A Traverse City business is cutting lawns and their carbon footprint. This is all possible through electric powered lawn care equipment. Owner Jon Fiorelli is hoping to start a new way of lawn care service. I went to a job site to see what Revo Lawn all is about.
“I wanted to create a revolution in lawn mowing and do something that was totally clean, no emissions,” Jon Fiorelli, owner. “And use solar power and human power.”
Revo Lawn started a couple years ago, Fiorelli was previously an electrical engineer and with his background he knew he could start something new. All of his equipment is electric and can be solar powered. He even rides a bike to his services.
“I knew that the commercial lawn mowing business is it’s very harmful to the environment,” Fiorelli said. “Basically, for every hour that you run a gas-powered lawn mower, it’s like the equivalent of driving 100 to 300 miles. So, there’s tons of air pollution that’s created by the gas-powered lawn industry. “
Fiorelli wears a bandana as a reminder for the change he is hoping to create in the lawncare industry.
“That basically is a reminder of the mission is that we are starting a revolution in lawn mowing,” Fiorelli said. “And it’s sort of an everyday reminder that we’re a bunch of rebels. So, it just reminds us that we are kind of a group of renegades, rebels, bandits, let’s say, trying to make a difference out there.”
Fiorelli isn’t just hoping to change lawncare, he is hoping to change and motivate the youth to be the next generation of leaders.
“Our motto is we cut grass, but we grow leaders. So that’s, going to be a theme that we’ll do on a bigger scale next year. So, I think what I hope is that of course they learn how to cut grass. But I think there is something to be said about going to a job, everybody knowing what they their job is to do on that on that site...But what I want them to gain from that is to learn how to be and lead on a team, and to do it in a way where it’s not just somebody barking orders, but you’re doing it in a way that makes people want to work. It inspires them to work. “
Fiorelli also has a Go-Mow program where he will cut someone’s lawn that can’t do it themselves. He also does Go Mows for two organizations in the area.
“So Go Mow is short for ‘good neighbor mow’, and that’s something that we do if you’ve got a neighbor, if you know somebody in town that’s struggling maybe they’re sick, maybe they’re down on their luck and they just can’t keep up with their lawn,” Fiorelli said. “You can call me or, get ahold of me and I’ll just go mow it for free. Just to do something good for the neighborhood.”
Fiorelli is hoping to cut 1 million lawns with electrical equipment. And for some that may seem like a lot, but he is letting no one get in the way of his goals.
“There’s a quote and it’s basically, if people aren’t laughing at your goals and your goals aren’t big enough,” Fiorelli said. “Through Revo Lawn, through the revolution that I want to create, through the network of franchises that I hope to create… I hope to mow a million lawns with solar power.”
Revo Lawn is accepting clients for next summer. For more information on Revo Lawn you can click here.