Kyle Martyn grew up in southern Indiana, but he often tells people that he's from Westfield because that's the city that feels most like home to him. After earning an associate degree in horticulture and landscape design from Vincennes University, he moved to Westfield in 2008.

Over the course of the next several years, he gained both field and supervisory experience by working at landscaping companies in Carmel and Indianapolis. He also started taking on additional projects on the weekends at small warehouses, day cares and other locations. I worked as an operations manager and account manager and really learned a lot about running a busin

Martyn says. "I finally got to the point where I needed to decide if I had the nerve to go all-in on my dream to star my own business.

That's precisely what he did in June 2022 when he opened Sun Valley Landscape and Snow. The company specializes in landscaping, hardscaping, and snow removal for commercial properties.

"Really we are a landscape maintenance and snow management company," Martyn says. "That's our bread and butter, but we do hardscapes as well: Their seasoned team, with more than 20 years of industry experience, offers excellent customer care, affordable rates and prompt service times. What truly sets them apart from other companies, however, is their ability to communicate and respond effectively and efficiently. This is because Sun Valley is a locally owned small business that purposefully develops mutual relationships with their customers.

"Yes, we are a contractor to them, but at the end of the day we want to be a friend whom they can have that open conversation with," Martyn says. "We strive to be that contractor, provider and friend to our customers in order to make their lives easier."

When people call, Martyn is the one who answers the phone. This means that if there's an emergency and he needs to send his crew out to handle a situation, he can do just that - and fast. Recently a client had a huge water main break on their property. Martyn had his team out the next morning not only to clean up the mess, but also discuss ways to make the property more maintenance friendly. They talked about making repairs to the irrigation, planting some perennials rather than annuals, and other long-term solutions.

"Since we're not a huge ship, it doesn't take long to pivot and make a turn if needed, says Martyn, who is in constant communication with customers, and also meets with them regularly for site evaluations. "We know that a lot of people can aut grass. but the communication piece is what realy sets us apart. Plus, we're trustworthy and reliable."

Commercial customers typically get in touch with Martyn about six months prior to the work they are commissioning.

For instance, Martyn begins planning for snow removal season in June or July, and begins planning for landscape season in

November or December. "From an operations standpoint, we have to backwards plan so we can order in flowers or whatever supplies are needed," Martyn says. "We want to be as organized as possible."

Martyn is thrilled to be part of the Westfield community where he can not only offer his services to business owners in Westfield and surrounding Hamilton County, but also plug into all of the other great things that the city has to offer. "When I moved here 15 years ago, I never would have imagined the tremendous growth that would take place," he says. "There's still more growth on the horizon. Our motto is 'Build your dreams, and thats What we have done here. we have assembled it, built it, and are still building it." He appreciates his faithful team of employees and contractors.

He also appreciates the community he's created by being a member of the Westfield Chamber of Commerce and volunteering to coach a number of youth sports teams, including baseball, soccer, cross-country and track. As a volunteer youth coach, he has found that he likes to inspire kids to pursue their dreams, just as he did.

"It can be scary at times to take that leap, but it's worth it in the long run," says Martyn, whose children are 8, 9 and 10. "I'm glad I did it. I love that I opened my own business." He's grateful for what Westfield has given him and his family, which is why hes so determined to give back.  "It's always been a dream of mine to make a difference in the lives of others," he says. "By owning my own business, I'm giving my employees the opportunity to provide for their families. I just love being able to help people out along the way as we continue our journey."