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Joel Bauer Receives 2021 Outstanding Regular Member Award
By Meghan Ryan, NATM Assistant Director
The National Association of Trailer Manufacturers (NATM) named Joel Bauer, co-owner and president of Midsota Manufacturing by Novae in Avon, Minn., as the recipient of the 2021 Outstanding Regular Member Award. NATM presented the award during the 2021 Membership Meeting held virtually on Feb. 18, 2021.
The Outstanding Member award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to NATM and the trailer manufacturing industry. Joel Bauer is a highly deserving recipient of this year’s award due to his outstanding contributions not only to NATM with his leadership on many committees, but also to the industry at large through his advocacy efforts, support of Trailer Safety Week, educating dealers about the importance of compliance, and leading as an example of how to best support employees and local community. “We’re just small-town guys trying to build some trailers,” Bauer said. “We treat our customers and employees the way we want to be treated, and the rest will take care of itself. We live that on a daily basis.” Bauer has been in the trailer industry for 22 years, 18 of those serving as owner and company president of Midsota. With the help of current and previous business partners, he has continued to grow the company while supporting the community, and as a result, he and his co-owner Tim Burg were awarded the 2018 St. Cloud Area Small Business Owners of the Year.
Over the last five years, Bauer has worked with a local school offering an intern position to senior students interested in the manufacturing industry. He sees the value in community projects, donating time and resources to improve and promote hometown pride and volunteering each week coaching at his local hometown high school.
As part of NATM’s Government Affairs Advocacy initiatives, Bauer and his team invited Congressman Tom Emmer (MN-6) to tour the Midsota facility in 2018. Onsite legislative plant tours are crucial tools in educating Senators and Representatives about the trailer manufacturing industry and the impact of the industry on their state and districts.
In addition to his regular attendance and support of the NATM Convention & Trade Show, Bauer has participated on the Education Committee, Finance Committee, Membership Committee, and most recently served on the NATM Board of Directors. In early 2019, Bauer hosted the NATM Board of Directors to tour the Midsota facility and demonstrate the company’s robotic welders on the production floor. In 2019 during the second annual NATM Trailer Safety Week, Bauer and his co-owner Tim Burg hosted an onsite Trailer Safety Week event with local law enforcement and invited his customers to attend in order to spread awareness of safe trailering practices, the value of the NATM compliance decal, and provide a number of NATM resources to attendees.
While Bauer stays connected to the business on a daily basis, after work he is a devoted husband to his beautiful wife of 16 years and father to a 14-year-old daughter and 12- and 8-year-old sons. His family raises beef cattle on their small family farm and loves spending time outdoors working, hunting and playing at the lake.
Joel Bauer holding the placard for his award.
Midsota Manufacturing by Novae has been a member of NATM since 2001 and has been manufacturing dump trails for over 40 years. The company offers a full line of commercial and off-road dump trailers, skid loader trailers, flatbed gooseneck and an extensive line of skid loader attachments. For more information about Midsota by Novae, visit MidsotaMfg.com.
