NUSS TRUCK & EQUIPMENT
Feature
WRITTEN BY MAURA KELLER
The family business. It has long been a staple in the American economy. According to the Small Business Administration, about 80 to 90 percent of all U.S. businesses are family-owned or controlled. Ranging in size from small ‘mom and pop’ shops to Fortune 500 entities, family businesses generate about half of the country's gross national product (GNP) and half of the total wages paid. For Bob Nuss, president of Nuss Truck & Equipment, his family business has been a staple in the Rochester region, as well as in other cities dotting the upper Midwest, since 1973. In fact, when your name is on the door, there’s a level of pride and determination to continue the family legacy. And that’s exactly the case for Bob Nuss, who decided to move to Rochester more than 50 years ago from Rockford, Illinois where his father, Charles Nuss, had worked in the Mack Truck business, first as a mechanic and then as a dealer since the late 1950s. Originally, Charles opened his own repair shop, Charley Nuss Garage, and eventually launched Mack of Rockford in 1959. Bob Nuss graduated from St. Cloud State University with a business degree and worked for Valspar as a sales territory manager in both Memphis and Chicago. With the Vietnam War in full swing, Nuss was called up for active duty for six months. After returning, Nuss’ father offered him the opportunity to run the family business as he retired in 1973.
ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE | 7
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