Over 125 years ago, the Lovvorn family came to our area, and continued to settle the state whose motto is “Alabama the Beautiful.” For the past two years, Garth Lovvorn has made it his full time occupation to make that motto a reality in North Alabama by providing lawn and garden care, along with home inspection and property maintenance services.
Garth is a graduate of Athens State University, and has worked in a number of corporate contexts which include banking, construction and property development, and insurance. He also has worked for Habitat for Humanity. However, he has always loved to beautify the outdoors, and for years did so on the side. He decided to go full time as a sole proprietor in 2014, hanging out his shingle as Valley Mowing Company.
Starting one’s own business is not for the faint of heart, but going with what he loves has paid off, and Garth has been able to increase his clientele, amount of equipment, and the size of his crews. I know few people who are as excited to see Spring arrive as Garth is, and he can hardly wait for March 11th and 12th, when the Limestone County Chamber of Commerce Home and Garden Show officially kicks off Spring in the Tennessee Valley.
I asked him what was new this season, and if he has any specific goals for this year. He told me he has been able to expand to Madison and elsewhere in North Alabama, has a number of new commercial accounts, and the purchase of extra equipment has made it possible to work “smarter and faster.” It also helps to keep prices low. Caring for commercial properties involves a lot more bagging up of grass, and picking up trash. He gets nearly as unhappy as Mayor Ronnie when people litter, and that takes some doing. This is supposed to be Alabama the Beautiful, and we need to keep it that way! Garth will tell you he has an eye for detail, almost to a fault, but in this business, that’s what separates the men from the boys.
His plan is to divide his crew into two parts. One will pretty much handle grass cutting, and the other will focus on landscaping, pruning, and planting shrubs. He expects to implement his plan by June, and this will allow him to focus on landscaping, which is his favorite. With a wife, a preschooler, and a brand new baby due in June, he’ll be able to get home at a decent time and spend time with his young family. “I won’t be trying to squeeze too much into one day,” he said.
Spring is certainly the time when the local owners of lawn and garden services come out in full force, and we have a number from which to choose. I asked him, “Why should I choose you?” Perhaps, more pointedly, what I meant, was, “Why should I let you in my yard?”
“I pay greater attention to detail,” he said. He also emphasized that it is important to him to introduce his crew to the clients so that everyone feels comfortable and knows what to expect. This is especially a good thing for seniors, who make up a sizeable portion of his business. “I also value the people who are working for me, and I want the crew to be comfortable with each other.”
He then made mention of how important it is to be “a huge community advocate.” He said, “The success of my business ultimately results in the success of the community
Garth has also always had quite a love for property maintenance, and when he was an insurance agent, he became fully acquainted with the requirements of insurance companies toward residential properties, especially rentals. He became aware of how important it is to have someone who genuinely cares about other peoples’ properties after the legendary tornadoes of April 2011. “I’ll take care of limbs, damage, shrubbery that has gotten out of control, haul away messes, and treat each house as though it is my own,” he added. “I take an active interest in the condition of peoples’ property,” he said. We discussed prices, and his are both reasonable as well as competitive. “I do my best to work with people,” he said.
As mentioned previously, the Home and Garden Show and Habitat for Humanity are important to Garth, as is being a member of Round Island Baptist Church. He finished our time together by saying, “I get a lot of satisfaction in seeing a noticeable improvement in someone’s property.” If that is what you are looking for in a yard and property maintenance business owner with “deep roots” in Athens, then give Garth Lovvorn of Valley Mowing Company a call today.
Valley Mowing
256-874-2411
Facebook: Garth Lovvorn
Email: glovvorn1@hotmail.com
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
