California landscaper seeks growth through artificial turf

Although their client was pleased with Hillside Pavers’ hardscape work, they didn’t like the look of their lawn next to it. Hillside solved the problem by installing more than 1,500 square feet of artificial grass for the client. Photo: Synthetic Grass Warehouse

The nation’s largest distributor of artificial turf, Anaheim, California-based Synthetic Grass Warehouse (SGW), long ago made it the company’s business to support – and even offer directly – the training necessary to ensure proper installation of its suppliers’ products.

Today, SGW says, following years of significant growth for artificial turf – particularly on the West Coast but also in Florida, Texas and elsewhere – “consumers now have plenty of turf installers to choose from.”

In addition to landscaping companies, SGW says, more and more businesses focused on hardscape construction have begun adding expert installation of artificial grass to their services.

Hillside Pavers Inc. in Orange County, California, is an SGW customer. Adding artificial grass to the company’s landscaping and masonry services created a new dimension to Hillside Pavers’ business.

Owner Oscar Valente said the addition of artificial grass “really sets us apart from other landscapers in the area, especially in the eyes of the homeowner.”

Hillside Pavers recently installed 1,575 square feet of TigerTurf Pet Turf – a product sold exclusively through Synthetic Grass Warehouse – after a residential client “originally hired us to install new pavers surrounding the pool area,” Valente said.

Fortunately, the owners loved the pavers, but they didn’t like the way their lawn looked next to the new hardscape. They were hesitant to even consider artificial turf, having it tried it earlier and been unhappy with the product.

“The old turf didn’t have proper drainage,” Valente said, “so everything would trickle down into the pool. We decided to re-level the entire area before installing new synthetic grass for them.”

Valente had been in the landscaping business for more than 15 years before founding Hillside Pavers in 2015. He said all his installers are certified through the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI).

“Not many can say that they are earning a living off of their passions,” he said, “but I can. We aren’t doing this just for profit; the relationships we establish with homeowners are invaluable.”