(231) 348-2624
Office & Nursery Location
2010 Cedar Valley Road
Petoskey, Michigan 49770
Mailing Address
PO Box 696
Petoskey, Michigan 49770
Contact Information
Office: (231) 348-2624
Nursery: (231) 330-9550
Fax: (231) 348-3852
2010 Cedar Valley Road
Petoskey, Michigan 49770
PO Box 696
Petoskey, Michigan 49770
Office: (231) 348-2624
Nursery: (231) 330-9550
Fax: (231) 348-3852
Trees can be a beautiful design element in your landscape, but they are also important to properly maintain as they provide shade, erosion control, wind barriers and wildlife habitat. Our tree service team are the leaders in northern Michigan for tree maintenance and removal. It takes a skilled eye, knowledge and specialized equipment to properly maintain and keep your trees healthy. Our Spider Lift allows our crew to trim, shape and remove trees in areas a bucket truck or crane cannot go. This specialized piece of equipment applies light pressure to the ground, so there is no damage to your lawn or patio.
Our tree service team is also trained to handle tree/limb removal in emergency situations such as downed power lines and blocked roads from storm damage. In some cases, a tree that has been damaged may be saved, and our experts can help you decide what to do next.
Our entire list of services includes tree removal, stump grinding, tree maintenance, lot clearing, brush chipping, woodland cleanup, emergency services, tree transplanting, lighting, and seasonal décor.
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Brandon Southwell
Assistant Manager, Tree Service
Brandon began working at Drost Landscape in the spring of 2014. There he found his passion and natural talents with the tree service department. Brandon has always enjoyed outdoor activities such as fishing, and hunting, so finding a career in arboriculture was a natural fit. Brandon likes working in the field and training the crews in new techniques and skills. After being a foreman for a number of years, he transitioned into the Assistant Manager of the tree division. Brandon enjoys meeting and helping clients as they determine their needs.
Brandon is married to his loving wife Erica. Together they are enjoying raising their daughter Finley. They spend their weekends in the summer hiking , camping, and spending time with their family.
Division Manager, Tree Service
Jason is passionate about managing the execution of arboriculture to ensure the highest level of company productivity, safety, and client satisfaction.
Jason prides himself on being extremely hardworking, dedicated and passionate about all things trees. Starting at a very young age, through observation and hands on experience within a family operated logging business in the Upper Peninsula, Jason built a strong connection in the tree industry. While timber harvesting, Jason also attended Northern Michigan University. Shortly after graduation he moved to Charlevoix and was hired at Drost Landscape as a foreman. While working in the field, Jason gained valuable knowledge and insight of the inner workings of the company, which allowed for a smooth transition into the management position with the Tree Service Division.
In his free time, Jason enjoys playing hockey and taking advantage of Northern Michigan’s outdoor playground.
Degrees and Certifications:
Landscape Architect
With 6 years of educational training and 7 years of professional experience in the industry, Hilary has developed a profound understanding of expertise in both residential and commercial landscape design.
As a Petoskey native, she has developed many relationships in the community and spent a lifetime understanding local ecosystems. She is passionate about integrating textures and fine detail into her designs and is fluent in cutting edge technology and software in the design world. Hilary is an avid photographer and enjoys home life in Petoskey with her husband and two daughters.
She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in 2011 from Michigan State University and has since been furthering her Landscape career. Hilary received her Landscape Architect License in 2018, a prestigious certification that requires rigorous training and coursework, while adhering to a set code of ethics set forth by CLARB and representing the landscape industry with dignity.
DAVID GROSSI, PLA
Design Manager, Landscape Architect
David brings over 20 years of design and construction expertise to Drost as the senior landscape architect. Motivated by the belief that designers have a responsibility to influence the dynamics between nature, space and people, he is committed to achieving a balance on each project big or small.
Over the course of his career, David has managed a multitude of projects including residential, recreational, hospitality, civic, and ecological.
