Article by: Joan Plotnick - August/September - Business Leader National - 2007

There are five or six companies that sell curbing equipment, but only Curb Appeal offers a full turnkey system.

“We are the only all-inclusive, turnkey, landscaping business in the world,” says Steve Caldwell, president of Curb Appeal USA.

And Curb Appeal is one of the few business opportunities whose clients average 65 to 80 percent net profit per job — in the first year!

“Most people can’t guarantee a return on investment the first season. Most businesses start on a three-to-five year plan,” Caldwell said.

“With Curb Appeal USA, people literally get their equipment and start curbing the same day. They get their whole return on investment within six months.”

Caldwell never planned to be an entrepreneur until 1999 when, after a lifetime in sales and marketing, he was laid off as a national sales manager for a Fortune 500 company. He literally saw his future while visiting his father’s house. His father installed what looked like a brick border around his lawn. But it wasn’t bricks, it was a 1,100 square-foot dyed and stamped concrete curb.

While his father was floored by how good it looked, Caldwell saw a business opportunity that would allow him to pursue his dream of leaving corporate America and spending more time with his family. So he and his wife purchased curbing equipment and started their own company — Curb Appeal of Oregon.

Their first stop was a lawn and garden show in Portland.

“Right out of the box, with the interest generated with just one two-day show, we booked 37 jobs,” Caldwell said. “We made $47,000 in revenue from just that two-day show. From that show alone, we booked for more than 60 percent of the curbing season, the other 40 percent of our work came from referrals from those jobs.

“Curbing solves problems people have been dealing with for years. Stone pavers and plastic/steel edgers are unattractive, hard to maintain and don’t keep weeds out. Curbing offers an attractive, permanent border.”

That small two-person company has grown to include Curb Appeal USA-West (headquartered in Oregon), Curb Appeal USA-East (Florida), Curb Appeal International (Canada), Curb Appeal Global (Middle East) and Curb Appeal Europe (Scotland). Curb Appeal Australia is scheduled to open in 2008.

Curb Appeals don’t resell other companies’ curbing equipment. Rather Caldwell spent three years buying and testing every curbing machine on the market. Then he partnered with an international company to design a better one. After two years of testing, he created what he calls “the highest-quality, most user-friendly curbing product in the world.”

“We are so confident about our products we offer the longest warranty in the industry today — eight years,” Caldwell said. “That is unheard of in a concrete piece of machinery. There are more than 700 machines sold globally, and we spent less than $100 in repairs over the last three years.”

Accessories allow clients to off er decorative colors and stamps to make the curb resemble bricks, flagstones or other popular patterns. Their proprietary earth-friendly “X Factor” additive allows curbs to be laid in 35-40 degree weather. Even if the weather drops to 20 degrees below zero that night, the curb still will not crack or freeze. This has the effect of extending the curbing season from 8-9 months to 10-11 months (depending on location).

In addition to equipment and supplies, the Curb Appeal system
includes:

• A free two-day hands-on training for up to two people (including round-trip airfare, hotel and meals) in its exclusive training centers in Canada, Oregon or Florida.

• A “Try It Before You Buy It” program that allows people to attend the training and try out the machines. If they decide to move forward, their travel and training expenses are reimbursed.

• A personalized, custom-designed curbing trailer that serves as a four-sided billboard for the company. “When my clients move down the street there is no questions about who they are and what they do,” Caldwell said.

• A full array of marketing materials including personalized Web sites, tri-fold custom-printed brochures, personalized business cards and carbonless invoices.

• A monthly e-mail newsletter, an ongoing e-mail forum and continual e-mail and phone support.

• 100 percent fi nancing for clients, as well as a custom-designed business plan that clients can bring to their own lenders. “We spent thousands of dollars creating a custom-designed business plan, which can be personalized and brought to any bank,” Caldwell said.
The full system sells for $28,888.

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