NORWICH – Now that summer is in full tilt, Larry Ashton, owner of Alpine Clippers, is at the peak season for his mulch and landscaping business and this year, he’s running his operation from a new location on Country Club Road in Norwich.
When Ashton bought Alpine Clippers of North Norwich from the previous business owner in 2001, he said he wasn’t sure what to expect. It had become increasingly difficult for local landowners to buy material, such as mulch, needed for landscaping and everyday yard work, he said, adding that what was available quickly became too costly and wasn’t of high quality. He decided it was worth the risk of investing in a new venture, offering services in lawn maintenance in addition to different varieties of mulch.
Now, 11 years later, the sale of yard mulch from Alpine Clippers is at an all time high as Ashton has shipped out more than 1,800 yards of mulch so far this year; a definite increase from selling less than 300 yards in his entire first year of business.
“More people realize that it’s something we have here. This year, it’s really taken right off,” Ashton said, adding that his new location is also making it easier for him to carry out business with local residents as well as several other local landscaping businesses.
Ashton’s client base has only grown over the years, thanks in part to a business mission of always offering quality over quantity and going the extra mile to ensure customer satisfaction, he said. “I do what I can to help them out, especially some of my older customers” he said, recalling instances of doing odd jobs in addition to lawn maintenance for his clients – everything from uncovering a woman’s air conditioner at the start of summer, to helping another customer change a spare tire on their car. “I’ve always respected my customers,” he said, reciting the Golden Rule. “I try to treat others the way I would want to be treated.”