Cultivating intentional growth with sustainable practices

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

January 26, 2023

MANITOWOC – President Hans Dramm said the Dramm Corporation has built its more than 80-year-old empire on being ahead of the game, which started with founder John G. Dramm.

Hans said his grandfather’s creation – the 400AL Water Breaker nozzle, which was basically a water hose with 400 little holes – was seen as revolutionary in the realm of watering devices.

He said the nozzle set the stage for decades’ and generations’ worth of innovation for the Dramm Corporation – which now consists of four business segments – Commercial Greenhouse Equipment, Retail Gardening Products, Drammatic Organic Fertilizer and DRAMMwater for greenhouse water treatment systems.

Today, Dramm Corporation manufactures and distributes a complete line of professional-grade greenhouse tools and equipment for both consumers and commercial growers throughout the world.

Innovation at its core
Hans said the same innovation that sparked the beginning of Dramm Corporation has propelled it into the future – which most recently prompted the building of a new headquarters and production facility.

He said the project afforded the company the opportunity to grow and expand with intention, including a nod to its long-standing value of sustainability.

The recently opened 98,000-square-foot building, located in the Manitowoc Industrial Park, Hans said, increases Dramm Corporation’s warehouse and office space with room to grow in the future.

“Sustainability is part of our business model, and we wanted the building to be consistent with that value as much as we could,” he said.

Hans said the greenhouse growers his grandfather – a florist himself – both sold to and purchased from recognized water as a resource and had an eye on both conserving water and smart hand watering.

John G. Dramm

“It’s the thought behind the original product, the 400 Water Breaker, which applies large quantities of water in a soft stream while conserving water,” he said. “The legacy of that is a key value in our building.”

To that end, Hans said Dramm Corporation aimed to source building materials for the new facilities made with recycled content wherever they could – be it the 100% recycled material carpet tiles in the office or the building itself, which can be completely disassembled and recycled.

In addition, he said the building features 286 solar panels that provide 90% of Dramm’s energy. Though Hans said a green roof wasn’t in the cards, as it’s difficult to maintain in Wisconsin’s climate, the company did install a green wall in its front lobby.

Taking sustainability one step further, Hans said the location offers six electric vehicle charging stations for guests and employees alike, and the pond outside was inspired by the building’s curvature. 

Hans said they aren’t done yet – construction of a research greenhouse is planned for spring, and the company plans to keep the natural wildflower and pollinator plants growing by the pond.

“The building is larger than we need right now so we can grow when needed,” he said. “The flow of operations is more efficient as well. We have a central flow of operations where we can build, have (items) ready, packed and out the door quickly.”

All in the family
Much has changed since John G. began making 400 Water Breaker nozzles in his downtown Manitowoc florist shop on Park Street, but Hans said in that time, family has always remained at the helm.

When his grandfather died unexpectedly, Hans said his grandmother Perdita, John G.’s wife, subcontracted the parts and assembly aspects of the business as she packed orders, did paperwork and mailed shipments around her work as a teacher and librarian.

Hans said that kept the business afloat as John G. Dramm and Perdita Dramm’s two sons – John Peter and Kurt – grew up.

By the late 1950s and early 1960s, Hans said John Peter started working out of his basement before renting a factory he named Dramm Manufacturing Company – which laid the groundwork for the development of an extension handle for the 400 Water Breaker.

Dramm Corporation’s new building features 286 solar panels, which provides 90% of the company’s energy. Submitted Photo

Kurt bought the Dramm Company from his mother and the two companies – The Dramm Company and Dramm Manufacturing Company operated separately for years, until 1978 when John Peter passed away.

At that time, Hans said the two companies became one known as the Dramm Corporation.

Kurt and Marlene Dramm maintained ownership of the company until 2013 when they transferred ownership to their son, Hans, and daughter Heidi Dramm Becker, who serves as executive vice president.

In addition, the all-in-the-family approach to business extends to Heidi’s husband, Kurt Becker, who serves as executive vice president and director of commercial sales and marketing.

Hans said Kurt Dramm continues to have a hand in the business as chairman emeritus. 

Business segments
Hans said the company’s four key segments have opened doors to a physical presence far beyond the Manitowoc community.
In 2000, he said the fertilizer business expanded to nearby Algoma, whereas other business prompted the establishment of a Canadian office and a warehouse in the Netherlands for European sales distribution, both in the 1990s.?

“(One of) our first Canadian employees was a grower and still is, as he was familiar with some of the products we sold and would repair them for other growers in the area,” Hans said. “That became a repair shop and (opportunity) to sell products there and grew naturally. This area, close to Niagara Falls and south of Toronto, has a lot of growers (growing) everything from tomatoes and cucumbers to flowers.”

