Freedom Lawns : News

For Immediate Release: August 5th, 2011
Media Contact: Ami Almquist: 713-705-3514

HOUSTON–Freedom Lawns, of Hampstead, North Carolina has reached platinum status through the Green Business Bureau's (GBB) green certification program (www.gbb.org).

The organic based lawn and plant care company is recognized by GBB for its outstanding commitment to conserving the environment and for adopting principles and practices that demonstrate the ability to operate in a green manner.

The GBB provides national, third-party green business certifications for businesses that strive to reach sustainability, save money and improve the environment.

"We decided to become a member of the Green Business Bureau after exploring various green organizations," says Mark Tamn, CEO and Founder of Freedom Lawns. "We wanted to work a credible organization that had the highest green standards available. The benefits that we have received by being a member of the GBB are related to credibility, public perception, and knowing that we are contributing to the preservation of health and sustainability of our ecosystems and environment."

Founded in 1999, Freedom Lawns emphasizes a greener and more professional approach to lawn care for residential and commercial clients. The company has its own line of organic based products for lawn and landscape care. Freedom Lawns began franchising in 2006, and currently has seven franchises in the southeastern United States
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"GBB is proud to recognize Freedom Lawn's contribution to making the environment a healthier place live and work," says Marcos J. Cordero, LEED AP and CEO of GBB. "The added benefits of green certifications include cost-savings, increased ROI and increased marketing opportunities that companies receive when implementing green practices."

In order for companies to achieve the platinum level status of green business certification, they must adhere to certain guidelines, standards and procedures set forth by GBB's industry experts.

According to Cordero, once those guidelines have been met, members who become platinum certified almost always see positive changes, including increased employee morale, customer satisfactions and increased savings due to less waste.

"The platinum membership has saved us money by making us aware of the need to conserve energy and reuse items that we otherwise would not reuse," says Tamn. For more info about Freedom Lawns and their green initiatives, visit www.freedomlawnsnc.com. You can also learn more about green business certifications at www.gbb.org.

We are proud to announce that we will be sponsoring the Freedom Lawns Mets this year. We support the Hampstead community, particularly our youth programs, which are very important to us. This is our way of saying “Thank you” to a community that has supported our business over the years.

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Making Your Lawn Care Experience
Magical Like Disney!

On Saturday November 20th, Freedom Lawns sponsored

a customer service seminar. The workshop was presented by Mr. John Formica the “ex Disney guy“. Mr. Formica was a customer service trainer for Disney properties for over 10 years. This is just another example of how Freedom Lawns is truly dedicated to performing outstanding service, value, and results for you!

Click here for your free lawn analysis!

CEA Profile: Business Services Winner Freedom Lawns USA

By Katelyn Litalien Mark Tamn

In 1999, Freedom Lawns was a part-time business founded by Mark and his wife Lynn Tamn in one room of their apartment. They augmented that space with a 100-square-foot storage unit at Mr. Store-it on Market Street.

Now celebrating the company’s ten-year anniversary, Freedom Lawns has a 5,000 square-foot warehouse on Highway 17, 18 full-time employees, seven franchise locations and thousands of clients in the Cape Fear region. “We knew we were going to be successful because we were the only ones doing something like this in the area,” Mark Tamn said.

Tamn had 33 years in the lawn-care industry before making the decision to form his own company. “We decided that we wanted to do a lawn-care company in a different fashion,” he said. “Something that blended environmental concerns with gardening and lawn care.”

He intended for Freedom Lawns to stand for freedom from harsh chemicals, so they took steps to create a company that veered away from the use of traditional chemicals and focused on alternative methods.

“What makes us so environmentally friendly is not so much what we use; it’s what we don’t use,” Tamn said. While they do not claim to be 100 percent organic, he said they use fewer chemicals than traditional companies.

“We have products that we do not use because we feel they can be harsh on the environment, human life and wildlife,” Tamn said. All Freedom Lawns offices have approved product lists, consisting of products that have 50 to 75 percent less chemicals than conventional lawn services, he said.

With the growth of the green trend came an increase in demand for environmentally friendly lawn care. In 2006 Tamn and his wife decided to open the company to franchisees. Since then seven franchises have opened in the southeast, stretching from Greenville, N.C., to Charleston, S.C.

Tamn said the franchises are doing well. “Most of them are growing and doubling their business,” he said. “This type of business does very well during recessions because people tend to spend more money on their homes. They want to preserve the value and integrity of their homes.”

As a result, Tamn’s business grew 12 percent last year and he said he expects growth of between 6 and 8 percent for 2009. During the next five years, Tamn hopes to fuel the company’s growth through the installation of new franchises in the southeast and eventually throughout western areas of North Carolina. “There’s a lot of markets and a real need for this in the southeast,” Tamn said.

Freedom Lawns offers alternative lawn-care services including fertilization, weed control, insect and disease control, plant feeding, horticultural oil spraying, perimeter pest control and fire ant, flea and tick control.

Many of the company’s practices involve education on proper mowing and irrigation – two things Tamn said can keep homeowners from using chemical treatments when done properly.

With the success of the business plan came the creation of their own organic product line, which includes five different grass fertilizers created for different lawn types, and a plant fertilizer. This allows the company to tailor their services to specific lawns. “We are not a fast-food lawn care company,” Tamn said.

Tamn and his wife also plan on expanding their product line. While they are licensed to sell their products to retailers like Home Depot, they do not currently have any plans to do so.

As temperatures rise healthy, green lawns become a focal point for NC homeowners, but finding expert help can be difficult. The Turfgrass Council of North Carolina (TCNC) reminds homeowners that despite the many options available only NC Certified Turfgrass Professionals (NCCTPs) are certified experts in the diagnosis care and management of turfgrass problems.

“The NCCTP program was created to ensure consumers get the most for the money they spend” says Laura Nakoneczny, Executive Director of TCNC. “Turfgrass research and products evolve constantly. The NCCTP designation gives consumers a tool to know which practitioners have the most expertise before making a purchasing decision. While TCNC members are always a great resource for consumers, NCCTPs are the most expert among them.”

All NCCTPs must pass a rigorous six-hour exam developed by the Turf Management Faculty at NC State covering nine core areas of turf care and pesticide use. In addition to following a strict code of conduct prescribed by TCNC, NCCTPs obtain more than twice the pesticide licensing credits required by law, and commit themselves to advanced professional development and training whenever new information becomes available.

Located throughout the state, NCCTPs run lawn care companies, supervise city parks and recreation departments, and are superintendents at golf courses. Several NCCTPs are agents with NC state Cooperative Extension services. For a listing of NCCTPs in your area and their contact information call Laura Nakoneczny at (919) 380-9446, or email laura@ncturfgrass.org.

About – The Turfgrass Council of North Carolina (TCNC) is the only statewide organization serving lawn care and landscape professionals, sports turf managers, golf course superintendents, turfgrass educators, and suppliers. A non-profit organization, TCNC promotes North Carolina’s turfgrass industry through professional development, environmental stewardship, environmental stewardship, government advocacy, and support of NC state research and extension.