The most striking thing in speaking to David Hawkins, Jr. about his landscaping business is how many lives he’s managed to touch. Hawkins Landscaping is not just a business, but a contributor to community, for its employees, the Hawkins family, and the Frederick clients and organizations it serves. It’s amazing to survey the stability and impact that Hawkins, Jr. has developed over 50 years of business, but what’s even more interesting is that there are no magic bullets. There’s no mysterious secret to his success. Instead, he has done things the old-fashioned way: staying unswervingly committed to the things that are simple, but not easy. Serving customers well, caring for employees, growing sustainably, and refusing to take shortcuts. He began the business in 1974 with $100 and a pickup truck, and today oversees an organization with approximately 25 employees and 18 landscaping vehicles. He didn’t get there by accident, and he didn’t get there by rushing the process or giving up.
Hawkins Landscaping stands out because of Hawkins, Jr.’s unusual level of commitment to five key priority areas. They’re not an “official” business slate, but they naturally emerge as he speaks about what he’s created over the past 50 years. Anyone can aspire to achievement in these metrics, but it’s Hawkins, Jr.’s consistency and dedication which have brought him tangible results. The effect of all these priorities working together provides an inspiring example for the Frederick community and for local entrepreneurs.
Fair & Honest Business Practices
Hawkins, Jr. says his first commitment in serving clients is always to honor his word and to provide a fair price for quality work. “Honoring his word,” at the most basic level, takes the form of a dedication to timeliness. “I can’t stand when people are late,” he says. He knows that landscaping companies often operate on the basis of arrival during a “window” of time, but he makes a concerted effort to run his company so that his employees show up when he tells the client they’ll be there. “That’s just the first thing,” he says. He’s committed to offering clients a price based on a realistic assessment of labor time completed with materials of a standard they will truly appreciate – he doesn’t undercut or overshoot. “I always want people to know exactly what they’re getting, what the cost will really be, and that they’ll be happy with the outcome.”
Hawkins, Jr. also tries to respond to the needs of clients and focus on relationships during sales. “I make bid presentations in person,” he says. He often develops the 2D and 3D presentations for bids at no up-front cost, and wants the customer service experience to feel superior even before the client signs a contract. “We send appointment reminders and always keep the client informed,” he says.
Involving the Family
Hawkins, Jr. is blessed to have developed a business that’s a real family affair – as he says, it’s “all hands on deck.” It means he and his family spend a lot of time together, and navigate all the headaches that come with running a business, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Hawkins, Jr.’s wife Carol is at the helm of Hawkins Landscaping’s admin side, while he and his son David Hawkins III focus on business development. With family businesses becoming more of an endangered species, it’s been rewarding to have his son as second-in-command – and David III’s son David IV is already excited and keeping busy with Grandpa and Dad.
Taking Care of Employees
One of the things that Hawkins, Jr. is most conscious of is that his company doesn’t just provide employees with “jobs,” but with opportunities to build their lives. “I’ve helped several employees with loans to make down payments on houses and cars,” he says. He focuses on helping employees build security for their families and begin creating the kind of legacy he is building in his own life.
His main supervisor, he says, has been with the company for over 20 years.
This is a point of pride for Hawkins, Jr., because as he puts it, “if you don’t take care of your employees, they don’t stay.” His supervisor is just one of several employees that have stayed with the company for a longer tenure. One of his favorite events of the year is the company picnic he holds at his farm, at which he offers games, karaoke, an ice cream truck, bounce house, mechanical bull, and other fun activities for all to enjoy.
A main driver behind Hawkins, Jr.’s consistency is maintaining stability for the community of people he supports. Even in the thick of the uncertainty of COVID, he is proud to mention, “I’ve never laid anybody off.”
Serving the Community
Hawkins, Jr. struggles to put his finger on the total number of charities Hawkins Landscaping supports on a regular basis, but he figures it must be around 20. He jokes that Carol bugs him about his tireless generosity, and that he responds with one of his favorite phrases: “We haven’t missed a meal yet.” As long as his family has food on the table, he says, he’s happy to keep giving to others. Hawkins Landscaping has an ongoing relationship with a number of local organizations.
The biggest one, Hawkins, Jr. says, is the Great Frederick Fair. Hawkins Landscaping donates all of the landscaping work at the fairgrounds to support the event, which usually amounts to around 100 hours to set up and 40 to take down. Hawkins has also previously sponsored some of the fair’s concerts. It’s definitely a heavy lift, with no payment accepted other than marketing, but the event is close to Hawkins, Jr.’s heart. “My passion is farming and we’ve always supported 4-H,” he says.
In addition, miscellaneous other beneficiaries include Special Olympics, American Cancer Society (David Hawkins, Sr. passed due to cancer at 51), Hawkins, Jr.’s church, and Habitat for Humanity, which receives some of the landscaping company’s excess materials. Hawkins, Jr. also enjoys working with the Frederick County Career Technology Center, where he mentors occasionally and has offered graduates jobs.
Living the Dream
Hawkins, Jr. has used his success to enrich his life and to realize the dream he had all along: owning his own farm. “I wanted to farm from the beginning, and I got into landscaping because it seemed like the most similar thing,” he says. 20 years ago, he purchased a 106-acre farm in Thurmont, which also provides a home base for his business.
The farm is home to horses as well as dogs and cats. He says it’s worked out particularly well and is well-justified by how it allows him to store and maintain business equipment. He loves what he does, but the real treat is getting out on the tractor in the evenings. By starting from the ground up, he’s managed to use business growth to fuel a personal passion that also plays a role in keeping him going.
“Honesty, fairness, integrity – holding on to employees and customers long-term:” these are the key attributes that Hawkins, Jr. says he seeks to exemplify with Hawkins Landscaping. He’s a big proponent of the Golden Rule. These types of ideas aren’t necessarily the trendiest today, with social media always promising a new business hack, but Hawkins Landscaping is proof that they work. David Hawkins, Jr. knows that one thing you can’t argue with is a job done right.
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