Brand Ambassadors Steve and Teana Ferguson

17 years ago, Steve and Teana Ferguson started to look towards their future. “We knew where we wanted to go. We had a vision and a path. It was important for us to leave a legacy for our family and build a business in our community. We felt it was time to go to the next level,” says Steve.

Working as a professional firefighter and paramedic, Steve mowed lawns on the side when he wasn’t on duty. “I was doing somewhere between 10 to 20 yards a month. It was basically just ‘beer and golf’ money.” The Fergusons knew that to grow the business, they would need to move into the commercial space.

The pair looked into several different lawncare franchises to help them scale. U.S. Lawns quickly became their standout choice. “Early on we were invited to attend U.S. Lawns’ annual conference and immediately we knew this was the brand for us. We liked the family atmosphere and the fact that we can call someone for help rather than having to reinvent the wheel. The purchasing power of U.S. Lawns also impressed us.”

Joining the Family

In October of 2002, Steve and Teana became U.S. Lawns franchisees in Hampton Roads, Virginia.  “The first thing we did was get rid of all our residential clients. U.S. Lawns’ business model is time-tested and proven to work, we knew to be successful it was up to us to follow the systems and processes.”

In 2010, Teana’s government contract was eliminated and she was laid off. While this may have been a hardship for the family several years prior, despite the layoff, the Fergusons were in a good position.  Teana was able to dedicate more of herself to the business. With the additional focus, 2010 was also the year the Fergusons joined the U.S. Lawns Million Dollar Club when their business generated a million dollars in annual revenue and reached a new level of sustainability and profitability.

With the personal motto of “Try to be better than yesterday”, the Fergusons have done just that over the years as indicated by their induction into the U.S. Lawns Hall of Fame in 2014. Recognizing their outstanding and unselfish contributions to the success and growth of the brand, this distinguished honor is given to those who consistently contribute their time, talents and spirit to making their franchise business successful, while inspiring and leading others to achieve success.

Working Together

Of how the husband and wife team have been able to achieve so much success together, Steve says, “Teana and I work great together. She is the brains of the operation, running administration and human resources. I handle operations and client management. Sticking to our defined roles has been important to both our business and our marriage.”

Steve has since retired from his job as a firefighter and now spends more even more time on his business. He sits on the U.S. Lawns Franchise Advisory Council and has still found that he has more time to spend with his family, and to enjoy his passions which include travel and golf. “Everything we set out to do, we accomplished with U.S. Lawns. As we continue to set even bigger goals for ourselves, they continue to support us in getting there.”

Steve has this simple advice to prospective franchise candidates who are considering taking their business to the next level with U.S. Lawns, “Pray and ask God what his plan is for you. And then research, ask questions and talk to people who are already in the network.”