Today we’d like to introduce you to Blake Parker.
Hi Blake, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Originally from Valdosta Georgia my work history ranges from retail sales to farm work, real estate development to concrete crews, I have experience in many different fields and have been working since the age of 14. I met my wife in Valdosta and we moved back to her hometown of Vidalia after a few year of marriage when her dad was having health issues. I originally started working for the Paul Anderson youth home as a counselor and mentor for the young men there. While working at the youth home I worked with a farmer putting in irrigation for pecan orchards and learned a lot there. Shortly after leaving the youth home I decided to try my hand in applying all the various things I had learned from my variety of jobs and created Sweet City Landscapes. For the first few years it was simply myself, maybe a part time friend to help from time to time, and used lawn maintenance equipment working long hours. I really liked the satisfaction of the work, but learned what I really enjoyed was the aspect of building and growing a business. 2025 will wrap up our 10th year in business and we are looking forward to many more. We have around two dozen people on our team that really make a big impact day to day and I couldn’t be prouder of them. We have two goals – provide an excellent service and a great lace to work, and I think we are steadily making progress on both fronts. The driving force behind all of it is loving others and serving them well, this applies to our team, our clients and our community.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The learning curve on how to create a business from an idea is steep, but a fun and rewarding road. Learning new technical skills along the way, learning how to find and keep good talent, and how to overcome the everyday stresses of an always changing work place is a good start. The shifting trend and economy changes present some factors in the business but I think the biggest struggle is finding, developing and retaining a workforce with a positive culture.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We design, build and maintain beautiful custom landscapes. You can break this down into two divisions, lawn maintenance and installation. We have dedicated teams that manage and perform all of our lawn maintenance from small residential homes to hospitals and college campuses. Along with the routine maintenance we offer our maintenance clients a long list of enhancements they can choose from if they want to increase the curb appeal and value of their property. Our installation division creates and installs anything from plant designs, irrigation and drainage fixes all the way to outdoor living spaces, low voltage lighting and water features.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Always curious and interested in learning new things from others. I never minded doing hard things and actually enjoyed them. I enjoyed any activity outdoors and or creating things.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sweetcitylandscapes.com
- Facebook: @sweetcitylandscaping
