For many, VEIT is a familiar name. One you might run across at construction and demolition sites. Since 1928 VEIT has been a leader in the demolition and rebuilding of much of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. VEIT has been contracted to lay to rest many treasured, and unforgettable structures of modern midwestern history.
Considered an industry leader in largescale demolition and removal, Veit has completed contracts for numerous prominent projects. In addition, subsidiary Veit Disposal Systems boasts one of the largest roll-off container operations in the United States.
Veit has spent over three quarters of a century disassembling, sorting through, reselling and recycling of some of the most memorable landmarks in North Dakota and Minnesota. The end process bears a remarkable resemblance to the natural order of things already established by Mother Nature. There is this 360 degree process of Veit’s handling of refuse materials, that has a unique dignity and respectability to it.
Veit’s two businesses, Specialty Contracting and Waste Management provide comprehensive services to general contractors, and customers in private industry, municipalities, and local governments.
It Started with Renting a Truck to the County
Frank Veit founded the company in 1928, just before the depression hit. When Frank’s farm truck was idle, he rented it out to the county for road construction. Frank’s son, Arthur, took the business from a trucking company to an excavating company during the post WWII construction boom. The company survived the early years by tackling challenging specialty contracting projects. That tradition continues today under the leadership of Frank’s grandson, Vaughn Veit.
Few would have thought that when Frank Veit began leasing his produce farm trucks to Hennepin County that it would mark the beginning of one of the largest excavating and demolition companies in the upper Midwest.
Veit’s Corporate History is a Family History as well
During the Depression of the 1930’s the Veit family supplemented their income through lease agreements for use of the family’s equipment with Hennepin County, including Minneapolis and the western metro.
Vaughn’s son Arthur joined the operation in 1931 and made Veit his life’s work. Arthur began to acquire more equipment throughout the 1930s and in 1941, Arthur purchased the company’s first excavating equipment to use primarily for small residential and commercial development projects.
The projects were local initially but as the company grew so did the area that it served. Construction was at a peak in the following decade and in addition to its new role in excavation, Veit Companies (as it was eventually named), served the region by hauling construction equipment to job sites.
Veit Expanded in Demolition and Recycling
The company began to purchase equipment that had not been previously used in the area. The first was a Caterpillar rubber-tire loader that proved more efficient than the track loaders then commonly used.
In 1960 Veit purchased its first lowboy tractor and in 1969, its first Caterpillar articulated loader, steps that would help position Veit as a company of choice for large excavating and demolition jobs in Minnesota.
In the 1950s and 60s, many of the downtown buildings in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area had begun to fall into disrepair. This was an era when new construction, rather than restoration, appealed to city planners, and Veit was hired to demolish significant numbers of older buildings and warehouses dotting the cityscape.
In 1958 Veit moved its shop to the northwest suburb of Osseo, eventually building its first landfill operation in 1981. The growth of the Twin Cities metro area led many businesses to evaluate the placement of their company operation centers. Veit was no exception and the company moved its headquarters further west to Rogers, Minnesota.
Strategically located between the Twin Cities metro area and the city of St. Cloud, Veit was allowed to play a more significant role in the future of greater Minnesota and surrounding areas.
In 1975 Arthur retired from his role as chairman and CEO, Vaughn then bought the company. Vaughn’s strategy was and continues to be, one of expansion.
In 1990 Vaughn Veit launched Veit Disposal Systems (VDS), with one truck and 30 container boxes. VDS soon expanded to more than 45 trucks and 1,500 containers. Veit grew its Twin Cities sanitation services with the addition of Disposal Systems, Inc.
In 1998, Veit continued the expansion of VDS with the acquisition of Adams Roll- Off Container in Rochester, Minnesota. The addition of Adams allowed Veit to enlarge its service area into the Rochester/Austin market, where Adams already had a large customer base.
Veit’s disposal division grew substantially and was now operating in the St. Paul/Minneapolis, St. Cloud, and Rochester/Austin sales areas with a later start-up operation in the Duluth/Superior area.
With ever increasing Dumping Costs, VDS kept Costs Internal
“With these acquisitions came transporting of more debris. We didn’t have control over dumping costs so we looked at getting our own landfill to keep costs internal.” “We were recycling from the beginning.” states Greg Boelke, Senior Vice President of Sales.
In 1993 VDS acquired and developed an existing landfill named Vaughn Co. in Big Lake, MN. Veit acquired another landfill in Austin,Minnesota, a few years later. At the Rochester facility recyclables were sorted, compacted and stored, with a proud average of over 70% of construction and demolition debris recycled or reused. Only 20% to 30% goes to the Austin Landfill.
With expertise in demolition, Veit gained a regional reputation for demolishing and clearing away of antiquated sports stadiums. University of Minnesota’s Memorial Stadium, was the first notable sports facility Veit tore down and disposed of. Full circle today, Veit is now installing all earthwork, utility work, deep foundation work, grading and installing 2,000 specialty pile foundations at the grounds for the new Gopher Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.
Veit was responsible for the much debated Metropolitan Stadium removal in 1995 when it came time to make home for the Mall of America. Veit was also awarded the prestigious contract to tear down the St. Paul Civic Center Arena and to do the earthwork for the new Excel Energy Center, now home to the Minnesota Wild.
Though known for its work with sports arenas, one of Veit’s most notable contract awards came in Oct of 1999 from the United States Government. Veit was the low bidder, and awarded a $12.1 million dollar contract to implode 150 Minuteman III missile silos just outside of Langdon, N.D.
Operating under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), the Air Force had begun compliance with the treaty in 1994, moving the missiles from the silos near Langdon in 1995. Veit’s first responsibility was to implode the silos and underground control centers. Once imploded, the debris was buried and sealed with concrete slabs. They had to leave the areas exposed for Soviet satellites to photograph and record the job had been performed satisfactorily. Veit was at the forefront of a milestone in US World History.
The completion date of the Minuteman silo demolition was scheduled for the end of 2001, in compliance with the terms of the treaty. As with all of Veit’s projects, a good number of salvageable materials were hauled away to be recycled at Veit’s demolition disposal site in Austin, Minnesota.
Now, more than 78 years in business Veit’s equipment has grown to an impressive fleet including advanced construction machinery like GPS-guided finish grading equipment and innovative procedures like installing piling through rock and other dense materials. Veit’s other subsidiaries include Veit Container Corporation, Veit Demolition Disposal, Veit Environmental, and Veit Utility. For more information visit: www.veit.com.
