A friend once told me that I tend to change jobs about every two years. In retrospect he was right.
While I had my sights set on the long term, the reality is that once I established a routine it was a race for which would happen first: my performance suffered as my attention shifted to something tangential to the task at hand, or I drove my partners nuts.
I wish that I had the foresight to preempt the inevitable fallout by recognizing that it was time for a new chapter. The divergence of my attention was the precursor to something derivative to what I was currently doing that when nurtured became my next big thing.
Here are the organizations that I founded or co-founded.
Alpha Robotics
By the mid-1980s I had become convinced that the personal computer would eventually lead to personal robotics. The choices at the time were limited: simple screwdriver-together kits, large robots that looked impressive but did little beyond driving around, and the serious hobbyist platform, the Heathkit Hero 1. It reminded me of the early days of personal computing, when enthusiasts drove much of the innovation.
Rather than build complete robots, I founded Alpha Robotics to supply modular components that would let hobbyists and developers build their own. The idea was to provide a flexible foundation that experimenters could adapt to their own projects.
The primary product was a modular, programmable Robotic Controller System that I designed and manufactured. It served as the core of a robotic system and could be expanded with specialized interface modules. Modules that were planned or developed included motor control, ultrasonic sensing and imaging, voice synthesis and recognition, and precision positioning.
For several years I worked with Dave Hanson, a device engineer at Sperry, who joined me as a partner. Dave contributed to the design and testing of the controller system before leaving to join Cray Research in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin.
Although Alpha Robotics never became a viable business, it became an important stepping stone. The technology, experience, and relationships developed there laid the groundwork for several ventures that followed.
Click here for Alpha Robotics products.
Vid Comm III
Dave Franks was the general manager at Schaak Electronics, where my brother and I bought most of our stereo equipment. One day he announced that he had quit to start a video rental business called Vid Comm III. The timing was perfect. Home video rentals were just taking off, and the company grew rapidly, expanding into three progressively larger stores.
As the business expanded, it added consumer electronics and a hobby robotics department. I became an investor during this period and saw an opportunity to introduce Alpha Robotics products to a retail market.
Vid Comm III became the first retail outlet for my robotics products. I designed and built custom display fixtures for the store’s mezzanine level, where we sold electronic components that I purchased in bulk and packaged for retail sale. The long-term plan was to grow the department into a destination for hobby robotics as my robotic controller systems and expansion modules became available.
The timing, however, was a little too early. My products were still a year or two away from being market-ready, and most customers who came through the door were interested in renting movies, not building robots.
Dave recognized where the real opportunity lay and focused on expanding the video rental business. He pursued a private placement stock offering to finance franchising, while the robotics venture gradually faded into the background. Although the effort never reached its original vision, it reinforced an important lesson: a good idea alone is not enough. The market has to be ready for it.
Rhiannon Associates
Rhiannon Associates was a partnership between Dave Franks and me that we created to help startup companies succeed by providing management expertise, technical support, and innovative business practices in exchange for an ownership interest rather than traditional consulting fees.
Our focus was on young companies with promising ideas but limited resources. Instead of serving as outside consultants, we intended to become active participants in building each business, aligning our success with theirs through equity ownership.
Although the partnership was short-lived, it reflected a philosophy that continued throughout much of my career: working alongside entrepreneurs to solve problems, build systems, and turn ideas into viable businesses.
AgriTech
AgriTech grew out of Rhiannon Associates as one of the ventures we launched to apply emerging computer technology to traditional industries.
Our first product was a desktop software system for dairy farmers. It managed an entire herd while optimizing feed supplementation for each individual cow. Rather than treating the herd as a single unit, the program calculated customized supplement rations based on each cow’s butterfat production. The goal was to improve profitability by matching feed costs more closely to each animal’s productivity.
Instead of marketing the software directly to farmers, we built a distribution network of livestock feed suppliers who embraced this nutritional approach. The software complemented their consulting services and feed products, creating value for both the suppliers and their customers.
The project reflected an approach that became a recurring theme throughout my career: using emerging computer technology to solve practical problems in specialized industries. Rather than simply automating paperwork, the objective was to provide better information for day-to-day decision making.
