Bill Carlson

CONNECT: What personal traits do you have that helped you grow Carlson Craft?

CARLSON: Being optimistic, which I think is related closely to having a Christian faith. I see the positive things of life. I have patience too, which is also related to my faith in God. I was blessed with good health, and again, I give credit for that to a Higher Power. I know of many friends who haven’t been blessed with good health and they had to retire very young.

Also, the fact that I grew up on a farm taught me two things: First, I learned how to work hard; and secondly, I learned how to accept a turn of events, such as when weather might be favorable one year and not the next.

At the close of WW II, when I was contemplating going back into civilian life, I considered many areas of possibilities where I could be my own boss. Many people have had this dream of being their own boss. In years past I believe it was easier to achieve than now because now there are so many government restrictions. Life, in general, is more complex than it was fifty years ago. However, many of the principles for success still remain, and among those are the ones I referred to earlier.

Some people would rather work in a large group than under someone else’s direction, and that’s fine, because as the saying goes, we can’t all be Indian chiefs.

As I look back, I was fortunate and directed by God’s hand in steering me towards the printing area. When I considered the possibilities for a business, I did check out several, including a small Ma & Pa hotel, a baby diaper service, a packaged sandwich route and an electrical appliance store. I investigated each possibility and it was early in 1948 that I got the idea for a letter copying service, from a US Dept. of Commerce booklet that was filled with ideas for returning servicemen for operating their own business. In those days, of course, there weren’t any copying machines, so flyers or invitations had to be copied either by offset printing or, as in our case, by mimeograph. This letter service idea fit in neatly with our needs. In the winter of 1948, I was considering what my wife could do since she was recuperating from cancer. She had done work for our church in the mimeographing area, and I had done similar work in the Army.

CONNECT: How were you able to mesh your faith with your business?

CARLSON: They were closely allied in my case. We need some power that is much stronger than us mortals and that has led me to believe the Christian faith. I’m quite sure that many people do not see the correlation between your faith on Sunday and living it out during the week, but I think it’s possible and important.

CONNECT: Why retire at such a young age?

CARLSON: I retired rather young, largely because of my wife’s history of illness. I also enjoyed travelling, which was not too practical while being at the office. I retired at 59 and haven’t regretted it because it allowed me to give more time to my family, civic organizations and my church.

I enjoyed the work [at Carlson Craft] immensely and the business was successful, but as I stated in an interview to the New Ulm Journal about the time of my retirement, there are things in life more important than building up a big bank account. This statement was brought to my attention years later by a New Ulm man who had read that article and apparently it had impressed him.

The profits in being in business for myself did not come overnight. In fact it took seven years before the profit of my business exceeded what I would have earned at my prior accounting job.

CONNECT: What about the day you hired Glen Taylor?

CARLSON: We were in our office on 1015 South Front Street, in the summer of 1959, and preparing for a month-long family vacation. I had told the office girls that we did not need any more help while I was gone. However, I happened to notice a young man going out the door after an office girl had given him that story. I asked him to come back because I thought the lady in charge could use one more part-time employee in the stock department.

So the story goes, I just saw Glen in the nick of time as he was going out the door. Otherwise our paths would never have crossed. I hired Glen that day, without checking his references, because he had grown up on a farm and was already married with a child, so I felt he would be a dependable worker.

CONNECT: What about the Buy-Sell agreement that transitioned you out of the business?

CARLSON: Perhaps the most vital thing I did in the business, next to starting it in the first place, was the adoption of our Buy-Sell agreement. My wife was originally lukewarm to the idea because she thought we should stay in the business for a son-in-law. However the Buy-Sell agreement was a great help to the three vice presidents, Glen Taylor, Merlyn Andersen, and Jim Holland. It was also a benefit to me and our family as owners. It proved to be mutually beneficial to all parties concerned.

CONNECT: When you hired someone, what qualities did you look for?

