Drost Landscape of Northern Michigan

Robert Drost, President

Bob was born and raised in Charlevoix Michigan. He spent his teenage years working on the Belvedere golf course. There he started out as a caddy and worked his way up to the care of the golf course. After this, Bob entered the landscape field. This field allowed him the creativity to design and build so many of the things that he grew up enjoying living in the beautiful North. Bob audited courses at Michigan State and also became a Michigan certified Nurseryman, landscape specialist and landscape retail specialist.

Throughout the years in the landscape field I have enjoyed the creative opportunities that clients have afforded me to complete for them. I’m constantly asked what I enjoy more, the water features we have designed and constructed or the rock work that we’ve completed or possibly the planting. Unfortunately, I really can’t say because I enjoy every aspect of landscape construction. All in all, I am thrilled to say that my hobby is my profession.

In his spare time away from this hobby, Bob does enjoy spending time with his wife Diane of 28 years. Together they have raise two wonderful sons, Travis and Dustin, who are both heavily invested in Drost Landscape. They enjoy attending Walloon Community church together as a family. Bob enjoys snowmobiling, water sports, cars and living in Northern Michigan.

Dale grew up farming, following in the footsteps of the previous three generation farmers, there was nothing out of the ordinary about hard work.  His first exposure to the landscaping industry was in 1992 and the three years that followed really helped to determine a career track.  Starting in the fall of 1991-until the spring of 1993 North Central Michigan College was the threshold of an academic path that ultimately concluded in 1997 with a Bachelors Degree of Science with a Major in Horticulture (design and construction management) with honors from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University.   Since he took his career choice very serious he also received certification as a Michigan Nurseryman. These steps led to Drost Landscape and first interview with Robert A. Drost.  His career started in the spring of 1997 as a field laborer.  Having worked for the Turf Grass Research Center at MSU and one other landscape company for 4 years Dale had a very good understanding of the landscape industry and what an employer would be expecting.    The next five years brought changes to leadership roles, to crew foreman, part time operator, designer, and estimator.   Dale looked at each situation as a challenge, an opportunity, and chance to mature.  Now after more than 14 years working for Drost Landscape, he takes many strides to help make Drost Landscape one of the best companies in the industry.

Hobbies and other interests that offer a little down time from the work schedule include the grass roots of farming, (see Marika Drier’s bio), organizing the shop/garage, yard work/landscaping, youth ministry, administrative board in the church, canoeing, fishing, snow shoeing, spending time with family, and snow mobile riding(favorite winter past time).

Having watched his son Joshua grow up in to a remarkable young man and now embarking on his own career, leaves the never ending question unanswered, where has the time went?

Married to an amazing woman (Marika) since 2001, this pair will never run out of plant material to talk about.  There focus is changing more lately with the addition to the family of Anna Irene.  This little athlete at the age of two keeps the pair running, dancing, and actively pursuing the endless trail of debris (like a cleanup crew behind a hurricane) that she leaves in her wake moving from room to room.  This trio spends quality time together gardening, going for walks, spending time with family and their pets(see Marika’s bio), and Dale enjoys teaching Anna the balance points for boon docking.

Marika Drier

Marika holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Michigan State University Horticulture Department. While completing her undergraduate studies, she competed and won multiple awards for plant identification and science in nationwide contests including Mid American Collegiate Horticulture Society (MACHS), National Junior Horticulture Association (NJHA), and Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA - now named Professional Landcare Network PLANET). In 1999, the professors at Michigan State University bestowed to her the honor of Horticulture Student of the Year.

As a part of the Drost Landscape Team since 2000 (A.D.), she now manages the greenhouse production of shrubs, perennial and annual flowering plants, and aquatic plants. She also enjoys designing plantings to fit with each customer’s needs, as well as, overseeing continued maintenance of existing landscapes to keep plantings healthy and in top performance.

Hobbies include gardening at home, horseback riding, singing soprano in the New Hope UMC worship team, as well as, sewing, knitting, and spinning fiber, and miscellaneous cooking and housecleaning.

