Bernardo Herzer is trying to put some real green into gardening, in more ways than one.
Herzer claims his startup Lehr Inc. is the first in the country to market gardening and lawn care equipment powered by environmentally friendly propane instead of pollution-producing gasoline. It sells a string trimmer more commonly known as a weed whacker that runs on a standard propane canister that’s typically used with camping stoves or lanterns. By year’s end, Lehr plans to have a propane-powered leaf blower and lawn mower in store aisles.
Propane’s key advantage is environmental: Lehr’s equipment is called “zero emission” while gas-driven weed whackers and lawn mowers belch greenhouse gasses. The Environmental Protection Agency, which has presented an award to Lehr for its patented technology, claims that running a lawn mower for one hour produces the same amount of pollution as driving a car for 350 miles.
“We’re taking millions of pounds of compounds out of the air, and replacing it with green, clean propane,” the 49-year-old Herzer said during an interview at Lehr’s headquarters, a two-story industrial building in Culver City that is, appropriately, painted green.
Lehr’s string trimmers, which are sold at major retailers such as Ace Hardware and Sears, have been on the market since January. Herzer said sales have doubled each month, and he expects revenue of more than $30 million next year.
Analysts said consumer demand may be trending in Lehr’s direction. As more people look for ways to be more responsible environmentally, they are showing an interest in alternative-fuel gardening products. That means such tools might take a larger slice of the lawn and gardening equipment market, which this year is valued at $12.6 billion nationwide, according to Packaged Facts, Rockville, Md.-based research firm.
But alternative fuel equipment still only makes up about 5 percent of the total market, said Mark Delaney, director of home improvement research at New York-based NPD Group. And while sales in the category have grown in the past year, so far it’s been a modest 1 percent or 2 percent.
In order for Lehr to break through, the company will likely have to convince consumers that its products not only save the environment but save them money, Delaney said.
“They have to work with consumers and retailers to get the message out that yes, this saves you money, and here’s how you calculate it,” he said.
Herzer said the company’s string-trimmer motors cost the same to run about $2.50 for two and a half hours as gas-powered equipment. But there’s some waste involved with gas use, so Herzer said run time tells only part of the story. U.S. consumers spill about 17 million gallons of gas while refueling lawn mowers and other equipment, and even gas stored in a container evaporates over time, according to the EPA. With that factored in, Herzer claims Lehr’s equipment is less expensive in the long run.
Propane safety is a perception issue that poses a challenge for the company. While propane is in many ways less combustible than gasoline, some people still get a little nervous about it.
“Having a propane tank on a lawn mower, something like that sounds a little scary to me,” said Charlie Nardozzi, senior horticulturalist at the National Gardening Association in South Burlington, Vt. “But I certainly know a lot of people that cook with propane, so I could see consumers making the connection.”
Ocean origins
Lehr executives said their products are perfectly safe, though Herzer acknowledged that potential buyers have expressed concerns about propane safety. But he sees a positive in that, noting, “You want the customer to be very careful when operating a machine with any type of fuel.”
Herzer, a sturdily built man of Italian and Austrian descent, first had his idea for a better lawn care product in an unorthodox place: the middle of the ocean.
Both his parents loved to sail, and Herzer spent much of his life at sea. When he was 15, one of the combustion motors on his family’s ship broke down, and as Herzer improvised repairs he converted the motor from gasoline to propane. The lesson stuck with him.
His interest in green fuel grew as he eventually bought and sailed his own research vessels. After his wife became pregnant, Herzer realized he’d have to give up his seafaring lifestyle to return to terra firma, and he began looking for a way to translate his propane expertise to shore. He hit upon lawn care equipment because the engines that run string trimmers and lawn mowers are similar to the ones he modified on ships.
Herzer started the company by himself two years ago, just tinkering with a few propane tanks and engines. Now, Lehr’s roughly 25 employees occupy an office and warehouse off Venice Boulevard, with sales people scattered around the country and a few manufacturing staff workers in China, where the products are made.
Herzer’s office is crammed full of Lehr devices, logos and prototypes of future models, along with memorabilia and faded newspaper clippings from his oceangoing days. A sign near his door reads, “Do not disturb, meditating.”
“The real important stuff is over there,” Herzer said, pointing to photos of himself, his wife and their 4-year-old son on his wall.
Magazine articles pinned to a bulletin board also testify to Herzer’s fascination with alternative energy: There’s one about a hydrogen-powered plane, another about alternative fuel cars. Herzer has a prototype on one of his shelves of an electric-powered string trimmer, and he said his company is experimenting with battery technology.
It’s clear that to Herzer, “green” is more than just the color of the grass and leaves it’s an inevitable revolution in business.
“Today, we talk about companies and products in terms of whether they’re green or not,” he said. “Tomorrow, we won’t talk about it. It will just be the reality.”
Lehr Inc.
FOUNDED: 2007
CORE BUSINESS: Building propane-powered lawn care equipment that’s eco-friendly
EMPLOYEES: 30 (up from 10 last year)
GOAL: To become the market leader in alternative fuel tools
THE NUMBERS: Expects to pull in less than $20 million in revenue this year, and to exceed that figure next year
