When Juan Berriz’s father Gabriel immigrated to Puerto Rico from Cuba in the early 1960s, the landscaping profession was in its infancy. In fact, Juan says many of the developers on the island attributed his dad’s influence to the growth of the profession, more specifically in helping to meld together the separate disciplines of landscape design and installation. Juan now looks to carry on the tradition by strengthening the natural ties between landscape installation and maintenance.

It would be easy to talk about his energy, his confidence or the beautiful surroundings in which he works. But the real story of Bradley Carvalho of BJ Services in Kohala Coast, Hawaii, is where he came from and what drives him and his family to stay close to their roots.

The Alaskan growing season may be abbreviated, but is also very intense. Consider what happens when the sun is shining 22 out of 24 hours in mid-summer. “In August, our two Walkers mow eight hours a day five days a week, and sometimes six,” relates Darrin Edson. “Even then, we can hardly keep up with the new growth.”

You don’t have to look very hard at Aaron Loerzel’s truck to know he is up against some tough conditions running a mowing business on the South Pacific island and United States territory of Guam. “It was a brand new truck,” he relates while pointing to the rusted pock marks that are plentifully scattered over the entire truck. “A typhoon came through here and bead-blasted the truck, and it didn’t take long for the humidity to rust out the dents.”

It must have been an unusual afternoon for John Welch. He was spending the better part of it under a canopy between his workshop and enclosed trailer. The sun in Chilliwack, British Columbia was blazing hot and the covering afforded a bit of relief. “Do you think my wife would notice if I buy a new trailer every year, one that is only two feet longer than the previous one?” he asks. “In three or four years, I could have a tremendous trailer, and she wouldn’t wonder if I have lost my mind.”

Morgantown, West Virginia, is not the first place one would expect to see a Walker Mower. After all, the town is surrounded by mountains, and many lots are as steep as they are wide. So why does the owner of Think Greene have a Walker Mower on his trailer? “That’s easy,” says Nathan Greene. “When I was looking for an alternative to my mid-size mower, my uncle in Ohio said, ‘Buy a Walker.’ When I reminded him how hilly it was here, he told me the Walker could handle most any hill, and it will go backwards up anything.”