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North Branch Midsummer Days Grand Marshal Dave Reider has manufactured parts for engines, generators and other machines and tools that you have certainly used at least once,  and maybe even daily;  and you’ve probably never given a second thought to it.  

From that bolt-washer thingy that holds the circle of sandpaper on your disc sander, to the coupling for the hose bringing air to your engine;  starting from the birth of Reider Machine in 1982, until now, he’s put out aluminum, brass and stainless steel widgets by the millions and done so with no fanfare or accolades.  

Until next week anyway, Reider glady accepts his important roles behind the scenes both at work and play.

He humbly shared some thoughts about being chosen Grand Marshal for Midsummer next week in North Branch.    He gets to lead one of the community’s keynote events, riding in the front vehicle of the Grande Day Parade at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 23.

The parade itself is hardly unfamiliar territory for Dave.  

He’s been orchestrating Midsummer Days Grande Parade for 15 years.  He patrols the line-up area and supervises stepping off of marching units, cars, horses, floats, emergency vehicles and politicians.  He makes sure any high strung animals are a good distance from bagpipers and firetruck sirens.  He dictates the gap between musical units.    

There was a time that Midsummer was first-come first serve and parade line-up was somewhat chaotic, Reider recalls.  He may not be a North Branch Legion Post member (the local American Legion is behind the whole festival)  but he somehow ended up as the guy who gets parade spots numbered, assigned and makes sure participants are where they need to be and are ready to go.

Reider is also active in North Branch Lions and helps with the golf tourney the end of July,  and volunteers with North Branch Relay for Life.

If that sounds like native son criteria, this he is not.  He grew up in the metro area and got started machining in Forest Lake before heading  north to establish Reider Machine. He has since bought out a partner.   He and wife Amy have five kids, the youngest is in high school.   

As a self-employed business owner he can choose to spend precious free time on important things,  and to him community is important.

A dozen employees work four-day weeks at Reider Machine and it was eerily quiet for our Friday afternoon interview.  Next to the production floor: big as a football field,  dark-as-a-cave, we found Reider in the office awaiting a delivery.

He showed a reporter drawings on a work-order with the box for the customer’s name blank.   He says oftentimes he doesn’t know where a part ends up.
This one underwent a transformation from its prototype.   He explains that he gets involved in re-design, in this case reducing costs so a piece will be more effectively mass-produced.  (Yes, he’s comfortable reducing what he charges.)  

This is clearly one of the reasons Reider Machine enjoys such blue ribbon relations with the likes of 3M, Cummings and U.S. military. 
 
And why he’s  Grand Marshal material. 

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