Justin and Ariela Bakken (Xtra Mile Construction)

Justin and Ariela Bakken are the owners of Xtra Mile Construction, a remodeling company located in Elk River. 

For Justin, the city of Elk River means a lot, so much so that he pauses when asked to describe his childhood, and the effect the city has had on him. 

“It depends on the day that you ask me,” he reveals.

For context, Justin’s uncle was a pastor, and religion played a significant role in his upbringing.

As a child, Justin went to a small Christian school.

“The kids that got kicked out of high school went there, and the kids that couldn’t be homeschooled anymore went there too,” he contextualizes. 

After high school, Justin stayed in Elk River, immediately breaking into entrepreneurship by doing landscaping and other odd jobs for local clients. 

The desire for Justin to have his own enterprise stems from his father, who owned Bakken Building, an entity that had been in existence for 25 years prior to Xtra Mile ever coming to fruition. 

“My dad was also huge into doing humanitarian work,” Justin says, noting how his father volunteered in Haiti, trying to lift up those who were less fortunate. 

“That type of selflessness, that’s in my dad’s DNA,” Justin adds. 

Domestically, Bakken Building also assisted in providing relief during Hurricane Katrina and when floods ravaged Fargo, North Dakota. 

“They [Bakken Building] had over 25 employees, and it was a machine of systems and processes for storm damage and custom home building,” Justin points out.

At Bakken Building, when they worked on homes, the idea was to design and construct properties that were customized, and more importantly, created with elite materials and craftsmanship.

“Going the extra mile was the company slogan because my dad wanted to do everything he could for clients,” says Justin, who today fields calls from past clients of his father’s, and due to the exemplary craftsmanship, new projects require much less time and energy to complete. 

“But it was also about doing outstanding work for ourselves and establishing a level of excellence that would translate into all aspects of life.”

Sadly, the economic downturn of 2008 wiped out Bakken Building, but ingrained in Justin’s mind were valuable lessons that would be implemented when Xtra Mile Construction was born.

To be fair, Justin wasn’t always a remodeling guru. 

In fact, Justin himself admits that once upon a time, he was the least likely candidate to spearhead a viable construction enterprise. 

“I was the worst when it came to manual labor,” he recalls with that same laugh that has endeared him to so many clients in the northwest suburbs, and beyond.  

“Like many guys in their late teens, I had no motivation. I just wanted to hang out. I was also not your traditional construction worker because I wasn’t very big.”

Additionally, he struggled to immerse himself in the construction culture.

“I hated the smell of tobacco,” he mentions. 

“I never really wanted to be a part of the family business.”

Over time though, things changed.

Justin matured, and he started to see construction not just as menial labor, but as an opportunity to impact families and create something that could last for generations. 

In 2013, he married Ariela and traveled to Guatemala to, like his father, build homes for disadvantaged people. 

“I loved going down there and helping people,” Justin says.

“It got to the point where I would save up $20,000 and then spend it all to go back to Guatemala and build homes down there.”

By 2016, Justin was ready to make construction remodeling not just a passion, but a full-fledged vocation. 

Justin’s father was ready to take a step back at Xtra Mile (which had opened post-recession), thrusting Justin into a leadership role that would require not only passion, but also force him to learn how to run a profitable business. 

Fast-forward nearly a decade, and Xtra Mile has not only survived, but they have become a premier remodeling company in the Twin Cities.

It is at this point in the conversation that Ariela enters the room, hurried after just having gone the extra mile for one of their clients.

“What makes your company unique?” I ask, already somewhat knowing the answer, but perhaps there is something I have missed.

Ariela then talks about the company’s goal to continue serving clients at a high level, while simultaneously taking care of their employees.

The enterprising couple is also grateful to be able to return to Guatemala every year and continue to build housing for those in need.

“Looking back on all these years as business owners, it’s been a huge learning experience for both of us,” Ariela admits. 

“Growing a company is fun, but it is extremely difficult.”

Says Justin:

“It’s actually easier to build in Guatemala because you get down there and just go to work. Here, there are a lot of things to manage, like pulling permits, building codes, and other miscellaneous red tape.”

In that sense, building in the United States is more controlled, but that’s not necessarily a negative.

“There are just more details to be considered up here,” Ariela says. 

“For example, every change order has to be signed off by the client to ensure that it is what they want, and that it is within their budget.”

Change orders in Guatemala are up to the discretion of Justin and Ariela, but those builds are subsidized by their own money.

In Minnesota, the construction process is funded by clients, which obviously makes things like change orders necessary.

Yet, regardless of where the capital is sourced from, one element remains consistent, and that is that whoever is on the receiving end of a remodel is equally excited and stressed about the massive change their home is undergoing. 

“In some cases, homeowners have saved 20-30 years for their remodel,” Justin notes. 

“I’ve always thought it is wild how in a manner of three months, all that savings will be applied toward a remodel, but that also speaks to how important the work we do is, and how crucial it is for us to build and maintain trust with our clients at every step of the process.”

In 2026 and beyond, Xtra Mile is aiming to expand their reach and enhance the lives of more clients.

That goal is shared by almost every construction company in the Twin Cities, but Justin and Ariela know that to achieve that vision will require massive action. 

“We want to create something that operates with the least amount of input from us, but that’s only going to happen with great systems and leadership in place,” Ariela acknowledges, and if their growth model is successful, going the extra mile will soon reverberate across the entire company. 

“With expansion, that opens up opportunities for other people here to achieve their goals,” she adds.

For Justin, beyond the strategic decisions he and Ariela will have to make, his efforts will be centered around supplying the same peace and joy his clients have become accustomed to experiencing.

“Make no mistake, remodeling a home is a huge ordeal, but when I do my job effectively, I can ease the anxiety that inevitably will settle in,” Justin says. 

“But what I keep coming back to is trying to figure out how to experience the most I can out of this life, and then also use this business to do the same for other people. It’s a hard concept to tackle, but we’re blessed to go on this journey and try to make it happen.” QS

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