A Passion for Service
Raymond Kirkland, owner and founder of the successful First Priority Landscaping Solutions and Garden Center in Columbia, calls 2025 a great year for his family and business. The Kirkland family welcomed their first son, joining four daughters. Kirkland, a man of faith, credits God and his supportive family for the flourishing of his business, which has given him the opportunity to pursue God’s vision.
Losing his mother to a sudden heart attack in 2020 became the most pivotal moment in Kirkland’s life. “It was unexpected,” he recalled, “a way that God tests you and your faith. When you don’t get a chance to say good-bye and prepare mentally for such a loss, it feels overwhelming.”
At the time, he worked for a landscape company while also taking on his own landscaping jobs. It was a dream he had carried for years, to own his own landscaping business. His experience as an employee inspired him to start his own business, do something different, treat people differently, and serve his community better.
Kirkland’s love for the outdoors began in childhood. He enjoyed yard work and manual labor from an early age, working in his grandfather’s store and starting his first job at a seed mill at the age of 13. He said, “If you do it long enough, you end up liking it.” He’s been working ever since, rarely taking time to rest.
His other passion — serving others — was embodied in his work as a youth minister. And he says that his assignment right now is serving people in his business. “I love gardening and helping people realize their vision for their yards,” he said. “Meeting new people and having new experiences is the best part of my job.” He encourages clients to enjoy their outdoor spaces instead of retreating indoors after work. Kirkland wants clients’ families to enjoy their land as much as their home, spending time outdoors together.
This is where serving others comes in handy. Kirkland loves meeting people; he loves serving God; he wants to serve his clients and his workers. He leads Motivational Monday devotions at work and supports employees in need, calling his business “a great ministry.”
First Priority Landscaping Solutions and Garden Center sit on a beautiful piece of property encompassing four acres and five greenhouses. First Priority’s name reflects Kirkland’s faith. FPLS stands for faith, prayer, love, and service.
In its six years of existence, the organization has grown from Kirkland working solo to 20 staff members. A previous article made his business “jump out of the water,” he said. His landscaping business has its own storefront, garden center, and showcase of its materials. Having such a successful year, he said, brings additional credibility to his business. “I started this business in my car,” he said. Now, the company owns eight trucks and ten pieces of specialized equipment. They now have everything they need to be as efficient as possible.
Kirkland shared, “We are the premium provider when it comes to landscape design. We have a reputation. I built my business on my word. My word is my word.” In the beginning, that philosophy may have led to a job loss by walking on Faith that God would provide. At other times, he won big on a job. But he insists, “My word is my word. If I say I’m going to do it, I do it, whether we make money or not. I tell people, ‘If you don’t want to do something, keep your mouth closed. Don’t say ‘yes,’ if you don’t mean ‘yes.’ We pride ourselves on being turnkey,” he added. “We don’t sub anything out—we do everything from the top to the bottom.” Kirkland’s business reflects his strong moral compass, sense of responsibility, and faith.
Kirkland plans to expand his business to more locations over the next five years. He hopes to start the first one by the end of this year. The remaining sites will follow each year. He is planning for smaller sites, 1/2-acre or so, in Lexington, Chapin, and maybe toward the Charleston area. The current garden center will serve as the HUB, supplying the planned four or five garden centers. He would like his sites to be more localized so they can reach customers directly.
A business is no better than the person who owns and runs it. Raymond Kirkland is a committed, principled, loyal family man with a strong moral compass. It mirrors his deep sense of responsibility, service to others, and faithfulness to his beliefs. He credits his family for his success. About his wife, Latrina: “She supports me and takes care of our family, which lets me chase the vision.”
Early on in building the business, there were days when he wanted to quit, and his wife was the only one who kept him going. She said, “This is what we prayed for. You’re going to have hard times.” She brought him closer to God. He said, “I love my wife. She was my high school crush, and she didn’t even know it yet.”
When asked if any of his children may follow in his footsteps, it is too early to know. If no one wants to do landscaping, that is fine. Just because it was his passion, a parent can’t force his dream on somebody else. What his career has enabled him to do for his children is to support their dreams financially. If they want to start their own business, he can be that bridge, the financier.
His career path was different. He started to work out of necessity. He didn’t have any options; he had to work. Coming from a poor upbringing, his parents did the best they could, and they had everything they needed. His mom and grandparents did their best to raise him. But as often happens in life, Kirkland wants more for his children. He doesn’t want them to experience some of the financial burdens he had to bear.
These days, Kirkland works long hours for his family, grateful his business allows his wife to stay home. Faith, prayer, love, and service have always guided him.
With a new baby, Kirkland hopes to slow down and spend more time with family. “God puts it to me, and I just do the work.” He loves the biblical story of God’s first job for man: “Take care of my garden.” For Kirkland, landscaping is a calling as old as time.
First Priority Landscaping Solutions
803-788-1487
First Priority Garden Center
1067 Woodleys Way
Columbia, SC 29223