Hello, my name is Chris Carlson and I’m the CEO and owner of Premier Marine in Big Lake, MN. I’m proud to be a Big Lake resident and I’m honored to be considered for the Faces of Big Lake Project.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
I met my wife Debbie when we were in the sixth grade and we’ve been married for 36 years. We have two kids, Taylor, 32, and Andrew, 31, and seven amazing grandchildren with!
Q: How long have you lived and/or worked in Big Lake?
We have lived in the city of Big Lake for 10 years, and prior to that we lived in Big Lake township for 22 years.
Q: Tell us about your current, past, or future career.
I’m a serial entrepreneur with a colorful history of starting and growing businesses. I started my first business, Waterspike Anchor Systems, as a teenage fishing guide on Mille Lacs Lake addressing the need for a better anchor for walleye fishermen. Sportech, a small home-based snowmobile accessory manufacturer, was born in my garage in Big Lake Township back in 1993, and over the next 27 years became a major OEM powersports component supplier in Elk RIver that my family sold in 2019. In 2021 we purchased Premier Marine and promptly moved the headquarters to Big Lake and we’re proud to build the best pontoons on the planet here in the heart of Minnesota’s Lake Country in Big Lake. We also own Envision Company, a family office and holding company, and are co-owners of ERX Motor Park in Elk River.
Q: Have you ever had a nickname? What is it and why were you given it?
No official nicknames, but I do seem to get called CC quite a bit.
Q: What is your favorite TV Show, Movie, Book? (Please list as many as you’d like!)
I recently finished watching the series Suits and really enjoyed it, I believe that Caddy Shack is the finest movie ever produced and my business career was greatly impacted by Good to Great, by Jim Collins.
Q: If you could only eat one food/meal and have one beverage for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I could eat my wife’s world famous roasted chicken every day of my life, and if I had an ice cold Diet Coke I’d be a happy guy.
Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies or pastimes?
I’m a life-long fishing and hunting fanatic. Specifically, I love chasing big walleyes on Lake of the Woods and pursuing trophy whitetail deer anywhere I can find them with my family and friends. I also love chasing smallmouth bass on the Mississippi River here in the Big Lake Area!
Q: What is one thing on your bucket list?
For Premier Marine to become the employer of choice in the Big Lake Area.
Q: What would you buy/do if you won the lottery?
I’d donate the money to a world-class private Christian school in the Big Lake/Elk River Area.
Q: What has been a challenge you have had to overcome? (Life, School, Work, etc.)
As a type-A, highly driven individual I’ve always been challenged with learning to balance the gas with the brake. My tendency is to run wide-open at all times, and this has been a challenge for me. I’m thankful that as I’ve grown older God has blessed me with some much needed patience, but it’s still something that I deal with on a regular basis.
Q: If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I aspire to be a more patient, to have more empathy for people and to become a stronger servant leader.
Q: Who has been a hero in your life?
My father was always my hero. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he was an amazing father and he gave me the greatest gift that a son could ever ask for: he believed in me.
Q: What is something even your family and friends may not know about you?
I hope that I’m transparent enough that my friends and family know everything about me! With me, what you see is what you get, and I hope that folks would say that I’m predictable.
Q: What is your proudest accomplishment?
Without question, there is nothing in this world that I am more proud of than my family. I love my wife and am incredibly proud of our 36 year marriage, and we look at our kids and grandkids as our greatest accomplishment.
Q: What are a few of your favorite businesses / restaurants in Big Lake?
We love the business community in Big Lake and are thankful for each and every tax-paying, job-creating entrepreneur behind the scenes who is taking the risk of running a business. We’re blessed with great restaurant options in Big Lake, but my personal favorite lunch spot is Lake Cafe.
Q: What is one of your favorite things about Big Lake?
As an employer in this area for over 30 years, I feel very fortunate to have access to such amazing people. We have always been able to find great employees and I’m incredibly proud of the values-based corporate culture that we’ve been able to create with some of the best people in the world!
Q: What advice would you give to people living in Big Lake?
Experience the Mississippi River! If you live in the area and you’ve never experienced the river between Monticello and Elk RIver, be sure to check it out. This stretch offers some amazing scenery—and is known as one of the best smallmouth bass fisheries in the US.
Q: Who is an interesting person in our community that you’ve met and deserves to be included in The Faces of Big Lake project?
I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with Paul Knier, our great Mayor of Big Lake and I found him to be a very impressive dude! We are fortunate to have a high-integrity man like Paul here in Big Lake and I think people would enjoy learning a bit more about him.
