Progress business

PRogREss ALBERT LEA TRiBunE

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CommuniTy PAssion

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FEBRuARy 28, 2016

Business & Health

Helping others see area native returns to work at clinic Photos by Colleen Harrison Story by Dustin Petersen

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fter moving away to attend college, an Alden native has returned to the area to work as an optometrist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea. Scott Martinson graduated from Alden-Conger High School in 2005. After earning his degree at Pacific University College in See DOCTOR Page 2

What’s inside this section:

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4

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Reviving a pioneer business

A love of Albert Lea

A new home

Albert Lea Monument has a local legacy that goes back for 139 years.

Former City Council member and ALEDA board member has a passion for the community.

Hy-Vee’s store director says Albert Lea is the ‘friendliest community’ he has ever lived in.

Page 2 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2016 | Business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 28, 2016

Doctor Continued from Front Page

ALBert LeA, mInnesotA

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Forest Grove, oregon, he began his position at Mayo clinic Health System in Albert Lea in october 2015.

“It was a great opportunity career-wise for me,” said Martinson about returning to the area. “the added benefit to that is being from here, I still have a lot of family in the area. that was on, a personal level, a big draw for me.” on a typical workday, Martinson arrives at around 7:30 a.m. and reviews the charts of his patients — currently around 10 to 14 per day. His appointments are a mixture of comprehensive exams — in which he assesses the overall eye health of the patient and whether to prescribe corrective lenses — contact lens exams and yearly exams for diabetes and managing ocular diseases such as glaucoma or macular degeneration. Some patients are walk-ins, with concerns ranging from eye infections to objects in the eye.

“It’s usually a pretty good variety that we see,” Martinson said.

While Martinson may initiate primary treatment for some eye conditions, he considers himself a gatekeeper for overall health in the eye realm, referring patients to an applicable specialist when extensive treatment — such as surgery — is required.

Although he ultimately chose a career path as an optometrist, Martinson originally planned to major in education, hoping for a career as a high school science teacher. He gradually came to the realization that he was more drawn both personally and professionally to something in the health care field. optometry afforded him the opportunity to stay within a

Martinson received his doctor of optometry degree from Pacific University College of Optometry in Forest Grove, Oregon. colleen HArrison/Albert leA tribune science-related field while helping people out in a direct, one-on-one setting instead of an entire classroom at once.

“I didn’t have one of those ‘Aha!’ moments,” said Martinson, about his transition to optometry. “It wasn’t anything like that for me.”

Because at the time there were only about 20 optometry schools in the United States — none of which were in Minnesota — Martinson had to look at out-ofstate options, the nearest of which was in chicago. Given the distance, he didn’t think he’d make it home from chicago any more frequently than from anywhere else.

He chose Pacific University college because, “PUc was the school I thought would be the best fit for me — an adventure going to a different place in the country I hadn’t really been before.” outside of his profession, Martinson has also been involved in the community through both church and other organizations. He recently joined the Lions club, an organization that has historically been involved in eye care. the club’s activities have included collecting old eyeglasses for

Why does he live here?

“It was a great opportunity career-wise for me. The added benefit to that is being from here, I still have a lot of family in the area.

That was, on a personal level, a big draw for me.”

— Scott Martinson

distribution on mission trips and supporting the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank in St. Paul.

In his leisure time, Martinson also is a sports enthusiast, both as a spectator and participant. His interests there lie in “pretty much anything,” but mostly football and basketball. He still tries to make time for pickup basketball games. of the meaningful moments of his career, Martinson counted when patients with limited potential for visual improvement appreciate him spending time with them to maximize what vision they do have, and they get excited to see improvement.

“When you get people who are appreciative like that, it brings things back into perspective a bit,” he

By the numbers www.growalbertlea.com For more information on how to start or expand your business in Albert Lea-Freeborn County, contact our office at 507-373-3930.

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20/15 Rating of Martinson’s vision, meaning he can see at 20 feet what most people are able to see at 15 feet

1,792 Miles between Alden and Forest Grove, Oregon

27 Hours it takes to drive from Alden to Forest Grove, barring breakdowns

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The Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce's mission is to "Promote and develop a healthy and positive business climate to improve the quality of life in the Albert Lea-Freeborn County area."

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• Fountain Lake Powerboat Drags • Land Between the Lakes Canoe Tri • April Sorensen Memorial Half Marathon • Albert Lea Floats Celebration • Big Island Rendezvous • Bayside Ski Shows • Holiday Bazaar on Broadway

The Chamber of Commerce is the one organization that merges all phases of our local economy from the smallest employer to the largest. Always striving to enhance the business environment, we work with local and state government to create a climate conducive to growth.

