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It’s that time of year again—time to get psyched for summer cycling! After a long winter and a longer spring (also known as second winter), we are more than ready for some fun and some sun. Join us for our 7th annual summer cycling kick off! We are getting together with COGGS on Wednesday, May … read more
Spring is in the air! Here in the Northland, we tend to associate spring with venturing out into the fresh air after a long winter of taking shelter indoors. We seldom think about our indoor air quality. Meteek Supply was born to satisfy the need for leading-edge materials and products that stand up to our … read more
Happy holidays, friends! As 2018 draws to a close, we invite you to join us in remembering what a great year this was, in celebrating the joys of the season, and in welcoming the new year! At Meteek & Co and Meteek Supply, our passion is expressing inner transformation. We construct the elements that express … read more
As a proud sponsor of Celebrate the Night Sky Week, we are pleased to share some exciting news. The 25–minute documentary “City Lights, Starry Nights” directed by John Orrison is now online and available to everyone! Duluth, Minnesota is working to create a vibrant city nightscape that supports residents, visitors and its incredible environment. In … read more
Meteek Supply is excited to host a lunch and learn Wednesday, October 24, 2018 12-1:00 pm with Zehnder Residential Ventilation Systems. Zehnder offers an amazing air quality system for indoor health, comfort and energy efficiency. How the Zehnder Residential Ventilation System Works Zehnder’s air distribution system brings fresh air into the rooms of your space. … read more
Happy September! If you look up into the brilliant blue sunny sky, you just might see a plane departing Duluth carrying Meteek’s own Cynthia Lapp as she heads this week to the Netherlands. Cynthia is going there to participate in the opening celebration of the Netherlands new nature reserve island, Marker Wadden. What is the … read more
Prepare to shine, Northlanders and mark your calendars for an entire week of celebrating the night sky this September! Starry Skies Lake Superior has lined up another week of exciting events around the region, following the success of last year’s Celebrate the Night Sky Week A few events are highlighted below, many more are featured … read more
Happy August! Summer in the Northland is sweet. We have spotted a few changing leaves and temperatures are cooler this week. There is time enough to enjoy the summer and the crisp autumn days ahead on an outdoor deck. We are delighted to share some great deck ideas with you using a favorite Meteek combination: … read more
Tucked away on the piney shores of Lake Vermilion is a family cabin with a design issue. The owners were frustrated by a steep stairway, reminiscent of a ladder to a sleeping loft. The handholds were inadequate and had a tendency to give one splinters. Custom Design, Custom Solutions At Meteek our goal is to … read more
We have an exciting house addition project this summer in Gnesen Township, a lovely community north of Duluth. Polish homesteaders founded the township in 1850; and the name Gnesen came from a town in Poland – Gnesena, which means “the nesting place”. Our addition project is nestled amidst the rolling hills and dancing woods along … read more
Welcome to summer, the most magical time of year along the North Shore. We like to think of long days, sunny skies, warm breezes, and being outside. But summer magic also includes misty mornings, foggy days, and chilly evenings. Those are times when nothing could be better than sitting next to a crackling fire, warming … read more
Happy summer, everyone! Summer to us is a precious commodity. Its hallmarks are trips to the cabin, gardening, walking in the wilderness, and simply sitting on a porch enjoying the view. A Porch Addition, the Perfect Summer Project Take a peek at a perfect summer project–a porch addition we are currently working on at a … read more
What could be better than a North Shore retreat, nestled in the woods of Northern Minnesota? We finished out the interior of an amazing timber frame structure, making the stairway entrance a focal point of this haven. Using a mix of classic and modern Scandinavian design, we created a cozy space with warm woods and … read more
We are excited to partner with a group of students from the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth. We’re working together on updating and streamlining a “hot box” that tests materials for performance to meet our extreme climate conditions here in the Northland. The project originated six years ago when … read more
Thermally Modified Wood Elements have been on our minds a lot these days. At Meteek & Co, we make many thermally modified wood elements, from lighting to doors to parklets! Randy visited with Ryan Arola of Arola Architecture Studio, where we created and installed gorgeous suspended light fixtures made of thermally modified wood. They talked … read more
We finished out the interior of an amazing North Shore retreat. Using a mix of classic and modern Scandinavian design, we created a cozy apartment with warm woods and hand-finished metal accents. … read more
Earlier this summer we posted photos from fabricating two conference tables for a client. They are installed in their new home, with a fresh sheet of glass over the walnut surface. We installed pop-up electrical and data grommets into the table surfaces to ease connections for presentations and teleconferencing. Below are photos of the 18′ … read more