David lives in Charlevoix with his wife Jennifer and share in the wonders of parenting three great kids (Olive, Grant and Vincent). His family enjoys spending time with their horses and exploring northern Michigan.
Degrees and Certifications:
Fertilizer Manager
John started with Drost in 2019 and came to the organization with over 28 years in the lawn care industry.
He and his wife moved to the Petoskey area in 2017 to enjoy the outdoor life style and the beautiful scenery.
John has a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources and enjoys working outdoors.
He enjoys spending time with his family, along with outdoor hunting and fishing experience including snow shoeing and hiking.
John and Lori are new grandparents to two year olds and enjoy spending time with them and their parents.
James VanAntwerp
Division Manager: Irrigation and Lighting
Jim brings 30 plus years of irrigation experience in Northern Michigan to the Drost landscape team. This includes time in sales, installation, and service of all types of irrigation systems from Golf Course to Residential.
Jim believes in continuous education for both himself and his irrigation teammates to stay on top of the constantly changing industry. He was a long time member of the Michigan Turf grass Foundation and Northern Michigan Golf Course Superintendents serving on the Board of Directors for both.
Jim and his wife Tammy have raised two children in Petoskey and can usually be found giving back to the community and children through Jim’s passion of coaching youth hockey and Tammy’s 25 years as an educator/administrator.
Hanah Rebec
Maintenance Administrator
Hanah joined the Maintenance Division at Drost in the Winter of 2019 with a history in customer service, creating department processes and problem solving. With her positive attitude she will provide excellent customer service for our maintenance clients. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, fishing, snowmobiling and spending time with her boyfriend, Gus and their dog Chet.
Darlene Matelski
Tree Service Administrator
Darlene joined Drost Landscape in August of 2019. Her previous experience includes owning and operating five small businesses for over fifteen years and most recently working in the health industry for nine years. Customer service and helping people navigate through unknown processes has been a passion of hers for years. Darlene brings her strong organizational skills to Drost Landscape in her work with the Tree Service Division and with social media marketing.
Darlene lives in Petoskey and is married to her husband, Matthew. They have three children, Vanessa, Chandler and Elliott. In her free time, Darlene works as an advocate for a rare medical condition that her daughter suffered from for nine years before diagnosis and treatment. She provides education and encouragement for people seeking answers at MALS Awareness, and administrates a number of on-line patient support groups. For her work in this area, she was selected by Facebook to serve on their Health Groups Advisory panel. Darlene also enjoys knitting, quilting and teaching others to do the same.
Human Resources Director
Emily’s passion is… people, processes and performance… and mixing it all together to promote a positive culture for our employees, clients and community.
Emily brings almost 25 years of Human Resources experience in recruiting, employee relations, benefits administration, compensation, strategic planning, HRIS & compliance in professional services, manufacturing, IT, & insurance industries.
Emily lives in Boyne City with her husband Brian Wilmot. Recently empty-nesters, their blended family has them traveling to Montana, Florida and Southern Michigan to visit their children (Jared, Cody, Jordan, Carter & Katie) and when they are home, Emily & Brian are spoiling their pups, Finnegan & Daisy.
Degrees and Certifications:
Project Manager
Travis’s passion is helping others succeed through continuous learning and improving efficiencies.
Travis began working for Drost in 2005. At that time he started on a maintenance crew which led to him exploring other avenues within the company such as planting, irrigation, and brick/masonry. Travis has managed the Irrigation Division while also getting our Snow Removal Division off to a great start. He is thankful for all of the opportunities the company has provided him and is very passionate about his role in project management.
Born and raised in Northern Michigan, Travis enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his wife Lisa and their two children.
Nursery & Greenhouse Manager
Marika’s passions are plants and connecting people to the joy and beauty of the natural world.
