brainerd lakes area
Progress Edition
b r a i n e r d
d i s p a t c h
www.brainerddispatch.com
l a b o r
d a y
Serving the Brainerd Lakes Area and Central Minnesota since 1881
s p e c i a l
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
A sailboat plies Gull Lake during the Gull Lake Fun Regatta.
Progress: Lakes area sets sail Major retail development to open, others hit rougher seas
Renee Richardson Managing Editor tronger economic breezes brought in development and construction on a scale, even if not as large as first expected, still not seen in Baxter in recent years. And redevelopment flourished in downtown Brainerd with several businesses, offices and eateries either open or in the process. While some plans sputtered, and business mainstays ended long tenure here, others closed in on opening days with high expectations. Vigorously changing the landscape in Baxter, the HJ Development along Elder and Elmwood drives south of Costco took a wooded lot and turned it into a sandbox before giving rise to a new retail center bordered by newly planted trees. T.J. Maxx, PetSmart, ULTA Beauty and Dick’s Sporting Goods are all opening in the retail center. “We’re getting closer to the openings of T.J. Maxx, PetSmart and ULTA — all three of those are targeting mid- to late-September openings,” stated Chris Moe, HJ Development vice president of leasing and development/owner, in an email to the Dispatch in mid-August. Exact opening dates would be coming from the retailers in the coming weeks, Moe said. Dick’s is still planning to open in February of 2018. HJ Development turned over the completed retail spaces to ULTA Beauty, PetSmart and T.J. Maxx in August with the retailers installing fixtures and stocking stores with inventory. The exterior of the shopping center was complete, including the final layer of pavement in the parking lot, by the third week in August. The development created an 89,179-square-foot multi-tenant building at 13499 Elmwood Drive on previously 8.87 acres of undeveloped land between Costco and J.C. Penney Co. The juxtaposition throughout the summer had a retail center going up while J.C. Penney Co. was in the process of closing. The department store once stood as downtown Brainerd mainstay on the corner of Seventh and Laurel streets before later moving to an anchor spot in the East Brainerd Mall and, more recently, into a new standalone store by Olive Garden in Baxter. The J.C. Penney store became one of 138 stores of the
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retailer’s being closed, with eight in Minnesota, and came after the Baxter store was believed to have been saved from the list. Instead closing its St. Cloud store, J.C. Penney continued on and Baxter fell victim to changing retail realities. Those with knowledge of the Central Lakes Crossing site listed Hobby Lobby as a strong candidate for the space. At the end of August, J.C. Penney’s name could still be read atop the building even after the lettering was removed and a makeshift sign outside announced the store was closed to all but those picking up fixtures. Other development plans lost momentum. A proposed 4,000-square-foot sitdown restaurant expected to take up residence on the last open corner at the Highway 371 and 210 intersection appeared to be smooth sailing. The sitdown restaurant was described as a highturnover eatery. A 3,000-square-foot retail store, later described as a possible Sleep Number site, was proposed next door. With anticipated traffic in that area from several developments, the Baxter City Council planned a roundabout and road improvements on Excelsior Road. Then, in June, Baxter heard the developer backed away from the plans for a possible Panera restaurant on the Fruth property. In August, the city council heard updated street construction plans with a threelegged roundabout and the fourth leg, which was expected to link Excelsior and Fairview Road would not be constructed until a development was a driver for it. Just to the north, construction crews created a building in the front of the Gander Mountain parking lot. The site, formerly home to Walmart and now owned by Oppidan, was expected to add two buildings along Edgewood Drive between the Light Depot and Taco Bell. But plans were altered later to allow construction in phases with one building going in now with expectations for it to house Aspen Dental and a Caribou Coffee, but the second building would wait for phase two. Gander Mountain, the subject of an agonizingly slow store closing, was given a reprieve from the ax with plans to “reopen” as Gander Outdoors under new ownership. Oppidan representatives declined to comment on any updates
Table of Contents
Overview................................................................... S1 14 Lakes Brewery and updates on lakes area breweries .................................................. S2 Pets in the workplace, reader submissions............. S3 Downtown Brainerd ................................................ S9 Searching for spaces: Nowhere to park? Let’s measure.............................................................. S9 Bob Janzen Auction and Appraisal ......................S17 Anderson Brothers..................................................S18 GreenForest Recycling Solutions .........................S19
on the development at this time on the 117,000-square foot former Walmart site. Farther north on the east side of Highway 371 North is the site of the Northwoods Crossing development’s proposed two retail sites (each with 2,000 square feet), two restaurants without drive-thrus (with 40 seats each), a 25-seat restaurant with a drive-thru and a 20-seat coffee shop with a drive-thru. The former Wells Fargo Bank building was torn down but no other activity has been visible at the site. Along the way there were numerous moves, additions, changes to the lakes area business scene with restaurant openings in Brainerd, Baxter and the surrounding area. In Brainerd, Burritos California Mexican Grill opened just off Washington Street, and The Local 218 opened on Mill Avenue while the 612 Station joined Front Street in downtown Brainerd. Ed Shaw and Sarah Hayden Shaw purchased the former Blue Ox bar and are renovating it into a restaurant. Baxter’s Prairie Bay made the move to Crosby and the bike scene in the Iron Range Eatery. The Crosby-Ironton area continued its red-dirt economy with businesses opening to serve those drawn by the world class mountain bike trails. Tim Hortons opened in Brainerd
with a newly constructed restaurant and highly anticipated opening as part of the Canadian franchise’s push into the Minnesota. A victim of its own anticipation, the restaurant was slammed in its opening weeks and suffered from the success with shortages and customer service glitches as a new staff was trained in with the onslaught. Originally open 24 hours, the restaurant cut back to close at midnight and then made another time shift to close earlier. During the Tim Hortons ribbon cutting last winter, Paul Durigon, chief executive officer of Restaurant Development Partners, the developer of the Tim Hortons brand in Minnesota, said he hoped people would give the restaurant a second chance. When Tim Hortons opened, customers were often lined up in the restaurant and out the door, which was normal with initial demand but that stabilizes to a reasonable rate, Durigon said. With the size of the seasonal influx into the Brainerd lakes area in the summer months, Durigon was looking forward to the lakes area location doing well. At the grand opening, Brainerd City Administrator Jim Thoreen sang the Canadian anthem.
LAKES AREA SETS SAIL: Page S3
Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch
Crews put final touches on the HJ Development in Baxter in August as stores moved to a fall opening with Dick’s Sporting Goods expected to open in early 2018.
Workforce shortage solutions ...............................S19 Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics .........................S25 The Hearth Room ...................................................S26 Home-based business ............................................S27 Be your own boss ....................................................S32 Big Wood Timber Frames .....................................S33 Lonesome Cottage Furniture Co. .........................S34 Esser Construction..................................................S35 Agua Gorda Cooperative tomatillos.....................S41 Patchwork Farms ...................................................S41
Accessible art: G-Bar-6 horse playing cards ........S42 Digital Horizons .....................................................S43 Gull Lake Yacht Club .............................................S49 Whitefish Yacht Club .............................................S49 Wind Water Wheels ...............................................S50 GrowthZone ............................................................S51 BLAEDC ..................................................................S51 Stories in these pages for the annual Progress Labor Day edition have photo galleries, videos and podcasts. To see these stories in a different way, go to the Dispatch homepage for links to videos and the Dispatch podcast -- DispatchCast.
PROGRESS EDITION
S2 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
www.brainerddispatch.com
Progress: Craft Brewing Craze comes to Crosslake Spenser Bickett Staff Writer CROSSLAKE — Another local brewery is bellying up to the bar in the Brainerd lakes area this summer. The 14 Lakes Craft Brewing Company started brewing beer at the end of July with the plan to open the doors by Labor Day. The company’s name is an homage to the nearby Whitefish Chain of Lakes, which contains 14 lakes. The idea to start the brewery came about as a combination of friendly advice and a good opportunity, founder Steve Guttormson said. Guttormson owns the building, and the previous tenant vacated the space where the brewery is. There’s a lot of breweries in the area, he said, and he thought a brewery could work well in the space. Guttormson began working with the city of Crosslake on making sure a brewery fit within local regulations. He started planning the brewery in December 2015. It took a while to get federal and state licenses approved, he said, but the approval process went smoothly. Through a friend of a friend,
FOR YOUR
INFO 14 Lakes Brewery City: Crosslake. Number of Employees: Four. Interesting Fact: Owner Steve Guttormson’s dog Oliver is the mascot for the dog-friendly 14 Lakes Craft Brewing Company.
Guttormson met brewer Dan Trombley, who has been brewing beer at home for a while.
CRAFT BREWING CRAZE: Page S4
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Founder Steve Guttormson talks about his plans for 14 Lakes Craft Brewing Company in Crosslake.
Progress: A six-pack of Brainerd lakes breweries
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Owner Patrick Sundberg talks about the growth of Jack Pine Brewery in Baxter in this file photo.
Spenser Bickett Staff Writer With the opening of 14 Lakes Craft Brewing Company in Crosslake this summer, there is now a six-pack of breweries operating in the Brainerd lakes area. The 14 Lakes Craft Brewing Company is featured in this Progress Edition, while the other breweries were featured in last year’s edition. A lot has changed in the past year, with one of the existing breweries moving into a larger location, while another brewery featured last year didn’t get off the ground. Local brews continue to pop up at beer festival events in the area, including the upcoming Harvest Moon Brew Fest Saturday in Aitkin. Jack Pine Brewery, Cuyuna Brewing Company, Roundhouse Brewery, Big Axe Brewing Company and Gull Dam Brewing will join the selection of beers from throughout the state at the event.
Jack Pine Brewery The first brewery in the Brainerd lakes area, Jack Pine Brewery of Baxter, went through a period of great change since last year. The brewery moved from its original location in an industrial park on College Road to a new, bigger location on Edgewood Drive North, next to Arrowwood Lodge of Brainerd Lakes. The new location features a larger 15-barrel production system, which replaces the old three-barrel system. There’s a full canning and bottling line, which has increased distribution options for the brewery. The brewery is currently canning 60-100 cases of beer at a time, owner Patrick Sundberg said. But at full production, the brewery can can 150-200 cases per day, at 24 beers per case. The old location’s maximum production was about 800 barrels per year. The new brewery can produce 2,000 barrels per year, but Sundberg said he doesn’t want to push the production capabilities in the system’s first year.
“It’s fun growing, but it’s also stressful,” he said. The square footage more than doubled in the move, going from 3,000 square feet to 7,000 square feet. There’s now an outdoor patio space, bigger taproom and the option to host food trucks. There’s also a space available to rent out for private events. Brewery tours at the old location had to be stopped, because of a lack of space. Sundberg said he’d like to bring them back, but the brewery is still getting settled after the move. “It’s on our radar, but we’re still kind of in transition mode,” Sundberg said. The brewery started hosting trivia nights on Tuesdays, put on by Trivia Mafia, which hosts trivia nights throughout the state, as well as at other area breweries. The first couple weeks were hit and miss, Sundberg said, but trivia night attendance has started picking up.
LAKES BREWERIES: Page S7
Advertorial
Making Lasting Impressions: Custom Carved Doors from Great River Door By Rebecca Flansburg
When approaching a home, what is the first thing you see? Chances are the answer is the front door. Savvy homeowners know that their front door is more than just a moveable barrier that allows entry; it can be a creative focal point that reflects their personality and style. At Great River Door Company, you can find the craftsmanship & design abilities to produce these unique, one-of-a-kind doors. It was almost 14 years ago, that owners Brent Manley and Mark Erickson created Great River Door Company with a mission to create these high quality, custom carved wood doors. Located on Laurel Street, 2 blocks east of downtown, GRD has quietly been producing one-of-a-kind door units for clients as far away as Alaska and Florida, and almost every state and province in between. With a talented crew of craftsman, led by Gavin Peterson, every door produced features mortise and tenon joinery, high quality woods, and attention to detail like no other. Keeping the operation running smoothly is office manager, Heather Alderman. While still somewhat new to the team, she brings
a wealth of office and communications skills that has been a great addition, not to mention, a wonderful attitude and willingness to help out wherever needed. In the art department, Manley’s trained eye and years of experience in design, take their clients ideas and bring them to life utilizing their unique sand-carving process and taking some designs a step further with hand-carved details throughout. GRD also collaborates with local artisans to produce etched and stained-glass design, and hand-forged iron elements. Manley says, “We are very lucky to have some of the finest glass artisans in the state right out our back door.” Manley and his team enjoy the opportunity to work with each new client, hearing their ideas, and bringing them to life. Manley says, “Not only are we creating a high-quality door that meets their structural needs, we are also creating a dimensional piece of art that will grace their home.” Simply put…and most important, you won’t find a better built door.” To learn more about Great River Door, visit them on the web at http://greatriverdoor.com/ 001614627r1
Custom Doors Shouldn’t your entry door be as unique as you are?
Perhaps no other feature of your home offers the opportunity to express your individuality more than your main entry door. From structural design to carved wood and glass features, Great River Door Company specializes in bringing your ideas to life. Now is the time to get inspired and explore the possibilities of your custom crafted door, but don’t wait too long, custom doors and carvings take extra time to produce. Allow at least 4 months for most doors, or more for something especially unique. Check out our website for more ideas or just give us a call, we welcome the opportunity to create that special door that’s as unique as you!
(877) 825 - 4955 greatriverdoor.com Brainerd, MN
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S3
Progress Edition: Fins, fur and feathers -pets in the office DeLynn Howard Staff Writer For this year’s Progress edition, the Brainerd Dispatch asked our readers about pets in the workplace. We wanted to know if there were petfriendly businesses out there, ones who were OK with the occasional visit from a customer’s beloved pet or perhaps a business owner or employee who brings their pets to work or even pets who are mascots of the business. We never imagined the kind of response we received. Whether it’s fins, fur or feathers, animals in the workplace are loved and welcomed many places in the Brainerd lakes area and beyond. A fine example is Frasier, a clinic cat at Litke’s Veterinary Service in Pierz. Frasier was kind enough to take time out of his busy catnapping schedule to grant us an interview. Q: Hi Frasier! How did you become part of Litke’s Veterinary Service? And how long have you been there? A: My staff had an open house in the summer of 2013 when Litke’s Veterinary Service first opened. I participated in a contest entitled, “Pick A Kitten to be the Litke’s Veterinary Service Clinic Cat.” I did very well in the interview and talent competition, but mostly I was chosen due to my charming personality and good looks! Q: How old are you? A: My birthday is April 8, 2013. For those of you looking for gift ideas, I like catnip, empty boxes and packing material. Q: I see from your Facebook posts, you have a lot of job titles. What’s your favorite job at Litke’s? A: I love being Lost Pet Coordinator and helping families find their lost pets. All of my Facebook peeps are amazing and share my Facebook posts to help reunite pets and their families. I also love being Special Event Coordinator as I love having visitors for trick-or-treating, school class visits and any other special occasion. I also love cheering on my home team — the Pierz Pioneers.
