Park Tool Celebrating 50 Years, New Oakdale Headquarters

The bicycle tool manufacturer and distributor’s new headquarters is up and running in Oakdale.

Park Tool, which bills itself as the world's largest bicycle tool manufacturer, is “happy and busy,” according to President Eric Hawkins, and is marking its 50th anniversary at the company’s new Oakdale headquarters. The company built a new facility in Oakdale at 5115 Hadley Ave. N. and in January completed the move from its former location in Mahtomedi. Park Tool has grown every year for the last four decades, said President Eric Hawkins. It was running out of space at its former location, prompting the move to Oakdale, and “we expect to keep growing,” he said. “So far, so good,” Hawkins said. A few new jobs will be added as Park Tool continues to grow, he said, but none directly related to its new 68,000-square-foot Oakdale location. “We…

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Kris Janisch

9:55 am on Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Ah, man. Dyslexia. Thanks Jim.   more ›

New Business Holds Groundbreaking Event at Old Golf, Tennis Site

City Council members attended a groundbreaking event for a new business building its company headquarters in Oakdale.

Sign up for Oakdale Patch's free e-newsletter | Like Oakdale Patch onFacebook | Follow Oakdale Patch on Twitter Members of the Oakdale City Council welcomed a new business to town during a groundbreaking event on Tuesday. Park Tool, a bicycle tool manufacturer, will be moving its new headquarters from Mahtomedi to Oakdale. The city sold 23 acres of land to Park Tool for $900,000. Park Tool will be building a 68,000  square foot building on the site that used to house the Golf and Tennis bubble. "We want to welcome you to Oakdale, it is our pleasure to serve you," said Mayor Carmen Sarrack during the groundbreaking event. Eric Hawkins, the president of Park Tool, recently told Oakdale Patch that he hopes to move into the new facility by …

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City Puts Bike Tool Company On the 'Fast Track'

The city council approved Park Tool's site application Tuesday night, moving the company on the fast track process to build its new facility in Oakdale.

The Oakdale City Council put Park Tool on the fast track process Tuesday night for constructing its new facility in Oakdale. Park Tool — a bicycle tool manufacturer and distributor — presented its site plans to the city council during a workshop Tuesday. Earlier this month Park Tool's president, Eric Hawkins, told Oakdale Patch that he hoped to start construction in mid-August and move into the new facility by January. Now it looks like they will be following their plan. "I think we met and exceeded all their criteria," Hawkins said. "We want to put up a good-looking building."  The city requested the company provide a site plan to ensure the layout of the facility and landscaping worked well for the area, said City Administrator Craig …

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PREVIEW: City Council To Review Park Tool Site Plan

The city council meets for its workshop at 5 p.m. followed by its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public.

The City Council will review a site plan for Park Tool's new headquarters during a workshop before the regular city council meeting tonight.  Park Tool — a bicycle tool manufacturer and distributor — will be moving its world headquarteres from Mahtomedi to Oakdale, located off of Hadley Avenue just north of 50th Street. Earlier this month the city council, acting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority, approved the purchase agreement with Park Tool for 23 acres of land.  Following the workshop, the city council will approve or deny the site plan application as well as authorize the fast track process for the site's construction. Park Tool President Eric Hawkins told Oakdale Patch last week that he hopes to start construction in mid-…

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Bike Tool Company Plans to Move to Oakdale by January

If all goes according to plan, Park Tool will move into its new headquarters located along Hadley Avenue just north of 50th Street by January.

Oakdale has a lot to offer. That's why Park Tool, a bicycle tool manufacturer and distributor, decided to relocate its headquarters from Mahtomedi to Oakdale.  Last week the city approved a purchase agreement with Park Tool for 23 acres of land located along Hadley Avenue north of 50th Street. Eight of the 23 acres is buildable land while the remaining 15 acres is wetlands. Park Tool will pay $900,000 for the land. The company first looked at the land in Oakdale in the spring and it seemed to be just the right fit, said Eric Hawkins, the president of Park Tool. The location off of Highway 36 and 694 was a major draw to the land. Park Tool does national and international business, but it also works with quite a few vendors in the east metro…

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Oakdale Mayor: Where We've Been, Where We're Going

Mayor Carmen Sarrack updated the Oakdale Business and Professional Association on the city's progress over the years, highlighting current and future city endeavors.

