In 1981, Fred and Mary Monks founded a small lawn mowing business that would eventually grow into a thriving company, now employing between 80 to 100 people and serving the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and surrounding areas. Today, the company is headquartered in Colleyville, Texas, where it continues to uphold its reputation for excellence in the green industry.

Fred’s journey began in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a Combat Controller and Air Traffic Controller from 1956 through 1960. While stationed in Laredo, Texas, he met Mary, and the two were married in 1960. After his service, they moved to Long Island, New York, where Fred worked at Idlewild Airport, which was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport in December 1963 following President Kennedy’s assassination. The couple built their life there, raising four children—two sons and two daughters—before relocating to the DFW area in 1974 when Fred transferred to DFW Airport.

In August 1981, air traffic controllers across the country went on strike, demanding better working conditions and relief from the intense stress of the job. However, President Ronald Reagan took a hard stance, ultimately firing those who refused to return to work—including Fred. Faced with an uncertain future, Fred and Mary took a leap of faith and started a business with nothing more than a push mower, an electric weedeater, a broom, and an AMC Hornet as their work vehicle. The bright yellow Hornet became a symbol of their early days, carrying their equipment from job to job as they built their business from the ground up. Their youngest son, Tom, was with them from the start, working alongside them as they grew the company.

As the company expanded, it rebranded as The Lawn Firm, Inc. and moved beyond mowing to offer landscaping, landscape design, irrigation design, irrigation installation and repair, fertilization and weed control, landscape lighting, plant health care, and tree care.

In 2005, Fred and Mary retired, and Tom, who had been part of the business since its inception, purchased their shares to take full ownership of the company. Under his leadership, the company has continued to grow and evolve while maintaining the family’s legacy of excellence. With its headquarters in Colleyville, Texas, the company proudly serves HOAs, commercial properties, and government entities, remaining a trusted name in the industry.