Q: Do you have any siblings, Frasier? If so, tell me about them. A: I do have one half-sister, Dolly, who lives with me here at the clinic. Dolly thinks she is a princess and that she is the prettiest cat in the world. Dolly and I love to greet our clients; we have been known to give hugs, climb into purses and give lots of love. Q: Where is your favorite place to nap? What about Dolly? A: Dolly and I love to nap in the east window in the morning until the sun gets too warm and then we like to nap on the chairs in the exam rooms. My staff has been known to wake us up and move us when there is an appointment. I think this is very rude on their part. Q: What’s one thing that makes you special from other cats? A: I have a couple of things that make me outstanding. I have extra digits on my paws, which makes me a polydactyl. I am able to use my opposable thumbs to post on social media, turn on the water faucet and to play video games (I only play video games at night when I am not on duty at the clinic). Q: How long has Litke’s been in business? A: Litke’s Veterinary Service opened in March 2013. It was just Dr. Litke, myself and two employees at that time but we now have eight employees. Q: Tell me a little bit about the staff you work with at Litke’s. A: Dr. Jamie Litke is the owner and veterinarian; he has been practicing veterinary medicine in the Pierz area for 15 years. He is a great veterinarian with lots of dairy and beef experience and is very compassionate with small animal patients, too. Sometimes, Dr. Litke gets mad at Dolly and I when we are mischievous and high-spirited (he calls it naughty), but he forgives us because we are so loveable. Dr. Maggie Wehseler loves Dolly and I very much as she is a cat person and she is fluent in “kitty speak.” She even likes the “spicy kitties” that come into the
Advertorial
371 Furniture:
New name, new owners, new inventory By Jodie Tweed
Submitted photo
Frasier, the office cat at Litke’s Veterinary Service in Pierz, was busy working on his answers for his interview with Brainerd Dispatch staff writer DeLynn Howard. clinic. Dr. Wehseler is very passionate about working with dairy producers on herd health, calf health and mastitis prevention. Dr. Katelyn Steffens and her dog, Lupin the Wonderpup, just recently moved to Pierz. Dr. Steffens is a great addition to Litke’s Veterinary Service and is seeing large and small animal patients and camelids. Amy Kruse is my office manager; she helps me out on my social media projects, updates my website and keeps all of us on the right track. Amy loves animals and sometimes brings my friend Gracie into work with her. Crystal Ratke is a veterinary technician and she is amazing at remembering pets, their families and what treatments we are following with them. She also keeps everything organized in the lab and surgery suite. Devyn Winkelman is our certified veterinary technician. She is amazing at everything she does and has brought many new ideas to Litke’s Veterinary Service. I love her a lot as she has lots of pets at home including a three-legged kitty named L.B. Holly Battermann is our other veterinary technician. She just recently joined our staff and is doing fantastic in getting to know all of our clients and patients. Ashley Young is our kennel assistant. She helps us out with cleaning, filing, handling freight and helping with
appointments. She is going to be taking online classes this year on her way to a pharmacy degree. Q: If you had to guess, about how many animals are cared for on a daily basis at Litke’s? A: Depending on the day, my staff sees 15-20 small animal patients and 50-200 large animal patients on a daily basis. Every day is different; one day we might have a baby goat or a baby calf in the clinic for IV fluids. Other days, the doctors can see well over 200 large animal patients at a bovine herd health check. Dr. Litke even stitched a laceration on a horse in the garage on a cold winter evening. Q: What is the strangest thing you’ve seen at the clinic since you’ve been there? A: I would have to say the strangest thing I have seen at Litke’s Veterinary Service is their yearly Feline Neuter Clinic. They offer this community service once a year in February. It is their way of giving back to the community to offer a day of reduced prices on their feline neuters and rabies vaccines. I have heard people say what a great thing the neuter clinic is, as after attending this clinic, their cat is less likely to go looking for love in all the wrong places. I am still not sure what that means. Humans can be very weird.
FINS, FUR AND FEATHERS: Page S5
Thank you TO OUR
EMPLOYEES AND BRAINERD LAKES AREA FRIENDS
It’s been almost a year since Dale and Cathy Womeldorf bought the former Fifth Avenue Furniture building two miles north of Baxter on Highway 371, opening 371 Furniture. But some people still may not realize the store is an entirely new furniture store under new ownership. “Things are going well, but we still have people asking us when this store is going out of business,” Dale explains, referring to the previous store’s lengthy final liquidation sale. “We’re a totally new business.” If you haven’t stepped foot into 371 Furniture yet, it’s time to stop and shop. A lifelong Minnesotan who always loved the Brainerd lakes area, Womeldorf had spent 30-plus years on the road as a furniture manufacturing representative and wanted to stop traveling, so he and his wife started their store. Their son, Andrew, has inherited his dad’s rep business and also help’s some with the store too. They also employ two full-time employees in the warehouse and two full-time sales employees. The Womeldorfs understand what customers want, and they’ve made customer service a top priority. If you purchase furniture at 371 Furniture and it’s in stock, it can be delivered the same day. Womeldorf says they’ve had customers who bought furniture and had it delivered within an hour or two. This is one of the many benefits of shopping at a locally-owned family business. “We’re a full-service store that believes in customer service and taking care of our customers with a personal touch,” he says. “We will service you quickly, and that sets us apart from our competition.” 371 Furniture is the only authorized dealer of Flexsteel in the Brainerd lakes area. They carry high quality sofas, recliners, bedroom, living room and dining sets, wall furnishings and more. Their quality solid cedar log furniture is so popular that it can be difficult to keep it in stock. The store carries name-brand furniture for all budgets, from inexpensive futons and mattress sets to Amish wood furniture made by regional vendors. 371 Furniture is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Visit 371Furniture.com
As the new owners of 371 Furniture, we want to say thank you for your patronage and we look forward to serving you now and in the years to come.
Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!
Everything you need for inside your home or cabin
www.flexsteel.com
371 Furniture carries a wide selection of high quality cabin decor.
There is nothing like Flexsteel comfort. Stop in and shop our large selection of reclining furniture, some featuring power reclining & power headrests!
218-828-3020
16413 HWY 371, BRAINERD, MN 56401 2 MILES NORTH OF BAXTER ON HWY 371
001614643r1
371sales@gmail.com HOURS: MON - SAT: 9-6, SUN: 11-4
S4 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
LAKES AREA SETS SAIL From Page S1
Brainerd Mayor Ed Menk said the restaurant provides another option on the west side of the city and hopefully would serve as a draw for other areas of Brainerd as he thanked Tim Hortons for coming to Brainerd. And Canadian license plates, likely from visitors associated with hockey camps, have been seen in the Tim Hortons drive-thru. Universally, the Timbits have not disappointed. Durigon said he thought with the opening and time to prepare, they’d be ready for the summer onslaught. Sales of Timbits, Tim Hortons’ doughnut holes, were amazing, Durigon said of the Brainerd site, and coffee was growing daily. Beyond being a restaurant stop, Durigon said they wanted to be part of the community. “It just feels like the demographics and character of the town feels a lot like Canada,” Durigon said of the Canadian-
CRAFT BREWING CRAZE From Page S2
Trombley got started with homebrewing after helping a cousin brew beer using an extract kit, he said. “This doesn’t seem so hard,” Trombley said. “With an extract kit, if you know how to make mac and cheese, you can brew beer.” His cousin ended up moving to Hawaii, Trombley said, and when he left, he left his brewing equipment with Trombley. “It never felt like a hobby, it felt like something different,” Trombley said. “The passion was there.” Other breweries let Trombley shadow them when they’re brewing, Guttormson said, which has been helpful. Trombley has never brewed on a scale like this before, so seeing how it’s done has provided great experience. Trombley visited Talking Waters Brewing Company in Montevideo, where he couldn’t stop asking questions, Trombley said. They let him take a turn stirring mash in a brewing kettle using an oversized paddle. Eventually, they asked Trombley if he needed a break from stirring. “No, don’t take me out,” Trombley said. “It was a fantastic day.” Guttormson has introduced himself at the other area breweries, he said, and the brewers have been friendly and helpful. Chuck Martin, brewer at Roundhouse Brewery, has been especially helpful,
PROGRESS EDITION
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based Tim Hortons. “It just felt like it was a good area to locate. We thought a lot of Brainerd, putting it in our top five. It just felt like it was a good area to locate.”
Inside Progress Inside the pages of this year’s Progress edition there are numerous stories of such beginnings, of entrepreneurs and neighbors, of pets making a more welcoming workplace and of dreams launched or family traditions continuing. There will undoubtedly be surprises as small companies often are little known for their expansive reach beyond the lakes area borders even as they reach across the nation and reach international markets. But assuredly, the Brainerd lakes area is home to myriad businesses excelling in a wide range of industries on a local, national and global level.
Video and DispatchCast podcasts In addition to the printed page, the Dispatch has compiled additional ways to Trombley said. “Every single brewer I’ve talked to has been nothing but helpful,” Trombley said. “I don’t know what I’d do without them.” A lot of the help from other brewers comes in the form of little things, Guttormson said, like asking them where they get their glassware. Trombley attended a three-day class in Portland, Ore., on how to use the brewing equipment. The brewing system is a five-barrel system with 10-barrel tanks, so the brewery can brew double batches of beer. This equates to 310 gallons of beer per batch. “We’re thinking we’re going to be real busy this summer,” Guttormson said. “We wanted to have enough capacity to try and meet the demand.” The plan is to open with three different beers, Trombley said, because there are three available fermenters. There will probably be a blonde ale and a pale ale as well as an amber or a brown ale. “I’m leaning more toward the brown (ale),” Trombley said. “It seems like people are asking for a lot of stouts and porters.” There hasn’t been much thought put into beer names yet, but Guttormson said they could use local landmarks or lake names. The brewery name came from a brainstorming session with friends, he said. Logjam was another option, he said, but 14 Lakes felt like a better fit. “14 Lakes represents the community and what’s going on right around this spot,” Guttormson said.
Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch
The HJ Development starts to take shape for a 89,179-square-foot multi-tenant building at 13499 Elmwood Drive on previously 8.87 acres of undeveloped land between Costco and J.C. Penney Co. experience these stories through videos and the Dispatch podcast — DispatchCast. We urge readers, viewers and listeners to take advantage of experiencing these
stories through multiple mediums. Go to www.brainerddispatch.com for a link at the bottom of the Dispatch homepage to view videos and connect with podcasts.
Someone suggested hanging black and white photos of the community in the taproom, Guttormson said. There are plans for a large mural of the Whitefish Chain as well, he said. The brewery will start by selling 64-ounce growlers, Guttormson said, and may look into smaller-sized growlers as well as “crowlers,” which are growler-sized cans. The plan is to start with taproom sales before thinking about distribution, he said. There will be sample flights available at the taproom as well. The brewery includes a large outdoor patio with outdoor games and a fire pit, and will be dog-friendly.
To start, Guttormson will keep his day job delivering food for Arnie’s Meats and Seafoods, which his father started. Trombley and assistant brewer Johnny Durham both work at Clow Stamping Company. They love everything about brewing, and Durham said it’s not a chore to do it. “There’s always room for experimentation in this,” Trombley said. “It’s fun to just see what else you can come up with.” SPENSER BICKETT may be reached at 218-855-5859 or spenser.bickett@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/spenserbickett.
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Brewer Dan Trombley (right) and brewer’s assistant Johnny Durham talk about the training they’ve done for the new equipment at 14 Lakes Craft Brewing Company in Crosslake.
Advertorial
Holden Electric Celebrates 60 Years
ELECTRIC CO., INC.
Celebrating 60 Years of Service WISHING ALL OUR HARD-WORKING EMPLOYEES & AMERICANS
HAPPY LABOR DAY
written by Jodie Tweed offices in both locations. Today the company has expanded with over 75 employees. Rick credits the company’s longevity and success to the talented IBEW electricians and experienced office staff. Holden employees are continually undergoing training to keep up with new codes and technology. An emphasis on safety has helped the company succeed. As Holden Electric works on so many retail developments, schools, hospitals, street lighting projects, factories, etc., the company is often perceived to be the big commercial contractor in the Brainerd lakes area. But Holden Electric’s service department does an excellent job of tackling short calls on a daily basis, including on the residential side by performing electrical contracting for many new homes and remodels. Holden Electric also has expanded into the data, security and fire alarm department, offering these services for residential and commercial properties. Celebrating 60 years this Labor Day is quite an honor, not just for Rick Osbakken, but also for the outstanding employees that have been part of this long-standing company. As the company continues to grow, including into the Duluth market, it remains committed to the Brainerd lakes area for the next 60 years and beyond.
Holden Electric has been a premier electrical contractor in the Brainerd Lakes Region since 1957. Agate Electric opened in 1999 along Minnesota’s North Shore and grew to be one of the largest in that region. Holden Electric in Baxter is now the Corporate Headquarters for both businesses and we couldn’t be prouder. Our strength of over 75 employees allows us to serve customers throughout our region.
We are a Full Service Commercial and Residential Electrical Contractor
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Our Guarantee of Quality Holden Electric Co., Inc. is committed to providing the best electrical and technical solutions for our customers through quality, value, and service. We strive to implement a long-term relationship with our customers based on safety, prompt service and anticipating our customers’ needs. To guarantee quality, we continually invest in training and education for our workforce and give our employees the proper tools and equipment for every job.
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Holden Electric was founded in 1957 by Ted Holden with a man and a truck. Holden Electric has since grown to be a larger electrical contractor based in the Brainerd lakes area, contributing to our community’s economic growth throughout the years. In 1991 Tim Holden bought the business from his dad after working for him since he was a kid. Tim brought in several new customers himself and built a new office warehouse in the Baxter Industrial Park on College Drive in 1996. Tim took on several large projects, including the new Mills Ford Dealership, the Central Lakes College addition, St Joseph Medical Center addition and Potlatch Corporation, just to name a few. He grew the company to 30-plus regular employees, peaking at 50 to 60 employees during busy times. In 2014 Tim sought to retire and sold his company to Rick Osbakken on Jan. 1, 2015. Tim chose Rick as he was not a stranger; Rick started his apprenticeship at Holden Electric in 1990 and became a foreman just a few years after becoming a licensed electrician. Rick did leave Holden and gained 15-plus years of electrical contracting experience as he founded Agate Electric in 1999 in his hometown of Two Harbors. When Rick purchased Holden Electric in 2015, he decided to make Agate Electric a division of Holden Electric to continue to serve both Central and Northern Minnesota with full service
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PROGRESS EDITION
Mascots of Carlson Hardware
FINS, FUR AND FEATHERS
Carlson Hardware of Nisswa has mascots. We have two dogs and a fish tank. Our dogs have even made it on our billboard, banners, postcards and stickers.
From Page S3
The day of the clinic is pretty catastrophic as there are so many cats in kennels waiting their turn. I still don’t really understand what neuter is, I really should Google it after my nap. Every time I think about it, I feel like I am missing something. Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add, Frasier? A: My staff is amazing and work together as a team to take care of livestock and pets. I love being around them and they like each other enough that they hang out together after work, cheering on Dr. Litke and the Lastrup Lakers baseball team. I love my team.
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Browser, the library cat at the Pine River Public Library, likes to greet the first person in the library every morning.
