Will Cain, Dave Hoggatt and Robert Kirk, founded Southwest Desert Images in 1998. Now the landscapers?EUR??,,????'??? work can be seen across the city ?EUR??,,????'??? at the Cove Aquatic Center, the Marriot hotels and Tomkins Park.

Most of the city?EUR??,,????'???s ?EUR??,,????'??street-scaping,?EUR??,,????'?? or roadside landscaping has also been done by Southwest Desert Images, Cain said.

The initial investment of about $100,000 led to sales of about $2 million in 2002. In 2006, their sales reached $3.2 million.

In 2002, the business was still ?EUR??,,????'??relatively small?EUR??,,????'?? with two tractors, 10 employees and three trucks, said Cain. Four years later, the company has expanded to 14 tractors, 50 employees and 25 trucks.

They started out doing residential work, and it was difficult for the new business to gain a reputation for being able to handle larger projects, including city parks.

Kirk spent a lot of time ?EUR??,,????'??knocking on doors?EUR??,,????'?? to gain more commercial work for the company, and being able to handle larger projects, including city parks, remarked Cain.

Now commercial work makes up about 60 percent of their business, he said.

Growth in Sierra Vista and surrounding areas created opportunity for Southwest Desert Images, which led them into taking almost any type of outdoor work, including moving 50,000-pound trees.
Besides landscaping work, the company also constructs shade structures and outdoor living areas.

Source: Herald/Review