An exclusive photo tour of Volk Transfer’s New 325,000 Square Foot Facility
Aerial photo of Volk Transfer Inc’s new Headquarters located at 2415 3rd Avenue, Mankato, Minnesota.
Photos by Aerial Imagery Media
MANKATO, MINN. – When he stands inside Volk Transfer’s new corporate headquarters and distribution center, CEO Troy Volk still finds himself stopping to take it all in.
The 325,000-square-foot facility, located in the former True Value distribution center along Highway 14 in Mankato, has only been occupied by Volk’s company for a few months. Yet for Volk, the building represents far more than additional warehouse space or updated offices. It reflects nearly 30 years of growth, a commitment to employees, and a vision for the future of the family-owned transportation and logistics company.
“It’s still a wow factor,” Volk said. “I walk in and it puts a smile on my face.”
Take a look inside Volk Transfer Inc’s offices at 2415 3rd Avenue in Mankato, via an exclusive Connect Business Magazine photo tour.
For a company approaching its 80th year in business, the new headquarters marks another milestone in a story that began with a single truck.
Volk Transfer was founded in 1948 by Frank Volk, Troy’s grandfather. At the time, the company operated as a small trucking business serving the Mankato area.
“My grandfather started out with just one straight truck hauling freight around the Mankato area,” Volk said. “He eventually got up to three trucks, but it was always a pretty small operation.”
The company remained relatively modest under the leadership of Troy’s father, Rick Volk, who took over the business in 1974. Like his father before him, Rick operated a handful of trucks and continued serving as an agent for Hyman Freightways.
Then everything changed.
When Hyman Freightways closed its doors in 1994, Volk Transfer lost its agency relationship and much of its freight business. The company suddenly found itself struggling to survive.
“We basically lost our business,” Volk said. “We had to start over.”
The years that followed were difficult. When Rick Volk died in 1993, Troy’s mother operated the company for a short period. By 1997, the business faced an uncertain future.
Rather than walk away, Troy Volk stepped in.
“It was my father’s legacy,” he said. “I just wanted to keep a couple trucks running.”
At the time, he had no idea what the company would eventually become.
What started as an effort to preserve the family business quickly evolved into something much larger. Volk launched a logistics division in 1997 and added an over-the-road trucking division the following year. Growth followed steadily.
“We put our heart and soul into it and worked hard,” Volk said. “We’ve been on steady growth ever since.”
By 2011, the company had grown from roughly two trucks to approximately 25 trucks. That year brought another major turning point.
Volk Transfer moved from its longtime Lundin Blvd. location into a new corporate headquarters on Seventh Avenue in Mankato.
The move expanded the company’s footprint from approximately 10,000 square feet to 50,000 square feet and allowed Volk Transfer to broaden its services.
“That was a milestone year,” Volk said. “It started our distribution, fulfillment and warehousing division.”
The company’s growth continued over the next decade.
Today, Volk Transfer operates more than 100 pieces of equipment, including trucks and trailers, and employs nearly 100 people across its transportation, warehouse, logistics, and office operations.
The company has also remained deeply rooted in family.
Volk never intentionally set out to create a family-run workforce, but over time, relatives naturally found their way into different areas of the business.
His brother oversees the company’s less-than-truckload network. His nephew works in logistics. His son serves as facilities manager, and his daughter-in-law works in accounting.
Only recently did Volk stop to realize how many family members had become part of the organization.
“My son pointed it out to me a few months ago,” he said. “He said, ‘We really have a nice family thing going here.’ I didn’t even think about it because you’re so tied up in the day-to-day.”
As the company expanded, space became increasingly difficult to find.
Tour the massive redeveloped distribution center’s warehouse space and driver amenities.
Several years ago, Volk purchased additional warehouse space in North Mankato to support operations. Even with the additional facility, the company eventually found itself spread across multiple locations.
“We were out of room,” Volk said.
About two years ago, company leaders began discussing what the next phase of growth might look like. They considered several options, including building a facility from the ground up.
The company wasn’t in a hurry.
“We wanted to do it right,” Volk said.
At the same time, leadership knew finding the right property would not be easy. Any future headquarters needed to provide substantial space while maintaining convenient access to Highway 14.
Then an unexpected opportunity appeared.
The former True Value distribution center became available.
Situated on approximately 68 acres, the property offered far more space than the company had previously occupied. It also provided a highly visible location along one of Mankato’s busiest transportation corridors.
Volk learned he had been awarded the property on March 14, 2025, his birthday.
A peak behind the scenes at the executive lounge; including a golf simulator, home theater, sauna, cryo-therapy booth, and commercial grade kitchen.
He officially took ownership June 1, 2025.
From there, the timeline moved quickly.
