Fayetteville-based entrepreneur Fred Surgeon has achieved a great deal on his journey from early franchise operations to a family of companies, including a 300-acre agritourism destination co-owned with his wife, Anita Surgeon. Now, he wants to help offer words of wisdom to up and coming entrepreneurs.
“Entrepreneurship is about patience, repetition, and learning the work from the inside out,” said Fred Surgeon, founder and president of Surgeon & Associates, Inc., in a press release. “Start with a real need or a passion, master the fundamentals, then build teams and systems that let you scale without losing your purpose.”
Surgeon & Associates is a family-owned holding company with interests in healthcare, residential and commercial cleaning, pest control, farming and agritourism, property inspection and hospitality. The companies employ more than 400 people across three states and have a combined annual revenue of over $20 million. Their portfolio includes psychiatric residential treatment facilities and franchise operations such as Merry Maids, OxiFresh Carpet Cleaning and Mosquito Squad.
Surgeon’s path began in finance and operations — including roles as an auditor and chief financial officer — where he sharpened a focus on service quality and scalable systems. He later developed and operated Papa John’s restaurants in two states before expanding into home services.
Sweet Valley Ranch grew as an idea from Surgeon’s wife, Anita, and her lifelong love of horses. He purchased 186 acres in 2016 to create a place for her to raise and care for them. The ranch has since expanded to 300 acres and is home to more than 350 animals from five continents. Families visit year-round for animal encounters, Farmhouse Retreat stays and all-terrain vehicle tours, with seasonal experiences like Dinosaur World, Backwoods Terror Ranch and the Festival of Lights drawing more than 50,000 visitors annually from across the Southeast.
The expansion of Sweet Valley Ranch serves as a reminder to future entrepreneurs that the best ideas often start close to home. Building around a passion or a need allows business owners to scale without losing their purpose.
“Don’t chase titles or trends—solve a problem you care about, show up every day and invest in people,” Surgeon added in a press release. “Do that consistently, and you’ll build something that leaves a legacy for the next generation.”
Brian and Staci Graybill opened their third business together, Market Square Pantry, in December 2025. Photo provided by Faith Hatton. For Fayetteville entrepreneurs Brian and Staci Graybill, building a business has often started when they were
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