Progress business & health
“ of things
Carpeting is put in at the future site of an employee clinic Feb. 6. The clinic will be in the same building as Dr. John Enger’s podiatry practice at 904 E. Plaza St. in Albert Lea. Colleen Harrison/albert lea tribune
businesses collaborate to create new Hundreds 5private employee clinic in northern A.L.
can be
done there.”
By Colleen Harrison
colleen.harrison@albertleatribune.com
r
Remodeling and decorating was underway Feb. 6 at the future site of a clinic for employees of Alliance Benefit Group, Zumbro River Brand, Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen, Innovance and Select Foods.
DOOR DOOR by
This is the door at 126 W. Clark St. to Jake’s Pizza. It is one of the most beloved pizza restaurants in Albert Lea.
educed wait time. Less emergency room visits. Happier employees. Those were some of the focus points behind area companies partnering on the construction of a private employee clinic, according to Lou-Rich General Manager Steve Tufte. Alliance Benefit Group, Innovance — which encompasses companies such as Lou-Rich and Almco — Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen, Select Foods and Zumbro River Brand are the companies whose employees will be able to use the clinic and its resources. ABG consultant Mike Oothoudt said each company participating in the clinic and its opening has its own specifications when it comes to their eligible employees and the criteria to meet. He said any employees and their dependents enrolled in health care coverage through the company would have access to the clinic. Tufte said the same was true for Innovance employees. Oothoudt said some of the reasoning behind the clinic’s conception was trying to help control the cost of health care benefit plans and increasing employee retention. After seeing success with a similar clinic for Quality Pork Processors in Austin, such as a reduction in patient wait time and less emergency room visits for employees, a shared employee clinic seemed like an increasingly good idea, Tufte said. He said the clinic will offer basic services found in standard doctor visits, such as strep throat testing and vaccinations, among others. There will be a pharmacy, he said, that will offer basic prescriptions — a list of which he said would be determined based on employee needs. He said there would most likely be some lab services as well, and assimilated the clinic to an urgent care center. Oothoudt said the clinic would cover primary care — such as sinus and ear infections, pregnancy testing, simple lacerations and women’s health, among others; as well as preventive services — such as routine labs and cholesterol profiles and stress or depression; along with the management of chronic conditions — diabetes, asthma, tobacco use and allergies, to name a few. “Hundreds of things can be done there,” he said.
2
Health care providers who will be at the employee clinic housed in Dr. John Enger’s building.
The employee clinic was projected to open around Feb. 16, according to Alliance Benefit Group’s Mike Oothoudt during an interview in early February. Oothoudt said this would be the first shared clinic any of the companies have taken part in and that the companies would have their own agreement on how the clinic would be paid for. He said the concept was brought to a human resources meeting in Albert Lea after other private clinics were visited. The visits to other clinics showed what services worked for employees and which ones helped them in staying with their employers. Oothoudt said a driving factor behind a private clinic was the problem of employees using providers less due to higher deductibles. The clinic could be a solution. Tufte said the clinic services come with no change to benefit deductions from Innovance employee pay, and that there are no copays for employees using the clinic. He said the employers are charged a lower cost for each service over time. The clinic’s health partners total a monthly cost for the services provided, according to Tufte, and then bill each participating company separately based on how many employees used the clinic that month and for which services. Oothoudt said the clinic had a projected opening date of Feb. 16. It will be in the same building as Dr. John Enger’s podiatry practice at 904 E. Plaza St. in Albert Lea.
5
Local companies partnering for the private employee clinic.
