Patriot Landscaping News
Patriot Landscaping Featured in Woodridge Patch
The owners of Patriot Landscaping have a long Woodridge history. Fred Tuck and Dave Jelinek have been best friends since kindergarten. They went to both and together. They were Eagle Scouts together in troop 512. That’s when they first became involved with home projects. “A lot of work came from troop members,” Jelinek said. Throughout high school they did small landscaping jobs, he said. After Jelinek graduated from Downers Grove South, he joined the Marine Corps. He served three tours in Iraq, something he spoke to Jefferson Jr. High School students about in November. Two years into his service he and Tuck decided to start their company. It wasn’t easy. “We were shooting ideas off as much as we could,” Jelinek said. “We make decisions in letter and in phone calls. I tried to do some stuff over the phone from overseas.”
Patriot Landscaping offers a range of services, from lawn maintenance and snow removal to landscaping and patio design and installation. “We take on each project like it’s our own house,” Jelinek said. “We know they’re going to enjoy it for years to come and we like to provide that happiness to our customers.” The company runs a 24-hour snow removal service. “When it snows, my partner and I are up three, four days straight,” he said. “We make sure everything is done perfectly and professionally without any errors.”
“I love being my own boss,” Jelinek said. “I learned kind of quickly in the Marine Corps that it’s harder for me to take orders from people. I liked being the one giving orders.” The “Patriot” name seemed natural, Jelinek said, as he is a Marine Corps. veteran and Tuck’s family has “a long history with army and military service.” While some skills Jelinek learned in the infantry don’t translate to landscaping, some do.
“The dedication to your work, attention to detail and motivation,” Jelinek said. “It’s not the easiest thing to do, especially when it’s 25 degrees out and you’re freezing, to keep yourself motivated.” That passion shows, he said. “A lot of our customers vouch for us,” Jelinek said. “I think to think that’s a testament to the kind of work we do.” Patriot Landscaping handles both residential and commercial properties. The split is about 60/40 residential, he said. Interested in Patriot Landscape Group, Inc.? Call 630-347-2944.