It all began in 1950, when Jake and Martha Wenger moved from Switzerland to start a family farm in Hartford, Wisconsin. Their courageous spirit carried on through the next generation to John and Laurie (Ma & Pa), the founders of Wenger Construction, Inc. John began helping his father roof the neighbor’s barns when he was 12 years old, supplementing the family farm income.

From 1970-1984, John continued to spend several weekends and nights roofing to earn extra money for his family.  His three sons (Jake, Craig & Nick) started cleaning up roofing debris on the ground at a young age, and learned early on the value of a hard day’s work from their Pa. In 1984, John and Laurie created a partnership with another couple and started a small residential remodeling company, which is still in operation today.

The Wenger entrepreneurial spirit was tapped into once again, and on June 1st, 1997, John and Laurie Wenger started Wenger Construction, Inc. Craig Wenger was our first and only employee. John and Craig were out doing the work while Laurie kept the office in order. Lee Wilke was our second full-time employee and is considered part of the family. In 2000, Jake started working in the field, eventually making his way into the office, where Pa taught him the “ins and outs” of the business. By 2002, Nick (John’s youngest son) came to work full-time, which meant the entire family was now a part of the company. By 2007, we celebrated our 10th anniversary and expanded by investing in a computerized auto-brake and power shear for fabricating metal in our shop. In 2008, we started our flat roofing division and became a Carlisle certified installer.

The recession of 2008 hit hard, and we had to alter our business growth plans. The year 2013 dealt another blow to the construction industry, and the Wenger legacy was hanging on by a thread. However, the loyalty shown by our workers, vendors, and customers was nothing short of a miracle! We came together, persevered, and now possess the wisdom that comes from surviving such trials.

Since 2014, Wenger has made a remarkable comeback! Our foundation is built on principles that are the American Dream: hard work, sacrifice, vision, and perseverance. We are truly a family business where all of our employees feel like they are part of one big family. Today, Wenger focuses on delivering a consistent world-class customer experience from first sale to final nail. The key to this is our people and we have made major investments in training and development. Within the last few years, we have become a 4th generation company, with the great-grandkids now starting to work summers!