Heinrich Muller opens KOTA Manufacturing at Timber Lake

KOTA Manufacturing is a new business two and a half miles west of Timber Lake, which is owned and operated by Heinrich Muller. 

KOTA offers welding, machining, and repair work. “I can build things, do aluminum welding- whatever people need,” he said. 

Muller grew up surrounded by welding. He learned how to weld at HTS Middelburg, a Afrikaans medium co-educational technical high school in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. He graduated from this school in 2000. He  taught himself machining. 

“I’m kind of stubborn,” he said, “I’ll work until I figure it out.” 

Muller has been in South Dakota for 19 years; over 15 of those have been spent in Timber Lake. He came to the United States from South Africa for work and spent some time in Kansas before settling in South Dakota. He has worked for many ranchers and also worked at Premier Equipment in Isabel.  

KOTA has been open for one month and “the first month has been better than expected,” he said.  

KOTA’s hours are 8-6 Monday through Friday and 8-12 on Saturdays. Muller can be reached at (605) 850-9610. 

Muller is “excited to be a part of the community” and to contribute with KOTA; he is hoping to maybe collaborate with the school in the future, as he believes in the importance of trades like his and that kids continue to learn them.