New business adds color, flair
Restoring a 1969 Chevrolet Nova isn't entirely different for a high school senior with an interest in automobiles. Doing it with help and advice from your dad isn't all that unusual, either. Danielle Heide is luckier than most teenagers working on autos, though.
Her father is Aric Heide, a man whose work on cars ranges from mechanical repairs to painted trim. It's his business.
Heide works weekdays with a Toyota dealer in the Twin Cities. Weekends he's busy in his new shop at 164 Main South in Blackduck, just south of Beck's car wash in the old Blackduck Realty building. The emphasis there is on what might be termed applied art.
Whether it's on car bodies, T-shirts, etched glass, banners or store windows, the art can be added in paint, foil, fabric stamping and even actual gold leaf. As a tour of the compact facility was taking place, a motorcycle gas tank cover was sitting close by an elaborately decorated biker's helmet. Samples of signs, engraved mirrors and other projects share wall space with awards and publicity clippings.
Clippings include a story reporting on his work as a consultant on new product development at Minnesota's 3-M company. He's done a number of boats and an album shows his work on several including one featured in the magazine, Hot Boats. Awards include those reflecting the intensive training Heide has had in preparation for getting into the wide range of work he can offer.
Right now, he's preparing for a holiday open house Dec. 11 with drawings, snacks and gifts.
Primarily, he says, it will provide an opportunity to show people the kind of work being done and the wide variety of materials involved.
"Graphics is our number one interest," says Heide and he seemed to choose the word "our" to reflect the family-wide participation in his work.
His wife, Ina, and their five children, all have interests of varying degrees in the work.
Melissa is back home with her three children while her husband, Ryan Mistic, completes a tour of duty with the Army in Iraq. He's due home in August.
Adam works at Countyside Restaurant. He and his wife, Sara, have two children.
Jacob is employed at Bogart's Service in Blackduck.
Danielle is a senior at Blackduck High and Alexandria, the youngest, is in seventh grade here.
Heide said it's been important to his family to be in Blackduck and that as soon as possible he plans to add a second building where he can do auto and boat painting and trim work. He's already established a web site for the business, expressionsautosvs.com and is receiving orders there.
Blackduck's newest business invites you to come in and see for yourself.