100
Services ABG consultant Mike Oothoudt said would be able to be performed at the clinic.
ide? What’s ins
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Page 2 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2015 | business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 22, 2015
Your Connection To Success
Clinical Operations Manager Melissa Barr demonstrates how an electronic stethoscope works in the HealthSpot kiosk at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin as Operations Administrator Scott Ramsey listens from several rooms away. The kiosk, part of the Mayo Clinic Health Connection program, will allow patients to be treated for acute care via teleconferencing. JAson schoonover/Albert leA tribune
medical Possibilities online heAlth kiosk could hold big solutions For mAyo clinic And Austin Public schools by Jason schoonover news@albertleatribune.com
www.growalbertlea.org 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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An Austin Public Schools and Mayo Clinic Health System partnership could have big implications for both. Last year, the district went to Mayo with a simple question: “Can we do something to provide easier access — less costly access — for our staff?” according to Superintendent David Krenz. The district has faced multiple health care issues. Costs have increased after seeing hefty health insurance increases for several years — well before the Affordable Care Act. Availability to see physicians was another issue, with it often taking several months for people to arrange appointments. That often led staff to opt for urgent care or even emergency room visits when certain sicknesses and illnesses came up, and such visits are costly.
The solution, Mayo and the district hope, is Mayo Clinic Health Connection, a kiosk that allows patients to be treated for basic care via teleconference through the HealthSpot platform. But the two kiosks planned for Austin Public Schools may have a broader impact as this is the first time Mayo is bringing these kiosks directly to an employer. “All of Mayo Clinic is waiting to see what we learn from these two,” Austin and Albert Lea CEO Dr. Mark Ciota said.
in and out care
In October, Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin and Albert Lea rolled out the first HealthSpot within Mayo at the Austin campus for staff and dependents. Since then, Ciota said they’ve learned a lot, especially that the kiosks work well for acute care issues — the types of things a patient would go to urgent care for: a cough, allergies, vomiting/
diarrhea, sore throat, etc. “We do find that they are quite efficient as far as being able to easily get an appointment, get what you need and get out,” he said. For things like severe abdominal pain or potential
“All of Mayo Clinic is waiting to see what we learn from these two.” — austin and albert lea ceo mark ciota
appendicitis, people would still want to go to the ER. In the kiosk, a patient teleconferences with a Mayo provider — who can be anywhere — and uses common medical devices like a stethoscope; a thermometer; a dermascope; an otoscope to look inside
see KiosK, Page 3
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Sunday, February 22, 2015 | business & heAlth | ProgreSS 2015 | albertleatribune.com | PAge 3
Sheryl Ellingson sits at the attendant’s station of the HealthSpot kiosk at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin. The kiosk will allow patients to be treated for acute care via teleconferencing. The Austin clinic is the pilot site for the Mayo Clinic Health Connection program and will begin by treating Mayo employees and dependents only later this month. JaSon Schoonover/albert lea tribune
KIOSK Continued from Page 2
an ear, nose or throat; and a pulse oximeter to monitor oxygen saturation of the blood and the patient’s pulse. The district’s kiosks will be staffed by Mayo nurse practitioners, who will be able to help with any anxiety. Mayo employees manning the kiosks was important, according to Ciota, for patients’ privacy and to keep the district out of health care. “We want to do the health care so they can do the business of teaching students,” Ciota said. Initially, the kiosks will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. While Krenz hasn’t been treated through a kiosk, he was impressed by what he saw in demonstrations. “It really is very interesting,” he said. The clinic and district anticipate the kiosks will improve the immediacy of care, with shorter wait times to see a medical professional. With the kiosks, district staff can go for a quick kiosk checkup over lunchtime. The aim is to get patients in and out quickly. The average appointment takes about 15 minutes — 9 to 10 with the provider and the rest for registration and prescriptions. “We don’t want the wait time to be longer than 15 minutes,” Ciota said.
