October 2024 Contractor of the Month is: Long's Landscaping and Lighting

Can you tell us about your business?

I started up Long’s Landscaping LLC in 2021 as a side business to make some extra money while in college. After college I took a full-time position at a company, but I wasn’t ready to give up on my landscaping company. Three years later I still have a full-time day job and continue to work almost every night and weekend to keep the company moving forward.

How did you get into the landscape lighting business?

I originally intended to only do landscaping. However, when I thought of ways to grow the business, especially in the winter months, I knew I needed to offer lighting.

What percentage of your business is landscape lighting/what other services do you provide (ie: landscaping, irrigation, electrical…)?

Around 50% of my revenue is from landscape lighting. The remainder comes from landscaping, with the majority of that being new installs.

How long have you been installing landscape lighting?

2024 would be about my 8th year doing lighting, but only my 3rd year doing it under my own company.

What AMP products do you prefer to use? Which fixtures are your favorite?

The majority of my jobs involve lighting up houses and sidewalks. My go-to products would be the Eco Pro, MR16 downlight, Pinnacle MR11 Mini, and all forms of path lights.

What tips or tricks have you learned that have benefited your work from a design/installation perspective?

Though experience is the best form of knowledge, planning and researching is key. I enjoy reading up on products and getting a good understanding of the layout of the project ahead. Looking at other companies’ work is also helpful to see what works for them.

Tell me about your sales process. How do you find your customers? What is your sales process? Do you use sales tools such as a free demo…

I live in a small town in northwest Tennessee. I’d say half of my jobs come from word of mouth. The other half are thanks to my brother who owns a social media/graphics company. He does marketing and ads for me when needed.

Where do you find inspiration for your lighting designs?

With a love for the outdoors, my inspiration comes from helping customers make their outdoor dreams a reality. Knowing that these landscape lighting projects will bring the customers years of happiness keeps me going.

What do you feel is the most personally rewarding part of installing a lighting system for a client?

Easy! The look on the customer’s face when you get them outside and turn the system on.

Tell us a little bit about you personally: What do you like to do outside of work? What are your hobbies?

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my wife, family, and friends. I also enjoy playing golf and hunting. I am writing this on an airplane coming back from Iowa for a pheasant hunt.