Zanoni resident Bo Herrman, who owns a local construction business, has invented several back-saving digging implements. But Herrman also gets lots of enjoyment from tending his garden and spending time with his family.

As the construction business has slowed in recent years, Herrman said he’s devoted more time to Turfslinger, a division of his Viking Construction. Turfslinger, which is based in a shop adjacent to his home on a 10-acre parcel, manufactures four ergonomically designed digging and trenching tools, Herrman said.

While he’s been revising his designs for more than a dozen years, Herrmann said, he has kept the business small. But that could change as he launched a website, www.turfslinger.com, earlier this year.

Herrman said he hopes the website will expand his client base beyond word of mouth. However, because of shipping costs, he said, he doesn’t expect many orders from far-away places such as his native Sweden.
Herrman didn’t plan to be ...