WAKE FOREST, N.C. (WNCN) — It’s a love for his customers and his work that drives Francis Matthiadis out on the job each day.
From removing trees and mowing lawns, to constructing fences, decks and patios, the owner of At Your Service Lawn & Tree Care said the business provides almost every outdoor outdoor service.
“This is literally everything to me,” Matthiadis said. “I’ve had customers since I was 10 years old and still have the same customers. I’ve been cutting their grass since I was a kid with a push mower.”
The morning of Nov. 26, Matthiadis said things came to a halt when he received a phone call and was alerted his truck wasn’t in its usual spot.
“We were on our way to the shop in the morning and actually got a call from one of our guys,” he said. “We get there, the truck, equipment, everything is gone.”
Matthiadis said a truck, trailer, backpack blowers, trimmers, commercial mowers and additional tools had all been taken. The equipment had been tucked away off Burlington Mills and Forestville Road near Wake Forest.
“We’re off a dirt road, so I kind of feel like you had to of known it was there to get it,” he said.
According to Matthidias, the theft left the business with at least a $20,000 loss that’s come during one of the toughest seasons of the year. In the winter time, calls for service slow down. With a lack of resources, the business is losing revenue.
“I’ve already had customers reach out and say [they] want to get the yard done one more time, get all the leaves cleaned up and everything,” Matthiadis said. “I’ve been having to tell them I don’t even have the resources to do it. We’re starting to lose clientele at this point.”
Since the hit, the business has continued to work with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office to figure out who took the equipment. The crew said they’ve even reached out and shared information on several groups on social media.
Through the years of hard work and building a business, Matthiadis continues to question why the theft took place.
“It was a really hard process accumulating all of this equipment,” Matthiadis said. “It wasn’t an easy road. We worked really hard to get to where we’re at now. For someone to just take it from us, it hurts.”
Until the equipment is found or replaced, Matthiadis said the business plans to continue moving forward with the limited services they can provide at this time. Wednesday, his crew was able to a help customers with tree removal.
A GoFundMe page has also been set up as Matthidias and his business continues to look for additional support. They ask if anyone has information, to reach out to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office.