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Sunday, February 28, 2016 | Business & health | ProgreSS 2016 | albertleatribune.com | Page 3

Albert Lea Marble and Granite Works was a local business for about 62 years near the corner of West Clark Street and what’s now South Washington Avenue. Photo courteSy Albert Lea Monument is at the corner of Marshall and Ramsey streets in the city’s north side business district. colleen harriSon/albert lea tribune Freeborn county hiStorical muSeum

He’s reviving a pioneer business in Albert Lea By ed shannon

news@albertleatribune.com

In June 2015 Blane Maher had an interesting challenge when he opened a new business on the city’s north side. In reality, this supposedly new business with the name of Albert Lea Monument has a local legacy that goes back for 139 years.

The history of this business involves three generations of two unrelated families. As a result of some research from the library at the Freeborn County Historical Museum, plus other sources, Maher can now provide the following information: “In 1877 our founder M. (Maurice) Bessinger, opened Albert Lea Marble and Granite Works. Shortly after, he opened Blue Earth City Marble and Granite.

Over time, he passed the company down to his sons Frank and William. Frank ran the Albert Lea location while William ran the Blue Earth location. Frank and William both retired in 1939.

Frank closed the Albert Lea location and William passed Blue Earth Monument to his son, Everett. It was Everett who trained my grandfather Harlan Schmitgen in the

Blane Maher, executive director of Albert Lea Monument, served in the U.S. Air Force from 2008 to 2012. During those years he was stationed in the U.S., plus overseas in Djoubti, Africa; Afghanistan and the Philippines. Provided

Blane Maher is the executive director of Albert Lea Monument. His parents Mark and Lori Maher own the business. colleen harriSon/albert lea tribune monument trade. My parents now own and run Blue Earth Monument. After serving four years in the military and returning from war, my parents asked me to join the family business. In June of 2015 we reopened a location in Albert Lea,

naming it Albert Lea Monument,” (Note: Blue Earth City is the original name of the Faribault County community.)

“Things are going well here in Albert Lea,” Maher said. “It’s now a challenge to get our name out and let folks

know what we have to offer.”

In a previous Tribune article, he commented about this community, saying he loved the history of the city, the lakes and the people.

Maher has lived in Northwood since July 2015 and enjoys life in this “quiet and

friendly community.”

Albert Lea Monument, on the city’s north side, specializes in gravestones and monuments to be used as permanent mementoes for the deceased.

He said the granite and stones originate at quarries near St. Cloud; Wausau, Wisconsin; and South Dakota.

Maher uses a computer to help customers develop the images and information to be engraved on the gravestones and monuments that

will be installed in area cemeteries.

He said most of the actual work on these eternal memorials for the deceased is done in Blue Earth.

This firm has both interior and exterior display areas. To the north of the corner building, which was previously used as a dental office, is a park-like gated area with an American flag and several granite and marble memorial monuments.

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Page 4 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2016 | Business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 28, 2016

area manager: a.l. seemed ‘friendlier’ By the numbers

PAPA murPhy’s leAder sAys he is PleAsed with city

20 Homes Alitz looked at in the area before deciding to buy a home in Albert Lea

By Kelly Wassenberg

kelly.wassenberg@albertleatribune.com

After looking at about 20 different homes in the area, Papa Murphy’s Area Manager Travis Alitz and his family decided to purchase a home in Albert Lea in December.

“We were looking in Austin, and I don’t know, something about Albert Lea just felt more like home,” Alitz said. “Every time we saw a house here in town we just loved the atmosphere.”

Alitz is the area manager for the local Papa Murphy’s location, as well as the locations in Owatonna, Austin and his hometown of Mason City.

“I was one of the first employees he hired from Mason City,” Alitz said of Mike Cooper, the owner of the stores he now manages.

That was 16 years ago.

In the time between then and now, the pair would co-own five Papa Murphy’s locations in Des Moines, which the duo sold about six months ago.

After selling the Des Moines locations, Alitz said Cooper invited him to come to the area to help run these locations. Alitz started by moving his parents to Austin. Alitz and his family then stayed with them during the process of looking for a home of their own in the area.

He said Albert Lea seemed cleaner, friendlier and safer than other communities he and his girlfriend, Jessica Mathews, had scouted for houses.

He has witnessed the friendliness of Albert Leans in both professional and personal ways.

4

Stores currently managed

by Alitz

16 Years Alitz has worked with local Papa Murphy’s store owner Mark Cooper

gas station. He explained that he offered both locations compensation, but the businesses didn’t find it necessary.

“It was all about people helping people, neighbor helping neighbor,” Alitz said.

Ultimately, that was the kind of atmosphere Alitz and Mathews wanted to raise their children in.

Three of their children are Brent Christenson, general manager for the Albert Lea Papa Murphy’s, works closely with Travis Alitz. Kelly wAssenberg/ school-age and have already started classes in Albert Albert leA tribune Lea. Each of the children attend different schools, but Alitz said they all love it and have described their teachers and classmates as nice and friendly.