Mako takes in the ferry crossing. We put up the boat garage on Madeline Island this week. Packing a mobile shop into two vans, we drove and ferried over to the island. We had a bit of rain the first morning, but the pieces went together like Lego thanks to Andy’s precision prefabbing. It was … read more
We have a project on Madeline Island this summer, and to ease the logistics, we thought we’d do some prefabbing. Madeline is the largest of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. In the summer you take a ferry from Bayfield. In the winter you can drive over on the ice road The project is a … read more
Last winter we designed and fabricated two conference tables — 18′ and 10′ versions of a sleek, diamond design of walnut with sturdy steel legs. Although they are powerfully built to assist heavy-duty meetings, the surface floats gracefully above the conference-room hoopla. Andy was again the star of the welding rig, with Mark Lachecki masterminding … read more
Last Wednesday we welcomed in the Summer with a rockin’ party at Meteek! We celebrated the great projects that COGGS is accomplishing to support cycling in Duluth, and the enjoyment we all experience in Duluth’s great outdoors! The “We Bike Duluth” community photo show was hanging in the gallery, with a vision to expand it’s … read more
Technology of Participation Facilitation Methods Training May 13-14, 2015 – THIS TRAINING HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 20-21, 2015 hosted by Meteek & Co. In May we will host our third ToP Facilitation Methods training at Meteek. These methods are flexible and can be used in virtually any setting — Randy, Andy and Cynthia have … read more
Wednesday May 20, 2015 Hansi and friends enjoying 2014’s vibe 5:00 – 9:00 pm Pot Luck Barbecue – bring something to grill “We Bike Duluth” community photo show opening in the gallery It’s time for our third-annual “Psyched for Summer Cycling” event at Meteek & Co. with COGGS! The past two years have been a … read more
Intro to WUFI: Moisture Modeling for Construction Thursday April 30, 2015 5:00 – 7:30 pm Cost: $15, includes meal 4218 Enterprise Circle, Duluth, MN 55811 Our partner business Meteek Supply is hosting an Intro to WUFI with presenter Dave Bryan. Dave is a registered architect specializing in energy conservation, with 30 years of design experience. … read more
We install new and replacement windows, and thermopane window glass replacement when called for. With this client, we had a beautiful view of Lake Superior and the St. Louis River, which means a pretty exposed site. We replaced the 30-year-old thermopanes with the assistance of this nifty yellow pneumatic glass power lifting tool. Some of … read more
Shallow foundations are one of our specialties, and this project gave us the opportunity to deploy our shallow foundation design expertise for a cabin in the woods. A design-build project, the cabin footprint is 24′ x 50′. We started with excavating the footprint, then added a layer of foam. We then added a layer of … read more
Thursday October 30, 2014, 5:30 – 8:00 pm Join us for a lively presentation and discussion with Dr. Sanjay Goel on family business, how it differs from other businesses, and tools and support for people in a family business. Sanjay is a professor of Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship at UMD, and specializes in Family Business. … read more
Sunday October 12, 2014 5:30 – 8:00 pm Presentation 6-7 pm, reception to follow Flyer-Sydney Opera House Ever wonder what inspired the beautiful shapes of the Sydney Opera House? How the concrete vaults were engineered? Or the publicly owned project was paid for? On Sunday October 12 Bob Bruce will answer these questions and more in a … read more
DATE CHANGE!! Thursday October 30, 2014 5:30 – 8:00 pm Questions? Call 218-343-74332 Saturday October 4, 2014 1-4 pm, reception to follow Attendance is free! Call 218-722-7599 to register Flyer-Family Business Night Any business has to make decisions and clarify strategy in order to stay successful, but for family businesses, these decisions often double and … read more
Last week we hosted students from the Design Duluth studio at the UMN. This is the third year of the combined Landscape Architecture and Architecture graduate design studio. The studio is part of a larger focus on solutions and future visioning for the complex infrastructures — physical, economic and social — in Duluth. This years’ 39 students gathered … read more
Last weekend we participated in a 3-day permaculture workshop at Spirit Mountain Farm, with Chad Johnson. We practiced and discussed techniques invented by Sepp Holzer, a farmer from Austria who specializes in creative groundwater rehabilitation and recharge, and creating microclimates for plants. The weather was great on Friday, but the weekend rain brought the class … read more
A fabulous time was had at Meteek & Co. welcoming in the summer. With the assistance of COGGS, the beautiful photography of Hansi Johnson, and the grooving tunes of Elysium Alps, many dinners were grilled and stories told until the sun went down. We had a bumper crop of kids this year – between movies, … read more
It’s time again to get psyched for summer cycling! It’s been a long winter, and a long spring, so let’s get together to bring on some sunshine! We’re getting together with COGGS on Thursday May 22, 2014 at Meteek & Co, 5 – 9 pm. We’ll have the barbecue going, and provide condiments, salad and … read more