Sienna Technologies
Sienna Technologies was a semiconductor test equipment company that I co-founded with Bryan Root. The company grew from an idea Bryan brought to me while we were both working at Unisys. As an experienced semiconductor reliability engineer and participant in industry standards groups, Bryan recognized a growing need for commercially available equipment to test the long-term reliability of integrated circuits.
Together we designed a large-scale automated testing system for semiconductor manufacturers. I served as the systems architect, leading the initial hardware and software design, while Bryan provided the industry expertise and customer relationships that gave credibility to a brand-new company.
One of our first major milestones came when Motorola agreed to purchase our first system before it had even been completed. That early commitment provided both validation and the momentum needed to launch the business.
In addition to leading product development, I served as President and was responsible for nearly every aspect of the company outside of engineering, including finance, operations, accounting, manufacturing, human resources, and intellectual property. Rather than relying on venture capital, we raised growth capital from individual private investors. That approach allowed us to retain control of the company while growing at a sustainable pace, and we remained profitable every year.
Like many technology startups, we began with whatever resources were available. Our first software developer worked from laboratory space that Unisys generously made available to us, while development of our flagship hardware continued in the basement of my home.
Our systems were eventually installed at many of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers and research organizations, including Motorola, Hitachi, Samsung, Hyundai, Bell Laboratories, and Intel.
As the company matured, Sienna Technologies became a publicly traded company on the local Pink Sheets. It was later acquired and continues today as part of Aetrium in North St. Paul, Minnesota. The company’s focus on semiconductor reliability testing remains, and several of the original employees continued with the business after the acquisition.
Click here to see Sienna products.
ARI Consulting
After leaving Sienna Technologies, I went through a difficult transition. Building and growing the company had consumed much of my life, and stepping away left me wondering what came next. Eventually, I founded ARI Consulting, focusing on helping manufacturers get more value from their existing Fourth Shift ERP systems.
The turning point came with a phone call from Burgess Industries. They had invested heavily in Fourth Shift, but the implementation had stalled and Material Requirements Planning (MRP) was not working.
The day I arrived to meet the management team, they were moving a large oil portrait of the company’s founder, Mr. Burgess, into the building. It was to hang outside his private office—a fitting symbol of a company in transition.
Mr. Burgess was turning the business over to his two sons. He was direct and candid about the situation: if they could not make Fourth Shift work, the company’s future was at risk.
After listening to their concerns, I made a simple proposal.
“I’ll do whatever it takes to make MRP work—for a flat fee of $25,000.”
We shook hands, and I started the next day.
It was exactly what I needed. I immersed myself in the project, worked long hours, and gradually regained both my confidence and my enthusiasm. By the time it was complete, I had found a new direction for my career.
Over the next several years, ARI Consulting developed a niche rescuing stalled Fourth Shift implementations. Rather than replacing expensive ERP systems, I helped manufacturers realize the value they had expected when they first purchased the software. Most didn’t need a new system—they needed someone who understood both manufacturing and the software well enough to bridge the gap.
One memorable client was RDM of Minnesota, a growing steel fabrication company that supplied component parts to McNeilus. Business was booming, but the constraint was not demand or production capacity—it was the office. Estimating, scheduling, and administrative processes could not keep pace with the company’s growth, making it difficult to quote work competitively and manage the increasing workload.
Experiences like these reinforced a lesson that shaped much of my consulting career: the real constraint in a business is often somewhere other than where people assume it is. Identifying and addressing that underlying bottleneck usually produces far greater results than simply adding more people, equipment, or effort.
ProCon Solutions
While working as an independent consultant providing implementation and support services for Lilly Software, an opportunity arose when the Upper Midwest sales territory became available.
I approached one of my consulting clients, R.J. Burgess, with an unusual proposal. Instead of continuing in his existing position, I suggested that he join me in building a business around VISUAL Manufacturing. He would lead software sales while I focused on implementation, training, and technical support.
Together we founded ProCon Solutions, creating a company that offered manufacturers both the software and the expertise needed to make it successful. It was a natural extension of the consulting work I had already been doing and allowed us to serve customers throughout the Upper Midwest.
Our first office was in subleased space in Bloomington, Minnesota. It included conventional office space and an upstairs loft that we converted into a customer training center. The informal setting reflected our approach—practical, hands-on, and focused on helping customers succeed rather than simply selling software.