She has spent many years growing a wide variety of specialty plants and designing landscapes using her knowledge of botany, experience, and intuition. She enjoys bringing color, interesting features, and a sense of natural order to the environments people live and play in. Marika’s knowledge of plant growth, forms, and preferred environments allows her to grow and recommend plants that will perform well in Northern Michigan and delight throughout the seasons. She has worked with the Drost team since 2000.
Degrees and Certifications:
Project Manager
Travis’ passion is Drost Landscape. If you ask him how long he has worked at Drost, he would say all his life. First born son of Bob Drost, Travis shares the same passion and creativity as his father and brother, Dustin. Growing up in the family business, he is committed to taking care of existing clients, and sharing the Drost story and quality products to new clients. Ask him for a meeting and Travis would be happy to share photos, client testimonials and schedule a site visit.
Born and raised in Petoskey, Travis loves his hometown so much that he never left. In his free time, Travis enjoys traveling, building houses and spending time with friends.
Degrees and Certifications:
Construction Manager
Over the past 16 years with Drost Landscape, Brent’s superior leadership skills, field experience, and consistent work ethic steadily promoted him from an entry level laborer to an important member of the management team and Construction Manager. His knowledge and expertise has allowed for many different facets in the landscape industry. From providing cost estimates for design work, successfully planning for and managing multiple projects at a time as well as overseeing the construction division as a whole.
Brent received his Bachelor of Science in 2005 from Michigan State University – College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Horticulture, Landscape Design & Construction.
Brent is married to his loving wife Sara, and finds great satisfaction raising their two boys, Anderson and Beckett. Brent enjoys golf and hockey in his free time as well as helping coach youth sports for either of his sons.
Designer
Cassandra is a passionate landscape designer and architect, she maintains a great eye for detail. She loves designing beautiful residential landscapes that set the stage for enjoying life outside.
As a decorated veteran of the United States Army, Cassandra has traveled the world, but her life’s ambition wasn’t revealed to her until she first dreamed of a garden for her daughter.
She lives in Petoskey, where she raises two lovely children and enjoys taking an active role in their numerous extra-curricular activities. When not spending time with family and friends, Cassandra enjoys volunteering in the community.
Degrees and Certifications:
Accounts Manager
Maggie’s passion is data and how it can be used to improve customer experiences and daily business performance.
Maggie brings her experience from working in accounting within the manufacturing industry to Drost. During a brief career transition, she attended Grand Valley State University and Krakow University in Poland. Upon her return from Poland, she worked in Cheboygan & Pres Isle counties as a community organizer. When the term of her position expired, she was happy to find a place at Drost Landscape in beautiful northern Michigan.
Maggie lives in Cheboygan with her significant other and together they have started a mushroom farm. The farm now has 200 logs and they grow 13 different varieties of mushrooms. She is very passionate about buying local goods and organic produce, and has joined a CSA (Community Shared Agriculture).
Degrees and Certifications:
Division Manager, Tree Service
Bryon holds a passion for community involvement and enjoys giving back wherever he can.
He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan on a bustling dairy farm where he learned to work hard at a young age. At 16 years of age, Bryon apprenticed under his father, a trained tree cutter, for 7 years and eventually opened his own business in Petoskey, MI with his wife Holly in 1999. In the spring of 2014, Willcome Tree Service was acquired by Drost Landscape. Bryon stayed on as Tree Service Manager, sharing his knowledge and passion with the Drost team. With over 15 years of tree service in northern Michigan, Bryon has become respected in the community for his honesty and friendliness. He truly enjoys meeting with customers and has a natural talent for cutting trees.
Bryon and Holly enjoy camping and many other outdoor activities with their sons; Nickolas and Peter. For enjoyment in his free time, Bryon farms and raises livestock.
Assistant Division Manager, Landscape Maintenance
Emily’s passion is creating relationships and maintaining connections with clients to understand and maintain their outdoor living space.
