March 27, 2017

Meet Rumaldo Flores of Flores Landscaping in Glassell Park

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rumaldo Flores.

Rumaldo, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My father had the purpose of owning a business and that inspired me to figure out how I could do that too. He pushed me to do lawn mowing and gardening when I was very young, so I started doing that. There was always this idea inside of me, a spark ready to be ignited, that successful people accomplish their goals.

I remember as a kid dreaming, wondering how I was going to reach my goals. What do I do? So I used to listen at 2 or 3 in the morning to different business guys promoting how to start a business with little or no money. And I would buy their tapes and listen to them over and over, but I wasn’t able to get much out of them. Then I thought that after high school I’d be able to go to college, but instead I dropped out of school in the 11th grade deciding I could do something on my own. By the time I was 23 I had gotten a little bit of experience of how to do good work in the landscape area. And I started getting a lot of customers; and by understanding their needs I was able to give them high quality service. Also I started liking it and was getting recommended to other customers, so that kept me going.

Then I found some knowledge that worked. And I was so happy that by taking those courses I could apply myself in a better way. I used them to improve the running of my business and my communication skills as well. Along the way I decided I should do more and establish a company. But it was challenging because I didn’t know how to make that jump. But with that purpose I learned how to do that. So in 2004, I went to school to get my contractor’s license. But I still didn’t really know how to do it: how to get employees, how to train them, how to make them responsible, how to do sales, how to do marketing, etc. But I learned how. And here we are, 27 years since I started, still expanding. I have a great team. And I’m still learning, because there’s always more to know in such a broad field, and I believe in keeping up to date. But I’m happy that I’m making progress towards the goal of having an ever-expanding company with the purpose of giving great quality service.

Has it been a smooth road?
There have been struggles and barriers along the way. But I think that having a strong purpose you can go through whatever comes up. That’s very important. Otherwise you can go half-way there and give up. And that’s not an option for me. The language was one of my biggest barriers. Not being able to speak the language in this country, then learning it. Another was becoming familiar with the rules and laws to make everything work for you in a legal way: like finances, permits and licenses. In the beginning I made mistakes because I didn’t know everything about them. But going through and being willing to go through it, everything fell into place. And it came to a point where I was established and had a structure. All of the above I was able to overcome to establish what I have now. Every goal or purpose has its bumps. Having the ability to smooth them out keeps you in the game.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Flores Landscaping (a.k.a Flores Artscape) – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We specialize in hardscape and softscape design and installation. Some of them are: planting, irrigation systems, lighting systems, drought-tolerant gardens, walkways and steps, retaining walls, high-end fences and gates, water features, decks, pavers and high-end concrete work. We also have a way of stabilizing decomposed granite (DG) for a wide range of uses. And we are known for transforming patios into usable, aesthetic and valuable outdoor spaces.

We are helping LA residents to conserve water while saving money and increasing their property’s value. Besides our drought-tolerant designs, another couple eco-friendly options we are working to implement are organic fertilizers and non-toxic pesticides. We’ve also recently introduced dog-friendly landscape as a service.

What sets us apart is our communication with the customers and our willingness to help our clients with their needs. It’s the integrity and responsibility we have as a company regarding the delivery of a good service that results in having satisfied customers. We do that by working as a team.

Our knowledge and experience show on our completed projects that bring landscapes to life.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
To be able to put together a team to support and further my purpose and goals—to help me bring it about. And I feel like I have accomplished that. And it gives you a lot of power when you’re able to build a team that can see and back up the same purpose as you. It’s an ability, because it takes communication and coordination and group caring and I brought that about. It feels good being able to do that. And I think anyone who wants to expand or grow would need to build a team to further their purpose. I like giving back to the community too. Two projects come to mind: designing and installing a sustainable, drought-tolerant landscape in Glassell Park for the city and laying down a big truck full of mulch for Rockdale Elementary’s large garden. It’s always nice to get validations for how you treat your customers. I loved getting Super Service Awards from Angie’s List for three years in a row and having the LA Times come to me as an expert for quotes on drought-tolerant landscaping was another validation.

Another proud moment was the company being featured on a TV program in Mexico on Channel 22 called “Successful Mexicans”. Every time it’s replayed, people tell us how inspired they are by it. I’m especially proud that it’s been responsible for people starting their own businesses. And a recent thing I’m proud of is getting awarded the 2017 Best of Houzz for both design and service. (Houzz is the leading online platform for home remodeling and design.)

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