Business profile: Landscaping-design firm busy from start

Owner : Gerardo “Jere” Avila. Arizona Backyard Creations and Design Landscaping.

Education: Master’s degree in business administration, University of Phoenix.

You started your business last October; how’s it going? “We are busy every week since we first started. I have been in the landscaping and construction business for about 10 years, but some of my employees have been doing this for 20 or 30 years.”

What advice did your father give you? “My dad always used to tell me, ‘You better go to college or you’ll end up working construction with a pick and shovel,’ and here I am, working with picks and shovels, and I love it. It was a blessing.”

Who is the Maricopa customer? “Maricopa is more suburbia, filled with working-class residents who want something nice but on a budget, and we can do that.”

What about landscaping captivates you? “The beauty of making something out of nothing, and creating someone’s paradise.”

What do you do when you’re not working? “My favorite way to pass the time is to ride my Harley … It’s my quiet time to gather my thoughts, and it’s my quiet time with God.” Avila has been playing bass guitar for 15 years and likes to fill in at his church.

What advice to do have for a small business owner? “If you don’t have a passion for what you do, or if you are there just to make money, it won’t happen for you … But if you have a true passion to create, then anything is possible.”

What does your fiancée have to say about you? “He really listens and cares, and that is a rarity these days,” Sally Lugo said. “He will do anything for anyone. If it’s within his means, he will do it.”