Walt Reder, Sr., started this company in the late 50’s

In the late 50’s, Walt Reder, Sr., installed a few new lawns for some friends, planting the first seeds of Reder Landscaping.

Walt, Sr., wasn’t your ordinary, run of the mill person. He was a very busy man with a full time job at Dow Chemical, a seat on the Bay City school board, and an 80 acre farm where he raised 1000 chickens a year for market just in time for Thanksgiving. His wife Lottie and he also canned vegetables from their garden, brewed their own beer, and crafted homemade sausage, cheese, and wine. Somehow Walt found time to install lawns in the spring and fall after planting and harvesting at the farm (oh yes, and enjoying a little wine and beer!).

Walt Reder, Jr., joined his father in the business.

In the early 60’s, Walt Reder, Jr., joined his father in the business. Together they grew it into a full time operation by 1965, focusing on lawn installation and sodding. Soon Bob Reder, Walt, Sr.’s, second son, joined the company after earning a horticulture degree from Michigan State University. In 1974 they purchased a retail location on Midland Road in Auburn, Michigan.

Paul, Dave, and Mike join the crew

Walt, Jr.’s, three sons, Paul, Dave and Mike, also worked for the business in their early teens during the 70’s on the lawn crews and in the nursery. Quality was always a priority, and even in the early days of long hours, they never cut corners.

Creating new opportunities

Intent on creating more opportunity for their 6-8 employees and the up and coming generation of Reders, the company grew to add a retail location, a pool franchise, as well as cut Christmas trees and holiday decorations. However, Walt, Jr., still felt there was a missing ingredient to the company; landscaping and design. Paul Reder, Walt’s eldest son, took college courses in drafting, surveying, and architecture and soon started providing customers with landscape design and installation, further expanding the company.

Weathering the recession

When the recession of the early 80’s struck Michigan, Walt and Bob’s company almost became a mere memory and some tough decisions had to be made. Walt had to plant lawns on his own just to make a living. Bob took a different career path. Paul began mowing lawns and installing landscapes with his wife Joan by day, while designing and doing office work at night. Paul never wavered from what he loved to do, and as the economy turned around and business grew, his brothers Dave and Mike came on board to help manage the increase in business together with Walt.

Evolving with the industry

The work ethic Walt instilled in his boys made the difference in those challenging times, and they carry on that tradition of quality to this day. As the landscape industry has evolved with consumers demanding more services, Reder Landscaping has evolved and grown to meet these demands. Today, we are a 40 person team offering comprehensive landscape design, installation, maintenance and irrigation. We are truly a one-stop landscape service provider.

A Growing Design Team

As our business grew and landscape projects became more complex, we expanded our team to meet the demand for complete landscapes and outdoor living spaces. We expanded our team to six designers who collectively introduced a combination of hands-on experience, college education and specialized training in horticulture, landscape design and landscape architecture. This expansion strengthened our ability to plan and oversee everything from inviting gardens to fully integrated outdoor spaces with patios, kitchens, pools and more. Now having the largest design team in the Tri-Cities allowed us to take on a wider range of projects while keeping the thoughtful design, attention to detail and personal approach our customers know us for.