Dave's Landscape Management Company

Dave Rykbost says he was running this Hudson landscaping outfit before he could drive — the company's own telling is that he has owned and operated it since he was eleven, incorporating in 1989. Whatever the start date, it is no longer a one-truck operation: its BBB page lists 29 employees working out of 469 River Rd, with Rykbost as president. The work covers the whole outdoor calendar rather than one slice of it. Mowing, plantings, cleanups and pruning in season; hardscape construction, patios and irrigation for bigger projects; then gutter cleaning, outdoor Christmas lighting and snow-and-ice management once the weather turns. Angi lists the same spread, and its profile shows the company as a Christmas Decor franchisee and a member of the Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals. What is thin is the written customer history. Exactly one homeowner comment is on file — a December 2023 Angi review, five stars, from a long-standing client who wrote only "Have been with them for years. So nice." That is warm, but it is one voice and it is two and a half years old, which is why the rating here stays cautious no matter how established the company looks. Its BBB profile carries an A+ grade, though the company is not BBB-accredited, and the grade is a measure of BBB's own standards rather than of customer reviews. The firm is visible around Hudson in other ways. A Community Advocate article in March 2025 named it as sponsor of the Town Hall Tree Lighting at the Hudson Business Association's Holiday Stroll, and back in 2007 the MetroWest Daily News reported Rykbost taking over as chairman of the Assabet Valley Chamber board. Two things to raise on the call. First, tenure: BBB shows 46 years in business, Angi says 41 years of experience, and the company's own site works out to 37 since incorporation — worth pinning down if longevity matters to you. Second, credentials: the certifications listed here (MA Certified Landscape Professional, Certified Irrigation Contractor, ICPI paver installer) are the company's own statements, so ask to see them. Massachusetts exempts landscaping-only contractors from home improvement contractor registration, so nothing is missing on that front. A reasonable call for a homeowner who wants one contractor handling the property year-round — mowing through snow removal — rather than the smallest job at the lowest price. Ask for recent references for the specific service you want, since the public comment on the work itself is a single line from 2023.