Big takeaways

The owners of Outdoor Expressions reflect on what they've learned this year.


When LaMont Hess and Kimberly Rowe joined the Turnaround Tour, they hoped to build Outdoor Expressions PA to the level of success it had before they bought it in July of 2017 – a $3 million company. While the couple made improvements in 2018, the year didn’t go as planned. But that’s not souring Hess for 2019.

That’s because he has $100,000 worth of new work booked next year. And because his crews weren’t at full capacity, he will only have to bring on a couple of part-time employees to fill in the gaps. They can hit the ground running in 2019 with a better outlook for 2020. 

Hess says the main lesson he took away from the project was knowing the cost of his jobs. He also learned the value of budgeting for new equipment. “I bought used stuff and I think new is probably the best way to go if you can get it financed,” he says. “You have to watch when you buy used stuff because I have a mower that's done nothing but cost me money.”

Even though 2018 fell short of expectations, Hess is confident they will hit their revenue goals in a few years.

“I wouldn’t doubt that we’ll make somewhere near a million two to three years from now,” he says. “We'll be close to where I wanted to be this year, next year and if we're on track for that, I should definitely do the same thing the following year. I bet at least another $100,000 above that. I've got good connections now.”
 
No more results found.
No more results found.