A retirement party honoring Larry Nordsiden for his 44 years of working at Grossenburg Implement was held Dec. 22. Nordsiden, center, is pictured with Gene Grossenburg, right and Barry Grossenburg. Nordsiden started working at Grossenburgs in 1978.
By Dan Bechtold
Editor
Being mechanical just comes natural to Larry Nordsiden. He has devoted his career at Grossenburg Implement to fixing tractors so farmers can get back into the field.
Nordsiden has worked at Grossenburgs for 44 years and was honored at a retirement party on Dec. 22.
He started working at the implement dealership in 1978. He started in the mechanic shop as an apprentice. He said Albert Sachtjen was the shop manager and he worked with several people including Cecil Sachtjen.
Most of his career at Grossenburgs, Nordsiden worked on tractors. In 2004, Nordsiden went to work in the injection pump room working on diesel farm equipment. He has worked with injection pumps for the past 16 years.
“It is quite a process to tear down an injector pump and put it together You have to do a test run on them to make sure they are doing what they are supposed to do,” said Nordsiden.
Now farm equipment is going to electric injector pumps.
Nordsiden grew up in Minnesota and was raised in the Walnut Grove, Minn., area.
After high school graduation, Nordsiden started working for Pamida in Marshall, Minn. The Minnestoa store purchased the Pamida in Winner and Nordsiden was sent to Winner as the assistant manager. Pamida was located where Prairie Plaza is now located on Monroe St.
He decided the job of an assistant manager was not for him so Nordsiden moved back to Minnesota. During his time working at Pamida he met Kim Fast who was to become his wife.
Once a month he would come to Winner to visit Kim. She wanted him to move to Winner so he moved back and started looking for a job. He stopped into Grossenburg Implement and asked if they had any job openings. He was told of an opening in the mechanic shop and Rodney Grossenburg hired Nordsiden on the spot.
Nordsiden learned about working on small engines at a vocational school in Alexandria, Minn.
Over 44 years, Nordsiden has seen many changes in the mechanic shop. It is now air conditioned. He recalled days without air conditioning in the summer when it would be 100 degrees in the shop.
He remembers shop employees would work 10 hour days and a half a day on Saturday.
He has always enjoyed the mechanical side of his job. Nordsiden likes the fact that Grossenburgs is a family owned business.
It has been a wonderful career for him.
Now, he will help his wife during the summers at Winner Drive-In Theater.
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