St. Martin, Minnesota is a town with a population of 311. About 100 miles northwest of the Twin Cities, the town could be a sanctuary for those who want to escape the noise of urban life. Getting there means miles of corn fields and speed limits that never go above 35 miles per hour. And while agriculture may be what the area is known for, St. Martin exports a lot more than corn. Nestled deep within that sea of green lies the home of the bright red high-speed wood grinder: Rotochopper Inc.
On a sunny Thursday morning in July, 100 Rotochopper employees came out to greet the AEM Manufacturing Express. It was a summer celebration: Sloppy Joes and soft-serve ice cream accompanied competitive games of cornhole between company execs, and shop floor workers. It’s clear that this is more than a place to work—Rotochopper is a team that comes together both on and off the clock.
Founded in 1990 by Fred Peltz and Vince Hundt, the company began making portable grinding equipment to help dispose of waste wood on construction sites. Today, Rotochopper’s St. Martin factory campus has grown to 115,000 square feet and makes grinders the size of firetrucks.
Over 30 years, the company has set new industry standards for grinding efficiency and technology. Their newest model, the Rotochopper B-66LII features a massive 1200 HP engine and a state-of-the-art digital control system. Powerful high-tech grinders like Rotochopper’s play a crucial role on worksites across industries, such as forestry, agriculture, recycling, and construction. When excess wood is produced on a job site, known as “waste wood,” Rotochopper machines grind it up and convert it into usable products like landscape mulch.
Sustainability is a cornerstone of the company’s vision. Rotochoppers ensure less waste enters our landfills and water supplies. But it’s more than just the products that are keeping the community healthy and resilient—it’s also the company itself.
CEO Tosh Brinkerhoff sees Rotochopper’s mission as very straightforward: “To keep our customers happy, our people employed, and our company profitable in St. Martin, Minnesota.”
Brinkerhoff understands the role Rotochopper plays in supporting St. Martin. Of the close to 100 employees on staff, one-third of them work as volunteer firefighters in the local community. Many more of them are coaches in the local youth sports leagues or leaders in the church.
Brinkerhoff will also tell you how proud he is of Rotochopper’s impressive 90% employee retention rate. This is thanks to the continued investments the company makes in its employees. In 2008 Rotochopper became partly employee-owned, passing profits back to the people who make the products.
St. Martin, Minnesota is prosperous and resilient. Thanks to equipment manufacturers like Rotochopper, communities across the United States are too.
