When you call hello TURF, you're not calling a franchise or a national chain. You're calling Mark and Carl, two Austin families who built this company from the ground up and still personally oversee every single project.
5-Star Google5-Star Googlehello TURF is owned and run by Mark Ish and Carl Kahlfeldt, two local owners who are personally involved in every customer conversation and on every active project. When you call, you talk to Mark or Carl. When your installation is underway, they are the ones making sure it meets their standards. They don't manage from a distance, they are in the middle of it, from the first site visit to the final walkthrough.
As a locally owned and operated company, we understand the unique challenges of maintaining natural grass in Central Texas: brutal summers, water restrictions, and drought conditions that leave lawns looking tired and brown.
Our mission is simple: deliver beautiful, sustainable, and long-lasting synthetic grass installations that enhance your property's value while saving you time, water, and money, backed by two owners who stand behind every project with their names and reputations on the line. We're building the kind of company we'd want to hire ourselves.
After negative experiences with contractors, Mark set out to create a company built on communication, honesty, and follow-through.
Mark and Carl are hands-on with every project and every customer relationship, from the first phone call through the final walkthrough. You work directly with the owners, not a sales rep or a project manager you'll never meet.
Installations across Austin, Lakeway, Cedar Park, Marble Falls, and the entire Hill Country. Local roots, lasting results.
Mark is co-owner of hello TURF. Having arrived from California to Austin, Mark quickly realized how much artificial turf could be used as a water-saving tool to keep Austin lawns looking green throughout the year, even through the brutal summers and water restrictions that test every homeowner's patience. The enthusiasm for this solution quickly turned into his life's work.
Being a father of two, Mark understands the value of having a strong, high-quality yard for an active, competitive sports family. After several unfortunate interactions with home service contractors while building his own home, he set out to create an organization built on strong ethics, clear communication, and a customer service experience that Austin homeowners could genuinely trust.
A former Division 1 soccer player at San Diego State University, Mark holds a degree in Business Administration and Marketing. That competitive drive and discipline he developed on the field carries directly into every project hello TURF delivers. Now he helps homeowners create beautiful, sustainable lawns and outdoor spaces that require zero maintenance, year round.
"After building my own home and dealing with contractors who overpromised and underdelivered, I knew I could create something better, a company where the owner's word actually means something and customers feel genuinely taken care of."Mark Ish, Co-Owner
Carl lives in Spicewood with his wife and two kids, and he is proud to build a local business that serves the greater Austin area. Before co-founding hello TURF, Carl spent over 20 years in corporate leadership roles, including time as a Chief Human Resources Officer for a global organization, experience that gave him a masterclass in what it takes to build exceptional teams and deliver consistent results at scale.
He built his entire career on growing strong teams and delivering exceptional customer experiences. Today, he brings that exact same professionalism, responsiveness, and trustworthiness to every single hello TURF project. Alongside his business partner Mark, Carl handles daily operations and loves helping customers design beautiful, low-maintenance outdoor spaces tailored to how they actually live.
When he's not working, you'll usually find Carl cheering on his kids at local games, relaxing on Lake Travis, or exploring the Texas Hill Country. He is deeply passionate about the Austin community and believes local businesses should always provide the kind of service and dependability that people can genuinely count on, not just promise it.
"I spent 20 years in corporate America learning what separates good teams from great ones. Now I bring all of that to every hello TURF project, because when someone trusts us with their home, they deserve more than a contractor. They deserve a partner."Carl Kahlfeldt, Co-Owner
We're not a franchise. We're not a national company. Mark and Carl are personally involved from the first conversation through project completion, not just overseeing from the sidelines but actively engaged with every customer and every install in the Austin area. You'll always know who is responsible for your project and where to find them.
That level of accountability is rare in the home services industry. It's also exactly why our customers refer us to their neighbors, colleagues, and family members, again and again.
Get a free consultation and no-obligation quote today. Serving Austin and all surrounding areas.