Keith Updyke traveled a long way from Cobleskill, New York to Raleigh, North Carolina for his internship at Greenscape, Inc., crossing the Shenandoah Valley and leaving the frigid winter behind.
As he tells it, “I was a 22-year-old kid who didn't know what was what.”
Today, 20 years later, Updyke knows what's what. And a lot of other things.
He worked his way up from intern to irrigation technician to landscape foreman to production manager.
Now he's Greenscape’s landscape construction branch manager. And this is home.
“When I got to college, I didn't know what I wanted to do,” Updyke says. “Honestly, I thought landscaping was something I'd enjoy doing over many years.”
So far, so good.
Updyke earned a bachelor’s degree in plant science and horticulture from the State University of New York at Cobleskill.
“It was a pretty advanced program and well known, so a lot of companies came there to recruit,” he says. Including Greenscape.
So Long, New York
Updyke spent the last semester of his senior year as a Greenscape intern. He went back home to New York to graduate, then it was back to Raleigh to work full time as a Greenscape irrigation technician.
He embraced the Triangle area right away.
“Number one, I really enjoy the weather,” he says. “The winters in upstate New York are pretty nasty, and even the summers aren’t very hot.
“Here, the landscaping business is all year long, and the industry here is on a more professional level than some places up north,” he says. “That appealed to me. I wanted to make a career of landscaping — not just a job.”
Moving Up
During his internship Updyke got to see every aspect of the business. He had an early favorite.
“I was most excited by the construction and installation side,” he says. He applied for a position as landscape foreman, got it, and spent the next nine years getting his hands dirty.
That’s a crucial part of career development in the landscaping field, he says.
"As much as you learn things in class, it becomes immensely different once you’re out in the field,” Updyke says. “You need hands-on knowledge, whether you’re doing the work or managing the people doing the work.”
As he worked and learned, "I kept taking the next step up,” he says. Updyke moved to his current job as construction branch manager in January 2016.
"Each step along the way I learned new tasks that helped me get the next job,” he says. “You have to have a good understanding of all the skills your guys do. You have to know them yourself. If you don't, you’re destined to fail.
"It took me a fair amount of time to get where I am,” he says, “but by the time I got to each new position, I was prepared.”
Making Money, Keeping Clients Happy
As landscape construction branch manager, Updyke does a lot of planning.
“I love to see things come to fruition and get done well,” he says. “I love to take on a property that doesn't look very nice, and see how great it looks after a lot of hard work.
“With a lot of jobs, once you’re a manager, you start to lose the tangible aspect of the job,” he says. “But that still exists in this field. We take before and after pictures. We see satisfied and happy clients at the end. That means a lot.”
Happy clients means more business. That means a lot, too.
“I’m responsible for a number of things, but the financial success of my branch each quarter is high on that list,” Updyke says. “Having a good financial month makes me happy."
While Updyke’s job matches his skills, it fits his personality, too.
“What we do is very specific and detail-oriented,” he says. “We work from construction drawings and contracts. Everything has to be executed exactly as sold."
That’s perfect for him.
“I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive,” he says with a laugh. “I like things in order. This job requires real specificity, and I like that.”
But he misses getting his hands dirty. So when Greenscape takes part in a community service project, Updyke is usually on the scene.
He loved taking part in SPARKcon, Raleigh’s annual four-day creativity festival, when Greenscape installed 1,500 square feet of sod along Hargett Street downtown, creating a grassy corridor for people to play.
Don't Ask For Vegetables From His Garden
The construction expert brings his skills home. In the past 12 years he's installed landscaping, irrigation and lighting. He's built a patio and a fire pit.
But don't ask for a homegrown zucchini.
“I don't like gardens,” Updyke says.
What?
“Gardens require a lot of weeding,” he says. “My wife and kids said they wanted a garden. I said, ‘You'll be in charge of watering and maintaining it.’”
He sighs.
“Nobody watered and maintained it.”
The Perks Of The Triangle
While work brought Updyke to Raleigh, the beauty of the area helps keep him happy here.
“I like to golf, and down here you can golf year-round,” he says. “We always had a boat growing up, and I like the proximity to the beach here.”
The year-round school system means his kids have frequent breaks, and the Updykes make the most of the time off.
“It allows us to do some nice traveling,” he says. “We've been to Canada, Mexico, England, Norway. The kids are out for three weeks every 12 weeks, and that's wonderful.”
But they don't need to leave town to have fun.
The Updykes live near 14,000-acre Jordan Lake, where a state recreation area offers camping, swimming beaches, hiking trails and a chance to see bald eagles and osprey.
“There are a ton of things for kids here, from camps to sports clubs,” he says. “Our kids are 10 and 8, so our life now revolves around school and sports.”
Daughter Daylin plays soccer and gymnastics. Son Ryan plays soccer and football. So Updyke and his wife, Lauren, are frequent spectators. And drivers.
Staying Put At Greenscape
Updyke sees no reason to leave the company he’s invested in for 20 years.
“I’m a loyal person,” he says. “When I started here, the company was very small. I’ve loved being part of the company's growth, seeing where we can take it, what we’ll do each new year."
He loves the family atmosphere, too.
“I know the owner and president personally,” he says. “They've always been good to me. It's a lot warmer here than other mid-sized or large companies would be."
And there’s plenty of room for career growth, he says.
"Most people who work around me have advanced here, too,” he says. “A lot of them have been here 10, 11,12 years, and they all followed similar paths to mine.”
But don't expect it to be easy.
“You have to be patient, and put an effort into learning,” he says. “You won’t be handed all the information you need to be successful. You have to invest in yourself.”
He did. Now he sees the rewards.
“I worked hard for a lot of years, and they appreciate and recognize that,” Updyke says. “I came here as a 22-year-old kid who didn't know what was what. I've been able to make a career here. I met my wife, we had kids.
“I'm appreciative every day I come to work.”
