Harrison Waggoner takes pride in treating every property as if it were his own.

By Tara L. Simmons

Harrison Waggoner’s career has taken him from computer technology with a national company to maintaining heavy equipment for a local business. While each position taught him valuable skills, he noticed how difficult it could be to deliver consistent customer service across an entire workforce. Determined to build a business where he could take personal responsibility for every project—and inspire others to take pride in their own work—he explored several opportunities before finally discovering the perfect fit.

A love of trees and landscaping had already been instilled in Harrison by his parents. His father was especially fond of Black Pines and Japanese Maples, while his mother was known throughout the neighborhood for her beautiful landscape and thriving hostas. Wanting to learn more, Harrison went to work for Monarch Landscaping and Garden Center in Thayer, IL.

Over the next three years, he gained extensive knowledge of planting, pruning, and maintaining a wide variety of native and non-native trees and plants. He also developed a passion for diesel engines and heavy equipment, learning how to operate, maintain, and repair the machinery that would later become the backbone of his own business.

Those skills proved invaluable after Harrison and his wife purchased an acre of timber. What looked like a peaceful wooded lot quickly became a year-long project as they fought through dense honeysuckle, vines, and brambles before finally carving trails to all four corners of the property.

“The honeysuckle, vines, and brambles were crazy!” Harrison laughed.

Around the same time, one neighbor hired contractors to selectively eliminate honeysuckle with little success, while another paid to have brush along the property line mulched and overhanging limbs trimmed. Watching those projects—and remembering the challenges on his own property—Harrison began to think there had to be a better solution.

“One night my wife and I sat down to dinner and a program came on television called ‘The Most Profitable One-Man Business You’ve Never Heard Of,'” Harrison recalled. “I was fascinated as I watched the story of Brushworks, how they got started, and the services they offered—and I was hooked. I realized this was something I could do: build a business, help people, and genuinely enjoy what I was doing.”

Starting any business is challenging. Starting one that requires tens of thousands of dollars in specialized equipment is even more daunting. But Harrison wasn’t discouraged, and Waggoner Brush Ops LLC was born.

Based in Carlinville, Waggoner Brush Ops has quickly earned a reputation as the go-to company in south central Illinois for brush mulching, trail cutting, and land management. Using specialized equipment and an eye for detail, Harrison approaches every project with precision while placing customer satisfaction at the center of everything he does.

“When I researched this business, I realized there was a niche that needed to be filled,” Harrison said. “There are others doing similar work, but we’ve built our business around responsiveness, communication, and exceeding our customers’ expectations.”

That commitment extends even to jobs he can’t accept.

“I always return the call,” Harrison explained. “Sometimes I have to say, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t do this job—but here’s someone who can.’ We always have the customer’s best interest in mind, even if they end up becoming someone else’s customer.”

Currently, Harrison is the company’s only employee. While he may expand in the future, he enjoys being hands-on with every project.

“Having a small business allows me to take care of customers the way they deserve to be treated,” he said. “As the owner and operator, I know when a client is satisfied because I’m the one doing the work. I explain the entire process so they know exactly what to expect—not only during the project, but afterward as well. We can make a property look fantastic, but it’s just as important to talk about a maintenance plan that keeps it that way.”

Services Offered

  • Brush Mulching – Uses specialized equipment to turn unwanted brush, invasive growth, and small trees into nutrient-rich mulch. Removing overgrowth also helps reduce pests such as mosquitoes and ticks while improving visibility for hunting, recreation, and property maintenance.
  • Trail Cutting – Creates clean, accessible trails typically 8 to 12 feet wide for ATVs, UTVs, equipment, livestock, hiking, or hunting access.
  • Land Clearing – Removes trees, brush, stumps, rocks, and other obstacles to prepare land for development, construction, agriculture, or recreation.
  • Stump Grinding – An economical process that grinds tree stumps into small wood chips, eliminating trip hazards while preparing the area for future use.
  • Gravel Driveway Resurfacing – The PR121 Harley Rake quickly removes weeds, smooths potholes, and restores gravel driveways to like-new condition.
  • Soil Conditioning – Breaks up compacted soil, pulverizes dirt clods, and windrows rocks and debris to create an ideal seedbed.

Whether you’re reclaiming hunting property, creating trails, preparing a homesite, or simply taking back land that’s been overtaken by invasive brush, Waggoner Brush Ops LLC has the equipment and experience to help. Fully insured and committed to exceptional customer service, Harrison takes pride in treating every property as if it were his own. It may be brush mulching that first brings customers to Waggoner Brush Ops LLC, but it’s Harrison’s commitment to honesty, communication, and genuine customer service that keeps those relationships growing long after the equipment has left the property.

“The best way to run a business is to be genuine,” Harrison said. “Make roots that don’t go away.”

Those are the roots Harrison hopes his business leaves behind—not in the soil, but in the lasting relationships he builds with every customer he serves.