From printed napkin job to billionaire: Taylor reflects on Carlson Craft

Glen Taylor, back left, the founder of Taylor Corp., talks to employees during a celebration of Carlson Craft’s 75th anniversary Wednesday while CEO Charles Whitaker, back right, looks on.

Glen Taylor, who built a business empire and became one of the wealthiest people in Minnesota, said people often ask him why he was the one Bill Carlson entrusted to help build and eventually buy Carlson Craft, the foundation of what would become the sprawling worldwide Taylor Corp.

Taylor, 82, speaking to employees Wednesday at a 75th anniversary celebration for Carlson Craft, said he believes it was a moment after he first came to work for Carlson, who had a small printing business in Mankato.

The day after he graduated from Comfrey High School, Taylor came to Mankato and went door-to-door looking for a part-time job while he attended college here. He stopped at Carlson’s letter business and filled out an application even though the woman in the office said they weren’t hiring.

“I was a half a block down the street when she ran out and yelled at me and said Mr. Carlson wanted to talk to me,” Taylor said.

Carlson ended up hiring him on the spot. One of the employees told Taylor he’d operate a Howard Stamper, a hand-levered machine that printed names on napkins, one at a time. “No one wanted that job,” Taylor said.

Weeks later Carlson came to Taylor and said his production of napkins was three or four times faster than anyone ever did it and wanted to know how he did it.

A vintage display of different napkins that could be ordered from Carlson Craft was on display Wednesday during a celebration of the company’s 75th anniversary.

Taylor told Carlson he looked at the machine and figured a way to improve it using things he found, something he grew up doing as a farm kid.

“I built a jig that let you stamp a bunch of napkins at once,” Taylor said.

“Mr. Carlson said ‘Why did you do that?’ and I said “Why wouldn’t I do that?”

Taylor said that his demonstration of creativity and work ethic solidified Carlson’s faith in him.

In 1948 Bill and Betty Carlson started a letter service with a Remington typewriter in their Mankato family room. The Carlson Letter Service quickly became a wholesale supplier of wedding stationery, taking the name Carlson Craft in 1970.

This Remington typewriter was the first piece of equipment used to start Carlson letter services, the foundation of what would become Taylor Corp.

Bill Carlson died in 2012.

Bill Carlson

Taylor became a full-time employee in 1962 after graduating a year early from college. He quickly helped grow the business and in 1975 he purchased it from Carlson. “Mr. Carlson was an accountant and I was a dreamer,” Taylor said of their relationship.

In 2020 Taylor selected Charlie Whitaker to be the chief executive officer of Taylor Corp. Whitaker had joined the company in 2012. Taylor continues as chairman of the privately held company.

Whitaker said the company has 8,000 employees, including 4,000 in North Mankato. They have facilities across the country, in Canada and Mexico and holdings in other countries.

He said Taylor’s commitment to keep investing in and growing the company has continued brisk growth. Taylor Corp. has long been known for rarely borrowing money but using cash to grow organically and acquire other businesses.

This thick ledger from the late 1940s and 1950s kept track of the many accounts served by Carlson Craft in the early days.

“We’re focused on aggressive, dramatic organic growth,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker told employees they have contributed to building “a very special company.”

He said Taylor Corp. has focused on customers and been willing to do things other company’s wouldn’t when times changed and pressures built. “There’s a lot of competitors you’ve faced over the years who are no longer here.”

Whitaker said this year has been a challenge. “We’re in these uncertain economic times.” He said the company has asked more of employees and has focused on the core things the company needs during the uncertainty rather than “things that would be nice to have.”

Taylor, who was at times visibly emotional as he talked about his life’s work, said the Comfrey farm boy who grew up poor, succeeded through creativity, dreaming and hard work.

“Miracles do happen,” he said.

NORTH MANKATO — As Glen Taylor talked to a group of employees celebrating Carlson Craft’s 75…

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