Ryan Wempen purchased Kato Moving & Storage last year and and has been immersing himself in the business as he continues to handle other business interests.
Smooth moves
Kato Moving and Storage takes the stress out of relocation By James Figy | Photos by Pat Christman
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yan Wempen is constantly moving. Over the late 1980s, Mayflower bought Deike and merged into past few years, he has become increasingly this location,” he said. busier as president of the Birchwood Cottages Wempen is finished branching out into new assisted living facilities and industries, for now, but he does manager of Owatonna Self Storage plan to grow in the two he’s and Mankato Mini Storage. But his invested in: assisted living and newest role is president of Kato moving and storage. His newest Moving & Storage, a member of the Birchwood Cottages complex is KATO MOVING Mayflower moving network. scheduled to open in North Since purchasing the business in Mankato in June. & STORAGE 2017, he has moved into an office on What makes owning multiple 417 Poplar St., Mankato the second floor of Kato Moving & companies feasible, he said, is 507-388-9329 Storage that looks out over Poplar putting the right people in katomoving.com St. Constructed in 1881, the leadership and backing them up. structure was built for a moving “I try to hire the best people to company. Although the property do the jobs and let them run with has changed hands a few times, Wempen said he is what they need to do. I support the people and their the fifth owner of a moving company in that location. decisions,” he said. “I personally do the books for all “This was the Deike Moving Company. Back in the of the companies that I own. I know my numbers well.
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22 • JULY 2018 • MN Valley Business