Every kind of home or business construction or remodel he has seen. There are few businesses or homes in New Ulm that Design Home Center has not left its mark on.

“I can drive down the city and tell you what type of kitchen and cabinets are in each home,” Fischer said. “Sometimes even the color of the wallpaper.”

In nearly 40 years at Design Home Center, Fischer has had the pleasure of helping countless customers make their home improvement vision come true. He said the experience was incredibly gratifying, which makes his decision to retire at the end of the month all the more difficult.

Fischer said his decision to retire was part of a five-year-plan. After his retirement, he plans to pass ownership of the business to longtime Design Home Center employees Scott Juni and Andy Klingler.

The former Lampert building at 1427 Highway 14, New Ulm became the current home of Design Home Center in 1992. Submitted photo

Fischer began working for Design Home Center in 1987 as a part-time employee. He had recently graduated from a Mankato vocational school with a degree in architectural drafting. Design Home Center was the first and only business he ever worked for, but at that time it was called Manderfeld Lumber and was located on Front Street in New Ulm.

Fischer said when he began working for Manderfeld Lumberyard, there were four owners, but soon they began to sell their portion of the business. Eventually, Fischer became the owner of the lumberyard.

One of Fischer’s early decisions as the owner was to relocate the business off of Front Street to give it room to grow.

In 1992, Manderfeld Lumber was relocated to its current home on the north end of New Ulm at 1427 Highway 14. At the time, it was one of the only businesses on the extreme end of New Ulm.

“Nothing was out here at this time,” Fischer said. “No dealership, no Walmart, no Mernards, no nothing.”

A year after the move, Manderfeld Lumber changed to Design Home Center. Fischer said they recently acquired an interior design business and Design Home Center better reflected the scale of their work. He said the business covers all aspects of lumber work, including flooring, cabinetry, window treatments and everything in between.

“Design Home Center is still classified as a lumberyard, but one that specializes in remodeling bathrooms, kitchens and all home interiors,” he said.

Fischer said aside from the relocation and name change, the biggest change has been the advancement of computer drafting technology.

Fischer said when he graduated from vocational school, computer aided drafting existed, but eventually 3D drafting came along and changed the industry.

Fischer said because he was trained in design and drafting, he jumped on the new technology. For the last 15 years, Design Home Center has used 3D imagery to help customers envision what they want.

“It is a wonderful tool for anyone who needs to see that final picture before they commit,” Fischer said.

Fischer was also pleased note the New Ulm area has a wealth of young carpenters.

“We are cultivating a lot of young carpenters in the New Ulm area,” he said. “That’s a positive thing for the community and it has been our privilege to work with them.”

It is Fischer’s faith in the next generation that is allowing him to retire.

“I want to pass the business onto younger leadership,” he said “I want them all to have a chance like I had [and] I pass the torch with confidence.”

Juni and Klingler are both longtime employees of Design Home Center. Juni has worked with the company for 31 years and Klinger 10 years. Fischer is confident they will continue to provide quality service for Design Home Center’s loyal customers.

Fischer admits that even with the business continuing under Juni and Klingler, it will be difficult for him to step away.

“I am trying to make peace with it,” he said. “I love my job. A lot of gratifying things have come from my journey.”

Fischer said he enjoyed creating visions and fulfilling customer dreams.

“I want to thank our customers,” he said. “We don’t take them for granted and we appreciate their patronage. I am thankful I had the opportunity to help so many people.”