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Never too old to learn: page 3 On Route 66: page 6 So long, sedan: page 8
g n o l a ’ n i k c u r T Wednesday, November 13, 2019
at Melrose Truck Repair
Big rigs a good business for Norrises BY CAROL MOORMAN | Staff writer
MELROSE – It’s a normal Tuesday at Melrose Truck Repair. The hoods of numerous semi cabs are open while mechanics work on them, tools of their trade close by. That includes owner Steve Norris and his three other mechanics. Steve’s wife, Danelle, will be in the office in a few hours to do bookwork. Mechanics will work on an estimated 12 trucks during the day, some with scheduled appointments and if need be an emergency situation. Jobs range from general maintenance to overhauls, bodywork, tires, grease jobs, brakes and accident repair. In 1994 the Norrises purchased MTR from owner Dale Nelson. Steve has been employed there since 1986, working for then owner Henry Loxtercamp. He had completed the diesel mechanic program at Willmar Vo-Tech in 1985. Before that Steve, who is from Atwater, worked for a year at a truck repair shop in Paynesville, a city where he met Danelle and they married in 1985. When the opportunity arose, the Norrises decided to purchase first the parts portion of MTR, followed by the shop portion. “It was just another hat to wear,” Steve said. They have dealt with changes in the truck repair business and seen steady growth – building to between 60 and 70 accounts. But one thing hasn’t changed for Steve who has been working on big rigs for 34 years – his reason why he was drawn to a career as a diesel mechanic. “The thrill of big machines,” Steve
PHOTOS BY CAROL MOORMAN
Steve Norris stands in front of a wrecker he built six years ago that is used to tow in nonfunctioning trucks. said early morning on Oct. 29, with Danelle adding, “Big power.” “I just like the accomplishment, to stand back and look at what I’ve done,” Steve adds. MTR focuses on heavy truck repairs, Steve said, working mainly on cabover trucks, oil trucks, milk trucks, tankers and reefers and in early years leased JennieO trucks. MTR mechanics specialize in emissions and electronic issues. Steve admits “electronics fascinate me,” while in the same breath admitting, “It’s getting harder because it’s getting more computerized.” Diagnostic equipment helps mechanics determine issues. MTR currently employs three mechanics but they are continually looking for more mechanics to meet the needs of their growing business. “We could have six guys working,” Steve said. Steve’s brother, Aaron, was a big part of the business, working for them for 24-and-a-half years until last year. Steve admits he never envisioned their business would grow to be this big, but he’s not complaining. It just doesn’t leave him much time for farming. You see, he and Danelle live on a farm south
of Melrose, raising beef cattle and crops. ers,” Steve said. So what’s the most common truck “Steve is challenge- and accomplishproblem? ment-driven,” Danelle said. “For three weeks we might be doing Over the years he has learned never thermostats, another three weeks it might to make the same mistake twice. “That’s how you progress,” Steve be clutches,” Steve said, with Danelle adding, “In the summer it’s air condition- said. They appreciate their many “loyal, ing.” Emission issues can be the most chal- repeat customers” from a 60-mile radius lenging, Steve said, “because of the com- of Melrose, including many local customplications and sensitivity of it. It’s either ers. “You learn the truck. You get to know sensors, wiring, contamination or dirty the customers,” Steve said. filters.” He doesn’t have a favorite truck reMTR mechanics do annual truck inpair tool, but over the spections required by years tools in his toolbox the Minnesota Departhave increased. ment of Transportation. “A magnetic flash“Every year a truck light that he sticks on has to be thoroughly the engine and has light inspected, mostly for where he’s working,” safety and operational Danelle adds of what she issues. We keep the rethinks his favorite tool cords for the state,” might be. Steve said. He’s quick to say He estimates a DOT his most common tool inspection can take oneis a side cutter that “cuts and-a-half hours. cable ties that hold ev“If we find someerything together. … It’s thing wrong, that truck all about securement.” can’t legally be on the - Steve Norris The Norrises have road until it’s fixed,” expanded their building Danelle said. over the years. The shop Truck repairs