Randy DeVries was working for one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world when he decided he wanted to own his own business. But because he wasn’t ready to leave his full time job in corporate America, he looked for opportunities that could work on a part time basis. That’s when he discovered Lawn Doctor—the nation’s largest lawn care franchise—and its option for semi-absentee business owners.

Right off the bat, DeVries and Lawn Doctor were the perfect fit. Not only was DeVries able to operate his franchise while working his nine-to-five—he was also able to fill a real need in his local community. The lawns in the area just outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan hadn’t been looking as healthy or green as they could be, so he knew that Lawn Doctor’s premium lawn care services had the potential to really take off. He was right—the brand’s superior services continue to stand out among consumers in the area.

“There’s a real focus on the quality of service. Anyone can put down a treatment and make it look like they know what they’re doing, but Lawn Doctor knows how to do the job right. And you can see the difference in our lawns—it’s clear that the ones we treat are much healthier,” said DeVries. “We’re definitely the last lawn maintenance company our clients ever need to call.”

Lawn Doctor has carved out a unique niche for itself in the $76 billion lawn and landscape industry. The brand doesn’t cut grass—instead, it’s focus is on making sure lawns are as healthy as possible. That means its focus is on fertilization, aeration, weed control, pest control and organic lawn options.

By offering those premium lawn care services, Lawn Doctor has built up an incredibly loyal customer base. With an impressive retention rate that hovers around 80 percent, it’s clear that the Lawn Doctor name is trusted and respected among consumers.

“The Lawn Doctor brand has made a real name for itself in the Grand Rapids community. My biggest source of new business is through referrals—new customers constantly come to me for help after their family, friends or neighbors tell them their Lawn Doctor success stories,” said DeVries. “That high referral rate says a lot about our brand and the services we provide.”

DeVries is planning on leveraging that client referral rate to grow his Lawn Care business. He no longer works as a semi-absentee owner—after a few years, he got to the point where he could leave his job to focus on the brand as a full time franchisee. And now, he’s in the process of working with Lawn Doctor’s corporate team to expand his reach even further into new territories.

“Franchisees like Randy play a huge role in Lawn Doctor’s success. By creating strong relationships with consumers on the local level, our business owners put us in a perfect position to grow,” said Eric Martin, Lawn Doctor’s vice president of franchise development. “That’s why we have such a strong focus on both initial and ongoing training—we do everything in our power to help our passionate team of franchisees succeed.”