ProCon Solutions grew steadily by combining software sales with manufacturing expertise and implementation experience. Customers appreciated working with a single organization that understood both their business processes and the technology that supported them.
The company was eventually merged into a larger organization and continues today as Visual Business Solutions, serving manufacturers in the Chicago area.
ProCon Development
In 1998, I stepped away from the sales and implementation side of VISUAL Manufacturing to focus on what I enjoyed most—developing software. To support that transition, I founded ProCon Development, a company dedicated to creating third-party products that extended the capabilities of the VISUAL Manufacturing ERP system.
The goal was to develop specialized applications that complemented the core software and solved practical problems manufacturers encountered in their day-to-day operations. It gave me the opportunity to return to product development after many years of consulting and implementation work.
The venture was short-lived. Our partnership dissolved, and my former partner retained the formal relationship with Lilly Software. He began developing his own third-party products and asked that I no longer provide services to Lilly customers.
Because nearly all of my business depended on that customer base, the impact was immediate. Overnight, the market I had spent years building was effectively closed to me, and ProCon Development was no longer a viable business.
Although it was a significant setback, it became another turning point in my career. Once again, I found myself looking for a new direction and the opportunity to build something from the ground up.
The Virant Group
The Virant Group brought together nearly two decades of experience as an entrepreneur, software developer, manufacturer, consultant, and ERP implementer. Rather than selling software, the company focused on helping small and midsize manufacturers get more value from the information already contained in their ERP systems.
My ERP experience began while implementing Fourth Shift at Sienna Technologies. That led to consulting opportunities helping other manufacturers deploy their own systems. Later, I became involved with Lilly Software Associates during the early years of VISUAL Manufacturing, installing one of the company’s first twenty customer systems.
As VISUAL Manufacturing gained acceptance, I co-founded ProCon Solutions, which became the exclusive Upper Midwest distributor for the software. We built the sales, implementation, training, and support organization while Lilly Software grew from a startup into one of the leading ERP providers for manufacturers.
After leaving ProCon Solutions, I returned to what I enjoyed most—developing software. Through The Virant Group, I created third-party applications that extended the capabilities of VISUAL Manufacturing and later VISUAL Enterprise. I also developed custom software, technical documentation, implementation methodologies, and specialized consulting services for manufacturers with complex operational challenges.
One milestone was especially meaningful. The Virant Group became the only independent company authorized by Lilly Software to market third-party add-on products for the VISUAL product line. That recognition reflected the confidence the company had in both my technical work and my understanding of their customers.
The Virant Group was never about software for its own sake. The objective was to help manufacturers make better decisions by organizing information, simplifying complex business processes, and building practical tools that fit the way they actually worked. In many ways, it brought together the lessons I had learned from every venture that came before it.
Click here to see Virant products.
Click here to see Virant clients.
The Coliseum
One of the most memorable offices I ever worked in occupied the abandoned third-floor ballroom of the historic Coliseum building on East Lake Street in Minneapolis. We rented the entire 6,500-square-foot space for a staff of just four people—more than 1,600 square feet per employee.
The ballroom was essentially an unfinished shell. Permanent electrical service consisted of a single work light, so we tapped into the building’s electrical mains and installed temporary outlets throughout the space. The original perimeter seating had long since been removed, exposing loose insulation that drifted into the room. We enclosed the perimeter with heavy plastic sheeting to keep the insulation contained.
Fortunately, the building’s new heating and cooling system had just been installed. Four large rooftop air-handling units kept the ballroom surprisingly comfortable during one of the hottest summers on record.
Rather than dividing the space into conventional offices, we erected two large event tents for offices and a third shelter tent that served as our development laboratory. The tents had been donated by one of our clients, ShelterLogic, in Watertown, Connecticut. Visitors never forgot the experience of walking into a century-old ballroom filled with office furniture, computers, and tents.
The building itself had a remarkable history. Constructed in 1917 at the corner of East Lake Street and Minnehaha Avenue, it originally housed Freeman’s Department Store. During Minneapolis’ streetcar era, the third-floor ballroom became a popular venue for big-band dances, featuring a large hardwood dance floor, high ceilings, tall windows overlooking Lake Street, and a private marble staircase.
