Company Role

Spray Tech/Applicator

Experience and Credentials

I have an Associates degree in Horticulture from Hawkeye Community College.  I worked at the Hy-Vee Garden Center for four years prior to working at Wapsie Pines.

Best things about your job

I love working with plants in the nursery and making customers’ lawns look nice and healthy.

Favorite Quote

“People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field.  The grass withers and the flower fades.  But the word of the Lord remains forever.”  1 Peter 1:24-25

Common misconception you deal with in your daily job

Just because I work at a lawn care and landscaping company doesn’t mean I know how to landscape!

Hobbies

I enjoy spending time outdoors working on my own lawn and garden.  I love spending time with my wife and daughters.

Company Role

As a Landscape Foreman, I supervise a crew who does new landscape installations as well as updating of existing landscapes.  We do everything you can imagine and more!

Year you started with Wapsie Pines

2012

Experience and Credentials

Most of my experience landscaping comes from learning on the job at Wapsie Pines. I am a hard worker and a team player and have worked my way to becoming a Foreman.

Best things about your job

My favorite part of my job is seeing the daily progress of a landscape project.  Finally seeing the finished project gives you a great feeling of accomplishment.

Favorite Quote

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”  Dr. Seuss

Common problem you see with new landscapes

Clients often don’t water new plants long enough.  New plants need to be watered until established which could be a couple of weeks or more in the summer.  If it’s extremely hot and windy, that could mean watering a couple of times a day.

Hobbies

I like to be outside fishing, grilling, relaxing, and trying new beers at our local breweries!

Company Role

Landscape Foreman

Favorite Quote

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”   -Theodore Roosevelt

What is a common misconception you deal with in your job?

That everything always goes exactly as planned.  Sometimes we run into problems so the plan has to be adjusted in order to make things more functional or more aesthetically pleasing.

What do you like about working at Wapsie Pines?

I like the people I work with.  Everyone wants to be there and takes pride in what they do.

What is your history with the company?

I have worked here since 2012, starting at the bottom and working my way up to Landscape Foreman.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

I enjoy spending time with family and friends.  I especially enjoy spending time with my wife, Samantha, our daughter, and our German Shepherd, Copper.  I also like to golf.,

Company Role

Landscape Foreman

Experience and Credentials

I’d been landscaping for a couple of years prior to joining Wapsie Pines in 2012.  I have been a Foreman since 2013 and am ICPI (Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute) certified.

Best thing about your job

I enjoy being outdoors on a daily basis but I especially like seeing an outdoor living space transform from start to finish.

Common misconception about your job

Deadlines are deadlines and they never change.  Unfortunately this is not true as weather is a huge factor in whether or not we’re able to meet a deadline.  The time it takes to do a job and do it right doesn’t change but weather conditions affect whether we are able to get it done by a certain date.

Favorite Quote

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

Hobbies

I enjoy golfing, going home to Okoboji to enjoy the lake, and watching the Cubs and Vikings.  I especially enjoy spending time with my wife, Cali, my kids, and my black lab, Mia.

Company Role

Lead Irrigation Technician

Favorite Quote

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  Bert Lance

What is your history with Wapsie Pines?

I’ve been with the company for ten years.  I started out mowing lawns, then was moved to landscaping, and finally irrigation.

What do you like about working at Wapsie Pines?

I really enjoy working with customers.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

I love to fish!

Company Role

I am the Lawn Care Foreman so I direct and supervise our lawn care crews.

Year you started with Wapsie Pines

2008

Experience and Credentials

I grew up mowing my family farm.  I have learned by experience and am now running four lawn care crews!

Best things about your job

I’ve made lots of good friends.  I like the before and after of a lawn care job.  I like doing a job well and I thank Danny (our owner) for giving me the tools I need to do quality work.

Favorite Quotes

Work smarter not harder.

Clean don’t lean.

Common misconception you deal with in your daily job

Bagging grass every time isn’t what’s best for your lawn.  Grass clippings left in the lawn provide a ready source of fertilizer while helping the soil retain water which promotes root growth and a healthy lawn.

Hobbies

I like spending time outdoors with family and friends. I enjoy working in the garden, fishing, hunting, and hiking in the woods with my dog.

Company Role

I am a Landscape Designer so I meet with clients to discuss their landscape wants and needs and to find solutions to their problems.  I do design work, plant selection, and estimate preparation.  Once we start a project, I act as Project Manager working with both our landscape crews and our clients.

