Our History
While Steve Gerber worked for his father’s landscape business, he developed a vision of owning a lawn and garden center in the Bluffton, Indiana area. In 1987, this dream started to become reality when Steve and his wife, Gayla, began the operation of Steve’s Landscape Management at their country homestead about 7 miles east of Bluffton. With Steve and Gayla as the sole employees, they began with lawn and landscape maintenance, landscape installations, and retailing plants and mulch. With Steve’s experience from working for his father, Harry, and Gayla’s experience in bookkeeping and office management from the local Chevrolet dealership, the fledgling business began to develop and grow.
In 1990, Steve and Gayla purchased a small engine repair and equipment sales business located on Scott Street in Bluffton. The equipment lines acquired with this purchase included Ariens, Lawn Boy, Snapper and Echo. At this time, the company changed its name to Steve’s Landscape Lawn & Garden Equipment, Inc. During this first year in the power equipment business, Steve chose to add the Grasshopper mower line.
Early 1992, brought a relocation for the power equipment and landscape sides of the business. This allowed both branches of the company to be at one location, on west Wabash Street in Bluffton. In 1993, the Toro/Wheelhorse line was obtained from Steffen’s of Bluffton. The purchase of lawn seeding equipment from Steve’s father was completed in 1995, which was an excellent addition to the landscape side of the business. Snow removal services were also added in the winter of 1995-1996.
The spring of 1996 was an exciting time for the organization. Due to serious growing pains and the need for a more permanent location, a new 9,600 square ft. facility was built on a seven-acre tract of land at the current location of 3016 E. State Road 124, Bluffton. A much larger area for nursery plants, power equipment, mulch, and landscape materials was made available by the purchase and move. A 2,880 square ft. addition was added in the winter of 1999-2000.
Today, Steve’s Landscape Lawn and Garden Equipment, Inc. employs 14 full time employees and up to 18 part time employees during the busy spring and summer seasons. Steve’s is committed to offering a full line of power equipment and landscape services to its customers. Steve and Gayla wish to acknowledge all those employees, customers, vendors, etc., that have played a major role in making the business successful thus far.