Urban Appeal was established in Kamloops, BC in 2006 by original owner Paul Johnson with an original focus on residential landscape design and build. What began as a two-man crew has grown into one of the busiest and most reputable companies in Kamloops today, diversifying into civil excavation, playground construction, and sports field upgrades. In 2023, Will Ireland and Jon Yanko, both longstanding members of our team since 2014 and 2008 respectively, took the reins of Urban Appeal. Their wavering commitment and deep-rooted passion for our company ensures they are dedicated to not only realizing your vision but surpassing your expectations at every turn.
Owner
Owner/Project Manager
Landscape Designer
Office Manager
Irrigation Foreman
Welder & Mechanic
Project Supervisor
Will hails all the way from Bega, on the south coast of Australia, naturally possessing that famous Aussie wit and charm. He and his wife moved to Kamloops after visiting BC while on extended holidays. In 2014, he started as a labourer with Urban Appeal. Under Paul's mentorship, Will quickly moved up the ranks to a manager's position, becoming part owner in 2019.
Drawn to landscaping by an inherent desire to build, fix and get his hands dirty outdoors, Will loves the process of constructing a quality product he knows others will enjoy. Previous experience in the medical profession strengthened his time management skills and ability to deal with high pressure situations. He orchestrates time sensitive processes and crew positioning, ensuring everything is in place for smooth installations. One of the most rewarding aspects for Will is the relationships that are built with clients, sub trades, suppliers, and staff.
His incredible wife Holly holds down the fort at home with their three children, Rosie, Jim and Opal. Sometimes on weekends, little Jim gets to operate an excavator with daddy!
Will and Paul share a business style characterized by integrity and a strong work ethic, putting in long hours at the office and in the field to ensure Urban Appeal stays on top.
Jon is our site superintendent and quality control expert. He oversees multiple job sites and crews, ensuring daily operations run smoothly while patiently helping and teaching our labourers. His knowledge of hardscape construction and creative approach is integral to the high-quality work Urban Appeal is known for.
Born and raised in Kamloops, Jon joined Urban Appeal in 2007 as one of our first employees. Back then, Jon and Paul did everything with only muscle, elbow grease and wheelbarrows! Over time, Jon has honed his craftsmanship, excelling at all aspects of hardscaping from retaining walls and stone patios to water features and outdoor living spaces. He has an uncanny ability to visualize what the client wants and make a design come to life.
Jon’s easygoing and approachable nature is valued by our team and our clients. He loves his career, and not only because of the fleet of heavy machinery he gets to operate. For Jon, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing the progress made after a day of hard work in the field.
As the daughter of a Vancouver-based landscaper and garden designer, Sarah has been steeped in beautiful gardens her whole life. Her talent for drawing and painting were evident at an early age and she began private training at the age of 7. Drawing has remained a great passion, along with her love of gardening. She began working for her father’s landscape company in 2004, also taking on her own garden maintenance jobs. In 2005, she started designing at the request of her clients, and found it to be the perfect marriage of her skills.
Sarah has lived in Kamloops since 2007, experimenting with her own garden and developing a love of edible landscapes and urban farming alongside her two little girls. In February 2020, Sarah joined the Urban Appeal team as their new in-house landscape designer, sketching ideas and plans for commercial and civil clients. She also loves labouring in the field with the boys, planting and landscaping and getting her hands in the soil.
Cindy is our beloved office administrator who joined the Urban Appeal team in 2018. She tackles our payables, receivables, payroll and billing, keeping the office organized and efficient.
She's the cheerful voice you'll hear when you contact us and you may even see her out working with the crew on occasion. Cindy likes to make sure we are all adhering to safety standards and protocol, keeping all the boys in line! Her resourcefulness and dedication are fundamental to operations here at Urban Appeal.
Dave is our irrigation foreman, having joined the team in 2017. He has a well-rounded background in all aspects of landscaping, with extensive experience and training in both commercial and civil irrigation systems. Dave enjoys the wide variety of duties that come with the work we do, but takes particular pleasure in building natural rock walls and water features. As one of our foreman, he also teaches and leads the install crew, ensuring work is carried out efficiently and to Urban Appeal's high standards.
You could say Dave is the lifeblood of our crew, ensuring our landscape installations live and thrive through his irrigation mastery.
Peter joined the team in 2017 as our mechanical and safety technician, handy-man and problem solver. You name it, Peter can fix it, drive it, operate it and build it! With a wealth of experience and roots in road construction and heavy machinery, he keeps our fleet running, our staff safe and our office equipment all in good working order.
Peter loves to tinker and be useful in any capacity, including welding and fence construction. He has a passion for creative problem solving and being out in the natural elements. His caring attitude, eagerness to help and ample skill set are highly valued by the crew and vital to our operations at Urban Appeal.
Chad has been with Urban Appeal since the beginning of 2022 and he has quickly become a very vital member of our team, leading crews and coordinating jobsites. Chad supervises our larger projects that take an expertise, patience, and steady hand to maintain safety and efficiency.
Born and raised in Kamloops, he earned his level one carpentry building houses, eventually moving to Alberta for many years. Chad has an impressive and lengthy portfolio of experience in equipment operation, water and sewer, pipe laying, and underground utility repairs. In addition to this, his years of experience in running crews for civil and commercial landscape construction make him such a valuable team player.
He enjoys the variety and scope of work with Urban Appeal, and the satisfaction of seeing the finished product. Chad appreciates being back home in the beautiful city of Kamloops with his wife and step-daughter, while contributing to the Urban Appeal legacy of incredible improvements to his home town.
At Urban Appeal, we are dedicated to transforming landscapes and building communities with an unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and passion. Our mission is to deliver exceptional landscaping and civil construction services that enhance the beauty and functionality of Kamloops and surrounding areas. We prioritize the safety of our team, clients, and community, ensuring every project is executed with the highest standards of care and precision. Driven by passion, we strive to exceed expectations, fostering lasting relationships and creating spaces that inspire and endure.
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