Park Industries

Park Industries is the largest manufacturer of Stoneworking equipment in North America, focusing on the countertop and architectural markets. Their business began in 1953, which means they’re officially celebrating their 70th Anniversary of supporting the stone industry. Park Industries is a fully integrated operation offering design, build, manufacturing, sales, service, and support to their more than 5,0000 customers throughout the US and Canada. They are a family-owned business on their 3rd generation of ownership - the owners live right here in St. Cloud and the business now has more than 320 associates. 

Earlier this month, Park Industries hosted ParkFest, a two-day event where they invited stone fabricators from across North America to Minnesota for the first-ever event. With groundbreaking product launches and a 70th-anniversary celebration headlining, attendees had the opportunity to join in on action-packed days filled with thrilling highlights from the industry.

“We knew we planned to host one more event in 2023, it would be here at home in Minnesota, and it would likely be a Digital Stoneworking Expo or similar (we've hosted this event the past 16 years for fabricators.) But we had several other BIG things happening at the same time, like our 70th anniversary and new machine releases,” explained Kelti Lorence, Marketing Specialist at Park. “Thus, ParkFest was born.”

“Knowing time is extremely valuable, and wanting to give our industry a truly unique, impactful experience that could hopefully change their business forever, we’ve had to push outside of our comfort zone and try something entirely new,” Lorence shared. “ The learning curve (for me personally) was steep with ParkFest. And for us as a company, too; Park had never invited this many vendor partners into event collaboration before. But this is a year for us to celebrate with our partners, friends, and the stoneworking community that has supported us for decades. ParkFest is one way we’re returning the favor.”

There are many aspects of Park Industries that make them unique. Their company culture is built around trust, integrity, and respect. “These are behaviors that we strive to live by each and every day,” shared Stephanie Kadlec, Director of Marketing and Product Management. “There’s an ability to grow your career at Park Industries; our average tenure is 10+ years. In addition, our company has a strong commitment to investing and supporting the communities in which we live and work.”

They partner with a number of local businesses in Central MN, including St. Cloud Refrigeration, Brenny Transportation, Cold Spring Granite, Erickson Electric, Spanier Welding, Renegade Truck, Styme Manufacturing, Central McGowan, Fastenal, Popple Creek, Ertl Saw Mill, and more. “We value our partners’ contribution and recognize the role they play in Park’s success,” explained Duane Bryngelson, VP of Manufacturing. “We would not be able to support our customers, associates, and community without their dedication and support to Park.”

Joan Schatz, Park Industries’ CEO elaborated: “Central Minnesota is a great place to be located as a business. For a region of our population size, we have tremendous resources that support our business. First, we have an outstanding labor force in this area. Besides having great school systems, we have four post-secondary institutions in our backyard. Second, we have a strong transportation network in Central Minnesota, including rail. Third, we have a nationally recognized healthcare system headquartered right in St. Cloud. Central Minnesota is the commercial hub for this portion of outstate Minnesota. All these things combine to make Central Minnesota a very appealing place to have a business. This area is big enough to support many organizations that do business in this area, nationally, and internationally across a variety of industries but yet is small enough that, as an individual company, we still make a difference in the community.”

“In addition to the exceptional labor pool available in this region, over the years we have been able to access various programs and resources that supported the growth and expansion of our company right here in Central Minnesota,” continued Schatz. “Local organizations like the GSDC have been instrumental in our ability to tap into these programs. We have had the opportunity to work directly with the local school districts and post-secondary institutions to create the workforce we need now and in the future. Local businesses, organizations, and leaders are always willing to help each other and to work together to improve our community.”

Keeping their employees and hiring new is clearly something Park Industries is both passionate about and successful at. “We take great pride in the ability to retain our associates year after year,” shared Alyssa Cross, Vice President of Human Resources. “Our continuously high retention rate provides a quantitative perspective on our associate engagement story. However, beyond the sturdy walls of our organization, we offer much more than just a job. We provide an environment where associates can grow personally and professionally, become part of a meaningful purpose and mission, and most importantly, join a community founded on trust, integrity, and respect.”

#StCloudShines