The history of Brandenburg Brothers Lawn Services is a story about the determination and hard work of young boys, the entrepreneurial mind set of their father, and the continuous and miraculous favor of God.
Chris Brandenburg is the father of 7 sons. His oldest, Cole, began the yard work tradition when he started weeding for neighbors while he was in middle school. He worked hard but soon wearied of the back breaking labor. Cole passed his customers on to the 2nd son, Cadin. Soon Cadin involved the 3rd and 4th sons, Chai and Cooper, and they expanded to more customers. By this time Cole was learning graphic arts in High School. Cole created business cards, and named the business, “Brandenburg Brothers”.
Chai, who was in 6th grade, was asked to mow a few lawns while neighbors were on vacation. Cooper especially had the desire to make money. Cooper is a true extrovert and salesman, and in 2017 he went door to door, trying to find someone who would hire him. Cooper was only in 4th grade, and small for his age. Very few neighbors believed that he could mow a lawn or do challenging work. However, a few people gave him a chance to prove himself through smaller weeding and raking jobs. Cooper’s big break into the mowing world came as an answer to prayer.
Cooper had taken up the trumpet at school and was given a district instrument to practice on. Somehow the keys got damaged, and the repair was going to cost $70. Cooper’s parents had told him that he was responsible for paying for it, but he couldn’t see how that would be possible. Cooper’s mom, Anne, encouraged him that God could do it. They prayed together for Cooper to somehow receive $70 in the next month.
Not long after, a neighbor explained to Cooper that they only had a small strip of grass, and they didn’t want to buy a mower. They asked Cooper if he could mow it weekly. Thrilled and excited, Cooper pushed his dad’s mower down the street to mow. He was shocked when he received $20 for a few minutes of work! He had the repair paid for in no time and extra money for the summer.
The next year the boys continued to find jobs here and there, but the real pay day occurred in the winter of 2018 when a large amount of snow fell. Chris and his 4 sons got every shovel they could find and spent the day shoveling properties close by. The boys earned enough money to purchase their young hearts’ desire; an x-box, controllers, and a TV. The flame of entrepreneurship had been lit!
In the spring of 2020, Chai wanted to get a job at McDonalds. Chris reminded him of the success of their shoveling efforts during the winter and pointed out that the hourly rate at McDonalds was much less. Chai and Cooper then began their lawn mowing service in earnest with new business cards. Chris had trained them well. They included weed whacking and edging with each mow, giving better looking results than many of the professional landscapers. They continued to add customers all summer with only their dad’s tools and the determination to push them all over the neighborhood. Many of the neighbors commented on the caliber of the boys. They were very impressed to see them pushing their tools every day and being respectful and polite. Chai possessed the quiet, steadfast nature to keep track of customer information and create a schedule for each day. Cooper seemed to instantly develop a friendly and professional rapport with the neighbors, and they often called, requesting to speak with Cooper specifically. Anne and Chris would marvel at the favor of God on the lives of their 12 and 14 year old boys!
Customers began to give Chai and Cooper old mowers and equipment. Cooper would find a snowblower or other equipment out for the trash, and he would bring it home. They began to watch YouTube videos and learn how to fix the machines themselves. They developed relationships with local small engine mechanics that would fix their equipment and even instruct them how to do so. Chris’ garage turned into a collection of machines and parts. The boys developed a passion for lawn care and learned about the best brands and techniques. They began to sell equipment for a profit and then scour Facebook Marketplace until a good deal popped up. They were able to upgrade and expand to several mowers, weedwhackers, edgers, blowers, and even a riding mower.
This continued for two years as their lawn care techniques continued to improve and more customers were added. Chai and Cooper had saved enough money to buy a pickup truck shortly after Chai turned 16. They had so much favor with the owner of the Chevy Silverado, that the owner gave them a great deal plus returned some money to them after the sale and gave them a free 5th wheel hitch! They loved this truck.
A couple in our neighborhood had been charmed by Cooper’s outgoing personality. That led to a wonderful friendship between our two families. They gave Chai and Cooper an open trailer. The 2022 season was an expansive one for Brandenburg Brothers as they could now drive to jobs with all their equipment in the trailer. Calvin, the 5th son, began to help when needed. In 2023 they continued to upgrade to an enclosed trailer and a zero-turn mower.
In 2024 an opportunity came to the Brandenburg Brothers through a friend who knew of someone selling his lawn care business. There was great favor with this man as well, and Chris and the boys decided to purchase his business. This acquisition doubled their customer base and upgraded equipment to commercial grade. The time had finally come for Chris to say goodbye to UPS and join his boys. The business exploded in 2024 as sister Areli joined by managing social media, emails, and branding. The 5th and 6th sons, Calvin and Courage, became a bigger part of the workforce. As larger commercial customers began to ask for quotes, Chris reached out to the CREN (Clear River Entrepreneur Network) for help. He was put in touch with a mentor who had been in the business for 30 years. This brought great collaboration, an increase in knowledge, and more upgrades in equipment.
We are anticipating a very busy season for 2025, requiring new team members. Chris’ 7th son is still too young to join his brothers (being only 1 year old) but will probably be fascinated by the family business very soon.
We offer the typical lawn services like mowing, edging, weed whacking, trimming, and yard clean ups. Additionally, we can help lawns look greener and fuller by applying lime, fertilizer, and overseeding as well and aerating and dethatching. We can also provide hardscaping for patios and walkways. Although we love the great outdoors, sometimes being indoors is necessary. We can also do painting and smaller home improvement jobs. We are so grateful for our customers and the goodness of God that has made Brandenburg Brothers possible.