can take anywhere from a few hours to days, has room for nine big trucks. Also stored depending on the issue. He said an engine in the shop is a wrecker Steve built six overhaul can take four to six days and years ago after first using a tow hook to cost anywhere from $22,000 to $28,000. tow non-functioning trucks to his shop to Steve, who has driven truck during be repaired. With that many trucks inside the a truck-related career, knows the importance of getting a truck back on the road shop, Danelle said it’s like “musical chairs” moving one truck out and another again. “These trucks are these guys’ liveli- truck inside, especially near quitting time. “We reload for the next day,” Steve hoods. If the truck is down, they aren’t said. working,” Danelle said. While Steve has a passion for his job, It’s a continual learning curve when it comes to keeping up with changes in there is another reason he figures he will the truck repair industry. There are class- continue working on big rigs for a while es mechanics can take to keep up with – he enjoys working for and getting to know his customers and their trucks. changes. “We could be sitting in here (inside Steve said they work on some trucks that have close to 3 million miles on them. the building) and we could hear a truck, “It’s a process of learning each vehi- and Steve knew who was coming by the cle and anticipating what’s going to hap- sound,” Danelle said. Danelle and Steve Norris stand inside their Melrose Truck Repair shop Oct. 29, where trucks are be- pen and what’s not going to happen and NORRIS page 2 you communicate that with your customing worked on. They have owned this Melrose business since 1994.
“I just like the accomplishment, to stand back and look at what I’ve done.”
2 • STAR Publications Mid-MN Wheels Edition • November 13, 2019
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“Trucks sound different,” Steve adds. At age 54, he admits it’s “physically hard walking on concrete all the time” but he’ll keep doing work for his customers, abiding by his motto – “quality over quanity.” Laughing, he said, “I wanted to be done five years ago so I could farm.” “He grew up on a dairy
farm,” Danelle said. He’s not afraid to admit sometimes it’s overwhelming. “I’ve never seen Steve panic. He gets stressed. To let off steam he goes home, checks on the cows or gets on the tractor,” Danelle said. Yes, Steve has his share of vehicles – among them two “fast” Mustangs,
two motorcycles, a Firebird and another Mustang that needs fixing. “He likes anything with motors,” Danelle said smiling. But Steve’s favorite are the big rigs, so the Norrises will keep truckin’ along at Melrose Truck Repair.
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November 13, 2019 • STAR Publications Mid-MN Wheels Edition • 3
Never too old to learn Christensen provides continuing education in driving BY KATELYN ASFELD
is just as important as the Christensen knows this to initial course for first-time be true. Christensen provides drivers. As a senior trafAVON – Traffic safety fic safety educator, Joseph courses to seniors to “refresh their memory, proeducation does not stop vide an update on driving the day a person gets their driver’s license. As years “I occasionally get laws, changes in a vehicle and to help them undergo by, new driving rules people who come stand things that can be are created, vehicles have to compensate for added sophisticated feain thinking they done age.” tures and different road Another perk of the safety concerns arise. know all they class is a 10% discount It is easy to tune these in car insurance. But ultithings out once one obtains need to know mately, the most important their driver’s license. After hours of studying and sit- about traffic safety, reason why seniors should this class is to gain ting through class, training but they [always] take a better understanding of with an instructor and taking the test, the road is now learn something.” current trends and driving practices, hopefully resultwide open. - Joe Christensen ing in a reduction of crashHowever, continuing es in seniors, Christensen education in traffic safety Staff writer
