Ray, tell us about the beginning of Gardenland back in 1960?
After two years in the Army, I worked in an automobile repair shop. I wanted to make extra money, so I started a side gardening business with a partner. But it was hard to find high-quality tools. So we opened Gardenland. Back then most of the gardeners in the valley were Nisei (2nd-generation) Japanese, but it was hard to get a job due to discrimination. These Japanese gardeners ran their own business or they worked for school districts and municipalities. Gardenland quickly grew through word-of-mouth.

57 years in business is a huge milestone, what is the secret to your success? 

Providing exceptional customer service and top-quality equipment that meets the demands of our customer’s daily usage. Early on, many of the mowers, leaf blowers and line trimmers weren’t durable for the professionals. We’d test a lot of equipment in the field to ensure our customers got top-quality equipment. This philosphy remains part of Gardenland’s DNA to this day.

Where do you see the future of this industry? 

Equipment will continue to run more efficiently, produce fewer emissions and make less noise. Smartphone apps will measure productivity and provide GPS tracking of equipment. I can’t believe that I first sold push mowers back in 1960, and now we’re selling robot mowers in my lifetime. This cutting-edge technology is exciting to see.

What legacy do you wish to leave behind at Gardenland? 

I was dedicated to a vision and goal to build a sustainable business for our loyal customers and employees. To construct a house, you start with a good foundation. I did that for the first 20 years. Glenn Kurimoto joined us in 1978, to build the 2nd story. Richard Ogawa joined us six years ago, so we’re now on our 3rd story. In years to come, we may end up with a skyscraper. It’s still fun and feels like when I was just getting started.