Company History

Our story began in 1971, when Kirk Cousins founded the business as a small residential installation company. Having worked in his family’s nursery in Northeast Ohio, Kirk saw an opportunity to take the plants his parents grew, sell and install them, and build a service around that work.

That practical beginning set the direction for everything that followed: a business shaped by adaptation, new opportunities, and a deepening commitment to landscape care.

From Nursery Roots to Lawn Care

In 1976, Kirk brought Rick Caldwell into the business as his partner. Together, they expanded beyond installation and began providing liquid lawn care, a developing segment of the landscape industry at the time.

That decision reflected something that would define our history: the willingness to evolve as the industry did. Rather than staying fixed on a single offering, Kirk and Rick kept building the services properties actually needed.

Building a Commercial Maintenance Business

Commercial maintenance became a defining focus when Kirk and Rick launched Yard Master of Columbus, an operation dedicated exclusively to commercial maintenance. That move established the direction that would shape our work for decades.

In the early 2000s, we made the decision to phase out installation and become a maintenance-first business. By the mid-2010s, the transition was complete, and we were fully concentrated on commercial landscape maintenance.

Growing Across Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania

That commercial maintenance focus has grown well beyond Columbus. Today, we serve customers across Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania through branch locations in Columbus, Cleveland, Erie, Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Macomb. Columbus and Erie each have two locations.

This multi-state presence is grounded in local branch knowledge, bringing regional familiarity to the standardized systems that guide our work at every site.

The Values That Guide Our Work Today

Our history continues to shape how we operate. The same willingness to evolve that took us from nursery installations to full-service, year-round commercial landscape maintenance still drives us today, along with an emphasis on proactive communication, consistent quality, and safety.

Unwavering commitment, nurturing people and environments, intentionality, teamwork and respect, and yearning for excellence remain central to our approach. These values connect our teams across every branch and hold the standard we carry into every property we serve.

We’re proud of the path that began in a family nursery and grew into commercial landscape maintenance across three states. To connect with our team, reach us at (380) 233-9970.