said. Christensen has been a traffic safety educator for 50 years. His passion began when he was a teacher at Waldorf-Pemberton High School in southern Minnesota. “The principal there convinced me to try [teaching driver’s education],” he said. “I did and I enjoyed it.” Christensen later accepted a teaching position at Holdingford High School where he taught math, computer and driver’s education. When he retired from Holdingford High School in 1993, he taught driver’s education for educators at St. Cloud State University for nine years. While working at SCSU, he presented driving under the influence demonstrations to high school and college students in Minnesota. While teaching senior classes for AAA and Minnesota Safety Council, he noticed a problem. “Classes in small towns were cancelled because those programs required more people than would be available in the small towns,” he said. In 2013, he became certified as an independent provider of senior traffic safety education courses. He will teach the class if ten or more people are available. Christensen holds his
PHOTO BY KATELYN ASFELD
Joe Christensen of Avon is a senior traffic safety educator. His courses refresh people on new driving laws, features on vehicles and road safety concerns, among other topics, in hopes to reduce traffic crashes in seniors. courses in different small towns throughout the area, including Holdingford, Bowlus, St. Stephen and Upsala. “I generally get 10-20 people each time I hold a class,” he said. “This year, I held eight classes.” The initial course is eight hours and the refresher course is four hours. The initial class is for those who have never taken an accident prevention course before. In order to continue receiving a 10% discount on automobile insurance, drivers 55 years old or
older must take a refresher course every three years. Christensen will continue to teach for as long as he is able and continue to surprise his students on things they did not know before. What he enjoys most about his work is seeing people realize they did not know something. “I occasionally get people who come in thinking they know all they need to know about traffic safety,” he said. “But they [always] learn something.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Joe Christensen prepares for a presentation on traffic safety during one of his courses. Christensen has been a traffic safety educator for 50 years. He currently provides traffic safety education for seniors in different small towns throughout the area, including Holdingford, Bowlus, St. Stephen and Upsala.
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6 • STAR Publications Mid-MN Wheels Edition • November 13, 2019
On Route 66 BY HERMAN LENSING Staff writer
SAUK CENTRE – Quint and Lorie Swedenburg, of Sauk Centre, drew more than one look when they took a cross-country trip this past summer. Their trip on Route 66, from Chicago to New Mexico, followed one of the historic overland routes in U.S. history. The vehicle they traveled in was a part of U.S. vehicle history. “A 1954 three-quarterton pickup may not be the most ideal vehicle to take on a 2,500-mile trip, but it definitely was a lot of fun,” Quint said. “It was something I wanted to do for a long time.”
The seeds of such a trip were “sown” in a snowdrift 20 years ago near Herman. The drift covered all but four inches or so of the cab, but Swedenburg was drawn to it. “I got the vehicle because of nostalgia,” he said. “It is a vehicle like my grandfather had. We figured he had a Chevy truck from 1948-52. It was a Chevy half-ton, almost identical to this one except for the grill.” He purchased the truck for $50 and took possession of it after the 1996 snow melt. While it was being towed to his home near Chokio, Swedenburg began to like the vehicle even more. There were ob-
Quint Swedenburg is pictured in his 1954 Chevy truck in Tucumcari, N.M., along Route 66. It was at this point that he and his wife, Lorie, headed north to come back home to Sauk Centre. Next year, they plan to resume their trip along the famous route, returning to Tucumcari and traveling to the finishing point in Santa Monica, Calif. vious problems: rotten bed boards, rust, weak springs. There was also a pleasant surprise. “On the way I would let the clutch out and the motor turned over fine. It had been setting there for about 10 years,” Swedenburg said. The truck became a project that would cover about 20 years (with a 10year break between 2003 and 2013), with Swedenburg, family and friends working to rebuild it. Getting it to run initially didn’t take long, with cleaning the carburetor and points, putting in fresh spark plugs, installing a six-volt battery and putting in gas taking about one day. PHOTOS SUBMITTED
The restored 1954 Chevy threequarter-ton pickup was shining like new when the Swedenburgs started their Route 66 adventure, May 18 in Chicago.
