LOWELL, Ark. — A local landscaper says his business is feeling the impact of rising gas prices.
Ben Harrell is the owner of US Lawns in Northwest Arkansas. He explained that gas prices have cost the company double what it did two years ago.
"That money is coming from somewhere and so to have to move money around and pay for fuel, I'm taking money away from other folks," Harrell said. "Basically pretty much my employees, myself, my management team, and the equipment."
According to Harrell, their gas consumption cost compared to revenue in their first five months are as followed:
- 2019 and 2020: 1.8% of revenue was used for gas consumption costs
- 2021: 2.2% of revenue was used for gas consumption costs
- 2022: 3.4% of revenue was used for gas consumption costs
“Not at this point am I trying to pass off my fuel costs to the customer," Harrell said. "If it sustains, or this continues to be a big cost then eventually I’ll have to.”
Harrell says US Lawns had previously been impacted by gas prices back in 2008 during the "great recession." The company had switched to propane from 2010 to 2015, until costs made gas the more viable option. He explains that US Lawns was more vulnerable to rising gas prices in the past than now, as they served residential customers and are now mostly commercial.
“The smaller folks, the guys that are working in the residential, the guys that are just making a living on those mowers, it’s killing them,” Harrell said. “It’s absolutely killing them because they can’t go to that customer and ask for that price increase. That job can go away just like that.”
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