Every time Wasatch High School junior Vincent Witt steps onto a home construction site, he thinks of his father.
Joe Witt owned a custom homebuilding business and the trade is a family tradition. Many of Joe’s brothers are in construction as well, doing everything from woodworking to excavating and landscaping.
Vincent began learning the craft at his father’s side when he was about 10 years old. Over the past three years, they worked together daily, until February when Joe Witt died in an avalanche.
“Me and him were best friends, and we loved working together,” Vincent Witt said.
His legacy as a craftsman is scattered across the Wasatch Back. It’s seen in his custom homes and his mentorship of the Wasatch High School homebuilding program.
It’s also in the business that propelled Vincent Witt to a win at this year’s InvestNest competition.
InvestNest is a high school entrepreneurship program where students pitch business ideas in a “Shark Tank”-meets-“American Idol”-style format.
With his dad’s help, Witt started Vince’s Turf and Landscaping. It’s the part of home design where Witt found his own passion; he likes how growing trees and plants make a property shine.
“[My dad was] like, you're going to do the landscaping on one of my houses, so he helped me out there,” Witt said. “The first house, he kind of walked with me side by side, and then the next house, he was like, just call me if you have questions, and the third house was kind of all on my own.”
Due to Utah’s ongoing drought conditions, the business focuses on water-smart solutions, turf and xeriscape design.
Witt first earned top honors at the district competition, where he won $10,000. He then moved on to the regional competition — which includes Utah and Idaho students — and was one of eight finalists.
Witt said he knew his presentation would go smoothly, but was shocked by the win.
“I practically just made $20,000 in that second right there, like, I was honestly kind of speechless, but it was super cool,” he said.
Witt plans to use the money to continue growing his expertise, including a three-month internship focused on commercial-grade turf installation techniques.
He also continues to work in construction and has a lot on his plate. In addition to school and his own work, Witt is finishing some of his father’s projects. That, he said, makes him feel connected to his dad.
“We were really close,” he said, “it kind of just keeps my mind at peace, just working, because it distracts me from it, but it also kind of takes me back.”