Reduced costs
The kiosks will be installed in Ellis Middle School
and the former Home Health Care and Hospice building at 408 Fourth Ave. NW this spring. That puts kiosks on the east and west sides of town near two hubs for the district’s nearly 700 employees — Ellis and I.J. Holton Intermediate School to the east and Austin High School to the west. Renovation to make space for the kiosk at Ellis cost about $30,000, but Krenz said that should be made up through the money saved by utilizing the kiosks. The district anticipates the kiosks will help decrease the cost of health care. The kiosk will cost about $50 per use, compared to $100 or more to go in for a traditional appointment. “There’s really no additional cost to us,” Krenz sad. “We’re looking at potential cost savings.” The district anticipates saving money by potentially having fewer sick days for appointments thanks to the quick care in kiosks. “Those are the kind of soft savings that you hope to take care of too,” Krenz said. The kiosks will be available to district staff and their dependents, but not to students. They’ll also be available to staff not on the district’s insurance. Along with being a money saver for the district and Mayo, Krenz anticipates it will save staff money too. “It’s a significant cost savings for them, and it provides a certain level
Clinical Operations Manager Melissa Barr demonstrates how a dermascope works in the HealthSpot kiosk at Mayo Clinic Health System in Austin. The kiosk will allow patients to be treated via teleconferencing. The dermascope allow a provider to look at a patient’s skin, eyes and throats from anywhere with a laptop and the Internet.
of health care they might dependents proved a small not already be receiving,” sample size compared to the Krenz said. nearly 700-plus employees for the district; however, A culture change Ciota said they’re ready for The concept of bring- the increased volume. ing health care directly to “We knew and anticipated workers is becoming more that,” he said. common. Albert Lea and Red Wing public school dis- Future expansion? tricts have clinics within the So far, both sides are schools, and Quality Pork pleased with the partnership. Processors in Austin opened “Austin public schools a clinic in 2013. The health care industry is changing, and Ciota said they’ll be subject to different payment methods and have to adapt to treat groups of patients as efficiently as possible, even if that means less revenue for the clinic — which the kiosks could. But the technology-heavy kiosks present a culture change for school staff and for the way people receive health care. The changes won’t happen or be embraced overnight. Krenz admitted change takes time. “It’s hard to really know what to anticipate,” Krenz said of district staff. “They don’t know what they are.” Medical center staff proved a good test group for the kiosks as most are tech savvy, and Ciota expects the teachers to adapt quickly too. The district is already trying to ensure that happens. The district is working to educate staff on the kiosks to help encourage use to make sure employees are comfortable using them. Clinic employees and
have just been fantastic to work with,” he said. Mayo’s goal is to provide high quality while reducing the cost. The endeavor is a true partnership, and Ciota said they want to hear from the schools on how to improve. “We want input from them,” he said. Initially, the district expects the partnership to last
about two to three years, at which time the idea will be reassessed. If it goes well, the district could one day add more kiosks at other schools and potentially open them up to students and their families. Mayo is also watching closely. If successful, the kiosks could be used further at Mayo and in other locations.
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Page 4 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2015 | business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 22, 2015
A Focus on business during the lAst yeAr
Jim Baldus, owner of Jim’s MarketPlace in Austin, stands in Nelson’s Market Place in Albert Lea in May. Baldus purchased Nelson’s after its former owners announced in April they would close. sArAh stultz/Albert leA tribune
Dan Studier, right, keeps a smoker going while he and his son, Drew, take the cap off of one of their 12 hives. The smoker keeps the bees calmer so that they’re less likely to sting. colleen hArrison/Albert leA tribune
