A Landscape Growing Success, NYS Small Business Person of the Year
At age 10, Josh Schmieder began mowing lawns to save money for an ATV. After a few summers and saving for a truck, at 16, he created JOSH Landscape, put advertisements in the local papers and decided to work his way through college doing landscaping. Fast forward 20 years later, and JOSH LandscapeCo. is the US Small Business Administration’s (SBA)2023 New York State Small Business Person of the Year. Josh’s more than 150 employees provide high- end landscape design-build and commercial landscape maintenance services to the Rochester market. As part of this award, Josh traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet President Joe Biden during the National Small Business Week (NSBW) celebration. He was also presented with a crystal award at the SBA’s Buffalo District NSBW Awards Luncheon on May 5, 2023.
Working throughout the western Finger Lakes region, Josh realized his business was moving further away from the family barn where things had started. While working with the SUNY Geneseo Small Business Development Center, he decided to move his base of operations towards the Rochester area, enabling him to deliver services more efficiently to both the lakes and metro areas. In 2011, Josh secured an SBA 504 loan to purchase a large vacant commercial building within the village of Honeoye Falls for his entire truck fleet, commercial retail space, office space and landscape design build example space.
From the 15 people employed at the time of college graduation, to the 150 employees now, Josh has on staff everyone from full time designers and managers to specialty craftsmen including masons, wood craftsmen, hardscaping and horticulture specialists and designers, as well as full time lawn maintenance crews. He also employs mechanicsto service his vehicles to keep everything going smoothy. These jobs are stable employment and income for all his staff and help support the local region.
Josh’s company is also a staple in the community, from sponsoring various youth sport organizations, donating products and services to nonprofit projects, to its ever presence on Main Street in Honeoye Falls. Each year, the company has seen its profits, number of employees, and revenue grow. The simple, easy-to-remember, name of “JOSH Landscape” can be seen all over the region, including a new location in Webster. With the SBA’s 2023 Small Business Person of the Year Awardfor New York State, Josh, and his staff, prove that hard work and dedication can make a big difference to our local economy. As Josh so eloquently stated,
I’m honored for the selection as SBA’s New York State Small Business Person of the Year. However, it’s entire team at JOSH Landscape that are the true winners of this award. Our team is the only reason we’ve experienced any success, and I look forward to seeing what we can do together in the years to come.”