Reach Us At
Join our VIP e-mail list to receive the latest specials and news from Shop Local Delmarva.
Contact Us
Connect
Johnson's All-Scapes: A True Success Story
July 6, 2022
TJ Johnson was born to be successful. But the Somerset County native didn’t grow up in the best environment. After high school, Johnson did what many of his friends were doing: he took a trade. “I got into HVAC,” he says. Then he went through some difficult times, began abusing drugs and alcohol, and was sentenced to prison when he was 21. Prison changed Johnson in ways even he didn’t realize at the time. He cleaned himself up, got sober, and after his release he started working. First, he flipped burgers at a pool bar in Ocean City, then came warehouse work before TJ settled into a job doing land surveys.
After five years he had saved enough money to buy three acres where he planned to start a roadside produce stand. But the land needed maintenance. Grass and weeds had grown tall in the fields and before he could plant anything he needed to get the property under control. Johnson bought a zero-turn mower to make the job faster. He posted a picture of it on Facebook and offered to mow yards to help offset part of the cost. A couple of people responded, and within a few weeks he was mowing three yards per week. Within a year he was able to start landscaping full-time. Johnson’s All-Scapes was born.
That feeling of empowerment, of being his own boss, jolted Johnson’s confidence. He expanded his landscaping services to include annual and semi-annual yard cleanups, spraying for and pulling weeds, laying mulch, and trimming trees and hedges. In the spring of his first year, one of his clients hired him to lay a paver walkway, something he had never done. But Johnson has never been one to shy away from new things or hard work. He got help from a friend with paver
experience and in short order had not only completed the job but had more paving jobs lined up afterwards. “I was working by myself, learning on the job,” Johnson says. “Those first customers had a lot of faith in me, and I gave them a great product in return.”
Success has come quickly for Johnson. The pandemic brought increased business as more and more people were opting for backyard escapes instead of destination resort vacations. “It gave us an opportunity to show people what we can do,” Johnson states. And what an impressive portfolio it is. “We just finished a backyard that looks like Lake Tahoe,” he says. Featuring massive boulders, indigenous plants, and a grand outdoor fireplace, the space screams backyard escape. And then there’s the custom-crafted concrete sea turtle sculpture that doubles as a pool fountain. It has to be seen to be believed.
In 2019, Johnson received his home improvement license from the state of Maryland, followed soon after by licensure in Virginia and Delaware. Now licensed in all three states, he began to secure bigger jobs that required permitting. He also expanded his services to include building pergolas, constructing patios and decks, and ultimately, installing swimming pools. After two friends asked him about pools for their growing families, Johnson flew to the Latham Pools training centers in Tennessee and Indiana to learn the ins and outs of pool installation, from planning and layout to excavation, setting, electrical, and plumbing. Combined with his landscaping experience, the training gave Johnson the ability to create complete backyard transformations.
“Those are my favorite jobs,” Johnson says, “We go into people’s homes that have nothing there and we start from scratch. Pool, pool house, deck, pergola, fire-pit, the whole works.”
Johnson is proud of the work he does and knows the added benefit he brings to his clients by doing all the work in house. “I am my own contractor,” he says, “We do all the work ourselves, from masonry and concrete to electrical and plumbing.” That means fewer delays for projects to be completed and satisfied customers swimming in their new pools. When he started, Johnson did most of the work with just a part time assistant. Now, to get it all accomplished, Johnson’s All-Scapes employs 21 craftsmen and tradesmen, including a project manager and a general foreman. The transition to management was challenging for Johnson, but necessary.
“When I started, I was 27 and I could do all the work and didn’t mind it. But once things started rolling and getting busy, I had a lot more to do. I had less time to be at each job in the field, and I had to hire more people to help with the load.” “I couldn’t ask for better employees,” Johnson adds. “They are good guys, loyal, dependable, and trustworthy. They show up, rain or shine.” Johnson knows what it’s like to be on the other side of the working coin, so he treats his employees like family. “I take care of my guys,” he says. Johnson’s All-Scapes offers benefits most landscapers don’t, like vacations, bonuses, and a guarantee of 40 hours per week — even in the winter months.
Johnson’s All-Scapes installs not only vinyl and fiberglass pools, but also creates jaw-dropping custom concrete pools. Because of supply chain issues, fiberglass and vinyl, once the most popular choices for backyard pools, have been supplanted by concrete, a trend that Johnson doesn’t see changing anytime soon.
“Concrete pools are a little more expensive but can be completed in less time because we don’t have to wait for materials,” Johnson says, “Plus, you get a fully customized and personalized backyard escape.”
For Johnson himself, the transition has been a personally rewarding one. In 13 years, he went from prison, to working for land surveyors, to hiring those same land surveyors to work for him. He makes time to give back, too, spending part of every year in Guatemala helping build homes, feeding the poor, and providing resources for children and families in need.
Designs & Installations include:
-Concrete Pools
-Vinyl Pools
-Fiberglass Pools
-Custom Waterfalls & Water Features
-Decking
-Landscaping
-Hardscaping
-Fencing
-Lighting
-Construction
Share this Post
