Success Profile:
Stephen Hillenmeyer
Weed Man USA
Name: Stephen Hillenmeyer
Markets: Lexington, KY and Nashville, TN
Number of Locations: 2
Education: BS in Horticulture from the University of Kentucky
Career Background:
I grew up in a family nursery business (Hillenmeyers). Next year will be our 175th year in the organization, which will make us the second oldest
continuous nursery company in the United States. The house I grew up in was surrounded by the nursery. We didn’t have iPhones or iPads, so I grew up
playing in the dirt. I started working when I was 10 years old. My dad took me and my siblings out in the field and had us picking wild onions for 25 cents
an hour!
I worked for the family business throughout the summers and during Christmas break when I was in college. That was always my fallback job. I have two
other brothers and six sisters; I’m the youngest of 9. Eventually, ownership of the business was passed down to us. My two brothers and I first bought out
my uncle and his half of the business (he owned 50%), and after my mother passed away we bought out my six sisters. That was kind of how we got into
the business on a full time basis. I eventually bought out everyone.
I went to school for horticulture, but my biggest interest has always been running a business. I’m just happy to be in the green industry! That was always
part of my drive – to keep growing the family business, whereas my brothers were a lot more conservative in this regard than I was. I also wanted to grow
in different ways than they did.
How Did You Find Out About Weed Man?
Through the trade publications. I had read that Roger Mongeon purchased the franchise rights for the United States. Business-wise, Weed Man just made
a lot of sense to me. We already had a lawn care business at that time, but we really had no idea what we were doing. People asked us to perform services
and we did, but I knew there was a better, more systemized way to expand our service offerings. What really interested me about Weed Man when I read
the article was their intent focus on the business side of operations: the processes and the systems. That was my cue to pursue the franchise.
What Are You Most Proud of So Far As a Weed Man Franchisee?
I’m most proud of the overall success that Weed Man has had in my organization. We struggled with our franchise initially, mainly because we didn’t follow
the processes that I bought it for! I wasn’t as committed as we are now. But what I’m proud of is that we’ve learned from Weed Man. We’ve been able to
adopt the mindset and processes behind running the business and made a commitment to them. As a result, we’ve grown and grown and grown. It’s that
commitment that’s also helping the other parts of our organization. I’m proud of the fact that we were willing to learn, change and adapt. The success that
we’re having because of that is very rewarding.
Contact us for your free consultation: www.weedmanfranchise.com | 1-888-321-9333
How Has Weed Man Helped You Grow?
I think when you transition from a mom and pop organization to a nationally recognized brand, you have to be able to grow your people. Our success
with Weed Man comes from our ability to train and develop the right people (and from having systems and processes in place to keep everything
aligned!). Even though I might know how to do something, you really need to know how to cascade that information down. The implementation of all
of these ideas into our landscape, nursery and maintenance company takes the same type of commitment, and we’ve been able to apply the Weed Man
mentality into all aspects of our business.
Most people see a successful company and will strive to model after that success, but they’re really looking for a silver bullet. In reality, there is no silver
bullet: you have to take things one step at a time. If you take a shortcut, you might be able to get by for a couple of years…but it’s not sustainable. You
need to have good systems and processes if you want to sustain your company’s growth mode and train future generations. That’s a big part of what
we’ve learned and implemented with Weed Man and our other core business.
What’s Next for You and Your Business?
One of my goals is to try and create a career path and opportunity for my sons. When we did our first ten-year business plan with Weed Man, it really
opened my eyes at the possibility of not just having a successful franchise, but of including my sons in the business. I have two sons – one with a
business degree and one with a finance degree – and I knew they had interest in getting involved with Weed Man. I encouraged their involvement from
day one.
For my son Chase, although he had no idea what a weed was, I knew his interest in business would help him find success with Weed Man. My other
son, Seth, was working in a bank, and I wanted to show him the many opportunities available in the franchise system. I actually presented Weed Man
to both of them with the idea of adding on another branch. The idea was that I’d be there to support them, but they’d really be the ones to drive it and
create their own wealth. They’re currently doing a terrific job working to implement the systems and processes to help us grow our newest branch.
Now my sons and I want to expand even further. Our plan is to try and expand every two years. Right now we’re growing our people and trying to get
them ready to handle an opportunity should it arise. We actually weren’t quite ready to purchase Nashville, but the opportunity presented itself and we
snapped it up. We were lucky to have people ready to step up to the plate.
Why Should Others Consider the Weed Man Opportunity?
I think it depends on your personal goals, but at the end of the day, Weed Man’s systems and processes are proven. They work in all different climates
– Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western – so even though the lawn care programs may change, it all just works. The margins and return are high and
better than what most people get in their businesses. The other thing is, you have a protected territory, which means you have security and dedicated
support. If you’re committed and willing to put in the work, the dividends will come back to you. It’s a great opportunity to grow into something new
while expanding your existing business. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
If you aren’t where you hoped you’d be at this point in the year, or if you are simply
looking for something bigger, Weed Man can help take your business to the next level.
Our award-winning systems and recession-resistant business model have led to
substantial, year over year growth for our franchisees, no matter the economy.
Find success like Stephen’s. Contact us today!
www.weedmanfranchise.com
Contact us for your free consultation: www.weedmanfranchise.com | 1-888-321-9333