Construction crews began transforming the building almost immediately, with employees moving into the facility in early 2026.
“It was very aggressive,” Volk said.
The overall project represents an investment of more than $25 million.
While the building itself was structurally sound, significant work was required to modernize it.
Built in 1975, the former True Value facility had been well maintained but had changed very little over the decades.
“It was truly a 1970s building,” Volk said.
The warehouse underwent extensive upgrades, including new dock doors, dock levelers, and safety improvements. Exterior updates included new paint, windows, and lighting designed to give the property a more modern appearance.
The office area was completely reimagined.
“When I say gutted, I mean gutted down to the four walls,” Volk said.
The result is a headquarters built around both technology and employee experience.
A new 50-seat training center allows the company to conduct meetings, safety programs, and driver training sessions on site. Previously, those events often required off-site venues.
The building also incorporates upgraded audiovisual systems, collaborative workspaces, and technology intended to support the company’s future needs.
Yet despite the emphasis on technology, Volk says the primary goal of the project was creating a better experience for employees.
“We really focused the remodel around the employees,” he said.
Take a look at the employee lounge, training room, and employee bullpens. Note the moving trailer doors between the two rooms.
Expanded locker rooms provide storage space, showers, and changing areas. A dedicated driver’s lounge gives drivers a place to relax during required downtime.
A centrally located café offers drinks, snacks, and gathering space for employees throughout the day.
Volk believes those investments matter.
“We want to keep the best of the best employees,” he said. “You can reward people with wages, but there’s more to it than that.”
The company’s focus on employees can be seen throughout the facility.
Motorized desks allow workers to alternate between sitting and standing. Meeting spaces are designed to encourage collaboration. Shared areas create opportunities for employees to connect throughout the workday.
“We want our employees to have every tool in their toolbox,” Volk said.
The headquarters also reflects the company’s identity as a transportation business.
Several custom design elements incorporate trucking themes in creative ways.
One of the most striking features is a trailer wall located along a main corridor.
Rather than installing traditional signage or graphics, Volk and his leadership team brainstormed ways to create something unique.
The result is a full-scale trailer-inspired installation complete with working lights.
“We wanted something that stands out,” Volk said.
Another feature transforms a practical architectural challenge into a design statement.
Volk wanted the training center and café to function as one large space when necessary. Traditional movable walls weren’t a perfect fit for the building’s structure, so the company chose a different approach.
Real trailer doors now separate the spaces.
When opened, the doors create a larger gathering area while reinforcing the company’s transportation roots.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Volk said.
The design choices have become conversation starters for visitors and employees alike.
Rather than feeling like a standard office building, the headquarters reflects the company’s personality.
“It’s not just another logo on a wall,” Volk said.
Visitors aren’t the only ones enjoying the new space.
Employees continue to gather around the café, take headshots near the trailer wall, and explore the building’s features months after the move.
The excitement hasn’t faded.
“It’s all worth it,” Volk said.
One of the property’s most meaningful features sits outside.
A pond located on the grounds has become known as “Ameiah’s Pond,” named after Volk’s granddaughter.
The pond existed before the company purchased the property but had become overgrown over the years. Crews spent weeks cleaning it up and improving the surrounding area.
One day, while sitting on a dock overlooking the water, Volk’s granddaughter asked if they could go fishing.
“Where are we fishing?” she asked.
Volk responded with a simple suggestion.
“I said, ‘Should we call it Ameiah’s Pond?’”
The name stuck.
Today, she happily refers to it as her pond and regularly visits to fish with her dad.
For Volk, the pond represents something important.
While the headquarters is designed to support business growth, it is also intended to create memories and connections for future generations.
That idea extends beyond family.
Volk believes the new headquarters benefits the broader Mankato community as well.
The former True Value building had become dated over time. Through extensive renovations, Volk Transfer has transformed the property into a modern facility that contributes positively to one of the city’s most visible industrial corridors.
“We’ve really turned it into a special piece of property,” Volk said.
Looking ahead, the company remains focused on growth.
Volk hopes to continue expanding the organization’s sales reach across the country while strengthening its position as a national transportation provider.
“We want to be the next national brand,” he said.
Even as the company grows, one thing will not change.
“Mankato is home to Volk Transfer and always will be,” Volk said.
For someone who once hoped to keep a struggling family business alive, the view from the new headquarters can still feel surreal.
More importantly, it has become something Volk believes will endure long after he is gone.
“My motto is, ‘Go big or go home,’” he said.
Standing inside the headquarters that now bears his family’s name, he sees more than a building.
He sees a legacy.
“To drive down the street and pull into that lot and know that we’ve got something that’s going to be a legacy well past my lifetime and hand it down to my son and the family,” Volk said. “It’s very special to me.”