Gene Freeman
Vice President, Complete Landsculpture, Dallas
1. What would you like people to know about Complete Landsculpture?
Chris Strempek founded the company 39 years ago. Chris and I have been together for 33 years and (2024) will be the 34th we’re going to embark upon together. We are a full-scale design/build maintenance firm. We do everything from all the architectural designs, the construction, the swimming pools, outdoor structures and oasis landscape lighting, planting, irrigation and drainage. We also provide aftercare long-term maintenance programs to make sure that the garden doesn’t just look good when it goes in, but it looks great as it develops and actually reaches its mature design intent. We service Dallas, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Austin.
2. How did you get into the business?
I was that kid when I was 13, doing three newspaper routes in the morning. I had a lot of drive and fire. I started mowing yards for a living, and then I hired some high school kids to drive the trucks. I didn’t have a driver’s license, so I would pay them cash at the end of the day. Then, I got into work at a great company and had a great mentor, Tim Shea, at Shea’s Nursery in Grand Forks, N.D. I started doing landscape and the installation side of things and loved that. I’ve always really enjoyed the instant gratification of seeing what you’ve done at the end of the day.
3. What is it like working together with Chris Strempek?
Chris and I have never had an argument or a fight. He is just a great guy. We balance each other really well. He tends to be a little more cautious, I tend to be a little more of a risk-taker and we meet in the middle. We put our heads together, and if he feels really strongly about something, then I’m like, “Let’s go your way and let’s row the boat as hard and fast as we can in that direction.” There’s no ego between the two of us. We’ve been like brothers for so long. It’s the longest, greatest relationship I’ve ever had with anybody and he happens to be my business partner.
4. Any trends you’re seeing with your customers?
Once upon a time, everything was azaleas, boxwoods, very traditional gardens — I would say traditional “southernscapes,” if you will. But now people are open to more drought-resilient, low-maintenance type plant material; ornamental grasses, some succulents and yuccas that have lower water-requiring elements. And then we’re also seeing continued innovation and creativity from the plant growers. Limelight hydrangeas, for instance, have come about, and they’re a big staple plant material for us in the last couple of years. Customers can actually have hydrangeas in full sun where they never could before.
5. Do you have a most memorable day at work?
Our happiest days are when our team members are celebrated and when we all win together. Everyone thinks being an owner is an easy ride — you just cash checks. But it’s more about pulling together, having a great can-do attitude and seeing a fanatical client experience come together from our team. Those are the big days, and it seems like we celebrate those regularly. I never feel like I’m at work. For me, the secret sauce is you mix your work, your family, your clients and your travel all together. You’re just living life together with the people that you’re taking care of and care about the most.
