Rising from the lush farmland blanketing the countryside of southern central Illinois is the fresh All-American city of Springfield. Its pristine midwestern environment could not be more welcoming and healthy-looking. One very busy team of professionals is fully immersed daily in maintaining this hometown in that condition for its residents. The KLC Turf Pro & Tree Service home base is located in Sherman, IL, about 18 minutes north of downtown Springfield.
The KLC team specializes in keeping the grounds and pavement throughout Springfield in clean and tidy living condition. This thriving Springfield family business provides a one-stop shop for commercial and residential property owners for landscape care, pavement sweeping, snow removal, and many other external maintenance needs.
The Kent family started the KLC company in 2001. Pam Kent looks back at her company’s 23 years of service to Springfield. In 2010, we bought Green Sweep and changed the name. Ozzie Kent, her son and KLC Operations Manager, together tell the story of their family business, its culture, growth over the years, long-term plans, and more.
What sets KLC apart in the Springfield market?
Pam sets the scene. There’s not a huge market for pavement sweeping here. There are only a few of us that do it. That makes it nice. There’s a lot more competition in the tree and landscape services. Our quality sets us apart.
Ozzie further explained the benefits of being a small business in terms of competitive advantages. What sets us apart is that we’re able to operate as a small business. That allows us to keep our prices low and our quality high. We treat each property as our own, keeping our high standards,
We are a family-owned business. My dad is a veteran of the Navy. After his military service he was in the business side of the beverage industry for over 15 years before co-founding KLC. He’s now a Stationary Engineer for the State of Illinois. My mom studied business at SIU. I’m in the IANG as an aerospace propulsion tech. I joined the business and became an arborist.
KLC Sweeping Service and Equipment Reliability
I think we currently have eight full-time employees in winter and increase seasonally in March and April by putting on at least 5 to 10 more people. We bring on several college students in summer apprenticeships, with some going on into landscape architecture. They tend to be good on mowers and have a keen eye for our landscape designs. They may handle a variety of tasks, including mowing and possibly sweeping help.
We run two full-time vehicles 7 days per week. That allows us to run a pickup truck with a vacuum attachment and run a pull-behind sweeper with a broom at night.
We’ve always used Masco equipment for pavement sweeping. It’s the right fit for our purposes and it works great. There’s never any trouble with it. It makes a big contribution to the operation of our company that goes unnoticed and unseen.
People love to show up in their parking lots and find that they are clean and that their trash cans are empty. The majority of the properties we service use our pottering help. Those include several high-profile commercial businesses.
KLC Exterior Property Maintenance Service Model
Along with parking lot sweeping, we empty trash cans, daily or as needed. We take pictures of conditions at the locations we service, whether we work for the business as a mowing or sweeping company. If someone has dumped a couch or something, or a tree falls, they have us there with eyes on the situation. Our reporting helps them to take prompt action to keep their properties safe, clean, and organized.
When asked if the employees receive incentives to identify problems on properties, such as messy conditions, dumping, etc., that require KLC service to correct. Our employees know that if they bring in extra business, they will be rewarded in some way, whether with time off, raises at upcoming reviews, or other incentives.
KLC Company Culture
The Kents emphasize the family culture they have built at their business. The small company has served as a strong force for community betterment in its own right. The KLC owners look to provide jobs and essential services to the Springfield community.
Per Ozzie, the KLC employees have bought into the family culture of the company. So, as he has observed, they’re likely to maintain the properties they serve to the highest possible quality standard they can.
The team takes pride in how their work is done. Pam and Ozzie emphasize that they and their talented team treat their customers’ properties like their own. That means they’re bringing their family culture of delivering quality and professionalism to every job they do.
Former Growth and Future Goals for KLC
Ozzie reflects on the past and future of KLC. We serve the greater Springfield, IL area, which has a total population of about 475,000 people in the metro area. Beyond Springfield, it’s all open countryside. We provide a total outdoor service management company.
Anything a client needs, we want to do for them. We have the flexibility to say “yes” to everything. This is what we live and breathe; this is our life. That approach has grown our business through the years to the strong position in our market that we have today.
Mom and dad are nearing retirement in the next 5 to 10 years. Hopefully, there is a take-over path for myself. I do see expansion and maybe newer and perhaps bigger trucks and more work. We have growth goals for the trees and grass side of the business and for the sweeping side. The plan is for both increased sweeping by night and tree and service by day.
Marketing and Sales Methods at KLC
When asked how the KLC leadership team has gone about creating a unique identity or image for the company, Ozzie credits formal advertising through Google and powerful word of mouth. Typically, we’ll run paid ads on a social Google platform, but word of mouth has been great for us. We have not done a large amount of advertising. When ready to expand, we’ll use the ads more.
Our trucks are all wrapped with our lettering. The guys are required to wear the shirt of the day, and the logo, and dress professionally. We place yard signs as advertising. We sponsor Little League teams. Pam explained that she has 9 grandchildren and 3 more on the way. So, we sponsor little league teams for kids in the family. We also try to advertise in the local brochures and local athletic pamphlets.
Biggest Challenges for the Kent Leadership Team
The labor market shortage is tough for us, as it is for everyone. Finding trustworthy, loyal employees who can do a dirty job and keeping them motivated and retained is a key challenge. Our approach to overcoming it has been just expressing to workers that there are harder things in life than working and making sure we do what we can to help them know they’re needed and appreciated.
Keeping the environment clean motivates people. It matters to know that when people go down the road or on a property, we’re making a difference. It also changes the people doing the work.
Pam and Ozzie both joked about how that happens. For example — if you run the sweeper truck and do portering, you’ll never let another wrapper fall out of your car again. And, even my kids discourage other kids from littering!
What advice would you give to newcomers into sweeper business ownership?
Pam and Ozzie rather simultaneously respond that loyalty is the key to their business success. They agree and together assert that in hiring people it’s essential to succeed in getting good workers. Ozzie emphasizes that if you can find loyal employees, you can make the most of your opportunities and future planning.
The Kents recommend diversification for greater financial security of a small business. Yes, we love having a diverse portfolio because it helps us to be a 24/7 money-making company. Ozzie explains — you have them to pay the electricity bills and other operating costs. Being a diversified company is easier.
Finally, Ozzie Kent again emphasizes his family’s highest priorities for the business. It’s important to stay financially strong, but quality is what keeps the customers with you. I want our guys to proudly tell anybody that they were part of this or that job. If you won’t stamp your name on it, it’s not done well enough.
For more information about KLC Turf Pro & Tree Service in Springfield IL, call (217) 299-7727 or visit klcturfpro.com.