Our History: A Quick Ride Through the first 40 years (almost!)

Beginning with Our Founder's Personal Reflection: From humble beginnings we have come - and, now large enough & productive enough to be supportive and sustainable, we remain humble and good servants. A family company. Many of these 39 years, in my heart, I thought American Landscape was a temporary phase until I could return to teaching, which I thought was my true vocation. Instead, I was led to finally see that this was my vocation, to be an employer, a provider of jobs, and a good servant to customers. Along the way I had much to learn: the hardest being, as a business owner with everything on the line, was and is to let go, delegate, and not micro-manage. Letting go of control and trusting in the outcome, through people, weather, the uncertainties of the economy and world has been the hardest thing. Trusting Providence 1st. Then putt family ahead of business.

God is not done with me yet, seeing I still need more personal growing. I give thanks to all of you, family, coworkers and customers, for these years, and to my son Shea for making possible these latter years of being free to meet with customers, do creative projects, and not come in every day.

And now the "Unofficial" History of the Company:

About the Beginnings:  In March 1973, almost exactly 39 years ago, as a fall back from teaching, Tyrrell did open a lawn maintenance franchise known as American Lawn Service, operating out of the family home driveway on Hillside Lane (still the family home to this day). Starting with 1 new truck, a Simplicity riding tractor (no "zero turns" in those days!), a trailer, gas can, push mower, and hand clippers (there were NO line trimmers in those days!); it quickly became 2 trucks and a rented garage. He still vividly remembers starting out at sunup each day, sometimes traveling an hour to the first Electric Company substation (they could be as far away as Cleveland on the North or Whitewater on the South!), mowing and trimming all day, and getting back usually well after dark, 6 days a week.