What Others Say:
“I served on the TPI board with War- ren for seven years and he was always the most respected man in the room. As a board we would be discussing, and maybe arguing, over an issue re- garding something in TPI and Warren would sit and listen, just absorbing all the details and ideas. At some point Warren would stop us and give his take on solving the issue. Most times his insight would get us on track for a quicker decision.
When I first came on the TPI board I saw Warren as a great leader in our Industry and someone I could learn from so after one of our fall board meetings I flew out to see his farm. Warren and his partner Don gave me a personal tour of their operation and I came home with some great ideas for my farm.
Over the years, my wife Shari and I became good friends with Warren and his wife Tammy and we are deeply grateful for the friendship we share with such wonderful people. It is always a pleasure spending time with them at TPI conventions. Warren sets the bar high for his caring and dedi- cation to his family, his friends, his business, and our industry.” Chip Lain, President, Pine Island Turf Nursery, Inc., Pine Island, NY
“We were 5 years old when our par-
ents moved next door to each other; we were in high school together. I was 20 or 21 when they asked me to join them in the sod business—so we do know each other pretty well. There aren’t a lot of surprises with Warren; he’s interesting in that aspect. He’s opposite of what I am and that’s what makes our partnership work so well. Warren is patient; a good listener; and that’s sure not me.
We understand each other and know where our strong points are. Certain roles we all know Warren does best—
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like communication—with anyone. He has always handled the business side of things, working with the banks and the contracts. I deal with the mechani- cal things and take more of the farm manager role. I’m not a salesman, but I’ll do anything else for the company.
Warren and I are constantly bounc- ing ideas off each other–it’s just what we do. Together we’ve worked on our business plans and strategies, the dif- ferent products we want to start out, new ways to do things, and how to do things better. His mind is always working and it’s kind of scary the way it works. I’ll be thinking one thing and he’ll be 180 degrees from that and, in most cases, his ideas are pretty good.
Warren is always the nice guy, very generous and compassionate, things you sometimes don’t see in business. We don’t always agree, but when we disagree, because we do understand each other so well, we can get over any- thing. He’s the best I could ask for—in a partner and in a friend.
He was a rugby player in high school. He was the flyhalf, similar to the quar- terback position in football. Warren likes to fly fish; he’s a skier; and he’s always had an Australian shepherd or two. The current one is Scout.
He and Tammy have a wonderful relationship and a wonderful family. He loves being a grandpa and that’s when you see his silly side. Most people think of him as serious, and he usually is, but I grew up with him and he’s always had a silly side.
Then there’s the lotion story. Warren does put lotion on this hands and he wears gloves to protect them when he’s working on things. At one TPI meet- ing, he mentioned to Bob Weerts and a couple others that the lotion at the hotel was really nice. Warren’s hands had been cracking, so he put that lotion on several times. Bob latched on to that and he’s never let it go. He
spread the word to rub your hands together like you were putting on lotion whenever you saw Warren and they even gave him hand lotion as a prank gift.” Don Heslop, partner, BioGrass Sod Farms, Inc.
“I’ve worked with Warren on the TPI Board of Trustees and on many TPI projects. He’s pretty quiet. He’s not quick to make a decision; he likes to think things out and what he contrib- utes to a discussion shows that.
Warren will step up to help anyone out, and when it comes to anything for TPI, he’s right there doing what- ever it takes. He’s a doer. He won’t ask someone else to do it; he steps up to the plate and does it.
When BioGrass hosted TPI’s summer field day in July of 2005 at their farm in Bluffdale, it was easy to tell he and his partners had a very good, very solid company. And they did a very good job of hosting.
I’m a business associate of his in one of his businesses, the fertilizer com- pany Aqua-Yield. There’s no smoke and mirrors with Warren. He’s very straightforward; you always know where you stand.
One thing you may not know about Warren is that he does like soft hands and he really likes his hand lotion.
Warren’s a good family man. He loves his grandkids and he and Tammy love doing things with them. They go to visit the ones in Iowa as often as they can.
Warren is an all-around good man—a very good business man, family man and friend. He is the kind of guy you’d take into the trenches with you because you know he’ll be right there, fighting alongside you and standing up for you.” Bob Weerts, Blue Valley Sod, Inc., Winnebago, Minnesota
TPI TURF NEWS • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016
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