L
ocation, location, location.
It's a word that means a great deal to
Claude Kershner III, president of Reef Tropical
Pool, Lawn and Construction.
A savvy businessman from the Philadelphia area
who enjoyed spending vacation down in the Keys,
Kershner knew he needed a change.
"For me, it was about a lifestyle business and a
geography decision," Kershner says. "I think people
should be geographically where they want to be
and then look around and see how can I make a liv-
ing because this location seems to agree with me."
This mentality is exactly what led Kershner to
purchase Reef Tropical Lawn in June of 1998 in the
heart of the Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida.
Making the switch
Running his family's $35 million, 170-employee
furniture business provided Kershner with a great
deal of experience. He knew he wanted to ap-
ply those skills elsewhere in what he says is "the
hardest place I ever had to leave on vacation."
After making a phone call to the most suc-
cessful businessman he knew in town, Kershner
S E P T E M B E R 2 014 To t a l L a n d s c a p e C a r e . c o m 3 3
In 1998, Claude Kershner III (center) started Reef Tropical. With help from his
son Claude Kershner IV (right) and landscape manager Adam Foley, Kershner
uses his entrepreneurial skillset to continue to grow the business.
Florida Keys landscaper
fi nds success using
business skills, experience
in niche market
Man on a
Mission
BY PATTY VAUGHAN
