Landscaping business opens storefront in Albert Lea, integrates new technology – Albert Lea Tribune

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Dalton Hanson started Landscaping Solutions three years ago in Glenville with only one worker — himself. The business now has 11 employees and recently opened a new location in Albert Lea. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

After a few years of rapid growth, Landscaping Solutions of Glenville opened a new location on Clark Street in Albert Lea. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

After a few years of rapid growth, Landscaping Solutions of Glenville opened a new location on Clark Street in Albert Lea. The business currently has 11 employees. Ayanna Eckblad/Albert Lea Tribune

When it comes to home projects like adding a patio, paving a driveway or installing an irrigation system, many people want to consult a professional to make sure the project is the highest quality it can be. Homeowners and business owners in the area now have a new option for their landscaping needs.

Landscaping Solutions, a fairly new business, has seen rapid growth since opening and now has a new storefront in Albert Lea.

Owner Dalton Hanson said Landscaping Solutions offers a variety of services, including hardscaping and softscaping work, retaining walls, patios, sod, hydroseeding, design work, mowing and more. A complete list of their services can be found on their website.

A lifelong Albert Lea resident, Hanson said he began working in the landscaping business when he was 16, but left that area of work for a short time when he was in his early 20s.

About three years ago, he said, he saw the need for more landscaping businesses in the southern Minnesota area as other landscaping owners started to retire.

He decided to open Landscaping Solutions, originally running the business from his home. At that time, he was the only worker. As the customer base grew, he said, he needed more space and more employees to keep up with everything.

“We started this, and it’s just kind of taken off, big time,” he said.

He opened a store in Glenville, but quickly outgrew that space within the year, he said.

Hanson explained he wanted to centralize his business and begin selling material to the community. After deciding this, he was able to acquire a storefront in Albert Lea, where he is now able to have office space, a showroom and places to store equipment. At this point, he said, Landscaping Solutions has 11 employees.

“Once we moved into Albert Lea and started bringing material in for sale … It’s really kind of ramped up,” Hanson said.

He said the business typically has two to four job sites going on at a time with separate crews assigned to each project. It works well, he said, as the employees have experience in all different kinds of landscaping work.

Although a lot of their business comes from Albert Lea, Hanson said, his team has done projects as far away as Clear Lake and Rochester.

“We like to kind of push the limits and do different things,” Hanson said. One way Landscaping Solutions does this is through the expansion of the design services they offer.

The business now has new design software, he said, and it allows them to create things like 3-D visuals. Their current software also has an AI feature so customers can see what a finished project will look like using real photos of their existing house. This is great for showing customers multiple options and walking them through the process of building, Hanson said.

Integrating this new technology is an exciting and innovative way of doing things that not a lot of other businesses in the area are doing, he said.

However, Hanson also understands the importance of human interaction when it comes to his client base.

“We try to be timely in corresponding with customers and what they need,” he said.

In addition to landscaping, Hanson said Landscaping Solutions also donates to a variety of causes in the area, including the Albert Lea Soccer Boosters, Glenville Days and more.

People who are interested in Landscaping Solutions and their services can call 507-318-6882, go to mnlandscapingsolutions.com/ or stop into the office at 721 W. Clark St. Suite 11.