My Biz: Selling Christmas cheer

VAN METER - Kevin Johnson describes his Christmas holiday lights decorating service as turnkey.

'Basically, we do everything for them,” he said. 'All they have to do is enjoy the lights and pay us a little bit of money for providing the service.”

The Christmas Décor side of his family's All American Turf lawn and landscaping business came to fruition 20 years ago, when the company was trying to create new revenue and keep their employees working year around.

'We tried everything from cutting firewood to doing lawn cleanups, but this holiday lighting service has been the best fit we found to provide a service that customers want and are willing to pay for,” he said. 'It also allows us to provide the additional work for our employees during the months of December through February.”

Headquartered in Van Meter - where his father Daryle started the initial lawn care business in 1976 - the company has satellite office locations are around the state. Over the years it has built up a client list of about 750 homes and businesses, which include hospitals, he said.

'We provide lawn care and well as our lighting business to about two-thirds of the state of Iowa,” he said.

Johnson has 50 full-time employees during the year and adds on another 35 to 40 people during its seasonal times such as the holiday lights season.

The company owns the lights and leases them to customers for three years.

'The first year they pay a certain price depending on all the different items that they chose for their house,” he said. 'The second year that lease price goes down by 10 percent and then the third year it goes down another 10 percent.”

Customers can then lock in the price for an additional three years, he said.

All of the light products the company leases are high quality LED lights. It also has wreaths, garlands and ground stakes.

'We do it all. We put everything up. We come back and take it down throughout January and February, and we store the lights at our facility as well,” he said. 'And, we'll come back out and replace burned out bulbs, if necessary, as part of our service.”

At a Glance:

' Owner: Kevin Johnson

' Company: All American Turf/Christmas Decor

' Corporate Address: 311 Desoto Rd., Van Meter

' Van Meter Phone: (515) 279-4008

' Cedar Rapids Phone: (319) 373-9818

' Website: www.allamericanturf.com

' Know a manager or company in business for more than a year that would be ideal for 'My Biz”? Contact Chelsea Keenan at chelsea.keenan@thegazette.com.