Built Different. Built to Last. We Are the Film Professionals.
Inside Sun Control of Minnesota. Keep Shining Light.
Built to Last: The People, The Purpose, and The Vision Behind Sun Control of Minnesota
By Karissa Dunham
Some companies sell a product. Sun Control of Minnesota builds a legacy.
I say that not because it sounds good on paper, but because I have watched it happen from the inside. I have seen what it looks like when a leader has a clear vision and the discipline to build toward it every single day. And I have seen what it looks like when an entire team, from production to installation to sales to design, buys into something bigger than a paycheck.
That is what we have here. And I want to tell you about it.
The Vision Behind It All
Randy Jensen did not build Sun Control of Minnesota by accident. He built it with intention. Randy’s vision was always bigger than window film. It was about creating a company where craftsmanship mattered, where clients were treated like partners, and where every person on the team had a role that meant something.
From our locations across Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Florida, Randy has grown Sun Control into one of the most respected names in the industry, not just regionally but nationally. Sun Control holds some of the most prestigious honors in the industry including the 3M National Dealer of the Year, multi time 3M Regional Dealer of the Year, multi year 3M Marketer of the Year, Xpel Paint Protection Minnesota Dealer of the Year, and multi time Xpel US Architectural Film Dealer of the Year. Awards earned, not given.
But what matters most to Randy has never been the trophies. It has been the standard behind them. He leads that way every single day, and it filters through every layer of what we do.
Sun Control is not a one product company. We offer a full suite of solutions including window film, safety and security film, wall graphics, vehicle graphics, architectural films, bird safety film, switchable films, Defense Lite, Bullet Shield, paint protection film, custom ideas and stickers, hand off sign faces, and installations on polycarbonate and cam boards. From protecting people and property to elevating a brand visually, we do it all under one roof from production to installation.
Learn more about what we do at suncontrolmn.com.
The Team That Makes It Real
What sets Sun Control apart is not just our products. It is our people.
Our production team handles the precision work that most clients never see but always feel in the final result. Our installation crews show up ready, professional, and skilled in ways that come from years of real experience, not shortcuts. Our sales team leads with education and relationship first, because we know that a client who understands what they are getting is a client for life. Our design and social team brings the brand to life visually and tells our story in a way that connects with real people in real communities.
Every single department matters. Every single person plays a role. That is not something you can fake and it is not something you can buy. It is something you build over time with the right leadership and the right culture.
Business Development the Sun Control Way
Business development at Sun Control of Minnesota has evolved in ways I could not have imagined when I started. What began as one on one client meetings has grown into something much bigger and much more dynamic.
Today, business development looks like lunch and learns with construction firms, property managers, and corporate teams where we walk decision makers through exactly what our products can do and why it matters for their buildings and their bottom line. It looks like standing in front of large groups, presenting with confidence, and representing a brand that has earned its reputation.
It looks like launching new locations and planting our flag in new markets. It looks like expos where we bring the Sun Control experience to life in real time, like our Swing On By Sun Control Expo, where we brought together vendors, a golf simulator, live conversations, and real community under one roof. It looks like networking events, business council meetings, trade expos, and rooms full of people who become partners, referral sources, and long term clients.
Business development also means being on stage, being on, being present, and being ready. It means executing at a high level whether you are presenting to a boardroom of executives, emceeing an event, or working a room at a trade show. There is no off switch. You are always representing something bigger than yourself, and I take that seriously every single time.
Every single touchpoint is an opportunity to tell our story. And the story is always the same. We are a company built on craftsmanship, relationships, and a commitment to doing things right from production all the way through installation. When I walk into a room to represent Sun Control, I am not just selling window film. I am representing Randy’s vision, our team’s work, and a standard that we hold ourselves to every single day.
Business development at Sun Control is not a department. It is a culture.
Wherever You Are, We Are There
One of the things that separates Sun Control of Minnesota from the competition is simple. We show up.
We travel nationwide. Some weeks that means crossing multiple state lines in a single week. From Vero Beach, Florida to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and everywhere in between, no job is too far, too big, or too small. That kind of reach does not happen by accident. It is the direct result of Randy Jensen’s belief in being omnipresent. In showing up in every market, for every client, at every opportunity, with the same level of energy and excellence every single time.
Randy built this company on principles that I have watched him live out every day. Prompt. Courteous. Professional. Trustworthy. Kind. Loyal. Helpful. And always leaving a place better than how you found it. Those are not words on a wall in our office. They are the standard. They are the expectation. And they are the reason clients come back and send their friends, their colleagues, and their contractors our way.
No job is too big. No job is too small. From a single residential window to a large scale commercial project spanning multiple buildings, every client gets the same care, precision, and commitment to doing it right. That is the Sun Control way and it has been from day one.
We are the film professionals. Full stop.
Golf, Business, and the Fairway in Between
If you know me, you know golf is not just a hobby. It is woven into everything I do personally and professionally.
