Mike Lease took a few minutes from his schedule on a brisk January morning, a time of year when landscaping isn’t on the minds of too many folks, to discuss how his company has thrived for 30-plus years.

“Our office is only open three days a week at this time of year,” Mike explained, “but during the winter months we’re still active with maintaining our equipment and submitting bids on projects for the upcoming season.”

The Lease family started the business in 1991. Mike’s parents, Greg and Dianne, co-signed a loan at the Blandin Employees Credit Union so he could purchase a used dump truck, bulldozer and trailer. During those early days it truly was a family business.

“Everyone pitched in,” said Mike. “My mom worked with me from the onset, and after my dad retired as a County sheriff, he helped, too. We also employed my sister, a brother and a few cousins. It really was a family effort.”

In the early days, any kind of earthmoving work was fair game, including jobs installing septic systems. During those early years, Mike also plowed snow for several commercial accounts. He learned, though, that there are economies of scale for that line of work.

“To operate an economical snowplowing business, you need a good core of accounts,” Mike explained. “Companies expect their lots and driveways to all be ready for business first thing, which means you’re out doing this work before dawn. It’s demanding.”

After focusing on the landscaping opportunities, Mike has seen the business grow organically.

“A slow, steady pace may not make headlines, but it got us to where we are today,” Mike explained. “The longer you do this, the more you develop a base of customers who are living examples of your work quality, and that helps build your reputation. I can count on one hand the times we’ve spent money on any kind of advertising.”

Mike also acknowledged that having the right people working with him makes all the difference, too.

“Finding and keeping the right people is critical,” said Mike. “They make the business what it is. The quality of the people you hire can make or break a company like ours.”

In 2018 Mike had an opportunity to grow: an equipment rental company was being offered for sale, and Mike figured this would be a natural expansion opportunity. He visited with his bank, a bank he’d worked with since starting the company in 1991.

“I was frankly surprised that after I laid out my plans, the response was a hard ‘no.’ I’d been faithful in making all my payments over the years, so this came as a shock,” Mike noted.

Not wanting to give up on his dreams too readily, Mike decided to visit with another local bank.

“I’d been receiving Christmas cards from Noah Wilcox over the years, so I thought I’d reach out and see if Grand Rapids State Bank would consider working with me,” Mike continued. “We visited over the phone for 15 minutes, and Noah suggested I follow up with Nate Lloyd. Nate and I talked for another 20 minutes, and two days later he presented us with a plan to finance the acquisition. It was a no-brainer! He pulled everything together so well that we didn’t hesitate to accept the loan offer.”

Since then, Mike has moved all his banking business to GRSB. The bank understands the ebbs and flows of his business’s cash flow needs, so lines of credit are available to help when needed. This financial backing has helped the company grow.

“During the COVID years we were really busy,” explained Mike. “We grew to 22 employees during that peak time when people were focused on making improvements to their homes. We’re now back to what we consider a more stable level of business, so during our operating season, we employ right around nine to eleven people.”

“Our service area is essentially within a 50-mile radius of Grand Rapids,” Mike continued, “although we’ve had jobs in the Twin Cities with people for whom we’ve done work on their summer homes. We’ve even had some work on the North Shore.”

Mike’s mother retired from the company last year, so his wife, Kristen, now manages the payroll and bookkeeping. He’s happy to report that the transition has been smooth. With that level of back-office expertise and the personal service he knows he’ll receive from Nate Lloyd and others at Grand Rapids State Bank, Mike’s looking forward to the new year.

“I know that if we have a question about anything related to our finances, Nate will have a response within 24 hours. That’s top-notch service.”