What American Modern does

American Modern LLC is a Michigan-based, privately held landscaping services company founded in 2015 by Michael J. Kessler. It installs bonded rubber mulch, decorative concrete edging, full-service playgrounds, poured-in-place rubber surfacing, and masonry and landscaping services for residential and institutional customers. Its core differentiator is a proprietary bonded rubber mulch system using an on-site binding process that produces a continuous, water-permeable, weed-resistant surface intended to permanently replace traditional wood mulch, plus a lightweight (<200 lb) mobile concrete extrusion machine capable of laying up to 300 linear feet of decorative edging per day without concrete trucks or forms.

The company operates across Michigan, North Carolina, and Tennessee, serving more than 60 cities through a direct-to-consumer and sales-led go-to-market model. It acquires customers via home and garden shows, door-to-door canvassing in neighborhoods where installations are in progress, a website with contact forms, and word-of-mouth referrals. A secondary wholesale channel supplies American Modern rubber products to other contractors and includes product delivery plus hands-on installation training.

Revenue is generated through one-time installation jobs priced by quote based on square footage or linear footage, with pricing varying by color, stamp pattern, and project scope. Quotes are valid for one year. The company is bootstrapped, has no disclosed external funding, and operates as a licensed and insured contractor with no disclosed patents, trademarks, or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

American Modern

Legal name

American Modern LLC

Website

https://americanmodernlandscape.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

American Modern is a Michigan-based landscaping contractor installing proprietary bonded rubber mulch, decorative concrete edging, and full-service playgrounds for residential homeowners and institutional clients across Michigan, North Carolina, and Tennessee, with a secondary wholesale channel supplying its rubber products to other contractors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscaping Services

NAICS

Landscaping Services (561730)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Renovation & Re-Design (Yard Makeovers) (HSAIABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Commercial Landscape Design & Installation (HSAIABAJ)

Keywords

• Bonded rubber mulch
• Decorative concrete edging
• Playground installation services
• Residential landscaping services
• Poured-in-place surfacing

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Bonded Rubber Mulch Installation: One-time installation service for bonded rubber mulch in residential landscapes. Revenue generated per square foot with pricing that becomes cost-effective compared to traditional mulch after 5 years.
2. Decorative Concrete Edging Installation: One-time installation of decorative concrete curbing. Pricing varies by color and stamp pattern selected. Quotes are valid for a full year.
3. Playground Design and Installation: Full-scale playground services including plan submittal, permitting, site layout, excavation, demolition, concrete services, fencing, and equipment installation with safety surfacing.
4. Masonry and Landscaping Services: Services including stamped patios, veneer stone, sidewalks, chimney repair, architectural design, pavers, retaining walls, and planting.
5. Wholesale Product Supply: Wholesale supply of rubber products to contractors who want to sell American Modern products. Includes delivery to worksite and advanced training on products with hands-on help for first installation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

American Modern is a licensed landscaping contractor that sells and installs Bonded Rubber Mulch (a recycled, on-site-bonded rubber surfacing that never needs replacement), Decorative Concrete Edging (custom-colored and stamped curbing installed with a mobile extruder), and full-service Playground Design and Installation (with poured-in-place rubber safety surfacing and permitting support) for residential homeowners and institutional clients. Supporting offerings include masonry services (stamped patios, veneer stone, sidewalks, chimney repair) and general landscaping services (pavers, retaining walls, planting).

