Mitchell, SD – The seasons aren’t the only thing changing at James Valley Landscape Solutions of Mitchell.
Co-founders Jeff Heppler and John Bush have transitioned ownership duties to the next generation of longtime employees after over forty years in business. The two founders are still actively involved in daily roles within the company, but Andy Jerke and Jon Mentele are the official new owners as of March 31,2022.
“This is something we have been preparing to do for a number of years,” says Heppler. “John and I will still be around every day, but we are easing back on our management duties as Andy and Jon take on new ownership roles. We could not be more excited about the future of JVLS!”
Andy Jerke has been with James Valley Landscape Solutions since 1993 and has a landscape design degree from SDSU. Jon Mentele has been with the company since 2005 and also has a landscape design degree from SDSU. Both men are familiar faces when it comes to community involvement and with JVLS customers.
“Jon and I have been around a long time, and we value the hard work that went into building this company,” says Jerke. “John and Jeff are not going away, they are merely stepping back a bit and will still be here for our clients and our staff. This has and always will be an incredible company to work for, and our big goals now are to continue to hire and train great people to move up the ladder and enjoy a really rewarding career with us.”
The new owners reiterate that this is a time of saying thank you rather than good-bye.
“This opportunity would not be possible without the leadership of Jeff and John and all they have done to make this a successful, locally loved company,” says Mentele. “Andy and I are extremely grateful and so thankful to them for their vision and continued support.”
For more information about the new ownership transition at James Valley Landscape Solution, please contact Andy Jerke at 605-996-8444.