“We started our business to help one another and to give back. We wanted to bring others who needed work into our business.”

AU Innovative Lawn Management is a new company in St. Patrick Center’s BEGIN New Venture Center (BNVC) small business incubator. Owners Cathey Allen and Rene Upshaw started the business to be entrepreneurs and earn income. “She had the experience and I needed a job,” Cathey says. “We wanted to own our own lawn care company, so we started one together,” Rene adds.

Cathey and Rene first came to St. Patrick Center to hire veteran clients. “We knew we could not do it ourselves; we needed some help,” Cathey says. While at St. Patrick Center, they learned about the BNVC. “My first impression of the incubator was WOW!” says Rene. “It was so professional and the BNVC team made us a great offer.”

AU Innovative Land Management came to the BNVC with a MO-DOT contract to mow I-55. Since then, the company has secured contracts with St. Louis Public Schools and other commercial and multi-unit properties.

AU Innovative Land Management has hired St. Patrick Center clients and plans to hire more as more work comes. “We could not have gotten this far without St. Patrick Center and the BEGIN New Venture Center,” says Rene. “Anything we can do to help, we will do it.”