The next chapter with Kelvin
From five guys, one truck, and a single digger - to a 26-strong crew delivering high-end landscapes across the region. The early days of Rochford were archaic comparatively, and looking back, it’s wild to see how far we’ve come.
We’ve always had high standards, but over time, our expectations have grown. These days, our team walks onto their sites with the benefits of everything we’ve learned on our journeys. They don’t have to figure it all out from scratch - they’re building on a strong foundation and pushing it even further.
This past year tested us. The economy slowed, that fear crept in, and we felt the pressure. But instead of pulling back, we pushed harder. We marketed more. Made ourselves more visible. Took on bigger jobs. Being established helped us manage growth during a challenging time. We also had the flexibility to swap staff around the north, south regions depending on where the work was - a massive balancing act. On top of that, we upskilled everyone with more intensive training. We started taking on jobs we previously subcontracted out. We made sure every member became capable across all disciplines. Fencing, welding, you name it we taught it in-house.
We’ve always had a motto: hire for personality, teach the skills. That’s a huge part of why we have such a strong culture and work so well as a team. Clients see it, and they feel it - that culture sets us apart. If there’s ever a “fly in the ointment,” it really stands out.
I started on the tools. Back then, I was bossy but had no real authority. I’ve adopted a philosophy: if you make excuses, you create reasons to fail. Holding back in any part of the process just gives you a reason not to succeed. There’s very little I do that’s perfect - there’s always room to improve. That’s what I want for my staff, too - for them to constantly upgrade themselves.
Each person has a unique skill set that’s vital for a large landscaping company like ours.
When you talk to people who have seen our work or know clients we’ve worked for, the feedback is overwhelmingly positive. Even past clients say they wish they had more work to get us back on site. Clients often comment on how engaged and interested all our staff seem to be. These are passionate people, committed to being the best they can be and building the best reputation possible. I love it. We’ve grown from 5 to 26 staff in my time here, and while managing that growth is hard and stressful, it’s also incredibly rewarding.
The momentum feels real - our clients feel it, our team feels it. We’re proud of what we’re building, and together we’ll keep growing, evolving, and improving. That progress is being felt by everyone connected to Rochford - and we want more of that.
