Derek Tonn, current President and Co-Owner, launched Tonn Consulting as the result of booking a handful of freelance graphic design contracts. Tonn Consulting developed maps and floor diagrams from 1992 to 2000, for clients such as Taco John’s and Architrave Design & Remodeling. As the demand for mapping services steadily grew, Derek decided to promote design cartography services to collegiate conference and events offices.

Tonn Consulting transitioned to tonnhaus design and strategically targeted collegiate clientele. Peter Tonn, David Burley, and Tom Pankratz were added to the team and soon the firm expanded to new industries and new geographic regions.

tonnhaus design relocated from Saint Paul to Springfield, Minnesota, and the team continued to grow. Over the years, Becky Tonn, Paul Currie, and Michael Karpovage joined the team. We also launched an innovative print mapping service, combining the printing of campus maps with a great deal of additional information about an institution into one attractive and convenient package.

tonnhaus design made the largest transaction in our firm’s history, acquiring North Illustrations and adding Bob North‘s hand-rendered map illustration style to our offerings. We also inherited approximately 65 new collegiate clients as a part of the acquisition, making us one of the largest custom cartography firms in North America. And on June 12, 2006, mapformation, LLC was officially born, creating thousands of map illustrations for hundreds of clients.