Feature image: John and Tracey Tebbetts (photos by Jane Colclasure)
Originally founded in New Jersey in 1966, the Lawn Doctor brand arrived in Little Rock in 1996 thanks to local franchisees Keith and Sharon Johnson. The company grew out of its original Otter Creek neighborhood quickly, moving into greater Little Rock in the span of a few years and eventually expanding to cover North Little Rock, Sherwood and Maumelle by 2005. The budding operation surpassed 2000 customer accounts in 2007 and 3000 accounts by 2014, now encompassing Cabot, Jacksonville and Mayflower, as well.
“Lawn Doctor has been part of our family from the very beginning,” said the Johnsons’ daughter, Tracey Tebbetts, who now owns the franchise alongside her husband, John. “John was actually the very first technician [my parents] hired.”
John and Tracey worked at the company during summer breaks in college before embarking on their own careers. John went on to serve in the United States Marine Corps, and although the couple continued to hear about the business and its growth through the years, they were not involved in the day-to-day operations.
“About 15 years into [my] 20-year Marine Corps career, Tracey’s parents approached us with an unexpected question: would we be interested in eventually buying the business and becoming part of their retirement plan?” John said. “That conversation planted the seed for what would come next.”
“In the summer of 2019, as John’s Marine Corps retirement approached, we stepped back into Lawn Doctor to truly learn the business from the inside out,” Tracey said.
The pair worked their way up as employees before becoming a part of the management team. In 2021, the Johnsons sold their franchise to the Tebbetts and subsequently retired. John and Tracey are proud to carry on the family business, they said, with the same commitment to serving customers, supporting employees and keeping Lawn Doctor of Little Rock locally owned and operated.
“We want our employees to know they are valued members of our team, and our management uses servant leadership as we strive to fulfill our mission of living a life of integrity and making a difference in the lives of others,” Tracey said.
The Lawn Doctor difference lies in prescriptive lawn care that utilizes highly trained technicians, superior quality products, and unmatched service backed by a local team whose members care deeply about the lawns and landscapes in their own communities.
“We offer a luxury service to customers who are not only concerned about the appearance of their property and their investment but also about the responsible application of products which optimize the health of, and enhance the appearance of, their landscape,” John said.
John and Tracey joined the Little Rock Executives’ Association this year and have already enjoyed the valuable insights to be gained from interacting with the best of central Arkansas businesses across a number of industries. The company has gained several new customers and leads thanks to LREA, and membership has given the couple a chance to more deeply connect, and even reconnect, with members of the community — relationships sure to prove beneficial as they look towards a growing footprint around central Arkansas.
“Because we are a locally owned company with deep ties to our community, we have a significant drive to provide the best customer service of any in the industry,” John said. “We want our customers to know they matter to us and we will do everything in our power to keep their property in the best possible shape while we inform them at each step of the way.”
P.O. Box 24234, Little Rock, AR 72221
501-455-4800
Year founded: 1996
Years in business: 30
Number of employees: 21 (Arkansas)
Joined LREA: 2026
Making a difference for central Arkansas lawns since 1996, Lawn Doctor of Little Rock is still growing with the goal of helping even more Arkansas homeowners keep their communities beautiful and pest-free.
