franchise system, bringing in additional scaffolding and further deepening its presence nationwide, its key differentiator continues to be the unique combination of a national brand and a family-run feel.
“We’re compared to other national brands because of the name recognition Lawn Doctor has, but we’ve been fortunate to have a better reputation than a lot of the national brands because we’re family owned; it’s a smaller feel,” he said.
The reputation and consistency of a decades-old brand keep the business stable and growing year over year, and Demeyer and his team are able to retain local trust by delivering on the Lawn Doctor promise of service while operating in a truly local manner.
In addition to the corporate support available through the franchise model, Demeyer is quick to credit his fellow franchise owners as well.
“One of the biggest perks of the Lawn Doctor system is the networking aspect. There are 250 other owners out there doing the same things as us. They’re in the same boat,” he said. “We are in constant communication with other franchisees, bouncing ideas off of each other and troubleshooting to find solutions that benefit us all.”
Looking back on his time with Lawn Doctor, Demeyer sees many of the same challenges and rewards his parents experienced. The work can be demanding, but it has also given his family meaningful flexibility.
“When I was a kid, I saw the late nights. I saw the struggles they went through, but I also saw the fact that my parents never missed a baseball game,” he said. “The same is true for me. I might have to work some hours that I wasn’t expecting sometimes, but Lawn Doctor has also allowed me to be there for my family and not miss things that are important to them.”
As he enjoys the benefits of his parents’ legacy, Demeyer is already thinking about what the future may look like for his own children, who are currently 11 and 13. While they’ve already shown interest in the business, Demeyer is emphasizing a thoughtful approach to their integration to make sure that, if they do enter the business one day, it’s because of passion, not obligation.
“I want to make sure that my kids aren’t just doing this because they’ve seen me do it. I want them to keep open minds about their future and not pigeonhole themselves right away,” he said. “But if they do land here and love it, that’s great. Lawn Doctor has created a great life, given us flexibility, and really been everything that we want. I would love for them to carry on the legacy and experience that, too.”
The startup costs for a Lawn Doctor franchise range from $117,740 to $143,232. To learn more about franchising with Lawn Doctor, visit https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/.
Lawn Doctor
SPONSORED
Second-generation owner John Demeyer expanded his family’s Lawn Doctor business while building a career that gives him the flexibility to be present for his own family.
When Lawn Doctor of New Haven – Litchfield & Northern Fairfield County launched in 1987, John Demeyer’s parents hoped to build a better life for their family. They laid the foundation by working in the business day in and day out, handling everything from back-of-house responsibilities to lawn care services. Nearly 40 years later, Demeyer, who was just five when the business opened, has taken over the Eastern Connecticut territory alongside his wife, Trinity, while his parents enjoy retirement.
“I’ve grown up in this brand,” Demeyer said. “When I was five, it was the two of them going out, working on the trucks, doing everything. From then to now, the business has evolved from literally zero customers to 4,000.”
From watching his parents build the company to eventually taking the reins himself, Demeyer has preserved its core systems and values while continuing to find new ways to grow.
Demeyer joined the operation full time in 2009, and as he began preparing to take over officially, he considered the opportunities at hand to modernize and bring new efficiencies to the business without losing the local DNA.
While he looked at technical changes, he also considered the team itself. By bringing in new blood, Demeyer tapped into new perspectives and experts who supported the necessary business transitions.
“Changing the main CRM software was the big thing my parents were hesitant to do, especially without some younger blood there to help the process along,” Demeyer said. “It used to be that you had a Yellow Pages ad, and people would call you when they needed service. With the new technology, it turned into proactive sales and upsells, and we saw explosive growth from that point. That change probably doubled the size of the business within the span of four or five years.”
As Lawn Doctor has grown its franchise system, bringing in additional scaffolding and further deepening its presence nationwide, its key differentiator continues to be the unique combination of a national brand and a family-run feel.
“We’re compared to other national brands because of the name recognition Lawn Doctor has, but we’ve been fortunate to have a better reputation than a lot of the national brands because we’re family owned; it’s a smaller feel,” he said.
The reputation and consistency of a decades-old brand keep the business stable and growing year over year, and Demeyer and his team are able to retain local trust by delivering on the Lawn Doctor promise of service while operating in a truly local manner.
In addition to the corporate support available through the franchise model, Demeyer is quick to credit his fellow franchise owners as well.
“One of the biggest perks of the Lawn Doctor system is the networking aspect. There are 250 other owners out there doing the same things as us. They’re in the same boat,” he said. “We are in constant communication with other franchisees, bouncing ideas off of each other and troubleshooting to find solutions that benefit us all.”
Looking back on his time with Lawn Doctor, Demeyer sees many of the same challenges and rewards his parents experienced. The work can be demanding, but it has also given his family meaningful flexibility.
“When I was a kid, I saw the late nights. I saw the struggles they went through, but I also saw the fact that my parents never missed a baseball game,” he said. “The same is true for me. I might have to work some hours that I wasn’t expecting sometimes, but Lawn Doctor has also allowed me to be there for my family and not miss things that are important to them.”
As he enjoys the benefits of his parents’ legacy, Demeyer is already thinking about what the future may look like for his own children, who are currently 11 and 13. While they’ve already shown interest in the business, Demeyer is emphasizing a thoughtful approach to their integration to make sure that, if they do enter the business one day, it’s because of passion, not obligation.
“I want to make sure that my kids aren’t just doing this because they’ve seen me do it. I want them to keep open minds about their future and not pigeonhole themselves right away,” he said. “But if they do land here and love it, that’s great. Lawn Doctor has created a great life, given us flexibility, and really been everything that we want. I would love for them to carry on the legacy and experience that, too.”
The startup costs for a Lawn Doctor franchise range from $117,740 to $143,232. To learn more about franchising with Lawn Doctor, visit https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/.
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