After Freeman’s closed in 1975, the building found a variety of new uses. By the time we arrived, it was known as the Podany Building. The main floor housed an office furniture showroom, the basement was rented to musicians—including the band The Suburbs—and the ballroom occasionally served as rehearsal space for the folk dance group Tapestry.
The city later began a major redevelopment project to restore the building, but work on the third floor was never completed. During the civil unrest following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the building suffered extensive fire damage and was ultimately condemned.
For a brief period, that abandoned ballroom became home to our small software company. It remains the most unusual and memorable office I have ever worked in.
Defending Farm Animals
For many years I wrestled with a simple question: How could I make a meaningful difference for animals?
Like many people, I started by supporting local humane societies. While I admired their work, writing checks wasn’t enough. I wanted to be personally involved.
That led me to join several national animal protection organizations in search of one whose mission and approach matched my own. Along the way I met many dedicated and compassionate people, but I also became disillusioned. Too often the organizations seemed driven by fundraising, personalities, or priorities that didn’t align with my own. None felt like the right fit.
One thing had stayed with me since childhood. Every year at the county and state fairs I was fascinated by the elaborate walk-through exhibits housed inside large trailers. Stepping from the bright, noisy fairgrounds into a carefully designed environment of lighting, sound, videos, displays, and models was an immersive experience. I always thought, Someday I’d like to build something like that.
Years later, the idea returned with a purpose. Instead of promoting a product or company, why not create a traveling exhibit that educated people about the treatment of farm animals? Summer festivals seemed like the perfect venue, reaching thousands of people who would never attend an animal rights conference.
As usual, I started by building first and figuring out the rest later.
I bought an old pop-up camper, and within days my brother had completely gutted it. Together with my father, we transformed it into a self-contained educational exhibit that I could tow behind my SUV. It became a mobile classroom featuring videos, photographs, displays, and educational materials that could travel almost anywhere.
It took about a year to learn how to get accepted into festivals and establish a regular summer schedule. During that time I met Julie Derby. We quickly discovered that we shared many of the same frustrations with the national organizations, particularly their lack of attention to the welfare of farm animals as industrial agriculture increasingly displaced traditional family farms.
Julie immediately saw the potential of the mobile exhibit. While I viewed it primarily as an educational tool, she recognized the opportunity to build something much larger. As had happened several times throughout my career, an idea gained momentum when it intersected with someone whose strengths complemented my own.
Together we approached established organizations with a simple proposal. We would build and operate the exhibits and appear at festivals while they provided investigative material, photographs, videos, and educational resources. We weren’t asking for funding—only for a collaborative partnership.
The search proved surprisingly frustrating. The more organizations we approached, the more convinced we became that creating our own investigative material would be easier than finding the right partner.
So that’s exactly what we did.
We began conducting our own investigations, documenting conditions at stockyards, factory farms, slaughterhouses, and live animal markets. Ironically, once we had original photographs, video, and firsthand accounts, many of the organizations that had shown little interest suddenly wanted access to our work.
We shared our material freely, expecting a genuine exchange of information and support. Instead, we later found our photographs appearing in national fundraising appeals without attribution, often presented as though the organizations had conducted the investigations themselves.
That experience answered the question we had been asking from the beginning.
Rather than searching for the right organization to partner with, we decided to build our own.
Star Tribune Media Coverage
- May 20, 2001 – Jam for Animals Concert
- April 21, 2001 – Television Program Review
- April 10, 2001 – Michael Foods Shareholder Meeting
- July 22, 2000 – The Use of Violence in Making Social Change
- Nov 20, 1999 – Television Program Review
- Sept 3, 1999 – Rodeo Protest
- Sept 2, 1999 – Electric Prods No Longer To Be Used at Fair
- Jan 10, 1999 – Pig Shoot Becomes Slaughter Operation
- March 29, 1998 – DNR Deer Hunt
Pioneer Press Media Coverage
- June 6, 2001 – Slaughterhouse Allowed to Continue Operations
- June 5, 2001 – Hugo Slaughterhouse Zoning
KARE-11 Media Coverage
- May 14, 2000 – Culture Clash – Hugo Slaughterhouse
- April 28, 2000 – Farm Animal Rally
- Sept 2, 1999 – State Fair Rodeo