Jon Hardecopf
President & Owner, MetroGreenscape, Charlotte, N.C.
1. What is your business background, and how did you get into the landscaping and outdoor living business?
I grew up on a farm, so I spent a lot of time in the fields. I like dirt, and I’ve been an entrepreneur since I was a kid when I had my own lawn maintenance company since before I could drive. After I got married, I decided I could either go headfirst into lawn care or go into the corporate world so I worked in retail management. I’ve always been passionate about teaching, so I got certified to teach business classes and had a 10-year-long career in sales. I have three active boys who beat each other up when they’re stuck inside during the cold Illinois winters. My wife and I got to the point that we thought God was calling us to leave Illinois and we ended up in Charlotte. As we were moving, I felt God tugging at me again and he said, ‘It’s time for you to give up doing two things at a time and get back to your roots.’ That led me to my role with MetroGreenscape.
2. Tell me about the company.
MetroGreenscape is one of the leading residential and commercial landscaping companies here in Charlotte. It’s different because of the culture. We have a mission statement of impacting people and changing lives eternally. The previous owners started the company in 2004, and they were ready to move on. I looked at the numbers. I said a lot of prayers and said, ‘This is why God brought me to Charlotte.’ I purchased the company in June. We’re growing fast. Our revenue numbers are far exceeding my initial expectations because of the growth we’re experiencing.
3. What’s going on in the Charlotte market?
It’s a fantastic market to own a landscape company! It’s growing leaps and bounds. We’re the No. 3 metro area from a growth standpoint. People come here from the north and the south, some escaping the heat, some escaping the cold.
The trend we’re seeing is people investing in their own properties. They’re working from home now. When they worked in uptown Charlotte, they didn’t have to look at it all day. We’re seeing a tremendous amount of people investing in their properties and creating outdoor living spaces that are an extension of their homes. The market hasn’t stopped. We have 10 crews out there doing installation, and we’re booked full for the next two months.
4. What do you and your boys do for fun?
We have three boys, ages 10, 7 and 5. We like to do anything outside. I created an outdoor space at the house. They’re big into sports. They were born competitive; it started day one. Me and the little guy versus the two older boys, it’s fun. When I get home, we spend an hour playing basketball, baseball or putting on our golf area. We also love exploring, weekend trips into the mountains. I also like off-road motor sports, so we’ll jump on a UTV and go through the mountains exploring.
5. You mentioned to me you were motivated to connect with us because you like to see charitable work in our magazine. What are you doing at MetroGreenscape?
Our mission statement is about people. We invest heavily in our employees and our community. We’re at the very beginning stages, but I have a passion for the local community. There are so many families that are food insecure right next door. You don’t have to go across the globe to find folks in need. We’ve committed more than $30,000 to an organization that feeds families. We want to make sure these kids grow up being nourished. Once COVID lifts up, we’ll donate a lot more of our time as well.