Sei Ko stands at the end of one of the aisles in his grocery store, which opened for business March 1. tim engstrom/ Albert leA tribune
Green Mill Restaurant and Bar General Manager David Mord pulls a beer from Third Street Brewhouse in Green Mill’s bar area in April. At the time, Green Mill had 24 taps, 16 of which contain craft beer. colleen hArrison/Albert leA tribune
Despite being a rather unique item, the Elbow Room’s owner, Vic Nelson, said many people order the Limey burger just to try it out. hAnnAh dillon/Albert leA tribune
Chiropractor Matthew Tubbs purchased the former Freeborn County American Red Cross building on Fountain Street with plans to move his office there in April. sArAh stultz/
Albert leA tribune
Echo Step instructors Trisha Wayne, co-owners Dustin Boyer and Jessica Johnson, Holly Page and Kevin Sarmiento stand in the studio which opened on Feb. 3. Other instructors teaching in the studio are Amber McCornack, Sherry Jensen, Jasmine Estarda and Marcie Sailor. brAndi hAgen/Albert leA tribune
Danielle Elg shows an exam room during a tour of the new community-based outpatient clinic in Albert Lea. The clinic had its grand opening April 25. colleen hArrison/Albert leA tribune
Joel Brown of St. Louis Park checks out a cutting board in the new Copper Kitchen store in downtown Albert Lea in March. sArAh stultz/Albert leA tribune
Tom Lenort has owned and operated Tom’s Taxidermy in Clarks Grove since 1990. He first ventured into taxidermy when he was 13, and by the time he graduated from Albert Lea High School in 1983 he had a fulltime business on his hands. colleen hArrison/Albert leA tribune
Sunday, February 22, 2015 | business & health | ProgreSS 2015 | albertleatribune.com | Page 5
Ron Nelson, vice president for Overhead Door Co. of Albert Lea, stands in the showroom Overhead Door Co. of Albert Lea is at 77893 209th St. of the company’s office at 77893 209th St. micah bader/albert lea tribune
Workforce groWs at overhead door co. by Micah bader
micah.bader@albertleatribune.com
Over the last 14 years, Overhead Door Co. of Albert Lea’s workforce has more than doubled. The business opened its doors in 1991, and when vice president Ron Nelson started 10 years later, it had five employees. Now, there are 13. “My favorite part about working here is being able to
grow this business by creating jobs so people can support their families,” Nelson said. Nelson transferred to the office at 77893 209th St. in Albert Lea during 2001, after working for the same company in Mason City. He said he’s worked in sales his whole life, and that 2014 was a landmark year: the company broke the $2 million mark in sales. “I’m very proud of the
fact that we’ve surpassed that barrier,” he said. “We’ve been close for years, but we finally made it. Nelson estimated 85 to 90 percent of sales come from area businesses on the commercial side, and the rest are from farmers — who are moving toward hydraulic bifolding doors — and homeowners on the residential side. “We have a lot of
Overhead Door Co. of Albert Lea features a variety of doors in its showroom.
manufacturing plants and industrial institutions in the area, which carries a lot of work, but we also are very in tune with the farmer and our friends in the agricultural industry,” he said. Teaming with area businesses such as Larson Contracting in Albert Lea and Broskoff Structures in Geneva has been helpful. “There are a lot of relationships we’ve made with
good people who buy doors from us many times during the year,” he said. Aside from offering a line of commercial and residential doors, Overhead Door offers specialty products including docking equipment, high-speed roll-up doors, rubber doors, bug screens and more. Nelson said his favorite product is a rubber door. “It’s made out of black
rubber that’s 1/4-inch thick, and it rolls up into a ball,” he said. “They’re springless, so the maintenance on those doors is nonexistent. They last for a long, long time.” It has a motor that powers a barrel to turn at the top, and the curtain rolls around it. Overhead Door was founded by C.G. Johnson, who invented the upward-lifting garage door in 1921 and the electric opener in 1926.
Ron Nelson, vice president for Overhead Door Co. of Albert Lea, stands next to samples of residential garage doors in the company’s office at 77893 209th St.
