By Christian Towalski
About 20 years ago, Heim Milling Company in St. Cloud found themselves dealing with a rather expensive mix-up. Due to an error in their company software, several customers were overcharged for their services. Bob Heim, owner of the mill, knew exactly what he had to do.
“We actually reached out to all of [the customers] and said ‘Hey, we’ve calculated what you’re overcharged, and we’ve got a refund for you,’” Heim said. “We had many of them comment to us that they couldn’t believe a business would do that.”
Heim says his Catholic faith plays a major role in the way the business is run.
“We were just raised to believe that … if there was a mistake you make it right,” he said.
Heim Milling traces its roots back 125 years, and references to the mill can be found as early as 1859, appearing in issues of the “Sauk Rapids Frontierman,” the first Minnesota newspaper published outside of St. Paul. By 1900, the mill was owned by a local businessman named Frank Arnold, who sold the building to George Heim – Bob’s great grandfather – and his grandfather’s brother. Within a few months, George bought out his brother and took sole ownership of the business, officially establishing Heim Milling as a prominent part of the Central Minnesota community.
The business, which operated as a flour mill until the 1930s, now specializes in animal feed, producing over 60 kinds of feed, including pelleted feed, cracked corn and mineral supplements. The mill has stayed in the family, with each generation passing it on to the next.
“We’ve made changes to the business [over the years], but it’s stayed strictly in the family the entire time,” Heim said.
Today, Bob Heim works alongside his son, Nathan, who represents the fifth generation of family ownership.
“It’s everything,” Nathan said. “To carry on a tradition that I know my grandpa and great grandpa started and to hold on to that tradition — it’s something that means a lot to me.”
Through more than a century of continuous operation, Heim Milling has maintained a strong foundation of faith that has strengthened the connection between the mill, the Heim family and the community.
“Because so many of the people that we work with are active in their churches, it’s just kind of the DNA of our customers,” Bob said. “It’s one of those things that has been ingrained in our family members. Working according to those ethics and actually volunteering, particularly in church, is just part of our DNA.”
That foundation isn’t just a starting point for customer relations — it’s also a framework that allows Heim Milling to give back to the community.
“We work with the Rural Life Fund and have for several years. Even more locally with our parish, St. Francis Xavier in Sartell, we’ve [supported] everything from the parish council to trustees of the parish, faith formation teachers, youth ministry, advisory – everything.”
This year, Heim Milling celebrates their 125th anniversary with a special open house for customers, local dealers and the public. The event will take place on Dec. 13 at the Heim Milling building in St. Cloud. Visitors to the event will have the opportunity to tour the facility, meet the staff and explore the history of the company through storytelling and a selection of artifacts.
“We’ve got some pieces of our history that are 110, 115 years old, including items like a general ledger with handwritten entries of purchases from farmers and sales to farmers — and some of those families we’re still doing business with.”
If you go:
Date: Dec. 13
Time: 1-4 p.m.
Where: Heim Milling Company, 32311 County Road 1, St. Cloud, Minnesota