Keyes Landscaping: A Journey of Entrepreneurship
Travis Keyes started his business when he was a sophomore at Mountain View High School. He started with traditional lawn maintenance that included mowing lawns and mulching. He hired another high school friend and continued this business throughout his years in high school.
However, when he was a junior and senior, he took classes on woodworking and masonry. It was during his masonry class that he realized he had a passion for it and slowly started shifting his business from traditional lawn care maintenance to hardscapes.
Once he realized he wanted to focus on hardscape work, he sold all his lawn maintenance equipment and started investing in his hardscape equipment. He officially launched a full hardscaping business three years ago.
The hardscape projects include patios, sidewalks, retaining walls, outdoor living spaces, and landscape lighting.
At 23 years old Travis Keyes created a million-dollar business. Travis’ dad is now a retired Fredericksburg firefighter who works for Travis. His mom is a Stafford County bus driver who uses her summer to drive the big trucks for Travis’ company. This company is truly family-owned.
That high school friend who worked for Travis in High School, Tony, is now the project manager for Keyes Landscaping. Travis mainly focuses on logistics and sales.
They’ve also recently opened a separate division for decks and porches, which is managed by Travis’ girlfriend.
They average about 3 to 4 jobs at one time. Their average turnaround for completion is about a week and a half. The time frames vary depending on the size of the project.
With so many competitors in the area, what makes Keyes Landscaping stand out?
They do not take deposits. Payments are done upon completion of the job. They also have a unique visual process for their clients. They start by offering a sketch of the project, once it’s approved by their client, they then do a 3D rendering of the completed project.
It’s calculated to show 98% accuracy of their work. It’s a great visual for their clients and to give to HOAs for HOA approvals.
This allows Keyes Landscaping to give a thorough realistic look at the product prior to payment.
They also love giving back to the community and often sponsor the Brookpoint baseball team.
His advice for young entrepreneurs is to “follow your gut and don’t be afraid to take a small risk.”
When he’s not working you can find Travis at car shows with his 1966 Ford F100, hunting in the wintertime, and spending time with his Yellow Lab, Gracie.
Currently, the wait period for projects is about a month, depending on the size of the project. Keyes offers financing! 0% for 24 months for patios, decks, and screen porches. For quotes and more information on transforming your landscape call (540)424-7330 or visit keyeslandscapingva.com
