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Growing Something of His Own: How DeLand’s Austin Scott Launched Coastal Green Pest Solutions
For Austin Scott, starting a business wasn’t the result of a lifelong plan. It was something that grew over time, much like the lawns he now helps his customers care for.
Born and raised in DeLand, Austin is the owner of Coastal Green Pest Solutions, a new Volusia County business specializing in lawn treatments, pest management, fertilization, and the care of palms and shrubs.
The company may be new, but Austin is far from new to the work.
Before entering the lawn and pest control industry, Austin was selling auto parts at O’Reilly Auto Parts. Then a landscaper friend suggested he take a job with a local pest control company.
He gave it a shot and discovered an industry that fascinated him.
“I like that I could learn something new every day,” Austin says. “You get to see different problems, and you get to see the benefits of your own labor making a lawn beautiful. You get to see it go from nothing to something.”
Austin spent nearly six years in the industry, gradually developing an understanding of not only what products to use, but why lawns develop problems in the first place.
Interestingly, the work even gave him a new appreciation for a subject he once struggled with: chemistry.
In school, chemistry had never come naturally to Austin. But working with fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and nutrients gave those concepts a real-world application.
“You get to learn something and then apply it directly,” he says.
And the more Austin learned, the more he realized there was an opportunity to do things differently.
Solving the Problem Behind the Problem
Austin believes one of the biggest shortcomings in the lawn and pest control industry isn't necessarily the products or treatment programs companies use. It's the communication that happens, or doesn't happen, between the company, technician, and homeowner.
A lawn problem can be the result of insects, fungus, nutrient deficiencies, irrigation issues, environmental stress, or a combination of factors. Simply treating the symptom doesn't always solve the underlying problem.
Austin wants Coastal Green Pest Solutions to be different.
“I take pride in being the solution and the end to the revolving door when it comes to these lawn programs,” he says.
That means spending time with homeowners, explaining what is happening on their property, and helping them understand what needs to change.
Austin compares a lawn or landscape to the human body. One problem can affect the health of the entire system. Killing an insect, for example, may address the immediate issue, but it doesn't necessarily explain why the lawn became susceptible to the pest in the first place.
“If you can be the middleman between the problem, the chemicals, and the customer, and you can explain all that smoothly, that's normally the end,” Austin says. “A lot of people don't take the time to talk to their customers and make sure they understand.”
It's an approach built around education and relationships as much as treatment.
Building Coastal Green Pest Solutions
When the company Austin had worked for was sold, he saw an opportunity to take everything he'd learned and build something of his own.
Coastal Green Pest Solutions was born.
Today, Austin primarily works with residential customers throughout Volusia County who care about the long-term health and appearance of their properties.
His services include:
Lawn treatments and fertilization
Insect and pest treatments for lawns
Herbicide and weed management
Fungicide treatments
Palm tree treatments
Shrub treatments
Nutrient deficiency management
Lawn and landscape health assessments
Irrigation guidance and trusted referrals
Austin's philosophy isn't about simply “spraying and praying,” as he puts it. Every property is different, so understanding what's actually happening comes before recommending a solution.
That philosophy also shapes how he plans to grow the business.
A Local Bank Helps a Local Entrepreneur Get Started
Starting a company requires more than expertise and ambition. There are trucks, equipment, products, operating expenses, and the reality that revenue doesn't necessarily arrive the moment the business opens its doors.
Austin knew he needed some financial breathing room as he got Coastal Green Pest Solutions off the ground.
That's where Surety Bank came in.
Austin first learned about Surety through his father, who had worked in real estate and developed a relationship with Surety Bank CEO Ryan James over the years.
When Austin was preparing to launch Coastal Green Pest Solutions, that local connection opened the door to a conversation.
“I was just looking for a good little loan—something to get me by, that way I had a little bit of breathing room,” Austin says. “I was very questionable on how I was going to make everything work, and honestly, I'm very grateful for Surety stepping in.”
Surety provided a business loan directly to Coastal Green Pest Solutions, giving Austin additional resources and flexibility during the critical early months of building the company.
For Austin, the experience demonstrated one of the advantages of working with a community bank: relationships matter.
Ryan knew Austin's family. He'd seen Austin working around town. And instead of Austin simply being another application, there was an opportunity to understand the person and business behind it.
That trust helped a local entrepreneur take the next step.
Growing the Right Way
Just a couple of months into the business when we spoke with him, Austin already had big ambitions for Coastal Green Pest Solutions.
Eventually, he'd like to have multiple trucks on the road, a dedicated irrigation team, a sales team, and expanded services including home pest and termite control.
But he's in no hurry to grow simply for the sake of getting bigger.
Austin wants to make sure the service and customer experience that distinguish Coastal Green today remain intact as the company expands.
“If I'm not taking the time to personalize your service and making sure that I'm putting down what I'm promising, then there's no point in me opening up the next step,” he says.
He describes his philosophy simply as “natural growth or no growth.”
It's an especially fitting philosophy for someone who spends his days helping things grow.
For now, Austin is focused on building relationships, earning the trust of homeowners and landscapers throughout Volusia County, and developing Coastal Green one customer at a time.
And he's doing it in the community he has always called home.
“I still enjoy the small-town aspect of DeLand,” Austin says. “Raising a family here, having good friends here, it's very nice. DeLand's a good home base.”
As DeLand and Volusia County continue to grow, Austin hopes Coastal Green Pest Solutions will grow right alongside them, without losing the personal relationships that helped get the business started in the first place.
Coastal Green Pest Solutions serves homeowners throughout Volusia County. For homeowners who care about the health and appearance of their lawn and landscaping, Austin and Coastal Green provide personalized lawn treatment, pest management, fertilization, and plant health solutions.
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