Clint Larson

Modern Manufacturing & Engineering, Inc. was first started as “Modern Machine”, by Clint Larson in 1954.

Clint first started a machine shop in his basement in early 1950. He owned a Logan Lathe, a Delta Drill Press, a Brown & Sharpe Automatic Screw Machine, and various hand tools. His main customers were Jetomatic and Mac Engineering.

The owner of Mac Engineering encouraged Clint to buy into a sister company to Mack Engineering called Modern Machine. In 1954, Clint bought out the 3 other partners of Modern.

Chuck Larson, Clint’s son, ran parts in the basement of their home at the age of 14. When Clint bought Modern, Chuck worked part time while attending school. When he graduated, he started working full time with his father: running machines, delivering parts and helping manage the company.

Chuck Larson

In 1975, Chuck took over the company completely and in 1979 moved the business to the Northeast Minneapolis location on 17th and Jefferson Street. Chuck Larson employed Hue Van Lien shortly after, in 1981.

Hue Van Lien and his family first immigrated from Vietnam via Iowa, then moved to Minnesota in 1980. Hue first started at Modern in 1983 as a tool crib attendant while attending machining school. Soon after he graduated, Chuck promoted him to a machinist.

Lien eventually made his way up to Operations Manager in 1994 after working as assistant manager from 1985-1991, and plant mangager.  Chuck gave Hue an opportunity to be partner in a new company called Modern Manufacturing, Inc. (MMI). In 1998, Chuck retired and sold the business to Hue. The two companies soon merged to become Modern Manufacturing & Engineering, Inc.

In the Spring of 2005, Hue decided it was time to expand the production site and started building a new 50,000 sq. ft. facility in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The new building was completed in October 2006 and is where the company operates from today.

Hue Lien