THE HABITAT TEAM

A smiling man with curly hair and a beard, wearing a jacket, stands in front of large leafy plants.

Ivan Chester

OWNER

Nashville resident since 2003

Inglewood neighbor since 2008

Husband, father of 2, and proud Dan Mills Elementary School parent

UT Martin graduate

Background for the job

I grew up in a simple 1860s farm house in Middle Tennessee that was part of my family since 1903. Growing up there involved spending lots of time outdoors, whether it was exploring the woods, gardening with my parents, or helping work on the house.

Those childhood experiences stuck with me, and I now have a passion for digging in the dirt. My first jobs in high school and college taught me a hard work ethic. I worked in restaurants and for a local handyman who installed roofs, siding, and gutters. After college, I worked at All Seasons Gardening and Brewing Supply. I learned a lot about plants and met some great landscapers, including Mike and Terry from GroWild Inc. I also learned a lot about making beer and took a job at my favorite local brewery Yazoo, where over 10 years I was able to learn about hard work, thrifty values, and customer satisfaction.

Now I'm excited to return to the hard work that I learned so much about in years past and combine that with the lessons and values learned from my work with some great local Nashville small businesses as I build this new venture for myself.

My pledge of satisfaction guaranteed

I always ask myself "What would I want if I hired someone to work on my house?" and apply those answers to how I will treat my customers. Most importantly, I will show up when I say I will, listen to your concerns, and communicate about the time and price of a job before work starts — and during the job, I will not cut corners to make a quick buck and make sure you are happy with the work upon completion. This is how I will treat you as my customer. Please contact us today to get scheduled for your next project.

Meet the Team

  • A smiling man with a beard and mustache, wearing a headband and a jacket, standing outdoors with leafy plants in the background.

    Justin Ridley

    INSTALLATION LEAD

  • A woman smiling, wearing a bandana, with her hair in braids, outdoors with trees in the background.

    Cayty Stubblefield

    INSTALLATION LEAD

  • A smiling man with glasses, a beard, and a hoodie, standing outdoors in front of leafy plants.

    Cameron Vaught

    SENIOR LANDSCAPE TECHNICIAN

  • A smiling woman wearing a large straw hat outdoors.

    Emily Culver

    LANDSCAPE DESIGN

    CLIENT ACCOUNT MANAGER

  • A black and white photo of a young woman with curly hair, wearing glasses, a nose ring, and a necklace, smiling at the camera. The photo is framed with illustrated flowers and leaves in orange, green, and black.

    Trisha Smith

    MARKETING COORDINATOR

    SCHEDULING MANAGER

Nashville Living Wage logo with the words Nashville, Living Wage, EST 2021 in stylized fonts.

Our Commitment to Fair Pay
We believe good work deserves fair pay. As a Nashville Living Wage certified employer, we’re committed to supporting our team with wages that reflect the true cost of living.