Browser the library cat I was just reading your article in the Dispatch. I am the branch manager of the Pine River Public Library, home of Browser the library cat. He has been with us since we moved into the building and we are celebrating our 15th year. Browser will be 16 this fall and was a stray that came to us in the spring before the library moved to its present location. He loves children and lots of attention. He always greets the first person through the door in the morning. - Muriel Erickson, branch manager at Pine River Public Library
Barrett Petfood Innovations has taste-testing committee It was recently brought to our attention you were looking for office/workplace mascots. Barrett Petfood Innovations 001617077r2
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The Barrett Petfood Innovations (BPI) taste testing committee includes Joey (left), Rem, Ella, Surly and Charlie. taste-testing committee includes Joey, Rem, Ella, Surly and Charlie. Joey and Rem are brothers and fulltime employees of BPI. Charlie plays big brother to these two troublemakers and is also a full-time employee. Their daily duties include greeting employees and guests, morning naps, playing tug of war, late morning naps, waiting for BPI owner Mike to give them their daily treat, early afternoon naps, giving sad faces to get more treats and attention, afternoon naps and taste-testing new products. Occasionally they escape from their respective offices to run up and down the halls of the office causing mass chaos or, in Charlie’s case, checking to see if anyone has left out their lunch. Surly and Ella are part-time employees. Their duties include weekly office visits to boost employee moral and constant new product testing. These two spend most of their time across the road, in the comfort of their home, watching the comings and goings of BPI. They are sure to alert everyone in the surrounding area if something suspicious is happening. Each dog represents a different type of consumer. Ella is our resident oneeyed dog, and due to her allergies, she tests our hypoallergenic diets. Surly is a rescue dog who is finicky and selective when it comes to his food. Charlie is our choosy Labrador retriever, selecting only the freshest, most expensive foods. Rem and Joey are our standard Labradors, consuming anything edible. As a manufacturer of pet food and avid pet lovers, we enjoy the benefits of having pets in the office, even if there is dog hair all over the chairs. They brighten our day. Plus, our customers love them; most of our customers know the dogs by name and bring them little treats when they visit. — Sarah Barrett, co-managing director/operations and quality, Barrett Petfood Innovations, Brainerd
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John Dundas, owner of Vapor North, said he and his life partner, Melissa Plotnick, are ‘animal people.’ Dundas is pictured with Buddy, a rescue dog they took in recently from a family who couldn’t handle him. Submitted photo
Ellie and Mel, mascots of Carlson Hardware in Nisswa, enjoyed sharing a rope toy. Ellie Mae Pee Poo Carlson, otherwise known as just Ellie, is our 3-year-old bulldog. She loves people and popcorn. So, if you are enjoying popcorn at our store, don’t be surprised to have someone following you. She knows the basic tricks like sit, down, shake and speak. But when popcorn is involved, she will try to do all four for a tasty treat. Melody Zippy Carlson is our other dog. Mostly just called Mel, our daughter picked her from Heartland Animal Rescue Team last fall. I think the dog picked us just as much as we picked her.
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Reggie, a 15-year-old Sheltie, belonged to John Dundas and Melissa Plotnick of Vapor North. Reggie, who was loved by customers, passed away a few months ago.
We think she is a “cursset,” part basset hound and part black mouth cur. She is shy at the store and runs around with a nervous bandana on to give customer a heads-up when approaching her. And at home, she is the most loving, active little dog you could ask for. — Kari Carlson, Carlson Hardware, Nisswa
‘We are truly animal people’ I own and operate Vapor North, along with my life partner Melissa Plotnick. She actually runs the place, as I have another full-time job. Melissa brings the dogs to work most days. Nelson is our 15-year-old beagle who has become a fixture at the shop. He barks at customers and leads them to the treats. Buddy is our recent rescue from a family that couldn’t handle him. He has been with us a couple of weeks. He is a terrier mix. Reggie was our 15-year-old sheltie who passed away a couple of months ago. He was loved by customers as well. They add a lot of life to the shop and really seem to love all the attention. Melissa is an amazing animal person and has a gift for training them and getting them to behave. We also have five cats, one of which we are keeping for a customer until he gets a home where he can have the cat again. We are truly animal people. Sometimes I think we would both rather spend time with animals than people. Haha! — John Dundas, Vapor North
FINS, FUR AND FEATHERS: Page S6
Advertorial
Widseth Smith Nolting Designing Future for Area Schools By Sheila Helmberger
Widseth Smith Nolting (WSN) is designing the next wave of school facilities in the Brainerd lakes area. The Baxterbased engineering and architectural firm has completed the expansion of Pillager School, adding an impressive 64,000 square feet of space including a large commons area used by both the school and greater community. “That is what really aligns with the mission at WSN,” said architect Erica Marcussen. “We want to enhance our immediate environment and provide better opportunities for the community we live in.” Marcussen said WSN has school projects underway in Brainerd, Crosby and Crosslake, as well as the next phase in Pillager. Brainerd has 12 school facilities in the area WSN is working with to further develop and implement the long-range comprehensive plan for
improving the schools and enriching the education they facilitate. “We want to look at 21st century learning and how we can best utilize the current spaces and increase their flexibility for the future,” Marcussen said. With rapidly evolving changes in technology and the ability to incorporate those improvements into classroom education, Marcussen said WSN’s goal is to make technology easily accessible throughout the facilities. “We have to consider the world these students live in and how much technology is a part of their lives as well as how that should look in the classroom,” Marcussen said. In addition to the Brainerd schools plan, architect Mike Angland is particularly excited about the prospects of a WSNdesigned charter school in Crosslake. Angland said Crosslake Community Charter School needed a firm that could
think creatively to design something that serves the school and the community at large. The new building concept is multifaceted with plans to incorporate a love for learning right into the structure with features like an indoor gardening area and exposed structural features to show a real-life model behind the science of engineering. “It’s not just four walls and a roof,” Angland said. “It’s part of their educational space.” As part of the process, Architectural Designer Ashley Martel drew up conceptual renderings and animations to help community members visualize the new school even before it breaks ground. Angland said WSN makes it their focus to be imaginative when it comes to their projects and bring exciting, creative building concepts to life. “We feel like that expertise is why people reach out to us.”
Erica Marcussen, Architect
Mike Angland, Architect, VP
Ashley Martel, Architectural Designer
S6 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
FINS, FUR AND FEATHERS From Page S5
PROGRESS EDITION
by our customers as the “DMV Dogs.” Our mascots are Boston, an 11-yearold golden retriever, and Shotley, a 3-year-old Irish setter. We call them our Walmart greeters. — Donny and Traci Vosen
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Fins and fur of Good Karma We recently relocated to Brainerd. My company is Good Karma Skincare and we are located in the Franklin Arts Center. Izzy is our dog and she is in the office now and then. She is always a day brightener.
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According to Jason Kottke of Northridge Insurance Agency, his 8-year-old yellow lab, Rocky, doesn’t have the best work ethic.
Rocky has questionable work ethic Rocky is an 8-year-old yellow lab that comes to work a couple days a week with me at Northridge Insurance Agency. Rocky doesn’t have the best work ethic, as he spends most of his day napping under my desk, but does enjoy greeting guests and begging the staff for food at lunch time. — Jason Kottke, Northridge Insurance Agency, Inc., Brainerd
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Nyani belongs to Deb Piepgras of Lakeland Veterinary Hospital. Nyani likes to entertain everyone while at work.
Nyani is ‘naughty’ I work at Lakeland Veterinary Hospital in Baxter and we have a resident cat named Nyani who belongs to Dr. Deb Piepgras. She’s a 10-month-old domestic shorthair kitty who joined our team in March. She’s a great morale booster as well as entertainment for the staff. Nyani lives in our treatment area and loves to greet all of our patients although she is a little too curious for her own good, which is also why she has been given the name Naughty (which she happily responds to). — Roxie Olson, Lakeland Veterinary Hospital, Baxter
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Angelfish Adonis and Athena (far right) are the “stars of the fish tank” at Good Karma Skincare in Brainerd. Our fish tank is 5 feet long and Adonis and Athena the angelfish are the stars. I love our fish, so relaxing to watch. — Cynthia Ransom, N.D., traditional naturopath founder and potionmaster, Good Karma Skincare
Ninja Turtles are in Brainerd Leo and Mikey are the “Ninja Turtles” of Port Group Homes. These guys hang out in their tank at our office and entertain all who walk by. Our residents look forward to seeing them and love to stop and say hello. Leo and Mikey can often be found stretched out on their heated rock, soaking up the warmth. We love having these guys here. — Rhian Hardee, Port Group Homes
Dogs welcome at Elite Title Those of us at Elite Title in Baxter all own animals and many of us have two to three dogs each. We love to have dogs attend closings and welcome them into our office while their owners buy or sell property. Occasionally, Rico, a rescued adopted 5-pound Chihuahua accompanies his owner, Kelly, to work and quietly sleeps under her desk. Elite Title, Baxter
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Brainerd License Office employees Teresa Dobbs (left), Jess Kruse, Mindy Beach, Meaghan Keehr and Theresa Stocco, are pictured with Boston and Shotley.
Do you know the DMV Dogs? We manage the Brainerd License Office and have been bringing our dogs to work daily with us since 2007. Our dogs are the office mascots (but unfortunately are the only animals allowed in our building) and are known
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Izzy is the day brightener at Good Karma Skincare, according to owner Cynthia Ransom.
20-year-old Daisy May. Daisy May was my mom’s cat. I lost my mom to cancer on July 6, 2011. My mom, Carol Ann (Shanks) Boyd, was a wonderful and very talented woman. She loved antiques, to decorate and make handmade gifts for family and friends. My mom was a nurse for over 40 years and loved taking care of people. “Once a nurse, always a nurse,” she used to say. Daisy May was with my mom 24 hours a day and they took very good care of each other. Daisy and I miss my mom every day. I am so blessed that she was able to watch my dream of The Olde Open Window come true. She loved spending time here and everywhere she went, she was promoting the shoppe. I have a feeling that Mom had something to do with me bringing Daisy May to the shoppe. It’s like having my mom here with me every day. She would be very happy to know that her cat is happy now too. Meet Eva, our second shop cat. I adopted Eva in January 2014 as a kitten and she was just what I needed as I started the next chapter in my life. Eva loves to sit in the window and watch the birds and wait for customers to come in. She also loves children, getting her belly rubbed and showing customers around the shop. Eva got her name from a line of jewelry that I carry in the shop. I remember after I went to market for the first time, I showed my mom the “Lenny & Eva” catalog and after she looked at it, she said that I had to carry this line in my shop because everyone needs positive sentiments in their life. My mom always had handwritten positive quotes around the house and both of us have always had a special place in our heart for animals. Eva has been a great addition to our shop. — Lynda Boyd, The Olde Open Window, Brainerd
The shop cats of The Olde Open Window
FOR YOUR
INFO For additional photos of area pets in the workplace, visit www.brainerddispatch.com.
I would like to introduce you to
Advertorial
Fresh Ideas to Eat More Fish:
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• Nationwide Shipping • Fresh Fish Delivered Daily • Smoked Fish • Fresh & Frozen Walleye • Gourment Cheese and Grocery
• Homemade Deli Salads • Frozen Fish & Seafood • Best Pricing on Crab & Lobster in the Area • Dry Ice • Baxter Market Sushi Fridays
TWO LOCATIONS:
HWY 371, BAXTER • 218-829-8248 | HWY 10, MOTLEY • 218-352-2110 Next to Von Hanson’s Meats
Open 7 days a week • www.moreysmarkets.com
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By Rebecca Flansburg
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General Manager Paul Burton. Burton also shared that Morey’s Much has changed in the Brainerd has earned a reputation for providing lakes area since 1937, but one thing has premium quality signature offerings remained the same -- Morey’s Seafood like fresh walleye and lake fish, crab, Market has had a place at America’s shrimp, lobster and even Lojrom Caviar table for nearly eight decades. Located to locals and visitors from all across the on Highway 371 North next to Von U.S. Their retail location in Baxter is Hanson’s Meats, Morey’s has been proalso stocked with exceptional cheeses, viding seafood appreciators with the crackers, spices, sauces and over 20 quality, consistency and tastiness that types of deli salads that are made fresh keeps them coming back for more. every day. For seafood lovers who don’t As a family-owned and operated have the time to cook, the Morey’s Seabusiness, the Frank family has never food Food Truck (located just outside lost sight of their mission to provide their Baxter location from May to midconsumers with restaurant quality fish September) is stocked with crowdand seafood that can go from their pleasing, take-n-go lunch options like freezer to fork in just minutes. Together hot fish tacos, crispy walleye sandwichthe family’s two locations, Motley and es and East Coast lobster rolls. Baxter, offer mouth-watering healthy “We are committed to delivering and delicious seafood products and a delicious, convenient and healthy fish variety of smoked products including and seafood to our customers, options smoked salmon, lake trout and whitethat go way beyond what you might fish. expect to find in the freezer section “What sets us apart from the at a typical store,” Burton concluded. competition is not only that we bring “Our goal is to change the way you view in product fresh on a daily basis, but seafood.” it’s the fact that our staff is on hand To learn more about Morey’s Seafood and always ready help customers with Market, find them on Facebook or visit helpful cooking and buying hints, inthem on the web at https://moreysformation about today’s health issues markets.com. and delicious seafood recipes,” noted
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LAKES BREWERIES From Page S2
Cask Thursdays, a recurring event at the old location, has been put on hiatus following the move, Sundberg said. Cask Thursdays involved carbonating beer in a cask with sugar, instead of in a brite tank. The brewer then added a new flavor to vary the taste of the cask beer. The new location allows the brewery to do infusions with kegged beer as well as casks, Sundberg said. The brewery will still experiment with infusions, he said, and those beers can go on tap in the taproom or in a cask. The brewery has four full-time employees and 11 part-time employees. The new location is busier in the middle of the week, Sundberg said, which means there’s more shifts for part-time employees to work.
Gull Dam Brewing The first brewery to take up residence in Nisswa, Gull Dam Brewing, opened in October 2014, founded by owners Mark and Barb Anderson. The brewery’s distribution has expanded tremendously since last summer, Mark Anderson said. Gull Dam Brewing beer is on tap in more than 120 establishments, mostly in the Twin Cities area, he said. It’s a popular beer among metro residents familiar with the Brainerd lakes area, he said. “It’s an easy sell to bring the Brainerd lakes area down to the Twin Cities,” Anderson said. The production projection for this year is a little more than 2,000 barrels, which is about double last year’s production. He credited the beer’s growth to a beer consultant who brought a chemistry background to the Gull Dam Brewing process. He hopes to start canning the beer by the end of this year as well. The brewery consistently has eight to nine beers on tap, Anderson said, which is right where he likes it. If there are more beer options, he said, people get overwhelmed. There are 12 employees, between fulltime and part-time employees. Thanks to an outdoor stage added in May 2016, the brewery hosts live music every Friday and Saturday night, Anderson said. The brewery also started hosting a wood-fired pizza food truck. In July, the brewery started selling growlers on Sundays, Anderson said, and so far, sales have been limited. It’s more of a convenience purchase for someone already visiting the taproom on Sunday for a pint, he said.
Big Axe Brewing Company Nisswa’s second brewery, Big Axe
Brewing Company, opened in May 2015 and earlier this summer celebrated its second anniversary. In the past year, the brewery acquired the adjoining Happy Camper Cafe, owner Chris French said. He added a couple new brewing tanks to upgrade production capacity, as well as a small canning line. The production projection for this year is 400-500 barrels, he said. The beer is on tap on a full-time or rotating basis at a few different establishments in the Brainerd lakes area, French said. There are seven kinds of beer available in cans at a few different liquor stores in the Brainerd lakes area and in Minneapolis. Canned beer is another way to get Big Axe beer in the hands of beer drinkers throughout the area. “It shows other people what we have and also just give another option for it,” French said. “So far, it’s been received well.” The brewery has been hosting Trivia Mafia trivia nights, first on Wednesdays and now on Thursdays, for over a year. There’s also live music occasionally. The Nisswa City Council in July 2016 allowed the brewery to sell growlers on Sundays. It’s nice to have the boost in revenue from Sunday growler sales, French said, but it’s even nicer to not have to answer to the question about Sunday growler sales anymore. “We’re just as happy that we can make our customers happy,” French said. “We don’t have to turn them away when they come in on a Sunday.” There are about 25 employees between the brewery and the restaurant, French said, most of which are part-time.
Roundhouse Brewery Roundhouse Brewery in Brainerd opened its doors in April 2016 in the Northern Pacific Center. It’s the first brewery to operate in Brainerd in about 100 years, according to the Crow Wing County Historical Society. Mark Lelwica, co-owner and president, said the beer is now on tap in about 45 establishments in the area, including a few in St. Cloud. The brewery recently started canning its beer, he said, and the beer is available in cans in about 20-25 area liquor stores. The brewery’s distributor, C&L Distributing, has helped expand the brewery’s reach. The brewery doesn’t have canning equipment, Lelwica said, so a mobile canning business visits the brewery once a month to can beer. There’s two beers available in cans so far, with a third to launch in September. From April to December 2016, the brewery produced 230 barrels of beer, Lelwica said. The production goal for 2017 is 500 barrels, he said, more than doubling the production from 2016.
