Industry Leader Will Sanvik Passes
Stone and monument fabrication industry leader Will Sanvik passed away Sept. 1 at the age of 84. Sanvik is remembered for his entrepreneurship, excellent leadership skills, and outgoing personality, as well as his commitment to these industries and to the people who worked for him.
Sanvik spent 52 years with Granite City Tool, now a part of GranQuartz, 40 of those years as president and CEO. In his time, Granite City Tool expanded as a leader in the sale of tools and equipment to the monument and countertop fabrication industries, and established a successful general contractor construction equipment rental business with a division of winter construction heating equipment.
By the 1980s, Sanvik had expanded Granite City Tool into the air compressor sales/service business and established the Granite City Rental division (GCR) to provide a wide variety of industrial rental equipment to the growing St. Cloud and Central Minnesota area. In 1997, Sanvik brought his son Chuck into the business and expanded into the winter construction heating equipment rental business. GCR soon became one of the largest industrial equipment rental services in Central Minnesota.
"My father taught me the value of business sustainability through solid relationships with your customers and vendors," said Chuck Sanvik.
Mark Eisenwinter, family member and business associate, added, "When someone made a big sale, Will would bolt right out of his office and congratulate the sales person on a job well done. This recognition meant a lot to his sales team."
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
