Beyond the Pane: Nathan's Path from Local Repairs to Lasting Community Impact

At 17, Nathan Tuomi dropped out of school and started fixing windows in his dad’s cold garage—armed with little more than grit and a knack for making things work. Forty years later, he’s the owner of Gull Lake Glass, a thriving multi-location company that’s become a cornerstone of the Brainerd Lakes Area.

His business has grown from repairing screen doors to creating pandemic safety shields and even launching a 13-hole golf course carved from an old gravel pit.

Nathan’s story is more than a tale of business success—it’s a blueprint for resilience. In a time when many Minnesota small businesses are struggling to stay afloat, his journey proves what’s possible when determination, adaptability, and community support align.

From Scaffolding Falls to Glass Empire

Nathan grew up in the Brainerd Lakes Area, learning the trades alongside his father on construction sites. School never clicked for him—reading and writing were tough—but building things came naturally. “I wasn’t very good in school,” he admits, “but my mechanical skills are pretty darn good.”

At just 17, he struck out on his own, repairing screens and broken windows from his father’s garage. The work was cold, hands-on, and unpredictable—but it gave him purpose. Then came a near-fatal setback: a scaffolding fall that broke his back. Most people would’ve stopped there. Nathan didn’t. He healed, got back on his feet, and rebuilt—one window, one job, one relationship at a time.

Four decades later, Gull Lake Glass has expanded to multiple locations, including Park Rapids. Several of Nathan’s employees have been with him for decades—a reflection of the loyalty he’s earned. From shower doors to commercial storefronts and automatic door systems, the company has become the region’s trusted name for anything glass.

Treating Employees Like Partners, Not Workers

Step inside Gull Lake Glass and you won’t hear the word “employee.” Nathan calls everyone there a “partner”—and he means it. “Every one of my employees… they’re partners of Gull Lake Glass,” he says. It’s more than a label; it’s how he runs the place. If a child has a school play, Nathan expects parents to be there. If family comes first, the business flexes to make it happen.

That same mindset extends to leadership. When Nathan hired Kerri Vastila, he credits her as the company’s turning point. “She organized everything—phenomenal with customers,” he says. Kerri’s precision balances Nathan’s big-picture energy, creating the rhythm that’s carried Gull Lake Glass through recessions, expansions, and even a pandemic.

In a state where nearly half of Minnesota’s workforce depends on small businesses—and where retaining good people is an ongoing struggle—Nathan’s approach stands out. His philosophy is simple: invest in people, give them freedom, and treat them like family. The result? Loyalty that lasts decades.

Pivoting Through Pandemic: Plexiglass and Perseverance

When COVID-19 shut down much of Minnesota, Nathan’s first thought wasn’t about survival—it was about his crew. “We wanted to stay open. We wanted to keep our employees working,” he recalls. So instead of closing their doors, Gull Lake Glass pivoted fast—turning their workshop into a production line for plexiglass safety shields. Within weeks, they were supplying hospitals, grocery stores, and local businesses across the region.

The results stunned even Nathan. “In three months, we sold more plexiglass than in the previous eighteen years,” he says. The team learned on the fly, cutting, polishing, and shipping faster than ever before. At one point, stacks of clear panels filled the shop floor like transparent walls. What started as a crisis became a unifying mission—and a lesson in adaptability that carried them through one of the toughest years for Minnesota’s small businesses.

From Gravel Pit to Golf Course: Taking a Swing at Innovation

The boldest chapter in Nathan’s story began with his son Sam’s wild idea: turning the family’s old gravel pit into a golf course. Nathan laughed at first—“I really wasn’t a fan of golf,” he admits—but Sam wouldn’t let it go. The more they talked, the more Nathan saw possibility in the rugged terrain they’d reclaimed years earlier. What started as a far-fetched idea soon became a family project that reshaped both their land and their business.

When the Gravel Pit Golf Course opened in spring 2022, it defied expectations. Designed by veteran course superintendent Scott Hoffman, the course featured 13 par-3 holes with sweeping elevation changes, trout-filled ponds, and osprey overhead. “People ask, why thirteen? We say, why not,” Nathan laughs. The laid-back vibe—where shorts and T-shirts replace collared shirts—made it a hit from day one.

Managed by Chuck Klecatsky, the Gravel Pit grew organically through word of mouth. “You can dream about people liking something,” Klecatsky said, “but it just sort of happens.” The response was so strong that by 2024, the team had added ten more holes, making the Gravel Pit one of the few short-course destinations of its kind in the country.