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“(We want) a lot more capacity, as we get more efficient at what we’re doing,” Lelwica said. “There’s learning curves with everything.” The brewery started hosting trivia nights on Wednesdays, put on by Trivia Mafia, which hosts trivia nights throughout the state, as well as at other area breweries. The brewery also hosts monthly Traveling Art Pub events, Lelwica said, as well as live music, meetings and gatherings. There are about a dozen beers on tap at any time, Lelwica said, as well as a variety of non-alcoholic options, including lemonade and root beer. The brewery has 10 employees, including brewer Chuck Martin, who now has an assistant. A taproom manager fills a variety of different roles, Lelwica said.
Cuyuna Brewing Company The craft brewing craze came to Crosby when Cuyuna Brewing Company opened Jan. 27 in a 100-year-old building on Main Street. When the brewery opened, owner Nick Huisinga and his wife were still living in Willmar. They would drive to Crosby Thursday night after Huisinga got off work and run the brewery from Thursday to Sunday before driving back to Willmar. After a couple months, Huisinga realized they could no longer run the brewery part-time. He and his wife moved into an apartment above a downtown Crosby business around the end of April and have ran the brewery full-time ever since. The brewery is now open seven days a week, which will be the case from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Huisinga hasn’t started distributing beer to bars and restaurants because it’s been hard enough to produce enough beer for the taproom. Memorial Day and the Fourth of July left the brewery with only a few beers on tap, so Huisinga doesn’t plan on distributing beer until the fall or winter. It depends on the week, but Huisinga is brewing two to three times a week. “There’s a couple beers that we can’t ever keep on tap,” Huisinga said. “I’ll brew a batch and it’ll be gone in two weeks.” So far, Huisinga has brewed about 132 barrels of beer in the first six months, which is much more than he thought he’d be doing. At this point, Huisinga thought he’d still be working his fulltime job and running the brewery parttime. It’s a lot of work, but better than the alternative of not being able to sell enough beer to cover expenses, he said. “When you’re selling that much, you’re not really needing that other job,” Huisinga said. “But also, you’re having to work more, because there’s that much more brewing and cleaning to do.”
There are about 10 part-time employees who cover shifts in the taproom, Huisinga said. His wife covers accounting and ordering, while he’s the only backroom production employee.
Local Artisan Brewery One brewery in last year’s Progress Edition failed to open after running into issues with its location. Jessica and Jesse Bleichner were planning to open the Local Artisan Brewery in a first-floor space in the Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd. They wanted to experiment with much smaller batches than other breweries in the area. In fall 2016, the Brainerd City Council went through the process of amending the city’s liquor zone map to allow the brewery in the mixed-use facility. Brainerd Public Schools issued its opposition to the location, based on its policy prohibiting drugs and alcohol in school facilities. The district’s lease covers the auditorium, cafeteria area and gymnasiums, and also references common areas. Because of the district’s opposition to the brewery’s location, the Bleichners did not open their brewery and did not find a new location for it. Jessica Bleichner said via email they are keeping their eyes open for another location, but are not rushing into it. “We are hopeful that eventually we’ll have The LAB in operation, and full of amazing local goodness,” Bleichner wrote. “Using as many local resources as possible will always be the focus of our business plan. We are patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to put it into action.” SPENSER BICKETT may be reached at 218-855-5859 or spenser.bickett@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/spenserbickett.
FOR YOUR
INFO
Timeline of Brainerd lakes area breweries January 2013 -- Jack Pine Brewery opens. October 2014 -- Gull Dam Brewing opens. May 2015 -- Big Axe Brewing Company opens. April 2016 -- Roundhouse Brewery opens. January 2017 -- Cuyuna Brewing Company opens. Spring 2017 -- Planned opening for Local Artisan Brewery. May 2017 -- Opening of new Jack Pine Brewery location. September 2017 -- Planned opening for 14 Lakes Craft Brewing Company.
Advertorial
From a Rock and a Hammer to Gems and a Loupe
By Sue Smith-Grier There is nothing quite as satisfying and inspirational as a good story about simple beginnings that blossom into unimaginable realities. Such is the story of E.L. Menk Jewelers. The seed was planted when Ed Menk’s grandfather handed little Ed his old dollar pocket watch.One day Ed found a pretty rock and decided to break it open with his dad’s hammer. That cost him a trip to the doctor. The rock splintered and a piece got into Ed’s eye. Ed cites these two incidents as the foundation for his journey into the fine jewelry business. He studied watchmaking at St. Paul Technical School and from there apprenticed with Morgan’s Jewelry in Winona, MN, for two years. His dedication to excellence was rewarded with the Harold Donkersgoed Award for achieving the highest score in the Minnesota licensing exam. He also met and married his beautiful wife, Susan, during this time. Ed and Susan finally settled in Brainerd, where Ed worked for Bud’s Jewelry for a few years before purchasing Ron’s Jewelry on their 9th wedding anniversary. The store was named Watchmakers Jewelry but was changed to E.L. Menk Jewelers due to significant changes in the watch industry. E.L. Menk Jewelers has been housed
in the historic Parker Building since 1984. From their humble beginnings, they are now known throughout the region for being full service jewelers. From watch making to designing and creating custom pieces of fine jewelry, Ed Menk’s skill is appreciated by all his loyal customers. The jewelry industry has seen tremendous advances in materials and techniques in the design and manufacture of jewelry pieces. When you step into E.L. Menk’s Jewelers, you’ll be captivated by the vast array of choices available. In diamonds alone, the establishment has options to suit every budget. You can choose from naturally-mined diamonds from around the world, or you can opt for the lab grown variety. If you are looking for something particularly unique, have a conversation with Ed or his staff and let them guide you through making the decision that fits your style and personality. The friendly service, wealth of information, experience and artistry will have you coming back for all your watch and jewelry needs. Stop in today and brighten your life with something beautiful!
Corner of 7th & Laurel • Downtown Brainerd 829-7266 www.elmenkjewelers.com
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LABOR DAY 2017
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b r a i n e r d www.brainerddispatch.com
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Serving the Brainerd Lakes Area and Central Minnesota since 1881
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
Renee Richardson/ Brainerd Dispatch
Dan Anderson, Hockey House owner, sharpens a blade on a hockey skate at his downtown Brainerd business. Customers come in during the summer for blade sharpening but in the winter Hockey House can sharpen 100 pairs of skates per day.
Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch
Dan and Amy Anderson moved their Hockey House business from Washington Street to downtown Brainerd last year looking to find a small business community atmosphere.
Progress: Making downtown a destination
Renee Richardson Managing Editor erception can be like the Indian parable of six blind men and the elephant. In the parable, six blind men go to see an elephant. Each describes the portion of the giant creature they touch and thus observe. Each has a limited scope — only feeling the supple trunk to imagine a serpent, or a tusk and envisioning a spear, or a broadside solid as a wall, a flapping ear like a fan, or a tail like a rope. They each experience a small part, yet it drives their overall impression. At best it represents an incomplete view of reality. But there is no doubt, it’s an inaccurate picture of what actually exists. The readers of the parable are in on it from the beginning because they know an elephant is much more than the sum of its parts. Flawed perceptions can plague many things, including communities and downtowns. Those who have spent decades downtown and those who are recent newcomers have both heard it all. Nothing downtown but bars. No reason to venture there. Nothing but boarded up storefronts. Nowhere to park. And for those who are long-time denizens or new shopkeepers downtown, not a true picture. Dan and Amy Anderson heard questions about their plans to relocate their Hockey House business a handful of blocks to the west from the high visibility of their store on Brainerd’s main thoroughfare of West Washington Street. “I just think a lot of people don’t get out and walk downtown,” Dan Anderson said of perceptions. “I think if they did it would change.” Both Dan and Amy Anderson grew up in Brainerd and worked downtown for
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Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch
Along South Sixth Street some 11,000 vehicles are counted per day traveling through downtown Brainerd, according to figures from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. years. They first opened their business in the summer of 2012 and found a following with hockey supplies, equipment and service along with clothing and gift items that appeal well beyond hockey enthusiasts. With their move downtown
on Laurel Street in the former Art and Frame space, they saw an opportunity to be part of something in their hometown, a small business neighborhood. “We both wanted to get back to an almost community feel,” Dan Anderson
said, adding they wanted to be able to walk across the street and know their neighbors. “We both are from Brainerd. We both grew up here, too, and that meant a lot too to be able to come back and build off what has already been established here by the existing businesses, just add to them. “We are just excited to be here and be part of something, to be part of the history of Brainerd.” Are there still bars in downtown Brainerd, vacant storefronts and buildings in need of an upgrade? Yes. But Dan Anderson said that’s far from what makes up downtown Brainerd. Recently, the 612 Station restaurant opened on Front Street and another restaurant in the process of renovating the former Blue Ox Bar on Laurel Street. Just down the block, brothers Nick and Joe Phelps renovated the interiors of three storefronts with Vaenn Har Hair Studio, the Lakes Area Music Festival offices and the Crossing Arts Alliance. Workers were putting finishing touches on the blue-awning fronted Phelps’ building in August. These new enterprises and others join a number of going concerns that have been part of downtown for decades making up retail, offices, and eateries dotting the downtown area. “I think people just need to give it a shot, just come down and see,” Dan Anderson said. “I believe it is headed in the right direction, people are interested in downtown.” Amy Anderson said when they told their customers about the move a lot of them said they hadn’t been downtown in years. But they were going to the post office, or Music General or Bridge of Harmony.
MAKING DOWNTOWN: Page S10
Searching for spaces: A look at area parking Spenser Bickett Staff Writer Spend enough time in meetings about developing downtown Brainerd and a common refrain arises: there’s not enough parking. It’s often cited as the reason why shoppers choose to drive to the malls in Brainerd or big box stores in Baxter
to shop. Those locations offer acres of open parking spaces, in contrast to the on-street parking or parking lots in the core of downtown Brainerd. To put some numbers to this theory, this Brainerd Dispatch reporter conducted a semi-scientific study of this issue.
SEARCHING FOR SPACES: Page S15
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Brainerd Dispatch reporter Spenser Bickett measures the distance from a parking space by E.L. Menk Jewelers to Coco Moon in downtown Brainerd.
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MAKING DOWNTOWN From Page S9
“It’s just changing their thinking,” Dan Anderson said. “It’s kind of fun because a lot of them are coming down here more often,” Amy Anderson said. The move downtown, they said, has worked out well. And as for that rubric about no parking, Dan Anderson said there are plenty of places to park and accessibility to traffic coming from all directions. “You need people to come down here, but you need a reason for them to come down,” he said. “Hopefully, we are one of the reasons for them to come down.” Down the block, the young people the Hockey House is bringing downtown with their parents is being noticed. The Gallery has been part of downtown Brainerd since 1971. The eclectic gift shop features new clothing, jewelry, greeting cards, Frisbee golf discs, gifts and music. And as a reward to those who kept their turntables and their record collections, vinyl is once again outselling CDs. Jessica Doud, The Gallery manager, has been working at the store for 15 years. She started as a summer staffer when she was 16 and came back to it after a short stint away. “It’s the best thing I could ever have done for myself,” she said, smiling as she set up a new store display with music playing in the background. “This place is my life. I love it.” Doud lived in downtown Brainerd for eight years in addition to working there. The Gallery is bordered by E.L. Menk and Bridge of Harmony. They feel like a team, Doud said. “It’s like a little community,” she said. “We all kind of watch out for each other. We take turns shoveling each others sidewalks. … The people that have been down here a long time want nothing but the best for this space.” Doud said the Hockey House has been a good addition. “It brings a different clientele downtown,” she said, adding people come into The Gallery and ask them if they are a new store and how long they’ve been open. Try 46 years. Doud said things have changed over the years. Clothing has expanded and they seek to bring in gifts and inventory not found in big box retail stores. For downtown to thrive, even grow, Doud said the more businesses they have downtown the more people will have a reason to come downtown and see what they may have overlooked for a number of years. “We’ve seen a lot of things change
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around us but our customers still keep coming,” Doud said. “We’re making sure this place isn’t going anywhere.”
Fresh starts Downtown Brainerd has seen its share of revitalization efforts. Plans and people have come and gone. Great downtown fires, including modern blazes that altered the landscape in 1987 and 1991, changed the city. As did the exodus of major downtown retail anchors like Montgomery Ward and J.C. Penney with the construction of the first mall in Brainerd on the city’s east side. Then came the body blows of the Westgate Mall and, finally, the Highway 371 bypass. Then and now there were decisions questioned, such as the destruction of the Brainerd railroad depot. But through it all, downtown Brainerd endured with long-standing businesses providing livelihoods and jobs. Now recent renewed activity has downtown veterans wondering if this is the time downtown Brainerd will overcome misconceptions, take advantage of funds available to improve buildings, storefronts and apartments and turn a new corner for revitalization — the kind that creates a buzz and brings more people back downtown. The question will be whether it’s a momentum with staying power. Rick Bjork, The Gallery owner, said he’s positive about the future of downtown Brainerd and sees a renewed interest and activity. “We’ve had a great summer,” Bjork said. “People still do visit downtowns when they are passing through.” He’s watching with keen interest what will happen across the street with the former Downtown Mall on Seventh Street and the former Iron Rail Saloon next door. Bjork said he enjoys seeing the history tours come through and sees all kinds of destination stops from Design Consign to Bargains on 7th, to the new 612 Station. “I love it over there,” Bjork said of the restaurant. “That’s a great addition.” He’s looking forward to arrival of the Crossing Arts Alliance and the Lakes Area Music Festival’s addition to the downtown chorus. Brothers Joe and Nick Phelps are forces behind the reclaimed pressed tin ceilings, narrow-board wood floors, exposed brick and renovated storefronts on 711, 715 and 717 Laurel Street. The 1933-1934 city directory notes The Princes Candy Kitchen, Kate’s Smart Shop and Kwality Grocery once occupied the space, sharing the Brainerd business landscape with blacksmiths, hotels and lunchrooms. In Googling a publication from the 1920s called the Butcher’s Advocate, Joe
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Jessica Doud shares a laugh with a co-worker while setting up a new store display in The Gallery. Doud, store manager, said taking the downtown Brainerd job was the best thing she could have done for herself. Phelps found a reference to a Brainerd butcher who retired but wanted to get back into the business with a shop at 715 Laurel St. In January, with work done on setting up the interior to begin attracting businesses, Phelps was working with the Housing and Redevelopment Authority for Small Cities grant money for a facade renovation. The interior work already revealed the once floor-to-ceiling view that looked out on Laurel Street when traffic included horse and buggy. There were visible vestiges of a single stall vestibule. Phelps said they knew other businesses were going to take advantage of the funding, but other landowners said they weren’t interested because they didn’t want the hassle of working with a public entity and their requirements. “I hope more people do it and use the money,” Phelps said. “I think that would really make the storefronts more attractive and might attract more business.” In 2011, the Phelps brothers started buying homes in Brainerd.
“There were tons of foreclosures in the north Brainerd area where we grew up,” Joe Phelps said. “So we picked up one and renovated it and we thought there has to be people who want these homes in north Brainerd. So we did it a few more times, maybe one or two houses a year and we’ve just held on to them. Then we saw this come on the market and if anything has gone down the tubes in town it’s been downtown.” This was the trio of storefronts in the building on the 700 block of Laurel Street. They looked at the space and saw the historic bones they were hoping for. Phelps said if the space has those original pieces, the woodwork, the pressed tin hidden under dropped ceiling tiles, original hardware — all the pieces that make it standout — it’s an opportunity. Without them, the expense makes it impossible to recreate. The spaces they found just needed some tender loving care.
