Alexa Brisco
I couldn’t be happier with my beautiful outdoor dressage arena, which gives me pleasure every time I ride in it… Unlike most arena builders, Dave is a lifelong horseman. He will not only get the construction right, he will also be able to anticipate your problems, needs, and desires….
“Dave Wisner put in a beautiful outdoor dressage arena for me in a tight, sloping area. I could say a lot of great things about Dave Wisner and K&L Contracting, but the key words are thoughtful, knowledgeable, and professional.
Thoughtful:
Whenever I describe Dave’s work to someone, this is the first word I use. I don’t mean it in the ‘caring’ way, though he is definitely a great person. I mean that he really thinks carefully about what the job requires, ruminates on it, and explains everything to you if you ask (and sometimes even if you don’t!). The careful planning he puts into every job shines through in the end results.
Knowledgeable:
Unlike most arena builders, Dave is a lifelong horseman. He will not only get the construction right, he will also be able to anticipate your problems, needs, and desires. I ended up using him for other work on the farm as well, like a dry lot, a manure dumpster, and paths to the fields, because he is so easy to work with and has such a great grasp of what horse facilities actually need. He continues to give me lots of good maintenance and management tips, too. He is incredibly generous with his vast knowledge!
Professional:
Prior to finding Dave, I had at least half a dozen other contractors come out to give an estimate. Of those, at least two never actually sent an estimate. Dave was the only one who sent an estimate sooner than he had promised. Another two told me they could do the job, but every month had a different reason why they couldn’t get to it. Dave started the job within 6-8 weeks of when he originally said he would be able to, months earlier, which is pretty good for something that’s so weather dependent. The timing worked out perfectly and I’m really, really glad I didn’t go with one of the other guys.
Once the job started, Dave was great about staying in touch with me about what was happening and what needed to be done. Even though my arena is finished, he still checks in to make sure it’s holding up well and will stand behind his work, fixing any problem spots that arise. He also has a positive attitude about all of the challenges that inevitably arise when you’re dealing with dirt!
All in all, I couldn’t be happier with my beautiful arena, which gives me pleasure every time I ride in it. I also couldn’t imagine a better experience than working with Dave and K&L. I worked with a lot of plumbers, electricians, builders, etc., in putting my farm together and most of them did something shoddy at some point, but Dave’s work is consistently excellent. I would highly recommend him to anyone.”
Victoria Collins, Foxbriar
Almost eight years later, our ring still drains perfectly. We are always able to use the ring, in every season, even during the day in the winter weather….
“When we wanted to put in an outdoor ring seven years ago, we wanted to do it right. K&L took on a consultative role that helped us determine exactly what ring and footing performance would meet our needs and expectations. Dave Wisner led us through the process of identifying our requirements and then presented options. When we told Dave we wanted to be able to use the ring within two hours of a downpour, that’s what he delivered. Almost eight years later, the ring still drains perfectly. Dave did all the grading and footing. We are always able to use the ring, in every season, even during the day in winter weather. The maintenance is minimal. We just pull a blade around the perimeter, ourselves, once a year or so for some minor redistribution around the edge. We have never needed to add to our sand/rubber footing, which is the best footing around – a decision that Dave helped us make. Dave’s approach in determining solutions and then executing the work truly is one of an engineer. He does all the planning and research, and each project K&L has done for us over the years reflects his problem-solving abilities and creativity. Dave did a huge restoration of our three-acre pond where the edges of the pond had deteriorated and the berm between the pond and stream had broken through. The runoff and overflow posed a real risk that the integrity of the pond and the stream would be lost. Dave drained the pond, recreated the berm, and installed stabilizing material on the edge.
In addition to our ring and pond, K&L solved an enormous erosion problem near our barn, by re-grading, sodding, and building a fence to redirect the turnout path. Dave also has constructed a functional manure pit that is easy to use year ‘round, and he’s done considerable road repair, paving, and an aesthetically pleasing trailer parking pad for us.”
Cindy Halle, Head Polo Coach, Garrison Forest School
Dave has a great understanding of the different footing needs for different riding disciplines. I highly recommend him, especially for work where an understanding of horses, horsemen and their specific needs is required….
