When you ask Foster Dean about his company, ADEANCO Services, he will tell you the vision starts with his first name — Foster. According to Webster’s Dictionary, foster means "to nurture; to cultivate and encourage." This philosophy, a strong faith in God, some incredibly challenging life experiences and a "Semper Fi" attitude has helped to "foster" one of the fastest growing subsidiary companies in North Carolina.
Foster is quick to tell you that the success of his company is attributed to lots of networking and the fact that he and his staff are tops in their field when it comes to professionalism, customer satisfaction and customer service. "Our company motto is: Demand excellence of yourself," says Foster. "You won’t see me coming out in jeans and a t-shirt just because I‘m in landscaping. I greet prospective clients in a suit and a tie because I want them to know we take their business very seriously and our quality and professionalism are unmatched." Foster Dean takes pride in the fact that providing exceptional service at a fair market price has earned ADEANCO the reputation of being Fayetteville’s premiere service for lawn maintenance, landscaping and pressure washing for commercial and residential customers. In the short span of two years, ADEANCO’s business and clientele have more than quadrupled. Fully licensed and insured, the business is still growning…and expanding! Interior cleaning and interior and exterior commercial/residential painting have recently been added to the list of services. Plus, ADEANCO has just acquired a major area contract — no doubt a testament to the great work provided by Foster and his staff.
But success has not always been so easy for this Ohio transplant. At one of the worst times of his life, an invite of a close friend and Marine Corps buddy brought Foster to North Carolina. An vacation turned into an extended stay. As well, skills learned from his landscaper father in Ohio set the stage for a very lucrative career in an area he would now call home. However, the 28-year-old father of three and fiancée Lovis Simmons has seen their share of extraordinarily bad times and readily admits they have come full circle. "I don’t have a college degree or a PH.D, but one could say I do have a serious PH.D from the school of hard knocks," says Foster. "I grew up in Youngstown, Ohio — one of the roughest and most crime-ridden places in this country. In fact, the year I graduated high school, we were the murder capital of the world. I mean you’d see or hear people get shot every day. To make matters worse…our mayor, our sheriff and our congressman were all indicted."
When you hear the details of Foster Dean’s life, the words almost start to sound like a script from a John Singleton movie. There’s the loving family, the overwhelming negative street presence, the gangs, the thug lifestyle, the crossroads, the Marine Corps days, the friendships, the betrayal, the breakdown and the awakening. Foster reflectively remarks: "We all are products of our environment. But it came to a point of choices and decisions. Life in jail or death wasn’t for me. So, I decided to stop running and just walk with him (God). If you believe, you can achieve. With the faith of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. I’m a prime example of that."
Foster constantly gives thanks to God and wonderful friends met along his journey as well as the lessons and bad times that have helped to shape who he is. "It’s not where you come from; it’s who you become as a person." A member of Perfecting Ministries in Fayetteville, Foster loves sharing his story in hopes that others may learn from it. His vision for "setting people free through entrepreneurship" has inspired the ADEANCO Lighthouse Program. Open to the public and starting this September, the program is designed to teach the basics and the benefits of free enterprise and owning your own business. "The Lighthouse Program is my way of giving back to the community and opening doors…a way out for others who are seeking a better way of life. We are in the largest consumer nation in the world. Provide a service…serve…and watch what will happen."
To find out more about the ADEANCO Lighthouse Program, call Foster Dean at (910) 867-3343.
Caring, sharing and reshaping the community — that‘s ADEANCO Services. With summer festivities upon us, including weddings and reunions, this would be the perfect time to check out ADEANCO and find out why Foster Dean proudly considers his company the people’s choice when it comes to commercial and residential lawn care, landscaping, pressure washing, interior cleaning and interior and exterior painting. ADEANCO Services, PO Box 48452, Cumberland, NC 28331. Call (910) 867-3343. Hours are from 7AM til 7PM Monday through Saturday.