Alitz and his family are looking forward to settling into their new home and becoming more active in the community. He also plans to continue to maintain the local franchise’s five-star The local Papa Murphy’s is at 142 Bridge St. in Albert Lea. standard, which is the highest level a store can achieve.

“We’re really excited,” he said about the new chapter in December. Alitz said the told them they had already his family is starting with typical protocol for such a remedied the issue. their move to Albert Lea. According to Alitz, all Travis Alitz is the area manager for four Papa Murphy’s situation would be to load locations in Albert Lea, Owatonna, Austin and Mason City. the ingredients into a truck it took was a couple quick to be kept at another loca- phone calls to a few of the Alitz said the customers customers, and vice versa. tion while the problem was neighborhood businesses.

He also noted the kind- fixed. While he wondered Within minutes they had of the store are friendly, and he enjoys seeing how ness that was displayed how much space he’d have to permission to temporarAlitz said something many of his staff are on a by people after the store’s clear out for everything to fit ily use the coolers at the about Albert Lea felt like first-name basis with their walk-in cooler broke down in his vehicle, his employees nearby liquor store and home.

Why Albert Lea?

Former City Council member, ALEDA board member loves A.L. By sarah stultz

By the numbers

sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com

When Albert Lean Ellen Kehr sees a problem in the community, she takes that problem on as her own.

Whether it has been on the Albert Lea City Council, the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency, The Children’s Center board or merely as a resident, Kehr strives to be involved in the community.

“If I see a challenge that needs to be met, at that point I see it now belongs to me,” she said.

It’s that philosophy that illustrates Kehr’s passion in the community.

A native of Albert Lea, Kehr moved to the metro area when she was 18 to attend school.

She did not return until she was 48 and she and her husband, Randy, moved back in 1996.

“I didn’t really know what I was going to find,” she said. “The city looked a little different, and there were new people.”

She said she wasn’t worried about herself when they moved here, but she was a little worried about her husband, who had never lived in a community this size.

“He found the things that are wonderful about a community this size, and for him they were all new,” she said. “To be able to share Albert Lea with Randy is one of the greatest gifts.”

She said though the city looked different than she remembered, she found many of the same assets were still there.

“At the heart of Albert Lea was still the Albert Lea that I left,” she said.

All of the parks and lakes that she remembered being an important part of her childhood were here, and the city’s residents were still committed to education and its young people.

The city has always been one to value tradition, but at the same time, it dreams for the future, she said.

When she moved back to town she wanted to be involved in the community, so she made conscious decisions to do just that.

Through these activities she formed relationships.

1996 Year Ellen Kehr moved back to Albert Lea after being gone for 30 years

48

Age Kehr was when she moved back to town

2009-2012 Years Kehr spent on the Albert Lea City Council

Ellen Kehr grew up in Albert Lea, moved away and then returned in 1996 with her husband, Randy. The two have been involved in numerous community activities ever since. sArAh stultz/Albert leA tribune She said she went to The Children’s Center, explaining to them her background in early childhood and joined the board.

“If I see a challenge that needs to be met, at that point I see it now belongs to me.”

— ellen Kehr, former albert lea City Council member She also got involved on the board for the Riverland Community College Foundation. She joined the Business and Professional Women’s group in town and at one point belonged to the Lions Club, as well as a book club.

Kehr recently completed two, six-year terms on the Albert Lea Economic Development Agency board, which she described as one of the highlights of her professional career.

Kehr has been the organization lead for the Blue Zones Project in Albert Lea. Here, participants in the Blue Zones Project kicked off the walking moais downtown last May. Kehr worked closely with businesses looking to create healthier environments for their employees.

“It has been a great group of people to work with, and it’s the hardest-working board I’ve ever worked with,” she said. “They are nothing but a champion for those worksites and businesses.”

She said her time on the ALEDA board and the Albert Lea City Council were some of the most important things she has taken part in.

In 2009 she was on the City Council when the AARP/Blue Zones Vitality

Project came to town.

“It felt right to us,” she said. “I just immediately felt, ‘Oh my gosh. Here is something that’s going to stay — not a program that comes and goes.’ It made so much sense to me.”

The Vitality Project was the beginning of a new passion for Kehr: community wellness.

The project aims to improve the well-being of communities by optimizing physical surroundings, policy and social connections.

After that, she oversaw the Statewide Health Improvement Program in Freeborn County from 2010 to 2012, before getting involved first-hand with the Blue Zones Project in Mason City.

When the Blue Zones Project returned to Albert Lea in 2014, she was hired to help continue many of the same initiatives that started in 2009 and works to this day to continue the efforts.

She said it is something she is proud to be a part of and that people from all over the country call to inquire how they can launch a similar project in their own communities.

Whatever it is she is involved in, she said she doesn’t like to make a commitment to be a part of something unless she is passionate about it and can give 100 percent.

