Marquardt Farm Drainage has been working to provide customers with the best farm drainage system for their needs since the company was established in the mid-1950s.
Founded by three farming brothers who began by tiling fields for their neighbours, Marquardt Farm Drainage was incorporated in 1968. Steven Cronsberry, who began working for the company in 1981, purchased the business from Earl Marquardt when he retired in 1988.
Since the beginning, Cronsberry said the business has been built with the assistance of reliable employees on the principle of providing a professional service at a reasonable cost.
“I have 10 key employees who have been reliable and loyal to help me provide the customers with the best they can receive,” said Cronsberry, adding the company employs “very competent hy-hoe and dozer operators who can do all our excavating work to our high level of expectations.”
Marquardt Farm Drainage makes every effort to serve its clients in a timely fashion, while making sure work is done to today’s demanding regulatory standards – which makes job scheduling a challenge
“We’re dealing with a lot more rules and regulations,” said Cronsberry, including: wetland designations, land clearing rules, fisheries and oceans and conservation authority regulations and road crossing permits.
Cronsberry, who started doing survey work with a laser level and staff in 1981, says the business strives to upgrade equipment to keep up with current technologies and consistently provides competent and reliable workers to maintain a high standard of professionalism.
A graduate of the engineering diploma program at Conestoga College, Cronsberry joined Marquardt’s after working for an engineering firm, to price tile work, survey fields and design tile systems for clients.
A community-minded business, Marquardt’s supports the local hospital, agricultural societies and other organizations which raise funds to help others. Cronsberry was a longtime member of the Harriston Kinsmen and K-40 clubs and has also been a member of the Harriston branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
When he started out, Cronsberry recalls, all data was kept in a field book, elevation calculations were done with a calculator and he had to plot elevations on maps, draw contour lines and design systems by hand. Since 1993 the business has continually become more computerized.
The acquisition of a self-propelled drainage plow improved efficiency; in 1992 a second drainage machine was added to keep up with the workload and in 2012 a third one was added.
Since 2009, survey work has been done with a total station instrument. A computer handles contour plans, while systems continue to be designed by hand in order to maintain a high level of design standard.
GPS light bars are used to set up runs and GPS grade control system are used to install tile. Marquardt’s uses three self-propelled drainage machines and a large-wheel machine to install tile systems.
Today, Marquardt’s provides total farm drainage services, including plastic and concrete installations. Municipal drainage services include concrete installations, open ditch work, hy-hoe and dozer work, ditches, fence rows, land clearing and detailed land surveys and design maps for all projects.
The technology may have changed over the years, but not the goals and objectives at Marquardt Farm Drainage.
“We aim to provide the most professional drainage system possible, and not provide a job where speed and productivity take precedent over getting the job done right using our job design parameters,” states Cronsberry.
To reach Marquardt Farm Drainage, RR 3, Palmerston, call 519-343-3233.
