The Long Road To Warroad


Knowing the ins and outs of a client’s business is crucial to being a good partner. That’s why I jumped at the chance to head to the tiny little town of Warroad, Minn. Tucked away in the wilds of Northern Minnesota, just five miles from the Canadian border, is Warroad – a hunter and fisher’s dream, and the home of Marvin Windows and Doors. I had the pleasure of staying in Warroad for three days as I took part in Introduction to Marvin training. Spoiler alert: I received my Certificate of Completion. And, I would say I was best in class (sorry, Jake).

Here are some highlights from my trip, not including everything I saw and learned at Marvin.

Marvin’s Plane

I have to admit, I had a minor panic attack when I boarded the plane. I do not do well in small spaces. Once I moved past that, it was a very neat experience.

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The Patch Motel

Talk about character! This place used to be a raspberry, strawberry and rhubarb patch, hence the name.

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Lake of the Woods

The sixth-largest freshwater lake in the United States, it has 65,000 miles of shore land and is shared with Canada.

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The Wm. S. Marvin Training and Visitor Center

The Marvin museum is a must-see when you’re in Warroad.

Photo courtesy of Marvin Windows and Doors

Photo courtesy of Marvin Windows and Doors

The Shed

This place is incredible! I am no gearhead, but I might be after a few visits to this place. Rows and rows of rare cars line the walls and the people couldn’t be friendlier. Ask for Rick if you go. Now, you’re not supposed to sit in any of the cars or touch them – I mean, they are collector’s items – but I managed to squeeze into this beauty.

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All in all, it was a great trip. To be able to learn a client’s business like that is an invaluable experience. I look forward to putting all my learnings to work!