Teen, 16, Goes Into Tree-Tapping Business, Gets Own Brand of Maple Syrup in 100 Stores
An entrepreneurial teen with a soft spot for maple syrup is inspiring others by running a thriving company at the age of 16.
High school junior Will Wanish started out tapping maple trees in his own backyard in Colfax, Wisconsin. In 2019, he used money earned working at a neighbor’s dairy farm to build his first steel sugar shed.
Securing a microloan from a regional business fund, he furnished the shed with $30,000 worth of specialized equipment, allowing him to collect sap from around 3,000 taps on 1,000 trees on land owned by his grandparents and neighbors.