About the Owner
My name is Ryan Wheeler, and I've been working in the landscaping field since 1997. I started out working for Harbor Lawn Service, a landscaping company based in York, Maine. I worked for the company for over two years until the owner decided to get out of the business. As Harbor Lawn Service started to cut back, I was offered a few customers here and there and that’s how I got started in the business.
As I was still in school word got around and I started receiving more calls for mowing and other types of tasks, such as pruning, weeding, mulching, plantings and more. Due to my lack of experience and knowledge in those specific areas, I thought it would be good to get a formal education so that I could feel confident in my work. I wanted to be certain that I was practicing correct landscaping techniques and improving the landscape based on knowledge instead of guesswork. Too often today I see trees and plants dying because they've been planted incorrectly, or poor/incorrect pruning has allowed pests and diseases to enter the plants.
Because I really enjoyed landscaping, it was pretty easy for me to decide what career I wanted to pursue. After high school, I attended the Thompson School of Applied Sciences at the University of New Hampshire, where I took multiple classes in plant and tree identification, pests and diseases, irrigation, design, maintenance, plant structure and function, weeds, business management, and landscape construction. I graduated with honors and an Associate's Degree in Landscape Operations.
While studying at college, I was still able to service 35 customers from residential to commercial accounts while attending school full-time and maintaining an honor status as a student. While in my first year of college I started my business, The Greens Keeper LLC.
Although I have been working in the landscaping field for more than fourteen years, my company has only been around since 2003. When I first started the business it was only part-time, but we have since become a full-time landscaping company that offers a broad range of services from lawn maintenance to installation and hardscape.
Although the company is expanding, our customers like the fact that we are still small enough to know our customer on a personal level -- and we plan to keep it that way. Our plan is to grow while still maintaining a close connection with our customers.
My main goal in the landscape industry is to practice sustainable landscape practices and to educate my employees and customers.