Ozarks Profile: J. J. Cybulski

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Tell us about your company.|ret||ret||tab|

We have a lawn service and landscape company (J.J.'s Lawn Service) that we've been doing (for) about 13 years. I've always gone crazy with the Christmas lights at my house. I started (North Pole Lighting & Decorating) about six years ago, when the lawn service got bigger, to try to keep employees during the winter. We were probably one of the first (companies) to start in with the Christmas lights . We can do commercial and residential buildings. The average house starts at about $295 and they own the lights from us. They're all custom-made, (and) it's a commercial-grade strand. It's nothing like you're going to buy at Wal-Mart they'll last you seven to 10 years. We put (the display) up, take it down, and we'll store it, all for the same price. Then next year, we come out for about 50 percent of the first year's charges.|ret||ret||tab|

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Is lawn service the largest of your ventures?|ret||ret||tab|

For overall sales, yes, but just because we go on it for nine months as a season. The lawn service is the major part of our company. But we're also getting into the manufacturing of displays, so we make displays now and I would say in a couple of years we'll have just employees for the Christmas lights side and just employees for the lawn service side. |ret||ret||tab|

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For Christmas lights, how many houses have you done?|ret||ret||tab|

We've probably done 150 to 200 buildings, between homes or businesses, total since we started. This year we've probably added 30 new homes or businesses. Some of the businesses we just put up one time on the businesses they're permanently installed. Some of the banks we do, they'll have us put them up and take them down because they don't want to see them.|ret||ret||tab|

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What are some of the biggest challenges for you?|ret||ret||tab|

The weather. The weather this year has been a blessing because we've had great weather. Usually weather's one of our challenges, and everyone wants them up and done by Thanksgiving for Christmas lights. |ret||ret||tab|

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What's popular now with people in Christmas lights?|ret||ret||tab|

Most people want the front of the house outlined with Christmas lights and then they'll put a 48-inch wreath or a 60-inch wreath somewhere on the house. Some of our display pieces, some of the snowmen and Santa Clauses are starting to get a little more popular. The wreaths have been a big seller this year.|ret||ret||tab|

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How did you come to be a small-business owner for these companies?|ret||ret||tab|

I started mowing my grandpa's lawn at probably 13 years old, and I mowed (at) the neighbor's house. I was making $25 a week and thought that was a lot of money. When I was 16, I was mowing like 60 yards a week. I mowed through high school and college, and after that I decided that's what I'd keep doing. |ret||ret||tab|

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Tell us about your family.|ret||ret||tab|

I have a wife, Sarah. We have a 17-month-old boy, Samuel, who goes by Sam, and an 8-week-old, Sally.|ret||ret||tab|

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