How Turf Designs got its start

The First Yard

Turf Designs began in March 2020, when a Tucson sophomore named Brandon started picking up yard work during an unplanned break from school. COVID had just shut down classes, and what was supposed to be a short spring break turned into an open-ended one. Brandon spent it doing tree trimming, weed eating, and general yard cleanup around the neighborhood.

By August 16, 2020, the work had expanded into full backyard makeovers and hardscape installation. Five months after his first cleanup job, Brandon was running a legitimate landscaping business.

Losing a Supplier

The next shift came out of necessity rather than ambition. While completing landscaping projects, Brandon's team relied on a turf distributor to supply their material. That distributor went out of business, and the supply line disappeared with it. While looking for a replacement, the same suggestion kept coming back from the people they talked to: start a turf distribution company instead of just buying from one.

"There was no single deciding moment, no clear sign that it would work. The decision came down to a willingness to take the risk and figure out the rest along the way."

After connecting with a distributor and learning the business from the ground up, Turf Designs officially began distributing turf in February 2023.

Cut and Delivered From the Driveway

Operations started small. The company's first orders were cut and delivered from Brandon's family home, using a forklift parked in the driveway. That setup lasted until Turf Designs moved into its first proper facility, a 1,500-square-foot warehouse taken on in the middle of winter while a larger second warehouse was still under construction. After a few months in that first space, the company relocated to a bigger warehouse.

Soon after the move, Turf Designs signed its first major contract, with Big Bully Turf. That relationship has continued for more than a year and remains one of the company's key partnerships today.

Almost "Surf N Turf"

The company's name came together almost by accident. On a flight back from San Jose, Brandon was trying to settle on something that would work as a business name. His first idea, "Surf N Turf," didn't make sense for a turf company based in the desert. "Turf Designs" followed shortly after, and it stayed.

A Family Operation

Turf Designs is run today by Brandon and his father, Duane, as a family operation. Duane spent seven years in the Navy, serving aboard the USS Midway and then the USS Abraham Lincoln after Midway was decommissioned. That service makes Turf Designs a veteran-owned business. Brandon is an Eagle Scout. Both backgrounds run on the same basic rules: be honest, stay organized, and do what you said you would do. That shows up in how Turf Designs prices and describes its products. The company doesn't mark up prices just because it can, and it would rather correct bad information floating around the turf industry than let a customer make a decision based on it.

Where Things Stand Today

What began as cleanup work during an unexpected break from school has grown into a distribution business supplying turf to landscapers, contractors, HOAs, and homeowners throughout Tucson and Southern Arizona. The customer base has shifted over time as well. Contractors made up most of the business in the early years, and Turf Designs is now building out its work with homeowners directly, along with larger HOA and builder projects across the region.

The company has moved out of the driveway and into a proper warehouse, but the basics haven't changed since the beginning: keep product in stock locally, give customers straight information, and stand behind what gets sold.