“I started this business with a $25,000 bank loan that my dad co-signed for,” explained Ted Giese, owner of GP Welding in Delano. “I took that money and bought two welders, a welding table, a saw, and a plasma cutter. I worked out of a 10′ by 10′ space in my dad’s garage. It was just about all a 19-year-old could afford.”
Fast forward to today, and Ted has grown his business from that humble beginning to owning three 5,000-square-foot buildings.
GP Welding provides contract welding, fabrication and manufacturing services. As Ted explained, “We can take an idea from the back of a napkin, work up a CAD (computer aided design) drawing, and then deliver a finished product.”
GP Welding also partners with other companies to fabricate finished products. They work with another Delano company, Sensors, Inc., to produce food grade industrial products for General Mills. During the North Dakota oil boom a few years ago, they fulfilled large orders for 40-foot shipping containers used for hauling oil. And on the other end of the spectrum, they fabricate small miscellaneous parts for ice cream machines.
In addition to projects for large customers, Ted has continued to keep GP Welding’s doors open for the public. GP Welding continues to have customers walk in off the street with requests for various home projects.
“We continue to provide that service to the public,” said Ted. “When I was just starting out, I wanted to make sure we could serve any customer willing to pay for our work. Now with the growth we’ve experienced, we know it’s more important to keep up with all the small and large orders for our customers. It keeps us busy every day, but I guess that’s a good problem to have.”
GP Welding employs three full-time and two part-time employees with an additional two or three contractors that Ted can call to respond to business demands. When he first started out, there was some seasonality to the business, but for the past three or four years, business volume has been steady throughout the year.
“Luckily for us, we have customers in every field, so we stay busy all year long,” said Ted. “Since the pandemic hit last year, we’ve been fortunate enough to stay busy. We’ve been able to respond to a variety of projects from the food industry to recreation.”
GP Welding is a new customer at Minnesota Lakes Bank. Ted had done his banking in Maple Plain his whole life. When he opened the shop in Delano, it made more sense for him to move his business to a local bank.
“One of my dad’s friends mentioned that his bank, Minnesota Lakes Bank, had helped him with a loan,” said Ted. “I wasn’t really looking for a new bank in the midst of COVID last year, but Sherry Valley made it very easy for me to get a loan and purchase necessary large items for my company. It was a pretty easy decision to move our banking business to Minnesota Lakes Bank after that. Sherry helped me transfer all my banking information from Maple Plain Bank to Minnesota Lakes Bank. She made the whole process pain-free.”
Ted commutes to his Delano shop from his home in Albertville where he, his wife and two young sons live. The 30-minute drive home helps him collect his thoughts before and after the work day.
“I’ve been blessed with the growth of our business,” he said. “It’s amazing how well word-of-mouth works. It’s a good reminder to make sure we keep our customers satisfied.”