Product overview

American Modern is a licensed landscaping company offering a portfolio of products and services primarily focused on outdoor home improvement. The core product offerings include Bonded Rubber Mulch (a proprietary eco-friendly mulch alternative that never needs replacing), Decorative Concrete Edging (custom curbing to define landscape borders), and Playground Design and Installation (complete playground services with safety surfacing). Supporting service offerings include Masonry Services (stamped patios, veneer stone, sidewalks, chimney repair), Landscaping Services (architectural design, pavers, retaining walls, planting), and Poured-In-Place Rubber Surfacing (a versatile rubber surface for playgrounds and pool decks). The company operates across Michigan, North Carolina, and Tennessee, and also serves as a wholesale supplier of rubber products for other contractors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bonded Rubber Mulch Eco-friendly, water-permeable rubber mulch made from recycled materials that is mixed with a kid- and pet-friendly binding agent on site to form a continuous, weed-resistant surface that does not need to be replaced annually. Sold and installed for residential landscape beds; positioning vs. traditional mulch ($1.25/sq ft) is that the upfront cost pays back after about five years of avoided replacement.
• Decorative Concrete Edging Custom-colored and stamped concrete curbing installed with an on-site mobile extruder (under 200 lbs) and reinforced with fiberglass mesh and optional 1/8" galvanized steel cable. Installed up to 300 ft per day, the edging creates a permanent border between garden beds and grass to eliminate weed-whacking. Pricing varies by color and stamp pattern; quotes are valid for a year.
• Playground Design and Installation Turnkey playground services for city parks, schools, daycares, and churches, including plan submittal, permitting, site layout, excavation, demolition, concrete work, fencing, and equipment installation. Sold as a complete project that bundles certified safety surfacing (poured-in-place rubber, rubber mulch, certified playground mulch, or artificial turf) with the underlying site work.
• Poured-In-Place Rubber Surfacing Safety surfacing using smaller rubber granules than mulch, available in multiple colors, providing non-slip and impact-resistant coverage. Sold as a standalone surfacing service for playgrounds, indoor gyms, patios, and pool decks.
• Masonry Services Licensed masonry services for residential properties, including stamped patios, veneer stone, sidewalks, and chimney repair. Sold as project-based work.
• Landscaping Services General landscape services for residential properties, including architectural design, pavers, retaining walls, and planting. Sold as project-based work.
• Wholesale Rubber Product Supply to Contractors Wholesale supply of American Modern rubber products to landscaping contractors who resell and install them under their own brand, including delivery to the worksite, advanced product training, and hands-on help for the contractor's first installation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Saves money compared to traditional mulch after 5 years of annual replacement ($1.25/sq ft traditional mulch cost)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rubberific: Rubberific manufactures and sells recycled rubber mulch products, directly overlapping with American Modern's flagship bonded rubber mulch line. Both serve residential landscaping customers with eco-friendly rubber mulch alternatives to traditional wood mulch.
• Kwik Kerb: Kwik Kerb is a franchise-based decorative concrete landscape curbing operator with a similar on-site extrusion model. It competes head-to-head with American Modern's Decorative Concrete Edging service on both residential and commercial properties.
• Zeager Bros. Zeager Bros. manufactures bonded rubber mulch and other playground surfacing products, including poured-in-place systems. Its product range overlaps directly with American Modern's rubber mulch and poured-in-place rubber surfacing offerings for playground and landscape applications.
• SoftSurfaces (SofSurfaces): SoftSurfaces specializes in poured-in-place rubber playground and recreational surfacing, the same safety-surface category as American Modern's Poured-In-Place Rubber Surfacing product. Both serve schools, parks, and institutional playground clients.
• Surface America: Surface America is a national poured-in-place rubber and bonded rubber mulch surfacing provider for playgrounds and recreation. It directly parallels American Modern's safety surfacing capabilities and serves the same institutional client base.
• Playsafer Rubber Mulch: Playsafer Rubber Mulch distributes bonded rubber mulch targeted at playgrounds, schools, and residential landscapes — directly overlapping American Modern's bonded rubber mulch value proposition and target buyer segments.
• Adventure Playground Systems: Adventure Playground Systems designs, sells, and installs commercial playground equipment and safety surfacing for schools, parks, and daycares. It is directly comparable to American Modern's Playground Design and Installation service line, addressing the same institutional buyer needs.

Broad incumbents

• BrightView Landscapes: BrightView is the largest commercial landscaping services company in the U.S., offering landscape design, installation, and maintenance nationally. It serves as a scaled broad incumbent against which American Modern competes for institutional and high-end residential landscaping contracts.
• TruGreen Lawn Care: TruGreen is the largest U.S. residential lawn care and landscaping services franchise network. While it focuses on lawn health and maintenance rather than specialty mulch/edging, it competes for the same residential homeowner wallet share that American Modern targets.
• Yellowstone Landscape: Yellowstone Landscape is a regional commercial landscape services company serving the Southeast and Eastern U.S. with landscape installation and maintenance. It is comparable to American Modern as a similarly scoped commercial landscaping services competitor in overlapping geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about American Modern