The company was founded in 1888 by George D. Munsing, who invented a method of plating wool fibers with silk and cotton to make the union suit more comfortable.

The company received financial backing from Clinton Morrison and Charles Alfred Pillsbury, who were prominent businessmen in the Minneapolis flour milling industry.

[2][3] The company built five brick and concrete buildings between 1904 and 1915, eventually creating a complex covering 650,000 square feet (60,000 m2) and employing up to 2000 workers.

Turner used concrete columns shaped like a mushroom on top, and he eventually patented this process, which was widely used.

The renovation included a five-story atrium created by roofing over an old courtyard where rail tracks once served the complex.