NW Minnesota brothers honored for building companies

Posted at 3:36 PM on May 18, 2011 by Dan Gunderson
Filed under: Northwest Minnesota

Brothers Glen and Dennis Brazier were inducted today into the IDEA Hall of Fame, an organization to recognize entrepreneurs in northwest Minnesota.

Dennis Brazier designed a wood stove in his kitchen. He used the model to create a company called Central Boiler. The wood fired outdoor furnaces are built in a plant near Greenbush and shipped across North America.

Glen Brazier started Mattracks, a company that builds tracks to replace wheels on trucks, tractors and all terrain vehicles. The company operates a production plant in Karlstad, and ships products around the world. The Department of Defense is a big customer.

The brothers learned their entrepreneurial skills growing up on a northwest Minnesota farm, where like many farm boys, they spent countless hours tinkering in the shop.

The IDEA Hall of Fame was created in 2009. Previous inductees include Edgar Hetteen, who founded recreational vehicle makers Arctic Cat and Polaris.

An IDEA competition recognizes the best new ideas created by northwest Minnesota entrepreneurs. IDEA is sponsored by a business, financial and educational organizations.