BEST LANDSCAPE COMPANY
Scooter’s Lawn Care
BEST LANDSCAPE DESIGNER
Jacob Godar
Jacob Godar and his staff must be doing something right. This year Illinois Times readers named Scooter’s Lawn Care best landscape company and recognized Jacob as the best landscape designer for the second year running. The business has garnered a growing list of accolades since opening its doors in 2014.
Jacob knew from an early age that he really wanted to start a large business. “I was obsessed,” he says, recounting times when his mother would take him to Chamber of Commerce meetings before he could drive.
He was working at Zara’s Collision Center when he decided to open a lawn care business, although he initially toyed with the idea of starting a body shop. As he tells it, there was an older man named Jimmy who loved to come in and hang out with the guys at Zara’s. At the time, several employees rode mopeds to work; Jimmy always called Jacob “Scooter Boy,” then suggested he name his business Scooter’s Lawn Care.
Jacob started the business with a push mower, blower and weed eater. With the help of his dad and a few friends, he gradually grew his landscaping business and now employs 19 people. “I knew a lot about landscaping,” he says, and specializes in hardscaping, landscaping and lawn maintenance. Today he offers customers a variety of services ranging from designing and installing custom landscaping, designing outdoor living spaces, lawn care and home services.
He says that communication is lacking in this industry, and that is where he focuses the hardest. “It’s really hard for customers to get heard. We have five people just in the office,” he says.
Jacob wants his business to stand out. When he was in school, he hated wearing his shirt tucked in. Now that he is on the other side of the desk, he makes sure his employees all have their shirts tucked in. “It’s not typical in our business,” he noted.
He strives to communicate with his customers and make sure each person receives quality service. Jacob even sends a card or small gift for anniversaries, birthdays and other memorable occasions. “We want our customers to continue coming back,” he says.
