Against All Odds

Growing up on a farm, Steve Redelman learned to stay busy. There were many chores to be done and he enjoyed working with the land. When his parents died and the farm was sold, Redelman decided to put his farming knowledge to work and open his own landscaping company.

Today, as the owner of Redelman Landscape and Lawncare, Aurora, Ind., Redelman enjoys building his business and servicing the community. Though he has been in business for 20 years, it hasn’t always been an easy road for Redelman to travel. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Redelman often faces biases from potential clients.

“I don’t know if with a small handicap they think I can’t do the work, but I can do anything that anybody else can,” he declared.

Though he realizes that bias is present, Redelman has never given up. To get his first jobs he would drive up and down streets with landscape-related items in the bed of his truck, giving the perception that he was busy with accounts. A friend who owned a printing shop printed signs for Redelman’s new business and he fed off of referrals from family friends.

Now, Redelman Landscape and Lawncare is a full-service landscaping company for residential and commercial accounts, including mowing services and pond installations. Redelman does all the work himself, with the help of one full-time and one part-time employee. With revenues of about $30,000 in 2000, Redelman’s business isn’t the biggest around, but he’s working hard to change that.

“In 2002, I want to make enough to buy some new equipment,” he explained. “I also would like to work out of state. I don’t want to have to worry about working for anyone else but me.”

To achieve that goal, Redelman strives to meet as many potential clients face-to-face as possible. “I like the one-on-one work,” he related. “I like to introduce myself to the new builders or the new contractors who are developing in the area. I think that’s the best way to secure new accounts.”

In addition to building a landscaping business, Redelman has worked part-time at the local Wal-Mart, trains horses and is also running for his county’s council. Though this might seem like a lot to take on for most people, it’s quite natural for Redelman. “My dad and uncles always taught me that staying busy was good,” he remarked. “If I can’t stay busy, I’d go crazy.”