Since he was around 15 years old, Dylan Usry has been self-employed. “I worked for myself as a farmer in Thomson,” Dylan recalls, “but in September 2022, during my junior year of high school, I got into a car accident. I broke my leg and wrist and wasn’t able to keep up with the rent on the farmland because I couldn't work.” After recovering from his injuries, Dylan got a job doing excavation work. “I was still very interested in the agriculture side of stuff—I love watching products grow,” Dylan says, “but I couldn't get back into farming right then, so I took the excavation side of things and decided to start doing hydroseeding and erosion control.” He started Blackwater Site Solutions in September 2024 and now, at 19 years old, Dylan’s business has been going strong for almost two years.
Having experience in agriculture gave Dylan an edge as he started Blackwater. “I already knew what kind of soil to look for, what fertilizers I needed, and other things for the grass growing portion,” Dylan explains. “I knew what erosion looked like and how to stabilize slopes. I took that knowledge and implemented it in a different way.”
Blackwater now offers a wide range of services including hydroseeding (offering almost every variety of grass and doing blends to ensure that customers have beautiful grass year-round), erosion control, silt fencing, clearing services, grading, mulching, some utilities, and the prep work for hydroseeding—the prep being one of the most important aspects of hydroseeding.
What sets Blackwater apart is Dylan’s passion for the people he is helping. “After Hurricane Helene, hydroseeding became popular because some see it as quick money,” Dylan says, “but I'm not going to waste someone's money or not feel confident about the product I’m giving them.” Dylan tailors to each customer’s situation and offers thoughtful insight to save his customers money while meeting their needs.
It comes as no surprise that one of Dylan’s favorite things is helping customers and seeing their happiness. “One of the main things that keeps me thoughtful about what I'm doing is the customers,” Dylan says. “I love getting texts from the customers three or four days after I spray a job saying, ‘We've got grass growing already and we're so happy with everything.’”
A favorite project of Dylan’s was in 2025. “The property was in Appling off Ray Owens Road,” Dylan says. “The product we turned out on that property was absolutely amazing. It was unlike anything we've been able to do before.”
To see some before and after pictures of Dylan’s projects, visit Blackwater Site Solutions on Facebook. To learn more about Blackwater or find out if he can do a project, give Dylan a call at (706) 496-5994 or email dusry0607@gmail.com.
“One of the things that keeps me thoughtful about what I'm doing is the customers. I love getting texts saying, ‘We're so happy with everything.’”