When the news broke that Minnesota-based home improvement company Minnesota Rusco was filing for bankruptcy, the shockwaves hit hard. A local fixture with over 70 years of service, Rusco wasn’t just a brand—it was a trusted name across generations. The abrupt closure left customers and employees alike scrambling, some with tens of thousands in down payments lost, others suddenly unemployed.
But in a moment that would come to define Minnesota’s spirit, another local remodeling company didn’t just watch—it stepped up.
“We had already hired a few former Rusco employees earlier in the year,” says Tyler Ganz, owner of TWS Remodeling. “They were talented people looking for a place that valued them again. So when Rusco shut down suddenly, their friends and family knew where to turn.”
Within hours, TWS Remodeling’s office was flooded with job inquiries—over 40 in total—from former Rusco staff in production, sales, telemarketing, and admin. Ganz, moved by both their loyalty and desperation, was able to bring eight new employees on board despite the limitations of his growing team.
“I wish we could hire all of them,” he adds. “But the truth is, we didn’t have the capacity. That’s why we knew we had to do more.”
And “more” is exactly what followed.
A Statewide Response Rooted in Values
What began as a decision to help a few displaced workers quickly grew into something bigger. As word spread, the community rallied behind the effort—businesses, suppliers, media outlets, and local organizations all stepped in to support Minnesotans impacted by Rusco’s collapse.