Are you stuck in a dead-end job? Or are you someone who is looking for an opportunity that could be more than just a job?  You might even like the place where you’re working now but you don’t see a future. Perhaps you are searching for a career that would give you the chance to rise through the ranks and climb the proverbial “ladder.” 

That was the case for Grant Osvalds—not all that long ago. He is a shining example of someone who has risen through the ranks as a direct result of demonstrating characteristics such as a strong work ethic and a desire to learn.

His Start as a Server

While attending community college, Grant was waiting tables to help make ends meet. After graduating with a degree in History, he continued in his role as a server while trying to figure out his next move.

Though he enjoyed the work (it was fast-paced and never dull—the very things he feared an office job would be), it was also low-paying and he would struggle to make ends meet if he continued on this path. 

“I knew this was just a job,” Grant says. “What I needed to find was a career.”

An Opportunity for Something New

When an opportunity at Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape presented itself, Grant says he was intrigued. He had never considered working for the Green Industry before. But he was a hard worker and a fast learner—two characteristics that appealed to us here at the company. After all, we often hire from outside of the Green Industry when individuals demonstrate characteristics such as a strong work ethic and a willingness to learn. 

In fact, we’ve hired a number of servers over the years. Individuals with a restaurant industry background often “have what it takes” to succeed in our industry as well. Both industries hinge upon hard work and great customer service. And in making a transition, the lawn and landscaping skills can be taught—but ethics and personality traits cannot.

Grant started at Kingstowne as a lawn care technician. A role in which he ultimately spent the first three of his years here.

“Even though I came in with no knowledge or certifications, Kingstowne provided all of the support and training that I needed,” Grant says. “That included paying for the certifications I needed and supporting me in learning the skills.”

From there, an opportunity within our Plant Health Care program became available and Grant made a successful transition. He says that although he didn’t know much about plants, once again, he was taught what he needed to know.

“The support that Kingstowne has provided me has made this possible,” Grant shares. “I’ve always been given what was needed to succeed here.”

Rising through the Ranks

After spending some time in Plant Health Care, an opportunity to advance presented itself once again. Grant was promoted to a General Manager role at Kingstowne Pest Defense, where he oversaw the entire pest defense program. Grant has been in that role until just recently, when he was promoted to Lawn Care Manager.

As the Lawn Care Manager, Grant will be a liaison between the technicians and the customers. His good communication skills, willingness to tackle challenges, likability and good-natured personality, and overall success at solving problems makes him the ideal fit for this role.

Grant says that he feels as though his journey is coming full circle.

“I started out on the lawn care side and thoroughly enjoyed it,” Grant says. “It was fascinating to see how the lawns we worked on would respond to treatment and get more vibrant and lush on the program. I truly believe in our products and our service and I’m excited about being able to have an even bigger picture view of what we’re doing to serve homeowners in the area.”

Grant adds that he is excited about what the future holds.

“I’m just really grateful for this opportunity and look forward to facing challenges and filling needs in order to make sure that all of our customers’ needs are met,” Grant shares. “As a company, we really pride ourselves on communication and solving problems and I look forward to even more opportunities to be involved with those solutions for our customers.”

An Example of Our Growth from Within

Grant is a perfect example of someone who has risen through the ranks because of demonstrating the drive and the leadership that we always seek in team members. We really love creating growth opportunities from within the company and showing our team members a clear path to rise through the ranks.

This is an opportunity that is available to anyone who is interested in working with Kingstowne. We are always looking to add hard-working individuals to our team who are in search of career opportunities and a bright future.

If you’d like to consider lawn care or landscape industry careers, we invite you to learn more about Kingstowne Lawn & Landscape by visiting our Career Center and learning more about our open positions and learn more about our company culture.