Matt and Lucy Longwell – Sweetgrass
Landscaping and High-End Lighting, Premium Outdoor Kitchens and Quality Fencing
story by JENNIFER BROWN-CARPENTER photos by CHARLOTTE BERKELEY
Matt and Lucy Longwell are the owners of Sweetgrass. This successful family business includes landscape design and installation, premium outdoor kitchens, high-end LED landscape lighting, and ornamental aluminum fencing. The Longwells live in Beaufort, South Carolina, but serve all Beaufort, Bluffton, and Jasper counties.
Matt and Lucy met while working as account managers for two different fortune 500 companies. Lucy’s parents retired to Dataw Island in 1991. In 2004, Matt and Lucy realized that they wanted to start their own business, providing top-notch service that is hard to beat. This led them to start Sweetgrass here in Beaufort in 2004. They did not know anyone in Beaufort besides Lucy’s parents and sister at the time.
Sweetgrass has grown exponentially since opening when it was just Matt and Lucy. When they originally moved to Beaufort and started Sweetgrass, Lucy was working another job. Still, the business grew quickly, and she was able to leave her other job and begin working exclusively for their company. Over the last seven years, they have evolved the business and have begun focusing solely on their passion — new construction. They predominately work for new home buyers and builders, doing everything from the ground up: from grading to irrigation, landscaping, LED outdoor lighting, outdoor kitchens, to hardscape, and everything relating to and in between. They completed over 156 new construction homes in 2020, and they are slated to achieve even more in 2021.
Lucy is in charge of creating the design plans for their projects, and Matt implements those plans. Lucy primarily works at home, utilizing their CAD program to create the different designs for the projects. Lucy and Matt also meet with the homeowners/builders to discuss the plans, whether the customer favors tropical, formal, informal, English, butterfly gardens, organic, or xeriscape gardens.
Sweetgrass is a premium company within their field. They are very particular about the companies they work with and only purchase from wholesalers within their market. They want to make sure they provide the best products and highest quality service possible for their customers. The outdoor kitchens they build are exceptionally high-end with premium stonework and steel framing. Each one is stocked with top-of-the-line stainless steel equipment, including refrigerators, grills, griddles, side burners, smokers (electric and woodburning), ice makers, sinks, and more. Each kitchen is custom built and designed for the customer’s space and needs. The exterior lighting uses premium brass fixtures and low voltage LED bulbs.
Matt and Lucy will continue to grow their business, designing and building high-end custom outdoor kitchens, premium LED landscape lighting, and creating and bringing to life beautiful landscape designs. Matt and Lucy take ownership of the jobs that they take on. They don’t work just for the customer; they do the work as if it is their own home. They are passionate, trustworthy, and very reliable. Their goal is to build relationships with their customers and provide them with quality service that will serve them for years to come.
When the Longwells are not working, they enjoy spending time around their beautifully landscaped property and pool with family, friends, and their four loveable dogs.
Give Sweetgrass a call for more information or to schedule something new for your yard at 843-441-0231.
