Amax Manufacturing has central Minnesota roots that date back nearly 80 years, starting as a blacksmith shop after World War II and evolving into a plastic injection-molding company. Adam and Candice Kantor purchased the business aiming to maximize its potential by investing in advanced technology and energizing its marketing.
Tapping into their experience in engineering and business operations, the husband-and-wife team became third-generation owners of Foley-based Amax in 2023. They bought the company from Adam’s uncle, who wanted to retire. The Kantors uprooted their family from the Twin Cities and moved to Adam’s hometown in Benton County, aiming to bring new life to Amax.
The company already had a small but steady roster of customers, giving the couple a foundation for expanding its capabilities and growing the business. “My uncle had been semi-retired for the last 10 years,” Adam says. “Our goal is to bring Amax back to its heyday and fill out the capacity that we have.”
Even though Amax has been operating for decades, it mostly flew under the radar. It didn’t have a website or do much marketing when the Kantors took over. Candice, company president, and Adam, head of operations, teamed with Enterprise Minnesota to find new ways to promote Amax’s work and its new owners.
The Kantors have a great story to tell, including their engineering backgrounds and rich professional experience. A mechanical engineer, Adam spent a decade in the motorcycle and electric vehicle divisions at Polaris, including managing its Powertrain program. Candice, a civil engineer, worked in water resources consulting at Barr Engineering for nearly 10 years. Summer jobs as a youth also gave her injection molding know-how.
Streamlining processes, adding services with new equipment
Some of the Kantors’ first moves included purchasing a robot and a new electric injection molding press to streamline operations and become more energy efficient. Amax also added 3D printing capabilities, giving the company new ways to serve customers. As Amax works to design and complete their molds, it can create 3D parts as placeholders. Then customers are able to keep their processes running and do fit testing, cutting weeks out of the production schedule, Adam says.
Aiming to provide a one-stop-shop, Amax also provides services like stamping parts, assembly, and packaging. Amax’s other selling points are its flexibility and willingness to run small orders, Candice says. For example, when bidding on projects, the company offers two approaches: a traditional injection molded part or a 3D printed one, each with different price points.
“Since we’re small, we can be more flexible and responsive. We can do smaller jobs at cost-effective prices, and we have the capacity to do bigger projects as well,” Candice says. “Some of the injection molders are looking for big orders and regular shipments. We’re willing to run small orders, run orders once a year, and meet customers’ needs for order size and frequency. We also can work as additional engineering staff for customers and head off issues. Not all companies can do that.”
To find its new path, the Amax team worked with Amy Hubler, an Enterprise Minnesota business growth consultant, on a strategic business development project. They focused on sales and marketing initiatives to jumpstart growth, including analyzing Amax’s points of differentiation. They also identified its customer segments and determined how to best connect with each group. “It’s fairly sophisticated work when you dive into it,” Hubler says. “Not all customers are the same. We have to understand customers’ motivations so that we know how and where to reach them, what to say to them, and what we’re hoping to do together.”
Amax also expanded its online presence with its first website, while the Kantors worked to get the company’s name out. Becoming involved in local and regional business groups has been key. To build its network, Amax joined chambers of commerce, other community organizations, and the Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association. Candice serves on some of the association’s committees and joined the City of Foley Planning Commission. Amax also got certified as a woman-owned business, helping customers with supplier diversity.
The company has customers across the country — and the world — with the bulk of its work in the mobility, office products, and outdoor recreation industries. Currently, though, the Kantors are focusing Amax’s growth in a 100-mile radius of Foley. Building more business nearby helps Amax reduce or eliminate customers’ shipping costs and deliver their orders faster, Candice says.
“It impresses me that Adam and Candice are so willing to dig in and figure things out. They have great drive and ambition to grow the company,” Hubler says. “They are pounding the pavement to grow awareness of the work they do.”
Mightier marketing for the win
Amax’s marketing and networking efforts are already paying off. On top of retaining all of its original customers, the company has secured new work by being more visible. So far, Amax has grown sales by 11% and its customer roster by 33%. “Once someone starts talking to us, we’ve had good success landing projects,” Candice says. “The biggest challenge is hitting people at the right time so that they are familiar with us as they develop new products or parts.”
The Kantors certainly took a risk when they left stable careers and their Twin Cities home to take over a small business. But the couple was ready for a change and a new challenge, and to be closer to family. So far, the move has paid off.
Return to the Spring 2026 issue of Enterprise Minnesota® magazine.