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100 Years and Going Strong: Pine River State Bank By Rebecca Flansburg
When Pine River State Bank opened its doors in 1918 it was during a time of blacksmith shops and general stores. Fast forward nearly a century and this stately bank off of Highway 371 North now works with businesses like manufacturing companies and tourist-based business to businesses with an internet sales presence. Though the types of entrepreneurs they serve may have changed over the years, two things have not -- their commitment to their community and their mission of providing their customers with the best banking experience possible. For many years the bank’s tagline has been “Your Community Partner” and that belief still holds true today. Pine River State Bank and their four branch locations, Emily, Breezy Point, Pillager and Nowthen, have worked tirelessly to earn a reputation for being the go-to institution for businesses, individuals and families. “Not only does Pine River State Bank have a deep focus on customer service and offering a personalized banking experience, we are also very proud of our ongoing involvement in our communities,” shared bank President Kirsten Eggena. “This institution was founded on the belief and commitment on giving back and we believe in being the heart of our community. Many of our employees donate their
time and talent to organizations like the Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Corporation, and many other local groups.” With an impressive milestone of 100 years in business coming up on Jan. 22, 2018, Pine River State Bank has never lost sight of what has made them successful -- their customers. “We greet our customers by name and we treat them like people, not numbers,” noted Compliance and Operations Officer Sam Anderson. “We’ve been told many times that this bank has a welcoming and comforting look and feel. With our fireplace, comfortable waiting area and wildlife display, visitors and customers alike know they can come here to get their banking business done, but relax and not feel rushed at the same time. We are proud of our hometown feel and personal touch.” With an eye on staying true to the needs of their customers and communities, Eggena confirms that the bank’s longevity is not an accident. “Our primary purpose is to help the communities we serve and the customers who live, work and play in the area. Whether it’s helping someone with the bank’s mobile app or opening a child’s first savings account, we are real people who love working with real customers.”
Thanks to our generous customers and community members, we were able to donate more than 115 backpacks to seven local schools. We’re proud to be “Your Community Partner” for nearly 100 years. Thank you!
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MAKING DOWNTOWN From Page S10
“We had to have it with the thought if we could do something like this — and if there are businesses that have an interest in this — we’ll keep doing it,” Joe Phelps said. One of their four apartments was vacant so they renovated it the way they did the houses, keeping the woodwork and hardwood floors, original doors and hardware. They tore out the kitchen except for the farmhouse sink and fixed the bathroom. That was their test apartment. It was quickly rented. So as the tenants move out of the other upstairs apartments, Phelps said they planned to do the same remodel. ‘We’d rather do things the right way as opposed to the quick,” he said. The work was a combination of things they did and the efforts of hired contractors. When they completed the cleanup, a couple of organizations looked at the space along with a restaurant. One of the challenges came from having bathrooms in the basement except for the new salon, which had main-floor facilities. Phelps described the new salon owners as young and ambitious and said they were excited to have them
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Interesting Facts 4 — the city blocks making up what the Destination Downtown Business Challenge coined as Opportunity Square — defined as four square blocks in downtown Brainerd bordered by Front and Maple streets and South Sixth and South Eighth streets. 13 —the number of locations available for lease or purchase in Opportunity Square as of June 24. 49 —the number of applicants for the Destination Downtown contest to win a $50,000 prize. 170—parking spots within the foursquare blocks of the downtown core. 11,000 — average daily traffic on South Sixth Street. The Minnesota Department of Transportation reported traffic increases 30 percent on summer weekdays, 50 percent on weekends and 100 percent on holiday weekends.
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downtown. Future work was an option, including reclaiming windows that once were in the back walls perhaps utilizing glass block to let in natural light. As property owners, he said they were willing to work with tenants on possibilities or other improvements. “Just coming downtown when we were looking at this building we talked to a lot of people trying to figure out what the problem was with downtown,” Phelps said. Was it that businesses didn’t want to locate there? Was the rent too high?
Escalating rent for startups Phelps said escalating rents is a tool other landlords should consider. It allows businesses to get their legs under them with a client base and income established before the rent goes up. Entry rent may be a few hundred dollars before later rising to a market rate. “There have have a few too many flash in the pans and that’s not good for landlords, that’s not good for tenants themselves. If they start paying $1,000 bucks a month and only stay there for six months that’s not good for anybody. “In thinking about it businesses didn’t seem to be drawn to downtown so we thought we want this building and maybe it’s the building owners. They need to do something to attract the businesses. … We’re interested in making downtown look better, feel better, and more people will come if that’s the case. People will feel safer and more businesses will be able to open up.” Phelps pointed to downtown Hudson, Wis. as an example of a thriving space with its brick buildings, bars, restaurants, shops and offices. “It’s just like almost unbelievable down there on the weekend Friday night Saturday afternoon and the place is super busy,” he said, noting it would be great to get back to that with the expectation it will take time and effort. “I think the city is doing what it can to the extent they can affect it. I think the HRA money is great,” Phelps said, adding both “building owners need to take responsibility and the businesses then to need to step up and actually move down here.”
Perception is reality So how does a business counter a perception there is no place to park, nothing downtown, no reason to go there? “I think more businesses just need to, I don’t want to say get over it because perception it becomes reality, but I think more people need to actually come
Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch
Work continues on the renovation of three storefronts in the Phelps’ building on Laurel Street in Brainerd with the Vaenn Har Hair Salon, Lakes Area Music Festival offices and Crossing Arts Alliance moving in. down here and I do think landowners, the building owners need to take responsibility and make the spaces nice.” Phelps disagrees with those who think downtown Brainerd’s day is in the past, an echo of the signs now adorning the light poles with a view of historic Brainerd from the same vantage point in the 1800s or during a 1950s parade. “A lot of people might drive through and see the bars, hear the stories, but I think it’s actually coming inside and seeing what the businesses (offer) that takes some effort. I don’t know whose responsibility that is. I think that takes a lot of people working together. I think it takes the city. I think it takes the city planner. It takes the building owners to make the spaces nice and work with tenants but then it takes the businesses too to try to help change that.” How do you get that word out and work together? “From our perspective, I mean it’s boots on the ground to get the word out,” Phelps said. “I think we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from people doing that. … I think it is going to be incremental.” Phelps noted reading an article with many opinions on what killed downtown, whether it was the bypass and someone said the bypass couldn’t kill something that was already dead. “I started thinking about it. This area, from our perspective, this area should serve the town of Brainerd right?” In talking to a lot of people in north
Brainerd, many said it would be great if there were good restaurants they could walk to in downtown in the summer, Phelps said. Phelps pointed to the latest addition of the 612 Station as one example. But those same people may get in their cars instead and find themselves driving to Baxter. Phelps said it becomes a question of who has to do what first — does there need to be demand and then supply or do the people need to have more options before they will venture downtown? Do they just think it would be nice to have restaurants and businesses in downtown but then fail to patronize them, instead going to the familiar chains on the heavily beaten path? Brainerd City Planner Mark Ostgarden said thousands of people work in the downtown Brainerd area or near it. The school district, the Crow Wing County government offices, the court system and the hospital are all just blocks away from downtown’s core. Ostgarden said 80 percent of the people who work in Brainerd live outside the city and they may not even be aware of what downtown Brainerd has to offer. “You are a breath of fresh air to have downtown,” Ostgarden told Phelps. “We’ve got a bunch of great small businesses operating down here. It’s just a shame they are getting lost in the mix here.”
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Crow Wing County Farm Bureau BY SUE SMITH-GRIER
With incentives provided by the National Crop Improvement Service under President Woodrow Wilson, a small group of area farmers came together on October 6th 1917 and met in the Iron Exchange Building in Brainerd, MN. This was the birth of the Crow Wing County Farm Bureau (CWCFB). This fall on October 6th, 2017 The CWCFB will celebrate 100 years of being the voice of Crow Wing County farmers. The Farm Bureau gives farmers a voice in the legislature, provides education for farmers and consumers and supports and empowers member families. CWCFB is one of 78 county Farm Bureaus in Minnesota and continues to promote the beliefs and values of members. Since its inception nearly a century ago, the CWCFB has helped promote positive changes in agriculture that affect all of us. Crops and livestock have steadily improved due to of the efforts of the farm bureaus. Through science and technology farmers are now able to produce higher quality food in greater abundance than ever before. However, the work is ongoing. The local farm bureaus along with the state and national federations provide an expansive variety of benefits to members and consumers alike. In addition to advocating on behalf of the membership, the farm bureaus provide training in leadership development and assist members in developing those skills. This becomes particularly important when you consider that we need farmfriendly leadership in our government. Without strong leaders who are knowledgeable in the field of agriculture, not only will our farmers and ranchers suffer, we would all be adversely affected. The importance of agriculture cannot be stressed enough. With talk of population in the United States doubling within the next 65 years or so, it’s obvious that food could
become an issue. Farmers feed the world. The work of the CWCFB is vital to sustaining this most basic of industries in our beautiful state and helping it thrive to produce safe, affordable food for Minnesotans and others. This longstanding membership organization is open to farmers and consumers. When you join the local county farm bureau you are automatically part of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation. The MFBF joined with seven other state Farm Bureaus to create Farm Bureau Financial Services (FBFS). As an affiliate company FBFS helps member families with financial concerns such as insurance and financial planning. Today, Agriculture in Crow Wing County contributes greatly to the local economy. According to the USDA—Ag Census, the county has 533 farms with total cash receipts from ag products nearing $25 million. Another important factor to consider is the direct economic impact agriculture provides such as a farmer buying a tractor from a local equipment dealer. When you add all the inputs such as seeds, fertilizer, fuel, and machinery to name a few, the total community effect is enormous. The county cow-calf industry for example, provides $4.5 million per year directly into the local economy. The direct economic impact from Crow Wing County Agriculture is important to note. The current president of the CWCFB is Richard Leino, a cow-calf and forages producer in the Northeastern part of the county. The CWCFB has monthly meetings and this year’s annual meeting, in October promises to be particularly festive as the Bureau celebrates its 100th birthday. For more information about farm bureau, please go to www.fbmn.org.
As we celebrate our Centennial Year...
THANK YOU Farm Bureau Members for making your organization GREAT!
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LABOR DAY 2017
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Cub has an app for that! By REBECCA FLANSBURG
Baxter Store
We’ve all had those moments -- the one when a mad dash to Cub Foods to stock up on everyday essential items turns to dismay and frustration when it’s discovered that not only has the grocery list been forgotten at home, the coupons are there as well. No worries! Cub has an app for that! Savvy consumers know that one of the many benefits of being a Cub shopper is being able to use their innovative app which allows them to create a shopping list, check the weekly ads and redeem their saved coupons all from their mobile devices. Shoppers don’t need to be tech wizards to add digital deals directly to their digital account and use that information to save quickly and easily at checkout. Consumers can even access their account from a tablet and computer as well and on those extra hectic days when a list, coupons and a phone is forgotten at home, savings can still be easily accessed at checkout with a phone number. We live in a very hectic, chaotic world; technology
and the way we get information is changing rapidly. With that in mind, Cub has created a way to transform grocery shopping from paper ads to the digital world we now live in. And for those who still prefer to use paper ads and coupon booklets, those are still available as well. Other convenient ways to share and save with the Cub Foods app include: *Using grocery purchases to earn discounts on gas purchases and using those savings right at the pump at participating Holiday Station stores. App users can also check their fuel balance and centsoff-per-gallon total at any time. For every $100.00 spent at Cub you can save 10 cents per gallon on gas (up to 20 gallons). *Being able to view weekly ads via mobile device and also see exclusive in-store savings as well. All without having to clip any coupons! *The ability to create and save multiple grocery lists
for worry-free shopping. Add to those shopping lists with the app’s unique barcode scanning feature. Shoppers can even scan the barcode from their Apple watches. *Scheduling prescription refills for easy pick up at Cub’s in-house pharmacy. Other ValuedAdded Reasons to Visit Cub Foods: *Signing up for a Cub Rewards is free and easy. Simply visit the service desk at both locations and start saving. * Friday Freebies! Every Friday is a new way to save or get free products. Visit either store for details or watch for the Friday Freebie deals on their Facebook Page. *Open 24/7 for shopping ease and convenience. *From floral and pharmacy to groceries and fresh party platters, Cub Foods has everything lakes area guests or locals need all under one roof. As a family-owned and operated full-service grocery store for over
The Brainerd County Market location was the first to open in 1985 and became Cub Foods in 2002. Baxter County Market opened on Highway 371 North in 1991 and also became Cub Foods in 1999. In 2010, Pequot SuperValu was added and Alexandria Cub Foods joined the lineup in 2014. All four locations are also wellknown for their quality, service and freshness. Their friendly and knowledgeable staff that takes pride in ensuring every shopping trip is an exceptional one. By blending value, service and selection to serve their customers, all of these thriving locations provide buyers with consistently great-tasting food, at competitive prices, along with a hometown feel. So whether you are planning a backyard family BBQ or a late night date night, Cub Foods of Baxter, Brainerd and Alexandria and SuperValu of Pequot Lakes would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to their dedicated team that continues to provide visitors and shoppers with an exceptional shopping experience with a hometown feel. Together, we wish everyone a safe and festive Labor Day weekend.
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three decades in the lakes area, Cub Foods has been bringing more to customers’ tables by providing a grocery value that reflects their mantra -- “Better fresh. Better value.” They are also a “hometown hero” that has been supporting local initiatives and charities since day one including being a proud supporter of Lakes Proud.
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Proud to be Your Locally Owned Grocer - Providing you the Utmost Service and Freshest Foods Available We Want to Thank Our Dedicated Staff and our Local Customers -- That is What Makes Us a Success Each Year
Better fresh. Better value.TM
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MAKING DOWNTOWN From Page S11
Whether downtown Brainerd and small businesses succeed with this renewed focus will depend on many fronts, landlords, business owners, city government and regional residents for support. “People need to be able to take the risk,” Phelps said. “I think that’s on the businesses and the building owners to make it happen. Then if ultimately there isn’t demand, then it’s just not meant to be. We just haven’t seen a lot of just private development downtown. “We’re young and from the area and I think, you know what, people have tried and failed in the past for gosh over 100 years. You know there have been booms and busts and maybe we are part of the next failure. Who knows, but if we’re not going to try, and no one else is trying then that’s nothing — nothing happens.”
Timing is everything
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Joe and Emily Phelps hold their son Johnny this past January after renovations were completed in space where the Crossing Arts Alliance is opening in September. the new location. “I think it’s better,” she said of downtown. “I kinda wish the bars would go.” Even so she said she felt it was important to support the local small businesses, which is a sentiment she relays to her own family. “You shop first in the small town because that may be the difference,” she said for a small business. “I’m supporting someone’s dreams and I’m supporting my kid at the same time.”
