CLIENT SPOTLIGHT
Quality, Tradition, Reliability:
The Story Of Gustafson & Goudge, Inc.
F
rom small and humble beginnings, Gustafson &
Goudge, Inc., has grown to be one of the premier
private construction firms in Minnesota and the
surrounding states. Originally founded in the small
Minnesota community of Clearbrook in 1979, many of
the employees have been with the company since its founding.
The company first incorporated in 1986, and then in 1992,
they became a union company working with all trades. With
the resources they have available, they are able to handle large-
scale industrial and commercial projects, many of which involve
concrete forms, drilling piers, and structural steel applications.
Over the last decade, they have increasingly focused on building
pipelines.
Initially working in residential projects like garages or basements,
the company quickly began to expand to commercial work. In
the ’90s, they were awarded and fulfilled a contract to build a
school, Lake of the Woods, in Baudette, Minnesota. Completing
that large project gave them the confidence to take on more large
projects and expand by hiring more employees. Through it all,
they maintained the attitude that if the customer is not happy,
the company will make it right.
There are a few key things to which the company attributes
its success, chief among them being the attitude that the two
founders bring to the table. That attitude permeates every
aspect of the business and has helped get them to where they are
30
today. The owners are loyal to the employees and, as a result, the
employees are also loyal to the owners. From that, the quality and
consistency of the work steadily improves. The core group of 30
to 35 personnel who help run the day-to-day operations are more
like family than anything else.
The close-knit relationships between employees stem from the
small-town beginnings of the company. Everyone knows each
other, so they know who they are hiring before they do it. From
a 2 to 4 person operation, they expanded to upwards of 100 for
some recent projects, bringing on some of the top professionals
in the industry and maintaining the high level of service that the
founders, Jim Gustafson and Jim Goudge, have been providing
from the start. Clients see that level of service and keep coming
back.
The work that Gustafson & Goudge do boils down to the fact that
quality is king. From that, they provide the best craftsmanship
they can. If you treat your own people like family and treat your
projects like they are being done for family as well, things will go
in the right direction. And family is important to the company,
which is why many employees have relatives working for the
company, including the two owners.
For more information about Gustafson & Goudge, Inc., visit them
online at gustafsongoudge.com or reach out by phone at 218-776-
3379. +