Leading the Lawn Care Industry Through Innovation, Lawn Doctor Focuses on Continued Expansion Throughout the Country

In the early 1960s, a suburban sprawl began to take hold in Southern New Jersey, creating an unprecedented housing boom in Matawan, New Jersey.

These new homeowners, troubled by poor lawns, began pouring into Matawan’s hardware store. They consistently approached the store’s owner, Tony Giordano, seeking both products and advice on how to get their lawns greener and healthier. In an effort to help, he decided to hold free weekend lectures in his store where he would teach proper lawn care methods and procedures to the novice homeowners. Eventually, his lectures became so popular that his small Main Street store could no longer hold the large crowds.

Giordano spotted a big opportunity—create a business out of providing his lawn care services to new homeowners, who were often more than happy to have a professional do the best job possible. By 1966, he partnered with friend and engineer Bob Magda, who helped build the first piece of proprietary equipment that enabled the team to take lawn care to a higher level. Just one year later, their business had become so popular—thanks, in large part, to Magda’s equipment designs—that they decided to begin franchising their lawn care systems and equipment. With the inspiration from a local newspaper writer that had dubbed the duo the “The Lawn Doctors,” their business, Lawn Doctor, was officially born.

Nearly 50 years later, Lawn Doctor has led the nation’s lawn care industry with its innovative equipment, scientifically proven fertilization and horticultural methods through locally-owned and operated franchises. Services range from natural lawn care to fertilization, seeding, weed control, integrated pest management and tree and shrub maintenance. All franchisees also use patented, industry-leading lawn service equipment to provide personalized lawn care services for each customer’s lawn.

Today, that keen attention to detail has led the brand to become one of the most science- and technology-savvy companies in the lawn industry, and they’ve grown to more than 500 locations across the United States.

“Our business model has successfully weathered more than 40 years of economic storms, and we’re incredibly proud of our track record of steady success and growth. Our widespread brand footprint is a result of our continued innovation in equipment technology, customized products and quality service delivery. As we continue to move forward, we’re always striving to provide the best combination of service and pricing out there in the industry,” said Eric Martin, Lawn Doctor's vice president of franchise development. “Now, with the help of dedicated franchisees, Lawn Doctor has plans to continue expanding throughout the country.”

According to Martin, in addition to its best-in-class customer experience, Lawn Doctor generates growth by providing an excellent value proposition for franchisees. The brand provides owners with access to innovative technology and equipment to help run the business, which greatly increases efficiency and profitability. Lawn Doctor also offers a home-based business model, meaning that franchisees do not take on costs, delays or risks associated with operating a retail location. Startup costs for Lawn Doctor hover around $101,890 to $115,940.

Lawn Doctor also boasts an invaluable—and proven—recurring revenue model. By focusing on high-demand, repeat services like lawn fertilization, weed control and mosquito and tick control, one-time customer acquisitions consistently lead to repeat business. And because nearly three-quarters of all U.S. households will utilize professional lawn care services in a $76 billion industry, Martin is confident that the brand’s impressive 80 percent customer retention rate will continue to remain steady in the years to come.

“Lawn Doctor was built on the goal to bring superior service and advanced technology to the lawn care industry. With dual-income homeowners on the rise, the convenience of professional lawn care is in demand now more than ever before. The grass continues to look greener for Lawn Doctor’s future—and we believe that our services will only continue to grow,” Martin said.

To learn more about franchising opportunities with Lawn Doctor, click here.