1851

After being in their respective careers for around 30 years, Jeff and Lorie Walling decided it was time to start pursuing business ownership. After seeking out opportunities for a few years, the couple realized their market didn’t have a <a href="https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=local-texarkana-couple-brings-first-lawn-doctor-to-the-market-2723285" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lawn Doctor*</a>, which they had been customers of in their previous city. The Wallings signed on to open the Texarkana-Magnolia- Idabel territory, which will span three states: Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma. With Jeff’s career in the fire department, and Lorie’s in corporate banking, the pair is excited to combine their skill sets and experiences into their new Lawn Doctor business.&nbsp;Notably, Lawn Doctor is an excellent opportunity for <a href="https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor/why-becoming-a-lawn-doctor-franchise-owner-is-a-great-career-move-for-first-responders-2722755#trending">first-responders</a> like Jeff who are looking to pivot into something new.&nbsp;1851 Franchise spoke to the Wallings about their franchising journey with Lawn Doctor.&nbsp;1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us.&nbsp;What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?Lorie:&nbsp;Both of us have been in our careers for over 30 years. Jeff is a first responder, and I am in corporate banking. We've raised our family, and we had been looking for a business opportunity for several years, starting back in 2019. We got really close on some businesses, but it just never really worked out. I'm originally from Texarkana, but we had been living&nbsp;in Longview. We were using Lawn Doctor services there as customers, and we were very pleased with their services. When we relocated back here, there really wasn't anything in the area that we live in. It was just kind of&nbsp;that Aha! moment. We've been looking for a business, trying to figure out what we can do. This was an opportunity that just made complete sense. The service is needed in our area, and it fits what we were trying to make happen. Every other opportunity was like trying to fit a round peg in a square hole. And this one just makes sense for us.&nbsp;1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?Jeff: I didn't have much of one. When I thought of franchising, I thought of McDonald’s and things like that. I didn't even realize Lawn Doctor was a franchise as a customer.&nbsp;Lorie: It wasn't something we were considering. Up until this opportunity, all the other businesses that we were looking into were either locally owned or had partners. They were not franchises, but I was familiar with the franchise system and banking. I've had several customers that were franchisees, but it wasn't anything that I had considered for myself. When we were thinking of going into business, we knew we wanted to work for ourselves. For whatever reason, that just was not an area that we were considering until we thought of Lawn Doctor. When we started exploring, the fact that it was a franchise made it even more appealing because of the support and resources that we have.1851:&nbsp;What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?Lorie:&nbsp;For us, it was the opportunity in the area that we're in. This is an untapped market, and this is a service that we've used. We're familiar with the products and the services. And when we were talking with development team at Happinest, we just liked the way that the company was structured. We liked that we were going to have regional support. We like that there is another franchise just an hour and a half from us. We liked that we had the ability to talk to 15 other owners all across the country. It was the feeling of support; we weren't on this island by ourselves.&nbsp;Jeff:&nbsp;The other reason that we picked Lawn Doctor is that we knew their product and their service because we were customers. We knew that this was something worth doing.1851:&nbsp;What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth?&nbsp;Lorie:&nbsp;We want to make this a family business. Starting out, it is going to be Jeff and I. But one of the reasons why we're doing this is because we want to be able to create opportunities for our children or our grandchildren, if that's something they should want to do. If not, we're looking to be able to offer job opportunities to our local community. In our previous careers, we've been on the hiring end of things, so we know what the job market looks like. We also hear the frustrations from some of our employees that we've worked with, and we want to be able to differentiate ourselves as an employer to be able to offer that safe space where our employees feel like they have the ability to grow. We want to start out managing the territory of ourselves. We do have our eyes on some other territories if that opportunity becomes available.&nbsp;1851:&nbsp;What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?Lorie:&nbsp;The thing that is most exciting is that this is something we've always wanted to do as a husband and wife. This is our baby. We each have established careers outside of this. Jeff has been able to work his way up through the ranks. He's very esteemed, and he has a pretty impressive career. I, myself, have been able to accomplish pretty much everything in the corporate world that I had set out to accomplish. So we're going to be taking our experiences and our skill sets into this. That's what we're most excited about — being able to see what it is that we're going to be able to do, using 30 years worth of experience in another work world and combining it and putting it into this business. Our skill sets are similar, but they're also different. We're going to be able to divide and conquer. I have 30 years worth of sales and sales management experience behind my belt. Jeff has public service, which means he knows how to give good customer service and puts people first.&nbsp;1851:&nbsp;What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?Jeff:&nbsp;It can be intimidating, just speaking from experience. Once you get into a certain career, that's kind of all you know. To leave that world and to transition into something else can be pretty intimidating. It's not really easy to pivot and transition. But it's really not as daunting as it seems. It’s actually been really smooth, and we haven't been intimidated at all after our first call with the Lawn Doctor corporate team. There's a ton of people in this organization that are specifically here to help and here to guide you through the process. So, don't be afraid to take a big step and try something different.Lorie:&nbsp;We really did our research. We were going to keep calling franchisees until someone said something bad or said something negative. We didn't want to just hear that everything is great and wonderful. We were looking for what that challenge was, and we were gonna keep making those calls until we got it.&nbsp;<h3>About Lawn Doctor:&nbsp;</h3>Since its first franchise in 1967, Lawn Doctor has established itself as a leader in the lawn care services industry through innovative technology, its ability to satisfy the needs of consumers on a national level, and its development and expansion within the industry. Lawn Doctor specializes in treatment and conditioning services, such as fertilization, weed control, seeding, aeration, and tree and shrub care. The Lawn Doctor brand has hundreds of locally owned and operated franchises and is the #1 ranked lawn care franchise in the United States. Lawn Doctor is a 2023 Franchise 500 brand, ranking no. 79 for its financial strength and stability, unit growth and brand power.&nbsp;

