Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Linsley.
Hi Kevin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I grew up in Ogden, Utah. Lived an amazing childhood with great parents. Night games, motorcycles, hiking, and backpacking shaped my youth. I grew up in the trades, mainly working in the family business doing roofing. After completing my degree at Utah State University in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning, I was invited to work with a small Landscape Design Build Company out of Heber City, Utah. We serviced clients in and around the Park City Area.
In 2015 my wife and I decided it was time for us to venture back towards our roots in the Ogden Utah area. We sold our home in Heber City, bought a small camper trailer, and used the remainder of the proceeds to start our company ‘Valley Design Build’. We purchased our first tractors, truck, and design software and headed out to Ogden.
My Kids, my wife, and I spent our first year living in the family’s driveways and operating our business out of our trailer. We were fortunate to have a willing family to lean on.
During our first year in business, we did a handful of smaller custom projects that helped get our feet wet and gain attention in the Weber and Davis county areas. In our first year, we had 2 employees on our books, a few tractors, and were able to pay ourselves at least something. It was a success in our eyes.
Fast forward to 2022… Valley Design Build has surrounded itself with some amazing people over the past 7 years. Both employees and clients alike, have helped set us apart from any other Design Build company in Northern Utah. We have 30+ construction employees annually, 2 full-time landscape designers, and way too many tractors.
We create unique outdoor spaces and experiences for private and public spaces. The more ‘off the wall’ or ‘crazy idea’, someone has, the more interested we become to be a part of it. I enjoy helping people become excited about what they have to work with. It’s my goal to help them create a space they may have wanted when they were a kid or adventurous teen. We service SLC areas north to the Idaho border.
My wife, myself, and our 4 kids currently live in Eden Utah. We absolutely love our community and this area. Mountain people 100%.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Growing a business or idea is never easy. Every year presents new and different struggles. Lack of company Team members, capital, weather, government mandates, etc. is just the start of struggles. The easiest I ever had it, was in my first year of business. Looking back, living in a camper trailer with my wife and kids was an adventure and a treat. Some would consider that a tough time, but the story of struggle only starts there.
Keeping your head in the right place is key. I find taking rejuvenating time for yourself, and surrounding yourself with positive people are some good things to schedule into your crazy life if you plan on running a business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
People come first. It’s the people we serve and the people we work with. We cherish relationships and experiences. Valley Design build does create some of the most unique outdoor spaces we have ever seen.
But the real reason we are in business is for each other. To support individuals in their work and to assist others with their needs. I am super proud of all the team members that have invested their time and skills will us over the years.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If you need a unique outdoor space where experiences and memories can be made, give us a call. We would love to look at your project to see if we would be a good fit for you. Follow us on Instagram to see our work unfold.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.valleydesignbuild.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valley_design_build/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyDesignBuild
