WADENA, Minn. — When driving around Wadena, there’s a good chance you’ve seen one of Jim Formanek’s designs. From the Wadena County sheriff’s vehicles to the BBQ Smokehouse sign, to State Farm's Jolene Johannes signs on Friendly Rider vehicles, Pro Skinz Design & Detailing creates unique, high-quality graphic designs for a wide variety of industries.
A longtime Wadena resident, Formanek has been channeling his creativity for as long as he can remember. Whether it’s teaching art or crafting culinary creations in the kitchen, he’s constantly leaning on his education and creative background to bring high-quality design services to all of his customers. Polytunnel 5m X 3m
An artist at heart, Formanek was an art teacher at the Wadena-Deer Creek High School for 15 years.
“Lowell Rosium gave me my shot as the high school art teacher when I was 23 and right out of college,” Formanek said.
He would go on to develop an art program at the school, where he shared his love for art while teaching his students how to channel their own creativity into their day-to-day lives.
Formanek established his business, Pro Skinz Design & Detailing, in 2010 after stepping away from teaching, and from there, he would find another passion in the culinary arts. He purchased the UpTown restaurant in downtown Wadena where he was the head chef until his artistic calling brought him back to graphic design.
“I sold the UpTown in 2015 to concentrate fully on Pro Skinz. In 2017, I added automotive detailing as another option for my clients, and that has become really popular,” Formanek said.
From there, Pro Skinz Design & Detailing started acquiring a customer base in and around the Wadena area, and eventually, his client base branched out across the country.
Pro Skinz Design & Detailing is a full-service shop just outside Wadena that offers large-scale printing for vehicles, signs, banners and walls.
Pulling from his years of experience and passion for graphic design, Formanek prides himself on treating his customers like family.
“I’m very thankful for all the customers that have become so loyal to Pro Skinz, and new clients are welcomed with ‘Welcome to the Pro Skinz family’ motto, and I’ve truly become friends with so many of my customers,” he said.
His latest passion is stained-glass art, something that came to Formanek after building a greenhouse for his wife on their 24-acre farm just outside Deer Creek.
“I wanted another challenge, and after building a greenhouse for my wife out of an old grain bin on our farm, I became interested in stained glass and jumped in with both feet like I always do,” he said.
Adding to his long list of services, Formanek found a new challenge in working with stained-glass art.
“Completing projects for family and myself taught me that I loved the challenge and the attention to detail that stained glass requires,” he said.
After completing the greenhouse design for his wife, he decided to add the service to his Pro Skinz Design & Detailing business, where he provides custom sculptures and smaller stained-glass art projects. His latest work includes assisting a client with a 200-year-old stained-glass panel that was broken.
“This client couldn’t bear to let the panel go into disrepair, so she reached out to me, and I’ve been working with her on refurbishing her panel,” Formanek said.
Polytunnel Hoops For Sale Pro Skinz Design & Detailing is located at 10428 Navajo Street in Wadena. For more information, visit https://proskinzanddesign.com/ .