THE STORY OF SKILDUM & COMPANY

BORN LOCAL, BUILT TO LAST

I was born to Denny Skildum and Shannon CrossBear, two people who shaped the way I see work, community, and what it means to build something that lasts. We lived on the quiet shores of Lake Caribou in Lutsen until I was about four. There was a short detour to Iowa—a place I don’t really consider “home”—but it was there that I had my first taste of the trades, working as a brick tender to the late master stonemason Harold Hytrek. Even after I moved back to Cook County for middle school, I’d return each summer to work on a masonry crew. Child labor laws didn’t stand much chance against the lure of muddy boots and honest work.

I went to high school in st. paul and graduated in 2002. From there, I chased snow out to Salt Lake City, hoping to be a ski bum. Turns out, even being a bum costs money. I joined a framing crew and started building homes in the suburbs. That year taught me a lot—about pace, process, and the reality of working in production construction.

At 19, I came home to the North Shore and began what locals call “The Cook County Shuffle”—seasonal work and juggling five to seven W-2s a year. What kept me steady was the trades. If you knew how to swing a hammer or lift heavy things all day, you could always find work. I worked with local contractors, freelanced as a lead carpenter, and slowly took on my own jobs. Around 2009, I joined the Grand Portage wildland firefighting crew—a move that was instrumental in shaping the way I lead, work under pressure, and train teams. I owe a lot to Tim Miller, the Grand Portage Reservation Forester, who invested in my growth and gave me the space to build skills that would later define Skildum & Company.

SKILDUM & COMPANY IS BORN

For a while, I operated under “Skildum Enterprises”—a name that followed me through remodels, decks, roofs, foundations, additions, and more. In 2015, I took the leap and got licensed as a residential building contractor. That spring, Skildum & Company, LLC was born.

Early on, it was me and a couple of carpenters doing everything—excavation, framing, finish work, the whole deal. It didn’t take long to realize that waiting on subcontractors—especially for excavation—was going to slow us down. So, by 2016, we invested in our own fleet: a mini excavator, a skid steer, and a single-axle dump truck. With that, we took control of our timelines and opened the door to full-scope projects, from raw land to turn-key homes.

The Work We Do

If it can be built, moved, shoveled, or dug—we’ve probably done it. Over the years, we’ve handled:

• Roofs, decks, additions, and custom homes

• Window and door replacements

• Foundations and concrete work

• Sewer systems, water lines, and utility trenching

• Logging, surface mining, and hazard tree removals

• Commercial remodels and specialty material deliveries

• Firewood sales, snow shoveling, and mowing

• Kitchen and bathroom remodels, garages, and “garagemahals”

A FAMILY COMPANY, THROUGH & THROUGH

Today, Skilco is more than just a construction company—it’s a family endeavor. My wife, Carmen, is the heart of our home and the backbone of my sanity as we navigate the chaos of running a business. Our kids—Recko, Lane, and Eleanor—are growing up around job sites, tools, and the dinner table lessons of building something real.

My father, my son, and I work jobsites side by side. This isn’t just a job—it’s a legacy. We’re proud to be local, proud to be family-run, and proud of the work we leave standing in this place we love.

At Skildum & Company, we build with care, craft, and connection—because this isn’t just where we work. It’s where we live.