Even though Hunter Lauderdale, 28, comes from a long line of entrepreneurs in his family, he did not see a clear-cut path for himself when he was younger.
“My plan was either prison or dead,” he said. “I was in and out of juvenile detention centers as a kid.”
He knew he was living recklessly and was “troubled,” but his trajectory changed when the Little Rock native was sentenced to the Civilian Student Training Program when he was 15 years old. The residential program runs like an Army boot camp, and Lauderdale credited his time there with instilling in him discipline and rules that he still relies on to this day.
“That was the best thing that could have ever happened to me,” he said.
Now focused on building a life for himself, he started working hard and connected with Steve Hardeman, who owned a lawn service. Lauderdale worked for Hardeman for about a year and a half before setting out on his own.
“Steve told me, ‘You’re too good to be working for me,’” Lauderdale said.
From there, thanks to some help from Hardeman, Lauderdale began to blaze his own path. His clientele grew, and he was soon working on 117 yards by the time he was 18. Even though the business was successful, he dreamed of more.
“That wasn’t my passion,” he said. “It was kind of just a way to make income.”
Instead, his interests lay in building yards and outdoor spaces and running large equipment. His expertise and passion came together when he founded Lauderdale Outdoor Services in 2021.
He hired three people he knew from high school who were as hard working and passionate as him. Since then, the business has grown to a fleet of 10 trucks and 13 people leading projects.
“The team has grown together,” he said. “Everybody I work with is like me. We get things done, and we get them done in a timely fashion, and we don’t quit. Any of my customers would agree.”
The company has made a name for itself doing everything from custom patios and concrete work to landscaping solutions, dump truck hauling, sod installation and retaining wall construction.
“Our motto is, ‘Whatever it takes,’” Lauderdale said. “I don’t like the word no, saying you can’t do something. Yes, you can. There is always a way.”
While Lauderdale and his team enjoy delivering top-notch work for their clients, he said being a business owner comes with its own set of challenges.
“It’s a headache,” he said. “Everything breaks. There is never a clear blue sky. Something is always broken.”
Jobsite foremen Cody Enlow, from left, Christopher Bradshaw and owner Hunter Lauderdale are some of the dedicated team members behind Lauderdale Outdoor Services in Little Rock. Photos by Jane Colclasure
Being a business owner is a 24-hour job, he said.
“There is no sleeping for me because I am a problem solver,” he said. “It takes everything you’ve got, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Lauderdale does not let the constant grind of the job faze him or affect his team’s work. He said he got his “don’t quit” mindset from watching his parents and from his mentors.
Lauderdale’s relatives began a roofing company back in the 1920s, and since then, members of his family have owned various ventures. He said he is happy his business is booming and bringing recognition to the Lauderdale name.
“I just wanted to see my name go far,” he said. “The equipment and the cool trucks with my name on them, seeing those roll down the highway is really cool.”
In his small amount of free time, he cherishes being a father to his three children and husband to his wife, Maci, who also does the paperwork side of the business.
“She takes care of everything I can’t,” Lauderdale said. “She’s the backbone of this company.”
Lauderdale started the company from the ground up, and he has no plans to stop growing. Photos by Jane Colclasure
Lauderdale thanked many people throughout his journey for the success he sees today but pointed specifically to Hardeman and local businessmen Supreet Momi and David Shatley.
“Those three guys are everything you need to start a business,” he said.
As he continues to build his business, he plans to stay in Little Rock. He said he likes the area and sees it as a place with “endless opportunities.”
He is leaving the future of the company up to God, he said.
“I just do whatever he calls for me to do,” Lauderdale said. “I never planned this. I saw me doing it, but I never planned for it to be like this. We’ve just got to keep growing. I ain’t going nowhere.”
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