Employee Name: Mark Hansen
Number of years of service at Pahl’s: 2 Years
Briefly describe your job duties at Pahl’s:
I work in the Nursery during the summer months helping to receive in plants and take care of the Nursery and helping customers with their plant selections. I help in the market when needed, more so when the Nursery slows down as I help with the pumpkins in the fall and the Christmas trees in the winter. I worked with the Greenhouse crew this spring until the Nursery started up and I went out with the Landscape crew a couple of times this summer. I enjoy the variety of jobs that are available here.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Working in the Nursery is what I enjoy the most as my love of working with plants brought me to Dakota County Tech’s Landscape/Horticulture program in 2009, which I really enjoyed taking. I find it very rewarding to help customers with their plant questions and to help with their plant selections. Pahl’s customers are the best and I really enjoy helping them.
Tell us about your family.
I have lived in Minnesota my entire life, growing up in Bloomington and graduating from Kennedy High School. I have two older brothers that still reside in MN and two younger sisters, one lives in Texas and the other lives in Georgia. Our mom is retired and our dad passed away in 2013 after a long bout with Alzheimer’s. I have one son from an early marriage and currently my girlfriend and I live in Burnsville.
What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year? Why?
The morning, because you have the whole day ahead of you, Sunday during Football season and September because it has the nicest weather and fall brings beautiful colors to the landscape.
What is your favorite indoor/outdoor activity?
My favorite outdoor activity is working in the garden, I love putting in new plants and watching things develop. My favorite indoor activity would be sitting down with a good coffee drink and playing chess, either a live game with someone or online on the computer.
What is the farthest you have been away from home?
The farthest I’ve been from home would be a trip I took with my brother and a friend to California for a week in the mid 80’s. We drove so there was a lot of sightseeing on the way, the thing that amazed me the most were the giant redwood trees when we went through the Redwood National Park, they are truly an amazing sight as they seem to go up for miles.
What do you miss most about being a kid?
Having the whole summer off to just hang with your friends.
If you could learn to do anything, what would it be?
I think it would be fun if I had the time and patience to learn how to play the guitar.
What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
I remember buying my first vehicle when I was 16 from friends of my parents, a 65 Ford panel van for 150.00, (Independence).
If you could choose anyone, who would you pick to be your mentor?
Theodore Roosevelt, I did a short paper on him for a Minnesota History class and I was really amazed at how much he had accomplished in his life. I can see why there are so many books written about him, he was an amazing individual with tremendous drive.
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?
I would go straight to the Dairy Queen and order the largest blizzard they make, (so much ice cream). I would actually finish a couple of projects to the house and then I would like to do some traveling.
Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?
When I was younger I was told I looked like Billy Joel, I don’t think he aged as well as I did.
What is your all time favorite movie?
I am a big fan of “A Knight’s Tale” with Heath Ledger, it has an entertaining story, a little comedy and an awesome soundtrack. The whole family can enjoy it together.
What song do you play the most often?
I like a variety of music and I don’t play one song more than others. One of my favorite CD’s is Tommy Castro “Painkiller”, I will put that in and play it through several times before changing it, every song is great.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?
After losing a job of 30 years from a closure I convinced myself to go to school, something I never planned to do in my 50’s. Applying for classes was so nerve racking I almost walked out. It turned out to be the best and most fun thing I had done in years, it was where I was meant to be.
Mark Hansen is an amazing Pahl’s employee! He helped me pick out plants over the summer. He was so generous with his time and so helpful! Very knowledgeable too!!