Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal - by John Vomhof Jr. Staff Writer, Friday, February 20, 2009:

The Burnsville company has about 65 retail stores in 11 states, mails out more than 70 million catalogs a year and operates a successful e-commerce Web site. It sells more than 20,000 products, all aimed at the manliest of men. The company carries everything from wrenches and socket sets to biodiesel processors and bulldozers. The company also manufactures its own line of heavy-duty products under theNorthStarbrand. But don’t let Northern Tool’s brawn fool you. The company comes from humble roots. Founder Don Kotula started the business in 1980, selling log-splitters out of his garage.

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