Gag’s Sheet Metal remains busy and in demand (2025)

Gag’s Sheet Metal (GSM) offices located at 1500 N. Front Street.

NEW ULM – John Gag, owner of Gag’s Sheet Metal (GSM), continues to have a prosperous and growing business. Their office is located at 1500 North Front Street.

“The roofing business is busy. We are pretty much booked for roofing work through 2025. We have opportunities to re-roof, but new roofs have slowed down with the higher interest rates and the commercial building slowing down,” said Gag.

The business also includes plumbing, drain services, HVAC, and appliances. “With our appliance service competitor retiring, we expect to see an uptick in our already busy appliance business. We are the only sales and service appliance business that does it in the same building in New Ulm. We do our best to always make it right for our customers,” said Gag.

GSM has a beautiful showroom for their kitchen and laundry appliances, Green Egg grills, and more for customers. “We feel the charcoal Green Egg grill is a lifetime purchase. They last so good that we end up selling more accessories and charcoal than grills,” said Gag.

Dan Backer manages the showroom as well as serving in reception, marketing for the business, and anything else that comes his way. “We are so lucky to have him working here. Dan wears many hats,” said Gag.

The showroom in the front of GSM’s New Ulm office features a variety of grilling item, including the famous “green egg” model convection grill.

GSM has about 70 employees, mostly full-time but some part-time. “We have really good employees. We do our best to retain our employees and spend less time on recruiting new people,” said Gag.

GMS has moved a few times since the start of business in 1904 on Minnesota Street. It was about 1967 when the business moved to a building on 3rd North. They then moved across the street from there to another building that they used from 2006 to 2021 before moving to their 1500 North Front location.

John’s great-grandfather, George Gag, and his partner founded Gag/Ranweiler Tin Shop in 1904 on Minnesota Street. Their business was mainly roofing; however, they also did duct work for heating, fixed bicycles, sold lawnmowers, and sharpened lawnmower blades. They also built a new building on Minnesota Street near the original building after a fire took part of their first building.

In the late 1940’s, George turned over the business to his sons Melvin and Elmer. Melvin’s sons Mike and Loren continued the Gag ownership of the business by becoming owners in 1978. It was in the 1980s when Mike and Loren turned their focus to the contract side of the business and dropped the bicycle repairs.

John’s Dad, Mike, retired in 2000. John and his brother, Steve, became co-owners of the business. In 2012, Steve sold his share of the business to John who is now the sole owner. However, Steve continues to work for GSM.

In 2013, GSM purchased Isakson Plumbing and Heating of Gibbon and Schaunas Plumbing and Heating of New Ulm. John said, “I wanted to add plumbing to our services as it does tie in nicely with our HVAC business.” Since the purchases, the businesses are located and operated through the GSM location on North Front Street in New Ulm. GSM’s service area is about a sixty-mile radius of New Ulm.

The current building on North Front Street is about 35,000 square feet. About 8,000 square feet is used for offices, 10,000 square feet by the fabrication shop, and the rest is warehouse space for supplies. They also have a separate building where they do maintenance on their vehicles. GSM is planning to build another building this spring that will be about 5,000 square feet. This warehouse will be used for storage of the plumbers’ vacuum pumps that are used to clean septic tanks, jetters, and other plumbing supplies.

“The community should know that John is a very generous and active member of the community. He is willing to help anyone that is in need and makes himself available to help in any way that he can,” said Backer.

Recently, Gag became a member of the board of the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce. “They work so hard and do so many activities in New Ulm. They do a wonderful job,” said Gag.

“Fortunately, I have the opportunity to volunteer my time to the community because our team of employees are so good here at GSM that it allows me time to do other things. So different from my first 25 years here,” said Gag.

GSM is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. or you can call them at (507) 354-3813. For more information see their website at gsm1904.com.