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“When I turned the key and stepped on the starter button, it started,” said Swedenburg. Lights had to be replaced; Swedenburg saw one light was dimmer than the other, an easy fix. “We found one light was a 12-volt and the other a six-volt,” he said. Swedenburg worked on the vehicle in his spare time over a few months and when the family moved to Sauk Centre in 1996, the truck came along. There, he ran his business, Midstate Electric Motor Service, from the Industrial Park. He had access to a shop and began to take the vehicle apart. “You don’t want to tear it apart too far, in case you have to move or something like that; you do what you can,” he said. “It was drivable, but it had no brakes. I had to replace them. We drove it for a while without brakes, you slowed down
before you wanted to stop.” Working on weekends he replaced what he could, including the rotted bed boards and the springs. The springs were really worn out. “It was used as a farm truck,” he said. “It had an original grain box. It never had a tailgate, but a hole to let grain out of; it never had a rear bumper.” It had also been well used. When replacing the springs, he did some research and found that twoand-a-half-ton springs had been installed by another owner. Other items he needed help to complete. The motor was refurbished, the transmission rebuilt, and door opening recut There was also finishing and repainting that had to be done. While preparing the vehicle for painting he discovered something. “It was originally a red, called ‘commercial red,’” Swedenburg said. “Lorie picked out a Benjamin Moore enamel called ‘smoldering red.’ When we took off the trim we saw some of the original paint. It was almost an exact match.” The paint job looked great, except for one spot near a corner of the cab on the driver’s side. There, the paint sagged. “The only thing I could do was sand it smooth and repaint,” Swedenburg said. “I took it to Alex Hoffmann for a final paint coat. When I drove it to Alex’s place the seat wasn’t in permanently, there was no windshield and no doors.” A crack in the engine head was repaired, the interior was painted smoky ash, a nice contrast with the smoldering red. Windows were installed and finally the vehicle was fully restored. To put it mildly, the vehicle looks really sharp. It was ready for the road, but another glitch developed. Swedenburg could not provide the paper trail
for the ownership of the vehicle. He knew who he had purchased it from, and went back to that owner. “He said he purchased it at an auction and the auctioneer said he (the auctioneer) would take care of the paperwork,” Swedenburg said. “He gave me the name of the lady in Herman who had put the truck on the auction.” They were able to locate her and she signed off on the vehicle. For three years Swedenburg had the truck as a bonded vehicle, and then it became his. Even before the vehicle was completed, Swedenburg had dreams of taking it on a road trip. Because he was driving a vehicle that had history and nostalgia attached to it, he knew exactly where he wanted to travel. “On Route 66,”he said. “It is an interesting road because of its history.” Like the Cumberland Trail, from the east coast, the Abercrombie Trail in Minnesota, or the Oregon Trail, going to the Northwest, Route 66 has become a part of American travel folklore. Completed in 1926, it provided a highway from Chicago to Los Angeles, traveling through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. It was a paved way to take commerce from the Midwest to California and back. Many of those who left the Midwest during the Dust Bowl to find work in California, traveled along Route 66. Today, bridges have been closed, and parts of the road are now on private land, but people still want to travel on the road. “Some of it is tougher than others; some areas are well maintained, others are not maintained at all anymore,” Swedenburg said. “When it turns to grass that
SWEDENBURG page 7
November 13, 2019 • STAR Publications Mid-MN Wheels Edition • 7
Swedenburg
Ottawa, Ill., about 80 miles south of Chicago. “On a good day, drivfrom page 6 ing 70 mph, it is an eightto 10-hour trip. In a 1954 is all there is.” Chevy three-quarter-ton For the Swedenburgs, pickup, at 55 mph, it is 12the travel is part of a twoto 14-hour trip,” Swedenyear project. This year, burg said. “This trip took they traveled from Chicago about 15 hours.” to New Mexico. Next year, Before they reached they plan to finish the trip. their friends’ home they One thing they liked was had to wait for heavy the leisurely, off-the-beatrains to pass, dry out the en-path, feel of the road. distributor cap, contend “You stop in a lot of with windshield wipers that would slow down and navigate a few wrong turns and blocked roads, but they got there and spent