a brief background....

My name is Kevin Heilman, and I live in Rogers, Minnesota with my wife Michelle, our 3 children, and two cats.
I am a Veteran, having served in the US Navy from 1992-1996. I am very proud to be a Veteran, and proud to have served our great country!

so...how did this all start?

From a young age, I watched my Dad create things. We had a family business, a fishing store known as Heilman’s Bait & Tackle, located just west of Yankton, South Dakota, by Lewis & Clark Lake on the Missouri River. He would build or repair things needed to support the business. Whether he was cutting wood, or welding metal, he was creating what he needed. And he did a fine job! But in September of 1986, the rest of us discovered that God had other plans, and Dad was called home. But in those 12 short years that I had him, my Dad gave me a sense of creativity and the confidence to turn a vision into reality. It just took a lot of years to realize what Dad had given me.

Photo of my Dad, early 1970s.

the winding path...

After high school, I left for boot camp, and began a 4 year adventure. Like many of us, I grew up quick in the military. I made it through my tech schools for aircraft avionics on the SH-60F, and joined my squadron, HS-8, where I spent the rest of my active duty. We completed a couple western Pacific deployments (WESTPACs), and I left the Navy in 1996. Next stop? College! After 4 years of ramen noodles and cheap ham sandwiches, tankards of coffee, and late night studying, I graduated from South Dakota State University with my Engineering degree. My greatest achievement in college was winning the heart of my wonderful wife Michelle. We married shortly after college, and after several moves and having 3 kids, she still tolerates me!

My family, summer 2017.

why woodworking?

Early in our marriage, we didn’t have much furniture. We had some basics, but not much else. A growing family, the decision for Michelle to be a stay-at-home Mom, and covering all the expenses associated with that just didn’t leave much for furniture or tools. But I would buy woodworking magazines and just study the articles and learn as much as I could. I loved the creativity and craftsmanship I saw. The beauty of the wood grain. It just appealed to me so much. I had taken shop classes in the past, and participated with many projects, but I wanted to build my own path. Finally, with the move to Minnesota in 2012, I had the space and the budget to begin putting this all together. I built headboards for everyone’s bed, I built night stands, desks, dressers, shelves, you name it. With every new tool, I expanded my capability and grew my skill and experience. But, eventually a house can get full of stuff! I wanted to find something I could make that had meaning, and let me continue with my passion for woodworking. Eventually, it hit me....

FLAGS!!!

I discovered that making Flags was my answer. The American Flag. Stripe by stripe, star by star, with strict adherence to specifications. I felt that I had finally found my calling. I build each Flag with my two hands. I build each Flag with pride. I build each Flag thinking of my fellow veterans and patriots, and ensure that I do my very best work.
​Our beautiful American Flag deserves nothing less.
I built many flags, and thoroughly enjoyed building each one.  However, I began to see many other crafters and woodworkers begin to build flags as well.  And they were doing great work!  I slowly started to realize that the flags I so loved to build, were just not standing out in an ocean of other flags.  I began to brainstorm a new path...

RIBBON RACKS!!!​

I began to think of a product that would set me apart from almost everyone out there.  Something that would showcase my attention to detail and bring together multiple mediums into one product.  Since I was already building the ribbon flags, I thought why not try to build my ribbon rack?  I have 6 ribbons from my time in the military.  So, I set out to do just that.
And it turned out AMAZING.  Staring at my completed ribbon rack in my shop, I realized THIS would be my product.  Wooden Military Ribbon Racks.  I immediately began developing everything I could conceive of to create every ribbon I possibly could.  The MIL-SPEC dimensions, the scale, the color matching, the 3D design files for the devices, EVERYTHING.  This development consumed money and time, and tested my patience and resolve, and pulled on my experience both as a woodworker and an engineer. 
As I approached 18 months of product development, I decided that the spring of 2021 would be the official launch of the Ribbon Racks.
...THE LAUNCH...
I launched in March of 2021 and immediately started doing LIVE sessions on social media.  The response was immediate and strong!  Veterans on social media loved the idea, and the orders started coming in.  
It has been an amazing ride!  And I have befriended some amazing people along the way.  People who continue to support what I do.  It has grown into something amazing and unexpected, and I am forever grateful for all of the amazing support.  Thank you all so much.

Thank you for reading!
​-Kevin