Owner of Red Maple Drywall describes her journey to this nontraditional career

By Andrea Busche ~ Laura Kleive ~

Asthe founder and owner of Red Maple Drywall, LLC, the workday is an active one for Two Harbors resident Laura Kleive. She offers a variety of services for her clients — who are mostly residential, with a few businesses in the mix — all related to drywall work.

This includes taping and texturing, priming and painting, repairing damage to walls, and texture matching. She can even remove the rough, bumpy texture from unappealing “popcorn ceilings.” Her jobs include new construction as well as remodeling projects.

The job is physically demanding, but this is an upside for Kleive.

“The pails of mud I carry are 45 to 50 pounds,” she said. “And I definitely get a lot of steps. It helps me stay fit. I like that it’s hard work, and that I’m busy all daylong.”

All of these tasks are carried out solo: Kleive is her business’ sole employee. In addition to being a busy entrepreneur, Kleive is also a wife, mother, homeowner, volunteer coach, and even the head election judge for Silver Creek Township.

From the North Shore

Kleive was born in St. Cloud, but grew up mostly in Silver Creek Township on Minnesota’s North Shore. Her father worked for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and her mother was a homemaker and prolific volunteer. Later, when Kleive and her younger sister, Cynthia, were a little older, their mom served as the clerk for Silver Creek Township.

Kleive has always been on the go and enjoyed several highenergy sports in her youth. She played basketball and volleyball, and also enjoyed cross-country skiing.

She met her future husband, David Kleive, when her mom was babysitting his younger sister. Kleive graduated from Two Harbors High School in 1995, and the couple were married in 1996.

Adventurous newlyweds

The Kleives moved to Alexandria, Minnesota, while David pursued his education as a diesel mechanic. Later, when David landed a job with Ames Construction, the couple traveled around the country in a fifth-wheel camper, following the work. Their travels ultimately brought them to Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and New Mexico.

Kleive worked as a waitress initially and then later pursued (and earned) a diploma as a medical assistant from Cambridge College while they were based in Aurora, Colorado. But this career field wasn’t meant to be.

“It was really hard to find a job as a medical assistant for just a short stint,” she said.

With David’s encouragement, Laura was hired at Ames Construction, where she initially worked as a laborer.

“My husband told his bosses, ‘She’s a hard worker — you won’t regret hiring her.’”

Later, she also operated heavy equipment.

“I didn’t have any prior experience; I just thought it was a good job,” she shared, grateful for the on-the-job training available to her.

Return to Minnesota

Once their first child was on the way (son, Nathen, who was born in 2003), the Kleives decided to move back to Minnesota to be closer to family. Another son, Trevor, was born in 2005. When her children were young, Kleive was a stay-at-home mom and was also active with her local MOPS group, Mothers of

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Preschoolers.

When the family decided to build a house in 2006, Kleive wondered if she could help in some way.

“I said to myself, ‘I bet I could tape the drywall myself — it would save us some money.’”

She reached out to a local professional, Rich Sve, owner of Rich Sve Interior Design, who became her mentor. It took her years to become proficient at working with drywall, but with plenty of practice she got there.

Red Maple Drywall

In 2009, Kleive opened her own business, Red Maple Drywall, LLC. She worked with Sve and another professional, Steve Larson, until the two men retired. Today she runs and operates her business alone.

Kleive’s service area is centered around Two Harbors, but she will also travel.

“I’ve had some jobs in Duluth and some in Silver Bay,” she noted. “But I try to keep my jobs to within about an hour of my home.”

Kleive explained why the drywall business has been a good fit for her.

“This has been a great job to have while raising kids,” she noted. “I can set my own hours and it is very flexible. And, also, desk jobs have never been fulfilling to me. I enjoy moving around all daylong.”

Kleive also currently serves as head election judge for Silver Creek Township. Additionally, she worked as the Silver Creek Township clerk for a time — the same role previously held by her mother. David now works for Northland Constructors, and has since 2014.

Personal interests

In her spare time, Kleive enjoys hiking — both with her family and solo. She once did a six-day solo hike/backpacking adventure where she covered a whopping 108 miles on foot.

She also enjoys snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and trapshooting. In the warmer months, she shoots trap at the Agate Bay Gun Club every Tuesday. She also volunteers her time as a coach for the Two Harbors High School trap team.

The Kleive family has two pets: a cat and a ferret. They live just outside Two Harbors city limits on a 40-acre property with plenty of trails — a perfect setting for Kleive to pursue her outdoorsy interests.

Advice

Kleive’s career path, while deeply fulfilling to her, is no doubt a nontraditional choice for a woman. As such, she has a few helpful tidbits of advice to share.

“I would say, find somebody who is respected in the field you want to pursue and learn from them,” she said. “This will help you have a good base. And then, just go for it.” D

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