When Nick Mortenson started his construction company right out of high school in 1999, he could not have predicted his future wife would also be his business partner. Of NMC Exteriors, Mortenson says, “I started doing odds and ends, building new homes, doing all the installed services. I took it from ground zero to where it’s at today—and then she came in.”
Molly Mortenson was familiar with the industry, with a father who did developments and construction. “So I grew up on this kind of stuff and loved it,” Molly says. She even chose a similar career path, working for Life Time Fitness in their building department, FCA Construction, and managing multimillion-dollar projects. When she first met Nick in 2006, they didn’t plan on working together. Later on, it was Nick’s filing system that would convince them they might be great business partners, too.
“I was completely old-school because that’s how I learned,” Nick says. “Everything was written on a pad of paper; it wasn’t on computers. I didn’t trust them.”
“And then I came in and was like, ‘You’re doing what?’” Molly says. The couple married in 2008. Still working at Life Time Fitness, Molly was pregnant with twins who were born prematurely. She decided to stay home with them, but quickly realized she didn’t want to do that full time. “So in 2010, I became an actual employee,” Molly says. “In 2013, he asked me if I wanted to be partner, and that’s when I said, ‘You really do love me!’” she adds.
A kitchen remodel completed by Nick and Molly Mortenson’s Plymouth-based company. Photo courtesy of NMC Exteriors
Being spouses and business partners might sound stressful, but Nick and Molly, now parents of three children—4-year-old twins and a 1-year-old—wouldn’t change their situation for the world. “We’re strong business partners, best friends, and we’re married,” Molly says. “So we always have to say, ‘No matter what, we come first before anything.’ If we’re not good, nothing’s good.”
Being owners and spouses, “It’s literally like we live, eat and breathe it,” Molly says. Meaning business talk over dinner is not unheard of.
“When you’re an owner, there’s really no off switch, because somebody always needs something,” Nick says. “You talk about your day, you talk about what took place and what needs to be improved on.” Today, the company has grown and been split into NMC Exteriors and NMC Properties‒the first handling roofing, windows and remodels and the latter focusing on homebuilding and development.
The summer months generally consume all their free time, when construction season is in full swing, so winter is when the family enjoys down time.
Their kids love the family business. “They have their own little tool kits and everything,” Molly says. They get to see how the business works, and at such a young age, they’ll even say “the roof’s on,” or “they put the siding up today,” as they pull up to a home, Nick says.
A new roof completed by NMC Exteriors. Photo courtesy of NMC Exteriors
When the kids aren’t playing construction, they’re enjoying Plymouth’s parks, and the Life Time Fitness pool. “We absolutely love being in Plymouth,” Molly says, for their kids and for their business.
“I started the business in Buffalo, Minnesota, before moving here about three years ago,” Nick says. “It’s opened up a ton of different avenues for us as a company for growth and employees.” They can reach all parts of the Twin Cities, usually in under a half- hour, which is great for them and their employees, whom they treat like their own family.
It’s one of the benefits of being a family-owned business, Nick says. “I think it gives it a better culture, a better work ethic, for the employees and staff.”
