Growing from the Ground Up: Austin Blunk on Building Valley Outdoor
In this episode of A Real Piece of Work, Austin Blunk shares how he built Valley Outdoor from a college side business into a thriving lawn, landscape, and snow removal company serving more than 350 accounts with a team of over 25 employees. What began in 2012 as a way to earn tuition money while studying Landscape Design at Iowa State University eventually became a full-time entrepreneurial pursuit that reshaped his career path.
As a Vice President with Russell, a construction and development firm based in Davenport, IA, Matt Rebro brings 20+ years of industry experience and relationships to the team. He is a key contributing member to Russell’s Business Development outreach efforts. Matt’s focus is to help grow the Russell brand with targeted individuals and firms and to support his Russell team members to ensure existing client relationships are maximized to their fullest potential. As a native eastern-Iowan, Matt has demonstrated a commitment to supporting communities over the last two decades via personal and firm support of organizations such as Junior Achievement, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Iowa Association of Business & Industry and the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce Workforce Coalition.
Matt Blaylock is the co-host of A Real Piece of Work and founder of Cold Penny Marketing, a marketing agency focused on connecting brands with charitable causes and building brand loyalty.