What most people think of as “just another bag of ice melt at Menards” actually ties back to a small, strategically built Midwestern supply business. Mid-American Salt was founded in 2012 and remains a privately held, family-driven operation based in Fort Wayne; roughly 45 minutes from Toledo.

The business was started by Andrew and Mark Thiele, who leveraged their regional connections and logistics know-how to grow from a niche de-icing supplier into a broader distributor of salt products. Today their salt appears on shelves at local and regional big-box retailers (including Menards and others), and they serve both municipal customers and commercial contractors across the Midwest and beyond.

Mid-American isn’t a mining giant, instead, its value comes from getting salt from where it’s produced into the hands of the people and agencies that need it most.

This blended, multi-source supply model helps them keep product moving even when demand spikes. (For context: the broader North American rock salt market is worth billions (with a B) of dollars annually, largely driven by road safety needs in cold climates. )

A big reason Mid-American has gained traction in Northwest Ohio is access to the Great Lakes shipping network. Bulk salt, especially imported solar salt, moves most cheaply by water. Transporting heavy, low-value commodities like salt over long distances is expensive by truck or rail, but shipping them by lake freighter into ports like the Port of Toledo can drastically reduce costs.

Once salt arrives by ship:

This sequence matters because winter salt logistics are all about timing and inventory; having product in place before the snow arrives makes the difference between stocked shelves and shortages during storms.

By annual revenue estimates, Mid-American Salt is modest. Estimated at $5 million–$10 million a year, with a workforce at a manageable rate ~40 people.

That’s tiny compared with multinational salt companies like Morton or Compass Minerals, which generate +$100Ms or more — but size isn’t the point here. Mid-American’s niche is regional supply logistics:

In short, they’ve built a mid-sized logistics play on the back of a critical winter commodity; and that’s why a company rooted in Fort Wayne ends up playing a real role in keeping Northwest Ohio roads safe when storms roll through.

It started on neighborhood walks.

Last summer, Kaden and I were walking with our wives, doing what we’ve always done; talking about business. Markets. Local companies. Who was building something interesting. Who was quietly winning. Who was about to make a move.

Eventually, our wives got tired of hearing it.

Fair.

So we joked about needing an outlet. But underneath that joke was a real question:

If we were going to build something, what would it actually be for?

We weren’t interested in chasing clicks or recycling headlines. We wanted to build the kind of room we wished existed in Northwest Ohio — a place for people who care about:

That became Toledo Money.

It was about alignment.

Connecting people who care about execution, not optics. People who understand that regional growth doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because someone takes a risk, someone supports it, someone reinvests, and someone mentors the next person.

We wanted to document that ecosystem.

And help strengthen it.

Somewhere along the way, that idea turned into a habit.

We’ve now published 47 weeks in a row.

Almost a full year.

No breaks. No disappearing. Every Friday, we show up.

That consistency matters.

Because trust is built slowly, especially in local media, and it only works if people know you’ll be there next week.

We’re not traditional journalists. We don’t sit around waiting for press releases. Most of our stories start with conversations:

That’s how we’ve been able to highlight:

Here’s the truth:

This region is loaded with capital.
Loaded with experience.
Loaded with talent.

It just doesn’t advertise itself very well.

That’s the gap Toledo Money tries to fill.

We were comfortable. We had strong networks. Good access. Solid momentum.

Comfort is dangerous.

So we pushed ourselves to expand.

More meetings.
More outreach.
More conversations beyond our inner circle.

That decision created a tailwind we didn’t fully anticipate.

Since then, we’ve sat down with:

What we learned quickly: people are hungry for real conversation.

Not networking theater.
Not LinkedIn platitudes.
Not surface-level optimism.

Real talk about:

Somewhere along the way, Toledo Money became part newsletter…

…and part business therapist.

We’re honored by that trust.

You can’t fake this.

You have to show up.
Listen.
Connect people.
Follow through.

Week after week.

First, to remind our now +950 readers why Toledo Money exists.

We’re here to build a serious, thoughtful, ambitious business community in this region. That has never changed.

Second, to be transparent.

You’re watching us build this in real time.

No corporate backing.
No safety net.

Just two guys showing up every week and building a resilient brand.

And you choosing to read along.

We don’t take that lightly.

Here it is:

Use the referral program.
We built it to reward you. Help grow this thing.

Consider a partnership.
If you’re a local company, let’s talk. We’re capitalists, but we want deals that actually create value.

Connect us with builders.
Know someone doing something special? Introduce us.

And yes… we’ll take the tickets.
If you’ve got a suite, courtside seats, or great tickets and want company, we’re happy to help. We hear the Toledo Money aura is strong right now.

It’s a community in motion.

Built one conversation at a time.
One story at a time.
One week at a time.

We’re proud of what’s been built so far.

And we’re just getting started.

— Bill & Kaden