Destination Downtown Forty-nine applicants came forward with their dreams to operate their own small business, meeting the first hurdle for the Destination Downtown Business Challenge with a $50,000 prize and assistance from many parts of the community to help the entrepreneur succeed in their first year with their endeavor. Nate Grotzke, of Close-Converse and Destination Downtown Committee member, said it was a challenge to whittle the group down to 10 for the challenge’s next phase. “There is great stuff happening in
downtown Brained,” Grotzke said. “I was impressed with the top 10. I think there will be a lot of good businesses coming out of this.” Grotzke said some applicants said the challenge was what they needed to finally get out and pursue their small business dream. The 39 other applicants are receiving an opportunity to attend a “Start Your own Business” class, with Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Corp covering the costs to attend. The top 10 will receive coaching from the Small Business Development Center at Central Lakes College. The Destination Downtown contest, announced this summer, was inspired by the Small Business Revolution initiative, championed by the Minnesota-based Deluxe Corporation. Earlier this year, Bristol Borough, Pa., won $500,000 in marketing products and services, business advice and other support and will be featured in an online series. Some 14,000 towns across all states submitted an application, including Brainerd. Kilian said they were encouraged
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Fall is a great time to call Positive Realty By JODIE TWEED While many homeowners may think spring is the best time to list their homes, you may be at an advantage if you list your home with Positive Realty this fall. Jeremy Johnson, salesman with Positive Realty said there is a lot of turnover in the market in the fall as homeowners want to be into their new homes before the snow flies. Positive Realty has been locally owned and operated in the Brainerd lakes area since 1979. Jack Antolak, Clint Nelson and Joe Zak started the firm as a three person office and Positive Realty now has 26 real estate agents and four administrative staff members who work at offices in Brainerd, Baxter and Nisswa. Johnson said the company had a productive year as more homes and businesses continue to sell. Positive Realty offers experienced and knowledgeable staff; the average real estate experience is 19 years for its agents. A recurring theme is that the Positive Realty agents are very personable and easy to work with. “We have a family-type business atmosphere,” added Antolak. He said company-wide, the staff feels a strong connection to the community. Many are deeply involved in local churches, clubs and organizations and volunteer their time for charitable events. Our agents feel very connected to our community,” Antolak explained. They also take time to take care of their customers. Positive Realty owns its own moving vans. The vans are available for customers to use, and local charitable organizations may request to use the vans if they need them. It’s another way that Positive Realty takes care of their customers and gives back to the community. If you’re in the market for a new home or you are thinking about selling yours, stop by or call Positive Realty. While people may think you should contact a real estate agent after you’ve decided to sell your home, Johnson recommends consulting an agent early on in the process, even before you may be ready to list your home. Johnson said an agent can guide sellers in what home projects they should tackle before they list. You don’t want to spend money on home improvement projects that aren’t necessary to selling your home. When pricing your home, Johnson said many sellers think they need to build in a little “wiggle room” into their listing price. However, most sellers actually get more money for their property if they price it well from the start. Today’s home buyers are savvy and have more likely been searching for a new home for awhile. They have researched home values in the Brainerd lakes area and, most important, they know what they want. This is why most showings occur within the first couple weeks of a listing and
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why some homes sell quickly with multiple offers, Johnson said. “I wish I had a crystal ball sometimes and I knew exactly what price to list properties,” Johnson said. “The market dictates the price. The market will tell you if your price is too high, and it’s important to have an agent that pays attention to it.” People buy homes any time of the year. Fall may sometimes mean there are fewer homes on the market, but the key to a well-positioned home is to attract the right buyer. For many buyers, fall is their favorite time of the year. The busy summer is over and they’re ready to commit to investing time in looking at homes in person. An experienced real estate agent knows how to help clients prepare their home before it is ready for sale, how to price their home to compete in the current market and, of course, find prospective buyers. They understand that buying or selling a home is a big decision. Agents at Positive Realty understand what their clients need to buy or sell a home, and they work hard to make that happen. To learn more about Positive Realty, visit their website, www.positiverealty.com or call (218) 829-1777.
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Phelps said he thinks there is a genuine small town revival with people starting to move from the big cities back to their hometowns. “Maybe it’s naive but ... there is a reason people are still shopping at Arlene’s and people are still buying jewelry from Ed (Menk),” Phelps said. “Those people exist.” He said the challenge is to find the businesses they will patronize. “It does take some risk. Companies and businesses will fail. It’s natural. We want to do this. We are optimistic. Turning the clock back to its more historic (look) — it gets people excited. Only a few places that look like this.” Over at Hockey House, the Andersons agreed and said with their move they felt it was the right decision the moment they looked at the place. Now they look forward to working with whatever business moves through the Destination Downtown Business Challenge to help a winning startup through the first year. They’d like to see a clothing retailer join the mix. “We want to be part of the solution,” Dan Anderson said. They host a bubble hockey league and the increased space in their downtown store allowed them to expand their clothing options and spread out for a more welcoming environment. One of their customers was a Brainerd graduate now with her own family living in the Seattle area. When she comes home to visit during the summer, April Lintner-Fourre said she does her shopping for her kids in her hometown hockey store owned by a high school classmate. “It’s fabulous,” Lintner-Fourre said of
to apply and did. When they didn’t win, they thought that was that. But Deluxe contacted them a month later and said they were blown away by Brainerd’s application and its number of nominations. Deluxe was so impressed it offered the downtown effort a financial stake of a $50,000 community prize package. The idea of the contest was inspired by the city of Princeton, which has done a similar effort multiple times. The goal is to attract those who have had an idea for a startup in mind. Maybe they’ve shared the idea with select friends or family. Maybe they’ve put ideas down on paper or started small in their garage. Matt Kilian, Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce, noted there have been a lot of main street projects and studies aimed at helping the downtown. The difference with this latest effort, Kilian said, is that it is more than an idea but is an actionable project. “This is a project where I think we can make a difference,” Kilian said. More than a contest, Kilian said they needed to change the storyline and get people to think about downtown differently. He noted downtowns are trending as places people want to locate with an idea of repurposing and recapturing the past. The “Main Street” contest searches for “America’s most inspiring small towns,” the company’s website states. The winning town receives a $500,000 revitalization effort. Destination Downtown Business Challenge ► Phase 1 — The probe: Answer five questions to convince the judges a business idea has what it takes. Up to 10 entries will advance beyond the first phase. The deadline was July 28. Fortynine entries were received. ► Phase 2 — The plan: Work with the Small Business Development Center to build a business plan. Choose the desired site of the business in “Opportunity Square.” Check credit. Up to three entries will advance beyond the second phase. The deadline is Sept. 8. ► Phase 3 —The pitch: Meet with an architect to illustrate a business vision. Work with seasoned executives to finetune a pitch. Deliver a “Shark Tank”style presentation to the judges. This will occur between Oct. 9-15. ► The Big Reveal: Finalists will join more than 400 guests at the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce’s Celebration of Excellence on Nov. 16. The Destination Downtown Business Challenge winner will be announced at the event. ► Visit www.downtownbrainerd.org to enter the contest and for information on prizes, downtown business testimonials and more.
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
SEARCHING FOR SPACES From Page S9
First, an evaluation of the number of parking spaces in parking lots at the Brainerd malls and Baxter big box stores, as well as on-street spaces available in downtown Brainerd. For this exercise, I used the four core blocks of downtown Brainerd, bounded by Front and Maple streets on the north and south, and South Sixth and South Eighth streets on the east and west. Using Google Earth, I tallied the number of parking spaces in lots at the Westgate Mall, East Brainerd Mall, Costco, WalMart and Target. I also counted the number of on-street parking spaces in downtown Brainerd. To put the amount of parking into context, I compared the size of these parking lots to football fields. According to state statute, an average parking space is 8 feet wide by 18 feet long, for 144 square feet per space. A football field including both end zones is 57,600 square feet. I didn’t include the driving lanes in the parking lots in these calculations, so this is just parking spaces. As an aside, the size of these parking lots is put into context using the Google Earth overhead view. All of the mall and big box store parking lots were visually at least the size of the building itself, if not bigger. ► Westgate Mall: Between the parking lots on the north and south sides of the mall, there are about 900 parking spaces. This is about 129,600 square feet of parking spaces, or a little more than two football fields of parking spaces. ► East Brainerd Mall: About 574 parking spaces, which doesn’t include spaces on the east or north side of the building. This is about 82,656 square feet of parking spaces, or a little more than 1.4 football fields. ► Walmart: About 670 parking spaces, not including the spaces on the east or south side of the building. This is about 96,480 square feet of parking spaces, or a little more than 1.6 football fields. ► Target: About 508 parking spaces, for about 73,152 square feet of parking spaces. This is a little more than 1.2 football fields. ► Costco: About 665 parking spaces, for about 95,760 square feet of parking spaces. This is a little more than 1.6 football fields. For downtown Brainerd, I counted the number of on-street parking spaces on the streets in the downtown core. There are about 259 on-street diagonal parking spaces. The posted restrictions for these free spaces are a two-hour limit from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and no parking during street cleaning 4-8 a.m.
Wednesdays. There are an additional 30 parking spaces in the parking lot next to the former Blue Ox restaurant. These free parking spaces have a two-hour limit from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. For the second part of this study, I measured the distance from an average parking spot to the front door the business. For the malls and big box stores, I didn’t park as close as possible to the door, but I didn’t park on the outskirts of the lot. If you like to park closer to the door, the distance is going to be shorter than mine, while if you like parking farther away, the distance is going to be longer than the figure I have. For each business, I walked to the door and back twice, for a total of four trips. I then averaged these four trips. At the Westgate Mall, the distance to Herberger’s was an average of 163 feet. On the other side of the mall, the walk to Dunhams and Big Lots averaged 144 feet. At Walmart, the average distance to the door was 288 feet. At Target, the average distance was 260 feet, while at Costco, the average distance was 209 feet. For downtown Brainerd, I took five different trips from one business to another to provide a variety of distances. Walking from E.L. Menk Jewelers to Coco Moon was about 262 feet, while walking from E.L. Menk Jewelers to the Pit Stop was about 380 feet. Walking from Atlas Abstract to the American Legion Post 255 was about 181 feet. Walking from VIP Vapors around the corner to the Front Street Cafe was about 258 feet. Finally, walking from 612 Station to Coco Moon was about 486 feet. Visually and physically, the walks in the parking lots and in downtown are different. In the big box store and mall parking lots, walkers mix closely with and must watch out for moving vehicles. The visual environment is mostly pavement and other vehicles. In downtown Brainerd, walkers are separated from traffic by walking on a sidewalk. There are planters, trees, streetlights and other features to break up the monotony. There are also the architectural difference of the different buildings in the area. This is not meant to be a comprehensive engineering study of this issue or to settle any arguments in this discussion. Instead, I hope it provides more context to the discussion, instead of relying on surface-level talking points. SPENSER BICKETT may be reached at 218-8555859 or spenser.bickett@ brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ spenserbickett.
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S15
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Brainerd Dispatch reporter Spenser Bickett measures various distances to parking spaces in downtown Brainerd.
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
A sign in downtown Brainerd details restrictions for on-street parking spaces.
Advertorial
Let’s Go to The Hop By NICOLE STRACEK
dancers, and a 5-piece orchestra. Yunker, who works alongside his wife Yvonne, says, “It’s a wonderful way to spend your golden years!” Yvonne serves as co-producer, writer, costume designer, and as a performer. She has been instrumental in helping create one-of-a-kind shows that has found its way into the hearts of everyone involved. Since 2004, the show has played to over 25,000 people from around the country. The Bee-Bop and Bobby Sox show is held in the historic Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd. The first show starts on October 19th The Geritol and runs through the 29th with both Frolics is a theatre group that features matinees and evening performances. an array of local, talented performers Tickets are available online beginages 55 and up with a knack for putting on a great show. Ed Yunker, Direc- ning September 1st . Visit the Geritol Frolics website to purchase tickets and tor and Producer of the Geritol Frolics says with a broad wink, “You are going learn more about the group at http:// to be really surprised to see what “old” geritolfrolics.com/. Reserved seating is available with ticket prices starting at people can do!” The Geritol Frolics $15.00 for regular seating and $17.00 was created for senior citizens who for premium seating with a $3 prowanted more out of their retirement years. Yunker says, “We have people in cessing fee for tickets. the show who went to college, raised a family, served in the military and now in their retirement years they have realized they have a desire to perform. Through the Geritol Frolics they found an opportunity to share their talents with others while following their dreams to perform on stage.” The Geritol Frolics features a cast and crew comprised of 18 chorus singers, 10 You don’t have to take off your shoes to attend this Sock hop! The Geritol Frolics are excited to announce their all new music variety show, Bee-Bop and Bobby Sox. With 8 performances scheduled this October, everyone young and old can have it made in the shade with this unique vaudeville style performance that showcases local talents. This year’s theme features the swinging style of the 1950’s featuring hand-picked music with a fun-filled performance that includes singing, dancing, and a healthy dose of comedy.
October 19 & 28 @ 7:00 pm October 20,21,22,26,27,29 @ 1:30 pm
Franklin Arts Center
TICKETS Available
TICKETS: (Reserved Seating)
Online beginning Sept. 1 at www.geritolfrolics.com Box Office Opens Sept. 18 All Credit Cards Accepted
$15.00 Regular $17.00 Premium + $3.00 processing fee per ticket *All Ticket Sales Are Final.
BOX OFFICE 1001 Kingwood Street, Brainerd, MN 56401 • (218) 825-4993 Box Office Hours Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
S16 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
LABOR DAY 2017
Advertorial
Simonson Lumber By Richard Hobbs
the right thing to do. Hobbs said he also would send the widows of his employees coal to help them out in the winter months. “My grandfather believed in treating his people well,” said Hobbs, who started in the family business when he was 10. “We continue his legacy in the belief that you need to treat your employees well and then they’ll treat our customers well.” Simonson Lumber was located on West Washington Street in Brainerd since January of 1996. The business outgrew its site over the years and moved on August of 2013 to Baxter. The lumber company is located on Independence Road, which is off Timberlane and Highway 210. It is located in the former Stock Lumber site and shares the building with Brock White. Brock White is a distributor of construction materials and provides specialized products to concrete and masonry construction markets. “Brock White moved here and there was plenty of open space,” said Hobbs. “They carry largely non-competing products than we, they complement us. There were some concerns at first moving next to Brock White, but it has been very successful. We opened up at 8 a.m. on the first day out here and right away that morning we knew it’d work out. People from Brock White run a great business and are great to work with.” Larry Geschwill, who manages both the Crosslake and Baxter locations, said there are 27 employees in Baxter, and 16 in Crosslake, plus temporary workers during the busy season. Hours at the Baxter location are from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Crosslake location is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Fridays and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. This year they have added their own installed insulation division where they do anything from batt insulation to spray foam to foundation coatings. Simonson Lumber has increased its business since moving from Brainerd to Baxter. Geschwill said the Baxter site is near the railroad spur so they are able to get their inventory delivered straight to the site. “This has tripled our inventory,” Geschwill said. “Once the railroad comes by drops off its car, which is equivalent to three semi-truck loads, we have three days to unload it. “It’s been busy. We didn’t have room for inventory before so we had to get our supplies delivered from the Crosslake location.” Simonson Lumber ships products all over northern Minnesota. They have jobs in Hibbing, Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Duluth, Superior, Wis., and also in North Dakota. “We’re not back to where we were (before the housing market crash), but business is much better now than it was,” said Hobbs.
001611149r1
Quality Service and Products Since 1913 From Pole Barns to Custom Homes
We are so often caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet along the way” From the Owners and Management of Simonson Lumber a sincere THANK YOU to all of our Employees, Customers and Vendors. You are Simply the Best!
