Greg Lutz Honored as Legacy Manufacturer in Wylie
Longtime Wylie businessman and philanthropist Greg Lutz, received the 3rd annual Legacy Manufacturing Award for exemplifying entrepreneurship and leadership within the Wylie Business Community. The award was presented to Lutz at the Wylie Chamber of Commerce luncheon at Collin College on October 27th. The luncheon was the culmination of a month long series of activities focused on manufacturing businesses in the Wylie Community.
The award, a surprise presentation, was preceded by a video presentation featuring memories and congratulations from longtime friends, family and community members including Rodney Nemer, a lifelong friend, Judge Jerry Shaffer, Lutz' High School football coach, Mike Agnew, President of the Wylie Chamber of Commerce and his mother, Betty Lutz. The video concluded with a message from his daughter, Abigail Lutz who is studying abroad in Germany.
Lutz moved to Wylie as a child when his family relocated here. His father was a salesman who later partnered with his high school aged son to form a remodeling & construction business. After graduation, Lutz served his country in the Marine Corp and then returned home to Wylie. His mother recalled that Lutz sparked to running the business and was determined to see it grow. He presented his parents with a commercial building lease so that they could expand their operations and insisted that they invest in the space. In the years following that investment, Lutz Woodworks, LLC has grown into a thriving construction and cabinetry business employing more than thirty people in the Wylie community.
Early in his career, Lutz became involved in Wylie business organizations, serving on the Board of Directors for the Wylie Chamber of Commerce and staying active in the business community. An early champion of Career and Technical Education (CTE), Lutz played an active role in providing hands-on educational opportunities for students in Wylie ISD; participated in Manufacturing Day programs since their inception 4 years ago; and was an key sponsoring business for the Internship Signing Day launched by Wylie ISD last Spring. "His dedication to promoting the skills, certification and practical education needed to be workforce ready upon graduation has helped pave the way for many Wylie ISD students and earned him this recognition. It's entrepreneurs like Greg Lutz who so freely give back to their communities, that really know how to inspire and educate the workforce of tomorrow," stated Jason Griener, Executive Director of the Wylie Economic Development Corporation. "This award is designed to recognize the dedication and commitment to future generations that leaders like Greg Lutz quietly exemplify every day. He is extremely deserving of this award and we thank him for his dedication to the Wylie community."
Lutz was the 3rd recipient of this award that was established in 2019 in order to recognize manufacturers who were instrumental in developing a successful business climate in Wylie. The first recipient was JoAnn Gardner, President of Savage Precision Fabrication. Together with her husband, WT, they started the business in their garage, expanded into downtown Wylie, residing in the building that is now housed by First Baptist Wylie's Events Center and Jayne Dough on the Patio. Working with the Wylie EDC, they later built a building and moved their operations to their current facility on Martinez Lane. In 2020, amid the height of the COVID pandemic, Raymond Cooper was presented with the second annual Manufacturing Legacy Award in a virtual ceremony. A short video was produced recounting his numerous acheivements and contributions to the business community. Aside from owning and operating a business in Wylie, General Transformer, he was a founding member of the Wylie EDC, Wylie Chamber of Commerce and the Wylie Community Christian Care Center which serves thousands of needy families each year. On October 27th 2021, honored Greg Lutz as the third recipient of the Legacy Manufacturing Award for his entrepreneurship and leadership within the Wylie Business Community.
But his contributions to the Wylie community go far beyond student engagement. During City-wide disasters such as the Tornado in the 1990s and the epic hailstorm in 2016, Lutz Woodworks went to work as a good neighbor. Loading up sheets of plywood, he and his staff drove through Wylie neighborhoods helping patch and dry-in homes affected by the storm. Lutz Woodworks also spearheaded a Thanksgiving luncheon designed to pay tribute to our First Responders. Through the years, the luncheon expanded to include city officials, school board members, Wylie chamber of commerce and economic development organizations. Even during COVID, Lutz continued to hold the event, albeit in a smaller, more first responder focused, format to achieve the recommended safety protocols.