Create a Legacy in Stone
Little Falls Granite Works, Little Falls, MN; Murphy Granite, Richmond, MN; Hibbing Monument, Hibbing, MN; and Duluth Monument, Duluth, MN are a group of memorial companies with a rich individual history interwoven to create a brand that has become a leader in North American cemetery memorialization. Their mission is “Creating everlasting stories in stone for people who matter by people who care.” They help over 6,500 families every year honor, celebrate, and remember the people they love and care about. The companies employ 43 full-time workers and have over 150 Authorized Memorial Consultants serving the Upper Midwest. Their staff brings a wide array of expertise to the table, including memorial consulting, administration, design, manufacturing, and installation.
The original company, Little Falls Granite Works, dates back to 1898. The other companies came into the fold over the last 50 years. The company is unique because it has three equal owners, Todd Nagel, President, Scott Nagel, Head of Manufacturing, and Don Calhoun, Head of Marketing and Sales. All three owners are the second generation in the business; their fathers Ron Nagel and Ray Calhoun, were original business partners. With knowledge, experience, and discipline, they brought together a fantastic team of employees that perform with excellent efficiency and effectiveness.
A significant hurdle occurred five years ago when the companies had grown to the point where the wheels started coming off the cart. They found themselves frustrated and not enjoying the work as much. They became like firefighters, trying to put out one fire after the other. One day, they decided they had enough and decided to hire professional consultants from out of the state to come in and help them get back the joy and purpose they all needed and wanted.
All three owners knew that they needed to take the next step to move beyond the traditional family business and start acting like the growing professional business they were becoming. The company completely reorganized into silos of discipline. Today they continue to do their best to treat employees, and the families they serve with value and respect. The fun part is that Todd, Scott, and Don encourage everyone to be true to themselves and allow for strong individuality. As a result, the company culture dramatically improved, as did the wages and benefits. They also invested heavily in innovation, processes, and equipment.
Today, 9% of the US economy is based on manufacturing. The collective group of companies considers themselves blessed and grateful to be leaders in such a traditional and storied industry. Their work will continue in a very permanent way, like a rock, because they are people who care about what they provide for others.
Little Falls Granite Works
The Little Falls Granite Works was founded in 1911. This fact has been debated throughout the years because a business with a similar name, Little Falls Granite Company, was formed in 1897. Some assumed that this was the beginning of the Little Galls Granite Works. Further confusing the matter was the Little Falls Granite and Marble Works, which was in existence in 1907/08. A careful examination of the historical record and information from Harriet Karlson, daughter-in-law of founder G.W. Karlson, made the origins of the 100-year-old plus Little Falls Granite Works clear. These were all separate companies, with the Little Falls Granite Company formed by J.F. McAulay, Joseph and Louis Robbers, and George and Charles Hall. (LFDT, May 14, 1897) This company, often referred to as the Little Falls Granite Works in news items, was purchased by the Davidson Granite Company in 1901. The officers of the company were A.R. Davidson, F.E. Kenaston, A.D. Davidson, and A.D. McRae. (LFDT, March 22, 1901) The Davidson Granite Company did not continue the use of the Little Falls Granite Company name.Not much is known about the Little Falls Granite and Marble Works, other than it was in operation in 1907/08, was located on Broadway, west of the Golden Rule Store, and was owned by Russell W. Carlson. (Little Falls City Directory, 1907/08) This business is not listed in any earlier directories. Carlson could not have been in business long because an article in the November 3, 1909, issue of the Little Falls Daily Transcript opens with the statement, “It is far from unlikely that Little Falls will soon have granite monumental works again in operation.” The article continues with a description of a visit to Little Falls by “two practical stone men,” who were examining the granite quarries in the area and talking to Commercial Club members about the possibility of starting a granite works. Nothing seems to have come of this considering a 1911 news article. In March 1911, G.W. Karlson visited Little Falls from Minneapolis, intending to open a “monument works.” His monument works was called the Little Falls Granite Works. The news items announcing Karlson’s visit says that “Little Falls has been without an industry of this nature for over a year,” which proves that this business was a separate concern from the others, regardless of the resemblance of names among them. (LFDT, March 8, 1911) The original location of the Little Falls Granite Works was on Wood Street in a