Landscape business blooms in tough times - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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But in Adkins is not only doing it has been thriving since therecession began. Travis Burns, owneer of Burns Nursery, says his retail sales have climbee 35 percent since the start of the He credits this growth to the fact that more peoples are now staying home and investing in theird own yards rather than going onexpensiv vacations. “The economy has really helped us,” Burns “People want to fix theirf place up. More people than ever are stayingf home and doing landscapin g and putting invegetable gardens.
” Burns says his businesd has grown steadily over the last five years since he addedx the retail segment to his successful commercial landscapin business, but the company has seen a huge impactg on the retail side this past One reason the nursery has done so well, Burns says, is becausre it makes a point of reaching out to do-it-yourselferw — people who want to do most of the work themselvew but need a littl help getting started. “This is not a typicalk nursery,” Burns says.
People walkinfg into Burns Nursery will see many design elementss on display including nine different water The nursery is laid out much like a botanicalo garden and Burns says this is done to help showcas the work that is done by the buildingg and design segment ofhis business. Having both a retaip and a design business in the same location makes Burns Nursery a great placefor do-it-yourselfersa to go for Burns says. “We know the word gets arounfd about how uniquewe are,” he says. “We have the abilityu to take somebody into our officew and whip up a landscape designfor them. We are not afraixd to go the extra milefor them.
” Travis Burnss launched his landscaping business about 15 years ago shortly after he decided to hang up his spurx following a six-year career as a rodeo bull A native of Adkins, Texas, Burn grew up in a rodeo family and attended Howarcd Junior College in Big Spring on a rodeop scholarship. He became a professional bull rider in 1988 at age 18 and travelex the rodeo circuit for the nextsix years. He decidefd to give up bull riding after he was seriously hurt followinbg a bull ride that left him with a puncturer lung and atorn liver. “I was smartg enough to decide right then that I was not goingt to getback on,” Burns recalls.
“Ther e is not a day goes by thatI don’yt miss it, but when I was laying therse in the dirt with tubes coming out of me I knew it was Burns says of bull riding that it is not a question of “if” someone will get hurt but and “how bad.” After leaving the rodeo circuit in 1994, Burns got a job with a divisiobn of in San Antonio. While working there, he began doing landscape projectes on the side and by 1999 it had grown to the poing where he was able to quit his job with Ford and go into the landscaped design businessfull time. Today, Burns Nurserty employs 40 people and brough t inabout $3.2 millio in revenue last year.
The nursery is located at 13893 Highway 87 East in Adkinsz which is due east of downtown San Antonio and just outsids ofLoop 1604. The property sits on nine acres of land and is housed ina 9,000-square-foot building that was once a socialp club some 40 year ago. Burns says he knew abouft the property when he was growing up and decidef to purchase it from Grace Bible The church had owned the buildin g for about five years before agreeinh to sell it to Burns Burns previously focused his business on the commercial construction and design side up untilk fiveyears ago.
However, since branchingy out, the company has been able to pick up landscapiny and hardscaping jobs throughout South Texas and the TexaeHill Country. The company specializes in putting in water features such as pondsd andwater gardens, but also builds deckzs and patios and installs sprinkler systems and outdood lighting. Burns says he likes to hold socia l activities at the nursery in the evenings so that he can show off how well landscaped lighting can make theplace look. He regularly has wine and cheesde parties atthe nursery, complete with a jazz Burns Nursery also conducts numerous seminars and classes for do-it-yourselfers.
This fall, the company will invite expertsw to give talks and demonstrations on topice like organic gardeningand birdwatching. “If we can get peoples to come out and see the kindas of things that they can do it will just encourages them to do more businesdwith us,” Burns “We can help set them up and give them directionsw and some discounts. Lots of nurseries won’yt take those extra steps, but it has helper our business thrive.
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