About Us
At Clesens, we're here to help you provide your clientele with the ultimate experience or product. Whether you are a golf course superintendent, maintain residential or commercial properties or manage athletic facilities, our team of agronomic advisors can assist you with developing fertility and plant protection plans with products that work for you. Ultimately, the result will be a superior playing surface or beautiful green space while optimizing your budget and maximizing profitability.
For over 50 years, Clesens has been a provider of turf and ornamental supplies to the green industry in the midwest. Clesens is dedicated and committed to providing our Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin customers with the most diverse and innovative product portfolio in the industry, a remarkably experienced agronomic/irrigation sales staff and unrivaled customer service.
Our locations are open daily and stocked with our full line of products. We provide prompt deliveries, are open for customer pick-ups and have knowledgeable agronomic and irrigation specialists on staff to answer your questions and provide solutions tailored to your specific needs.
Clesens is committed to putting the customer first.
Our Team
NICK BANNACH
Turf Sales Representative
Nick Bannach started working on the grounds crew in highschool and throughout college at Rock River Hills in Horicon, WI. Realizing his passion for turf, he pursued an education attending the Rutgers Two Year Turfgrass Program. While at Rutgers he interned at Galloway National Golf Club for 2 seasons, while they hosted the USGA State Men’s tournament. Nick Came Back to Rock River Hills in 2013 to become the Superintendent. After 2 seasons there, he went to Green Bay Country Club as the Assistant Superintendent, ultimately leading to his most recent position as GM and GC Superintendent at Oshkosh Country Club.
Email nbannach@clesens.com
Cell (847) 561-3139
Twitter @NickBannach
CHRIS GOEBEN
Irrigation Service Technician
Chris Goeben started working on the grounds crew in high school at Crystal Springs Golf Course in Seymour, WI. After Attending Fox Valley Technical College for a year for web design he realized that he would rather spend his time on the golf course instead of in front of a computer. He then went to the Rutgers Two Year Turfgrass Program. While at Rutgers he did his internship at Whistling Straits. Working one year on the Irish Course and the following year working on the Straits Course for the 2010 PGA Championship. Chris then went on to be the Assistant Superintendent at Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah, Wi. This led him to his most recent position as Superintendent at Glacier Wood Golf Club in Iola, WI. Chris is very excited to continue in the industry helping superintendents with irrigation solutions.
Email cgoeben@clesens.com
Cell (262) 202-3000
Twitter @chgoeben
LYDIA BRACE
Customer Care Specialist
Accounts Receivables
Lydia is from the Western Suburbs of Chicago and has a degree in Accounting from Colorado Technical University. She proudly served her country in the United States Navy for four years, has worked in the accounting field for several fortune 500 companies for over 10 years and is a registered tax preparer. She is excited to work with all of our customers and support the entire Clesens team.
Email lbrace@clesens.com
Cell (847) 941-9015
Zac Houfek
Irrigation Purchaser
Branch Manager - Germantown
Golf Sales
Zac brings over 20 years of expertise in the green industry to Clesens. Zac earned his associates degree in Ornamental horticulture and Sports Turf from Kishwaukee College in Dekalb, Illinois. He started his career interning at Westmoor Country Club, and landed his first job at Milwaukee Country Club as 2nd Assistant Superintendent. He then joined the team at Wisconsin Club where he worked for four years as the Assistant Superintendent. After 10 years in the golf industry Zac transitioned to sales providing turf and ornamental supplies to Milwaukee area Landscape Contractors and golf courses.
Email zhoufek@clesens.com
Cell (262) 352-4186
Twitter @zhoufek
MATT KINNARD
Director of Sales
Matt graduated with a bachelors degree in horticulture from UW-River Falls. After graduation, Matt took the position of superintendant at Rock River Hills Golf Club in Horicon, WI. In the winter of 2008, Matt joined DHD and became a trusted advisor to his clients. In 2014, Matt started PROturf Solutions, a turf distribution company. A year later PROturf Solutions and Arthur Clesen Inc merged to become Clesens. Matt is an owner in the company.
Email mkinnard@clesens.com
Cell (262) 720-0251
Twitter @clesen_mk
ADAM LESMEISTER
Golf & Irrigation Sales Representative - Minnesota
Adam was born and raised in West Central Minnesota, where he was dropped off at the golf course in the morning, and picked up late in the afternoon. Naturally, he worked on the grounds crew, as well as behind the counter through high school. From there, he attended North Dakota State University receiving a degree in Sports and Urban Turfgrass Management. In addition, Adam also received an associates degree in Business, Sales and Marketing. After college he landed an internship in East Texas at Hollytree Country Club, and was offered the Assistant Superintendent position in 2010. In 2013, Adam and his wife moved back home to Minnesota. He joined Prestwick GC in Woodbury, MN where he spent 6 years as the 1st Assistant Superintendent. Adam is excited to continue to serve the industry that he loves as a trusted sales representative at Clesens.
Email alesmeister@clesens.com
Cell (320) 287-1720
Twitter @AdamLesmeister
MIKE MUMPER
Regional Sales Representative
Mike has worked in the golf industry for over 25 years and got his start in the golf course management business at Skokie Country Club while attending Michigan State University. After college Mike worked at both private and public courses in the Chicagoland area, including Ravisloe CC, Park Ridge CC and Arrowhead GC. Mike made the transition to Manufactures Representative in 2016 and covered the Midwest for both SePRO and Sipcam Agro. Mike is responsible for helping bring solutions to Turf Professionals in the Chicago south suburbs, NW Indiana, and SW Michigan.
