EDGE FUND: Invest in a Lawnmower Built to Last

While Tony may be mellow and relaxed, all his mowers carry a sharp edge.

When it comes to fixing or repairing your lawnmower, weed whacker or leaf blower, Tony Chun might be the smartest guy in the San Gabriel Valley.

At Cal Poly Pomona, he majored in business and minored in mechanical engineering. It’s not every day, you get to have a Phi Beta Kappa fix what ails your tree trimmer.

“A lot of people don’t want to get their hands dirty,” said Tony who owns the La Verne Lawnmower Center on Arrow Highway with his brother Brian. “With this business, your hands are going to get dirty.”

At a time when many people buy their mower and trimmers at a big box store, like Wal-Mart or Home Depot, Tony has found a nice business niche among customers who appreciate a finer line of lawn and garden products manufactured by companies such as Toro, Honda and Echo.

What sets the La Verne Lawnmower Center apart is Tony, Brian and their three full-time technicians can repair anything they sell. “Just bring it to us, and we handle everything,” Tony said. “You don’t have to deal with phone calls and manufacturer warranties.”

That’s not the way the big box retailers operate. “More than likely, if you need a specific part or come in with a specific question, they’re not going to be able to help you out,” Tony said.

“Here we can. We specialize in lawn and garden products and service. We have the parts and the service for the do-it-yourself guy or whether you want us to fix it.”

Tony, right, with his brother Brian, continue to grow their business with outstanding products and customer service.

The La Verne Lawnmower Center used to be located across the street from Damien High School before moving to its current location at 750 Arrow Hwy. The business is set to expand yet again, moving a few doors down to keep up with demand.

Many local school districts and municipalities rely on them for quick turnarounds to keep their lawn and garden equipment in top running order. “We’re serving higher-end commercial stuff,” Tony said.

At the same time, they can take care of all the weekend gardeners’ needs, stocking and servicing not just mowers, but also edgers, chainsaws and even wood chippers. Tony said you can get a good-quality mower for between $300 and $400, something that will last and last, unlike cheaper big-box models that feature “planned obsolescence.”

“We’re not geared toward the throw away market,” Tony said. “We want to be able to recycle our units. We don’t want to contribute to the waste cycle.”

Along those “green” lines, La Verne Lawnmower Center is carrying more battery-operated and electric products.

Tony, now 30, is a smart and successful businessman. He’s not trying to be all things to all customers. He won’t suggest that you seed your lawn with Marathon, Bermuda or Saint Augustine; he’ll defer to someone he feels has more expertise in selecting a lawn type.  But if you ask him which mower will do the best job cutting it, Tony is your guy.

La Verne Lawnmower Center is located at 750 Arrow Hwy. It’s open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, please call (909) 596-2363.