JB Instant Lawn Blog
The Original Pioneers- That Is Some History!
Nov 1st, 2024
Paul Jensen, the founder of JB Instant Lawn, started farming with his brother in the early 1950's. They purchased a small plot of land in Oregon's rich Willamette Valley. This was the beginning of the brothers' specialty grass seed production.
All throughout the 1960's the brothers increased their acreage of Blue Grass seed until they were one of the largest growers of this specialty seed in the Willamette Valley. The ensuing direct involvement with sod growers eventually led the brothers into sod production. They felt that growing sod would be very compatible and complementary to their already established seed operation.
The Jensen brothers were the original pioneers of the West Coast sod market. During the first years together in the turf business Paul spent much of his time on the road selling, promoting, and creating demand for a product that was foreign in the Western states. In 1968 Paul increased the sod acreage and by 1980 he had established a firm market for sod in Seattle and had 300 acres in sod production in Redmond, Washington. This resulted in a well-run satellite operation based in the midst of a densely populated region east of Seattle. In 1996 JB opened a wholesale nursery at the Redmond location and it has grown to provide nursery plants to wholesale customers throughout the Seattle area.
As far as the sod operation is concerned, the business is totally vertically integrated. Some of the seed used to produce the product marketed as instant lawn is raised by JB. The JB fleet of trucks takes care of daily product deliveries from the Canadian border to California border.
JB is continually growing and remains a leader and innovator in the green industry. JB repeatedly looks for ways to supply additional services to their customers.
His daughter, Anne-Marie is now leading the charge and his son-in-law, Mark, is the farm manager. You could say that "grass" is in the family roots. With the growth of the family, JB plans on continuing this tradition for the next 30 years and thereafter.
About the Author
Ryan Jennings is the Oregon / SW Washington Wholesale Representative for JB Instant Lawn and has 25+ years of Green Industry experience.
After moving to the PNW in 1997- Ryan received an A.S. Degree in Horticulture with focused study on both Turfgrass Management and Arboriculture.
This led Ryan to becoming a GCSAA Class A Superintendent at Mallard Creek 18 hole Championship Golf Course hosting many recognized tournaments- the OPGA Oregon Open 2002 & OGA Tournament of Champions in 2001 among them- and later in his career- a Management/Sales position in landscape contracting.