Leo Heikkinen

Leo Leonard Heikkinen (June 11, 1917 – September 10, 1999) was an American entrepreneur and millionaire who founded and owned numerous forestry production companies in Prentice, Wisconsin, including Prentice Hydraulics, Inc. (now a division of Caterpillar, Inc.) and Multitek North America, LLC. an invention that propelled the Prentice loader to 51% of the worldwide market.

Family life and education Heikkinen was born the third child in a family of ten in Brantwood, Wisconsin. He graduated from Tripoli High School in 1935, and returned to Price County in 1945 The company began with 35 employees and grew to 340 employees and $9 million in sales prior to its sale to Omark Industries in 1967. Multitek was in the Heikkinen family (first owned and operated by Leo and then by his three sons) until 2006 when it was sold to a Wisconsin-based investment group. Doug Kamps became the first president of Multitek North America, LLC under the new owners. Northeastern Loggers Association 1996 Outstanding Service to the Forest Industry Award Suomi College’s Distinguished Finnish American Award 1999 Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame Eagle Award 2015 Price County Economic Development Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award