Spotlight on Success
Wilson & Wilson Irrigation
Business’ Name is the Only Change for Irrigation Company
Jackson, MS – More than thirty years ago, Phil Wilson was introduced to his first shovel. Phil was a junior in high school in 1970, and went to the Mississippi Unemployment Security Commission looking for a summer job. He was placed at a new business in town, O.T. McClure Irrigation Company. For the summer, he learned about residential and commercial irrigation systems.
New employees had to work their way up the ladder at McClure. The first task – mastering digging trenches for irrigation lines, which was not an easy job. Phil Wilson grew to love the hard work of his summer job and kept coming back for more – every summer. Mr. O.T. McClure and his wife had opened the business here after moving from Michigan. They never had children, but grew to love Phil as if he was their own.
When Phil was just 23 years old, Mr. McClure decided to retire, offering to sell his business to Phil and his friend, John. Even though Phil owned the business, he did not want to change the name of the business. He felt that Mr. McClure had worked so hard to earn his business an outstanding reputation in the community that Phil wanted to, in a way, honor him by keeping the name. Mr. McClure passed away years ago. Mrs. McClure subsequently retired to Florida. This year, Phil is celebrating 30 years since he bought the business from Mr. McClure. As part of that celebration, he has finally made a name change to Wilson & Wilson Irrigation. “We want the community to know that while the name of our business has changed, the people haven’t changed,” said Phil.
The second Wilson in the new name is that of Phil’s son, Taylor. He, too, felt the love of working outdoors. Taylor began working summers for his dad when he was 13 years old. Phil tried to get Taylor to go work for someone else, but he wouldn’t do it. “I wanted Taylor to have another boss, maybe someone who would be harder on him than I was,” Phil said. Taylor did leave the business long enough to attend Ole Miss, earning his degree in Managerial Finance, something he hoped would only add expertise to Wilson & Wilson Irrigation. Taylor has been helping run the business each day since 2002, working hand-in-hand with clients. He has even earned the prestigious IA Certification, CIC, making Wilson & Wilson a certified irrigation contractor. “What this means is our clients get the benefit of working with a contractor that uses the latest in technology and conservation techniques,” Taylor explained. “When an irrigation company is certified through the national organization, you know you’re working with professionals who will take care of you.”
Wilson & Wilson currently employs about thirty workers, varying with the time of year. Father and son plan to keep growing their business, continuing to design and build irrigation and lighting systems, as well as service existing systems. Phil attributes a large part of the company’s growth to the relationships built over the years. “We have great relationships with architects, builders, and developers, who hire us to design and install systems,” Phil said. “Our business relies on referrals from these professionals, as well as our valued residential clients.” However, Phil says the reason for the company’s success over the years is clear. “Without a doubt, God has blessed this business and the individuals who are employed at Wilson & Wilson Irrigation,” Phil explains. “Our faith in Jesus Christ allows us to turn over the daily worries, knowing that He is the Owner and we are just trying to be good stewards of what He has entrusted to us. We firmly believe that if we continually seek His will, the business will be taken care of,” he concluded.
Phil and Taylor meet with clients all over Mississippi. Wilson & Wilson has built systems for athletic fields, schools, hospitals and casinos. One of his most memorable jobs came one day when Phil’s phone rang, and on the other end was one of the most distinctive voices the world over. It was Mississippi’s own Oscar-winning actor, Morgan Freeman. “I thought it was him before he finished his first sentence,” said Phil. “He needed our services, so I drove up to the Delta, and he met me at the door. Morgan was like any regular guy. He drove me around his place in his old truck, discussing his needs,” said Phil. Now, Wilson & Wilson can claim they are “irrigators to the stars.”
Phil understands the service that he provides is very unique. “We sell one of the few things that is strictly a luxury item,” he explained. “Anyone can use a hose to water a yard or flower beds. Our clients take particular pride in their properties and are very specific about what they want,” Phil said.
He learned about doing good work for clients from his father, Howard Wilson. His father was a sales manager for many years for Fowler Buick, until starting his own Chrysler dealership in Jackson in 1979. Phil watched his dad’s dedication, working long hours to provide for his family. Phil’s family is well-known in the Jackson area as long-time business owners. Howard and Phil’s mother, Joy Wilson, had four children: Phil, Kathy, Alan, and Doug. Alan and Doug are still in the car business today, each of them owning dealerships on Lakeland Drive in Flowood. Kathy Wilson Phillips retired from Martin Marietta in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and has recently moved back home to the Jackson area. “My dad was very dedicated to his work, but even more dedicated to our family,” Phil recalls. “I learned that from my dad and today owe much of my success to him, as well as my wife, Frances.” Phil and Frances have a son, Will Philip. Phil’s daughter, Haley, graduated from nursing school and is an operating room nurse at River Oaks Hospital.
Now, the next generation is going strong, firmly planting their roots in the Jackson area. Taylor Wilson is following his dad’s footsteps. He has long since mastered the shovel and is now helping manage the business. And, one of these days, Taylor will do the same thing his dad did – take the reins on his own and buy the business, continuing the tradition of quality service that Mr. McClure started in Jackson almost 40 years ago.
www.wilsonandwilsonirrigation.com/