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Transforming landscapes
Behind the Business with Coppa and Son Landscape Construction Inc. of Narragansett, Rhode Island
Husband-and-wife team Chris and Kirsten Coppa founded Coppa and Son Landscape Construction, Inc. in Narragansett, Rhode Island, in 2001. Before starting the business, Chris worked for a large landscaping company, and his boss introduced him to masonry. Kirsten had a knack for garden design, so teaming up on the new business was a natural move for the couple. Chris and Kirsten have grown their endeavor from a single tractor to a small but mighty team that can “powerhouse through any masonry job that any other company can do with a large group of people,” Kirsten said.
When the pair first started out, they tackled masonry jobs together and learned as they went. Kirsten shared the early challenges of owning a business. “We were both self-taught, so that's kind of neat. Chris showed me how to do the masonry, which, at the time, was really both of us teaching each other, but it worked out. We had to put the same patio in 15 times the first time,” she recalled. Their determination and willingness to learn have been key to the business’s success over the years.
Today, Coppa and Son Landscape Construction specializes in a wide range of masonry and landscaping services. "Stone walls, stairs, drywalls, anything that has to do with any kind of stone, we do," Kirsten explained. Their expertise extends to patios, in-ground pools, driveways, and even excavation work. "Chris can put in a lawn, he'll grade somebody's new yard, he can dig a foundation," she noted.
Additionally, Kirsten designs and maintains clients’ gardens for the business, and she shared how she gained that expertise. “I learned from my father growing up. He was a huge gardener. He still gardens today at 90 years old!” Kirsten picked up more gardening know-how from Pinterest, TV shows and good old trial and error. Her work appears on historic properties along the historic Ocean Road in Narragansett, and “some houses have 40 planters,” she shared.
For the Coppas, the most rewarding part of owning their business is seeing clients’ properties transform. “It's beautiful when you're done to see what you've created,” Kirsten said.
Coppa and Son Landscape Construction operates primarily in Washington County, RI and has built a strong reputation through referrals and maintaining good rapport with clients. “Word of mouth is huge. We like to get to know the people that we work for. We meet with them quite a few times before a job will go in.”
Kirsten added that she has become friends with a few of her customers. “It's wonderful because they just really throw your name out there—it's great. I mean, we have thousands of business cards from BBB, and people just give them out all the time. Customers have been absolutely wonderful to us. We've done all kinds of advertising since we've owned the business, but word of mouth has been the best.”
Kirsten also shared that she and Chris love working outdoors. “There's nothing like being outside, especially when the weather is nice. It's different from sitting in an office and staring at a computer all day.”
As Coppa and Son Landscape Construction continues to serve southern Rhode Island, they remain committed to their work and community. “I love the ocean, and I like that in Washington County, everybody knows everybody.
Coppa and Son Landscape Construction Inc. has been an Accredited Member of the Better Business Bureau since 2013. For more information about Coppa and Son Landscape Construction Inc., check out their BBB profile.
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