Corporate Leadership Excellence: Chris and Marna Bame, Ascentek
For Chris and Marna Bame, the purposes of their business and their Bame Foundation are synonymous: to make tomorrow a little bit better than today.
The Bames are owners of Golden Valley-based Ascentek, which includes the Lube-Tech, Reliable Plus, and Nth Gear brands. The business generated $555 million in revenue in 2024, according to the company’s annual report.
The Bames, who have been married for 36 years, are committed to doing right by their customers and employees.
They also have deep commitments to share their business success through philanthropic giving.
“Our parents always taught us, to whom much is given, much is expected,” Chris says. “We feel strongly that we’ve been given a lot to steward and help others.”
Ascentek employs about 800 people, and in many instances more than one family member works for the company. Two of the Bames’ four children are involved in the business, and they’re also participants in identifying priority projects for philanthropic grants and donations. “We get more than we can give back,” Marna says.
In 2024, the Bame Foundation made grants to about 160 nonprofits in the areas of health and wellness, conservation, education, and everyday heroes. That last category includes giving hero boxes to armed services members as well as first responders.
Beyond making grants, the Bames also help raise money for important causes. This summer, Marna says, was the 22nd year in which they raised money for children’s cancer research through a golf tournament. “We can see how much we’ve impacted them over the years,” Marna says.
The 2025 tournament was held at the Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake, and it attracted 288 golfers. Proceeds from the 2025 event were $470,000, and the golf tourney has raised more than $5.1 million over the life of the tournament. Beyond the golfers who turned out, 50 to 60 other people showed up, and the fundraiser took on a feel of families coming together for a common cause.
The Bames have made numerous grants to improve people’s physical and mental well-being; they’ve supported water and wetlands conservation projects and expanding access to high-quality education. They also do fun events, including the annual Ride for Hope motorcycle run that raises money for the Autism Society of Minnesota, Marna says.
The Bame Foundation is a private foundation, and it makes grants to nonprofit organizations. This year, the Bames established The Better Tomorrow Foundation, which is a public foundation that is being administered by Marissa (Bame) Schermer, who is the company’s community and well-being manager.
To maintain the tax status of a public foundation, a portion of revenue will need to come from “the public,” meaning sources outside of the Bame family or its entities, Chris says. “A public foundation can do things a private foundation can’t,” Chris says, emphasizing that The Better Tomorrow Foundation can directly assist an individual or a family.
For example, he says, it could help “somebody recover from a home getting flooded out.” He anticipates that some of Ascentek’s customers and vendors will contribute to the public foundation.
Chad Baker, Ascentek’s president and CEO, says he’s seen Chris and Marna Bame model behavior that encourages people to volunteer, treat others with kindness and respect, and make charitable donations. “The way they’ve done it, they’ve just welcomed us into this mindset of giving back. They don’t force it,” Baker says.
