Golden Valley Owners of Minnesota Makers Expand to Excelsior
Jay and Krista Kaulk, owners of Minnesota Makers, operate a shop in downtown Robbinsdale. The shop sells artwork, jewelry, clothing and products all made by Minnesota artisans. Owner Jay Kaulk says they survived the pandemic by shifting to online sales and getting a PPP loan to keep the Robbinsdale store open.
This weekend, the Golden Valley couple is opening another Minnesota Makers store in Excelsior. The store will provide an outlet for the 120 local artists to sell their items. Jay Kaulk called the opportunity a leap of faith and felt like the location in downtown Excelsior, only a block from Lake Minnetonka, was too good to pass up. The Kaulks worked long, hard hours painting and adding new floors before opening up the business.
“If you put enough hard work and faith into something, it will be successful even in these unprecedented times,” said Jay Kaulk. “It’s not just a Minnesota-made gift, there’s a story behind each gift. All the artists are Minnesota artists.”
Kaulk says his family has had a fun time putting the store together and they have high hopes for it.
