Trusted Experts Since
1935
Arthur Vilandre started Vilandre in 1935. The business opened in a 13-foot-by-13-foot office at the corner of North Seventh Street and Seventh Avenue North. The business now occupies that entire city block, and one half of the city block just to the south. Coal was the primary heating product at the time. Vilandre started installing the revolutionary Winkler coal stokers, the first type of automated heating.
Shortly after WWII fuel oil became available in this part of the country and Vilandre started delivering fuel oil and installing the famous Winkler Low Pressure oil burner. A complete sheet metal shop was soon added to enhance the installation of coal and gas furnaces.
In 1956, after his graduation from St. Johns and two years in the military, Ardell "Casey" Vilandre joined the company. Air conditioning made its way into our region in the late 1950s and Vilandre expanded to include air conditioning installation and service as well. In 1976, Vilandre added the installation of seamless Gutter to their ever-increasing list of customer services offered.
Twenty years later, in 1996, Vilandre started a full-service plumbing division. This plumbing division offers a full line of plumbing products, sales, installation, and service. The same excellent customer service that our loyal customers have come to know, expect, and appreciate.In 2024, Vilandre went one step further in the customer service business by adding a full-service electrical division.
In the fall of 1998, Ardell "Casey" Vilandre sold his interest in the business to longtime company manager, Jeff Wilson. Just a short twenty-five years later, in 2023, Jeff sold his remaining interest to the current ownership team, Tyler Wilson, Travis Dahlin and Jason Burris.
They continue to operate the business with the same customer-orientated philosophy the company is known for.
"Our goal is to continue to provide exceptional services and products to all our loyal and new customers. In fact, every service we offer our customers comes with an exclusive customer satisfaction guarantee, ‘The Vilandre Advantage.’”
"To our customers, from our entire staff, thank you for your business and
your loyalty".
Meet Our Team
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Jason Burris
President & Owner
A Universal Technical Institute graduate with extensive continuing education training certifications, Jason has been with the Vilandre team for over three decades, starting in the summer of 1993. In addition to working with great people, the opportunity to do something different every day and the satisfaction of a job well done are among the top reasons he enjoys working for the company. Jason proudly joined the Vilandre ownership team in December of 2016.
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Travis Dahlin
Vice President & Owner
A Northland Community & Technical College graduate, Travis has been with the Vilandre service team since 2003. He strives to give all customers an exceptional service experience. Travis enjoys working with a family-owned business large enough to tackle customers' complex needs, yet small enough to truly care about all of their needs. He proudly joined the Vilandre ownership team in December of 2016.
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Tyler Wilson
CFO & Owner
Tyler is a business administration & finance graduate of the University of North Dakota. He worked in a number of roles at Vilandre throughout high school and college. Tyler oversees most of the company’s financial operations, including payroll, accounts payable and Human Resources. He believes that our employees and our vendors deserve the same satisfaction experience as our customers. Tyler proudly joined the Vilandre ownership team in December of 2016. -
Jeff Wilson
CEO & Former Owner
Jeff has been with the company for over forty years and has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of North Dakota. He has served on the board of directors for numerous local organizations and is involved in several professional industry organizations. Jeff’s favorite part of the family business is interacting with customers and industry colleagues.
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Tryg Spilde
Sales & Installation Manager
Tryg is a graduate of University of Minnesota-Crookston with a degree in Business/Marketing Management. He has worked in the sales field for over fifteen years, and enjoys providing the best possible experience for our customers. Tryg likes working for a family-owned business and continuing the customer-first legacy of Vilandre.
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Kurt Gamanche
Plumbing Manager
As Plumbing Manager, Kurt oversees the entire plumbing department. He has a master plumber’s license and is a member of the Grand Forks Traders and Builders Exchange. Kurt has been a part of the Vilandre team for nearly three decades, starting in 1997. He enjoys working with his fellow employees and customers while tackling new challenges that occur on the job every day. -
Mikki Frije
Office Manager
Mikki Freije is a graduate of the University of North Dakota. She has been with Vilandre, throughout the years, in a variety of roles, since 1997. Mikki currently is the office manager and project coordinator for the installation department. She enjoys the daily variety of responsibilities, the customers and collegaues she interacts with and the pride of working at Vilandre. -
Blake Peterson
Seamless Gutter Manager
Blake, a long-time Fisher resident who now lives with his family in Larimore, oversees our gutter department. Our very first seamless gutter fabrication machine arrived in Grand Forks back in 1967. Blake loves the outdoors, riding four-wheeler and dirt bikes, and spending time with his family. He enjoys tackling daily challenges and takes pride in giving customers a great end product.
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Nate Laframboise
Electrical Manager
Nathan is a long-time resident of Grand Forks. After graduating from NDSCS in Wahpeton with an Electrical Construction degree, Nathan spent years working in the electrical industry and is excited to bring that experience to our Vilandre team. When not at work, Nathan enjoys golfing, hunting, being at the lake, and spending time with his family. -
Tyler Thompson
Service Manager
A Northland Community & Technical College graduate, Tyler has been with the Vilandre service team since 2012. Tyler loves the Vilandre family-owned aspect and looks forward to the challenges each day brings. His number one priority is concentrating on maximizing the comfort level in each customer’s home and business. He is very excited to be part of the ever-expanding growth at Vilandre. In his free time, he loves spending time at the lake with his wife and kids.