“I have had Dave Wisner and K&L Contracting do work many times on the polo arena at Garrison Forest School, as well as both the indoor and outdoor riding arenas. Not only have they maintained the surface and footing with annual grading and leveling, but they have taught me how to plow, water and drag the polo arena surface weekly. Dave has a great understanding of the different footing needs for different riding disciplines. The challenge is to keep the arena with a level surface that allows for the ball to roll true, while allowing the ponies to dig in for traction, and do so without it being dusty. With K&L’s help, the GFS polo arena surface is the best it’s ever been; many returning players and students have commented on and been impressed by the improvement. Dave came up with a great watering solution for my arena, utilizing an irrigation control to work in conjunction with my existing gas-powered pump and water wagon. K&L has also repaired panels in the arena, rebuilt gates and designed and rebuilt both goals and end walls, incorporating many creative ideas that are both practical and economical. All of their workmanship is top quality and I have never had an issue with anything not done properly. The entire K&L crew are great to communicate and work with. They have been flexible in working around my schedule, show up on time and are always friendly and polite. They put my needs and wants first, and try their hardest to work within my budget while doing the highest quality work. I highly recommend them, especially for work where an understanding of horses, horsemen and their specific needs is required.â€
Dona Ruth, Ship’s Quarters Farm
“The end result… a superior custom footing that is totally maintenance free, even in the winter, when others’ rings are frozen. I trust Dave implicitly to have our best interests and complete satisfaction at heart….
“For absolutely anything we need any time at Ship’s Quarters Farm, Dave Wisner is our go-to guy. Everyone knows that K&L Contracting is well known for excavation and grading, however, Dave has such a depth of knowledge that we depend on him for everything, from pond maintenance, to pasture management, to re-grading rings, driveways and paving — even to plumbing in the barn. That he’s a horseman himself takes to the next level the value of what he brings to a project. The time he helped us design a new, custom footing is particularly memorable. Dave researched a certain product I became interested in, and on his own initiative, contacted and traveled hours to meet with experts to develop a thorough understanding of the properties of the product and how it could be utilized. Dave is so focused and careful. He never does anything at less than 100 percent, no matter what the task at hand. He set up separate areas in the ring so we could experiment riding on different depths and proportions of what ultimately ended up to be three products mixed together. The end result is a superior custom footing that is totally maintenance free, even in the winter, when others’ rings are frozen. My indoor had been built years ago, with no windows. It was dark year ‘round and did not have good ventilation. Recently, Dave put beautiful plexiglass windows into the indoor, so clear you cannot even tell something is there. The construction is such that they make no noise on a windy day. Everyone who rides here loves them. A true quality project. Everyone I have referred to Dave and K&L has loved his work, and working with him and his team. There’s not a more honest man out there, and he stands behind his work product like no one else. I trust him implicitly to have our best interests and complete satisfaction at heart.â€
Barbara Strawson and Brian Scrivens, Misty Gleann
Dave is knowledgeable, trustworthy and creative. He excavated our building site for a large indoor arena, including final grading of the base and installing footing, as well as storm water management and hard pads….
“Dave has worked with many types of footing. He used innovative techniques to mix and lay the footing which resulted in the perfect riding surface. He found creative solutions to overall farm layout and flow, for instance creating a horse walkway in sensitive wet areas. His great knowledge of horses combined with his expertise in excavation and site planning made all the difference. We wouldn’t trust anyone else.â€
Bruce Campbell, III, Former Senior Vice-President and Director
of Land Development, Nottingham Properties, Inc.
David has a long history of experience in large, civil engineering contracting projects. But his family background in the farming and horse industry also provides him with the understanding and expertise to work with small, individual property owners, which today is probably the focus of his target market. He is hard working and honest, but just as importantly, he is knowledgeable in his field and can provide quality construction services….
“I have known and worked with David Wisner for over 30 years. During my professional career as a real estate developer, I worked with David almost daily for more than twenty years on several large scale land development projects involving several hundreds of acres. As a senior member of a local general contracting firm, David provided the supervision, and often hands on, management for millions of dollars worth of highway construction, storm drainage and storm water management facilities, bridges, culverts and large earthwork projects. This long term relationship would not have been possible without the quality of his work and ease of the working relationship. It would have continued even longer had the owner of his company not decided to sell. Since I have retired and David has created his own entrepreneurial general contracting/ general services company, we have stayed in touch. Last year, he was my contractor of choice for my own, small, private bridge structure on our little horse farm. It was for horses and farm equipment. He did an excellent job and completed it for the quoted price. Actually, he was not low bidder but I wanted him for the job! David has a long history of experience in large, civil engineering contracting projects. But his family background in the farming and horse industry also provides him with the understanding and expertise to work with small, individual property owners, which today is probably the focus of his target market. David is hard working and honest, but just as importantly, he is knowledgeable in his field and can provide quality construction services. We look forward to working with him on future projects.â€
