After just three seasons, the Kapustin brothers have built up a solid customer base in excess of 70 properties, many of which are sprawling, high-end estates. Aside from some professional-looking truck branding, they haven’t done any other advertising. The Kapustins got started with a handful of customers, and the rest has snowballed through word of mouth.
“We like to follow the Golden Rule and treat people the way we like to be treated,” says John Kapustin, owner of Country View Landscape in Spokane, Washington. “Another motto we like is that if you want to be around attractive people, be attractive yourself. Look presentable and do your part. It’s that simple.”
Simple to say, anyway. For a lot of landscape maintenance companies, it’s not the easiest thing to execute on a consistent basis. That’s exactly why John decided to leave his career as a heavy equipment operator to start a landscape company in 2022. He wanted to shatter the stereotype that lawn service contractors were unprofessional and relatively unskilled. He envisioned running a professional, presentable crew that high-end clientele would feel comfortable having on their properties.
Left: John, Anton, and Philip Kapustin of Country View Landscape in Spokane, Washington.
“Sometimes a smile and wave are all it takes to make a customer’s day,” John says. He and his younger brothers, Philip (18) and Anton (16), along with the company’s three other employees (who also happen to be family members), also need to provide service that overdelivers. That requires a willingness to do the little things that really make a customer feel good, like picking up pine cones and other debris, or retrieving their trash cans that are down by the road.
Overdelivering also requires the right equipment, technique and discipline. “Some people say that all we really do is make grass shorter,” John says with a smirk. “Well, that’s true. But the difference is that we don’t just cut it, we groom it.”
Latent Demand Presents Lucrative Opportunity
When John decided to start his company at age 30, he unleashed an inner entrepreneurial spirit that had been caged up for many years. “I’d always thought about having my own business, but taking that first leap of faith can be difficult,” John relates.
John was nudged into taking that leap when his elder younger brother, Philip, had started working for a cousin who was a homebuilder. John felt like the opportunity to start a lawn business with Philip would soon expire if Philip became too settled into the lifestyle of being a construction worker. John didn’t take that chance.
Country View Landscape was up and running by the 2022 growing season, just a few months before Philip turned 16. Philip joined his older brother as president of the company. Philip also came up with the company name. He and John shared a vision of servicing spacious lawns with breathtaking prairie, lake, and mountain views.
“We also wanted to service estate-type properties with detailed landscapes,” Philip says. “Your work becomes much more enjoyable when you have a nice view.”
Customers find more enjoyment in their properties when their landscaping provider has an appreciation for the finer details. Country View Landscape does, and word got around quickly after their first season in business.
After just a few seasons, Country View Landscape is up to 70-80 weekly clients. That lists grows to 150-plus in the spring and fall for cleanups and irrigation service. The company also offers snow removal since the Spokane area receives an average of nearly 50 inches per year.
Country View Landscape’s client list has not only grown, but also evolved. They still specialize in large properties “with a country view,” but their two crews also service an equal number of suburban homes. A few churches and businesses have also been added to their routes. The common denominator is that all clients want premium service. John refers to them as platinum-level clientele.
Some of Country View’s competitors have a hard time maintaining the standard necessary to satisfy this part of the market. Many don’t even want to try. That’s why John says he knew there was an untapped platinum-level market out there when he first started the company. The fancy business term is “latent demand.” But even John was surprised by how many property owners were itching for a high-end, complete landscape maintenance provider.
The Walker Mower has become an instrumental tool in Country View’s approach to platinum-level service. Philip says well over half of the total acreage Country View mows is groomed with a Walker Model T27i with a 48-inch collection deck. The rest is cut with either a stand-on zero-turn, or in very tight or hilly areas, a 21-inch push mower.
When the Kapustins first started their business, they primarily mowed with a stand-on. A big reason why was because Philip didn’t want to side-discharge, and a certain brand of stand-on did a decent job of mulching. That said, Philip actually preferred bagging over mulching. The problem was that he needed the productivity gain of a 36-inch stand-on vs. a 21-inch push mower. That’s when their equipment dealer stepped in.
“Our good and generous local dealer, Adams Tractor, was kind enough to bring a brand new Model T27i out to a property we serviced,” Philip says. “We were able to get a hands-on experience with the machine.”
They ended up buying that machine, which Philip typically operates. The second crew still mows primarily with a stand-on, although John says his goal is to buy another Walker Model T for them to use.
Laying down stripes like these has helped Country View Landscape earn its stripes among the elite realm of the residential market.
“We like to use the Walker on our more technical properties,” Philip says, adding that landscapes with a lot of slopes, beds and pools are ideal for the Walker. He says the bagging capability speaks for itself. But what he appreciates most is the articulating deck which helps provide a clean, uniform cut. “The Walker can even cut going backwards, which is really helpful when mowing uphill,” Philip adds.
John and Philip have been joined by their younger brother, Anton, who just turned 16 back in December. He spends most of his time trimming, edging and blowing, or perhaps operating the 21-inch push mower on certain areas of a property. Sometimes Philip will give Anton some time on the Walker, which is something Anton always looks forward to.
“I really like the delicate controls of the Walker,” Anton shares. “You actually feel like you’re one with the mower. It doesn’t tear up the lawn when it turns, and it lays down some very neat stripes.”
Mastering the Art of Perfection
It’s kind of funny, Philip says. As integral as the Walker Mower has become, the Kapustins were initially hesitant to purchase one. As John explains, the higher price of the machine meant they would have to charge customers more when they mowed with it. Much to the Kapustins’ delight, most clients were receptive to the idea of paying their contractor to use a premium piece of equipment. Having conversations to explain why the mower is different and better, perhaps showing a video or two, was all it took for John to sell the value. Some customers, however, required a little more nurturing.
Philip has come to appreciate the Walker’s ability to mow backwards, which comes in handy on some of the steeper properties Country View Landscape maintains.
“I highly encourage other contractors to suggest doing a trial run,” John says. “I’ll often tell customers that I get sticker shock on some things I purchase, too. Sometimes it takes me a month or two before I convince myself that investing a certain amount of money in a certain piece of equipment will pay off. So I tell clients who are hesitant to give it a try for a month or two.”
That approach doesn’t always result in a total victory. But more often than not, clients see the quality and value, and there’s no turning back.
There is no turning back for the Kapustin brothers, either. Country View Landscape has built its reputation on providing platinum-level service. It’s a lot of pressure to maintain that standard from start to finish. But it’s a pressure the Kapustins are more than willing to accept, and it’s a reputation they’re also careful to protect.
“Once you tarnish your image, you’re done—especially in the elite realm of clientele,” John says. “When we start getting into late summer, we start watching for signs of fatigue in our employees. If we see it, we’ll call a team meeting to talk about whether or not the workload is getting to be too much, or maybe a certain property is getting to be too much. Maybe there are some adjustments we can make to make things better. We always have those team conversations before we make any executive decisions.”
At the End of the Day, Quality Matters Most
“Every day we’re out on a job, we’re continuing to master the art of perfection,” Anton says. “I have great mentors. My brothers always remind me to pay attention to every detail. When we drive away from a property, we should always take a moment to stop and get a view. When you did your best to provide the best service possible, looking back at the result makes you feel proud.”