CERTIFIED AQUASCAPE CONTRACTOR - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Construction
Brian Helfrich has been with Aquascape, Inc. since 1995, starting out in the warehouse and working his way up to his current position as VP of Aquascape Construction. He's given hundreds of pond construction seminars across the country and is considered to be one of the premier waterfall builders in the nation. Brian shared his pond expertise as a contributing author for The Pond Builder's Bible, published by Aquascape, Inc.
Brian's creative pond designs have been featured in numerous publications, including Better Homes and Gardens special interest publications, and Nature's Garden. In addition, Brian has generously extended his pond artistry to several impressive, public water feature designs including Epcot® International Flower and Garden Show, Chicago Lincoln Park Zoo, John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and more.
Since 2006, Brian has designed and led the project team for Aquascape's signature water gardens at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, much to the delight of show attendees. In 2009, Brian and the Aquascape Designs construction crew received the Silver Award for Excellence in Landscape from the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association.
In August of 2001, Aquascape, Inc. hit the jackpot, acquiring Colleen Heitzler to be the new Controller. It wasn't long before Colleen's knowledge and wealth of experience put her in the Corporate Finance Officer position, and most recently Chief Operating Officer. Her life is numbers, from accounting to finance, and she strives to help others understand the financial aspects of their businesses. An important characteristic of managing the day-to-day operations, Colleen values the relationships and camaraderie that exists between employees, customers, and suppliers at Aquascape, and believes that the company achieves a great balance of winning attitudes and confidence, along with humility and compassion. Colleen also enjoys relaxing at home next to her Pondless® Waterfall with a 25-foot stream, which was constructed during a 2004 Build-A-Pondless Waterfall Day training events.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Field Research and Contractor Development
Ed came to Aquascape in 1993 as a construction laborer, but a little creativity and a positive outlook on life and business helped catapult Ed to the position of Vice President of Field Research and Contractor Development. For more than a decade, Ed has successfully built hundreds of custom-designed ponds from small backyard water gardens to large lakes and commercial water features. He holds a B.S. in Zoology, with an emphasis in Limnology, and concentrated his master's studies in Marine Biology.
Ed's work has been featured on the cover of Architectural Digest, in addition to having his water garden designs featured in the pages of Better Homes & Gardens special interest publications, Nature's Garden, Irrigation and Green Industry News, and more.
For 5 years, Ed served as project manager for the installation of water features at the Flower and Garden Festival "Water Garden Wonders" highlight at Epcot Center. Ed has worked with Certified Aquascape Contractors on water feature installations for Richard Petty, Jill Rappaport, and other celebrities, and has appeared on several HGTV and DIY channel shows. He was also a contributing author for The Pond Builder's Bible, Pond Building for Hobbyists, and Succeeding and Prospering with Water Features II.
In recent years, Ed has designed and served as project manager for Aquascape Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Ghana, Uganda, and Colombia. In 2013 he was the first pond designer and installer to receive the "Watershaper of the Year" award by Irrigation and Green Industry News.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- the Pond Guy, Owner and CEO
Greg Wittstock, The Pond Guy, is owner and CEO of Aquascape, Inc. He has been dabbling in water gardens since the age of 12 and has a love of everything water and turtles. After experimenting with ponds for over eight years, Greg had a "light bulb" moment during a drive home from the boring summer job he took during college in 1990. He decided that he wanted to do something he loved for a living - he wanted to build ponds. Just 30 seconds later, he had a company name, Aquascape. The next year, he began building ponds during his breaks in the school year. From there he created the Aquascape, Inc. business model, which includes a mix of distribution, retail, and installation services.Greg is a sought-after speaker on topics ranging from water gardening to business success and strategy. He authored The Pond Guy on Marketing and has appeared on the cover of Inc. Magazine. You may have also seen him on Nat Geo Wild's "Pond Stars" series.
When Greg is not working, he enjoys scuba diving and exploring remote parts of the world. Greg has a love of life and adventure; his motto is "Carpe Diem."