CARLSON: Well, the general employees, when they were first hired, were often students looking for part-time work. I had worked part-time myself when I had attended commercial college in Mankato. We usually selected people who were early in their education so they would have two or three years left before they graduated. I stated at the time of my retirement that I could count on one hand the number of employees that I actually had to fire. And I had over 500 employees at the time.

We did check references in most cases and found that most of our decisions had been made correctly. It was especially encouraging to me in the first few years after my retirement when a number of former employees told me how much their part-time work meant to them while attending college.

Just recently a former employee who now lives in California told me he was impressed by the employee Christmas parties we had each year, which tended to make a closer bond between employees and management.

CONNECT: You stated once that your company goal was to give 5% to charity?

CARLSON: That was our goal, starting around 1970, as a result of my reading about the Dayton Corporation in Minneapolis. I was happy at our working toward that goal, and I believe the firm still follows that principle. Another thing we pioneered in the Mankato area was to provide fringe benefits in proportion to hours worked, such as vacation time, sick leave and so forth. Most firms had hired part-time strictly by the hourly pay standard.

CONNECT: Do you remember much about the Industrial Revenue Bonds that helped you grow?

CARLSON: Yes, that was another thing we pioneered. Our expansion in North Mankato directed us toward the purchase of a ten acre tract in the industrial park there. At that time we made use of Industrial Revenue Bonds as a way of securing lower interest and getting city backing. We were the first firm to my knowledge that used the bonds in the Mankato area.

They were to help grow jobs in the community. The City did not guarantee the bonds but gave their blessing to it. We first used the bonds in 1973 when we built Unit #1 on the Hilltop.

CONNECT: What do you think of “your” company now?

CARLSON: (laughter) The growth of Carlson Craft has been phenomenal, much greater than I even envisioned when I retired. I’m very happy it has continued to grow and has provided a large employee base in North Mankato, as well as the follow-up of many other business that the Taylor Corporation has acquired in other cities.

I was happy at the size of the business when I retired, because we had started from scratch, but the continued growth has been much larger than I could have dreamed of at my retirement.

CONNECT: What do you miss most about Carlson Craft?

CARLSON: I think back to the days of starting the business. I miss the friends made. I cherish many of those relationships even today. For example, two weeks ago, Jim Holland and his wife, Mary, visited me and that brought back many memories of when they worked for the firm. Naturally I sometimes wonder if I retired too soon, but I was blessed with adequate income for a modest life-style. I’m also happy at the many opportunities that have developed for the management level at the firm.

CONNECT: What do you do with your days now?

CARLSON: The early years after my retirement were spent on considerable travel with my wife, Betty. I’ve also served on many boards and committees that have been local and national in scope. Now in recent years, me and wife, Viola, continue to do more limited travelling, but it is still an important part of our lives.

In January of 1988, Betty died. Later that summer I looked up a college sweetheart of mine, Viola. We were married in October of 1988 and have continued a relationship that began back in 1937. I have two daughters and Vi has two sons, so we have a good-sized family, which gives us places to visit. We are very grateful for this as we grow older.

CONNECT: Do you have a hobby?

CARLSON: I love model trains and have had them as a hobby for 20 years. I enjoy tourist trains too, when they are available, especially the Silverton to Durango, Colorado, run. In Europe my favorite train rides were the Orient Express and the Swiss Alpine Express. Photography has continued to be an interest of mine, too.

CONNECT: Anything else to add?

CARLSON: My favorite scripture verse is Phillipians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Faith in this text has helped me many times, especially during the 1951 and 1965 floods and at times when Betty was ill. It taught me loving patience.

I know that no man is an island. In building the business, I was immeasurably helped by Betty, and by Glen Taylor, Jim Holland and Merlyn Andersen. Also, many other loyal employees through the years helped in their areas of work, so the firm grew from one employee in 1949 to over 500 in 1974.

To all of these persons I say thank you. For your part in building Carlson Craft and in helping me to fulfill my personal dream of owning my own business. The Mankato community has been a great place to live, to raise a family and to grow a business.

©1997 Connect Business Magazine