She learned to be involved in her community from her parents, neighbors and teachers who were on boards and belonged to service clubs.

She said many in Albert Lea set the same good examples to the youth in the community, but it is up to each person to make the choice to be involved and to try to make a difference.

Sunday, February 28, 2016 | Business & health | ProgreSS 2016 | albertleatribune.com | Page 5

Peter Streit is the store director at Hy-Vee in Albert Lea. colleen HarriSon/albert lea tribune

Store director says Albert Lea is ‘friendlist’ place he has lived

By Colleen harrison

colleen.harrison@albertleatribune.com

One Albert Lea transplant has worked for the same company for nearly three decades.

Peter Streit has been the store director at Hy-Vee in Albert Lea, 2708 Bridge Ave., since March 2015. He came to the area from Le Mars, Iowa, where he was the store director for that Hy-Vee location, as well.

Streit said he jumped at the chance to be the store director of the Albert Lea location after the previous director, Al Weisert, had nothing but positive things to say about the local community. Streit said he was also interested in being in a larger city than Le Mars, which he said has a population of about 8,500.

Originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Streit has worked for Hy-Vee for almost 27 years, and has worked at nine different Hy-Vee locations. He was 16 years old when he first started working for the company in his hometown. He has also worked at locations in Bettendorf, Iowa; Shawnee, Kansas; two different locations in West Des Moines, Iowa; and Sioux Center, Iowa, as well as another location in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Streit has six older brothers, all of whom either currently work for Hy-Vee or have retired from Hy-Vee, and are at various other locations.

Since moving to the Albert Lea area last year, Streit has nothing but positive things to say about his new home.

“It’s the friendliest community I’ve ever lived in,”

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Hy-Vee is at 2708 Bridge Ave. in Albert Lea.

Why he’s in Albert Lea: Former Albert Lea Hy-Vee Store Director Al Weisert said great things about the community, and the Albert Lea location provided an opportunity for Streit to work in a larger store. he said. “A lot of the customers are actually genuinely friendly here.”

He said he likes that, despite Albert Lea being a larger community than the last one he lived in, it’s still a close-knit one.

“Everyone knows everyone here, but it’s in a good way,” Streit said. “There’s a lot of great little things a lot of people take for granted, but when you come from outside the community you notice them.”

Streit is a fan of the lakes and all the things he said the community has done to promote health and wellness in the area. He said his children are especially fond of the pool.

Now on the Blue Zones Project board and involved with the Albert Lea Convention & Visitors Bureau, Streit said he wanted to wait at least a year before becoming active in local service clubs and organizations when he first moved to Albert Lea. He said he did that because he wanted to understand the community before jumping into groups and projects that were involved within it.

Streit brought data analyst Chris Huenink with him from the Le Mars HyVee, who helps provide analytics for the store, which help in planning out the store itself. Streit said they recently expanded the store’s fresh selection and reset the entire store.

The store reorganization makes shopping easier for customers, and he said the community reaction has been very positive.

“I’ve never seen so much involvement from a community,” he said. “Everybody’s focus is to make the town better. … It’s a great environment to live in.”

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By the numbers 27 Years Streit has worked for Hy-Vee

9

6

Albert Lea is the ninth Hy-Vee location Streit has worked at

Streit has six older brothers, all of whom currently work for or have retired from working for Hy-Vee

Chiropractor Pete Ahlers-Nelson has transformed his hands-on need to help people into his business located on South Broadway. Sam WilmeS/albert lea tribune

Chiropractor drives to and from Northfield to work in Albert Lea By sam Wilmes

sam.wilmes@albertleatribune.com

Customer loyalty is keeping a Northfield man in business in Albert Lea. Pete Ahlers-Nelson, owner of Pete’s Chiropractic, has operated his own office in Albert Lea since 2010.

Ahlers-Nelson commutes more than an hour each

way, three days a week. He claims it’s worth it.

“I like the clients I have; they’re good people,” he said. “I just like how everyone is really friendly and nice. It’s just a good community of people.”

Ahlers-Nelson said he has approximately 300 clients in Albert Lea. He said he appreciates the community’s

response to his business and plans to continue to operate in Albert Lea. Ahlers-Nelson grew up on a small dairy farm near Blooming Prairie and graduated from Blooming Prairie High School in 2000.

In 2001 during his see OFFiCe, Page 8

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Page 6 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2016 | Business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 28, 2016

A look bAck At businesses in the news in the PAst yeAr

From left, owner Don Short, lead interior designer Hal Davis and designer and buyer Joe Davis opened the Albert Lea location of West End Architectural Salvage in July in downtown Albert Lea. The store stayed through November. colleen hArrison/Albert leA tribune

Tom and Tanya Theesfeld stand with their son, Payton, inside their store, Elite Pet & Garden, in March. The store later in the year moved to Northbridge Mall. Tom Theesfeld said his son, 3, likes to tell people Elite Pet & Garden is his store. sArAh stultz/Albert leA tribune

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Albert Lea Electric employee Larry Bergeson works at Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen in September.

