Major Industries

Studies have shown that daylight improves student test scores and improves almost everyone’s attitude. For this reason, skylights and translucent curtainwalls from Major Industries are very popular in a wide variety of commercial buildings and schools - including the new Wausau East High School.

"Retailers also understand that people tend to buy more if they can see the product better," said President Wayne Toenjes, explaining why stores ranging from Wal-Mart (including the location in Rib Mountain) to Jim Kryshak Jewelers use their products. Even Wisconsin’s Supermax Prison in Boscobel, which has no windows, uses Major Industries’ skylights for "daylighting" the interior spaces. Although 99% of Major Industries’ sales are commercial or institutional, they occasionally build one-of-a-kind monumental skylights for a mega-rich homeowner.

"Virtually all of our systems are built specifically for a particular building," Toenjes said. "We make buildings beautiful and user-friendly, and we make people happier and more productive." Almost all of Major Industries’ sales are outside of Marathon County, bringing millions of new dollars into the local economy in the form of wages, raw material purchases, and services locally procured. Major buys from a long list of local companies including Schuette Metals, Lintec, Wausau Window and Wall Systems, Midland Plastics, Rib Mountain Glass, Crystal Finishing and many others.

Over the last four years, Major has supplied more than 450 Wal-Marts with the translucent panels on the front of the store, highlighting the "always low prices" theme. Major got this high profile opportunity the same way they get all of their business, by creating strong demand for their product.

Susie Toenjes, Wayne’s wife and the company’s Marketing Coordinator, coordinates their presence at about 20 regional and national trade shows, while Marketing Assistant Katie Nelson handles the literature and trade journal advertising. An outside sales staff works under the direction of National Sales Manager Chuck Braun, who moved to Wausau from the Washington, D.C. area.

Toenjes has worked for a number of multi-national companies in Chicago, Florida and Ohio, and Susie has lived in a number of different cities as well. As natives of the Midwest, they were looking to relocate back to this "more nurturing" area to raise their family when the opportunity to acquire Major Industries came along. He is quick to give credit to an excellent staff, most of whom have lived in the area for a long time, including Jeff Voigt, Director of Operations; Gene Morrissey, Plant Manager; Rick Towne, Accounting Manager; Chris Gitzlaff, IT Manager; and Jeff Wirkus, Compliance Manager. The company paid $2.2 million to its employees last year and is actively recruiting for additional workers.

Major has only two competitors in North America that manufacture their style of translucent panels and skylights and has gained significant market share from them. So next time you see an impressive skylight, it could very well be from right here in Wausau.

Company Snapshot

• Rapid expansion since 1993 purchase by Wayne & Susie Toenjes
• Approximately 70 employees
• Specializing in commercial skylights and translucent curtainwall systems
• Has provided translucent panels for 450 Wal-Mart stores
• Most sales are outside of Marathon County
• Local projects include Wausau East High School, Peoples State Bank, Jim Kryshak Jewelers, Marshfield Clinic-Stettin Center, 2510 Restaurant

Wausau Daily Herald Chamber News - May 2005