Hard work never hurt anyone

Tell me about yourself: 
My name is Andrew Kilpela, I grew up in Marquette and attended Father Marquette Catholic School and Marquette High School. Growing up I played several sports: swimming, basketball, cross country, and track just to name a few. I altar served at St. Peter Cathedral through high school and became involved with the Knights of Columbus. Some of my hobbies include hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities.

I am a recent graduate of NMU with a degree in economics and a minor in chemistry, and I was also on the pre-dental track. My plan before starting my own landscaping business was to be a dentist. But as my company was growing and I worked my business for a couple of summers, I realized I would enjoy landscaping as a career more than dentistry.

How has your faith life impacted how you run your business and approach your work? 
I started my landscaping business to pay for dental school, but I realized how much I enjoy being outdoors. The main goal of my business is to increase homeowner satisfaction by creating individualized outdoor landscapes that increase the value and beauty of the customer’s property. 

Seeing the excitement in my customer’s eyes as they view the final product gives me the incentive to work as if every job was my own. My faith has taught me to always work hard for something you believe in, and if you are going to do something, do it right or don’t do it at all. My faith has instilled strong morals in me which I try to live out every day in my business practices and instill into my employees.

What is your favorite part of the Mass and why? 
My favorite part of the Mass is the final song because it is always so joyful. To me, the final song means it’s time to go out into the world and live out my faith the best I can and make a difference in others’ lives.

How have you made the faith your own while you’ve been in college? 
I’ve made my faith my own in college by getting involved in Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM).  CCM has been a big part of my college career and I am grateful for all the wonderful friends I’ve made there. I also met my beautiful fiancé, Sarah, at CCM making it even more of a special place. The weekly Food for Thought event was always a very relaxing time between the business and schoolwork. I looked forward to going there every week.

How is it having your grandfather and father working with you on projects? 
I am blessed to work together with my dad and grandpa every day. My grandpa will visit all my job sites every day and help when help is needed. My crew and I like to call him the “Real Boss.” I am grateful that we can work together, especially on projects like the Bishop Baraga Association grounds and the Old Catholic Cemetery. Working together with my family has brought us closer together and I will cherish these moments for the rest of my life.

Any advice for Catholics young and old?
My advice to others comes from my grandpa’s sayings: “hard work never hurt anyone” and “honesty is the best policy.”