Native Woman Takes Pride in Serving Her People

White Cloud Industries, a supplier of furniture to tribal casinos and other enterprises, takes great pride in serving the needs of customers throughout Indian Country. 

Owner, Tonya DuRoche, an enrolled member of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas & Nebraska, started in sales for a small commercial furniture manufacturing, reupholstery/fabric wholesale company in South Minneapolis.  After she lost her job to company downsizing, she saw the change not as a setback, but as an opportunity.

“After receiving encouragement from several tribal elders, I decided to start my own company,” she said.  “I based my decision on my natural flair and love of sales as well as my design capabilities and positive customer feedback.  My strong work history in this area and god-given talents provided me with a strong foundation to build upon.  My company’s very first order was with Treasure Island Resort and Casino and I continue to provide them with product to this very day.  Thank you for your continued support!”

DuRoche officially began in April 2005 by seeking out assistance and direction for Native American entrepreneurs.  She contacted the American Indian Economic Development Fund to learn more about the organization.  After enrolling in the course, she went through the program and developed a business plan.  She then sought an initial start-up loan and has been moving full steam ahead ever since.

White Cloud Industries has supplied and served most all tribally owned casinos in Minnesota and has also provided services and products to several tribes in Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas and Michigan.  The company recently began expanding its outreach to Arizona, California, Connecticut, Wyoming, Montana, Texas and Oklahoma.

White Cloud’s products range from design consultation to installation and everything in between.  The company offers an affordable line of custom gaming chairs and a full line of slot bases, furniture, carpeting and lighting.  White Cloud also offers large-scale commercial upholstery services.  Upholstery is a “green” service that recovers existing furniture which is far more cost-effective than buying new.

“Our No. 1 goal is to continue to grow as we have since start-up and broaden our customer base into other states while continuing to provide excellent customer service and affordable custom products at cost-effective prices,” said DuRoche.

Meyer Contracting, 25 Years and Counting

Kathy Meyer, owner of Meyer Contracting, has taken her business a long way in 25 years – from its humble beginning around her kitchen table to the huge projects of replacing the I-35W Bridge and building the Hiawatha Light Rail.

The American Indian Economic Development Fund was an early supporter of Meyer’s business and helped to arrange financing for equipment to participate in construction of the Hiawatha LRT. 

Meyer, a White Earth enrollee, now oversees a multimillion dollar company that does sewer and water pipe installation, grading, excavating, drainage, road construction, demolition and soil remediation.  Meyer Contracting also has a General Construction division which has completed structural repair, hospital construction and communication improvement projects.

As a DBE, MBE, WBE and a Federal 8(a) Certified general contracting construction company, Meyer Contracting is the only woman-owned minority heavy equipment contractor in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Nebraska.  Meyer also now has an office in Milwaukee.  It took tenacity and hard work to make Meyer Contracting successful.  Many hours were spent putting together estimate after estimate with no results.  It was a long arduous road but Meyer kept her eye on her vision and kept the business moving forward.  Today, Meyer Contracting is known throughout the Twin Cities as a solid partner in the building of projects including The Guthrie Theater, Heritage Park, Hiawatha Light Rail, Little Earth, Midtown Exchange, Twins Stadium, and most recently, the I-35W Bridge rebuilding project.

Over the past 25 years Meyer has had the opportunity to work on two projects for Grand Casino and one for Mystic Lake.  Meyer does not take these projects for granted and is very grateful to the Native American community, her staff and her clients.

She frequently expresses her gratitude to the Native community for the support they have provided over the years.  With assistance of a scholarship from the Native American community, Meyer completed a Bachelor of Science Degree in business from Metro State University College of Management, which has positively affected how she manages her business today.

She will tell you that she has been blessed with many wonderful opportunities and for this reason, she strives to give back to the community.  Meyer firmly believes that for each gift that is received, one must be given.  It is because of this belief that Meyer spends hours volunteering and supporting charitable organizations.

Meyer has served on the board of the National Association of Minority Contractors for five years and is now the chairwoman for Industry Initiatives.

Meyer Contracting continues to grow and looks forward to building new partnerships while continuing to work with established partners.  As Meyer said, “By working together and sharing partnerships we are making our community stronger.”

S&M Professional Spells Experience

My name is Michael Carney, President of S&M Professional Services LLC, dba Native Builders.  I am an enrolled member of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.  I have been in the construction industry – in one capacity or another – for the last 16 years.  I started roofing and remodeling, then moved into commercial window cleaning and chemical restoration.  I did this as a subcontractor or an employee until 2005, when my wife and I got married.  I used the money we got and started S&M Professional Services.  Success was slow.  I learned that if I wanted to go after the larger, more consistent jobs, I would need working capital.