Almost all of Albert Lea Electric’s employees graduated from Riverland Community College. sArAh stultz/Albert leA tribune

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Danielle and Dave Nelson opened D’Lish in the space of the former Taco Bell at 122 Bridge Ave. sArAh stultz/Albert leA tribune

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Sunday, February 28, 2016 | Business & HealtH | ProgreSS 2016 | albertleatribune.com | page 7

Brody Shaw and Madison Tebay work on a project working on GIS date in January at Riverland Community College in Austin. eric JohnSon/albert lea tribune

RiveRland pRogRam develops ag skills Curriculum focuses on needs of industry, education for rising farmers

By Jenae Hackensmith

news@albertleatribune.com

Riverland Community College has big plans as it expands its reach in the agriculture sector.

Riverland announced six new ag-based programs in fall 2015 — precision agriculture, food science, food science technology, agricultural sciences, biotechnology and agribusiness — to unveil its Center for Agriculture and Food Science, thanks in part to a $263,200 Hormel Foundation grant.

“With the Hormel Foundation grant, we’ve done a lot,” Center for Agriculture and Food Science Director Uchenna Chukwu said.

“We’ve done significant revisions to our program, we have expanded the programming options to our students in response to not only workforce needs, but also in response to what our high school faculty are asking for.”

Riverland’s newly developed ag programs joined Riverland’s established farm business management program, which school leaders call one of the college’s most popular programs.

To lead the way with the amped-up programs, Riverland hired Chukwu this summer as director of its Center for Agriculture and Food Science.

Chukwu hopes the center will be around and meeting the needs of the community for a long time. She calls the center “academically rigorous and purposefully relevant for our entire community of stakeholders.”

The program has three

basic principles: innovation design thinking, hands on experiential learning through simulation labs, and international or global perspective. The program has also expanded from a crop focus to include animal agriculture.

Chukwu said the programs have changed the way Riverland looks at agriculture classes. One of the first things organizers did was figure out the programming model for the agriculture center.

“We decided to emphasize innovation and technology, or innovation and design thinking in our curriculum,” Chukwu said.

The program has six certifications broken into three groups: ag technology, food technology and bio technology. Then, organizers started to build programming ideas and curriculum ideas based on those three structures. Some of the ag program’s key lessons include application of technology to agriculture, food and biotechnology in order to enhance or improve food and energy production systems, as well as an emphasis in service lessons. Another lesson students will learn is how to adapt to changing times, wants and needs from people with their food, along with changing climates.

Forming a program

After Riverland formed the six ag center programs, Chukwu and her team started researching the workforce needs that would drive what the curriculum teaches. Chukwu described going out to talk

with farmers and riding a combine — and getting dust everywhere — while trying to figure out what the farming community needs in the

“It became important to figure out what certificates should be combined in order to give our students that competitive edge in the marketplace.”

— Center for agriculture and Food science director uchenna Chukwu future workforce.

“They were great,” she said. “The farmers were extremely helpful in helping us to understand from a farming technology perspective what their needs were.”

Farmers wanted workers in three main areas: to better understand how to utilize their ag data, to help with maintenance and repairs, and to develop smartphone apps to use their ag data.

After finding out what the ag and farming community wanted from a precision agriculture perspective, Chukwu got to work creating “pathways” that students can take during their

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Riverland Community College received a $263,200 Hormel Foundation grant for its new Center for Agriculture and Food Science program. tribune File Photo college career and combine certificates to help them graduate.

One challenge is that an associate’s degree must produce graduates after two years of training who are equipped and ready to go out and get a job.

“It became important to figure out what certificates should be combined in order to give our students that competitive edge in the marketplace,” she said.

Certificate combinations include precision and ag business, which can help in the data field; precision ag and engineering certificate ,which can help in the maintenance field; and precision ag and web and mobile development, which can help in the smartphone ap and mobile programming technician field.

Organizers did the same thing for the food technology program, breaking it into the R&D path, the industry and marketing path, and the plant operations path.

“We wanted to make sure that every one of the types of stockholders that we serve and that we work with has an opportunity to employee some of our students,” Chukwu said.

Certificate combinations include food science and innovation design thinking, which can help in the R&D environment; food science and applied engineering technology, which can help in the maintenance and repair equipment in food plants; and food science and business concentration/social media, which can help with food bloggers or tapping into the industry and marketing. Organizers hope the simulation lab will be

operational by the end of this semester.

The biotechnology program is still being worked out. Chukwu said there has been a lot of time spent finding out what the community needs.

partnerships

Riverland’s ag program has also developed a partnership with the National Science Foundation, which allows students to do applied research and teaches them to be innovators and researchers. Organizers applied for a grant in October 2015 for the partnership.

