Jenkins Iron & Steel: A Heritage of American Craftsmanship, Built to Last

In 2009, Eric Jenkins had a thought: maybe chasing a four degree wasn’t for him.

School was okay, but after just five days, he realized he wanted to work with his hands, not sit in a classroom. Making. Creating. Taking a piece of metal and turning it into something useful. Fine tuning a design. Inventing his own.

He packed up and headed home. Started hand-welding snow bucket attachments for skid steers in the family shop. Manually cutting out parts.

Soon, word got out. He sold a few. Then he sold a lot.

Eric was producing some of the highest quality skid loader and front-end loader tractor attachments anyone could get their hands on, products that proved themselves durable enough to be used and abused, and ready for more.

But would there be enough interest to buck the trend of American craftsmanship becoming a thing of the past?

From Snow Buckets to a Family Business 

As demand for the attachments grew, Eric was soon joined by his brother, Patrick, who had been pursuing an engineering degree.

Much like Eric, Patrick decided to come home and get involved, too, with an eye on running all the robotics.

As business continued humming, Kurt, the eldest son, also couldn’t resist. He closed up his clinical social work practice and returned home, taking over the sales department.

And with the hands-on involvement of their parents, Marty and Karen Jenkins, a family business was born.

Today, you’ll find over 80 skilled employees welding, cutting and producing a whopping 125-150 attachments every single day, proudly stamped with the name Jenkins Iron & Steel.

Their catalog of over 45 different models of skid steer attachments cover just about any project you’ve got going on. All 100% American made, right here in Todd County. 

A Different Level of Customer Service

How can we best serve our customers? How can we tweak our attachments to get the job done better and faster?

These are just some of the questions fueling the company’s ongoing desire to improve their designs and processes. All the while keeping a razor sharp focus on transforming a good product into the best one on the market.

Another goal? Provide a level of customer service that is hard to find these days.  

“We stand behind absolutely everything we build,” reads their website. “When we say we’re a family owned business, it means if you have an issue with anything on your Jenkins attachment, you can call our office and speak to a Jenkins who knows the attachments, puts their name on the attachments and wants to take care of the customers that buy a Jenkins attachment.”

It’s a promise they don’t take lightly.

“We guarantee that when you buy a Jenkins attachment you are not only getting the attachment, but also the level of service that only a family company who cares dearly about their reputation can provide!”

Celebrating the Heritage of American Craftsmanship

Todd County Development Corporation tips its hat to Jenkins Iron & Steel; proof positive that American craftsmanship is alive and well in Minnesota.

And while October is recognized as Manufacturing Month in the world of economic development, we’re proud of the fact that in Todd County, it’s also an industry that thrives… all year round.

Could your own business use some support? Are you looking to grow or expand your operations? Contact TCDC today to learn more about the wide variety of resources we have available for you. From state incentives to site selection, we’ve got you covered.