The Ultimate Landscape CEO - Jeffrey Scott Taking Big Risks with Wade and Dustin Vugteveen
Dec 18, 2025
Wade and Dustin Vugteveen, co-owners of DeHamer Landscaping, share their journey from a struggling garden center to a thriving $10M+ firm. They discuss the risks that led to rapid growth, including pivoting from a baseball training business and embracing aggressive investments in snow services. The brothers emphasize a people-first philosophy to attract top talent and maintain a strong company culture, while also revealing the importance of hiring A-players and leveraging coaching for accountability and strategic growth.
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Humble Start And Early Survival
- Wade and Dustin bought a 53-year-old garden-center business with almost no landscaping experience and very little revenue.
- They survived years of near-zero pay, a baseball school side business, and eventual turnaround through grit and lucky builder relationships.
One Builder Changed Everything
- Their first landscape install came via a builder who used Dustin for his own house and became a long-term client.
- That relationship scaled into over $1M–$2M a year and became the backbone of their growth.
Make Calculated Big Bets To Scale Fast
- When you decide to scale a division, invest aggressively in sales and equipment then trust the plan.
- Accept short-term debt and cash-pressure if the upside and execution plan are strong.