WOW, WOW, WOW – The manufacturers in southwest Minnesota!
It’s Minnesota Manufacturers Week (Oct. 23-29) and to celebrate, Chris Hettig, Director of Renville County Economic Development, invited me to their county’s celebration luncheon. Once again, I was reminded why I love this region so much. The innovative, successful business leaders of southwest Minnesota are second to none!
Gloria Nelson of Loftness Manufacturing in Hector was the speaker and shared the history and success of her company. The company was started in 1956 by a farmer, Dale Loftness, and then purchased by her late husband Marv, also a farmer, in 1979. These two owners built a very successful manufacturing business, providing specialized agricultural, forestry and commercial equipment including snow blowers, rock pickers, tree cutters, mowers, crop shredders and others. Their products are sold coast-to-coast in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Chili, France, Japan and Australia. Learn more at www.loftness.com.
Following the luncheon, Mike Schweiss, owner of Schweiss Doors, provided a personal tour of his business between Fairfax and Hector. I was very inspired with Mike’s business savvy, innovative thinking and fun personality. This former farmer got his start manufacturing farrowing crates for sows, snow blowers, farm trailers, tile plows and the Schweiss Chicken Plucker. But, today they are known for manufacturing two styles of doors, including the famous bifold door and the one-piece hydraulic door. These doors can be found across the globe. To Mike’s credit, he doesn’t say “no,” which is evident in the window walls they made for a luxury restaurant in a new, $250 million Ritz-Carlson Hotel. Learn more at www.schweissdoors.com.
A greater percentage of southwest Minnesota employees go to work at manufacturing plants than the national average. Thanks to the incredible, creative and progressive minds of farmers and other business leaders, we have a lot to celebrate this week. THANK YOU for all the jobs, equity and opportunity you provide to our region!
Do you have a manufacturer that you would like to thank this week?
Photo by Joe Rossi, taken at Dynamic Structural Steel in Proctor, Minn.