2017 marked her 10th anniversary as a team member of Drost Landscape. Her determination and passion has opened doors for her career. Emily has worked as a crewmember and a foreman on a maintenance crew, she has experience with invoicing/administrative work and creating both landscape and maintenance proposals. She has been a part of the maintenance division for a total of 7 years.
Originally from Rogers City, MI, Emily, her husband (Robert) and their two children (Bennett and Samantha) reside just 5 miles north of the beautiful city of Petoskey.
Degrees and Certifications:
Project Coordinator
“Let my passion, take your landscape dreams to reality!” Dustin loves to express his ideas and vision to create a landscape to make your outdoor dreams a reality that will last your family a lifetime. Dustin loves sharing his passion of hardscapes and water features with clients and other fellow employees. At the completion of every project, experiencing the “wow factor” with the clients is the very reason he loves his job.
Dustin has been in the fields mastering the art of hardscapes and water features for nearly 20 years.
A native of Petoskey, Michigan. Dustin graduated with honors of cum laude of Petoskey High School. He also studied at MSU, and Dustin continues to be driven by studying natures finest, mastering the art of hardscapes. Dustin enjoys boating, hunting, and exploring the outdoors.
Dustin currently lives in Boyne City with his wife Hailey and their dog, Ruger.
Project Manager
Jason has over 20 years of field experience in the landscape business. His incredibly strong work ethic and attention to detail has continually won him recognition and high reviews from clients and co-workers. Jason takes a hands-on approach in everything he does. His high energy and goal oriented attitude is dependable and constant. Jason excels in everything he does; lucky for us he does what he loves!
Jason is a thrill-seeking outdoor enthusiast. Most of his free time is best enjoyed outdoors. Jason shares the love of the outdoors with his wife Jessica and two children, Karlie and Sawyer.
Degrees and Certifications:
Founder
As the founder of Drost Landscape, Bob is passionate about the next challenge. Whether it is site development involving water features and stone or the plantings (which are always a favorite and the icing on the cake) Bob’s vision and creative energy is the driving force behind the team.
Certifications
Bob’s pioneering spirit and thirst for challenge were major contributors to the initial success of Drost Landscape, but his integrity, innovativeness and commitment to quality have ensured continued success with each passing year. Since 1991, Bob poured his time and energy into building a dream, and as a result, is recognized as an industry leader. After more than 20 years, Bob still enjoys talking about the landscape trade with new and old friends. He feels truly blessed to have turned a passion into a career.
Originally from Charlevoix, MI, Bob has been married to his High School sweetheart, Diane, for over 30 years. They raised two sons (Travis and Dustin) who have become integral parts in the family business. Travis, the oldest, helps with project management and sales. Bob’s younger son, Dustin, builds custom hot tubs, water features and spectacular stone work including walls and naturalizing stone placement. Bob is proud that his sons are ready to carry forth his legacy. Bob also enjoys snowmobiling, water sports, sports cars and regularly attending Walloon Community Church.
Landscape Maintenance Manager
Paul’s passion is keeping client’s landscaping looking outstanding year after year through the dedicated efforts of the Drost team.
Paul has a long and impressive career in the landscape industry spanning 35 years. He has managed numerous projects in both Michigan and Tennessee. Paul is certified in pesticide application. With a great love for the outdoors, Paul enjoys golfing, hunting and mountain biking. He raising his two great kids, Gunnar and Grace, with his wife Tanya.
General Manager
Dale began working as a laborer in 1993 for a landscape design build company, fell in love with the hard work, and the transformation of exterior spaces that occur. Pursuing a degree with that love in mind, there was never a doubt about the direction he would follow. Having the opportunity be a part of Bob Drost’s vision, Dale has shared his passion and drive, helping Drost Landscape become a renowned company for unparalleled outdoor service and culture. A team member of Drost since 1997, he is motivated to provide opportunities for our employees and provide superior products and services to our clients.
Degrees:
Certifications:
Dale is passionate about being a father and creating memories with his children through camping, hiking, kayaking and other outdoor activities.
