Friday, April 17, 2009
Business-minded Glenvar resident starts his own lawn care company at age 13
Miranda Adkins | So Salem
Zach Powell (left) owns his own company, Dirt and Turf. His older brother, Taylor Powell (right), is an official employee.
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While most kids' summer lawn mowing generates a little spending money, a sense of pride, and social lessons in customer service, there's a 14-year-old in Glenvar who has taken that idea up several notches.
Zach Powell is "one of the youngest, if not the youngest" person to register for a business license in Roanoke County, according to the chief deputy of the Commissioner of the Revenue, Betty Coleman.
"I wanted to be able to grow the business, to keep it growing, and to do that, you have to have a name, you've got to be official," said Powell, who started the business at age 13.
Entitled "Dirt and Turf," he owns all of the necessary equipment to mow, weedeat, trim, and do a variety of other landscaping tasks. His two employees, his dad Jay and his brother Taylor, are required to wear T-shirts and hats with the company's official logos. There is one more thing about being officially in business without having a driver's license -- he compensates his parents for the gas it takes to bring him and his equipment to his customers.
"I believe in giving young people a chance. He's very responsible -- he calls and confirms when he'll come ... Zach and his crew take care of our grounds," said Victoria Radford at About Pets on Electric Road. "We believe in giving young people a chance."
While he gained his first commercial customer (About Pets) in May of last year, he's hoping to expand his business even more this summer. He's advertising on Craigslist now (and has even received unsolicited job applications) but he's exploring more ways to get his name out there.
"I'm definitely the entrepreneur of the family," Powell said. But that also means that "Dirt and Turf" isn't the last step in his business ladder: his goals include owning and operating a cruise ship, maybe even a whole line of cruise ships, he said.
To contact "Dirt and Turf," call 589-9440 or email millionairecruiser@yahoo.com.
