PELLA, Iowa — At a recent Make-A-Wish Day celebration held at
the Vermeer Wisconsin facility in Madison, Wisconsin, Edgar Contreras was
presented with the tools of the trade he needs to turn his dream of owning and
operating his own landscaping company into a reality. Contreras is a
19-year-old from Milwaukee who is battling thyroid cancer.
Orchestrated by Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, Contreras received a new
Vermeer RTX250 pedestrian trencher, as well as a trailer to haul it with, an
extended service package, an update to his truck’s towing package, a generator,
personal protective equipment (PPE) and a variety of hand tools. Donations were
made by Vermeer Wisconsin, Vermeer Corporation and KS Energy Services Inc.
While presenting Contreras with his new tools of the trade, Chris
Brouwers with KS Energy and Bear Reynolds with Vermeer Wisconsin expressed
their commitment to helping Contreras on this career path by offering operator
training, business development consulting and help navigating the challenges of
starting a company.
“Everyone at KS Energy and the Klumb family supports Make-A-Wish
Wisconsin and the organization’s efforts to fulfill dreams of children and
their families,” Brouwers said. “This unique wish is near and dear to our
hearts. Edgar is a wonderful person who has risen to the challenges life has
put in his way, and we’re confident he will be successful in the landscaping
industry.”
According to Forrest Doolen, the director of marketing and
communications for Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, the dream of starting a business is
one Contreras shared with their team during his cancer treatment, but given the
nature of his request, it took some time to grant.
“When Edgar said he wanted a trencher, we reached out to KS
Energy, who in turn looped in the team at Vermeer Wisconsin and Vermeer
Corporation,” he explained. “The three organizations worked together to make
sure they were providing more than just a piece of equipment — but also giving
him the tools he needs to establish a business and support along the way.”
Growing up helping his father install irrigation systems is what
spurred Contreras’ dream of owning his own landscaping business. After much
discussion with his family, he determined that owning a trencher would be the
best way to get started.