Harlan and Jeraldean Palm are leaving a legacy in Minnesota’s manufacturing industry after many years and successes with Palm Industries and the multiple companies under it. Harlan is a self-proclaimed gear head which he says is a “generic name for people who can’t leave things alone.” For as long as he can remember he was always tinkering with things. Jeraldean was also an integral part of the business. She worked as a bookkeeper along with raising their four children and being involved in their church and community. In 1970 Harlan started Palm Industries. There have been numerous spin-off companies and various ventures along the way. They have made grain bins, trailers as well as cabs and attachments for machinery. By the late 1980’s Harlan expanded the business significantly through a deal with the Bobcat Company. The Palms are proud of being able to create good jobs in their community. Jeraldean has noted that it was not only Harlan’s salesmanship but also his management and treatment of employees that built a good reputation. “It’s been a very fun business. It didn’t even seem like work,” Harlan Palm said.
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