Innovation in Stone: Speedy Gravestone Engravings Join the Lineup

Even as golfers began teeing off at the Gravel Pit, Nathan’s creativity didn’t slow down. His next venture was something entirely unexpected: gravestone engraving. The idea came from his daughter and daughter-in-law—both morticians at Nelson Doran Funeral Home in Brainerd—who saw how long families often waited for memorials. Together, they envisioned a faster, more compassionate way to help grieving families find closure.

Within a year, Gull Lake Glass introduced custom gravestone engraving with a six-week turnaround, blending craftsmanship with empathy. “Families shouldn’t have to wait months for closure,” Nathan says. Each stone is treated like a story—handled with care, precision, and respect.

The addition may seem far from glasswork, but to Nathan, it’s part of the same mission: to help his neighbors when they need it most. Whether it’s a shower door, a storefront, or a final tribute etched in stone, Gull Lake Glass continues to find new ways to serve the community with heart.

The Power of Local Loyalty

Nathan’s success comes down to one thing: local loyalty. “People are really supportive of small businesses,” he says. “If you’re a local guy, people are gonna use you.” Over the years, he’s built relationships that span generations—contractors who once worked with his father now send their own kids to Gull Lake Glass. “Now I’m working with their next generation,” Nathan adds proudly.

In a region where trust still matters more than advertising, that loyalty keeps local economies alive. Small businesses like Gull Lake Glass make up 99.5% of all Minnesota businesses, generating nearly $68 billion in payroll each year. Here in the Brainerd Lakes Area, industries like construction, retail, and healthcare rely on that same foundation of community connection.

Through it all, Nathan keeps things personal. “I pick up the phone every time someone calls,” he says. “That’s what makes us different.”

Legacy Beyond Glass

These days, Nathan has become one of the elder statesmen of the Lakes Area glass world—a far cry from the 17-year-old kid once working out of his dad’s garage. Family has always been at the heart of his story. When asked about legacy, he doesn’t mention profit or expansion. Instead, he pauses and smiles: “I just hope people say, ‘Your dad was a good guy.’ I hope they say that about me. Just like they say about my dad.”

That legacy is already taking shape. The next generation—Nathan’s two sons and his son-in-law—now walk through the doors of Gull Lake Glass each day, carrying on the family tradition he started in his father’s garage. “Seeing them come in every morning makes me smile,” Nathan says. “And with a few grandkids, although still very young, I just hope I’m around to see them walk through that front door later in life.”

For Nathan, success has never been about glass alone. It’s about faith, family, and the people who’ve stood beside him through every challenge. “I gotta give credit to that man,” he says softly, nodding upward. “What we’re doing today—it’s not just one person.”

What Nathan's Story Means for Middle Minnesota

Nathan Tuomi’s journey—from a high school dropout with a broken back to a multi-business entrepreneur—carries lessons that reach far beyond glass.

First: There’s more than one path to success. Nathan’s story proves that hard work and hands-on learning can build a career every bit as meaningful as a degree. In a time when many students are rethinking traditional education, his story reminds us that skill, grit, and heart still matter.

Second: Adaptability is everything. When the pandemic hit, Nathan turned his workshop into a plexiglass production line. When his son pitched a golf course in an old gravel pit, he said yes. His instinct to pivot instead of pause is what kept Gull Lake Glass—and his people—thriving.

Third: Community makes the difference. Nearly half of Minnesotans work for small businesses. Every time we choose local—whether it’s glass repair or dinner downtown—we invest in our neighbors, our families, and our shared future.

And finally: Treat people like family. Nathan’s philosophy of partnership and empathy isn’t just good leadership—it’s good living. In an age when retaining great employees is harder than ever, his approach offers a simple truth: when you take care of people, they’ll take care of you.

Looking Ahead

As Gull Lake Glass enters its fifth decade, Nathan’s story stands as a reminder that success in middle Minnesota isn’t about how big you get—it’s about how deeply you care. It’s measured in relationships that last, employees who feel like family, and the courage to say yes when opportunity knocks, even if it looks like a gravel pit.

For anyone starting out—students, tradespeople, dreamers—Nathan’s journey proves there’s more than one way to build a meaningful life. A diploma can open doors, but perseverance, faith, and community keep them open.

The Brainerd Lakes Area is full of stories like his: people who built something from nothing, who picked each other up when times got tough, and who never stopped believing in the power of local. They are the heartbeat of this region.

What stories of resilience and innovation inspire you? We’d love to hear them—share yours at joshua@lakesareanewsletter.com