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DI F F E R What does it take to start a company that produces nationally recognized equipment and employs over two hundred people? Loyal employees, a passion for quality, and about 500 square feet. B Y E M I LY B E R T R A M / C O V E R P H O T O S B Y S W I T C H B O A R D
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ituated in a two-stall garage on a 5-acre lot in Pierz, Minn., Virnig Manufacturing and Welding opened its doors in 1987. “We did kind of everything,” founder Dean Virnig said of the early days. “Repairs, custom fabrication, trailers, attachments.” By 1990 they needed more space, adding a 40-by-60foot shop. “It was a big move,” Dean said. “It took all of a Sunday afternoon to move everything to the new shop.” Today Virnig Manufacturing occupies over 110,000 square feet in Rice, Minn., and another 62,000 square feet in Pikeville, Tenn., a far cry from the roughly 500 they started with. Despite the exponential growth, 30
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