Experience and Credentials

I love landscape design and solving problems.  I have a Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of New Mexico.  I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture.  I have 15 years experience with AutoCAD.

Best things about your job

I am proud to work for a company which has a long history of producing quality work.  I like that our employees work as a team and are supportive of each other.  Our company is family friendly, and our employees are provided with opportunities to grow and learn.

Favorite Quote

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” Albert Einstein

Common client request that you’d like to be able to deliver

I’d love to design a truly maintenance free landscape with plants that last forever.  Unfortunately, we are dealing with living, growing things that sometimes need maintenance and have a finite lifespan.

Hobbies

I enjoy cooking and often watch YouTube videos for new recipes.  I like to sit on the deck and listen to music and watch what’s going on outdoors.  I love to spend time with family and love chatting with my friends.

Company Role

I am the Nursery and Greenhouse Manager.

Experience

My passion for plants has driven me to experiment in my own landscape.  I’m constantly relocating plants to find the best location so each plant can thrive.  Hands-on experience has been beneficial and I continue to read and research as thousands of new cultivars are introduced annually and there is always so much to learn!

Best things about your job

I love the excitement of spring and am so motivated that time of year.  At Wapsie Pines, spring is on steroids!  There are so many moving parts that make up Wapsie Pines and the number of people and pieces of equipment that head off in different directions each morning is impressive.  Most importantly, I’m blessed to be a part of the incredible group of people that make up the “WP” family.

Favorite Quote

“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature.  It will never fail you.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

Common problem faced by your customers

Most customers know a newly planted tree, shrub, or flower will die if not watered.  Most people don’t know that over-watering actually kills more new plants than underwatering.

Hobbies

Spending time with family is what I enjoy most.  I also love to photograph plants and birds near my home.  I love being outdoors in summer, boating, kayaking, and getting dirty caring for plants, both at work, and at home.

Company Role

I am the Marketing and Supply Manager so I do research, ordering, and pricing for our Nursery & Greenhouse.   In addition, I deal with most marketing, advertising. and social media related activities.  I do lots of other miscellaneous tasks that come with working for a small business.  Variety is the spice of life!

Experience and Credentials

I love gardening and Googling!  I started here when the nursery was young and we all had a lot to learn.  I love solving problems and creating systems and spreadsheets to track inventory and keep us organized.  I have an Interior Design degree which helps with the decor side of the nursery.  I have a business minor which helps with the marketing side of my job.  Mostly, I just Google.

Best things about your job

I love working for a small business where your job is varied and no two days are alike.  Each employee can really make a difference!  I am grateful that I get to work around plants which is one of my passions.  Danny is a great boss and a great human being and all things flow downward so he makes Wapsie Pines a great place to work.

Favorite Quote

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”  T. Roosevelt

Common problem faced by your customers

Finding a plant that’s maintenance free, ever blooming, deer and rabbit resistant, drought tolerant, shade and sun tolerant, and only gets as big as it says on the tag.

Hobbies

I love to garden and have learned it’s a journey, not a destination.  I am constantly moving plants around in my landscape and am never completely satisfied.  I like to sit on the deck and read and watch the birds.  I quilt, go to flea markets, and love spending time with family and friends.

Company Role

I am the Office Manager which includes responsibilities for Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, and Human Resources.  We mail and email hundreds of invoices each month so there are lots of phone calls and questions that go along with that.

Year you started with Wapsie Pines

2004

Experience and Credentials

I attended Hawkeye Community College in the Business Office Clerical program.  I worked at a bank for several years and then at CUNA Mutual in Waverly.  I gained lots of experience dealing with customers during my many years as a waitress.

Favorite Quotes

“Life is like a box of chocolates.  You never know what you’re going to get.”  Forrest Gump

“It’s 5 o’clock somewhere!”

Best things about your job

I was lucky enough to get in on the ground floor and helped establish the first Wapsie Pines “office”.  It’s exciting to watch a business grow and prosper.  We are always making changes and learning something new to make the business run more efficiently and effectively.  I like that I have lots of variety in my day and I love the people I work with.  We are a “WP” family.

Common misconception you deal with in your daily job

Our goal is to please 100% of our customers, 100% of the time.  Because our business relies on Mother Nature, things don’t always happen exactly as planned or as we would like them to!

Hobbies

I love spending time with friends and family, going to my grandkids’ sporting events, golfing, shopping, and working out.