the night with their friends. The next day they took off and leaving the big city behind, stopped for lunch along the road. “It was in the middle of nowhere,” Swedenburg said. “You could look for miles in either direction and might not see a car.” Almost every day brought them in contact with unique places like the Meramec Caverns in Missouri; the iconic hamburger joint in Oklahoma; in f Amarillo, Texas, there was the Big Texan Restaurant’s Quint Swedenburg (in truck) is pictured with his children, Antho72-ounce steak challenge ny and Libby, Oct. 19 near Chokio. When Quint began restoration kon the 1954 Chevy, Anthony and Libby did not reach the hood of (eat the steak as part of a meal and the meal is free); the truck. small towns along the way,” Swedenburg said. “One part of it has been turned into a wayside rest area and made into a picnic area. In other places there are restaurants, history markers, or some interesting sights.” The 2,500-mile journey had a bit of sight-seeing, family visiting and adventure. The adventure began the first day. They had made arrangements to stay at a friend’s house in
Lorie and Quint Swedenburg sit on the tailgate of their 1954 Chevy pickup. The couple took a road trip in the restored truck in May on the historic Route 66. Swedenburg. “Then, we decided to go back home.” The return trip took them though Kansas again, where they visited relatives, and Iowa. It also had one last adventure. “About four miles north of Ames, Iowa, the engine spun a bearing,” Swedenburg said. “We waited on an off-ramp for
eight hours for a friend to come from Sauk Centre with a flatbed to get us and bring us home.” The journey was one they will never forget. They plan to complete it next year. The truck has been repaired and they are ready to again take their historic vehicle down Route 66.
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and a nearly 200-foot stainless steel cross in Groom, Texas. There were other such attractions, but what they enjoyed most was visiting with people they met. The truck was a magnet of sorts to have people come and visit with them. “We could count on one hand the number of older vehicles. Most were 20 years old or newer,” Swedenburg said. “There were times when you were talking to people and they wouldn’t let you leave.” They met priests, bounty hunters, mechanics and just some great-hearted people. One well-dressed man asked if he could take a photograph. “He did and I asked if he wanted me to pop the hood,” Swedenburg said. “He really appreciated that and took the picture. He told us his friend in engineering would really appreciate it. He was an executive with General Motors.” They stopped in Adrian, Texas, the halfway point on the route, but terminated their Route 66 trip in Tucumcari, N.M. “That is about 200 miles past Adrian,” said
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8 • STAR Publications Mid-MN Wheels Edition • November 13, 2019
So long, sedan BY DIANE LEUKAM Staff writer
SAUK CENTRE – Trends happen in every industry and the automobile industry is certainly not immune to change. The sedan, a staple vehicle that has been a huge seller for decades, is in decline to the point that many manufacturers are taking them out of production. The sedan is generally considered to be a medium to large four-door car with the engine in front, two rows of seats and a trunk in the rear. They are roomy inside, and in general less sporty than many other designs. Many of them will be no more. On the chopping block have been some of the most popular models of cars ever built. The Ford Taurus began production in 1985 and will be discontinued with the 2019 model; the Fiesta also in 2019, and the
Focus, 2018. Chevrolet is seeing an end of the Impala (2020 model), Cruze and Volt. Buick says goodbye to the LaCrosse, Cascada and Verano. Audi, BMW, Nissan, Toyota, Volkswagen, Cadillac, Jaguar and Lincoln are seeing cars being discontinued as well. Over the last half decade especially, buyers have been moving away from cars and towards SUVs and crossovers. There have been a number of factors involved with the change, one of them being accessibility; with SUVs and crossovers, passengers sit higher, with much more ease of getting in and out of the vehicle. In the winter, ground clearance and maneuvering in snow are things buyers have been considering. The more “sporty” vehicles appeal to a wide variety of consumers while their fuel economy performance has been closing the gap on cars. Jai Wiese, of John Wi-
Manufacturers discontinue iconic car models
ALL PHOTOS BY DIANE LEUKAM
