Chris Killion - Business Development Manager
Landscape Industry Since: 1996
Signature Landscape Since: 2015
Like so many of his colleagues, Chris began his career in grounds maintenance diligently completing household chores that included mowing the lawn and pulling weeds from the back patio. He spent his summers tinkering with an old, rundown lawn mower, leftover after a neighbor had moved. Eventually, his tinkering paid off, and the once defunct machine became a source of income through his middle school years. This was a fitting beginning to a career that has spanned more than two decades.
Chris has lived in the Kansas City area most of his life, and currently resides in Shawnee. He unofficially joined the industry in 1990 while a volunteer for the building and grounds department at a local hospital. The experience solidified his passion for the landscape industry. His first official position came several years later when he became the head grounds keeper at a local apartment complex.
Chris has held many industry positions including laborer, foreman, operations/production manager, sales and account manager, and has worked on both the residential and commercial sides of the business. He has an extensive knowledge of plant material, attributed to his time as a nurseryman. In 2013, he completed his Associate of Arts degree in business administration at Johnson County Community College. Chris relies on this combination of field experience and academia to assist, educate, and counsel clients in his current role as Business Development Manager for Signature Landscape’s West Branch.
Outside the office, Chris enjoys baseball, cooking, and a proper cocktail. He combines these pleasures with his greatest passion of all: traveling. Chris has attended many Food and Wine events throughout the U.S., including the famed Aspen Food and Wine Classic, and has visited over 20 countries.
Whether exploring the world, providing a client the exact right solution, or tinkering with an old, rundown mower, Chris is a determined “doer”. He welcomes the opportunity to teach, and more importantly, the challenge to learn.