home made
Granger Machine Inc. Isanti, Minn. By Sarah Colburn
Mike Parker first began machining work part-time out of borrowed space in his grandpa’s Pine City shop. It was 1994. Parker was 38 years old and working as a manufacturing engineer at a large industrial equipment manufacturer. He enjoyed taking on overflow jobs that other companies weren’t able to complete in his spare time. And he knew he eventually wanted to own his own company. Three years later, Parker launched Granger Machine Inc. He incorporated the business in 1998 and expanded into a 5,000-square-foot space in Isanti. His customer base continued to grow and by 2009 he purchased KR Machine, adding more customers, equipment and floor space. In 2010 Parker, with the help of a gap-financing loan from the Initiative Foundation, brought his operations under one roof and doubled his space. Today, Granger Machine makes an array of components. From banjo frames to high-tech sensors, the company produces parts for national and Minnesota brands, including Nechville Musical Products in Bloomington and Contegra Inc. in Savage. Most recently, Granger’s staff has been working on the machined parts for Stacker, LLC, a Minnesota startup company that is bringing an affordable, commercial-grade 3D printer to market. “It is very rewarding for all of the team here at Granger Machine when we get to partner with companies in bringing new and exciting products into the marketplace,” said Parker. We talked to him about grinding it out in such a competitive industry.
62 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org
In less than 20 years, Granger Machine has grown from a one-person, part-time operation into a multi-million dollar company. In 2014, Granger Machine completed 557,523 custom-made parts for companies.