about


		About Our Company... Picture a dusty road in a rural area of Talbot County. A 12-year old boy rides his bicycle to school, pulling a lawnmower behind him. After school, he cuts his neighbors' grass on his way to ball practice. While it sounds like the subject of a Norman Rockwell painting circa 1950, this slice of Americana is actually a description of a real-life boy, Eric Bridges, just 20 years ago. Mr. Bridges came from a family of farmers and has lived and worked in Talbot County his entire life. "I could have opened this business anywhere, but I wanted to stay in St. Michaels because this is my home," he says. "I have customers - some of them my former teachers-that I've been taking care of since I was 12 years old. I never thought about doing anything else." Bridges Land Management, Inc. provides a broad range of landscaping services, including demolition and excavation, shoreline restoration, patios, stone walls, ponds, plantings and lawns, as well as installation and lighting for most any type of outdoor living space. "Over the last five years, there has been such an influx of landscape companies coming to the shore that we decided to also create a contractors' yard," says Mr. Bridges. "We hope to get the landscaping jobs, but when we don't, we sell the contractors what they need." Bridges Land Management is a distributor for Eagle Bay and Belgard pavers, as well as A.M. Leonard rakes and shovels, different brands of landscaping cloth and other tools and supplies. The contractors' yard offers equipment rentals for do-it-yourself gardeners as well as small landscaping companies that may not own their own equipment. These include tractors, mini excavators and bulldozers. Although business slows during the months of January and February, Bridges Land Management's garden center is pretty much a year-round operation. The selection of plants, gifts and other items changes with the seasons. Colorful annuals are available in the spring and summer, while fall brings the mums, pumpkins, corn stalks and straw, followed by Christmas trees and wreaths during the holidays. Over the cold winter months, Bridges Land Management's employees plow snow for the state and local communities. Eric and K.C. Bridges married seven years ago and have been partners in the business ever since. "Bridges Land Management, Inc. is pure Eric Bridges," says Mrs. Bridges. "We enjoy working together so much and the business has grown with us as a couple but Eric is the face of the business and the knowledge and expertise behind it." In addition to Bridges Land Management, Inc. Eric and K.C. Bridges also own and operate Bridges Waste Management. They actively support many community organizations and events, including the annual Waterfowl Festival, Maritime Museum, Talbot County Hospice and Ducks Unlimited. Says Mrs. Bridges: "The community is important to us and we are happy to be able to give back." © Jordan Publishing, Inc. Exclusively Eastern Shore 2009
"I have customers - some of them my former teachers -that I've been taking care of since I was 12 years old." -Eric Bridges, Owner Bridges Land Management, Inc.