A Bright Spot in Minnesota’s Manufacturing Economy

Photo Credit: Tate Carlson

Company: Viridian Green Laser

What they do: Manufacture weapon-mounted green lasers and white illumination lights.

Website: viridiangreenlaser.com

Success: Working from a spare bedroom, two Minnesota entrepreneurs set out to manufacture the world’s first green laser, small enough to be mounted on a handgun. The duo outsourced their manufacturing and shipped the product from a garage, growing sales from $20,000 to more than $2.5 million in just four years. Today, Viridian Green Laser is one of Minnesota’s fastest-growing companies, employing over 30 people. 

How they did it: In 2005, Brian Hedeen and Tom Otteson, both with backgrounds in finance, formed Viridian Green Laser. Their goal was to shake up the firearm industry by creating a laser that was better than the red lasers on the market at the time. They had seen the potential in green laser technology, which was many times brighter than traditional lasers, therefore more visible. But, the technology came with its challenges.  

 “We came into the firearm industry with a unique and innovative product,” Hedeen says. “Green lasers were far superior to traditional red lasers, but, they were more expensive, more complex, required more power, and were bigger.”

To overcome those challenges, the partners  focused on product design, keeping costs low and educating the market.

For the next four years, Hedeen and Otteson slowly grew their business by outsourcing their manufacturing to a company in Austin, Minn., and shipping products out of Otteson’s garage. This allowed the company to operate with low overhead while building sales to more than a half million dollars. Up to that point, the company had no employees other than the two partners.

Viridian generated brand awareness by focusing on innovative marketing and cutting-edge design. The company invested in marketing. Industry publications took notice, which consequently led to coverage in the magazines. 

Six years later, Viridian has expanded to Minnetonka, where they now employ more than 30 employees and handle all aspects of their business.   

 “I believe our timing was good, because other existing laser sight manufacturers were aware of the new green laser technology, but, couldn’t figure out how to incorporate them with their existing product mix and marketing,” says Hedeen. “Word spread quickly about the superiority of our green lasers.”