By Robert Williams

Editor

A business call between realtor Mike Carlson and Mike Summers of Summers Construction about building a few pole barns took a turn and that conversation began a two-month process of three area families purchasing both Summers Construction and the Design Center in Vergas.

“It started with a phone call from Mike Carlson looking to get some pole sheds built and our conversation changed to maybe buying what we have going on here,” said Mike Summers. “Lo and behold, he was meeting with his partners that night and they got a hold of us on Saturday and came and checked out our stuff here and the rest is history.”

Besides Carlson and his family, the group consists of Contractor Stephen Erb, Interior Design Specialist Savannah, his wife, and Zachary Wilson, the numbers guy. There are a dozen children between the three families.

“It absolutely wasn’t planned, at all,” said Carlson. “It was 100 percent organic and Mike (Summers) felt compelled to throw the idea out there at me. I would call it a blessing from the Lord and the sovereignty of the Lord. Something stirred in Mike to present the idea.”

Mike Summers describes the sale process with a phrase that many people have said upon hearing of the deal.

“I was shocked when I heard it,” he laughed. “It was our dream to sell someday. It just came sooner than we were thinking, but we’re super excited. We think these three couples are going to be amazing and that’s why we’re doing this.”

The Summers worked with the group on the details of the sale over the following month. 

“Now, we’re at this point and we’re changing hands on April 11,” said Mike Summers.

The sale date is two days past the three-year anniversary of the Design Center on April 9.

Running a construction firm, the Design Center and a ReMAX realty office had become something the Summers could handle, but when asked how much longer they could keep up the answer was tough.

“We don’t know the answer to that,” said Joy. “It was always in the back of our heads that we wouldn’t be able to sustain all that forever. That’s why we kept some entities separate assuming we would have to hand it off to multiple people. We really didn’t talk about it until after they let us know they were interested in purchasing. Mike and I really sat down and talked about the fact that there are only so many hours in a day and there are only two of us. There is only so far we can build the business and we’re very happy to hand the business off to six diversely talented people and their talents seem to complement each other. We’re very excited to see what they do with it.”

President Stephen Erb and his wife Vice President Savannah Erb both have significant leadership roles in the company.

“Savannah and I will be in operations development,” Stephen said.

Savannah will be running the Design Center and all of the interior design functions, while Stephen is a licensed contractor in charge of the construction side of the business.

“It’s really amazing how it worked out, because obviously Mike and Joy have the realty side of their business and Mike Carlson is a top notch realtor and fits really well into that,” said Stephen. “He’s also very much into the dream and development and expansion.”

The entire sale seemed to be something that was timed and working out perfectly for everyone involved.

“We think it’s great timing for us as well,” said Mike Summers. “We’ll still do real estate. We enjoy what we do. I love our staff, the people that we work with and the clients that we have are great.”

“It’s really allowed us to connect with our community in a unique way,” Joy said. “This is literally our friends and family and when we built this business that circle got bigger. It feels like we connected with so many more people and we’re still excited to continue serving them with real estate.”

Running a business in Vergas is especially important to Joy (Pausch) Summers, who comes from a family that has owned businesses in the village for many generations dating back to the local blacksmith and the current Billy’s Corner Bar and Grill, which was known as Pausch and Fankhanel, after being built by Edmund Pausch and Arthur Fankhanel.

“Edmund Pausch was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1877. He came to America at age 14 and worked on his uncle Arthur Fankhanel’s farm near Barnesville.

“In 1903, he came to Vergas, then known as Altona, and together with Fankhanel, built the Corner Saloon, a two-story structure; the lower floor occupied by a saloon and the upstairs, a large hall where dances were held.

“Edmund was the first secretary of the newly organized fire department and the first assessor of the village.

In 1912, Edmund sold  his interest in the Corner Saloon and moved his family to a farm on Long Lake where they operated a farm and a resort.” – 1976 Vergas Bicentennial Review.

The family lineage stretches to both of Joy’s parents, who have also owned Vergas businesses.

“This generational pass down is really fun to think that I can tell my kids someday that they can drive by and see this business that we started,” Joy said.

Joy’s brother and sister-in-law own Wildfire Furs, located in the Summers’ former ReMAX office next to the Design Center.

“The Vergas community has been so welcoming to us and the other businesses in town have been so great,” said Mike Summers. ”That’s what makes success for not just our business but all of Vergas.”

The three families have their own connections that helped process the sale. Their shared faith also helped overcome any doubts about taking over both businesses.

Savannah comes from a family-related business. Her mother is an interior designer and her father does custom metal work. 

“I grew up around design,” she said. 

Wilson and Mike Carlson were initially working together on other projects, but after the call with the Summers he approached both Zach and Ellie and Stephen and Savannah.

“We already knew Zach and Ellie from church; it’s such a cool dynamic,” Savannah said.

“Only the Lord could have done this,” Stephen said. “Zach is amazing with numbers and accounting and he’s also acting as a Vice President and Treasurer of the company. Mike is also a Vice President and doing development and realty. Really, it’s a dynamic trio of families coming together. I think we fit the bill really well, taking over.”

“It was definitely the Lord opening it up for us because there is no way we could have put it together better,” Savannah said. 

“We’re at the two-month mark and this has all been happening so fast, but by the grace of God it’s been lining up,” Stephen said. “We kept looking for the next sign or what’s our out here? This was happening so fast but it just kept getting better and better.”

“We prayed for red flags; there were none,” Savannah said.

For the Summers, they will be able to concentrate on their real estate business, something they’ve never been able to just focus upon.

“We have no idea what the future brings,” Joy said. “Right now, we have no idea.”

One certainty is Mike will definitely be seen on his fishing boat more.

“It’s exciting for us to really focus all of our energy on real estate,” Joy said.

The Summers will be aiming to focus in the Vergas and Detroit Lakes areas, along with the Many Point Lake area in northeast Becker County where the couple owns a cabin.

The Summers will also be involved with their former business as long as the new owners need their input. 

“It’s a lot to hand off and it’s really important to us that they succeed,” Joy said.

The three families are looking to make changes but also build on the success already inherent in both businesses.

“They’ve built a fantastic foundation here so we thought it would be good to keep things the same for a while,” said Wilson. “Their legacy is amazing.”

“We are super thankful for all that Mike and Joy have done and the way they have grown this business,” Savannah said. “We want to honor them in it and take the baton and run and keep growing.”

Carlson is a resident of rural Vergas and is keenly aware of the irony of the group coming together to be a perfect fit in one of the village’s largest businesses.

“The right people seemed to come into my life at the right time, otherwise, I would have said no immediately,” Carlson said. “It was always realistic; yeah, this makes total sense. The question I kept asking myself is why not us?”

“I don’t know how they do it with two people,” Wilson said.

Residents can meet the families as they take over during Maple Syrup Fest on Saturday, April 12.

“We are starting with a big sale because we want to start fresh here and want there to be a noticeable change, but at the same time, we want to honor Mike and Joy and the previous relationships they have going already. We’re just looking forward to working with a bunch of local people,” Stephen said.