From one shared workshop to a shared repair library

How Northstar grew, in the order it happened

In 1998 a handful of people shared a bench, some borrowed tools and a paper ledger. Each milestone below is a small choice that still shapes how we work.

Fictional history: the dates and events are sample content. Replace them with your verified milestones and note who approved them.

Milestones

  1. A paper ledger opens the workshop

    A handwritten ledger records which tool left the bench and where it came back, so the next person always knew.

  2. Northstar Supply begins

    Repairs keep stalling on missing parts, so a small team starts sourcing replacements directly.

  3. A second workshop opens and the names stop matching

    Two sites call the same clamp set by different names. A shared naming card gives each item one stable name and keeps local nicknames as aliases.

  4. Northstar Learning launches

    Colleagues begin teaching maintenance planning to customers' teams.

  5. One service desk for all three businesses

    Customers get a single starting point instead of choosing between businesses.

  6. The shared repair library begins

    Each entry pairs a photo with what the repairer noticed, what they changed and what the next person should check.

  7. Six locations, 3,200 colleagues

    Example figures for the fictional Northstar. Replace with your own.