218.829.5798 3855 Independence Road Baxter 218.692.3101 37568 County Road 66 Crosslake
001611148r1
When Nels Simonson, grandfather of Richard Hobbs, owner of Simonson Lumber Companies, was 8 years old in the 1800s, his family moved across the world from Denmark to St. Paul. Nels’ father worked on the railroad and when Nels was a child he went to work in the railroad house. The Simonsons’ house was heated by gas and one day, while Nels was not at home, there was an explosion. His whole family was killed, and he was left as an orphan at the age of 15. Hobbs shared his family’s history of how Simonson Lumber Company started and how it got to where it is today - with six locations in Minnesota in the cities of Baxter, Crosslake, Miltona, St. Cloud, Hutchinson and Alexandria. Hobbs said after the explosion, Nels got on a train and headed to a farm in northwestern Minnesota, looking for work. Nels started helping out on the farm and he also was a stagecoach driver for carrying mail, passengers and he traded hides, farm produce and other items. With a horse-drawn wagon, a pile of logs, a shed and few acres of land - Nels incorporated the town known as Dresser Junction, Wis., and started a sawmill, the Simonson Lumber website states. Dresser is near St. Croix Falls, Wis. Nels used a few friends to help him in the day-to-day running of the mill. They started at sunup with the cutting and moving of the logs, next came the debarking and then the actual sawing of the lumber. It didn’t take Nels long to figure out a better way to keep track of sizes and quantities. He built a lumber barn. He had shelf areas along both walls and a driveway/ walkway down the middle. This was a more efficient way to organize his business. Nels decided that instead of just selling to lumber distributions, he would become a distributor. So his business evolved from a sawmill to lumber yard in 1913. He moved the lumber business to St. Croix Falls, thus the creation of Simonson Lumber Companies. The lumber business boomed and more companies were started. A company in St. Cloud was started in 1927 because of the railroad. Hobbs said his grandfather leased the St. Cloud property with a handshake from the time he moved his business there until 1980, when Simonson’s purchased the land outright. Frank and Elizabeth Hobbs passed on the business to their three sons, including Richard Hobbs. Hobbs said his grandfather’s work ethic and the way he treated people carried down through the generations. Hobbs said in the earlier days his grandfather sent a woman $100 to cover the price of a horse he rented from her to do a job. He said the horse died when a tree fell on it. Nels sent the money to the woman as a horse was important to a family’s income back then and it was
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brainerd lakes area
Progress Edition
b r a i n e r d www.brainerddispatch.com
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Serving the Brainerd Lakes Area and Central Minnesota since 1881
s p e c i a l
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Jeremy (right) and Bob Janzen of Bob Janzen Auction and Appraisal in Aitkin share a laugh during an auction this summer at a site south of Aitkin. The company has been in the Janzen family for 81 years. It was started by Bob’s father John “Barney” Janzen.
Not just fast talkers
Aitkin auction business a family affair Jennifer Stockinger Staff Writer ITKIN — Three generations — 81 years — selling “everything on Earth.” Put these things together and you have Bob Janzen Auction and Appraisal in Aitkin, with Bob Janzen and his son Jeremy Janzen leading the helm. The auction business was established in 1936 by Bob’s father, John “Barney” Janzen. Bob said his father and his uncle Henry, who were the youngest siblings in the family, were running the family farm in Aitkin. One day they were reading an ad in a farmer’s magazine that stated, “Learn to be an auctioneer and earn big money.” The question with the two brothers was, who was going to go to the auctioneer school. “They had a discussion and were arguing between themselves on who would go to the auctioneer school,” Bob said. Only one brother could go and the other would have to stay home and do chores. “It was decided that my dad Barney would go. He was born in 1913 and was in his mid-20s at the time. It was his first time away from home. He signed up and it was then called the Worldwide College of Auctioneering. Col. Joe Reisch owned it, who started it in late 1935.” The auction school then was in Austin, but since has moved to Mason City, Iowa. Bob went to the school in 1971 and Jeremy went in 2007. Reisch was the instructor for Barney and Bob. A man named Paul Behr, who was a classmate of Bob’s at the auction school, was Jeremy’s auctioneer instructor after becoming the owner.
A
Auction school is not as easy as people may think, as it is not all about talking fast, the Janzens said. It was a “grueling” two weeks of intense studying, learning all the aspects of the auction business. “It was a semester worth of college compacted into 10 days,” Jeremy said. “They were long nights.” When Barney came home after finishing the auction school, he was hired by Martin Newstrom. Barney continued to work on the family farm while being an auctioneer for Newstrom. He worked for Newstrom up until he opened his own auction business in the late 1930s. Back then, most of the auctions were selling livestock and some small machinery. Today, selling livestock is not as common, but they do still sell some cattle, hogs, horses and machinery. Bob said in the late 1960s there were 500 dairy farms in Aitkin County. Today there are less than five. Bob, who grew up with eight siblings, said they traveled around the county with their father, but none of them had an interest in the business. It wasn’t until Bob was 25 that he made the decision. Bob was working at an Aitkin bank and he wanted to take a Dale Carnegie training class to help him with his banking and public relations skills. “The bankers came to me and said, ‘We will give you time off for the Carnegie class, but have you ever thought about following in your father’s footsteps, if we gave you the time off to attend auction school,’” Bob said. “So in the winter of 1971 I attended the auction school and that is how it happened for me. At first I didn’t tell (my dad). I didn’t
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Bill Wolf (right) hired by Bob Janzen Auction and Appraisal in Aitkin holds up an auction item this summer at a site south of Aitkin. tell him until I left and when I did he was pretty excited.” Bob finished school and continued to work at the bank. He said the banks would clerk the auctions and take the bids. His father worked with banks in Brainerd, Grand Rapids, Onamia, McGregor and elsewhere. An auction clerk is one who records the amount of the final bids of auction items and receives and deposits the money. Jeremy said growing up he helped his
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Bob Janzen of Bob Janzen Auction and Appraisal in Aitkin auctions off an item at an auction this summer at a site south of Aitkin.
father with inventory, but he and his siblings didn’t do a lot with their father’s work. “Back then there was limited family time,” Jeremy said growing up. “The (auction business) was very time consuming and that was the bottom line. I think as kids we grew up seeing that and I think it was a deterrent.” At 21, Jeremy chose a career path and received a real estate license. He did that for eight years and then decided to go into the family business. “Real estate and auctions tie together in a sense that it is another form to sell real estate,” Jeremy said. “It was a family auction business and I decided I wanted to give it a try and go to auction school. I would become the third generation of my family to be in the business.” The Janzens said people often will ask them what the difference is between an auction and a estate/garage/yard sale. “At an auction there are no prices on the items, the buyer sets the price,” Jeremy said. “That is the big difference. When you go to other sales they are marked. An auction is the only sale where the price will go up on an item.” The Janzen family motto has been “We sell everything on Earth,” and this has held true for the past eight decades. They will sell anything their client asks them to. If a client wants to sell an item but doesn’t have enough items for an auction, the family will collect the item. Once they collect enough items for an auction, they will host one at their consignment site and auction all the clients’ items off in one auction. “We have sold everything,” Jeremy said. “Everything from livestock to coins to firearms to machinery, antiques and collectibles. … There is nothing we haven’t sold.
NOT JUST FAST TALKERS: Page S20
S18 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
Building up the Brainerd lakes area Spenser Bickett Staff Writer If you’ve driven through the Brainerd lakes area, odds are you’ve driven over a road paved by Anderson Brothers Construction. If you’ve shopped at a big box store in Baxter, you’ve parked in a parking lot Anderson Brothers Construction put in. If you’ve flown in or out of the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport, you probably landed or took off from a runway originally paved by Anderson Brothers Construction in the 1960s. For more than 75 years, Anderson Brothers Construction has left its mark on the Brainerd lakes area. Overall, roads, streets and highways make up 70 percent or more of the company’s workload, CEO Terry McFarlin said, but each division of the company complements the others. If a road is being repaved, residents along the road may want to get their driveways paved, which is where the residential division comes in. Divisions share employees and equipment, with the complicated arrangement coordinated on a daily basis. The company’s bread and butter is and always has been asphalt paving, McFarlin said. The maintenance division does crack sealing and patching, while the commercial division does parking lots at local big box stores. The company also does roads, ranging from small
township roads up to state highways and airport runways. The highway division is probably the largest portion of the company, he said. There are three crushers that create aggregate material for paving, McFarlin said. Most people don’t see the aggregate division, he said, but there’s 8-10 people testing aggregate materials all day long. It helps keep costs down and helps the company control its aggregate quality. “The more control you have over that, the better you are,” McFarlin said. The company works on projects in a wide swath of Minnesota, McFarlin said. The geographic area for highway jobs will stretch south to St. Cloud, west to Detroit Lakes, north to Grand Forks and along the U.S.-Canada border to International Falls. Commercial, residential and maintenance projects could include Detroit Lakes, Walker, Longville and Garrison. “I think that’s helped our (employee) retention,” McFarlin said. “It might be late when they get home, but they’re home.” The company didn’t head to North Dakota during the oil boom like so many other construction companies, McFarlin said. Since that business has slowed, many of those companies are coming back home, he said.
BUILDING UP BRAINERD: Page S21
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Anderson Brothers Construction CEO Terry McFarlin talks about the company’s focus on integrity and quality work.
Building on history Spenser Bickett Staff Writer For 77 years, Anderson Brothers Construction has been leaving its mark on the Brainerd lakes area, mainly through road paving and asphalt projects. Brothers John and Arthur Anderson started Anderson Brothers Contractors in 1940 on property along Highway 210 east of Brainerd. New buildings have been added to the site over the years, but the company’s headquarters are still in the same location. The first woodshop at the site was moved, but is still visible today. In the early days, the company focused on excavating and hauling material for road projects. They soon began gravel
work on roads and started road-mixing asphalt. In 1955, the company worked on the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota. John Anderson died in 1957 and Arthur Anderson continued operating the company. In 1960, the company bought its first hot mix asphalt plant, shortly followed by a paving machine, roller and two new road graders. In 1964, Arthur Anderson died. His son, Jim Anderson, returned home from his third year of college to help his mother, Minnie Anderson, who was running payroll and administration for the company. That same year, the company got the
contract to excavate and fill the site where the East Brainerd Mall sits. That project, combined with an airport runway project, helped keep the company afloat, CEO Terry McFarlin said. “It kept a lot of people busy,” McFarlin said. “That’s one that they do identify as a project that helped this company out.” In 1966, the company became incorporated and took the name Anderson Brothers Construction. In 1968, the company built a racetrack at Donnybrooke Speedway, which has become Brainerd International Raceway. A gas station near BIR now sits where an asphalt plant for the project was.
In 1983 the company expanded into North Dakota, then to South Dakota in 1985. But in 1995, the company began to centralize and focus on the Brainerd lakes area. In the early 1990s, the company built the portion of the Paul Bunyan State Trail from Brainerd to Hackensack. As interest in golf grew in the 1990s, the company paved parking lots and cart paths for many courses in the Brainerd lakes area. Today, the company’s primary market is a 75-mile radius from Brainerd. SPENSER BICKETT may be reached at 218-855-5859 or spenser.bickett@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/spenserbickett.
Advertorial
Rock-solid progress for W.W. Thompson
A SPECIAL ALL OF THANKS TO EES! Y OUR EMPLO
By: Sarah Katzenberger
stone and flagstone products. Thompson said in the past customers would have had to gone elsewhere to find natural stone products. The requests of loyal longtime customers made Thompson expand the products available. “It really fits well with the natural look of the lakes area, “Thompson said. “And our customers were asking for it — in the past they would have gone somewhere else to get it.” Thompson attributes the success of the business to the quality of their customer service. Every employee from the front desk to the back lot are well-versed in the diverse line of products available, something Thompson believes sets them apart. “We take a lot of pride in the quality of our products and equally so in our customer service,” Thompson said. “It really comes down to our employees — that’s the biggest part of our success.” W.W. Thompson employs more than 30 individuals between their flagship location in Brainerd and stores in Bemidji and Park Rapids. Thompson said the company has grown with the demand of the area and customers continue to come back for generations. “We’ve been so blessed,” he said. “The lakes area has treated our family very well and that’s our goal to give in return.”
Supplying the Lakes Area with all your landscape and masonry needs!
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Concrete Block
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Quality and Service Since 1909 218-829-9674
702 Industrial Park Road Brainerd, MN
001614633r1
218-732-6633
18813 Eagle Bend Road Park Rapids, MN
218-210-7000 5151 Hwy 2 West Bemidji, MN
www.wwthompson.com
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When it comes to landscaping, everyone knows beauty is only rock deep. W.W. Thompson takes pride in providing their customers with rock walls that don’t only look great — they stand the test of time. For more than 100 years, W.W. Thompson has met the concrete and landscaping needs of customers and contractors throughout the lakes area. “It’s important to us that we provide a product people know they can trust and one we feel good about putting our name behind,” said owner Brett Thompson. Thompson, and his father, Todd, are the third and fourth generation owners of the family-owned and operated business. William Walter Thompson’s father, father’s brother and one other gentleman started the company in 1909. William Walter Thompson incorporated the business in the 50’s … That’s where the WW came from.. “We’ve been around a while,” Thompson said. The company’s beginnings are rooted in the manufacturing of highquality concrete masonry units. W.W. Thompson is Northern Minnesota’s only licensed Keystone retaining wall system manufacturer. W.W. Thompson not only provides high-quality concrete products, over the last couple of years the company has expanding into a line-up of natural
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S19
Progress: From paper and plastic to a purpose
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Jeff Grunenwald, owner of GreenForest Recycling, talks about the expansion plans for his company. He hopes to double the size of his space in the Brainerd Industrial Center this year.
Spenser Bickett Staff Writer For more than a century, the paper mill site in northeast Brainerd turned timber from throughout the area into paper. Today, the paper mill is now the Brainerd Industrial Center, where GreenForest Recycling Solutions processes paper and sells it to companies who repurpose it for a wide variety of uses, including insulation and ceiling tiles. It’s a coincidence owner Jeff Grunenwald said he thinks about a lot. “It just seems like it was meant to be,” Grunenwald said. Grunenwald started GreenForest Recycling Resources in 2013 after a career working for large waste haulers and recyclers. He hit a point in his career where he couldn’t move much further up the ladder, he said, so after talking with friends in the industry, he decided to go out on his own. “I just decided on a whim one day, that was it,” Grunenwald said. “This is what’s going to happen, just trusted God’s guidance and it’s worked out very well.” Grunenwald has spent 27 years in the waste management and recycling
industry. He loves the process of taking something someone wants to throw out and creating it into something someone else can use, he said. When Grunenwald first started his company, he worked as a broker to get materials from companies to end users who repurpose those materials. In 2015, he started thinking about getting his own facility. At the start of 2016, he began leasing office space at BIC, with a space for material processing soon to follow. The space at BIC is a great fit for the business, Grunenwald said. The existing docks and high ceilings are excellent, he said, as well as the friendly BIC staff on site. There’s plenty of room for truck drivers to get in and out, he said, and the security at the facility is reassuring. “People say it’s like Fort Knox,” Grunenwald said. “And I say, ‘perfect.’” Some of Grunenwald’s first customers included the local Cub Foods and the Brainerd Dispatch. He started getting material from Forum Communications Printing in Detroit Lakes, which led to getting his first baler, hiring his first employee and buying his first dock truck.
PAPER AND PLASTIC: Page S23
How small business can beat the workforce shortage Zach Kayser Staff Writer Small businesses and startups struggling to find workers have a number of tools to fight back. Greg Bergman, regional director of Central Lakes College’s Small Business Development Center, acknowledged the lack of workers can be a difficulty for would-be business owners getting into the game, and existing business people hoping to retain what staff they have. However, in some ways small businesses may have it better than larger corporations when it comes to dealing with the worker shortage. “They need fewer people, they can be a little bit more flexible about how they pay their people, benefits, those types of things,” Bergman said. But small businesses also have a disadvantage in that they cannot as readily provide training to new workers. Company-sponsored training has been identified as a solution to the skills gap
where there are a lack of people with the right skills for a certain job, if not a lack of applicants in general. CLC can provide customized training, in-person or online, on behalf of employers, Bergman said. Sectors that are particularly affected by a shortage/skills gaps include seasonal industries such as construction and landscaping, as well as food service jobs, he said. Tourism can also be affected, with a tenuous pipeline between resorts and the foreign worker visas they rely on. “Some of our resorts have a history of hiring from other countries, so (the shortage) can certainly impact them,” Bergman said. “Some industries have a history of hiring immigrant workers, too. And it’s not just the businesses we traditionally think of — if you think of our ag businesses as well, they’re being impacted pretty significantly by concerns about being able to attract workers.”
WORKFORCE SHORTAGE: Page S24
Advertorial
Common Staffing Myths: Busted by Pro Staff
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Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Greg Bergman, Small Business Development Center Regional director, is pictured at Central Lakes College in Brainerd.
