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Larsen Manufacturing was built on the foundation of past Larsen men, and the legacy continues with our co-presidents Dave and Denis Larsen. Both men have used this foundation to build up the business familiar to us now. Passionate leadership is one of the necessities in maintaining a good business that keeps the vision alive. Their partnership was a natural progression where they both complimented each other for the company’s sake. Their combined skills have made Larsen stand out against the competition in terms of productivity and personnel.
“There was never a question, we each have our own strengths. Denis’ strengths revolve around the operational side of the business, where my strengths revolve more around the business management financial side,” said Dave Larsen.
There is a definitive structure that we see exemplified from the top down at Larsen. Their relationship goes beyond family ties and can be seen more as one of mutual understanding and respect. This translates to the way they regard the people that they work with, be it customer or employee. Our co-presidents understand the importance of cultivating the minds of the people around them. No matter how competent a person may be, no one can handle everything on their own. The more capital a business earns, the more the necessity grows to employ the right people.
“The managed growth of the company is important to both of us, making sure that we both have a strong team of key management. We continue to reinvest in the company together, our vision, where it’s going, obviously as our sales continue to increase,” said Dave.
Growth is key for a business and the individuals that take part in it. Our co-presidents created the organizational structure we see today in the form of an executive team, followed by a flow chart of positions leading down to the workers on the floor. Dave shared that he pictures the Larsen team as inside of a bus and stressed the necessity of having all the right people on board, something that’s taken many years to evolve. There have been a few bumps on the road over the years, with many starts and stops along the way needing outside consultation, but it was in efforts to ensure the right people were in the correct positions.
“I feel that we’ve finally achieved the right mix of personalities in order to support the current growth and the growth to come in the future,” said Dave.
The growth extends down to the floor lines, encapsulated in the family business motto of the company. What can be seen when stepping into Larsen is a group of employees that work together no matter the circumstances. Dave sees his workers as people who can work out their differences to achieve the common goal of Larsen’s success.
“I feel that they truly feel that they’re part of the family of the organization and I think when they go home every day, they feel pretty good about what they did and they’re looking forward to coming back the next day, otherwise they wouldn’t come back especially through the pandemic,” said Dave.
Larsen was labeled as an essential business back in 2020 due to manufactured parts used in the medical field and has continued to stay open throughout the covid surges. A reliable job environment such as this one provides people with a sense of security and stability during a time of uncertainty. Larsen strives to keep a clean and welcoming environment for people to be at ease with. Company outings were difficult to accomplish with the restrictions on large gatherings but over time and proper planning, Larsen was able to hold company picnics and holiday parties between both locations. Larsen can handle internal and external problems alike due to the people employed who can react appropriately enough to protect the company’s well-being. According to Dave, the current risks the company faces are related to the economic conditions seen on a global scale. Larsen has addressed the problems with increased global pricing and labor with the understanding from the customer base.
Larsen has carried on throughout all its challenges thanks to the family feel of the business. One can grow within their positions to help on a greater scale, and it helps having the proper people on the team to accomplish this. Dave left us with a few words of advice for the rest of us to follow to gain the same understanding on what goes through his mind.
“Don’t be quick with your decisions. Trust, but verify trust. I’m a big believer in people and you know people are good. I feel in my years its proved out to be a good philosophy, always give people more than one chance since we all make mistakes. Make sure you let them know when they do make mistakes and guide them and say: ‘hey come on, let’s get it fixed’,” said Dave.
