Inspiring Conversations with Rodney Steidinger of ZebraScapes LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rodney Steidinger.

Hi Rodney, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started in Illinois, wanting to pursue farming. I worked as a mechanic on extensive farming equipment for 15 years after dropping out of high school in my sophomore year. The 15 years I ended because I had to get surgery on my left shoulder after tearing my rotator cuff from all the lifting underneath that extensive equipment. I was at a loss for what to do, and I felt like God was telling me to move my family (wife and 2 daughters) and me to Arizona. We moved at the height of the market and couldn’t find somewhere cheap enough to live. I worked for a landscape company during the day and was the night manager for an equipment manufacturer to pay the bills. The recession hit, we were about to be foreclosed on, and at this point, we had 3 daughters. I started my own landscape business, going door to door, just trying to make enough money for our family to make money. With me continuing as a night manager and doing landscaping during the day, it was just enough to get by. The landscape business started to grow little by little, and eventually, we could afford an office and a place for equipment and employees. Since then, we’ve adopted a little girl and renamed the business, but it still has the same standards and values I started with. We now serve the Quad City area and the Verde Valley, doing tree service, hardscapes, irrigation, maintenance, and cleanups.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Some struggles have been finding a way to provide for my family. I had zero experience in landscaping, but I learned to use YouTube most of the time. It was a struggle to take such a significant risk with starting a new business and having a family, but it has paid off; God has blessed us. Now, we have several different licenses for the various aspects of our business. There is no success without struggle, so looking back, I have no regrets about how the business started; I am just thankful God grew it to the level it did.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Zebrascapes is a family-owned landscape company that my wife and I started. I manage the landscape; she handles all the finances and behind-the-scenes work. We specialize in hardscape designs like outdoor kitchens, waterfalls, pergolas, and paver patios. We also do tree service, maintenance, and irrigation. Zebrascapes has just begun advertising our drone services, which use an agricultural drone to spray tree treatments on trees. This cuts down on chemicals spreading around the property and targets the tree that needs them. We also use these drones for spraying pre-emergent, which keeps weeds from germinating. This cuts down on waste for the chemical and is much more efficient. We are proud of our returning client base and our relationships with our customers. We are known for our zebra-striped trucks, quality of work, and a great team.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Working on our farm with my siblings

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zebrascapes.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zebrascapes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zebrascapes/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCwIMNc42RsfDKqqf-qSk6Q