M.J Design’s 25th anniversary of designing outdoor oases, maintaining properties, and building client relationships is this year. Molly and Joel started the company in 1998, after Molly left her career at Keller Farms and Joel was still working at NBBJ to obtain his Landscape Architect licensure. M.J. was started with only two additional staff members, Molly’s twin sister and Dave Calvert. The office was in the John’s residence in Hilliard. Since then, the company has grown to employ over 30 team members. We’re proud to say that we have NEVER had to layoff anyone. Mostly because 75% of our team members are only here for 10 months out of the year, either by choice or by H2B temporary visa requirements.
When M.J. began, the project work was predominantly commercial. We did a lot of work for Wendy’s and Tim Horton’s restaurants. Over the last 10 year that has shifted—now with 90% of M.J.’s work being residential at an equal mix of maintenance and design/build services.
Our longest tenured employee is Geronimo Lopez. He started working for us back in 2004, and has been here every year since with the exception of 2008. Geronimo—who was the shy 19-year-old that came to a foreign country to work—has grown into a Project Foreman for many of our enhancement jobs. He is the person who, for one thing doesn’t like his photo taken 😊, and is one of the humblest people you will meet. He is the first to give credit to the crew, not himself. He will be the one that stays late after a 12-hour day to help clean up and take out the trash. He is the glue that keeps people motivated. His attention to the details is unparalleled. Geronimo gets voted by his peers for a variety of awards every year—most recently in 2019 and 2021 for Employee of the Year.
As we celebrate 25 years of M.J. Design services, please join us in thanking Geronimo this year for his many years of hard work and dedication to M.J. Design and to our clients’ properties.
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