On the Job

>>When Bill Kilgus was a kid, he looked forward to Christmas for all the usual reasons. It was even better when he spent time with his father, stringing old-fashioned lights across the rooflines of his home and his neighbors’ homes. Fast-forward a few years. He’s now the owner and founder of Trimmers Holiday Décor, a company with five franchises in Collier, Lee, Sarasota, Manatee and Pasco counties that handles all kinds of holiday decorating, from wreaths to trees to life-size snowmen.

What are some of your biggest jobs?

The Third Street South shopping area, all the Orion Banks in Florida, Pelican Bay, Tiburón, Grey Oaks and The Strand.

What is the usual price range for a residence?

A normal one is $1,000 to $5,000. That includes everything: We design all the décor, put it up and maintain it. Our company goes by our jobs Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights [during] December to make sure everything is perfect. Normally there is nothing wrong, but sometimes you might have to hop out, fix a set of lights, hop back in and move onto the next job.

How long does it take to complete a job?

Normally we can do the décor on any community in one day or less, but it may take multiple days to do all of the large tree lighting.

How many lights do you put up each year?

I install 40,000 sets of lights. My franchises install 10,000 sets each.

Do you work year-round?

It’s [mostly] for the holidays, but we do large landscape lighting [year-round]. A lot of the communities and Third Street South now like to keep their large palm trees lit [throughout the year].

Has the demand for your services changed with the downturn of the economy?