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SJE Acquires Tamarack Engineering

For over 27 years, SJE-Rhombus has been quietly growing its business three miles southwest of Detroit Lakes, amidst Becker County’s rolling farmland hills.
Founded in 1975, the local manufacturer of liquid level control and electromechanical and microprocessor-based control panels recently entered new territory: SJE acquired its first company, a Minnesota-based custom micro-controller engineering firm called Tamarack Engineering.

Located in St. Anthony, Minn., Tamarack Engineering provides software, firmware and hardware design services and custom populated circuit boards. SJE carefully selected Tamarack to be its first acquisition to lend microprocessor technologies to its existing line of control panel products.

Some of Tamarack’s more notable customers through the years have been business icons Heidelberg Web Systems, a premier manufacturer of printing presses; and Halliburton, the world leader in the petroleum and energy industries.

Timing played a key role in solidifying SJE’s first acquisition venture. “We were originally contacted about purchasing Tamarack Engineering by the Geneva Company, a business broker,” explained SJE’s Chief Financial Officer, Nathan Fetting. “At the time they called, we were looking at purchasing another company, (but) that didn’t pan out.” Coincidentally, Tamarack was also looking to be sold (at that time), added SJE-Rhombus Chief Executive Officer, Laurie Lewandowski.

A prior working relationship also helped to move the acquisition forward, noted Lewandowski. In 2000, SJE-Rhombus had partnered with the St. Anthony-based engineering firm to create a new panel product.

“So much happened in our industry... products are much more technological,” Lewandowski explained.

According to Fetting, the acquisition of Tamarack Engineering took over a year to finalize. He explained that SJE wanted to thoroughly investigate all the financial information.
“We have an advantage because of the way our company is structured to make such an acquisition,” stated Lewandowski. “We have more flexibility because we are an Employee Stock Owned Company (ESOP),” she continued.

SJE-Rhombus formally acquired Tamarack Engineering on Oct. 29, at an official document signing at the IDS Building in downtown Minneapolis. Lewandowski added the acquisition of Tamarack would benefit both companies: It will allow Tamarack to pursue larger projects and SJE to provide “one-stop shopping” regarding its cutting edge control panel production. Lewandowski noted that Tamarack would continue its base of operation in St. Anthony.

Article reprinted with permission from the Sunday, December 1, 2002 Detroit Lakes Tribune. Written by Jackie Jenson, Tribune Staff Writer.

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