Oakdale has come a long way over the years.  The city has been a fast-growing community in the Metro since Oakdale's inception in 1974. In the '90s, Oakdale had an abundance of commercial and industrial land, but the city didn't know how to utilize it.  Now, the city is booming with more than 30 restaurants and coffee shops, which have helped transform the city into a full-service community, said Mayor Carmen Sarrack.  Sarrack met with the Oakdale Business and Professional Association Thursday to highlight past, current and future projects for the city. But first, a few facts about the city: The city's jobs increase is thanks, in part, to some new additions to the city, including Five Guys, Maglio, Target, Pinz, McDonalds and The Oaks, …

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Mom in Oakdale

1:28 am on Sunday, September 30, 2012

Myself and family members, Washington County Residents, have rented the NSP Community Center for birthday parties, grad parties, baby and wedding showers, baptisms...my kids have been to many birthday parties at the Maplewood Community Center as well as my daughter got a membership there. My thought was it would create jobs as well as supporting our county vs another.   more ›

City Approves Purchase Agreement with Bike Tool Company

The city approved the purchase agreement with the Mahtomedia-based bicycle tool manufacturer Park Tool Tuesday night.

The Oakdale City Council — acting as the Housing and Redevlopment Authority — approved a purchase agreement with Park Tool Tuesday night for 23 acres of land. Park Tool, a bicycle tool manufacturer, approached the city this spring with the intent to purchase the former Oakdale Golf and Tennis site for its new company headquarters. The company looked at relocating to Oakdale after it was unable to expand Park Tool's headquarters in its current location in Mahtomedi. The Oakdale site is located along Hadley Avenue north of 50th Street. After a couple of months of negotiating, the HRA — which is made up of city councilmembers — unanimously approved the purchase agreement.  "This helps put Oakdale on the map," said Mayor Carmen Sarrack. "This …

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Bike Tool Company Wants to Close on Purchase of City Land by June 15

Oakdale City Council members want to be sure the city gets the full value of the land, said one council member.

The Mahtomedi bike tool company interested in buying the former Oakdale Golf and Tennis site for a new company headquarters hopes to close on the property by June 15, assistant to the city administrator Dave Schaps told the Economic Development Commission Wednesday. Park Tool, wants to build a 68,000 square foot office, manufacturing and warehouse building on the site, which is across the street from the north fire station on Hadley Avenue, according to a staff report. Two weeks ago, the Oakdale City Council entered into a nonbinding agreement to begin negotiations for the sale of the land, after receiving a letter of intent to purchase the property from Park Tool. The amount of the offer is not yet public information because negotiations …

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City Moves Closer to Sale of Former Oakdale Golf and Tennis Site

A Mahtomedi-based bicycle tool company submitted a letter of intent to purchase the city-owned site across from the north fire station.

Mahtomedi-based bicycle tool manufacturer Park Tool submitted a letter of intent to purchase the city-owned former Oakdale Golf and Tennis site located along Hadley Avenue just north of 50th Street, said Oakdale Community Development Director Bob Streetar. RELATED: Bike Tool Company Looking to Relocate to Oakdale Golf and Tennis Site In a closed meeting Tuesday, the Oakdale Housing and Redevelopment Authority—made up of Oakdale's City Council members—approved entering into a nonbinding agreement to begin negotiations for the sale of the property, Streetar said.  The company’s offer and terms aren’t yet public information, he said. City staff regularly talk with real-estate brokers to try to attract development, Streetar said, and this …

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EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK

Editor’s Notebook: Bike Tool Company Looking to Relocate to Oakdale Golf and Tennis Site

The company is the world’s largest manufacturer of bicycle tools.

  Mahtomedi-based Park Tool, which manufactures bicycle tools, is eyeing the former Oakdale Golf and Tennis site for a new company headquarters, Community Development Director Bob Streetar told the Oakdale City Council at its meeting Tuesday, April 10. The site is located along Hadley Avenue north of its intersection with 50th Street. Park Tool is the largest maker of bike tools in the world, according to its website. The company has hired an architect and civil engineer to start drawing up plans for a 60,000-square-foot building at the site, he said. Because the site is city-owned, council member Stan Karwoski said he’ll want to know that Oakdale is getting the fair market price for the land. He also suggested council members start …

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