CENTRAL MN MADE: Clock Maker in Dassel Leads the Pack Around Nation [AUDIO, PHOTOS]
DASSEL, Minn. - Schools, hospitals, government buildings and many more organizations depend on synchronized clock systems to keep them running smoothly - and many of them found around the country are made right in Dassel.
American Time and Signal began in 1980 as a one-man clock repair service. In less than a decade, founder and current CEO Jeffrey Baumgartner expanded his operation to clock design and manufacturing.
Baumgartner has spent the better part of 20 years acquiring other clock making companies, and today, they're one of the top dogs in the synchronized clock industry nationwide.
Marketing Manager Ronda Anderson says their success is a combination of experience, extensive national outreach through catalogs and marketing tools, and a longstanding commitment to customer service.
Anderson says American Time and Signal never really saw a shift in business during lean times of the last few years. The product is so niche, so their clocks continue ticking all over the world - and even on screen.
American Time and Signal employs 87 people, and all operations still happen right in Dassel.
They haven't completely strayed from their roots - they still repair clocks, and even host "clock school" workshops with their clients to show them how to tackle their own simple repairs.
We'll continue on with Made in Central Minnesota next week when we turn our focus to a local icon - the Heim Milling Company in St. Cloud.
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