The program officially launched in the spring 2016 semester, with one class in precision ag and about eight students. Chukwu said a drone program, for example, is not only a resource for students but also for stakeholders, where they can access that service and have assistance on additional work done on a farm or property.

“Our first year has been challenging, but that’s why we’re working so diligently with the high schools and with the community, to tell them that we’re here, and to tell them that we’re going to remain here,” she said.

“We want to be around for a long time.”

Before and after Riverland

Organizers didn’t want to simply create a program at the college level, though.

They wanted to make sure it didn’t overlap with what students were already learning in high school.

Last December, organizers went to area high schools to find out what they were teaching students, and

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where there was overlap between high school curriculum and college curriculum.

“Of course we are in Austin, Albert Lea, Owatonna, but that’s not where we stopped,” Chukwu said.

“We went to a number of different places and sat down and took a look at the curriculum to understand what they’re teaching and also how to align the teaching from one level to the next.”

Organizers received $25,000 through a grant from the Office of Higher Education to develop advanced courses to be taught in high school through concurrent enrollment options. Four schools will receive the classes initially, including Austin, Albert Lea, Owatonna and AldenConger, but Chukwu said the program will expand to other area high schools.

Because of the funding, organizers can now do one or two weeks of training and development with high school ag faculty to teach them a little bit more about Riverland’s ag curriculum they developed in combination and collaboration with them.

The programs also aim to “emphasize global, international, emphasize innovation and design thinking, and emphasize hands-on experiential learning through our simulation labs,” Chukwu said.

The programs don’t have to end with Riverland. Along with Riverland’s associate degrees, the programs will include opportunities for students to continue on to earn four-year degrees through a partnership with Minnesota State University, Mankato for food science technology, biotechnology and agricultural science. A similar pathway for agronomy has been established with Southwest Minnesota State University and a pathway in Agriculture Teacher Education is under development.

The expanded ag program follows a path set

by Riverland’s 2013 strategic plan, dubbed “The Blueprint for Excellence,” which identified agriculture as a top priority over the years ahead and identified the Austin campus as the anchor site for the programs that will serve students across the region.

Page 8 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2016 | Business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 28, 2016

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Mark Olson, left, and Bill Raatz are barbers at Skyline Barbers in Skyline Plaza. Provided

Longtime Albert Lea barber got into profession at the age of 10

By Jerome Meyer

news@albertleatribune.com

The traditional barber shops as people know them today were totally different centuries ago and were known as one of the world’s oldest professions. even though there were vast differences at that time, studies show that the art of “barbering” still included hair cutting, shaving, beard trimming and hair coloring. in the early christian times, barbers did bloodletting, performed most dental procedures and administered herbs and many forms of medication.

These ancient barbers would hang their bloodstained bandages up to dry outside their shops. As time went on, these stained bandages became recognized as an emblem of the barbersurgeon’s profession. Later the emblem was replaced by a wooden pole of white and red stripes — which is now a universal symbol of the “barber shop.”

The modern era has changed most all of these ancient barber-surgeon

Skyline Barbers location: Skyline Plaza Barber: Bill Raatz age: 69 Family: Wife, four sons, 16 grandchildren techniques to the present laws governing the barber profession.

One of three modern barber shops in Albert Lea is Skyline Barbers in Skyline Plaza.

One of the two barbers at Skyline Barbers is Bill Raatz, who will celebrate the barber profession for 50 years this August. forty-nine and a half of those 50 years will have been at Skyline Barbers, which opened up in 1966.

When asked how he got into the barber profession, Raatz said when he was 10 years old, one day his father came home from the local barber with a real bad haircut. Rather than going back to the barber to correct the bad haircut, Raatz re-trimmed the haircut for his father himself. Thus, Raatz then gave all future haircuts to his father and basically started his barber

profession. even though most people think the current barber shop is just for men’s haircuts, he indicated that about 10 percent of his customers are women.

Besides the traditional haircuts, Skyline Barbers still gives beard trimmings, shampoos and shaves with the hot steamer towels.

Raatz said the hair lengths have changed over the last 50 years from long to short, short to long and anything in between.

When asked about retirement, Raatz indicated that there are no retirement plans, and he will continue to work as long as he is in good health.

He enjoys the traditional talk in the barber shop from his customers, which can be anything from city issues, family stories, the weather or just day-to-day gossip.

He has had some of the same customers coming back for over 49 years.

Raatz also works with another barber in the shop, Mark Olson, who has 34 years of experience as a barber.

Pete’s Chiropractic offers spinal adjustments to its approximately 300 clients in the Albert Lea area. sAm Wilmes/Albert leA tribune

Office Continued from Page 5

freshman year at University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse, he entered the Air force National Guard.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and a minor in chemistry in 2005.