Sedans including the Taurus (from left), Focus and Fiesta are pictured Oct. 30 at John Wiese Ford in Sauk Centre. The longtime popular models are among those being phased out of production by the automobile manufacturer in anticipation of stricter government standards for emissions and fuel economy. ese Ford in Sauk Centre, sees fuel economy as a major player in the changes in light of upcoming government standards. “Some of the decisions may come on the heels of the fuel economy requirements by the government,” he said. “They have very high fuel standards. Even
if you kept the current cars you are never going to meet new fuel economy standards set for the near future. By 2025, sources tell us all manufacturers will have to meet fuel economy ratings pushing towards 50 miles per gallon. Will that ever change? I hope so, [but] current car
technologies are not going to do the job. It has to go to hybrid and electric if they are ever going to meet those requirements.” Wiese feels it is all about timing. “There is a timing thing as to what you’re going to bring to market,” he said. “I believe Ford is
coming with an all new car. They are never going to drop the Mustang – never say never – but Mustang is an icon. In my opinion, Ford will blend a Focus, Fusion and Taurus together and call it the ‘all new Fo-
SEDANS page 10
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November 13, 2019 • STAR Publications Mid-MN Wheels Edition • 9
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10 • STAR Publications Mid-MN Wheels Edition • November 13, 2019
Sedans from page 8 cus’ or something like that. I think it will be an all-theabove type car. Current sources tell us we are going to end up with two [Ford] car choices in the states along with the SUVs and the trucks.” Most everything, he feels, will be some combination of electric and fuel,
with more performance out of smaller engines. Over at Dan Welle Southtown, Bruce and BJ Welle talked about the transition from their point of view as sellers of Chevrolet, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram. Bruce has been in the business since he was a youth and has seen changes and trends throughout his lifetime. “We used to sell Buick LeSabres; everybody
drove Buick LeSabres and we sold tons of them,” he said. “They discontinued them because on the east and west coasts they sold nothing and that’s where the market is, the volume. It’s like they used to build homes. Everybody wanted a split level home, now they want to be in a single level. Things change, trends change.” BJ sees the crossover and SUV popularity as a current lifestyle preference
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as much as anything. “I think it’s a lifestyle image, I honestly do,” he said. “I think people have this, ‘I don’t want to be in a car, I want to be in an SUV.” Those preferences affect the market. “They take the market shares from the cars with their smaller SUVS like the Renegade and the Compass,” BJ said. “Chevrolet has their Trax which are little SUVs but they are still kind of car-like. Chevrolet is yanking a lot of their major cars like their Impala and Cruze, but they are going to come out with a new crossover called the Trailblazer in 2021. It’s going to be a compact crossover
but it will slot between the Trax and the Equinox.” Despite the number of sedans being discontinued, neither dealership will see any changes in servicing of those models. “We will keep servicing all of them,” Bruce said. “They [manufacturers] have to produce parts for 12-15 years.” Wiese agreed. “A lot of the power train components are shared with other models so there is no fear of ‘I can’t get parts’ or ‘I can’t get it fixed.’ By the time that happens, it will be so rusted out and not worth anything and it won’t matter anymore. I don’t have any worries there.”
Todd Leonard of Boyer Motor is matter-offact about the changes in the auto industry that affect them as sellers of preowned vehicles in Sauk Centre. “There have always been a lot of changes in the car industry,” he said. “Years ago, people just had the family car. Now they have the SUV, they have the cars for the kids, they have the truck for pulling the camper. We’ve seen lots of changes and I’m sure there will be more in the years to come. This is just one of them. We’ll keep selling cars as long
SEDANS page 11
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November 13, 2019 • STAR Publications Mid-MN Wheels Edition • 11
the Chevrolet Impala. And, he has many customers as we can get our hands on popular cars the dealer- who still want to buy cars. them.” ship had sold in the past “I think it will affect some Some of the most are the Ford Fusion and knowing they will get the k
Sedans from page 10
most bang for their buck for a car, if they don’t need the SUV,” Leonard said. “Yet, I can understand a lot of people making the change just because the smaller crossovers and Todd Leonard of Boyer Motor Company in Sauk Centre shows off a Chrysler 300, one of the pre-owned models sold at the dealership and one of many car models being discontinued by the manufacturer.
