INNOVATION AND GENERATIONS— ZANDER SOD CO. LIMITED
By Suz Trusty
Editor’s Note: Tis is the sixth in a series of articles showcasing TPI member businesses whose operations are growing through a combination of innovation, utilization of technology, and outreach to upcoming generations, internally and externally. If you have a story to tell, or know of someone that you’d like to hear more about, please contact your editors.
Turfgrass Producers International (TPI) is an association of family businesses; each based on the dream of the founders and built on their vision for the future. Teir commitment to achieving their goals took continual improvement accomplished through a combination of dedication and innovation. Tat laid the groundwork for the next generation and created the opportunity to grow the company by working together.
One Family's Story Zander Sod Co. Limited is a multi-faceted operation based in Kettleby, Ontario, Canada, north of Toronto and just west of Newmarket. Tat site is the hub for the company’s dispatch, accounting and fleet management activities. Teir nearly 2,000 acres devoted to sod production are grown in fields located throughout the Beeton and Alliston areas.
Te company’s website offers this quick introduction. “Fred Zander started Zander Sod Co. Limited at a time when sod was harvested, loaded and unloaded by hand! Over time, harvesters were developed that cut and rolled the sod for a person to pile by hand onto pallets. Cranes were introduced onto the trucks for easier unloading.
Te Zander men, (from left to right) Claus, Fred and Mike, stand by the company sign at the main office.
Now we have automated harvesters that cut, roll and pile the sod directly onto skids. We have forklifts to load our fleet and automatic tarping systems on our trailers! Truck mounted forklifts are able to efficiently unload and place the turf at the site. Times have certainly changed!
Right from the beginning, Zander Sod Co. Limited has been dedicated to quality turf, exceptional service and giving great value. As much as technology has changed our business, our core values have remained the same!” Claus and Mike Zander are the second generation working in this family-owned business.
Growing the Business Claus reports that Fred Zander immigrated from Germany after the war as a trained journeyman in a creamery. He was part of a Canadian immigration program that paid the freighter ride over if you worked on
Technology and equipment have changed greatly over the years, as this truck lineup comparison shows 36 TPI Turf News May/June 2018
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