The atmosphere at Clyde Iron Works was one of excited anticipation as 33 UMN graduate Landscape Architecture and Architecture students presented their semester work to the public this week. Working in teams of three, students presented 11 projects on diverse ideas for the future of Duluth, including smart manufacturing, an ecological stream lab, a hop … read more
Everyone’s invited to the second annual presentation of Design Duluth graduate studio projects at Clyde Iron Works on Wednesday December 11, Noon – 2:30 pm. This year thirty-three graduate Landscape Architecture and Architecture students worked with City officials, NGOs and other stakeholders to inform their ideas about resilient futures in Duluth. They toured Duluth as … read more
A perfect summer-is-coming evening materialized for our first annual COGGS and Meteek & Co. “Psyched for Summer Cycling” event. After a five-day “spring hurricane,” it was magical to see the sun, sky, and the bright-green beginnings of leaf-out on the aspen trees. Good fun, good food, Rolf Hagberg’s great Motivity bike photography series and the … read more
by Peter Witzig When I arrived at Meteek this morning, I walked around the side of the shop to greet the chickens but I was stopped in my tracks by a different sort of feathery creature. On the ground in front of the billboard-sized rolling door there was a pocket-sized songbird. Unfortunately, it seemed that … read more
Join us and COGGS this Wednesday May 22 at Meteek & Co for a season kick-off potluck! Psyched for Summer Cycling Kick-Off Potluck Wednesday May 22, 2013 5:00 – 9:00 pm Pot Luck! Bring something to grill we provide condiments, green salad, and stuff to drink bike movies live DJ music by MAR bike photography … read more
Peter Witzig is with Meteek & Co. again after a year away at college. He will be blogging for Meteek – this is his first post! Welcome Peter! I haven’t been a blogger in the past. Coming from a twenty year-old that might be a surprise because in our Digital Age it seems like every … read more
You are cordially envited to the next Meteek & Co event, "Local Producers" on Thursday February 21, 2013, 5:00 - 8:00 pm! What do bikes, fish, plants, bees, chickens, teaching and food have in common? "Local Producers" will address those questions... … read more
Since remodeling our old shop space into a gallery, showroom, meeting space and materials library, we have been contending with awful acoustics in our meeting room. To allow the light from southern skylights to travel throughout the space, the top... … read more
SCROLL DOWN FOR NEW PHOTOS! A spectacular time was had yesterday at the Duluth Futures presentations Clyde Iron Works. The "Design Duluth" combined Landscape Architecture and Architecture graduate design studio from the Minneapolis campus of the U... … read more
Next Wednesday December 12, Noon-2:00 pm at Clyde Iron Works, 36 graduate students will present their semester's work on ideas for resilient futures for Duluth.The Landscape Architecture and Architecture Graduate students from the UMN Minneapolis ... … read more
We had some questions about what gets sorted out from the dumpsters we use, so we turned to our knowledgeable garbage guy Steve Christen from AA “Always Available” Roll Off Service. What is getting recycled these days? Steve said the market is always in flux. One of the easiest things to recycle is construction … read more
You are cordially invited to our second annual Leftover Thanksgiving, a drop-in potluck Friday November 23, 4 - 7 pm. Turkey and drinks are provided--bring something you like to eat! Drop by and say hi or tuck-in for lively food and conversation.W... … read more
This week we added to our Icelandic flock with assistance from David Grote at Whippoorwill Farm in Iron River, Wisconsin.We took a road trip to Whippoorwill Farm and purchased two hens and a rooster, with the intentions of adding the hens to our p... … read more
This week we reconnected with the Duluth Graduate Design Studio, checking in to see what questions and sites the students are tackling in their final phase of the semester. The course is a combination of graduate Architect and Landscape Architect ... … read more
Famous before completion, Duisburg Nord Landscape Park (Latz+Partner, design 1990) is a stunningly successful example of the repurposing of an industrial site into a multi-functional landscape. We had a chance to tour the park between attending the IENE conference and Glasstec. Formerly an ironworks plant in the Ruhr area of Germany, the site became a … read more
The Rheinturm reflecting on the Stadttor facade, and seen from inside the Stadttor building Another bienneal event Meteek attended this Fall is Glasstec, the global glass tradeshow in D??sseldorf, Germany. Glasstec covers all aspects of glass, from... … read more
Conference attendees include biologists, highway engineers, ecologists, designers and project managers interested in creating robust ecological habitats in the midst of infrastructures that fragment the landscape. Folks came from all over Europe, ... … read more
Two chickens do not quite make a flock--we hope to add a few hens to increse their number. And next summer we'll build a new "chicken tractor," a mobile coop we can move around on our front meadow, where they can forage for insects, mice, and othe... … read more
We had a thrilling weeked in Minneapolis with Tracy Metz and her husband Baptist Bray??. We toured architectural and cultural highlights and had engaging conversation with some UMN Landscape Architecture faculty. At the Guthrie Theater, Mill City M... … read more
