with a company that constructed landscape packages for horse ranches in Temecula.
At some point it dawned on him that maybe
he could do a better job on his own, so he
decided to start Pacific Designs Landscape Construction Company. That was three
months ago.

Pacific Designs target projects will include the construction of landscape packages—both hardscapes and softscapes, as well as
maintenance—for custom homes on lots of
2 or more acres.

Operator Mike Dwyer breaking in the
Volvo MC110B, equipped with a new
Bradco 680 backhoe attachment.
A must have for this new operation.

One project that they have completed is a Tuscan villa style house in Murrieta. Pacific Designs has completed the front courtyard, fountain, plant installation, sprinkler system installation, and drain installation, including tying the roof drains together, on the 2-acre lot over a two-month period. The project is a $125,000-$150,000 project for the company. Pacific Designs’ work has been ongoing while the house is under construction.

(Left, Top) Newly installed trees and the progress continues.(Left, Bottom) The recently completed Tuscan villa in Murrieta. The company’s first major undertaking. (Right) Crew member Rick Shanebrook keeping it clean with a valve job. His valve jobs always look the best.

Most of Kyle’s work has been bid on a time and materials basis because he says the priceof materials is fluctuating so much. He says that the projects they’ve worked on so far have been designed by Pacific Design with the owner’s input.

“We have the ability and experience to pick out plants & landscapes for each individual situation,” Kyle says. “We throw out ideas to the owners, including showing them pictures in magazines and then we fit a plan the best we can with their tastes and style.”

Another project that Pacific Designs recently completed was for a small house in Canyon Lake. The company completed the retaining walls and dressed up the small front yard with hardscape features, which included small aesthetic walls and tying in the existing landscape to the new design, and making the yard fit its particular location.

Kyle’s experience in the landscape industry goes back to the time when he was 12 years old and did landscape maintenance for four to five houses a week. Kyle has lived in the Murrieta/  Temecula valley most of his life and worked for a local grader for a year on custom home sites.

“I was always fascinated with landscaping, hardscapes and ponds,” he explains. “I really feel like I’ve been interested in this field all my life.

“I believe I have some good ideas and I want to put those into practice,” he continues.

Though his experience is as an equipment operator, Kyle now spends his time supervising the projects, running the company and training his crew. One of his biggest challenges so far is keeping “good guys”, he says.

“I have a decent crew now,” he says. “They are figuring out their roles and what needs to happen and they can roll along at a good clip now.”

In trying to anticipate how his first year in business will go, Kyle has several goals. He would like to the company’s standard jobs to last one to two months and be associated with custom homes. He’d also like to get into the “intricate tract home landscaping business,” he says. “Designing and building barbecues and gazebos, and doing the wood working aspect of hardscapes interests me quite a bit.”

Kyle would also like to try his hand at building the park areas found in every tract home development. He’d like to perform $400,000 to $500,000 in work to close out 2006. And, once he gets his first crew fully trained, he’d like to grow to the point that he can add another crew. Business for Pacific Designs has grown through word of mouth: neighbors who are customers talking to their neighbors about the company, work  from contractors that Kyle worked for previously and a couple of phone calls. Kyle’s father owns a company that sells windows to tract home developers and Kyle’s gotten some leads on work through his father.

Pacific Designs’ office is in Temecula and Kyle says that he’d like to focus his work in the Temecula area, as well as further south into Poway and Escondido and north into Corona.

Kyle feels that Pacific Designs has an edge on the competition because he doesn’t have a standard style yet. Most companies who have been around for a long period of time have a particular way of doing things. He says he hasn’t found his niche, so he is trying new things and doing the best job he can at all of them.

For more information about Pacific Designs call (951) 609-4417. Cc