Investing in the Trades... One School at a Time
by Michael Hager
There are many good reasons to support a school’s industrial arts classes. Funding is often not enough and the generosity of the community can give students a better variety of hands-on opportunities.
“There are practical skills,” said Merle Felling when talking about these classes, “with tools that may land kids with good paying careers in the future.”
Felling was initially surprised when he heard that a local shop class could not pull together enough students to build a house.
“It was just too small of a class,” he explained.
Felling bought Sauk Centre Welding and Machine Works in 1974. The business became Felling Trailers, and moved to the corner of Highway 71 and Interstate 94 in Sauk Centre. Eventually it became a large, bustling complex. There is a second location in Litchfield.
Over the years, he has employed hundreds of people with industrial arts training.
Merle and his wife Kathy are no strangers to helping when they see a need. They have a fund with Community Giving and the list of benefactors is impressive...
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