Local Texarkana Couple Brings First Lawn Doctor to the Market 

1851 Franchise

Jeff and Lorie Walling went from Lawn Doctor customers to franchise owners and expect to open for business in January 2024.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

local-texarkana-couple-brings-first-lawn-doctor-to-the-market

ServiceMaster Restore

ServiceMaster Restore Powers Into the Second Half of 2025 With Growth and Purpose-Driven Impact

ServiceMaster Restore Powers Into the Second Half of 2025 With Strong Growth and Purpose-Driven Impact

servicemaster-restore-powers-into-the-second-half-of-2025-with-strong-growth-and-purpose-driven-impact

Comfort Keepers

Comfort Keepers - Midyear Press Release 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Comfort Keepers® Hits Mid-Year Stride With Strong Franchise Growth and Rising Demand for In-Home Care

comfort-keepers-franchise-midyear-momentum-2025

petbar

petbar - Garrett Dewan - Why I'm Investing - 1851 Franchise

Why Garrett Dewan Is Choosing To Reinvest in petbar

petbar-franchise-austin-garrett-dewan-multi-unit

Paris Baguette

NJBIZ: Paris Baguette Ramps Up Expansion With New Franchises, Facility and 2030 Growth Target

njbiz-paris-baguette-ramps-up-expansion-with-new-franchises-facility-and-2030-growth-target

Busy Bee Jumpers

Top 10 Reasons To Buy a Busy Bee Jumpers Franchise in 2025

top-10-reasons-to-buy-a-busy-bee-jumpers-franchise-in-2025

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down - Breaking News - 1851 Franchise

Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down Amid Challenges, Leaving Franchisees Facing Uncertainty

wendys-ceo-transition-kirk-tanner-franchisee-uncertainty

"Come in, We're OPEN" sign against abstract background

Small Business Optimism Dips, Raising Concerns for Franchise Owners

small-business-optimism-dips-raising-concerns-for-franchise-owners

Photo of Roof Scientist truck and trailer

Roof Scientist Expands Into Northern Indianapolis as Entrepreneur Dale Speckman Launches New Business in Fishers

roof-scientist-expands-into-northern-indianapolis

Image of Donald Trump pointing with red stripes in the background

August 1 Tariff Deadline Is Said to Have ‘No Extensions’: What This Could Mean for Franchises

august-1-tariff-deadline-franchise-impact

What June’s Jobs Report Means for the Franchise Industry

what-junes-jobs-report-means-for-the-franchise-industry

Kansas Couple Revitalizes Local Childcare With Children’s Lighthouse

From Corporate Careers to Community Roots: Kansas Couple Revitalizes Local Childcare With Children’s Lighthouse

kansas-couple-opens-childrens-lighthouse-gardner-olathe

From Prescriptions to Pastries: Kari Khandelwal Creates a Comforting Community Bakery 

From Prescriptions to Pastries: Kari Khandelwal Creates a Comforting Community Bakery in Overland Park, Kansas

paris-baguette-franchise-overland-park-khandelwal

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

Blending Tech, Hospitality and Health Care: How Three Women From Different Worlds Came Together to Build a Paris Baguette Franchise

paris-baguette-franchise-flower-mound-texas

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Local Texarkana Couple Brings First Lawn Doctor to the Market

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS