Minnesota Rusco files Chapter 7; owes up to $500M after abrupt closure
Minnesota Rusco, a 70‑year‑old New Hope–based home‑improvement company owned by Renovo Home Partners, abruptly ceased operations Oct. 29 and has filed for Chapter 7 liquidation, listing $100–$500 million in liabilities against $1–$10 million in assets and naming utilities, suppliers and numerous local contractors among its creditors. The sudden shutdown left employees blindsided with only a few days of health coverage and customers with large unpaid deposits (individual losses reported from the low thousands up to at least $48,000); the Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry says affected homeowners can pursue the Contractor Recovery Fund only after obtaining a court judgment and the attorney general is urging consumers to file complaints and dispute charges.
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📌 Key Facts
- Minnesota Rusco, a New Hope-based home improvement company founded in 1955, abruptly ceased operations after an Oct. 29 shutdown notice and posted a website statement confirming it has stopped all operations.
- Parent company Renovo Home Partners and six Renovo-owned companies also closed; employees say they were blindsided by the shutdown and received only three days of health insurance.
- Minnesota Rusco filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy (liquidation) in early November 2025; bankruptcy schedules estimate liabilities between $100 million and $500 million and assets between $1 million and $10 million.
- Listed creditors include Xcel Energy, Thomson Reuters, Marvin Windows, the City of South St. Paul, law firm Fredrikson & Byron, and dozens of local contractors.
- Multiple customers report unpaid work and prepaid deposits: a customer (Jeremy Frahm) says he prepaid $48,000 and the crew did not show; small-claims filings show a Lino Lakes customer paid $15,894 on Oct. 16, 2025 for work never performed and a New Hope customer paid $10,033.50 for an unfinished shower remodel.
- Minnesota Rusco’s Facebook and LinkedIn profiles have been taken down and the company has been unreachable to many customers.
- The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) confirmed Rusco was DLI-licensed, says it has received complaints from roughly 25–30 homeowners, and advised that consumers must first sue Rusco and obtain a court judgment to make a claim on the Contractor Recovery Fund; the fund limits are up to $550,000 total per licensed contractor and up to $100,000 per consumer.
- Attorney General Keith Ellison urged affected consumers to file complaints and dispute credit-card charges; both the AG’s office and DLI have provided contact and complaint-submission channels for impacted homeowners.
📰 Sources (5)
Minnesota Rusco files for bankruptcy after abrupt closure
New information:
- Minnesota Rusco has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, signaling liquidation.
- Bankruptcy schedules estimate liabilities between $100 million and $500 million and assets between $1 million and $10 million.
- Listed creditors include Xcel Energy, Thomson Reuters, Marvin Windows, the City of South St. Paul, Fredrikson & Byron, and dozens of local contractors.
- New small-claims filings detail individual losses: a Lino Lakes customer paid $15,894 on Oct. 16, 2025 for work never performed; a New Hope customer paid $10,033.50 for an unfinished shower remodel.
- Report notes six Renovo-owned companies have closed and employees received only three days of health insurance after the Oct. 29 shutdown notice.
Rusco employees 'blindsided' by sudden closure after 70 years in business
New information:
- Parent company Renovo Home Partners filed for bankruptcy Wednesday morning, according to employees notified at 8 a.m.
- Minnesota Rusco posted an official website statement confirming it has ceased all operations.
- Former employees say they had no advance notice and received only three days of health insurance.
- Attorney General Keith Ellison urged affected consumers to file complaints and dispute credit‑card charges; AG office provided phone contacts for assistance.
Minnesota Rusco fallout: What can current customers do?
New information:
- DLI says customers must first sue Minnesota Rusco and obtain a court judgment to claim from the Contractor Recovery Fund.
- Contractor Recovery Fund limits: up to $550,000 total per licensed contractor and up to $100,000 per consumer.
- DLI reports hearing from approximately 25–30 homeowners affected by the closure.
- Minnesota Rusco is confirmed as DLI-licensed, making affected homeowners potentially eligible for fund reimbursement.
- DLI provided contact and complaint submission channels for impacted consumers.
Minnesota Rusco, a 70-year-old home improvement company, appears to have closed
New information:
- Customer Jeremy Frahm says he prepaid $48,000 for window installation; crew did not show on Wednesday and the company is unreachable.
- Minnesota Rusco’s Facebook and LinkedIn profiles have been taken down.
- No bankruptcy filings or WARN/layoff notices were available as of Wednesday.
- A LinkedIn post by former Reborn Cabinets head Vince Nardo states Renovo Home Partners, Minnesota Rusco, Reborn Cabinets and two other companies have closed.
- Minnesota Rusco is based in New Hope and has operated since 1955.