The Alternative Press

CHATHAM, NJ – Just about everybody has had the experience of contacting a service professional, only to never come face to face with the actual owner of the company, who instead has dispatched one or several of his workers to a job without ever getting involved with the project himself.

Gary Carluccio does things a little differently.

The proprietor of G&C Landscaping Design and Construction in Chatham describes his philosophy as “hands-on.” When a customer enlists the services of G&C, they’re most likely to receive the services of Carluccio himself, along with his skilled crew. Carluccio would prefer not to have it any other way.

“I am a hands-on perfectionist,” Carluccio said. “I’ll cut a brick four or five times just to get it right. The bigger a company gets, the harder they may become to deal with, and the more likely they’ll be to send someone else to do the job. And then, a lot of landscapers just want to get in, get the job done and get out, and they don’t care about the quality of the job they do.

“We’re a smaller company, but I’m on the job, on the scene, most of the time.”

Carluccio, a New Providence native, started his business right out of high school in 1975 with just a lawnmower and a lot of ambition.

“I didn’t go to college,” Carluccio said. “I went out and mowed lawns. I built the business up to 110 lawns with one other person, but we haven’t mowed lawns now in about 20 years. We just do landscaping projects now. I have five trucks, two backhoes, four guys and myself.”

While you’ll have to look elsewhere to keep the grass short, G&C Landscaping Design and Construction will tackle just about any other project on the property, no matter how sophisticated or elaborate.

Landscaping, custom-built patios, walkways, driveways, home improvements, additions and much more are cornerstones of the projects Carluccio can handle with aplomb.

“We stopped doing lawns because we got so busy with other stuff,” Carluccio said. “We’ll also waterproof basements, take care of drainage and high-end patios, that’s what we specialize in.”

Carluccio even has experience building homes. He’s constructed several new homes after buying properties and tearing down the previous structure.

“I’ve never worked for anybody else,” Carluccio said. “I want to be in my own business. I never went to any schools for training. It was all trial and error. You see people do it, you study and you learn.”

The core of G&C is Carluccio, his wife, Loretta, who arranges all the bookings and handles all his paperwork; his nephew, Ron Carluccio; and his brother-in-law, Andrew Palumbniak.

“We have a good reputation,” Gary Carluccio said. “I know a lot about the construction part of a home. I will let you know about the foundation. I’ve ended up repairing patios that other landscapers have left (in bad shape). You know, people like to hire just one contractor (for all their needs).”

Carluccio is fully insured, has a state builder’s license, is a member of the Building Trades Association, and offers free estimates and design plans.

Part of Carluccio’s philosophy of doing business stems from a commitment to integrity and service.

“I don’t ever take a deposit until the day that we start a project,” he said. “People send me money, and I send it back to them.”

For more information, call 973-635-5639 or visit www.gandclandscapingconstruction.com.

Editor's Note: G&C Landscaping Design and Construction is an advertiser on TheAlternativePress.com. For advertising information, please call 908-279-0303 or email advertising@thealternativepress.com.