Waytek History | 50th Anniversary

In 1970, Waytek founder Wayne Larson put the “Way” in Waytek, a manufacturer’s rep company for electronic instrumentation. “I didn’t go to the bank with a business plan because the plan only existed between my ears and was pretty simple,” said Wayne. “I have to sell something because I want to eat.”

Business picked up. When Wayne mentioned his need to hire help to his brother, Norm said, “Why not me?” Wayne agreed and the family partnership was sealed. The brothers aligned on values and their vision of continuous growth by steadily investing in the business. They built a culture people wanted to be a part of by working side-by-side in the trenches with their employees.

Visiting a client, Wayne noticed their wire harnesses lacked durability and offered advice. Asked if he could produce such harnesses, he thought of his handy 16-year-old neighbor, Bob Lamoreaux, who ultimately ended up making the improved harnesses, working from Wayne’s basement. From those humble beginnings, Bob would go on to retire 44 years later as Waytek’s President.

Waytek continues to focus on our mission set forth by our founder -- providing an exceptional customer experience. “It seems weird that someone’s vision 50 years ago is even stronger today, but that vision is still to take care of the customer and they’ll take care of you,” said Tim Mark, Warehouse Manager.

Personal Touch
We remain committed to greeting each phone call with a human voice and a professional service rep empowered to err on the side of the customer, versus an automated phone tree. “Each of us is valued and empowered to make a difference,” said Joan Bixler, who supports about a hundred key accounts.

“We’ve gone out of our way to get customers what they need, even if that means buying from someone else – or jumping in your car to make it happen,” said Travis Dhein, Key Account Manager.

“We want Waytek to be known for a great customer experience,” said Mike, Waytek’s Chief Operating Officer. “If we do that, everything else will take care of itself.”

1970	Wayne starts Waytek; sub-reps 10-12 manufacturers for Megatek
1972	Teenager and future President Bob Lamoreaux hired to produce wire harnesses in Wayne’s basement
1972	Wayne’s brother Norm Larson becomes a business partner
1976	The first warehouse; business moves out of Wayne’s basement
1977	First catalog published – Only 8 pages

1980	Waytek stopped producing wire harnesses and started to focus solely on distribution
1984	First computer purchased from Radio Shack, used for processing payroll
1986	During recession, employees paint walls and floors to keep busy
1989	25,000 sq. ft. office/warehouse built in Chanhassen, MN

2003	Mike, Mark, John, and Pete Larson take ownership as Wayne and Norm Larson retire
2007	Move to the current 100,000 sq. ft. facility in Chanhassen; it took 188 semi-loads full of inventory and equipment
2008	New warehouse equipment allowed us to reduce the order-process time from 5 hours to 2.5 hours

2010	Mike Larson becomes COO
2011	Board advisor Charlie Kanan becomes CEO
2013	Began employment partnership with Managed Resource Connections, Inc. (MRCI)
2018	MRCI honors Waytek with a Connections of Excellence award in celebration of individual, employment and family connections in the community

2020	Waytek receives Minnesota Family Business Award
2021	Waytek crosses 100-employee threshold
2021	Warehouse modernization increases Waytek’s order processing capacity by over 50%

The Story Behind Waytek

Commitment to the Customer

Our Memorable Moments

1970 | The Beginning

1980 | Focusing on Distribution

1990 | A New Era

2000 | Second Generation Family Owned

2010 | The Future Looks Good

2020 | Moving Forward with Velocity