Our Story
Owners
We are Evan and Kelsey Makin, the proud owners of Sawyer's Nursery and Landscaping.
​
Evan, originally from Clearfield County, graduated from Curwensville High School before attending Penn State University. After earning his bachelor's degree in Business Management, Evan moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he worked in the green industry. He eventually returned to Pennsylvania and joined the Sawyer's team.
​
Kelsey grew up in Corsica, just a short distance from the nursery. She works as a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA) with the Riverview Intermediate Unit #6 and enjoys her role in the school system. In addition to her career, Kelsey coaches the cross-country team at her high school alma mater during the fall. In the summer months, she contributes her time and expertise at the nursery.
​
Evan and Kelsey were married in October 2021 and now live in Roseville with their daughter, Maura, and their dog, Russ.
After working for the original owners (Bob and Greta Sawyer) for four years, Evan was presented with the opportunity to purchase the business upon Bob's retirement.
Our Founders
Bob and Greta Sawyer founded the business with a vision to serve the community through their garden center and landscaping services. Their family built the foundation of what Sawyer's has become today, helping countless homeowners enhance their properties.
Bob led our landscaping services team and helped customers achieve the perfect designs to beautify their home surroundings.
How It Began
Around 20 years ago, Bob Sawyer saw a business opportunity open up in Clarion County, Pa. when a few local nurseries shut their doors. He had just built his own home and knew it needed some landscaping. Since the landscaping service he had used had closed, Bob realized that there was a market for nursery and landscaping services in this area. And so he decided to fill that need with a company of his own.
​Just Look for the Historic Mail Pouch Barn
A landmark on our property The Sawyer's Nursery and Landscaping property was formerly a dairy farm complete with a large Mail Pouch Barn that was built in the 1900s.​
​
The Mail Pouch Tobacco sign on two sides of our barn was originally painted during the WWII era. In 1965, Mail Pouch Tobacco barns were designated as historic landmarks by the Highway Beautification Act led by Ladybird Johnson.
Although certain outdoor advertising was controlled and removed due to the Act, the historic significance of the Mail Pouch signs protected barns like ours.
​
Today, our historic Mail Pouch Tobacco sign sports a newer coat of paint and our barn continues to store equipment and materials for the business the Sawyers built.