In the cupboard: Fresh and healthy foods offered at A.L.’s oldest store by cathy hay
news@albertleatribune.com
A customer opens a jar of gourmet peppers and the aroma bursts out, pungent and tangy. At Wintergreen Natural Foods Co-op, the shelves are lined with seasonings from all-spice to turmeric root. The hearty vegetable blend boosts the flavor of stews and soups. Whole nutmegs are available for grating or grounding at home to spice up cakes, cooked greens, pumpkin bread and other savory dishes. The Spanish paprika, requested by a customer, adds a zing of color and flavor to many foods. “I buy all my spices here because they’re the freshest and a lot of them are organic,” said Judy Hargrave of rural Albert Lea, a long-term member of the Wintergreen board. She fills a baggie with peppercorns from a bulk jar, weighs it on the scale and buys it for $2.39, noting it’s cheaper than traditional stores. “Don’t forget about the co-op because there are things here that you can’t get anywhere at a price lower than anywhere else,” she said. The Wintergreen co-op, the oldest store in Albert
Lea, almost closed in 2014 due to financial troubles. With support of existing members and an infusion of 65 new members at a meeting in October, the co-op voted to keep the cupboard doors open. The co-op pioneered the natural and organic food movement in Albert Lea, and continues that focus today. It started in the home of Sara Aeikens on North Ermina Avenue in the 1970s. After a stint in a basement space on the corner of Broadway and Clark Street, it’s been at 1442 W. Main St. since 1976. Lifetime memberships cost $10, but no membership is needed to shop at the co-op. Maren Ring has managed the co-op for 39 years. Located next to the Albert Lea Seed House off West Main Street, she notes that the co-op is easy to find with ample parking. She likes that shoppers of all ages, from teenagers to senior citizens, stop in for fresh and healthy foods. “We can get many things that we don’t have in stock. We do special orders. So even if it’s not in the store, it’s still available,” she said. The co-op’s ultimate goal is to expand, whether in its current location or
elsewhere. The immediate goal is to increase inventory. The board is also considering taking credit and debit cards. Right now, customers need to pay with cash or checks. Joyce O’Rourke of Wells stops once a month faithfully. She likes the barley in bulk, fresh spices and natural peanut butter. The store offers affordable and healthy foods, she said. ORourke especially likes the gourmet peppercorn because it’s tasty and pretty. To the left of the spices are bins of grains: Cracked wheat, white quinoa, steel cut oats, wild rice, textured vegetarian protein, organic rolled oats, rolled barley, Lundberg pilaf, long grain brown rice and stoneground whole wheat flour, to name a few. On the top shelf are teas, including chai black tea. Across the aisle are bins of beans: baby limas, great northern beans, navy beans, split pea soup and garbanzo beans, among others. Other wares include whole wheat, wheat germ, buckwheat flour and corn meal — all organic — along with black strap molasses, light Louisiana molasses and sorghum. The store sells baking supplies, including
Maren Ring, at left, has managed the Wintergreen co-op for 39 years, and Judy Hargrave, at right, has served on the co-op’s board for a long time. They like the variety of products and customers at the store. cathy hay/albert lea tribune
The Wintergreen co-op stocks Spanish paprika at customer request. Derived from peppers, paprika adds a zing of color and flavor to rubs, marinades, stews and chilis. It’s also a popular garnish. chocolate chips, non-GMO corn starch, unsulfured unsweetened coconut, real salt, sea salt and turbinado sugar (raw sugar). Its snacks include yogurt raisins, toffee-covered peanuts and hokey-pokey, a delightful mix of popcorn, cashews, almonds and pecans coated with caramel. In the coolers customers will find Cascadian Farms frozen berries, convenience foods like pocket sandwiches and enchiladas, Alden’s
ice cream, Schultz organic whole chickens, raw mild cheese, Organic Valley butter and eggs fresh from the farm. Next to the cash register is a dispenser of raw pure honey from Sorenson Honey Farm in Owatonna. Nearby are garlic cloves, organic Garnet yams and organic ginger. In addition to foods, the co-op stocks supplements, including multiple vitamins, menthol cough
syrups, Echinacea and ginseng. The store also sells Ecover nontoxic cleaning products, including all-purpose cleaner, dishwasher soap, toilet bowl cleaner, fabric softener, laundry soap and non-chlorine bleach. The Wintergreen co-op is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Look for “Wintergreen Natural Foods Co-op” on Facebook.
