Our Team
We’re currently hiring crew members! 818-446-0707
Cody Simpson - Consultant - Merlin the Druid
Merlin (Cody) is a Chlorokinetic, which means he has magical abilities related to creating, shaping and manipulating plants and parts of plants, including (but not limited to): trees, flowers, grasses, succulents, cacti, euphorbia, vines, ground covers, weeds, and even fungi (for practical reasons). With a wink of his eye and a twist of his wrist, he can cause plants to grow inches in mere seconds, he can mutate plants by rearranging their DNA structure, and he can revive withered or dead plants. This all derives from his innate ability to control the kinetic energy of atoms to create, generate, control, absorb and manipulate all different species of plants.
Cody is our Chief Landscape Consultant and has over 7 years of experience consulting for and designing large and elaborate projects all over Los Angeles on all the different motorcycles he’s owned. He has vast knowledge in all areas of outdoor construction projects, including: demolition, grading, trimming, decomposed granite (DG), mulch, gravel, pebbles, boulders, other rock, sod, artificial turf, plants (obviously), gopher wire, jute netting, edging, spray and drip irrigation, fencing and gates, free-standing and retaining walls, veneers/clads, concrete, concrete pavers, interlocking pavers, brick work, flagstone/slate, decking, benches, pergolas, steps, landings, tiers, railings, paint, staining, stucco, drainage, low-voltage LED lighting, fire pits, barbecue structures, etc.
Cody is the star in our educational videos, where he goes in depth about many different kinds of materials and the how-tos involved in landscaping and hardscape. He also runs the website and our Instagram and Facebook accounts, and he takes all the photos and videos for them. Cody puts plenty of landscape architects to shame, and we’re grateful to have him on our team.
Anthony Mora - Production - Lt. Commander Data
On the USS Enterprise, Lieutenant Commander Data doubled as a communications officer at certain times - which is exactly what Anthony is for our team as the Chief of Production. After hearing as much as we’ve heard about the difficulties that usually come along with hiring construction “professionals”, we realized we needed someone specifically to be the central point of contact for all our projects for our clients and crews.
Anthony essentially shares the same traits as Lt. Data from USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E:
“His physical and mental capabilities were far superior to that of virtually any organic or cybernetic humanoid, including Klingons, Humans, and even Borg drones. His strength was such that he was capable of casually holding a 1950's automobile at bay against the full force of its engine with a single hand.” Anthony moves projects along with the strength of Atlas, and we’re lucky to have him with us.
Tracy Baron - Co-Owner - The Yardfather
With his fingers pursed in a “ma che vuoi,” the Yardfather always offers deals that can’t be refused: perfect artificial turf, beautiful fences, well-compacted DG, strong retaining walls, etc. If your job isn’t performed perfectly to his exact demanded quality, the knees of all in his vicinity start to shake…
When it comes to creating handshake deals with the ravishing wilderness of nature, no quote rings more true than this: "A friend should always underestimate your virtues and an enemy overestimate your faults."
Son of Mike Baron (original owner of the company), Tracy (now co-owner) has over 20 years of experience working in this field with his dad, and also working in the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Many of the jobs he’s performed at DWP are 100x more dangerous and complex than most landscaping projects, so his experience spans far beyond any landscaper. He is well-versed not only in getting projects done perfectly, but also in ensuring that timelines are met as best they can. Tracy effectively plows through any difficulties that might arise to carry projects to the finish line, and he oversees the company as the Senior Executive for all Production.
Brandon Williams - Co-Owner - Grassanova
Here’s a derivation definition of the word “landscaping” from 1916: "to lay out lawns, gardens, etc.; to plant trees for the sake of beautification.” Frankly, when it comes to a group of tattooed, burly men, “beautifying” things isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. However, Grassanova knows how to seduce Mother Nature and he loves being part of a team that knows how to turn a plot of land into a nature painting.
In Sidney Biddle Barrow’s book entitled Uncensored Sales Strategies, she explains that there are 3 types of sales relationships: 1. Brute force, 2. Consensual, 3. Romance.
Being the Grassanova, Brandon’s job is to ensure that everything you experience while working with us fits into category #3, in that we’re creating real, back and forth relationships with clients with loads of fun and excitement during the process. It should be invigorating! It sucks when you feel like you were forced into doing something you didn’t really want to do. We want to have a good time with you and to get excited about creating something great, because that’s what life is all about!
