Meet Our Founder and CEO: Joe Langton

From Humble Beginnings to Thriving Entrepreneur

Today, Joe Langton is an industry leader with numerous credits to his name. He’s the acting CEO of Automated Outdoor Solutions, Vice President of Langton Nursery and Landscape Supply, and President of Langton Group. For the last three years, he’s also run a successful podcast, Automating Success. His daughter, Julia, helped found the podcast and has co-hosted several of its episodes.

Joe’s brother, John, is the President of Langton Nursery and Landscape Supply. He’s also the Vice President of both Langton Group and Automated Outdoor Solutions. The two are very close, and Joe believes his brother is one of the biggest keys to his success. John helps Joe in all his business endeavors and serves as a sounding board for all his ideas.

A self-proclaimed “self-performer” and “alpha personality,” Joe exudes humility and confidence. While describing himself in his earliest years, before his significant success, he states he was a “C-Average student but always a people person and an expert delegator.”

Of course, anyone who has met Joe Langton won’t be surprised that he’s always been a people person. He exudes a comfortable self-assurance and openness that quickly puts people at ease from the first interaction, where he boldly asks, “What will it take to make you a customer?” The exact wording may vary depending on the services being pitched, but Joe believes this single question has significantly helped him reach his status as an industry leader.

But where did this success story start?

Humble, Hardworking Beginnings

Like most extraordinary success stories, Joe Langton’s begins unspectacularly. After his first job at Menards, he went on to work at Best Buy. Here, his rise to success truly begins. Joe started in Car Audio Sales before being moved to Car Audio Supervisor. From there, he was transferred to Mobile Installation Technician, and before he knew it, he was traveling the region to fire underperforming supervisors and rehire people for the position.

Joe did so well at Best Buy that they sent him to Elgin Community College (ECC) for small circuit analysis. He made it about 1.5 years through here when IBEW 117 recruited him to become a union electrician—a career that would span 11 years.

While still working as a union electrician, Joe founded his snow removal company. Eventually, he met a man named Howard who needed someone to do some work on his home. Joe agreed to help him with his wiring issues and the two got to talking. Howard also happened to run Great Lake Snow Removal Systems, and Joe started working underneath him as a subcontractor.

This worked for a few years.

However, being a self-performer, Joe always knew he wanted to work for himself and do things his way. He knew that running someone else’s company wouldn’t work for him. So, a hard decision was made, and Joe left this position on good terms. Even today, Joe considers Howard a mentor, and the two remain on good terms. “I never went after his accounts, and he never went after mine,” Says Joe, “so it all worked out fine.”

The First Company Serves as a Launching Pad to Success

That first company, Langton Snow Solutions, is thriving today and 290 employees strong. It’s achieved the top 26 in the nation – a feat that’s doubly impressive when considering the company only services Northern Illinois.

Like any great entrepreneur, Joe Langton didn’t stop there. He used that first company as a launching pad to greater success, stating that he’s “always found that I can create supporting businesses to my core business.” To do this, he likes to identify his customers’ needs and develop businesses that will solve them. Once a company reaches around $5 million, Joe hires capable people he can rely on to run it while he begins brainstorming what new business he could create.

When Joe realized his snow removal clients could use high-quality landscaping, he founded Langton Group Landscaping. Then, he identified problems within the landscaping industry and discovered the Husqvarna robotic lawn mower technology as the solution. So, he founded Automated Outdoor Solutions.

Here, he discovered he was passionate about uniting the industry and opening people’s minds about automation. Joe wants the industry to understand that robotics aren’t going to take people’s jobs. Instead, robotics have the potential to remove the glass ceiling from above landscapers’ heads and transition them into a higher-paying career path, doing something new for the company.

Recently, Joe’s company partnered with Site One Landscape Supply and became an importer of the AOS Ballwash and Delivery System.

Always Looking Towards the Future

A highly competitive, driven family man, Joe isn’t done yet. He sees a world still full of countless opportunities. As the years continue and his current companies continue to grow, there’s little doubt that more achievements will eventually be attributed to his name.

But Joe Langton is working towards something more significant than himself—something more important than his own achievements. All his work is centered on leaving a legacy for his daughter, Julia, and his stepsons that will set them up for even greater success than he achieves. This thought keeps Joe not only striving forward but also prompts him to openly support and advocate for women in business.

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