South + Jefferson didn’t start with a business plan.

My wife Amber and I were sitting at our kitchen table talking about creating a local service business. The original idea was simple — pick up a few lawn clients around the neighborhood.

But, I hated mowing lawns.

What I’d always loved was light.

Christmas lights on the Magnificent Mile as a kid. Saturday nights driving neighborhoods with my family looking for the best decorated houses. Staying out a little longer because certain places felt different after dark.

Those moments stuck with me.

Because great lighting does something bigger than brighten a space.

It changes how people experience it.

So we kept the name — South + Jefferson, the corner we call home — and built a business around creating places people want to spend time in.

Today that means holiday lighting, landscape lighting, and architectural lighting designed to bring people together and make places feel unforgettable.