I made many calls, and eventually came across the American Indian Economic Development Fund.  This was the first time I had ever heard of a business plan.  After many changes and a lot of learning, about a year later I ended up at University Bank with a start-up loan.  And shortly thereafter, I received a gap loan from AIEDF.

I used the start-up money to go after the larger jobs.  In 2007, I started focusing on the union work of the construction industry which allowed exposure to a large variety of work outside of my trade.  At the same time, I was able to meet many well-qualified craftsmen and managers.

There were obstacles and it would have been even more difficult had it not been for the diligence of University Bank and David Glass of AIEDF – both groups saw the potential.  They always gave good advice.  Many times it felt like criticism, but the truth helped me stay motivated.

I met some people in the construction world through my journeys that have helped me in this endeavor.  I learned that my best use of this would be more as a general contractor than remaining specialized as a high-rise company.  Hence, Native Builders.  We’re off to a wonderful start: we’ve obtained $1.2 million in sales in our first 90 days!  It’s like a fairy tale, but it doesn’t end there.  While these contracts are great, I have now seen that the restoration aspect of contracting is quite a bit more lucrative.  The need is huge, not just building, but larger things like bridges, dams, spillways, and power plants are in desperate need of attention.  Can a small company like mine manage that?  Well, with proper direction, it can.

Over the last few months we have been diligently working out a relationship with SPS Infrastructure, a specialty company focused on just this type of work.  They are an international company with a small town feel.  With the assistance of the Turtle Island PTAC, I am working on getting my DBE certification.  Along with this federal minority status comes the option of a mentor/protégé program in which we look to hone our skills and forge a long-term relationship.  We hope to be able to provide skilled services not just tribally in Indian Country, but all across the nation.

As we gain our skill set it is our intention to always hire and train community members wherever we may be: minorities of all tribes and races.  This is our strength – unity of direction, and honest intentions.  This path has been more than exciting and educational.  Where will it go next?

Three Rivers’ strength is in its Team

Boozhoo.  Hello. I am Mark Turner, owner of Three Rivers Insulation Inc. and a tribal member of Lac Court Oreilles Band of Ojibwe in Haward, Wis. 

After graduating from Spooner High School in 1981, I served in the U.S. Air Force and trained as an aircraft electrician.  When I returned home, I entered Minneapolis Technical College and in 1993 started my career as a union pipefitter.  In the summer of 2008 I started my most recent endeavor, Three Rivers Insulation.  After doing research into the needs of the native community, I realized there was an opportunity to meet those needs as a mechanical insulation contractor.

The backbone to any successful company starts in the field:

• Chris Newman: General Foreman, Instructor for Local 34, Disabled Vet and one of the best in the local for craftsmanship.
• Travis Gallagher: General Foreman, level 1 FIT certified, Midwest master apprentice competition winner, and specializes in metalwork.  Both Travis and Chris instruct inspectors on fire wrap and fire retention.
• Jesse LaMere: 4th year apprentice, disabled Iraqi veteran who served two tours and was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action as well as the Bronze Star with Valor.  He grew up on the Leech Lake reservation.

We are an MBE, SBE, and CERT certified union insulation contractor specializing in chilled water, cold water, hot water, refrigeration, and duct wrap.  Recently we have worked on projects ranging from ice arenas, schools, hospitals and retirement homes to casinos and hotels.

Three Rivers benefits from being mentored by Nasseff Mechanical.  We have joined as partners in the Construction Partnering program.  As partners we were awarded a contract for United and Children’s Hospital in St. Paul, Minn.  We are now working with PCL Construction and Nasseff Mechanical on Mystic Lake Casino and Hotel renovation.

We are working with Turtle Island PTAC and David Glass to obtain MMSDA certification.  With these certifications and the assistance of the AIEDF, Three Rivers Insulation increases the opportunity for future contracts with major corporations.  Our DBE certification will allow us to work with the State Department of Transportation.  We are currently the only Native American insulating contractor to be certified as a building insulation energy auditor.  Insulation can be used in new construction, or to increase the efficiency of an existing building.

In these challenging economic times, people are looking for cost-efficient products.  Through my years of working in the construction field, I have found proven energy-saving systems: lighting systems that can save you up to 70 percent on energy cost; HVAC systems that can save you up to 20 percent less to install and cut your energy costs by up to 50 percent or more.

These are just some of the products and services we can provide to tribes, tribal governments and reservation communities.  Three Rivers Insulation has a commitment to bettering our communities.  All I ask for is an opportunity to show our customers what we can do together.