When Doug Delano started Level Green Landscaping in 2002 at age 44, he and co-founder Bill Hardy planned to build the business into a “retirement vehicle” that they could sell when they turned 65.
At first, Delano thought he’d just hire a couple of guys to help him with gardening projects around Capitol Hill, where he lives. But, he says, “I realized as I got older that I wouldn’t be able to do that type of work.”
Instead, he had to build a team of employees who could consistently deliver service to his standards as the company grew. Now with more than 200 employees, Delano and Hardy are committed to providing for them long-term by growing a stable business.
Now that he’s nearing 60, Delano says, “Maybe I’m not going to retire after all, because we enjoy what we do.”
Read the full story from the October issue here.
