photo by: Emma Delk
Blackstone Landscaping and Construction employees gathered with Wheeling Chamber of Commerce members to cut the ribbon of their new location on Route 88. From left, Wesbanco Branch Manager Sunny West, Wheeling Chamber of Commerce President Kurt Zende, Blackstone Landscaping and Construction Owner Alex Huff, Blackstone Landscaping and Construction Sales Representative Seth Gribble and Wheeling Chamber of Commerce Administrative and Membership Specialist Emily Pasco.
Moving up from their humble beginnings of mowing lawns and using a pickup truck to transport supplies, Blackstone Landscaping and Construction has opened the doors at their new Wheeling location.
At the ribbon cutting on Thursday, owner Alex Huff said the business has “doubled or tripled in size” each year since its start in 2018. He believes the key to their success has been the reputation the company has cultivated, not only among customers but also employees.
Sales Representative Seth Gribble explained that Blackstone Landscaping and Construction is unique in the landscaping business as they do not contract workers but instead hire them full-time as part of their company. With 10 employees currently, Huff added that they are “definitely the highest paying” landscaping company in the area.
“We don’t bring in any outside help, it’s all local guys,” explained Huff. “I think it’s very important that the money we make in the community stays in the community to help beautify Wheeling further.”
Gribble added that by hiring full-time employees instead of having them work on a contract basis, their landscaping services are “entirely in-house.”
“We provide a turn-key service with the main focus being on pools right now, but we also do a lot of other small jobs too,” explained Gribble.
These other jobs include patio work and building retaining walls, along with off-site preparation for new warehouses.
“We have so much work it’s often hard for the business to catch up with the production that goes on daily,” said Huff. “Keeping up with everything is definitely something we struggle with, but this new location will definitely help ease that burden.”
The partnership between Huff and Gribble created the company, as they had the idea for the business while they were roommates at West Virginia University. Now running a rapidly growing business at only 25, Huff is happy he left college to begin Blackstone Landscaping and Construction.
With Blackstone Landscaping and Construction expanding its services and customer base in such a short period, Huff said the pace of business can often be “a lot to take in,” but he still has aspirations to take the business “far beyond where it is now.”
