Born in Greenville, North Carolina, Carlton got an early start in the outdoors. Most of his time was spent at his dad’s prosthetic office in Greenville, hunting, fishing, or attending his sisters horse shows. Carlton lived in Bath, NC during high school where he got his start maintaining the grounds of a large estate and equestrian farm. He began working with his cousin Trent at Atlantic Coast in February of 2006 while taking a break from UNC-Wilmington.

As Carlton became more involved in the business, he returned to Greenville and enrolled in East Carolina University’s School of Business. He graduated with Honors in 2010 receiving his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship. Carlton stands behind his alma mater’s motto, “Servire” meaning to serve. He served on several committees and organizations at East Carolina such as Phi Sigma Pi’s Ways and Means President where he was awarded with the National Outstanding Fundraiser Award in 2010. His team received national recognition from the Small Business Institute and took first place for their business planning and consulting work for a start-up holistic medical treatment clinic at ECU Physicians and Vidant Medical Center.

In 2012 he received the North Carolina Nursery and Landscape Association Young Professional Leadership Award. He has earned several industry certifications and attended many industry events. Some of those include; North Carolina Landscape Contractors License, RainXchange Rainwater Harvesting Professional Certification, Energy Saving Landscape Certification, NDS Principles of Drainage Certification, ICPI Certified Paver Installer, NCMA Segmental Retaining Wall Certified Installer, OSHA 10-Hour Certification, and attended the 2015 Atlanta and 2017 Dayton GROW Conference, an industry growth initiative assembly that included tours of the area’s top landscape company.

Carlton lives in Trent Woods and enjoys boating, fishing, and gardening with his wife Kristin and daughter Kinley.