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“It’s going home and ending your day," he said. "Your mind is always moving.”
There's Joseph M. Dillon Landscape Contractors in Dumont, Joe’s Beer, Wine, & Spirits and Joe's Vapes in New Milford -- along with his Weed Man Lawn Care company, which services all of Bergen County.
Then there's his newest partnership: Dillon got engaged this past weekend to Jackie Smith of Rockland County.
It all began for the Oradell native mowing neighborhood lawns as a kid. By the time he was graduated from River Dell High School, he had his own landscaping business.
It will always be close to his heart.
“That’s my roots and I’ll never give that up,” said Dillon, who now lives in Upper Greenwood Lake.
After high school, Dillon got a job with a fertilizer distribution company. He also took some landscaping courses at Bergen Community College -- then suddenly the business took off.
Eight or so years ago, he bought a Weed Man franchise.
Joe Beers, Wines & Spirits -- formerly Wine & Roses -- opened late last year at the corner of River Road and Henley Avenue in New Milford. Inside is Joe’s Vapes, a trendy venture dedicated to popular vapor devices.
Dillon doesn't need to describe his obsessions -- they're reflected in photos of meticulously manicured green lawns and carefully organized bottles of reds and whites on the liquor shop shelves.
He expects a lot, and his employees respect him for it.
“He’s a great boss, and that’s in all honesty,” said employee Jaime Smith.
All it takes is hard work, Dillon said.
He cites his father as his inspiration -- pushing him to go the extra mile, to save his money but also not to fear risk. He also taught Dillon to be resilient.
“When you fail and you fall, you have to get back up,” he said.
Locals should be on the lookout for yet another Dillon venture -- Geese Busters of New Jersey, a safe and humane way to clear pesky Canada geese from athletic fields and parks.
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