building built by Karlson that eventually became Trettel Produce. By 1916, the Little Falls Granite Works had moved to a building at 24 East Broadway. (Little Falls City Directory, 1916/17) A September 22, 1924, article in the Little Falls Daily Transcript mentions that the Little Falls Granite Works had “completed the work of moving to its new home on Broadway,” and “the company, which was formerly located on Wood Street SE recently completed a new building next door to the Nelson studio on Broadway.” (Little Falls City Directory, 1928, and LFDT, November 9, 1972) In 1972, the Little Falls Granite Works moved to its current location, 10802 Hwy. 10, Little Falls. (LFDT, December 7, 1972) Along with experiencing several changes in location over its existence, the Little Falls Granite Works has seen many different owners. While G.W. Karlson formed the business in 1911, he did not remain the sole proprietor for long. A certificate dated June 27, 1914, filed with the District Court, shows that Karlson was operating the business with Fred Olson. By 1919 Aaron A. Nelson had bought into the business. (LFDT, November 9, 1972) Aaron Nelson was also representing the Little Falls Black Granite Company at the time. (Pierz journal ad, March 18, 1920, & letter from John Vertin to Peter Maurin, October 13, 1920) What is odd about this is that Karlson had an open rivalry early on with the Little Falls Black Granite Company. John Sparry, the company owner, had presumably promised Karlson he would only sell granite from his quarries on a wholesale basis, leaving retail sales to Karlson. Still, Karlson felt Sparry was reneging on his agreement by sending out a salesman to make retail sales. (LFDT, Sept.6, 1917 & LFDT, Sept. 25, 1917) In 1921 or 1922, Aaron Nelson took over ownership of the Little Falls Granite Works. (LFDT, November 9, 1972, & Harriet Karlson essay on front page) In March 1927, he and his son Spencer filed a Certificate of Business Name with the District Court, saying that the Little Falls Granite Works was “owned and managed” by both of them. Spencer took over as sole owner on July 15, 1949. Ray Calhoun, Ron Nagel, and Howard Garry purchased the Little Falls Granite Works from Spencer Nelson in 1963. Howard Garry sold out his share of the company before 1977. Ray Calhoun returned in 1986, and Ron Nagel became the sole owner that year. Ron was joined by his sons Scott and Todd and Ray Calhoun’s son Don as owners of the Little Falls Granite Works in 2005 or 2006. Today the company is owned by Scott Nagel, Todd Nagel, and Don Calhoun. The company has grown enormously over the years in expertise, technology, and resources and now serves the Upper Midwest.
Murphy Granite Carving
Our company had its humble beginning back in 1961 when owner Tim Murphy started moonlighting from his full-time job with Cold Spring Granite and began carving cemetery headstones, grave markers, and monuments for families in Central Minnesota. In 1968, Tim decided to go full-time on his own and quit his secure stone cutting and polishing job for the Granite Company. The early years were hard while Tim worked out of his tiny garage with limited staff, money, and equipment. It took another eight years for the company to grow sufficiently to upsize with the purchase of the present building site and location in Richmond, MN. In the early 1980s, Tim’s dream truly began to take shape, and it marked a time when he brought several of his sons into the company to help in its continued growth and expansion.In 1986, Tim Murphy decided it was time to retire and look into selling his business. Tim approached Ron Nagel, a long-time successful Midwest monument builder looking to expand his production capacity. Tim sold the company to Ron but agreed to stay on as a managing advisor initially. Together, the new management team brought further improvement and success to Murphy Granite. By hiring the right people, upgrading the equipment, and establishing the industry’s highest quality, service, and value standards, the company continued to flourish into the 1990s. As Tim Murphy was making plans to retire, Ron decided the time was right to bring his old business partner’s son, Don Calhoun, aboard. Don brought a well-established sales and management career in the monument building business with North America experience. Don would take the lead role at the leading memorial companies in the Upper Midwest. Ron’s son Todd joined Don a few years later. Todd added a new discipline and experience in computer-aided drafting and design. Don has recently joined with Ron Nagel’s two sons Todd and Scott, who together own and operate two successful monument manufacturing plants across Minnesota, servicing the greater Midwest states. Today, Murphy Granite has assembled a diverse team of talented creative designers and master stonemasons. We are dedicated to leading the industry in granite carving technology and product innovation. We strive to be the best storytellers of your most treasured memories and love. Whether you choose a permanent memorial for the cemetery or a granite keepsake for the home or garden, we believe that compassion, empathy, and personal care are the cornerstones to creating your legacy memorial. We aspire to make the process simple, meaningful, and professional.