Tracy Metz is a writer, cultural critic, US-expat in Amsterdam, Harvard Loeb Fellow, world citizen, engaging and generous person, and a friend of Meteek & Co. This Monday, October 1 at 6:00 pm in Rapson Hall on the University of Minnesota Minneapo... … read more
We hosted the group of 36 students and three instructors from Landscape Architecture and Architecture during their three-day visit of the city and environs. They toured the landscape and structure of the city, and heard presentations from the Port... … read more
We were excited to host three cyclists from Western Michigan on day 7 of their Lake Superior Circle Tour. Tara, Jill and Emma are braving the chilly autumn temperatures of the North Shore and plan to complete their trip in a couple more weeks. Dul... … read more
People say that in Duluth everyone knows everyone. Sometimes even everyone knows that you need chickens. Andrea and Jim, local chicken enablers, stopped by Meteek today to drop off a couple of chickens for us. They hatched an extra rooster and kne... … read more
The meeting was an update on the project, opened by Mayor Ness on a rousing note. COGGS chair Adam Sundberg, Environmental Scientist Kit Grayson, IMBA representative Hansi Johnson and Duluth coordinator of trees, trails, and volunteers Judy Gibbs ... … read more
Back in October last year, we installed a new sign in front of the shop with a technique that printed on a sustrate that was then bonded to glass. We heard great things about the technique so thought we'd try it out in Duluth. A couple months into... … read more
Really, we do--Choo Choo Bob's dad is Mitch Heyn, our long-time Crystal cabinetry rep. We have liked working with Crystal through the years because they make good stuff, and they seem to keep wanting to innovate--for the employees who build their ... … read more
Ray has been doing a car a year for about 30 years now. When he is not chopping, welding, souping up and putting a pristine finish on a car, Ray can be found doing amazing tile work. … read more
and a link to the Arrowhead Astronomical Soceity's websitehttp://www.duluthaas.com/ … read more
Spoon making is an enjoyable and useful undertaking, and we often have wonderful hardwood scraps to use for source wood. Robbie Lapp visited Duluth this week and we created a boquet of wooden kitchen implements she plans to use for housewarming presents. We are intending to offer spoon making as a Meteek Workshop class. Let … read more
We’d like to introduce our architectural designer Rachel Deatherage. She joined the Meteek team in February, and is the power behind our in-house design, architectural details and Revit renderings. Rachel earned a BA in Architecture from the University of Minnesota. Also, our long-time office anchor Vickie Schuler has recently exploded onto the needle-craft scene, designing … read more
This week we had the pleasure of attending the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers) winter show in Chicago, North America's largest heating and cooling show. Lots to see, and lots of innovation going on. … read more
We just returned from the Netherlands researching materials and visiting manufacturers. The Netherlands enacted progressive housing standards in 1901, making provisions for healthy indoor space including lighting and ventilation. Current manufactu... … read more
A couple of weekends ago we were treated to a fly-in at Jim and Cathy Nelson's home in Wisconsin. Jim and Cathy ran a great welding business and have since retired. Jim's love of flying has led him to construct a grass strip and a beautiful shop a... … read more
We found that some key facilitation skills are being taught through Technology of Participation ? facilitation training, so we decided to sponsor a workshop in Duluth. For two days, two world-renown trainers, Linda Alton and Sheila Cooke, came to ... … read more
This week we installed a new sign in front of our building. The sign is made out of 1/2" glass printed with our name and logo, set into an aluminum u-channel and mounted on a boulder. The printing was done in Minnesota. We have not used this compa... … read more
We've been thinking about turning the lawn around Meteek into a meadow, and this year we did it!How did we do it? It was simple--we just stopped mowing. We wanted to find out what was in the seed bank on the property, and the results have been lov... … read more
This week we recycled wood from a deck remodel project to COGGS, "Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores," a volunteer organization of bicyling enthusiasts in the Duluth area. The lumber will be used primarily for sections of trail that need bridges and... … read more
Meteek was featured in a PEW foundation project highlighting energy leadership from various businesses in Minnesota. "Economic and Job Growth Starts with Policy" is their nationwide effort to influence energy policymakers to adpot energy policies ... … read more
This week we put up a new screen in the Machine Shop event space at Clyde Iron. Designed by Randy, the screen takes its cues from the massive beams in the building that was originally used as an ironworks. An enormous gantry crane once ran the len... … read more
The performance of windows and wall sections has been our focus with projects that we build, remodel, or supply. With an annual temperature variance of at least 120 ?F, our climate challenges the best materials on the market. When we can't find a ... … read more