As summer approaches, landscaping jobs are in high demand. Two BSM-founded landscaping businesses––Good Knight Landscaping and Lucid Landscaping––go head-to-head every spring and summer, competing for jobs. The founders of each business are current BSM seniors who happen to be close friends, creating a fervent rivalry. 

Three years ago, Lucid Landscaping started up when current seniors Simon Goodmanson and Jake Jacobsen were on the hunt for some cash. During this time, Jacobsen’s older brother and his friend were doing landscaping, and they inspired Jacobsen and Goodmanson to start up Lucid. “Now we got triple the jobs, we got t-shirts, we got all sorts of tools, we got a trailer, truck, signs, all that,” Goodmanson said. 

Alex Bronkala, current employee for Lucid Landscaping, has some affirmative words in regards to his experience with Lucid. “We are young business owners [who] work hard at what we do and make sure to finish what we are assigned and do the best we can to the clients’ liking,” Bronkala said. 

Conversely, Good Knight Landscaping is rather new to the landscaping world, founded only last spring by senior George Wolfe and recent BSM graduates Charlie Deterding and Joe Marinaro. Stimulated by a shared Business Management class, the three boys decided to render a landscaping business. “[Deterding, Marinaro, and I] met one day and decided, ‘Let’s actually put our effort into this and create Good Knight Landscaping’ and that’s where it started,” Wolfe said. 

Good Knight Landscaping employee Charlie Frattalone speaks very highly when referring to the business. “I’ve had a great experience at Good Knight. George pays fair and has a lot of good work, his clients pay on time and George is good about getting checks out to his employees, also the work is never too difficult and we always get a good job done,” Frattalone said. 

The commencement of Good Knight Landscaping was a fortunate one with the help of online school due to COVID. ”Being able to work during the online school days really was beneficial for us,” Wolfe said. 

However, the co-founders of Lucid Landscaping disagree with the explanation behind Good Knight Landscaping’s successes. Goodmanson and Jacobsen believe such successes were provided by Wolfe’s very own father, Mr. Tom Wolfe, who has access to many properties due to his real estate occupation. “It is probably a lot easier to get landscaping jobs when [Wolfe] has the golden spoon from [his] father,” Goodmanson said.

While Wolfe does not deny any assistance from his father, he does argue that it isn’t an advantage at all. “My father does own real estate and does need people to do the jobs, but is that considered a golden spoon or is it considered having a good network?” Wolfe said. 

A few weeks ago, Tom Wolfe offered Lucid Landscaping work, and rumor has it, they accepted. “That little golden spoon that fed Good Knight Landscaping is now in the mouth of Lucid as of two weeks ago. Considering Simon, the co-president, accepted jobs from Tom Wolfe,” Wolfe said.

Tom Wolfe clarifies the businesses’ positions. “This spring, due to staffing shortages [at Good Knight Landscaping] due to its CEO’s demanding management style… I did reach out [to Lucid Landscaping]…I was quickly rewarded by a call from [Lucid Landscaping’s] CEO Simon Goodmanson with a courteous offer to do what was needed and to see if he could be of assistance,” Tom Wolfe said.

Enough has been said about Good Knight and Lucid Landscaping. You can decide which side of this friendly rivalry rules superior. As Wolfe puts it, “Would you rather have me, [Charlie] Deterding, and Joe Marinaro show up to a job, or Simon Goodmanson and Jake Jacobsen?”

Lucid Landscaping: 

Email- [email protected]

Call- 612-840-2996 and 612-840-3217

Good Knight Landscaping: 

Email- [email protected]

Call- 612-404-9740