Arens family honored for 25 years in business

HARTINGTON — Being an entrepreneur can be a thankless job at times.

But that is what makes recognition by the Hartington Chamber of Commerce for 25 years of operation even more special.

X-Pert Lawn & Landscaping, owned and operated by Brad Arens, was one of three business honored with an Anniversary Award at Friday night’s annual Chamber of Commerce banquet at the Hartington Golf Club.

The other businesses honored were Hartington Care & Rehab for 50 years of operation, and First National Bank Northeast for 25 years in business here.

Arens was proud of the award, saying Hartington has played a tremendous role in showing support for his and

many other local businesses. “It’s nice. Hartington has

been just great as far as in a business community. I have had a lot of support over the years and that really means a lot to me.”

Arens said the business was originally started by his father, Duane Arens, and when he graduated college is when they expanded to incorporate landscaping into the business model.

“When I got out of college with my horticulture degree we expanded the business more into landscapes and things like that and it just grew from there,” he said.

Arens said things started small with basic lawn care and mowing, but the business has grown to the point where mowing lawns are just a small part of the services the company now provides.

Now the business focuses a lot on landscaping for homes, helping homeowners show pride in their property.

“When we first started, the green industry — which is what we call our industry — was very few people maintaining things as they do now,” said Arens. “Over the past 25 years, the green industry has just kind of blown up and now it is kind of part of the building process. So it has changed tremendously over 25 years.”
Arens has also helped build quite a portfolio of his work that helps bring business in, and it also helps the community stand out in a positive way to anyone passing through town.
“The community alone takes a lot of pride and in my business, it is all about looks. I know the one thing I hear a lot of comments about is that when people come into Hartington, a town of 1,700, they are kind of blown away by the way ev- erything looks and the way the town presents itself.”

Arens shares that same pride in his work.

X-Pert Lawn & Landscaping has grown from a seasonal business, that he says needed to nd ways to keep busy in the winter months, to something where he shares pride with his clients on how their landscaping looks.

“It’s nice every once in a while to be recognized for your hard work, and not only my business but all of the businesses because there are a lot of lean times and trying times,” said Arens. “That’s what makes it rewarding about owning your own business, is you can see the fruits of your labor.”

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