If you ask anyone in the Montano family what the driving force was in 1992 when the business started with a used truck and a lawn mower, they will all give you the same answer – Maria. Juan may have been the one driving that truck and doing the work making people’s lawns beautiful, but Maria’s encouragement and support was the special sauce. Join us on a drive down memory lane as we share the Montano’s Landscaping story.

A True Family Business

Juan Montano followed his dad to Illinois from Mexico in the late 1980s, and began working odd jobs to make ends meet. During his stint working second and third shifts as a janitor at a health complex in La Grange, Juan often brought Carlos, just a few years old at the time, to work with him so they could spend time together. Juan continued working hard to support his family, but by the time Carlos was a teenager, Juan was frustrated with the endless grind of minimum wage jobs.

Maria knew Juan had the skill and drive to be successful in his own business, and she is the one who pushed him to get started. Her father was a custom floor tile manufacturer in Mexico, so she was raised in an entrepreneurial household. They bought a used Nissan pickup truck, Maria bought stencils and spraypainted “Montano’s Landscaping” on the side of the truck, and their first customers were members of the gym in La Grange where Juan had built great friendships.

Montano’s Secret Advertising Weapon

Juan’s outstanding attention to detail earned him people’s trust, and business started picking up quickly. He provided traditional landscaping services like mowing, mulching, and deweeding, with a steady client base that continued to grow thanks to Maria’s support in the office and with marketing. Maria handled all office management as well as advertising – she always told Carlos that the secret weapon was advertising in the newspaper. Juan and Maria’s focused hard work paid off, and by the late 1990s, business was booming. During high school and throughout college, Carlos worked after school and during the summer for his parents’ company, learning their work ethic by example.

Passing the Reins

Carlos went off to college with his eye on international business so he could travel the world. As so often happens, life had other plans, and he and Amanda found out they were expecting. They made the decision for Carlos to transition to horticulture, and as Carlos was getting ready to graduate, he interviewed with 4 other landscaping companies in the western suburbs. He was offered a job with all 4, but they also would have required non-competes that would have prevented him from working for his dad if he separated from their companies. That was when Carlos knew that the right choice was stepping into the family business.

When Carlos approached Juan about taking over Montano’s Landscaping, Juan shared he had always hoped for that outcome, but he never wanted to influence Carlos’s plans. In December of 2007, Carlos officially began the process of taking over the day-to-day operations of the family business.

The Entrepreneurial Spirit Runs Deep

Amanda didn’t start working with Montano’s Landscaping right away, though, as she began her own massage therapy business and worked as a yoga instructor. She continued her company for a few years until her body gave out and she needed to transition to something different. In 2011, Amanda came on board with Montano’s, serving a role very similar to the one her mother-in-law played all those years before. Amanda’s office and marketing support with Carlos’s business acumen allowed them to continue expanding.

Transitioning from Lawn Maintenance to Landscape & Outdoor Living Design and Install

One of the challenges of a second-generation family business is change. Carlos saw the benefit for clients and staff of transitioning to a more full-service landscaping design and installation company, and initially, Juan and Maria didn’t agree that was the best path forward. As Carlos worked to apply his horticulture degree, doing plant installation and saw other companies on the same site doing things like mulching, he was able to convince his parents that being a total landscaping solution was in their clients’ best interest.

From there, the sky was the limit. Carlos began taking certification courses and building partnerships, such as becoming a Unilock authorized contractor and partnering with one of the area’s top pool companies. Montano’s now provides a whole host of landscape design services from patio and paver installation to native plantings to outdoor kitchens.

Family is Still the Heart of the Business

While Montano’s Landscaping has made some changes over our 30+ years in business, some things will always stay the same. Juan started the company due to his love for his family and quickly incorporated his team into the circle of people he cared for. That remains true to this day – you’ll see Juan on job sites, working alongside the team members, treating them like family. The earliest customers were people with whom Juan had built friendships, and Carlos has continued that tradition. Each and every Montano’s client is treated with the same care as family, and it is not uncommon for clients to become friends.

We are proud to be a family-owned business, serving Naperville and the surrounding areas. We love seeing our clients and partners at the grocery store or when we are out enjoying nature on a Saturday with our kids. It is an honor and pleasure to be part of this community, and we cannot wait to see what the next 30 years will bring!

Meet the Montanos: Serving the Western Suburbs for 30+ Years