INTRODUCING FIELD DAY HOST WAGNER SOD, LANDSCAPING & IRRIGATION COMPANY, INC.
By Suz Trusty
Growing the business is a family tradition for Wagner Sod, Landscaping & Irrigation Company Inc. Located in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, the company serves the entire Minneapolis metropolitan area. Tey provide sod; commercial and residential lawn maintenance; a fertilization and weed control program; irrigation and sprinkler system installation and maintenance; and landscaping design and installation. In addition, as well as sod, the Inver Grove Heights retail store offers irrigation parts, black dirt, and decorative rock and mulches. Teir sod farms are located in the farming communities just south of the Twin Cities area.
Introducing the Wagner brothers (from left to right): Willard, Norb and Paul, co-owners of Wagner Sod, Landscaping & Irrigation Company Inc., Field Day hosts for the TPI 2019 Summer Convention & Field Day.
Te company was started in 1960 by Norbert and Mary Ann Wagner. Te business is now run by their three sons: Willard, who oversees the farm; and Norbert Jr. and Paul, who run the operations at Inver Grove Heights. Te company tagline captures the essence of their story, “Beautify with Family Tradition.”
Growing Up in the Business Willard says, “Back in 1960, Dad was buying pasture grass from local farmers who wanted to earn a little extra money and cutting it himself with a hand cutter. He did all kinds of other work, too. He did excavation, and tried rubbish hauling and trucking. But he felt that the sod gave him a better edge in life. He had grown up on a farm and liked the farming aspect.” And, the brothers agree, having a big family of eight children who could all help, was probably a factor, too.
Willard is the oldest. Tere are seven years between he and Norb and three years between Norb and Paul. Norb says, “Tere are three sisters between Willard and I and a brother, Pete, between Norb and I, and a sister younger than Paul. While we all helped on the farm when we were kids, none of our sisters were interested in staying with the family business and neither was Pete. He went into computers.”
As the oldest, Willard experienced those early days. “Dad pushed the walk-behind sod cutter and gave me a yard stick to measure with and a utility knife to cut the sod in pieces that could be rolled.”
Company founder, Norbert Wagner, Sr., and wife and business partner Mary Ann, smile as they pose with the company’s first semi.
Willard reports, “Dad and Mom bought the three-acre property in Inver Grove Heights and moved our family there when Paul was five-years old.” So, Paul adds, “We haven’t gone far from our roots; we’re still working here.” Being closer to the city was as much better for the business then as it is now.
48 TPI Turf News May/June 2019
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