Ahlers-Nelson said he was inspired to be a chiropractor after seeing his parents experience bad back injuries when he was growing up. He saw how their visits to chiropractors assisted them, and he liked the idea of being able to use his hands to help people.

Ahlers-Nelson completed internships around the country and the world before opening his Albert Lea practice in July 2010.

Ahlers-Nelson and his

wife, courtney, moved to Northfield within months of him opening his office to maintain a neutral distance between both families.

Pete’s chiropractic offers full spinal adjustments.

He relies on a three step-approach: • charge a reasonable fee that allows everyone to get adjusted regularly • Make it as easy as possible for people to get in and get adjusted • Give the best possible adjustment every time He said regular chiropractic adjustments help the body communicate better with itself by helping the nervous system function better.

He advised people get their spine checked on a regular basis.

Ahlers-Nelson’s hours in Albert Lea are 9 a.m. to

Why do you choose to work in Albert Lea when you live in Northfield?

“I like the clients I have; they’re good people. I just like how everyone is really friendly and nice. It’s just a good community of people.”

— Pete Ahlers-Nelson noon Tuesday and Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Anyone interested in setting up an appointment can call Pete’s chiropractic at 507-581-4721 or stop in. No appointments are needed. for cost information, visit the Pete’s chiropractic website at peteschiropractic.com.

By the numbers 2010 Year Pete’s Chiropractic opened in Albert Lea

300 Approximate clients Ahlers-Nelson serves in Albert Lea

2000

Year Ahlers-Nelson graduated from Blooming Prairie High School

Visit albertleatribune.com for the latest news

Sunday, February 28, 2016 | Business & health | ProgreSS 2016 | albertleatribune.com | Page 9

alhs grad returns to area for new joB woman haS Since joined other community eFFortS

By Kelly wassenberg

kelly.wassenberg@albertleatribune.com

Snowy peaks ascending into a pristine sky. A place so beautiful that the view is a distraction from the frigid temperatures.

Originally interning and completing two clinical rotations in a place much like this, Hayward native Brittni Lair, 26, believed she would end up living in Colorado until something drew her back home to Minnesota.

According to Lair, that something was a job.

“I joined an amazing team here, and it was way too good of an opportunity to pass up,” Lair said of the offer to come work at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea. “I knew that I would be learning from the best people, and it would be a perfect fit.”

The 2008 Albert Lea High School graduate returned in May after completing her undergraduate degree at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and receiving her master’s degree from Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. In July, she began working as a physician assistant underneath supervising physicians Mark Ciota and Michael Eckstrom in the orthopedic department.

“Dr. Ciota and Dr. Eckstrom — they’re both great teachers,” Lair said. “They are willing to teach; they want to teach.”

Lair said not only are both of the physicians good at what they do, they are also great physicians to work with. She also enjoys working with fellow physician assistant Brie-Anne Tubbs.

“She’s fun to be around and we also make a great team,” Lair said. “I think we have great nurses here, too.”

Lair said there are not many departments like the orthopedics department she works at, referencing the

Physician assistant Brittni Lair discusses a patient’s chart with orthopedic nurse Denae Juillerat. Kelly waSSenberg/albert lea tribune

By the numbers 26

7

Age of Brittni Lair

Brittni Lair is Mayo Clinic Health System’s newest orthopaedic physician assistant. years many of the nurses have been with the department. The reasoning for that is quite simple to Lair.

“We run a very busy practice, but everybody likes their job,” she said. “It’s a happy place to be.”

Lair also loves the diversity of both the patients she sees and the environments in which she sees them.

“We get to see all ages. We get to treat acute conditions, chronic conditions. I get to see a wide variety of things,”

9

Years Lair spent away from the community for schooling

Lair said. “I get to spend time in the ER, the hospital and in clinic — and then most importantly — I get to spend time in the operating room, too, which I love.”

She covets the variety and the hectic schedule.

“I knew looking for a job that I needed to be busy and I needed a variety because I’m a go-go-go kind of girl, and I could not just sit and see something simple day in and day out.”

On days she is in clinic, Lair works off the schedules of her supervising physicians or sees her own patients. She’s on call two

nights a week through both urgent care and the emergency room, does rounds on patients in the hospital and helps with discharge orders.

Her favorite part of the job, however, is assisting with surgery.

“In surgery we get to be first assist, which is amazing,” she said. “We get to do all the really fun stuff like drill and saw and lots of suturing and fracture reducing — things like that.”

Ultimately, Lair aspires to be the best provider she can be and to continue to contribute to her team. She

Months she has been home

looks forward to one day raising a family here.

In her spare time, Lair teaches fitness classes at the Albert Lea Family Y and is a figure skating coach through the Albert Lea Figure Skating Club, which allows her to be active in the community.

“The community itself has a lot to offer,” Lair said.

“It’s becoming better than it’s ever been.”

Why Albert Lea? Lair moved back because of a job offer at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea.

