Having grown up around the business, Seiler’s Landscaping has always been a part of our owner and president, Will Seiler’s life. From working summers at Seiler’s through high school and college, to starting full time right out of college, Will knew landscaping was a deeply held passion.
Family ties aside, Will wanted to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be the leader of a business, so he attended the University of Kentucky and graduated with a degree in communications and leadership development. “All of my electives were in the college of agriculture where I did a deep dive on Seiler’s Landscaping for a report paper,” Will says. This is where he discovered his interest in leadership. “I always had a passion for landscaping and the beauty of the green industry, but I think seeing things from the perspective of what was possible from a leadership standpoint was where my fire was really lit.” It was then when he decided to join the family business.
While he enjoys all aspects of the business, including serving clients, the team and their families, Will’s favorite part of the job has evolved over the years. When he first started full-time at Seiler’s, he really enjoyed working on the production side of the business, bringing clients as much value in their landscape as possible. As he moved into a more focused sales and design role, he put all his efforts into designing creative and balanced landscapes. “I wanted my landscape designs to bring year-round interest and appeal,” he says.
A few years before he purchased the business, Will’s focus shifted more toward the team members and growing the reputation of the landscaping industry, “I wanted the green industry to be respected and to be considered a ‘real’ career path for smart and motivated individuals.” He remains focused on this vision: Building a true employee-led company that attracts the best of the best is one of Will’s top priorities today. He believes creating a great work environment and culture that produces happy employees will lead to happy clients.
On January 1st, 2020, Will purchased Seiler’s Landscaping from his dad. As the new business owner, he faced a major challenge almost immediately: COVID19. Will not only rose to the occasion but the company came out of the pandemic twice as large. He attributes the company’s success through the pandemic to operating with integrity throughout uncertain times and the strength of his team.
Will’s goals for the business are to continue to evolve as a true employee-led company with the top landscapers in the area and see this continue into the next generation of the company. “We employ local, good-natured people and I want the business to take care of its employees so that they can take care of our customers,” he says. As for the future of Seiler’s Landscaping, Will hopes to begin acquiring other local service companies that would serve the same high-end customers Seiler’s currently serves, in turn being able to offer more to existing clients and increasing Seiler’s value to them.
On a more personal note: Will has been married to his wife Erin for eight years. They have a young son, Emmett, and another on the way, due in February of 2023. They live a very active lifestyle and love to travel. Will enjoys golfing and fly fishing in his free time and jumps on any opportunity he gets to connect his hobbies with business.