Marika is married to Dale Drier and has a daughter, Anna Irene, as well as, one Lab, two Schnauzers, a cat, 4 chickens, two horses, and two goats! (Bear, Molly, Penny, Isabelle, misc. hens, Hammer, Legs, Oreo, and Double Stuff!)

William Kibler

William brings years of experience to the Drost Landscape team.  Since graduating from Ferris State University, William has spent over 20 years in the field gaining experience from all levels of a project; labor intensive tasks thru managing projects.  William likes the challenging task of completing projects that are both distinctive and unique.  “Growing up in a family with a construction background, I prefer projects that tie both the home construction and landscape together.  These are projects that require attention to detail to create an outdoor space that is beautiful, functional and built to the specific needs of the client.”  Projects that tie earth, home and water together are his favorite projects.  William spends time attaining accreditation from available education programs.  William believes it is important to continue to educate yourself in new trends and products allowing you to push the envelope of ideas and concepts.

William enjoys many things in life.  When he is not working, you can find him spending time with his wife Laura and their two sons Willie and Rylee.  They enjoy: Wrenching on and racing cars, snowmobiling and skiing, equine related activities and enjoying the out-of-doors.

Ruth Shadoan

Ruth can probably be best described as the glue that holds Drost Landscape together.  Accounting, payroll and asset management are just a few of the tasks that she handles on a daily basis.  Ruth holds a B.S. degree in mathematics from Michigan State University and is currently continuing her education in accounting at North Central Michigan University.  These academic attributes combined with Ruth’s experience in business and the banking industry, make her an invaluable asset to the Drost team. 

Ruth and her husband owned and operated “Promises of Praises Christian Bookstore” here in Petoskey for 20 years.  Following her time as a business owner, Ruth spent five years working at Fifth Third Bank. 

Outside of work, Ruth and her husband Doug enjoy many outdoor activities.  In the summer they particularly enjoy camping and canoeing.  In the winter they can be found cross country skiing and snowshoeing in the beautiful northern Michigan landscape they love to call home.

Paul Whitley

Paul has worked in the landscape industry for over thirty years.  His career has taken him from Midland, Michigan to Nashville, Tennessee and finally to Petoskey.  His experience in the construction and maintenance of the landscapes Drost has created makes him a valuable asset to the Drost Team.

"I’ve been fortunate to work with people that are knowledgeable and passionate about their work in the landscaping business.  It is very satisfying to keep a client’s landscape looking good for many years."

In his free time, Paul enjoys spending time with his wife Tanya and kids Gunnar and Grace.  Attending his kids sporting events, golfing, hunting and gardening are among his favorite hobbies.

In 1991 Robert Drost and four others decided to embark on their own doing what they loved.  It was the start to Drost Landscape.  It has grown from a small group of guys working out of Bob’s house to a facility that can handle the large volume of material, equipment and people that come and go on a daily basis.  From a pickup truck with a few shovels, rakes and wheel barrows, there are now greenhouses where both annuals and perennials are grown, a large fully stocked nursery, heavy equipment that can tackle most any job, a fleet of trucks to move people to and from job sites, and a multitude of small tools, including those shovels, rakes and wheelbarrows. Today you will find Bob’s two sons, Travis and Dustin, as well as Bob’s brother, Gene working in the family business alongside as many as seventy others. 

To this day Bob will tell you his hobby is his business.  Landscaping is his hobby and his business is a result of that passion.  On any given Saturday or an evening of the week, there is a good chance you will find Bob meeting on site with a potential client, or stopping in to an existing clients site to check up on progress or just to ensure that everything is well maintained.  There is not much else Bob would rather do that what he has a passion for…Landscaping.

Along with Bob’s passion, Drost Landscape was started on the foundation of a work ethic taught and shown to him in his childhood years.  Now Bob passes that on, not only to his two sons, but to all those that work with him.  The many people that make up Drost Landscape comprise a group of educated, skilled and trained staff mostly broken into their areas of expertise.

Hard work, honesty, attention to detail and a passion for what they do is the difference customers see and what has brought Drost Landscape where it is today.