Albert Lea native enjoys working with people in community he grew up in By sam wilmes

sam.wilmes@albertleatribune.com

An Albert Lea man is assisting people in both retirement and youth in Albert Lea. Troy Irvine, 41, is the vice president of wealth management at Alliance Benefit Group Financial Services Corp.

As vice president of wealth management, Irvine conducts face-to-face appointments and gives guidance to help clients make financial decisions. He is responsible for developing the firm’s vision and business decisions.

Irvine said growing up in the community has strengthened his commitment to his clients.

“Growing up here, I know a lot of the people I work with,” Irvine said. “It’s rewarding, and it’s important to me that I take care of my clients.”

Irvine said he derives pleasure from helping his clients.

“I truly enjoy working with my customers and taking care of them, of their financial needs and goals,” he said. “It’s really rewarding to see people retire and enjoy retirement.”

Irvine said he wants clients to leave his office knowing that he cares about them.

Irvine’s impact in the community spans further than his work, however.

He has served on the Crossroads Church board for seven years and is the vice chairman for a search team the church has for a new pastor.

Irvine is on the Youth for Christ board of directors and coaches fourthgrade basketball, as well as baseball.

Irvine and his wife, Kristine, have three sons: Max, 10, Charlie, 7, and Abe, 2.

“I’ve always enjoyed coaching and trying to be a role model for kids,” he said. “It’s rewarding to me to see kids make progress.”

Troy Irvine is a business and community leader in the city of Albert Lea. Sam wilmeS/albert lea tribune

By the numbers

in Mankato before moving back to Albert Lea in 2003 to continue to work for Edward Jones.

“We felt that Albert Lea Year Irvine graduis a good place to raise a “Growing up here, I know family,” Irvine said. “We’ve ated from Albert Lea High School a lot of the people I work always enjoyed it here.” with. It’s rewarding, and it’s He said being in the comimportant to me that I take munity allowed their chilcare of my clients.” dren to grow up near their Alliance Benefit Group —Troy Irvine is made up of a retiregrandparents.

Irvine began working ment consulting busiIrvine, an Albert Lea for Alliance Benefit Group ness that manages about native, graduated from in 2015. $2.6 billion in 401(k) and Albert Lea High School in 1993. He attended college at Minnesota State University, Mankato. After graduation he moved back to Albert Lea and began three Quiznos’ stores — one in Albert Lea, Austin and Owatonna.

In 2001 Irvine began working for Edward Jones Four words in Irvine’s office describe his everyday goals.

What does it mean to work in Albert Lea, the place where you grew up?

1993

3

$2.6 billion

Children Irvine and his wife, Kristine, have: Max, 10, Charlie, 7, and Abe, 2

Approximate amount Alliance Benefit Group manages in 401(k) and retirement assets.

retirement assets.

An Albert Lea-based group, Alliance Benefit Group is a privately-owned full-service employee

benefits consulting, recordkeeping and administration company that provides services to more than 1,800 plans nationwide.

Page 10 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2016 | Business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 28, 2016

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Father-son duo take on Albert Lea business By sarah stultz

sarah.stultzl@albertleatribune.com

A father-and-son team from the Twin Cities area is finding success as the owners of Albert Lea’s Slumberland Furniture.

David Janisch and his son, Adam, purchased the building in December 2013.

Adam Janisch said he and his father were both working for Slumberland corporate when the opportunity in Albert Lea became available.

They were already familiar with the city because they have some family who live here.

He described it as the next step in their progression with the company.

They have both worked for the company for at least six years, starting as sales associates and working their way up to associate managers and managers, prior to coming to Albert Lea. Since they have taken over the building, Adam Janisch said they have redone the lighting in the store, painted the interior and exterior, put in new signage and brought in more inventory.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “The community has supported us well.”

They sell everything from living room furniture to dining room tables and mattresses, to name a few.

He said they try to provide good value and style for the

By the numbers

Adam Janisch and his father, David, own the Slumberland Furniture location in Albert Lea. The business is at at 2720 Bridge Ave. Sarah Stultz/albert lea tribune

people of Albert Lea. “We continue to grow,” Adam Janisch said. “So far it has been good.”

Adam Janisch, of Apple Valley, and David Janisch, of Eagan, take turns traveling to work each day to work with the company’s four other employees.

They are involved with

the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce and donate to silent auctions, benefits and school programs.

Adam Janisch and his wife, Jessica, have one son, Connor, 3.

David Janisch and his wife, Marlys, have four children, including Adam.

6 Total employees at Slumberland in Albert Lea

2013

Year Adam and David Janisch purchased Slumberland in Albert Lea

3 Age of Adam Janisch and his wife, Jessica’s, son

Slumberland offers a variety of furniture including living room sets, tables, chairs and mattresses, to name a few.

There are dozens of sets of living room furniture in Slumberland Furniture.

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