We're Growing. And We're Taking Our Team With Us.

In the lighting industry, it's easy to get caught up in the finished product.

The beautifully illuminated home. The clean roofline lines. The backyard that suddenly feels warm, inviting, and alive after dark.

But behind every great project is something even more important than the lighting itself:

The people creating it.

That's been on my mind a lot lately. Over the past year, we've made a serious commitment to investing in our team – not just here in St. Louis, but through hands-on training and industry events on both sides of the country. And honestly, it's been one of the most important decisions we've made as a company.

We attended multiple industry programs this year, including a large lighting expo in Orlando and advanced permanent roofline lighting training out in Utah. These weren't vacations. They were deliberate investments in getting better at what we do – and in becoming the kind of company we want to be.

The room that changes you

The Orlando expo was something else.

Over 300 installers, business owners, manufacturers, and lighting professionals – all gathered in one place. Some had been in the industry for decades. Others were just getting started. Everyone showed up to learn, improve, and push each other forward.

That kind of environment does something to you.

You start asking yourself the kinds of questions you don't always make time for back home:

How can we do this better? How do we serve clients at a higher level? What does it actually look like to build something truly special?

What stood out most wasn't the sessions or the products on display. It was the mindset of the people in the room. No ego. No turf wars. Just a genuine spirit of, "How can I help you?"

That energy is contagious. I came home feeling fired up, clear-headed, and more committed than ever to building a company rooted in great culture, strong values, and continued growth.

Why we bring our team along

When we traveled to Utah for permanent roofline lighting training, I brought several members of our crew so we could learn side by side.

The technical training was excellent – long days digging into systems, installation techniques, and best practices. That knowledge matters, and it shows up in the quality of every job we do.

The technical training was excellent – long days digging into systems, installation techniques, and best practices. That knowledge matters, and it shows up in the quality of every job we do, from detailed design decisions to the way we approach our professional landscape lighting services here in St. Louis. 

But what I'll remember most from that trip isn't a technical lesson.

It's the time we spent together outside of the workday. The conversations in airports. Sharing meals. Talking about goals and where we're headed as a company. Those moments don't show up on a training agenda, but they're where real team culture gets built.

Culture matters more than some may realize. Homeowners don't just hire a company – they hire people. They invite those people onto their property and trust them with one of their biggest investments – their home. We take that responsibility seriously.

We never want to get comfortable

One of the things I genuinely love about this industry is that there's always more to learn.

New technology. Better products. Smarter installation methods. Ways to create a better experience from the first call to the final walk-through.

If you stop learning, you stop growing. It really is that simple.

That’s why we’re continuing to seek out training programs, industry events, and relationships with professionals around the country who challenge us to think bigger. It’s also why we’re always refining our landscape lighting design and installation process, because the client experience should keep getting better as our team gets better. 

It’s bigger than lighting

At the end of the day, this isn't really just about landscape lighting or roofline lighting.

It's about building something meaningful.

It's about creating real opportunities for our team.

It's about relationships – with clients, with industry peers, with the people we're lucky enough to work alongside every day.

Some of the best things that came out of these trips weren't products or techniques. They were people. Friendships with other professionals around the country who challenge me, hold me accountable, and make me a better business owner. That kind of mentorship is hard to put a price on.

What's ahead

We're still early in this journey and that's one of the things that excites me the most.

There's so much more we want to build. More services to refine. Better systems. New ways to create incredible experiences for the people who trust us with their homes.

But one thing won't change: We will always invest in our people.

Because when your team grows, your clients feel it.

Better training leads to better craftsmanship. Better culture leads to better client experiences. Better people build better companies.

That’s the process we’re trusting every day at Landscape Lighting Guys. And as we continue to grow, we’re always looking for the right people to grow with us. If that sounds like you, learn more about joining the Landscape Lighting Guys team.