About Us
Black Belt Landscaping LLC is a locally owned and operated landscaping company based in Holden, MA. We pride ourselves in our high-quality work, dedication to our clients, dependability, and exceeding our client's expectations and believe in providing a service that is second to none. We work together with our clients and walk with them every step of the way to ensure that they're project is done the right way.
Our History
Ever since he could walk Alex has always loved being outside. Whether it was exploring in the woods or running around in the backyard. He used to spend weekends working in the yard alongside his grandmother down on his great grandparents, and now grandparent's property down in East Killingly, CT. This love of the outdoors helped lead Alex to deciding to start a landscaping business when he got a bit older.
In 2012 Alex started Alex's Backyard Business mowing lawns in his neighborhood with his dad's old push mower. His parents told him that if he wanted his own laptop then he would have to buy it himself, so, he started doing one of the few jobs a 13-year-old could do, mow grass. Over the years the business continued to grow. Until Alex could drive his mom & dad would give him rides to his client's houses where he would use their tractors or mowers to cut the grass for them while his parents generally hung out inside and chatted with his clients. Once Alex secured his first commercial client in Shrewsbury, a little B&B, he knew that using someone else's equipment wouldn't cut it anymore. He decided the best thing to do was fold down the backseats of his mom's minivan and load all of "his" tools into the back of the van to get his equipment to the job. Still unable to drive himself his dad would drive Alex and the "equipment van" on the weekends so he could take care of the B&B. While Alex mowed his dad would trim all of the bed edges with a pair of scissors because at the time neither of them knew another way. Thankfully his dad was a great first employee who never complained and was willing to help any way he could with his work, all for $5/day he worked.
Once Alex got his license, he was finally able to transport himself from house to house. Initially without his own car he continued to use the van as his equipment hauler to get from house to house. Alex's first car was a 2001 Subaru Forester that became the flagship vehicle. With a few 2x4s and some screws it was quickly transformed into a vehicle that seated 5 into one that seated 2 and fit all of the lawn equipment Alex needed. After stealing the storage box from the top of the van and putting it on top of the Subaru, Alex was able to transport all kinds of hand tools, gasoline, and more.
For 2.5 years Alex used the Subaru to provide his services all across central MA. The business continued to grow hand over fist. Alex's grandmother had a John Deere tractor that she let Alex take and use to help grow his business with the promise that he would come down and mow their field in East Killingly, CT with it. With a new machine available Alex took over the family minivan once again on the weekends using their little 4x8 utility trailer that was typically used to move kayaks. After a couple months of using the trailer and having to borrow the van whenever he needed to work Alex realized it was time that he upgraded to his own vehicle that was capable of pulling a trailer and really doing work.
In the fall of 2017 Alex bought his first real work vehicle, a 2011 F-150. With a new truck, his grandmother's tractor, and the family trailer Alex was on his way to growing his business and service offerings like never before. In the spring of 2018 Alex's Backyard Business was given a new name and identity as Black Belt Landscaping, "Fighting untamed yards since 2012".
Alex decided that spring that the little utility trailer just wasn't cutting it anymore. He bought a 7x14 enclosed trailer and an old commercial Honda 52" walk behind mower. As the season started and high school finished up thankfully Alex was able to employ his slightly unwilling younger brother, and a few guys from Alex's church who worked with him throughout the summer and a few of them have stayed on and continued to help. As the season went on and the business continued to expand and do well winter was fast approaching. Alex had done snow blowing before using the family snowblower and putting it in the back of the Subaru & F-150, but he wanted to get into bigger snow work and decided to buy his first plow truck, a beat up 2004 F-250, in the winter of 2018.
After a year with the F-150 and a fully loaded trailer Alex realized he needed a bigger truck to pull the trailer. With the F-250 being a little on the unsafe side and the F-150 being too small Alex traded them both in and upgraded to a 2014 F-350 with a plow. The F-350 was a great addition to the business and in August of 2019 Alex added a Busy Dumper dump insert turning his truck into a mini dump truck.
When 2020 rolled around Alex was looking to add a full-time employee to his business. When the Covid-19 pandemic started in March it was both a worrying and exciting time. We were able to hire our first full time employee who then led us to our second full time employee later that summer. The 2020 season was a huge success with business skyrocketing and the phone ringing off the hook the whole year.