Pictured above: Ben Erickson, President of Ericco Manufacturing and newly elected member of the Advance Thief River Board of Directors, and Mike Sorteberg, General Manager for Ericco Manufacturing and member of the ATR Talent Taskforce.
At its annual meeting in February, Advance Thief River members voted in Ben Erickson to join the organization’s board of directors. Ben stepped into the seat vacated by Mike Barry who had served on the board for ten years, filling the role of board president for the last three years.
Ben Erickson is president of Ericco Manufacturing. He is also co-owner of the business, along with his mother, Sally Erickson, and his sister, Trudy Erickson.
Departing board member, Mike Barry, strongly encouraged Ben to join the Advance Thief River Board. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Mike,” Ben said. “Mike highly recommended serving if I had the time to fully commit to it.”
Ben discussed it with his wife, but the decision to serve seemed to be an easy one for him. “I’ve lived in the Thief River Falls area all my life,” he said. “I’ve always loved Thief River Falls and Northwestern Minnesota. It’s home for me, and I hope it will be home for my kids when they grow up. I appreciate the chance to be part of something like Advance Thief River that’s all about building the future of our community.”
Ben and his wife, DeeAnne, make their home in rural Thief River Falls. They have two children, Lucas (11), and Britta (6).
Ericco Manufacturing is a three-generation business that started in 1976. The company is located in rural Viking Minnesota and is living proof that a business can thrive anywhere with the right management and vision, regardless of how remote the location. The company’s success is due in part to their use of leading-edge production equipment and state of the art quality testing equipment. They manufacture parts for the power sports, aviation, and other industries.
Ben Erickson, President and Co-Owner, Ericco Manufacturing
