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Serving the Northland since 1937 |
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Arrowhead Concrete Works was started in 1937 by Carl Martin Carlson and his sons Hjalmar Carl (Jolly) and Carl Bertil (Bert). The business consisted of manufacturing concrete block by hand and then delivering them to local masonry contractors. Several years thereafter, they were joined by their brother Carl Anders (Andy) who assisted in organizing the accounting and office management of the business. The original site of Arrowhead Concrete was in a gravel pit near the intersection of US Highway 2 and the Hermantown Road. In the late 1940's, the business was relocated to it's present site near the intersection of Highway 53 (Miller Trunk Highway) and Highway 194 near Duluth, Minnesota. These Swedish immigrants worked long and hard to build their business. The business was interrupted for World War II. Jolly and Andy served their country in the armed forces and Bert, who was deferred for medical reasons, worked in the shipyards at that time. When the war was over and the brothers returned home, they started up their business again and enjoyed the prosperity which followed World War II. In 1958 Martin Carlson retired and the three brothers added ready-mix concrete to complement what they already had to offer the construction industry. Over the years the advent of automation and computerization has increased our capacity and efficiency to produce quality concrete products. In the mid 1960's, a third generation started working in the block plant. Jolly's sons, Jim and Jerry and Andy's son Doug started their careers in the concrete products business. In 1971, Mary Carlson, Jolly's daughter, began working in the company's office. In 1976 Mary became a full time employee and continues to be today. With more people involved in this family business, expansion opportunities were realized. In 1975 Jim, Jerry and Doug incorporated Lakehead Concrete Works in Superior, Wisconsin. The following year, the Brenny-Dahl Block Company of Cloquet, Minnesota was acquired from Mr. Ted Brenny and Mr. Art Dahl. Our territory served now included northeastern Minnesota to the Canadian border, west to Grand Rapids, south to Pine City and northwestern Wisconsin from Superior to Ashland. Types of jobs expanded from just residential foundations to commercial, industrial and governmental projects. In the 1990's, a fourth generation was employed in the business. Doug's son Jason and Jerry's sons Jeremy, Ben and Jon worked in various capacities. In 2007, a mixer mounted 53' Theam Conveyor was added to the fleet to provide a concrete placing service for the customer base. Today a wide array of concrete masonry units to include standard weight, lightweight, rockface and colored block are manufactured by our concrete block production plant. Ready mix concrete is computer batched and delivered with a fleet of both conventional Mack and Oshkosh/McNeilus front discharge concrete mixers. Dump trucks are used to deliver sand and gravel and concrete block trucks to distribute masonry products. |
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