Email mmumper@clesens.com
Cell (708) 259-4354
Twitter @mmumps55
ALISON RILEY
Mokena Branch Manager / Sales
Alison was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago graduating from Joliet Jr College with an associates degree in turf management. She started her journey in the golf industry landing a summer job as a beverage cart attendant working her way up to superintendent. Alison has worked at quite a handful of courses in the Chicagoland area. Eventually she decided to try a different route and ended up in an operations role of a landscape company. After taking a couple years off in the industry Alison is excited to be back in the field and even more excited to become part of the Clesen team.
Email ariley@clesens.com
Cell (708) 724-9290
MARK SIMON
Landscape, Arborist, Lawn Care Sales; Purchaser
ERIK SPONG
Turf Sales Representative
Erik Spong found his passion for turf during his summer job before college and decided to pursue a career in turf management at Illinois Central College. He worked at Weaver Ridge Golf Club in Peoria, Illinois during and after college working his way up to Golf Course Superintendent. In 2013 he started a new chapter, transitioning to sales and development by joining the Intelligro team, selling Civitas, as the Midwest Sales Representative. After a brief stint doing distributor sales during Covid he went back to being a Midwest manufacturer representative with Sipcam Agro in 2022. He joins the Clesens team excited to provide excellent support and solutions for turf managers in his territory.
Eric Styck
Turf & Irrigation Sales Representative
Eric has had the good fortune of compiling over 20 years in the turf industry. After graduating from University of Illinois with a degree in Ornamental Horticulture he took an assistant position at Medinah CC, where he helped play host to the 2006 PGA Championship. In 2008 he moved to San Francisco and took an assistant position on the famed Lake Course at The Olympic Club. While there he played in integral role in a renovation before hosting the US Open in 2012 and assuming the Superintendent role in 2013. After returning to the Midwest Eric served as the Branch Manager of Clesens Germantown facility for 5 years before accepting a Superintendent role at his most recent position at The Practice Station in New Berlin, WI. Eric believes in building strong relationship based connections and looks forward to serving the Milwaukee and Chicagoland areas in support of all their irrigation needs.
LISA TOMSHECK
President
Lisa Tomsheck is the President of Clesens, a third-generation family business. Clesens is certified by the City of Chicago & State of Illinois as a WBE - woman business enterprise since 2008. She joined Clesens in 1985. Lisa is an active Board member of the Entrepreneur and Family Business Council since 2011 and has served as Forum Chair of Chairs, Forum Moderator and as a member of the Marketing and Membership Advisory Panel. She has a passion for continuing to evolve EFBC’s protocols to ensure members get the most value out of the Forum experience.
Lisa graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. While attending NMU she was inducted into NMU Hall of Fame in 2019, finished second in the nation as a junior for 1 meter springboard diving and was crowned National Champion as a senior. Lisa is an avid runner and snowboarder.
Email ltomsheck@clesens.com
Twitter @Ltomsheck
ROB WASSER
Regional Sales Representative
Rob is a graduate of Northwestern College and has over 30 years of experience in the golf industry. He began his career at Abbey Springs while attending college, and then took his first Assistant Superintendents job at Big Foot Country Club after he graduated. For the last 21 years he has worked in various roles for LESCO and John Deere Landscapes selling agronomic products in southern Wisconsin.
Email rwasser@clesens.com
Cell (262) 221-5524
Twitter @robertrwasser
STEVE WASSER
Regional Sales Representative
Steve has 30 years in the golf business and is a graduate of Northwestern College. He began his golf career at Abbey Springs where he worked for seven year, then 3 years at Prairie du Chien CC as the Superintendent. For the last 21 years Steve has been selling agronomic products to golf courses and lawn care companies throughout northern WI and the U.P. of Michiagn as a sales agronomist for Lesco and John Deere Landscapes.
Email swasser@clesens.com
Cell (920) 225-9658
Twitter @clesen_sw
KEVIN WEST
Golf & Irrigation Sales Representative - Chicago
Kevin graduated in 1980 from Western Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science degree specializing in Ornamental Horticulture. After graduation Kevin worked as superintendent at Golfmohr Golf Course in the Quad Cities. In 1986 he took the assistant superintendent position at Kankakee Country Club. After two years at Kankakee, Kevin went to Olympia Fields Country Club as an assistant eventually moving up to second superintendent in 1989. He went on to work 16 years at Olympia Fields which during that time hosted the 1997 U.S. Senior Open and the 2003 U.S. Open. In 2004 Kevin went to work for Hydrologic in Rain Bird golf sales eventually ending up working for Rain Bird Services in 2010 when they took over golf irrigation sales in the Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin market. Kevin joins Arthur Clesen in 2017 as an irrigation and turf sales specialist working in northeast and central Illinois.
Email kwest@clesens.com
Cell (708) 341-1687
Twitter @west_westgolf
RYDER UNDERWOOD
Golf & Irrigation Sales Representative - Wisconsin & NW Illinois
Ryder grew up in Kokomo, IN where he started working at a golf course as a Cart Attendant then made the switch to maintenance and never looked back. He graduated from Michigan State University in 2003. Upon graduation Ryder worked at 3 different courses in Michigan until moving to Illinois in 2010. He was the Assistant Superintendent at Whisper Creek GC in Huntley, IL and in 2015 accepted the Assistant Superintendent position at Forest Hills CC in Rockford, IL. In 2021 he was promoted to Superintendent of Forest Hills CC. Ryder is very excited to continue to serve the industry that he has been a part of since he was a kid as a trusted sales representative at Clesens.
Email runderwood@clesens.com
Cell (309) 314-1937
Twitter @ryderunderwood8