About TriDesigns

Thomas Dahlmeir - proprietor

Tom Dahlmeir leads a talented team of professionals at Tri Designs to make your landscaping dreams come true. His landscaping projects have been featured in Minnesota Monthly magazine, Midwest Home and Garden magazine, and in publications for Lowes Home Improvement Centers.
With more than 15 years of experience in the landscaping industry, Tom's extensive portfolio of residential and commercial projects combine creativity, functionality and life-long customer satisfaction. His designs can be seen all across Minnesota and Wisconsin, from the north shore of Duluth and Grand Marais to Austin and Albert Lea, from Alexandria, Bemidji, Brainerd, Prescott and Hudson to the Hayward Lakes area. He enjoys meeting new people and seeing new environments to create unique, professional landscapes for homes and businesses.

Tom has been active in the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) since graduating from college, and maintains his MNLA Certification as a Nurseryman and Landscape Design Professional. He has served on the MNLA Landscape Design Committee, and the Home and Garden Show Committee helping to build and coordinate the large central gardens at the Minneapolis Home and Garden Show.

Tom is involved with and supports the MNLA goals for continuing-education programs to elevate professional standards in Minnesota. He also advises on the Dakota County Technical College curriculum in landscape design. He is also an active member of the Minnesota Chapter of the Association Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), which unites leading landscape designers from around the world in professional goals and achievements. Tom contributes to the local APLD chapter and offers support for landscape design professionals and small business throughout Minnesota. ;

When Tom has free time away from his passion of landscaping and Tri Designs, he loves fishing with his brother, whether its open water or ice fishing, he can’t get enough of fishing. Tom enjoys spending time with his lovely wife and extended family. Whenever possible, he enjoys traveling to visit family, vacationing with his wife in Hawaii, and skiing with his extended family at Whistler. He has also been known to take his nephews, friends, and clients out to Minnesota Wild and Minnesota Twins games. No wonder he is their favorite uncle.

David Sonka - landscape designer, graphic artist, project manager

We’re pleased to announce that well-known and veteran designer, David Sonka, has teamed with Tom Dahlmeir and Tri Designs. David offers more than 15 years of experience in the industry and brings a level of passion, exceptional creativity, quality, service and value to his clients.

David and Tom met at the Minnesota Chapter of Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) where they shared ideas and commitment to the business of landscape design-build. In addition, for the past five years he has served on the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA) Landscape Design Committee. He has also been active in MNLA subcommittees, education days, and the student mentorship programs. David is a MNLA-Certified Design Professional, is in the process of certification by APLD, and is preparing to become registered with ASLA as a Landscape Architect in the near future.

David has recently received two major national awards from PLANET (residential design-build over $500,000), and state awards from MNLA (Certificate of Merit in Full-yard Landscape Design). He has been the featured designer on an episode of HGTV’s Curb Appeal, showing the transformation of a two-story colonial house into a spectacular, eye-catching home with exquisite detailing and landscaping.

David turned his lifelong passion for drawing, painting, and being outdoors into a degree in landscape architecture from Iowa State University in 1996. He continues this passion by creating dynamic, custom outdoor living for his clients through landscape designs that are tailored to their home, personalized to their lifestyle, and conscious of their environment.

As a professional teamed with Tri Designs, David brings advanced capabilities in CAD, modeling, imaging, and hand-drawn graphics to offer great representations of the design throughout the process. This will ensure your ideas and his designs become exactly what you are expecting for your home. He sincerely enjoys meeting new people and making their dreams become reality.

Talk to David at TriDesigns for award-winning design, construction detailing, and the kind of service that is second to none.

Other than landscape design, David’s other passions include his family, baseball, and music. He always makes time on the weekends to play ball with his son and daughter in the back yard, or to travel down to Iowa to watch his father’s legendary high school baseball team. David is also known to design with the Minnesota Twins playing in the background or with some mood music to set the tone. David will soon be launching a web site at www.landscapedesignstudios.com to journal his work and allow his clients “into the studio.”

Donald Kilty

Donald Kilty is a 2009 graduate of Hennepin Technical College with an AAS Degree in Landscape Design and Construction. Throughout school Don was an active member of Earth Club and Student Senate, Donald was elected President of Earth Club. Donald is also a member of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association (MNLA). He plans on earning his MNLA certification as a Certified Design Professional.

Donald participated in an internship at local nursery this past summer where he improved his plant knowledge and identification. He is very enthusiastic about continuing to gain experience in landscape design. Donald is very excited to start his career with TriDesigns.

In his off time, Donald enjoys spending time with his wife and his dogs, outdoors camping and hiking. He also loves to travel and explore new places.