REGIONAL— Tower native Garrett Lamppa is the recipient of a 2023 Distinction Award from the Entrepreneur Fund, one of ten business owners across northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin to receive the recognition this year.
Lamppa, who recently assumed management of Lamppa Manufacturing from his father Daryl, is being recognized for his commitment to growing his family’s manufacturing business while also providing quality jobs on the Iron Range. As the fourth generation of Lamppas to lead the company that manufactures wood burning furnaces and sauna stoves, Garrett oversees 18 full-time employees, reflecting the substantial growth the company has experienced the past few years. As recently as 2019, the company employed just five workers and operated out of a small, dark, former creamery building on the edge of Tower. Since then, with help from the Tower Economic Development Authority and funding from the Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation, the company has moved into a modern new manufacturing facility in Tower’s industrial park and has seen significant growth in sales and its workforce.
Under Garrett’s management, the company has made substantial investments in its employees, including promoting from within, offering competitive wages, and providing health insurance benefits. In announcing the award, the Entrepreneur Fund described Garrett as “a true leader in providing quality jobs in rural Minnesota, setting an example for other businesses to follow.”
Other northeastern Minnesota Distinction Award winners include Bill Martinetto, of Rapids Brewing in Grand Rapids, and Karine Woodman of 24-Hour Bookkeeping in Hibbing.
The awards event is set for next Wednesday, Oct. 25, from 4-8 p.m. at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center’s Paulucci Hall. The DECC is located at 350 Harbor Dr.
Attendees at the Distinction Awards, will have the opportunity to interact and engage with the ten honorees in rotating behind-the-scenes sessions as they share their best practices, innovative solutions, and insights on what it takes to grow and scale a business successfully. The event will also feature a regional flavors showcase, featuring handpicked regional foods and drinks beginning at 6 p.m., as well as an opportunity to network with business leaders from around the region.
Registration begins at 4 p.m.