With more than 50 years of industry excellence, Sunburst Landscaping has earned a statewide reputation for integrity, innovation, and unmatched craftsmanship in both commercial and residential landscaping. We’re not just in the business of beautifying spaces—we build environments that inspire, perform, and last.
In the mid-1970s, Don Gabbard traded his family’s only car for a dump truck and began hauling granite on weekends. What started as a side hustle quickly became a full-time landscaping business—and the beginning of Sunburst Landscaping.
Driven by Don’s relentless work ethic and commitment to quality, Sunburst earned the trust of homeowners and contractors, expanding from residential work into large-scale commercial projects. Over the years, Sunburst has landscaped some of Arizona’s most iconic sites, including Chase Field, Sky Harbor Airport, University of Phoenix Stadium Streetscape, and Luke Air Force Base.
The company has also completed numerous school projects, apartment complexes, fire stations, parks, and city infrastructure projects across metro Phoenix.
Don remains hands-on to this day, often on job sites, leading by example and inventing tools and techniques that have helped Sunburst complete projects others couldn’t. His reputation for getting the job done right is the foundation of the company’s success. Sunburst Landscaping is now a three-generation family owned and operated business.
Don Gabbard was honored by the Arizona Landscape Contractors Association for a lifetime of excellence and contributions to the landscaping industry—a recognition that reflects the values and quality embedded in every Sunburst project.
Through his success of growing a one dump truck business into a debt-free, multi-million-dollar corporation, Don has always kept his focus on what matters most. That started with putting his daughter’s car seat in the dump truck next to him and continues now as believing family is at the heart of a business. Throughout the 50 years in business, Don has employed his daughters, his nephews, and various other family members and friends. In addition, he makes sure that the people who come on board for Sunburst are treated like family, paid a fair wage and rewarded for hard work. That includes monthly parties at the office for recognition and spending time together and even treating the crews and their families to a weekend at the Arizona Grand Resort to thank them for completing a complex job on a tight time crunch. One of the best testimonies to how well Don treats his Sunburst family is the number of employees that have been working for him for over 20 years. His Lead Foreman has been with the company since 1985. He has trained and mentored over 500 employees in his 50 years in business.
A Legacy of Iconic Projects and Proven Results
Today, Sunburst Landscaping’s impact can be seen across metro Phoenix and throughout Arizona. Our portfolio includes large-scale projects at:
Their innovations in installation techniques and custom-built tools have helped Sunburst Landscaping complete complex projects that others simply couldn’t. Their leadership—in the office and on the job site daily—ensures every job meets the highest standards.
The Official FieldTurf Landscape Dealer for Arizona
In 2010, after careful research and a site visit to the FieldTurf manufacturing plant in Georgia, Don accepted a partnership that would elevate Sunburst’s offerings even further. Today, we’re proud to be Arizona’s Authorized Dealer for FieldTurf Landscape, offering the highest-quality synthetic grass for residential and commercial use.
A Company Rooted in Family and Built on Loyalty
At Sunburst, our values are as deeply rooted as our landscape designs. From the start, Don has run the business with family in mind—beginning with his daughter’s car seat in the passenger side of the dump truck. Over the years, the company has welcomed dozens of family members, long-time friends, and loyal team members.
We believe in paying fair wages, celebrating hard work, and treating every employee like family. Monthly recognition events, team outings, and employee appreciation weekends are just a few of the ways we show our gratitude. Many of our team members have been with us for decades—some since the 1980s—and Don has personally mentored over 500 employees throughout his career.
Let’s Build Something Beautiful Together
Whether you’re a homeowner dreaming of the perfect backyard, a contractor needing a trusted landscape subcontractor, or a developer planning your next major project—Sunburst Landscaping is ready to bring your vision to life.
For any questions you may have about our artificial turf services, or if you’re a general contractor looking for a landscape subcontractor, give us a call at (623) 412-2200, or send us a message through our Contact page.
We look forward to hearing from you.
AZ ROC 108581 – A
AZ ROC 065944 – CR21
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