GROWER SPOTLIGHT
Allstar Hydroseed: BIRTHED IN FIREHOUSE
— Brianna Hackler, Graphic & Multimedia Specialist
For Paul Jensen and Chad Gustafson, running a successful business boils down to some key skills they learned as firefighters. “We’ve taken our fire department philosophy of customer service and put that at the forefront of our business,” Jensen said. “We answer our phones, we keep our rigs nice and shiny, we show up when we’re supposed to, and we just communicate.” Jensen and Gustafson have owned and operated Allstar Hydroseeding in Stanwood since 2004. The two worked together as firefighters in King County, and after several years, they wanted to find something to do with their spare time. The two did some research and came across hydroseeding.
“We put our heart and soul into this company, and we have a good reputation.”
- Paul Jensen
They purchased a small truck for the business from Arlington and have been going ever since.
“We ran the wheels off that small truck the first couple years,” Jensen said, adding that the business grew quickly as the men made connections and networked in the area. Today, Allstar Hydroseeding is one of the largest hydroseeding companies north of Seattle. The company has yard locations in Stanwood and Snohomish, and four full time employees, including Jensen as president and Gustafson as vice president. As they ramp up for their busy season this fall, Allstar will bring on a handful of part-time employees to keep up with demand. Jensen describes the hydroseeding process as a “mini greenhouse.” It is a planting process in which seed, wood mulch, fertilizer, water and tackifier are blended into a slurry that is sprayed onto dirt. The mulch holds
Hydroseeding blends seed, wood mulch, fertilizer, water and tackifier into a slurry that is sprayed onto dirt. The hydroseeding process creates a “mini greenhouse” that holds moisture and heat while protecting the seed.
8 | FALL 2024
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