Brandon deals mainly with our finances and marketing. His personal belief is that humor is cathartic beyond belief and that anything that undermines the humor of the civilization, such as “cancel culture,” is a virus that can kill our desire and ability to be human. Due to this, he’s written a couple of books with some real comedic value that have already helped many in their businesses and relationships: Don’t Be a Slave to Your Clients and Love is a Battery. He’s also the host of The Power of Curiosity Podcast, which can be found on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, etc. His ultimate goal is to assist people to simply be comfortable with being themselves. That, combined with humor and curiosity, is how all the ailments of the world can be relieved.
Miguel - Head Foreman - Hombre Murciélago
With his unshakeable poise and confidence, Hombre Murciélago (Batman) is ready for anything. An eroding hillside or complications with drainage and irrigation are no match for a man armed with the tools (gatling guns, etc.) and knowledge to assist Mother Nature properly. There’s almost nothing Miguel hasn’t seen in over 3 decades in this industry. He’s not just a landscaper… he’s an engineer of nature itself. He also only drives all black vehicles, and we don’t know why…
As head foreman for Mike and Kay Baron for 27 years, and remaining so during and after Kay was on hospice and Mike’s retirement, Miguel is an honorary Baron and part of the family. He’s an extremely valued employee and always offers instruction and solutions for any and all complex problems throughout projects. He is, and always will be, tremendously appreciated for his expertise, loyalty, bright ideas and catch phrases.
Raul - Secondary Foreman - Petirrojo
Raul, as secondary foreman, rarely dons his ambiguous tights and cape of justice. Instead, he prefers the modest and comfortable attire of a Droughtscape shirt (due to its soft cotton material) and jeans (for a lack of wedgies).
Petirrojo (Robin) is the right-hand-man for Miguel (Batman), and he’s always friendly with his moustache-filled smile. With decades of experience and practice in all fields of landscaping, Raul is yet another team member that essentially makes us an unstoppable force.
Jess & Jesse Baron - Reception - The Droids
Jess (C-3PO) might worry and fret about missing calls and texts, but Jesse (R2D2) is always there to “beep” calmly and bring solace back into the scene.
There’s only one thing better than having an awesome receptionist… having two awesome receptionists! Jess takes calls and helps clients fill out our contact form when they need it, but Jesse might also chime in with ideas or feedback about your project. Jesse is fairly new to the industry (and this world), but don’t underestimate how much knowledge has already been passed down by grandpa Mike regarding the placement of plants, installing pavers and building Cedar fences. Essentially, anything Jess might not know, Jesse will certainly have you covered.
Jess’s first job as a teenager involved cleaning up graffiti and helping the homeless in the streets of Los Angeles. She then spent 13 years working at In-N-Out, during which time she moved up into a management position. Tracy and her actually met on a blind date that was set up by a mutual friend; what a great friend! In her spare time, Jess helps needy children receive nutritious food - setting up drops at schools, packaging, distribution, etc.
Balou, Pebbles & Bam Bam - HR - Pug Squad
After a series of interviews for HR Manager with several individuals, we finally came across Balou (Officer Cheese Munch [the fat one]). The main concern we had about hiring Balou was, obviously, “How we could hire someone to manage humans who wasn't, himself, human?” While slurping up expensive fondue at the company's expense, Balou simply looked up during his interview and blurted out, with his mouth full, “Sometimes, the best person to spearhead an area is someone less emotionally involved.” We realized he was right… so we hired him on the spot.
Some positive points of having Balou around: there’s no dog (or person) in the world that loves cheese more than him, his tiny nub of a tail wiggles when you pet him (or even when you go near him at all), he ensures the office floors stay clear of any dropped food particles (he’s a vacuum), and he also simply keeps spirits high overall.
Similar to Grandpa Balou, Pebbles (Pebby [fawn]) and Bam Bam (Flambo [black]) are also fans of coagulated milk. Cheese is a huge part of all their lives and their love for it should be praised by all. Balou mostly does his HR work from home, figuring that he’s essentially a land-walrus, whereas the young pups can do work in the field from time to time, out there digging holes for footings, hauling away debris (sticks), and even laying sod (if they’re enticed by cheesy rewards).
Happy Team!
Brandon is honestly not the best landscaper…
Our team laughed at Grassanova while he was struggling to take out some roots here with Tracy secretly recording him. This is why he’s primarily in the office and leaves the actual landscaping to the guys!