The Wintergreen Natural Foods Co-op offers the ultimate spice rack from all-spice to turmeric root.
Page 6 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2015 | business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 22, 2015
One healthy change at a time
businesses imPlement wellness initiAtives by sarah shultz
sarah.stultz@albertleatribune.com
Albert Lea businesses are jumping on board to make healthy choices easier for their employees. As part of the Blue Zones Project, leaders at the worksites hope to make their businesses not only healthier but happier, too. “Ultimately it’s going to help the overall environment to become a healthier, happier environment,” said Clara Baerman, health services manager at Cargill. She said healthy employees not only improve health insurance costs, but also productivity in the company. “Everybody wins in the long run,” Baerman said. Cargill is one of several businesses working to become designated as a Blue Zones worksite. To become designated each business has to implement a wellness work plan and fulfill other criteria. The work plan addresses not only physical health but emotional and mental health as well. “Being depressed is as bad for your health as smoking cigarettes,” said Ellen Kehr, organization lead for the Blue Zones Project in Albert Lea. “We are now starting to discover that there are more elements to our health that are just as serious as smoking cigarettes and eating sugar 24/7.” She said having a healthy workplace is a benefit to both the employee and the employer. “If they cost less and they produce more, you’re probably going to be able to pay them a little more,” she said.
Laura Garza, human relations assistant at Lou-Rich, walks with Cindy Farr, project engineer in early February in the plant. People walk around a path in the plant on their breaks to get some exercise. sArAh stultz/Albert leA tribune
by the numbers 30: Percent of the employees in Freeborn County who work on a tobacco-free site 40: Percent of all deaths in the country that are premature and are due to unhealthy lifestyle choices such as tobacco use, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, misuse of alcohol and drugs and accidents. 2/3: Fraction of American adults who are overweight or obese. Healthy employees have good social networks at work, enjoy what they are doing and have less absenteeism, she said. “We’re really stressing very strongly the social aspects of work, along with the well-being solutions,” Kehr said. She said the worksite initiative is crucial to the overall Blue Zones Project and is a way to reach out to a large group of adults who might otherwise not be involved.
“Without them we can’t succeed,” Kehr said. “Worksites are where you can really, really reach people.” Kehr said it was her goal to get 20 businesses registered for the project by the end of January. Then they can each work to complete the requirements. Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services was the first workplace to be designated as a Blue Zones worksite in January and has implemented dozens of tools to help employees
Signs like these are posted all over Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services to remind employees to take a little break and move during the day. This one was placed next to the copier. be healthier. Judy Jensen, who works in payroll and accounting at Freeborn-Mower, said her company has implemented everything from annual biometric testing, a healthy snack station, healthy reminder cards throughout
the building and at work stations, and even yoga classes after work. She and others have measured the distance of different walking paths inside and outside of the building and the number of steps it would take to complete them.
Jensen said FreebornMower’s next wellness day is slated for Feb. 26, and they plan on having a Blue Zones theme. While some of the initiatives were already in place before the Blue Zones came back to town, Jensen said they took those a step further. “We see the value in the Blue Zones Project in the community as a whole and wanted to do our part as an employer,” Jensen said. “It’s about creating an environment where it’s easier to make healthy choices, and we just wanted to play our part in that.” She said it is not about having a diet and exercise program — it’s a way to make simple changes in surroundings to make healthy choices easier. Baerman said at Cargill, a dietitian has come out and shared tips in different sessions, they have had biometric screening for nonunion employees and they have plans for a garden. They are giving their employees the incentive of getting a Fitbit tracker if they attend upcoming purpose workshops. PJ’s Cafeteria, which offers food at the plant, offers healthy options including fruit plates, salads, string cheese and hardboiled eggs. There are signs in the parking lot to encourage people to park at the end of the lot and walk longer to get to the building. “Utlimately, it’s going to help the overall environment to become a happier, healthier environment,” Baerman said. She said while not everyone at the plant is participating, she thinks it will catch on to more and more people as people see the changes from the participants. Cindy Farr, project engineer at Lou-Rich, said her company has had a walking
see Wellness, Page 9
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Sunday, February 22, 2015 | business & health | ProgreSS 2015 | albertleatribune.com | Page 7
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How well do you know tHe buSineSS PeoPle oF albert lea? matcH tHe PeoPle to tHeir deSkS in tHiS matcHing game. See anSwerS on Page 9. the Desks
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Kevin LaFrance Home Federal Bank
Matt Benda Peterson, Savelkoul, etc.
