MG McGrath coordinated with premier architect Santiago Calatrava to design the metalwork for Florida Polytechnic University’s Innovation, Science, and Technology (IST) Building. (Photo: Macbeth Photography)
Mike McGrath can hardly remember a time when he wasn’t working in sheet metal. He grew up at MG McGrath Inc., the business that his father, Mike McGrath Sr., founded 30 years ago, and though he started by sweeping floors, he eventually took on a sheet-metal apprenticeship and worked his way up through every job in the company. In fact, you might say that MG McGrath has grown up along with him. Today, the Minnesota-based company is involved in some of the highest-profile projects in the region and nation, including the Denver Art Museum, the Kansas State Capitol, Target Field, Florida Polytechnic University, and a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings. Here’s a look at MG McGrath’s history, its process, its signature projects, and the way new technologies are carrying it into the future.
Q&A WITH MIKE MCGRATH
You took over the family business from your father about four years ago. What’s it been like to step into his shoes? I think we’re a lot alike. He was always willing to enter a new market sector and be vastly involved in creative projects, ideas, and methods. Today, we are eager to try new things in the industry, as it allows us to continue to lay the foundation to be the best architectural-surface-solution provider in the industry. We want to be the very best at what we do. It’s not about being the biggest; it’s about great results and providing master craftsmanship to our customers.
READ MORE