NNLA Member Spotlight: Land Escapes (Kristin Hain)

Describe your path to get here.

It all started back in 1996 when I (Kristin Hain, Land Escapes’ owner) was working in a local coffee shop and had recently discovered a love for plants and gardening. One morning a customer visiting for his daily coffee fix overheard me talking about plants and asked if I’d be interested in helping out with his home landscape maintenance. I accepted the job and the rest is history! Little did I know then that the paid hobby would turn into such a great business and I’m so grateful for the positive word-of-mouth referrals from so many of our clients over the years. Through these referrals over the years, we’ve grown substantially to what we are today! I never intended to get into landscaping back then, I have never been to college and have no formal horticultural education, just a passion for plants and creating something unique and beautiful. I did work very part-time, seasonally at a local bedding plant production nursery (they’re no longer in business) for a few years at in the early-mid 1990’s which helped with my annual plant knowledge. I started with doing everything by myself (for the first 7 years before hiring my first employee), worked out of an old SUV that I would toss a shovel and trowel into the back and bungee a wheelbarrow onto the roof until buying our first truck and trailer in 2004....to where we’re at today with 5 trucks, 5 trailers, 10+ employees during peak season, 2 managers, 1 designer, and a 1 acre property that I just purchased in 2019 that we operate out of. Now we’re so busy (and I’m not as physically capable as I used to be), that I’m primarily running operations in the office and entrusting our incredible team members to handle most of the jobsite work. It’s been quite the ride, and I’m very proud of what I’ve built over all these years.

What are you known for, or what is your niche?

We choose to remain specialized in the services we offer rather than spread our-selves too thin trying to do everything and lose quality of work in the process. We may not provide every service, but we’re really GOOD at what we do! We specialize in ornamental landscape maintenance, landscape remodels, new landscape design and installation, landscape material installation (mulch, flagstone, rock, edging, etc.), seasonal containers, fall harvest displays, holiday lighting and interior and exterior decorating. We also have our own nursery, which enables us to bring in more unique plant selections from growers across the country rather than being bound to local offerings. We pride ourselves in creating unique landscape designs using plants that have great contrast in colors and textures throughout the season rather than a monotonous sea of green.

What are some highlights of serving your community?

We have been serving the Lincoln, NE and surrounding community since 1996 and have built many strong, long-term relationships with our clients. We have incredible client retention and sometimes joke that we only lose maintenance clients for 3 reasons: they move out of town, move into assisted living, or pass away. We have numerous regular clients today who we’ve worked for almost as long as we’ve been in business. We cherish these relationships and always welcome new ones!

What awards or recognition has the business received?

* NE Dept. of Labor Licensed Nebraska Contractor! * All-professional crew with over 70 years combined experience! * We meet or exceed city and state licensing and certification requirements! * Outstanding member of multiple industry and local organizations including: Home Builders Association of Lincoln; Nebraska Nursery & Landscape Association; Western Nursery & Landscape Association; National Association of Landscape Professionals, American Hort & the National Holiday Decorative Association! * Bronze A+ Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau since 2007! * NE Dept. of Agriculture Licensed Nursery Stock Dealer! * HBL Certified Holiday Decorators - we are holiday lighting & decorating professionals! * Multiple local HOA awards for our holiday decorating & lighting designs! * 1st place “Best Landscaping Company” - Lincoln Journal Star Best of Lincoln - 2022 * KFOR Best Of Lincoln Award Winner for Landscaping - 2019! * 1st Place - Nebraska Nursery & Landscape Association Seasonal Container Design Award Winner - 2018! * Multiple crew members hold Commercial Pesticide Applicator Licenses! * Multiple crew members hold First Aid & CPR Certifications!

What are you passionate about professionally?

Plants and people! I (Kristin, owner) have a great love of plants which is why we’re here to begin with. I like to joke that I ran out of room in my own yard so had to start working in others to be able to plant more things. Seriously though, plants and their ongoing maintenance is our heartbeat, but everything we do is done with a focus on attention to detail, doing things the right way (not cutting corners), and I also work hard to develop each employee to be the best they can be personally and professionally. We invest in the personal and professional development of our leadership team throughout the year, so they can better train our crew members and serve our community with our day-to-day work.

What is your favorite way to spend a weekend?

Staying in bed past 8:00 am (sadly, I’m usually still awake)! Hanging out with my husband or going on fun little road trips. In summer, we like to go to Woodcliff Lake or down to Weston, MO, or the Ozarks to visit family and relax. Also, love cuddling with our cats, but that’s anytime, not just on weekends.

Anything else you would like to tell people about yourself or the company?

I consider our employees and clients to be an extension of my family. I live and breathe this business and am always looking for ways to improve my own leadership and professional skills. I’m so grateful for the incredible employees who make up our leadership team and allow us to grow beyond what I could handle by myself. Integrity, honesty, communication and creativity are extremely important to me, and I try to make sure those things are spread across all aspects of the company.

Land Escapes Inc

Kristin Hain

www.LandEscapesOnline.com

Kristin@LandEscapesOnline.com

402-610-1767