Steve Waldhoff Mayo Clinic Health System
Mark Ciota Mayo Clinic Health System
Dennis Dieser Albert Lea Family Y
Kade Vershey Dave Syverson Ford
Page 8 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2015 | business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 22, 2015
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named 2014 small Business of tHe year!
YOUR ELECTRIC SPECIALIST!
310 2nd Ave SW, Albert Lea, MN www.thompsonelectricofalbertlea.com
Sunday, February 22, 2015 | business & health | ProgreSS 2015 | albertleatribune.com | Page 9
Wellness Continued from Page 6
company has had a walking path around the inside of the shop since the Blue Zones was first in town and at that point also established a wellness committee. They have continued those initiatives and implemented many more. Farr said once a month doughnuts are brought in to the building. A few years ago, they started having fruit brought in, too. “The bananas, apples and oranges in the beginning were not widely eaten,” she said. “They seemed to be what was left over. now, actually the rolls are the last thing consumed.” People are having an option to get desks that can
Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services offers several healthy refrigerated snacks for sale out of an effort to provide healthier options to its employees. Sarah Stultz/albert lea tribune adjust to standing or sitting. They have started a new lifetime healthy weight program, which motivates people to either lose weight or maintain their weight, depending on their weight range. “It’s a way we’ve been trying to get around the
rapid weight loss and more of a healthy change to lifestyle,” Farr said. In addition to efforts at individual businesses, the Albert lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce has had a strong worksite wellness committee even before
guess the desk answers
Wells Federal Bank is proud to serve and support the local businesses in Albert Lea and the surrounding communities. Visit Matt Zebro or Kara Ibberson for all of your business banking needs.
1-Kevin LaFrance, 2-Kari Brick, 3-Matt Benda, 4-Steve Waldhoff, 5-Mark Ciota, 6-Kade Vershey, 7-Randy Kehr, 8-Dennis Dieser, 9-Dave Klatt
80 years
in business
80
015 -2
Celebrating
19 3 5
YEARS
1731 Margaretha Avenue • Albert Lea
507.373.6485 www.churchoffsetprinting.com
MEMBER
FDIC
Bridge Avenue Location: 2630 Bridge Avenue 373-7227
Your trusted healthcare partner for life.
EXPERIENCE & SERVICE
UNDER ONE ROOF Mercy Obstetric and Gynecology Clinic’s board certified physicians and advanced registered nurse practitioners deliver top quality care to women of all ages and have more than 100 years of medical experience. The Clinic is conveniently located on the East Campus, which houses all other services a woman would need – pharmacy, radiology, fertility care, a Level II neonatal intensive care birthcenter, a full spectrum of GYN services, high‑risk OB and da Vinci robotic surgery! You can even have your car parked by Mercy’s Valet Service for FREE!
For Information Call 641-428-5100 WWW.MERCYNORTHIOWA.COM
Page 8 | AlbertleAtribune.com | Progress 2015 | business & health | sundAy, FebruAry 22, 2015
Employee Owners Providing Manufacturing Solutions
4
Companies
300+ Owners
1
Team
Contract Engineering and Manufacturing
速
U l t r a P r e c i s i o n E x t r u s i o n s速
Located in Southern Minnesota since 1972
Contract Engineerin
www.almco.com
www.panplus.com
www.lou-rich.com
Ul www.exactmfg.com