Page 32 - Westman Business 2019

32 THE BRANDON SUN • WESTMAN BUSINESS • OCTOBER 2019

Karin and Chris Griffin stand in the greenhouse of Alternative Landscaping Ltd. (Chelsea Kemp/The Brandon Sun)
» Alternative Landscaping

Changing people’s lives

It’s not just about adding features to said. “And it generally makes them better.” bigger earthmoving landscaping projects,” ada-wide level, that’s not their motivation
yards or improving properties. The couple has been in business almost Chris said. “They’re the ones who’re mov- for what they do.
It’s about changing people’s lives. 22 years, beginning as Alternative Land- ing all the material and putting it into place. “We have been very fortunate to have
So said co-owner Chris Griffin about scaping and then adding more and more And then there’s the latest purchase that won a lot of awards over the years, which
his and his wife Karin’s business, referred elements as the business grew. They of- we didn’t actually create from the ground is nice, but we don’t do it to win awards,”
to affectionately nowadays as simply ‘Alter- fer designing, building and installation of up, which was Heartland Fence, Deck & Chris said. “It’s extremely humbling when
native.’ residential and commercial landscaping, Rail, so it’s decking, railing, fencing” and things like this happen. And this was a real
Although they do design and build as well as the Alternative Choice Garden all the specialized carpentry projects that surprise.”
landscaping, yard care, excavation, deck- Centre, which not only supplies bedding support the total landscape projects. But Chris was quick to say that it’s not
ing, building and growing plus a whole lot plants and nursery stock for all your gar- Just this year, Alternative won Land- he and Karin who are responsible for the
more, their focus from the ground up is all dening needs, but also offers bulk land- scape Manitoba’s provincial award for best nationwide recognition. They and their
about people: those clients who hire them, scape materials and block for the DIYs and unique and innovative design for their work teams of industry professionals work as a
those who work with them and those who for contractors. Then there’s their mainte- on Laurel and Charlie Clark’s property close-knit team to achieve the best results.
visit the on-site greenhouse and retail store. nance department, Alternative Total Yard southeast of Brandon. But unbeknownst to “It’s about our family of people and
Their motto — “Superior workman- Care, which offers year-round specialized the Griffins, Landscape Manitoba entered great people within the organization,”
ship by people who care” — guides their yard care maintenance services offering the photos and materials from the Clark Chris said. “And it’s not just the ones who
every move and is in play on every project, monthly contracts for both residential and project to the Canadian National Land- are here today, but the ones who have been
whether it’s a small residential revamping commercial clients. scape Association national competition. here before. We really believe that most
or a large commercial endeavour. “And then we have Alternative Excava- And Alternative became the first company of the things that have allowed us to have
“I think that’s the story that doesn’t get tion, which looks after our aggregate, soils in Manitoba to win a national landscap- some successes has been all because of
told enough — we’re in an industry that landscape materials trucking logistics — it ing award. While they were thrilled to those individuals.
absolutely changes people’s lives,” Chris also does civil construction and handles our have their work acknowledged on a Can- » Continued on Page 33