Growing up in Blue Earth, Garrett Mensing spent time sawing wood and hammering nails alongside his father, who made his living as a carpenter.
So, as Mensing would still take building a desk over sitting at one, the head custodian position at Cleveland School—which had been held by George Ploog for the last 18 years until he retired last October—was a natural fit.
“I've always preferred to move around and work with my hands.”
On his way towards a journeyman electrician’s license, Mensing worked at Guaranteed Electric Service in Mankato before taking the job at the school. As an assistant coach for the St. Clair/Mankato Loyola football team, Mensing was on the sidelines with head coach Dustin Bosshart. As superintendent at Cleveland, Bosshart encouraged Mensing to apply for the custodial position.
“I wouldn't be here without Mr. Bosshart reaching out to me,” Mensing said. “I already had trust in him, and having a boss that would trust me is important. But once I took the time to find out what the job entails, it just seemed like the perfect fit. It allows me to be around my family more, even picking up my kids from school on a regular basis. Also, being in a small community, working with my hands and problem solving daily are all appealing to me.”
As he has been on the job only for a couple of months, Mensing is still learning the ropes. He is responsible for the all the school's maintenance, including plumbing, electrical, mounting screens, cleaning, snow removal, ordering supplies, procuring estimates and everything in between necessary to keep the school facilities running smoothly. He is currently working on his boiler license. He supervises the seven members of the custodial staff.
“At first glance, custodians might not seem like an integral part of the school environment,” said Bosshart, “but by keeping our facilities functional, clean and safe, they are one of the most important factors in ensuring that students get the best educational experience. Garrett has the skills and work ethic we need to help make that happen.”
Mensing regularly meets with Bosshart and other members of the school leadership team to assess projects…all the while keeping a keen eye for cost savings.
“One initiative I worked on was installing timers in areas where lights have frequently been left on overnight or during the weekends such as the gym and the weight room. These areas are now set to automatically shut off when no movement is detected as well as at 10:00 p.m. each night when they are not in use.”
Mensing continues to enjoy hands-on projects.
“I like taking something that was broken or not working and creating a solution for it, especially getting to build or create something to solve a problem. The solutions or problem solving is almost always a challenge, but the fun part is coming up with something that will make something better or prevent a problem in the future.”
While the position can be overwhelming at times, Mensing said, he is grateful to have a strong support system.
“I am lucky enough to be surrounded with great people that want to help me succeed here and that know what they are doing.”