When Pat deGrood first came to Duluth as a college intern in 2009, the construction industry was reeling from a national downturn. But what he discovered at Jamar Company — a mechanical contracting firm with deep local roots — wasn’t just a job opportunity. It was a challenge.
“I didn’t plan to go into the mechanical field,” deGrood recalls. “But once I got here and saw the complexity of the systems, the craftsmanship, and the people, I fell in love with it. There was so much to learn, and that’s something I’ve always enjoyed.”
Fifteen years later, deGrood is not only a key leader at Jamar but also serving as chair of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, where that same curiosity and growth mindset drive his approach to leadership.
From Intern to Industry Leader
Raised in Alexandria, Minn., deGrood spent many of his summers visiting his father and stepmother in Duluth. Those early experiences — biking through Chester Bowl, hiking the trails, skiing in winter — instilled a lasting appreciation for the Northland’s energy and spirit.
After graduating from South Dakota State University with a degree in construction management, he accepted a full-time position with Jamar. His early career included managing projects across the Midwest and East Coast, from Iowa and Wisconsin to New York.
“For several years, I was traveling constantly, and it made it hard to build a local network,” he says. “When I returned to focus on projects here in Duluth, I wanted to reconnect — to be part of something bigger than just my day-to-day work.”
That motivation led him to the Chamber.
Building Connections and Community
DeGrood’s involvement began the way many business professionals start — with Chamber dinners, Fuse networking events and a few friendly faces in crowded rooms. Eventually, those connections deepened into genuine collaboration.
“The Chamber is an incredible way to expand the people you know and to work with others you might not normally collaborate with,” DeGrood says. “You start recognizing more faces, sharing ideas and seeing how connected everything really is.”
As chair, deGrood emphasizes a growth mindset — a philosophy he lives daily at Jamar. Rather than viewing challenges as fixed or unchangeable, he sees them as opportunities to learn, adapt and improve.
“It’s not about saying, ‘This is the way we’ve always done it,’” he explains. “It’s about asking, ‘What could this be?’ When we challenge ourselves and listen to different perspectives, we create better solutions for our community.”
A Focus on Progress
Among the issues deGrood hopes to help advance during his tenure is improving city permitting processes and developer relations — a longtime concern for local business owners.
Working alongside city leaders like Planning and Economic Development Director Ben Van Tassel and City Councilor Aric Forsman, he’s encouraged by efforts to make Duluth’s systems more transparent and user friendly.
“When a business owner wants to remodel or expand, every step of that process is new to them,” deGrood says. “The city can play such an important role by helping guide people through it. Any progress we can make there will benefit everyone.”
He’s also mindful of larger regional challenges, including the upcoming Blatnik Bridge replacement, which will reshape transportation and commerce between Duluth and Superior. DeGrood sees opportunity for collaboration across the bridge.
“There’s definitely more we can do together,” he notes. “Both communities will feel the impacts, and working jointly can make those transitions easier.”
Leading with Reflection
At Jamar, deGrood has helped nurture a company culture centered on openness, self-reflection and continual improvement. After each project, his teams ask tough but constructive questions: What could we have done better? How could we have been more proactive?
“It’s not about blame,” he says. “It’s about honesty — being real with ourselves so we can serve customers better and be stronger as a team.”
That same mindset extends to his view of Duluth’s future.
“Sometimes people get caught up in how things have always been,” deGrood says. “But I think it’s more exciting to look at how things could be. This is our community. We may see things differently, but we all want it to thrive.”
Looking Ahead
As the Chamber enters a new chapter, deGrood sees a city full of potential — and people ready to embrace change.
“We have a very talented Chamber board and team,” he says. “If we keep challenging ourselves, collaborating and focusing on opportunities instead of problems, there’s no limit to what Duluth can achieve.”
For deGrood, that’s more than just a professional philosophy — it’s a way of living in and loving the city he’s called home since that first internship 17 years ago.
Jim Lundstrom is editor of The Duluthian.