Duluth Monument Company
Leo Koski started Duluth Monument in 1982 after a downturn in the economy and getting laid off from his work in the mines. Early in his working career, he worked for a private gas station owner. The owner had a sales training program, and Leo discovered he loved connecting with people. He knew that he wanted a career that involved helping others when searching for a new job. Leo came across a gentleman who suggested the monument business, and the seeds were planted during this journey. The initial years proved to be more difficult than Leo imagined. Dealing with people at a time of grief and heightened emotion was hard to connect on a real personal level. The turning point came in 1987 when his second and third-grade teacher, Mrs. Avis Opine, walked through his door to purchase a memorial for her husband, who had passed away. Leo credited Mrs. Opine as the most influential person in his early childhood development. She was tough, demanding, and yet fair. Running into Mrs. Opine after all these years and trusting Leo during a difficult time meant the world to him. From that time on, the business started to flourish and grow. Mrs. Opine’s confidence and trust in him turned out to be the best thing ever for Leo. Imagine how the same individual turned out twice in his life to play such a key role in his success and development.As the business grew, he expanded his reach beyond Duluth and Superior to the Iron Range and the North Shore. To this day, Leo finds the greatest gift he can receive is helping families with closure. He finds that he too can play an influential role in assisting others in telling the story of their loved ones. Nicole Seybert has recently joined Duluth Monument with 17 years of experience in the cemetery, memorial, and funeral industry. Her lifelong dream was to move from the flat cornfields of Iowa to the majestic beauty of Duluth and the North Shore. That dream finally became a reality when she and her family, including her husband, son, and daughter, decided to move to Duluth. Nicole loves anything to do with granite and helping others. Duluth Monument is a part of a family of Minnesota memorial companies that is a leader in North America in resources and manufacturing capability. When you choose Duluth Monument, we promise that you will be dealing with folks that love what they do and can truly make a difference in the journey of others’ lives. Everyone at Duluth Monument has a passion for helping others tell their creative stories and craft them in stone.
Hibbing Monument Company
In 1902, Mt. Iron Granite Quarry was purchased by W. Wright from Duluth, MN. He purchased the 40-acre site in speculation that it would be perfect for mining iron ore, but the site became a complete bust. The huge hill was full of nonferrous granite. This hill of Mesabi Pink granite was used mainly as a place where people enjoyed picnics, campfires, blueberry picking, and graffiti. It turns out that countless high school graduates wanted to leave their mark on the world. The real story began with David Herman Soderstrom, an immigrant from Sweden who surveyed the site in the early 1930s. As a stonecutter by trade, he had a vision for the hill of granite rock. The granite had a perfect rich pink color, and it was much denser and more consistent in color than the granite quarries around St. Cloud, MN. Mr. Soderstrom bought some used granite equipment and began his quarrying operation. They would cut out various size blocks and ship them to Melrose Granite Company in St. Cloud for cutting them down into more exact sizes and finishing them to become tablets and bases for cemetery memorials.Quickly he added partners and investors in the quarry. Rex Granite company became a fifty percent investor in the project. Under the Work Projects Administration (WPA) of President F.D. Roosevelt, the quarry quickly became popular, and activity sprang to life. However, by WWII, the heavy machinery was diverted to the war effort, and the operations eventually slowed down to a crawl. Iron Ore was king in the area, and the attention on granite slowly whittled away. Today you can see Mesabi Pink granite monument still standing today throughout cemeteries in the region. David Soderstrom also started Hibbing Monument, and in 1940 he hired a gal name Ruth Kapilovich just out of high school. Ruth was employed there for 64 years. She was a strong-willed and independent woman who ran the place as if she owned it. She disliked change and did things her way. The company had several owners over the years. David Soderstrom sold the business to Gustav Ostrom and Gus Swenson, then years later, they sold it to Little Falls Granite Works. In 1974, Hibbing Monument Company was forced to move to its current location in Graysher Plaza after a fire gutted their West Howard Street Location. The company is super proud of its history and service to all the people throughout the Iron Range area. Hibbing Monument has served countless folks over the years, from Bob Dylan’s family to the families that made Hibbing what it is today. Today, Cay Hanley and Mary Doherty, a mother-daughter team, oversee the company. The times and technology have changed tremendously over the years in the industry. The one thing that stays the same is the passion for being caring, compassionate, and empathic to the families we serve. The foundation is built on that every human being has a story that is worth telling. Expressing someone’s love, gifts, treasures, and lessons learned is a feeling that is very important to the people they serve. Everyone’s life mattered, and their story deserves to be told.
Contact Us
Contact us with any questions you may have, or to start your legacy in stone.