Longtime Dramm Corp. owner Kurt Dramm dies at 85
Kurt W. Dramm, the longtime head of the Dramm Corp., died May 16 at age 85.
During his 45 years of ownership, the Dramm Corp. grew to a four-segment business that included commercial greenhouse equipment and other products, the company said in a statement, which called Dramm “a born salesman and friend to all in the horticulture industry.”
A native of Manitowoc, Wis., Dramm graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a double major in business and horticulture. He then went on to work for Vaughan Seed Co. with a sales territory covering the Southeastern U.S.
Dramm and his brother, John Peter, formed the Dramm Co. in 1968 to produce garden and greenhouse watering products, according to the statement. Their mother, Perdita, had maintained the business out of her basement while working as a librarian. John Peter Dramm died unexpectedly in 1978.
Kurt Dramm was known for saying, “Nothing happens until someone sells something,” and his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for providing quality products grew the family-owned business, the statement said.
Dramm is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marlene; children Heidi Becker (Kurt) and Hans Dramm (Sarah Keller); and four grandchildren: Max Becker (Alexis), Noah Becker, Anna Becker and Bea Dramm, according to an obituary.
A funeral service was scheduled for 2 p.m. May 19, 2023, at First Lutheran Church in Manitowoc. A celebration of his life was planned for 4 p.m. at the Dramm Corp., 1425 Dufek Dr. in Manitowoc.
