Our History
![Sussel Garage Truck]( "Sussel Garages")
Sussel has been in business for more than a century. M. Sussel & Company began in 1915 as a wooden box and barrel maker. During World War II, the U.S. government asked Sussel to become the exclusive supplier for the wood crating that was necessary for transporting all of the Budweiser beer to the troops in Europe. Quite a morale boost!
After the war, Sussel began building new homes, additions, and garages throughout the Twin Cities metro area. Construction was booming as troops were coming home from the war and starting their families.
By the 1960s, Sussel had changed its name to “The Sussel Company,” and moved from Mississippi Street near downtown St. Paul over to Como Avenue, across from the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. The new location was built with corporation offices along Como, complete with a full lumberyard along the rail lines in the back. Our company would soon become the largest new garage builder in Minnesota.
In the late 1970s, post-war economic expansion gave way to a recession, and the Sussel family sold the business to Lampert Lumber. But a few years later in 1983, Sussel Executive Arthur Russell purchased the business along with two other executives, Alf Wiik and James Lonergan. They changed the company name to “Sussel Corporation,” and continued its tradition as Minnesota’s go-to garage builder.
When Arthur began planning for his retirement in 2004, he transitioned management over to his sons, Michael and Patrick. Michael would lead the sales department while Patrick became head of business operations. Together, the brothers continued to carry on the legacy that their father and generations before him had built so carefully. In 2009, the brothers were thrilled when Sussel was selected to build the garage for ABC’s Extreme Home Makeover Home Edition. It was a great honor and opportunity to give something back to the Twin Cities community that had given our company so much over the years.
Today, the Sussel name is still synonymous with high-quality construction and stellar customer service. We’re proud to be a family-owned business that has endured over 100 years with generations of faithful employees and loyal customers. We will continue this legacy far into the future with the most talented group of designers, project managers, and skilled craftsmen in the industry. When you build with Sussel, you can feel confident partnering with a company (and warranty) that’s going to be here five, 10, and even 20 years from now. That’s the Sussel difference.