[SUVs] now do get better fuel economy, so they are getting the gas mileage of a car, being able to sit high and having the option of four-wheel drive or allwheel drive.” Over the next few years, manufacturers must comply with fuel efficiency and emission standards in the new models they introduce, whether they are cars, trucks, crossovers or SUVs. It will be an adjustment for many consumers,
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especially those who have not experienced hybrid or electric vehicles. “The hardest part for the general public will be accepting and trusting the fact that they can rely on that when it’s 20 below zero,” Wiese said. “Ford has to earn that trust and so do all manufacturers if they are going to make the new CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) standards.”
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he services offered by the Ramler family have been expanded. Ramler entered the Albany business community in 1954 when Ambrose Ramler started Ramler Trucking, Inc. Under the leadership of Ambrose, later his sons, Jack and Greg, and now their sons Chris and Eric, the business has grown to also include Ramler Truck and Trailer Repair Inc., and Ramler Truck Brokerage, Inc. Jack semi-retired in 2015 and Greg in 2019 from the trucking business and have opened Ramler Cold Storage. Greg stated, “It is separate from the other businesses.” Greg owns the business along with his wife Sue, together with Jack and his wife Doris. The cold storage facility will be used to hold cheese and other food items. The 180- by 200foot building covers 36,000 square feet and has three large bays with room for 4,500 pallet spaces. “The three compartment, multi-temperature building can cool from 25 degrees to 65 degrees,” said Greg. “Whatever the customer wants.” Items will be brought to the facility and stored at the proper temperature. The temperature is monitored by computer, with cellphone alerts if
something needs attention. “The items will come in and go onto racks until the customer wants them,” said Jack. “Then they call and we ship them out.” Chances are much of that shipping will be done with Ramler-driven vehicles. Ramler Trucking, Inc., Ramler Truck and Trailer Repair, Inc. and Ramler Truck Brokerage, Inc. are now managed by Chris as president and Eric as vice-president. The trucking, repair and brokerage businesses are employee-owned. Eric and Chris are continuing a family tradition of keeping goods moving to customers. In the early years, loads were often shipments of animals from local residents to South St. Paul and return trips had supplies for area merchants. Today, shipments often include food items and cement panels. The rm transports items throughout the Midwest and beyond. Ramler Trucking, Inc. currently employs 14 of ce personnel, 26 company drivers, 50 owner operators and 14 contractors. There are 115 temperature-controlled reefer trailers, 58 atbeds which include 12 expandable trailers that are capable of hauling product up to 80 feet long and 14 tankers owned by the rm. Ramler Truck and Trailer Repair, Inc. has 13 technicians and two parts men. The re-
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Eric (left) and Chris Ramler are continuing a three-generation tradition of transporting products to and from the area as they manage Ramler Trucking, Inc., Ramler Truck and Trailer Repair, Inc. and Ramler Truck Brokerage, Inc.
pair service has 22 bays for service and repair of trucks and trailers. Ramler Truck Brokerage, Inc. is able to broker excess loads for valued customers. The Ramler’s understand the value and strength of family to their business. Doris and Sue both work with the rm and Chris and Eric grew up knowing it was part of their family. The company also tries to make sure its drivers are home frequently to spend time with their families.
Ramler Cold Storage facility, owned by Greg (from left), Sue, Doris and Jack Ramler, has three bays and racks to hold 4,500 pallet spaces. Temperatures from 25 to 65 degrees can be maintained in the facility. The facility will provide storage for food products for the Albany business community.
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