Bedlan puts down roots in Reno

Jim Bedlan, a Nebraskan, looked up from his construction job at the Arrowcreek Golf Course one day in the 1990s.

In front of him was the greenery of the Truckee Meadows; behind him stood Mt.

Rose.

Bedlan decided that the beauty of the Truckee Meadows sure beat the cornfields of the Midwest.

Good thought.

After a year of working for a residential developer, Bedlan launched Bedlan Landscaping, Inc.

in 1999.

Today the company employs 30 and just completed its move into a 1,500- square-foot office built on more than an acre of land in the South Meadows.

The company specializes in installation of landscapes - turf, irrigation, paving stones, fire pits, water features and the like - and Bedlan said last week about 90 percent of the company's work is residential.

But the mix of residential work has changed since the company's early days.

When Bedlan started, the company handled a lot of backyard jobs in middleclass subdivisions - the sort of work that the company could finish in two or three days, making a couple of hundred bucks in the process.

Today, Bedlan Landscaping mixes those modest jobs with upscale landscaping projects that can run as much as several hundred thousand dollars.

"We like the higher-end residential work," Bedlan said.

"It's very competitive, but get the majority of our jobs from referrals from satisfied customers.

It's fun to start with an idea and change a whole piece of property to capture the dreams of our customers.

We strive to install a product that will allow our customers to interact with the landscape tas they would their house."

To keep its name in front of customers, Bedlan Landscaping stays involved in numerous construction associations.

Bedlan Landscaping will be showcased, for instance, at the showcase house for the Parade of Homes sponsored by the Builders Association of Northern Nevada in June.

The region's booming residential market keeps Bedlan's installation crews busy nearly year-round, and winter layoffs have been rare.

"God put me in an incredible city," Bedlan said.

"It's unbelievable how we've grown so quickly."

The company's investment of $600,000 in the new office, he said, has proven to be an additional sales tool.

Bedlan Landscaping employees installed examples of its work around the office, allowing customers to get a close look as they're making decisions about their homes.

In a business plagued by unlicensed contractors, Bedlan said the office building delivers a message of stability.

"Customers feel so comfortable when they come in and see what we can do," he said.

"They know we're not going anywhere."