Made in the Land of 10,000 Lakes

In 1946, as America emerged from World War II, Burt and his wife Vivian had a vision: bring the comfort and authenticity of Native American moccasins to a nation hungry for quality footwear.

Working from a small shop in Red Wing, they began handcrafting moccasins using techniques passed down through generations.

They understood something important—these weren't just shoes, they were a connection to simpler times, to craftsmanship that prioritized comfort over convenience.

When the counterculture movement embraced authentic, handcrafted goods in the 1960s and 70s, Minnetonka was ready.

Today, the company remains committed to the same principles: use real leather, maintain traditional construction methods, and never compromise on the authentic moccasin experience.

Every Minnetonka moccasin begins with carefully selected, full-grain leather—never synthetic, always genuine.

The leather is cut into precise patterns, then hand-stitched using the traditional moccasin construction that has remained largely unchanged for decades.

What sets Minnetonka apart is their commitment to the authentic 'soft-sole' design, which allows the foot to flex naturally while maintaining durability through reinforced stitching at stress points.

The iconic sole wrapping technique, where leather is wrapped around the bottom and hand-stitched to the upper, requires skilled artisans who understand the balance between flexibility and longevity.

Each pair is individually inspected, ensuring that only moccasins meeting their exacting standards reach customers.

In 1905, Charles Beckman founded Red Wing Shoes with a simple mission: create boots tough enough for the iron miners of Minnesota's Mesabi Range.

He knew these men needed footwear that wouldn't quit, boots that could withstand harsh chemicals, constant moisture, and the brutal demands of underground mining.

While other companies chased cheap production, Beckman invested in quality materials and construction methods that would make his boots legendary.

What started as a solution for miners became an American icon—beloved by workers, ranchers, military personnel, and anyone who values boots that get better with age.

A century later, those same boot lasts and construction techniques continue to produce boots that outlast their owners.

The secret to Red Wing's longevity lies in their process, which hasn't changed fundamentally in over a century.

Each boot begins with leather from their own S.B.

Foot Tannery—a facility they've operated since the 1890s.

The leather is vegetable-tanned, a process that takes weeks instead of days but creates leather with unmatched durability and the ability to develop a rich patina over time.

The leather is then cut into dozens of precise pieces using patterns that have been refined for generations.

The upper is attached to the sole using a Goodyear welt construction—a method that allows the boots to be re-soled repeatedly, extending their life indefinitely.

Each boot is lasted by hand, ensuring proper fit and shape before it enters the oven-like drying room where the adhesives cure.

1902: Five businessmen pooled $2,000 to mine a mineral called corundum, thinking they'd sell it to grinding wheel manufacturers.

The corundum was worthless, but the company they formed—Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing—would go on to transform how the world adheres, protects, and innovates.

When their mining venture failed spectacularly, the founders pivoted to sandpaper, then invented masking tape, then transparent tape.

Each innovation built upon the last, creating what we now know as 3M: a company that doesn't just manufacture products, it solves problems.

Their '15% Culture'—allowing employees to spend 15% of their time on passion projects—has led to innovations from Post-it Notes to medical imaging technology.

It's a uniquely American story: failure turned into fortune through relentless innovation.

3M's manufacturing process is as diverse as their product line, but it shares a common thread: precision and innovation.

For adhesive products, it starts with polymer chemistry—creating molecules that can stick when needed, but not too much, and can be formulated to stick to different surfaces under different conditions.

Their research labs develop adhesives that can function at extreme temperatures, underwater, or in the vacuum of space.

For their famous Post-it Notes, the adhesive must be strong enough to hold paper but weak enough to remove without residue—a delicate balance achieved through microsphere technology.

Each product line has specialized manufacturing: clean rooms for medical devices, coating lines for films and graphics, and compounding facilities for abrasives.

What unites them all is 3M's commitment to innovation, where failure is seen as a stepping stone to breakthrough.

In 1987, the Minneapolis-St.

