Penner Sprinkler & Lawn expanding reach

A Lincoln-based lawn and sprinkler business is expanding its reach into Hamilton County, though its roots are already firmly planted here.
Penner Sprinkler & Lawn co-owner Quintin Penner, a 2003 Hampton graduate, announced a strategic change for the business this month, which in reality reflects the local ties of all three full-time employees, including co-owner Ryan Kliewer and newly hired master technician Chris Arnett.
“In the beginning of 2022 is when Ryan and I kind of combined forced and started up Penner Sprinkler & Lawn,” Penner shared. “I already kind of had a base here because I did it part-time for about three years and then Ryan came over and added the fertilizer part of it as well. With his background as a golf course superintendent and all his years of experience it was really kind of a no-brainer, plus I already knew who he was and what he was about, so I knew we would work hard in whatever venture we tried and then it just took off from there.”
Penner had worked for 13 years with the Nebraska Department of Corrections in parole and child support, eventually deciding it was time for a change.
“It just came to the point where I was tired of the day-to-day stuff and needed something that would challenge me a little bit more,” he recalled.
Penner then reached out to Kliewer, a native of the Stockham area who graduated from Sutton High School in 2003. Kliewer had served as grounds superintendent at the Henderson golf course for five years before spending a decade working with a Lincoln underground sprinkler company. Late in 2021 both men decided to combine their experience and launch the business, based out of Lincoln where they both live.
“He kind of approached me and asked my ideas and thoughts on if I would ever be willing to break out and start our own type of deal,” Kliewer said. “I was kind of thinking about it anyway because I was doing some sprinkler work on the weekends and extra hours here and there, so it was always in the back of my head. Once he approached me on that, then I just kind of dove in and we’ve been busy every since.”
Though based in Lincoln, with office staff, seasonal help and a growing list of customers in the capital city, Penner Sprinkler & Lawn had customers in Hamilton County almost immediately, based on the owners’ ties to the area.
“With Ryan being from Stockham and me from the Marquette/Hampton area we knew a lot of people back here as well,” Penner said. “People knew we were going full-time in it and they would ask us to help out here and there. More and more people just kept asking us for help so we were able to just keep building up the clientele.”
The two owners strengthened the company’s ties to Hamilton County in April by hiring Hampton native Chris Arnett as a full-time employee. A 2009 Hawk graduate, Arnett worked for Matt Arndt at H2Grow right out of high school before earning an architectural degree and going to work for Chief Industries. He later worked for  a cattle feed company based in Bradshaw before being approach by Penner and Kliewer.
“So this year we had the chance to hire Chris and he’s been kind of our floater, coming to Lincoln and staying around here,” Penner explained. “We saw it as an opportunity to kind of expand that base even further around here and so far it has worked out well.”
“It’s enjoyable work,” Arnett said. “You would think it would be the same thing over and over, but there is always something different and then just meeting people is kind of fun. If there is something around here obviously I’m the guy who takes care of it, but there were quite a few times this summer I was in Lincoln doing service calls as well.”
Penner said the workload continues to grow in Lincoln, Hamilton County and in between.
“There are still a lot of new builds going on even with the housing market being kind of flat,” he noted. “For the last couple of years we have seen a lot of developments even in the smaller towns. People are also reinvesting in their own house because maybe they don’t want to move now with the interest rates, or you know that sprinkler system they’ve been neglecting for four or five years they want to get that up and running now. We’ve just been very busy.”
Penner Sprinkler & Lawn also handles commercial work, Penner added, where the demand is growing as well.
“We’re doing several Fat Dog truck stops and we’ve done a couple of Runzas,” he reported. “We’ve done a church in Seward and we’ve also been working with the Aurora golf course, kind of helping them manage that, so we just try to impact wherever we need to be at that time.”
Kliewer said the broader scope of services bodes well for the company’s future.
“We do anything from commercial or residential installation of sprinklers to service work and lawn fertilizing,” he said. “We also do aerating, seeding, grading, stuff like that so some people will call us and want something start to finish. We will line everything up and make sure everything is coordinated with people to come in at the right time.”
Now entering the third year of business as an owner, Kliewer said he enjoys his role.
“There is a different aspect to it,” he said. “Obviously you’re working for your families and your employees and making sure there is enough stuff to do. Now with Chris on board we have more availability here with him close. That’s kind of our goal to keep him closer and busier here, then driving back and forth, too, as needed.”
Penner Sprinkler & Lawn can be reached via Facebook, or call 402-413-1215.