Sam Rankin
President
Etch Outdoor Living
Huxley, Iowa
1. Tell me about Etch Outdoor Living, and how did you get into the business?
We’re a full-service design/build company, and we do snow removal as well. We’re a little bit heavier on the recurring services, but we also do pools, patios, putting greens, plants, pergolas — anything with a P in it, it seems we take care of. I was like every kid that started a mowing business when I mowed the neighbor’s lawn — but I was dumb enough to stick with it. One thing led to another, and when I finished college, I decided I wanted to pursue a career as a professional hockey referee. This business afforded me the opportunity to pursue that dream. Over time, it switched places, what I really love to do. The business became a little bit more fun each day.
2. Do you still referee hockey? What is it like getting booed by everyone?
I referee collegiate hockey now. I did break my leg and partially tore my meniscus last fall, which made me ask if it’s really worth it, but I want to get back out there. I’ll be on the ice in Omaha soon. And we get booed, a lot of times, before the game even begins. It’s great when both coaches are yelling because then you know you’re doing it right. I tell the coaches, “My goal is to be consistent. It could be consistently bad or consistently great, but at least you know what you’re getting.”
3. Any trends you’re noticing with your clients?
From a commercial maintenance standpoint, price continues to be the driving factor. Property managers and management companies are being praised for reducing budgets and increasing the ROI of a property. We have to flip the script on that and let them know we can hit your budget, but that budget doesn’t align with the expectations that ownership or senior management is going to have when they come to town. A lot of education is required to make sure we’re both on the same path together.
4. What is your favorite tool to get the job done?
Our Turfco spreaders. We’ve got the T3100s. I love their simplicity. As we’re trying to scale a business, we want some things that are simple, with less parts, that work. There’s not much that can go wrong with them. And when something does go wrong, we stock the five or 10 most common parts, and we don’t have to wait for them. And the really nice thing, Turfco is based in Minneapolis. If it’s a part we don’t have and we call by 2 p.m., it’s at our door before I get to the shop the next morning. We have a great time with them. They allow us to scale. Their spreader fits through gates. They do all the little things. They’ve been a great partner for us.
5. Tell me about your family, and what do you all do for fun?
My wife Haley, she’s fantastic. We have a 3-month-old daughter, Ruby. She is a light. It’s so much fun to be a dad. I don’t think you’re ever great at being a dad, but it is something I want to be excellent at. Haley and I like to play golf. She mostly likes to ride around in the cart, but the thing is, she’s a really good golfer, so it makes it a lot of fun. And we go for a lot of walks with the dogs and our daughter. I have a lot of fun hanging out with the family. In my opinion, there’s never too much time you can spend just hanging out with those you’re closest to.
