Poul’s Landscaping & Nursery, Inc. was founded in 1966 by Paul (Poul) Kjeldbjerg, after he emigrated from Denmark in 1959. The company’s humble beginning included just one full-time employee, a pick-up truck, and a trailer. Paul named the company after the original Danish spelling of his first name, which was later changed when he became a U.S. citizen.

Before starting out on his own, Paul enhanced his skills by working for Otto Damgaard, one of the area’s original landscape contractors. In the early days, Poul’s was run from the basement of Paul and Margit’s Prospect Heights, IL home with Margit doing much of the office work while raising their three children, Dan, Annette, and Alan. In 1983 Paul invested in 45 acres of land in Long Grove, complete with a barn and farmhouse, with the intention of one day having a nursery and office at that location.