As Vice President of the Minnesota chapter of Ladies Executive Golf Society, LEGS Minneapolis, I get to combine two of my greatest passions. Building community and growing the game. LEGS exists to bring women together on the golf course, to create connections that go beyond the boardroom and into something more real, more human, and more lasting. Getting women out onto the course, whether they are seasoned players or picking up a club for the first time, is something I pour real energy into because I know what the game can do for a person’s confidence, their network, and their business. Our events are hosted at TPC Twin Cities, one of the most beautiful and iconic courses in Minnesota, which makes every gathering that much more special. Learn more and join us at ladiesexecutivegolfsociety.com/minneapolis.
Golf has also become a powerful tool in business development. I help coordinate and execute golf tournaments, charity golf classics, and golf themed promotions that bring clients, partners, and community members together in a setting where real relationships are built. The 18th hole has closed more doors and opened more conversations than any conference room ever could.
This year I am also proud to be helping put on the Blaine Police Federation Charity Golf Classic, a tournament that supports our local law enforcement community and brings people together for a great cause. If you want to get involved, register, or learn more you can visit birdease.com/BlainePDFederationGolf.
When Sun Control sponsors a golf event or activates a promotion around the game, it is not just marketing. It is relationship building at its best. And for me personally, TPC Twin Cities is my happy place. It is where I recharge, refocus, and remember why I do all of this.
Golf taught me pace of play, patience, preparation, and presence. Those same skills show up in every presentation I give, every event I run, and every client relationship I build. The course and the boardroom have more in common than people think.
Shining Light on Minnesota
Beyond my work at Sun Control, I am also the host of Shining Light on Minnesota, a podcast dedicated to spotlighting the incredible people, businesses, and stories that make Minnesota shine. Every episode is a conversation worth having. From entrepreneurs and executives to community leaders and difference makers, the show exists to amplify voices that inspire and connect.
If you have not tuned in yet, I would love for you to join us. You can find Shining Light on Minnesota on Spotify and on YouTube. Subscribe, share, and keep shining light on the people and stories that matter.
Recognition That Reflects Our People
I am honored and humbled to share that I was recently named the 2025 Finance and Commerce Unsung Hero for Top Women in Construction. This recognition means everything to me, not because of what it says about me individually, but because of what it represents for every woman working hard and showing up every day in industries that have not always made space for us.
I did not get here alone. I got here because of a team that believed in the work, a leader in Randy Jensen who set the standard high and never lowered it, and a community of clients, partners, and colleagues who trusted me enough to let me show up for them.
This award belongs to all of us.
Showing Up for All of It
People sometimes ask me how I do it all. The honest answer is that I just do, because the people counting on me deserve nothing less.
Being a mom and a girlfriend means that no matter how many states I cross in a week, no matter how many stages I stand on or events I execute, there is always something more important waiting for me at home. That does not slow me down. It fuels me. It reminds me every single day why the standard I hold myself to has to be high, why I cannot afford to phone it in, and why building something meaningful with my whole heart is the only way I know how to operate.
My kids watch me work. They watch me lead. They watch me fall short sometimes and get back up. I want them to see what it looks like to go after something with everything you have and never stop believing in what you are building.
That is the example I am trying to set. On the course, in the office, on stage, and at home.
My Parents, My Foundation
I cannot talk about what drives me without talking about the two people who shaped everything I am.
My father was a sergeant in the United States Army and a professional baseball player. A man of service, discipline, and presence. You always knew when he walked into a room. His demeanor, his voice, his laugh. He commanded attention without ever asking for it. He passed away three years ago and not a day goes by that I do not feel his presence in the way I show up for my work, my team, and my community. He taught me that you earn respect by working for it. That integrity is not situational. That the people who matter most are the ones who show up when it counts.
And then there is my mom. If my dad taught me discipline and service, my mom taught me grace. She has faced more than her share of health challenges and life hardships, the kind that would break most people. And yet she shows up every single day with a smile, a kind word, and a heart that has room for absolutely everyone. She is one of the hardest working people I have ever known and one of the most genuinely positive. Not the performative kind of positive. The real kind. The kind that comes from choosing joy even when life gives you every reason not to.
Watching my mom navigate the hard stuff with that level of grace and gratitude has shaped how I lead, how I love, and how I show up in the world. On the days when the schedule is overwhelming, the travel is relentless, and the to do list never ends, I think about both of them. And I keep going.
Randy Jensen’s vision and my parents’ values live in the same place for me. They all believed in building something that lasts. Something you can be proud of. Something that serves others and leaves things better than you found them.
That is why I do this work. And that is why I am proud to do it at Sun Control of Minnesota.
Keep SHINING LIGHT ☀️
Karissa Dunham
Sales and Business Development, Sun Control of Minnesota
2025 Finance and Commerce Unsung Hero, Top Women in Construction
Host, Shining Light on Minnesota | VP, LEGS Minneapolis
karissa@suncontrolmn.com
