We want you to get to know us.
In this series, we ask team members questions so that you can get to know the people behind LaBahn’s Landscaping. From office staff to crew members out in the field, you’ll get to meet more of the LaBahn’s Landscaping Family.
Meet Kurt!
Our Director of Operations, Kurt Davidson, eats, sleeps and breathes landscaping. And he likes it that way. For over a year and a half, he’s supported our team and helped influence our processes, leveraging his 25+ years of landscaping experience. We’re grateful to have him and excited for you to get to know him!
What have you enjoyed most in your time here at LaBahn’s?
Working closely with our robust team of talented team members! We come from different walks of life, with varied talents and likes, but we’re all focused on the same goal — treating our clients and their properties with excellence. I’m proud to be a part of the team!
How did you get started in landscaping?
When I was in the second or third grade, I learned that a sure way to gain my dad’s favor was to help him out around the house. I had a deep desire to spend time with him and to learn from him. My dad was an orthopedic surgeon, but on the weekends, he spent a fair amount of time in the yard. He grew up as a farm boy in Washington and Oregon, and he loved being outside. I learned all of the basics of gardening from my dad: how to pull a weed from the roots, how to create defined stripes while mowing, rose pruning techniques, etc. If my dad were alive today, he’d easily win a competition in a weekend-warriors gardening reality show. He taught me the value of hard work, earning the respect of others, doing everything with excellence, and taking pride in my work. I have always felt I have a lot to live up to when I compare my life to my father’s — I’m confident he’s smiling down on me now.
How long have you been working in the industry?
I graduated high school in 1992. That same year, I officially started working in the industry professionally, but prior to that, I was mowing lawns and building decks, fences and planters. High school is when I really began to dive deep into learning the trade professionally. Since 1992, I’ve worn quite a few different hats in the field as well as in management: laborer, gardener, irrigation tech, supervisor, account manager, designer, business owner, corporate acquisitions/mergers, operations management.
The industry has developed over the years into a professional, and in many ways scientific, industry with very high client expectations. As of 2017, the landscape industry is an $80 billion industry in the United States, employing approximately one million people. I feel very fortunate to be a part of this industry, namely with such a forward-thinking and rapidly growing company like LaBahn’s Landscaping.
What is your favorite part of working in landscaping?
I love transforming outdoor spaces for the good of others, and not only aesthetically. I truly enjoy being a part of others’ enjoyment and the companionship or community that’s built around beautiful outside spaces. I always go back to when I was a kid and what drew me toward landscaping back then: I loved mowing the lawn and then looking back at the finished product to see the transformation. I find great satisfaction in growing, thriving landscapes. As a kid, I found great value in what ‘working in the yard’ did for me: spending time with my dad, family barbecues, playing with friends. There’s something special about creating these valuable outdoor spaces for other people. I love what I do, and I love watching others enjoy time ‘out in the yard.’ Besides the enjoyment I find in being outside and landscaping, I get to work with some pretty amazing people. It’s the best of both worlds.
Tell us some things we don’t know about you!
I’ve touched the hand of two popes! I was the youth pastor to one of the Real Housewives of Orange County, Lydia McLaughlin. My favorite restaurant is Benihana. My second favorite restaurant is Wienerschnitzel. I’m one of six kids. I have three rascal kids of my own and am married to the most beautiful and selfless woman in all of Southern California.
Hobbies? Hidden Talents?
I’ve played the drums for 33 years. I’m an avid beach cruiser operator, and I’ve created my own signature self-turning hot dog pan.
When you finally have the day off, what does your perfect day look like?
It starts off with a hot cup of coffee. I then hop on a bike down to go to the beach or out on a boat. I then rinse off in the pool for at least two hours before I head out to an early-afternoon BBQ with family and friends, closing it out with guitars around a fire pit.
What do you want to tell our customers?
Thank you! Allowing us to manage one of your biggest assets is a responsibility that we honor daily. What we do as professional landscapers is so vastly different than most trades — unlike painting, plumbing or carpet, we’re working with living and growing organisms, all of which have varying and specific needs. By definition, our work needs to evolve each time we’re on your properties to keep your landscape looking beautiful. We know that we’re not perfect, but we’re pretty darn good at what we do. We’d be ignorant not to admit that we make mistakes — but we will ALWAYS make it right.
“Excellent. Experience. Everytime.” That’s our vision. If we’re not accomplishing that in our work, our communication or our relationships, please let us know.