Business Spotlight - Sharp Blades Lawn Care

A business he started with a buddy in high school has become a livelihood for Dylan Sathren, owner and manager of Sharp Blades Lawn Care in Glenwood.

“My buddy was a partner with me in high school and then he went his separate way and I stayed in business,” Sathren said during a recent interview. “When we started it, I was (driving) on a school permit and we were sneaking around town. It just took off from there.”

As for the name of the business, “I just threw out Sharp Blades,” Sathren said. “I looked online and there was no company nationwide named that.”

Sathren actually started mowing lawns when he was 12 years old - doing a couple yards in Glenwood - and his passion from yardcare has grown from there.

His business, that started out with mowing only, has turned into a full-fledged lawn care, landscaping and property maintenance service. In addition to the lawn care, Sathren does everything from garden tilling and planting flowers to plowing snow and hanging outdoor Christmas lights.

“I ended up getting my applicator license to spread chemical after I graduated,” he said. “Piece by piece, it came together.

“Our biggest service during the growing season would be our chemical applications, mowing and general lawn care. We do spring clean-up - cutting things back - and snow removal has become a bigger thing.”

In recent years, Sathren has been making a name for himself in Glenwood as the “go-to” guy to hire for outdoor Christmas lights. The number of homes around town he helps decorate has grown steadily since he added that aspect of his business five years ago.
Sathren said he attended a Christmas light expo in Louisville, Ky., and came across a distributor with an office in Omaha. He met with the company and was sold on making Christmas lights a part of his business.
Sharp Blades requires customers to purchase their Christmas lights from the company to ensure they are of high quality. As part of the purchase agreement, Sharp Blades installs and removes the lights from the home and keeps them in storage during the non-holiday months of the year.

“It’s a package deal and we’re able to make sure the lights aren’t sitting around in a garage somewhere getting wet,” Sathren said.

Last month, Mills County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jennie Davis reached out to Sathren to see if he would assist with bringing Christmas lights to Town Square. Sathren agreed to provide and install the lights at cost. Donations were collected and the lights  were purchased and installed on the south lawn outside the Mills County Courthouse. They were turned on for the first time on Dec. 1 to kick off the second annual Glenwood Holiday Festival.

“I gave her (Jennie Davis) the design and lay-out and she said, ‘Let’s go for it.’ It means something to me,” he said. “I’ve been in Glenwood my whole life and I’ve never seen Christmas lights like these in Glenwood.”
Sathren said he’s received several compliments on the lights over the past couple weeks, which makes him feel good about the project, which could be expanded next year.

“I just want to see Glenwood glow,” he said. “Light up Glenwood - I’ve always wanted that.”

Sathren said the donors, business owners and individuals in the community that pushed for the Christmas lights deserve the  credit.

“It’s not all me. It’s the people that donated money,” Sathren said. “We just took what we know how to do and made it happen.”

Supporting the local community has always been an important part of the Sharp Blades business model, The business sponsors several youth athletic teams and contributes to school endeavors.

“Giving back to the community is a huge part because obviously we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the community,” he said. “It really means a lot when people shop and support local.”

Sathren’s wife, Emma, assists with running the business. They have a 13-month-old daughter, Addilyn.

Additional information about Sharp Blades Lawn Care and its services can be found on the company’s Facebook page or website - sharpbladeslawncare.com.

Sathren noted he is already scheduling lawn care services for the spring. He can be contacted through Facebook or by calling 712-520-3402.