Full Licensed & Insured HIC #: PA097443

Telford, PA

610-573-9000

About Us

Realizing a dream of designing every aspect of a living space for a client, exterior through interior.

Although Walnut Hill Services Group didn’t officially spring to life until 2012, we’ve actually been in the landscaping and construction business for over 30 years. Founder and owner John McQuade first began working in landscaping at the tender age of 13. This fueled a passion for horticulture and landscape design, which led to a Bachelor’s Degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College.
Always ambitious, and constantly looking to learn new skills, John worked as a landscape designer and installer for several years before deciding to try his hand at home renovations. 
Never one to resist a challenge, he took on a vacant, dilapidated 150 year-old brick farmhouse in Hatfield, PA. 

 Working with a local carpenter, he completely rehabbed the home with new plumbing, heating, electric, bathrooms, kitchen, roof – the works! He loved it and was hooked on renovating. Since then, he’s done complete rehabs on several commercial and residential buildings, including the 250-year-old farmhouse on 13 country acres he and his family currently call home. In 2017 John completed his first new home build, realizing a dream of designing every aspect of a living space for a client, exterior through interior.
 
With John’s broad skill set and crew of talented employees, Walnut Hill is able to offer an unusually diverse line of services:
  • Landscape design and installation
  • Water feature design and installation, including ponds, waterfalls, rain gardens, and temporary ponds for events like home shows, festivals, parties & weddings
  • Design and installation of irrigation systems
  • Design and installation of outdoor living spaces such as porches, pergolas, decks, patios and outdoor kitchens, sun rooms, pool houses
  • Home renovations: kitchens, baths, replacement windows, etc.
  • New construction: homes, additions, garages
  • Excavation for foundations
From high-aesthetic landscape and hardscape design, to warm, welcoming interior spaces, Walnut Hill is ready to bring your vision for your home to life.

Our Team

Our team loves what they do, but it’s not always (ok, never) easy.  They work through cold and snow, get soaked in the rain, sweat it out under the hot summer sun, and get covered in dirt of one kind or another almost every day.  It’s hard work physically and mentally.  But they don’t complain, they give 100%, and they keep coming back for more.  And that’s why our team motto is “Hill Tough.”  We couldn’t be prouder to work alongside these talented, hard-working, tough-as-nails people and Walnut Hill couldn’t do what it does without them.

John McQuade:

Founder and owner John McQuade first began working in landscaping at the tender age of 13. This fueled a passion for horticulture and landscape design, which led to a Bachelor’s Degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Delaware Valley College.Always ambitious, and constantly looking to learn new skills, John worked as a landscape designer and installer for several years before deciding to try his hand at home renovations. 

Jess McQuade:

Jess has been John’s wife and business partner for 25 years.  In addition to partnering with John in their businesses and raising their 3 children, she has also worked as a part-time business manager for local food service, real estate, rental property management, and printing companies.  In 2018 she left her 20-year career as VP general manager of a local advertising and marketing agency to devote more time to managing this growing enterprise.

Outside WHSG, she enjoys renovating their 250-year-old farmhouse, traveling, reading, paddleboarding, yoga, pickleball, and serving as the Director of Middle School Youth Ministry at church.

Stephen Gillespie

Steve is the Landscape Team Leader at WHSG.  He is a graduate of the Longwood Gardens Professional Gardener Training Program and has extensive experience in Landscape, Construction, and Project Management. Steve says he enjoys the diversity of the work we do, but especially the landscape and patio projects. Steve and his wife, Jess (yes, another Jess!), have three wonderful children. Outside work, he enjoys attending his children’s sports and musical events and volunteering with the youth group at his church.

Kieran McQuade:

Kieran started working summers with us in 2020 when the community pool he previously worked at had to close due to Covid. Turns out, he loves this work! (guess he comes by that honestly) He has continued to work part-time with us through high school and college. He’s currently a junior at Del Val University majoring in Landscape Design and Construction. In his free time he enjoys riding dirt bikes, skiing, golfing, and hanging out with friends and family.