Paul airport needed to expand, but there was a problem: the land was already home to the world's largest mall under construction.

Rather than abandon the project, developer Ghermezian brothers saw an opportunity to reimagine what a mall could be.

They didn't just want a shopping center—they wanted a destination that would define retail for the next century.

When Mall of America opened in 1992, it featured not just stores, but an indoor theme park, an aquarium, and unique attractions that had never been attempted at scale.

While e-commerce would eventually transform retail, Mall of America evolved with it, adding entertainment venues, hosting major conventions, and creating jobs for 15,000 people.

It's a testament to American adaptability—evolving while staying true to its core mission.

Running America's largest mall requires an industrial-scale approach to operations and management.

The 5.6 million square foot facility houses over 500 stores, requiring sophisticated systems for everything from climate control to waste management.

Mall of America's approach focuses on creating an ecosystem where retailers can thrive: they provide infrastructure support, marketing services, and operational expertise that helps smaller brands compete with online retailers.

The facility features advanced building automation systems that manage energy use across millions of square feet, while their maintenance teams handle everything from escalator repairs to parking lot resurfacing.

What makes their model successful isn't just scale—it's understanding that their success is directly tied to the success of every tenant, from international brands to local artisans.

The Schwegmann family immigrated from Germany in the 1920s, bringing with them recipes and techniques that had been refined over centuries in European delis.

They settled in St.

Paul's historic Germanic neighborhood, where they opened a small deli that quickly became known for meats and cheeses that tasted like they were imported from the Old Country.

What set Schwegmann apart wasn't just authenticity—it was their refusal to compromise on quality, even when mass production could have made them rich.

When World War II made imported European products scarce, Schwegmann filled the gap, teaching Americans about salami that was cured the traditional way, cheeses that weren't processed, and breads that were actually baked, not manufactured.

Today, the company remains committed to small-batch production and time-honored methods.

Schwegmann's production methods would be recognizable to deli craftsmen from a century ago.

Their sausages are mixed by hand in small batches, using only pork shoulder and beef from regional farms—no mechanized mixing or industrial shortcuts.

The meat is stuffed into natural casings using traditional hand-cranked stuffers, which produce sausages with the proper texture that machine-stuffed products can't match.

The curing process is where patience becomes art: salami is hung in temperature-controlled rooms for months, developing complex flavors through natural fermentation.

Their European-style cheeses are made in copper kettles using starter cultures that have been cultivated in-house for generations.

Every step honors traditional methods, because Schwegmann understands that good food can't be rushed—quality emerges from time, skill, and respect for tradition.

In 1897, a German immigrant named Otto Jostens started a watch and jewelry repair business in St.

Paul.

Little did he know that his small shop would eventually become the keeper of America's most precious memories.

The company evolved naturally—repairing jewelry led to manufacturing it, and soon Jostens was creating class rings for Minnesota students.

What made them special wasn't just the jewelry—it was understanding that these products marked life's most important moments.

When high school graduates needed something to commemorate years of hard work, Jostens delivered rings that would become family heirlooms.

When schools needed yearbooks that could preserve memories for decades, Jostens pioneered binding techniques and paper quality that ensured those memories would last.

Today, they've helped millions of Americans mark graduations, anniversaries, and achievements.

Creating products that commemorate life's milestones requires an extraordinary attention to detail and quality.

Jostens begins with precious metals—gold, silver, and platinum—selected for their ability to hold up to daily wear while maintaining their beauty.

For class rings, the process is part jewelry-making, part precision engineering: molten metal is cast into molds created from hand-carved models, then hand-fitted with stones that are set using techniques passed down through generations of jewelers.

Yearbooks undergo a completely different process—one that more closely resembles fine book publishing.

Premium papers are selected for their ability to reproduce photos accurately, while binding techniques ensure books can be opened flat without breaking.

Every product must meet Jostens' exacting standards, because they know that these aren't just objects—they're vessels for memory.