Today, Hans said the Canadian office has five employees who perform a variety of functions relative to both sales and repair.
“(Canadian sales) followed the same trajectory in terms of the pace of growth (as a big state in the U.S.), although that has been much faster the past few years,” he said.

Hans said the Netherlands warehouse allows Dramm Corporation to ship and warehouse products to serve the northern European market, as well as France and Spain. 

In 2000, Hans said the Algoma location – partnering and assuming operations of a small fertilizer manufacturer – allowed for the creation of the fertilizer segment of the business, which he said comprises anywhere from 5-10% of Dramm Corporation’s business on an annual basis depending on the year. 

The Drammatic Blend product, Hans said, is a 100% organic, liquid fertilizer made from fish scrap, one of only a handful in the country.

Kurt and Marlene Dramm (couple on the right) transferred ownership of Dramm Corporation to their son Hans Dramm and daughter Heidi Dramm Becker in 2013. Submitted Photo

About 15 years ago, he said Dramm Corporation got into the water treatment/water management for horticulture business under the name DRAMMwater.

This segment, Hans said, makes up about 10% of the company’s business, providing holistic water management to the horticulture industry, which he said taps into the company’s expertise in irrigation systems and pest management, as well as know-how in engineering, systems design and water treatment.

“It serves many of the same commercial customers, but a segment of them because (DRAMMwater) offers custom projects,” Hans said. “We may be a part of the building of a new greenhouse or can retrofit existing operations as well. We treat water as a small municipality would. Some of these operations feature 100 acres of growing space.”

Hans said the retail side of the business represents about 45% of sales, and the commercial side – selling anything you’d find if you walked into a greenhouse other than the structure itself, the tables and the environmental controls – makes up about 40%.

Hans attributes the growth in these areas to Dramm Corporation’s reputation for professional-grade products that, as its tagline says, are “the professional’s choice.” 

“That’s because our foundation is with professional growers, and we sell the same hand-watering wands to commercial growers that we do to retail,” he said. “Retail has a larger array and more colors to appeal to consumers… but commercial precedes it.”

For retailers, Hans said that means customers know the products they purchase have a professional foundation to them.

“On the real side, we take cues from professional growers and see how we can evolve it into the consumer space,” he said. “The professional legacy and connections we have on the commercial side can (inform) our consumer products, whereas everybody else in the consumer space is only producing for consumers.”

A healthy, company-wide mindset for innovation, Hans said, helps as well. 

“We’re always taking the lead from the professional side of things, be it a timer or something simple at the spigot,” he said.

COVID-prompted shift
Hans said the company works both with in-house and outside vendors for ideation and innovation. 

“We have regular product development meetings, and in recent years, have hired more engineers and automation experts because a good part of (innovation) feeds into our production process,” he said. “How can we – especially during COVID-19 when demand went up very high, very quickly – get as much product out as quickly as possible.”

Hans said the pandemic was a learning opportunity, prompting Dramm Corporation to shift from a just-in-time order fulfillment operation to one with a more intentional focus on building inventory. 

“COVID created a lot of pressure, and we have almost reversed the process to now build a lot of inventory so we can get stuff out the door when our customers need it,” he said.

Hans said though their reach is worldwide, about 95% of the company’s sales are in North America – with a “handful” of steady customers located in Mexico and beyond. 

“Fertilizer, while the smallest in terms of sales, is the most globally diverse (segment) because we have customers in Korea, China and South America,” he said.

Hans said sales have remained relatively steady and consistent for a long time, averaging increases of 9-10% per year for the five to 10 years prior to COVID.

“It was nice and manageable growth,” Dramm said.

Hans said the pandemic also prompted an increased interest in gardening.

Simultaneously, he said lawn and garden stores catering to consumers and the distributors serving them sought ways to ramp up their inventory to fulfill the growing demand.

Hans said Dramm Corporation saw the company’s strongest year ever in 2022.

“The (fiscal) year ending June 2021 had growth more than twice our previous average, and 2022 was our strongest year ever,” he said. “We’re on pace to have another good year.”

Tenured employees
Hans said the company’s ability to shift and serve its business segments is a tribute both to the managerial team and the employee base as a whole.

Of the 100 employees, Hans said the average tenure is 11 years, and among employees with at least five years of tenure – which is 52 – that average jumps to 20 years. 

“This is definitely a point of pride,” he said. 

Quality, Hans said, is also a hallmark of what has built Dramm Corporation’s longevity.

He said he is the first to acknowledge the company’s products come at a higher price point, but said customers recognize value.
Hans said retail products come with lifetime guarantees, and the first thing most dealers and retailers mention when the name Dramm Corporation is spoken is “quality” and the customer service to back it up.

As 2023 unfolds, Hans said he is excited to have the entire team back under one roof in the new facility and focused on building for the future.

“We’re here to continue to serve our customers as best as possible,” he said.