Minnesota Made Podcast

Keith Johnson, the president & owner of Columbia Precision Machine Corp tells us about his experience in the military, becoming a welder, and working as a machinist, Working at Columbia Precision for two years as its general manager before purchasing the company in 2019. Since taking ownership, the company’s growth has exploded.

This is one of my top three all-time favorite podcast interviews so far. Mike Bauer is a man who means what he says and says what he means, he is a man of integrity, a hard-working son of a gun, and a true inspiration. I promise you you will not be disappointed with this episode of Minnesota Made.

If you have a problem with your commercial building and are not sure where to turn, call RSI. They will investigate and diagnose the issue, then consult with you to design a solution, manage the bidding process, and provide quality assurance to ensure the work is complete as expected.

When Sterling Black purchased LS Black from his father, he had a big plan to take the company to the next level, and boy did he ever. Our guest, Brandon Davis, speaks about the growth they’ve been experiencing at LS Black, expanding into new markets, the EOS process, the Davis-Bacon Act, working in his grandfather’s sheet-metal business and his role as the VP of the Federal Division at LS Black.

Two dudes, back in ’98, had an idea and decided to start a business out of their garage. CurbSide Landscape & Irrigation now employes between 100 to 450 people, depending on the season. Just goes to show what guts and lots of hard work can do.

If you’re looking for a fishfinder or underwater camera MarCum needs to be your go-to. In this episode, Jeremiah Cich and Alec Beigle explain the history of MarCum Technologies and how they revolutionized the ice fishing industry.

Lucas Gaughan, the co-founder of Torin Construction has a very interesting story, starting way back while working at his father’s company. Lucas tells his story of working in the apartment business, as a real estate broker, going to St. Thomas University and completing their Entrepreneur Program, starting a fine cigar company, working as a financial advisor, to starting Torin Construction with a long-time friend, to now employing 20 people. Lucas goes on to explain how he truly invests in his employees, how he wants to set a new standard in the construction trades, not only in the finished product but also in how tradesmen are viewed by the public. Oh, and by the way, Lucas is only 28 years old! I got a feeling, this guy is going to do great things!

I felt like a little kid again, stepping out of a time machine and back to the 18th century. If you haven’t seen the inside of a foundry before, I highly recommend it. Reg Zeller, President of Ermack (and several other companies) is on the cusp of creating a legacy for his family.  I was amazed and motivated by his story. One of his missions is to bring more jobs back to the United States and by the look of things, he’s succeeding. You need to check this one out!

BCS I started in Granny’s basement, and now they employ 70+ people. Listen to this episode as Tom Marchessault, COO describes the rich history of Business Card Services Inc.

Steve Hentges of S.M. Hentges & Sons started this business from the kitchen table and a $10,000 loan from his friend and now employs 350 employees while completing some of the largest projects in the country for his industry class. S.M. Hentges & Sons is a family-run business consisting of Steve, Jeanette, Jeremy, Nate, Johnny, and Krystal, listen to this episode as the family takes us on the journey to greatness.