Carl and Eloise married in 1947 after a short courtship.  Both grew up in hard working Catholic families that played a central role in their interest in caring for the poor and serving others.  Among his many jobs, Carl delivered the laundry his mother did for wealthy families and swept floors at a local bank. Despite his success, Carl was regarded as a "regular guy." He treated people from all walks of life with respect, retaining a soft spot for the little guy, and never forgetting his humble beginnings.

Carl Pohlad was a born entrepreneur. Throughout his life he combined a strong intuition, keen understanding of people, intense work ethic and abundant patience to become one of Minnesota's most successful business owners. He was revered by his employees and respected by business colleagues around the country.

The Pohlad businesses encompass banking, financial services, beverage, entertainment, real estate and automotive industries, as well as ownership of the Minnesota Twins. His private companies employ 3,000 people across 33 states. They include: Marquette Financial Companies; Marquette Real Estate Group/United Properties/NorthMarq Real Estate Services/NorthMarq Capital/RJM Construction; River Road Entertainment; Twin Cities Automotive/Twin Cities BMW of Minnetonka/Coon Rapids Chrysler Jeep; Northern Lights Broadcasting/KTTB-FM (B96)/KRBI-AM; JB Hudson Jewelers; Marquette Technology Companies/Inetium/Arcadia Solutions/Avtex (all IT consulting companies); Acclaim Benefits; and the recently sold Stanton Group. The foundation Carl established with his family has given more than $100 million to the community.

Eloise passed away in 2003 and Carl followed in 2009.