S20 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
NOT JUST FAST TALKERS From Page S17
“We have sold firearms for as much as $10,000 to coins for $2,500. At an auction you never know how much an item will sell for. We sold a small pontoon boat and they were hoping for $5,000. They tried to sell this pontoon several times and were not successful. We started the bidding at $4,000 and it ended up selling for $10,500.” Recently this summer they auctioned off a 1967 Pontiac GTO for $32,000. The owners were hoping for $15,000$17,000. The Janzens also auction off real estate. This past month they sold a threebedroom, two-bathroom home on Dam Lake in Aitkin and a four-bedroom, twobathroom home on 10 acres in Aitkin. Jeremy said the success rate for selling a home for the first time at an auction is 80 percent. He said if a property has already been on the market and then goes to an auction, the success rate is not as high. The Janzens said selling real estate at an auction is becoming more popular. Jeremy said people get scared by the concept of selling a home by auction because the seller is nervous their home will sell for less. However, the seller has the right to reject the highest bid if it is not the price they want. Jeremy said all the disclosures and paperwork are done when a property
PROGRESS EDITION
sells at an auction, just as it would be with a real estate agent working directly with a buyer and seller. Bidders who go to an auction for real estate will have their finances already in line to bid on the property. “Selling real estate at an auction is another avenue for homeowners to sell their property,” Jeremy said. “Property is marketed for six weeks and is on the (Multiple Listing Service) before the auction is scheduled. The difference is the day the property is auctioned off is the day it will sell.” There have been several changes in the auction business over the past 81 years. In the 1930s, when Barney ran the business, there wasn’t a bidding number system like there is today. Back then it was all by name. People would raise their hand and the clerk would write down their name. “Auctions were social gatherings and they still are today,” Jeremy said. “Back then you would go to auctions to see people and (the auctioneers) would stop the auction for lunch and take a 30-minute break and then go back and start the auction again. Today there are no breaks. If you (the auctioneer) get a hot dog and water that is what you get. Today, you sell from the time you start to the time it is done.” One of the main skills an auctioneer needs to know is not how to talk fast, but knowing the value of the items that are being sold. “We as auctioneers need to do our
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Bill Wolf (left), hired by Bob Janzen Auction and Appraisal in Aitkin, holds up an auction item this summer at a site south of Aitkin.
www.brainerddispatch.com
FOR YOUR
INFO
Bob Janzen Auction & Appraisal City: Aitkin. Number of Employees: About six family members and several independent contractors, which includes five auctioneers, six clerks and others who help set up the auction and display items as they are being sold. Interesting Fact: Auctioneers are also called colonels. “The tradition of calling an auctioneer colonel traces back to the Civil War, a time when auctions were beginning to flourish,” Jeremy said. “They sold a lot of military artifacts during the war and that is how they got the name a colonel.”
research,” Jeremy said. “We need to know the value of all our items, especially when the bidding is flowing like the fast and the furious, you need to know numbers.” The auction business runs year-round, with summer being the busiest. The Janzens said the pace begins to pick up in April and slows down in October. During the busy time, the Janzens have about four to five auctions a month. In August, the auctions were in Princeton, Emily/ Fifty Lakes, Aitkin and Hackensack. “Most of our clients want to have their items sold on the weekends, so that is mainly when the auctions are held,” Bob said. “Some people are elderly and they can’t set up their auction. We have a crew who works behind the scene to get the auction prepared. It is a big time commitment.” Technology has added competition to the auction business world. Jeremy said there continues to be many auction companies that have been in existence for a long time but the biggest competition is the online auctions. Jeremy said the younger generations are more attached to their technology so the “true auctioneers, doing the fast talking” are less. However, live auctions will not go away. Jeremy said an auction on the internet will go on for weeks, compared to an on-site auction, where the items are sold that day. “People are still going to want to
go to a live auction to view the items firsthand,” Jeremy said. “Auctions also are still a social gathering and a time to communicate and continue friendships. The internet can’t establish that.” “People are always asking me, ‘Do you think the live auctions will go away?’” Bob said. “Maybe I am oldschool, but I hope not. A live auction is a way for people to sell or liquidate their estate on such-and-such a date. I don’t think the internet is going to say we will sell it all on one date. “All this new technology is taking over the internet and becoming a convenience to the buyers. Lots of the buyers who followed my dad and I for years have since passed away or are in care facility.” Technology also has helped the business. When Barney ran the auction business, everything was handwritten. Today, everything is electronic. Jeremy said when his grandfather ran the business, a person who bid and won an item would take their handwritten number up to the clerk and then pay cash and wait for their receipt. Today, the clerk would have everything typed up on the computer and would be printing the receipt before the consumer even made contact with them. Today, more people are paying with credit card. Bob said his mother wrote every address on the business’s mailing list by hand on a notebook. Today, it is done in seconds with technology. The biggest challenge in the auction business is it is a time commitment, Jeremy said. “In the summer months, all your weekends are taken,” Jeremy said. “I have five children and my wife is part of the business, but it’s tough. The kids are in sports and we’re running a million miles an hour.” When asked what the family’s key to success is, they said hard work, ethics and reputation. “You don’t last 81 years if you don’t treat people right and work hard for them,” Jeremy said. “This is their life savings and you could be selling it in a day’s time. Sometimes it’s hard for them to sit there and watch. You need to show them respect and treat them well.” Bob said his father always told him, “You never forget who you are working for,” and that has been the advice the family has always followed. “You work hard, are honest and ethical and you already treat your bidders, buyers and everyone with respect.” JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer. stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.
Advertorial
Hidden gem offers up big fun BY CHRIS MONROE
Before Todd and Jill Beyer built a miniature golf course alongside their par 3 golf greens in Pequot Lakes, they traveled to Myrtle Beach, S.C., and played 4,000 miniature golf holes. “We wanted to get it right,” Todd says of their trip. Minnesota Monthly Magazine thought they did, rating it the best mini golf course in Minnesota in 2016.
most of them stay for the entire season,” Beyer says. “In some cases, the RV’s their home and they take it south in the winter.”
THE
“Our goal is for people to have fun,” Beyer says. “The maze is a treasure hunt. There are six items in the maze and it’s a race to see who will be the first to find all of them. And it’s the
PLACE!
F L O G 3 PAR
And their inspiration for the 10,000-square foot mystery maze that was added six years later? “It came from Breckenridge, Colo.,” Beyer says. “We lived there for a while.”
only maze in the Brainerd lakes area,” he adds.
The Beyers started with the par 3 and miniature golf courses in 2003, added the maze in 2009 and the RV park in 2010. “Ninety percent of our visitors come to play golf and go through the maze,” Beyer says.
In addition to the par 3, mini golf and maze, the RV park is located just across the street from the Paul Bunyan Trail. “A lot of people staying in the RV park walk or bike the trail,” Beyer says. “We also offer Frisbee golf, ping pong and horseshoes.”
MAZE
LF O G I N I M
If tackling the maze is not your thing, you can watch others from the observation deck while you sip on a beverage There’s nothing common about Wild- or indulge in an ice cream cone. And in wedge Golf and RV Park, including its case you’re thinking that once you’ve location. While its address is Pequot conquered it, you’re done don’t be so Lakes, it’s situated near the corner of sure. The maze is hand-built with movHighway 371 and County Road 16 in able panels. “We change it up.” Beyer Jenkins. says.
WWW.WILDWEDGE.COM
218.568.6995
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The RV park, with 31 sites and an additional 18 coming in spring of 2018, “The season runs from May 1 to Oct. sits on 80 acres of land overlooking the 1,” Beyer says. “But if the weather is golf course. “Eighty percent of our RV good, we’ll keep it open.” customers are here year after year and
RV PARK
2 MILES N OF PEQUOT LAKES ON HWY 371 NEXT TO AMERICINN
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S21
BUILDING UP BRAINERD From Page S18
Through the ranks New, young employees usually start out in the maintenance division to get a taste of the type of work and hours involved in construction. It works like a minor league team, he said, and the other divisions pick off the talented employees for their teams. “It’s always been a company that’s promoted from within,” McFarlin said. “I think it works best that way, that they can come in, they understand your culture, the way you do things.” The maintenance division equipment is a smaller version of what’s used in other divisions, McFarlin said, so it works well for training. People aren’t going to come in with the necessary expertise, he said, so they’ll need to be trained. “Once they figure out that this is the kind of lifestyle that they want to live, and this is the kind of industry they want to be in,” McFarlin said, “then they’re here for a very long time.” The company’s retention is excellent, McFarlin said, and there are a few employees who have been with the company for 40 years. Chuck Wynn Jr., 62, in one such employee. He’s going on his 42nd year working for Anderson Brothers. He graduated from high school in Crosby and joined the Army at the end of the Vietnam War. He spent three years in Germany and came home. His father worked for Anderson Brothers
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Anderson Brothers Construction employees work on a South Sixth Street east frontage road reconstruction project in south Brainerd. at the time, so Wynn applied for a job, not thinking he’d be with the company 40 years later. He’s still with the company because of the people. “I get along well with everybody out here,” Wynn said. “A good sense of accomplishment with all the different things we work on.” Wynn spent 25-30 years as a shop
foreman, managing and repairing equipment. He recently stepped down from the position, deciding to reduce his stress levels by working as a mechanic mentor instead. He does mechanic work and answers questions his coworkers might have about repairs. Any Anderson Brothers employee who works for the company for 40 years gets
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Anderson Brothers Construction employees work on a South Sixth Street east frontage road reconstruction project in south Brainerd. Advertorial
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Crow Wing County Fair draws 80,000 visitors
their own parking spot. Wynn said it was a pretty great feeling when he hit the 40-year mark and got his own spot. “It’s humbling,” Wynn said. “With all the hours put in, a lot of people just do not want to do it for that many years.” McFarlin worked his way through the company, from an equipment operator to foreman to superintendent. During a business and succession planning process in about 2007, McFarlin was asked if he would take over as president when the current president retired in a few years. He said yes and in 2011 took over as president and CEO. McFarlin grew up with a farming background, so he was running heavy equipment at a young age. He was drawn to construction because, similar to farming, there’s long days and hard work. “I guess I never would have imagined where it would have taken me,” McFarlin said. “But I’m glad I stuck through it all.” The quick pace of construction appeals to McFarlin, he said, as well as the opportunity to make quick decisions. Every minute seems to count and tasks can’t be set aside to be completed later. There’s also the satisfaction and pride in seeing a completed job, he said, especially when it’s something everyone uses. “You’ve accomplished something big, and a lot of people get to benefit from it,” McFarlin said.
BUILDING UP BRAINERD: Page S22
e than a County r o m e Fair ar e ! W
By Jodie Tweed
something new,” Doucette explains. “The grandstands were a big draw,” adds Sharon Ryappy, fair board secretary. From spring until fall, the Crow Wing County Fair has three fulltime employees and a few part-time employees who work to prepare the buildings and grounds for fair week, as well as those who work behind-thescenes to handle online registrations and other duties. During fair week, each building as a superintendent whose job it is to ensure the 11-member fair board is busy doing their jobs. When the county fair ended in August, the work didn’t end there. The fair board began working on next year’s fair. The fairgrounds continue to be busy throughout September, providing a positive economic impact within the community. The fairgrounds will host the Minnesota Street Rod Association Sept. 9; the Northeast Livestock Show and the Brainerd Snodeos’ Grass Drags on Sept. 16; and the Minnesota Junior Rodeo Association Sept. 29-Oct. 1. When winter begins, the fairgrounds are used for indoor and outdoor boat storage, a way for the fair board to increase revenues when the facilities aren’t in use.
Space is available at the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds for Special Events! · Weddings · Anniversary Parties · Family Reunions · Birthday Parties · Graduation Parties
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If you visited the Crow Wing County Fair, you may have seen the dazzling lights of the Midway, the livestock nestled in the barns and the lines of people waiting to order fried cheese curds, elephant ears or fresh corn-onthe-cob. What you might not be aware of are the thousands of volunteer hours it takes to stage the week-long event, which draws more than 80,000 visitors. Gary Doucette, fair manager, says without his dedicated staff, fair board members, volunteers and the exhibitors who bring in their livestock or fine arts, for example, there wouldn’t be a county fair. “There are so many people who work hard for everything to fall in place,” Doucette explains. “Without them, we don’t have a fair.” The first week in August, Crow Wing County Fair hosts the fifth largest fair in the state, according to a recent survey. Doucette said he and fair board members work throughout the year to improve the county fair. And what they’re doing seems to be working. During the Wednesday night monster truck races, the fair broke its parking lot record. They nearly hit that mark again on Friday night during the BAHA rally racing events. Tuesday night’s big event — bull riding — also did remarkably well, as did the motocross event Thursday, despite the inclement weather. “We always try to mix it up so every time you come here, you see
Open To The Public To Rent! · Class Reunions · Benefits, Auctions · Craft Shows · Business Picnics · Fundraising Events
We are a concert venue too! We offer Boat, Classic Car and RV Storage Early Fall thru Spring.
To learn more about what’s happening at the Crow Wing County Fair, visit www.crowwingcountyfair.com or find them on Facebook.
www.brainerdcurling.org brainerdlakescurling@gmail.com www.facebook.com/brainerdcurling
Curling Star ting Oc tober 1 through March 31
Call the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds at 218-829-6680 or Gary Doucette at 218-838-9671 for more information or to reserve a date for your event.
WWW.CROWWINGCOUNTYFAIR.COM Crow Wing Fairgrounds · PO Box 361, Brainerd, MN 56401 www.facebook.com/CrowWingCountyFair
S22 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
Chuck Wynn Jr. talks about what he has enjoyed about working for Anderson Brothers Construction for more than 40 years.
BUILDING UP BRAINERD From Page S21
Company ethos There can be up to 250 employees during the summer season and many employees are laid off around Nov. 1. Even though they aren’t working during the winter, employees are putting in long hours during the busy season, he said. During the fall and winter, the company starts planning for the following year, McFarlin said. This includes bidding on projects, developing estimates for bigger jobs and maintaining and repairing equipment in three different shops. There’s also research, permitting and paperwork to do over the winter. “The goal is to try and get everything up and ready by April 1,” McFarlin said. The company looks at every public construction project, McFarlin said, but if the job looks too complicated or complex, the company probably won’t bid on it.
The company avoids underground work, he said, and instead prefers mill and overlay projects, which are simpler and less time-consuming. Any company has to be flexible, McFarlin said, and know when to grow and when to retract. The company realized the Highway 371 bypass in Baxter was going to attract development, he said, and prepared for it. “Things were kind of pulled in and concentrated locally,” McFarlin said. “You have to be able to do those things to get this far.” The nine-person ownership team is in place to make sure the company stays around for future generations, McFarlin said, and to ensure the jobs remain in the community. “That was the wishes of the Andersons, to make it perpetual, to keep jobs in the community,” McFarlin said. “And to continue to give back to the community.” Going forward, the company keeps
those goals at the forefront, McFarlin said, as well as the focus on doing things
FOR YOUR
INFO
Anderson Brothers Construction City: Brainerd. Number of Employees: Up to 250 during the peak construction season in the summer. Interesting Fact: Throughout its 77 years, Anderson Brothers has remained in the same location on Highway 210 in east Brainerd.
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
right and treating people fairly. It’s easier to work on any kind of project in Brainerd or Baxter, McFarlin said, because the job is closer to the company’s resources. “The closer we are to this yard, the better that we’ll do,” McFarlin said. “Because we’ve got the ability to change up resources. That could be people, that could be equipment, aggregate resource.” There’s about five to six companies in the region who compete for similar asphalt jobs, McFarlin said. What sets Anderson Brothers apart from those competitors is the quality of the company’s work, he said. People in the state who don’t know the company’s history are surprised by the work quality. “We’ve always held a high degree of integrity, honesty and quality work,” McFarlin said. “And that means a lot today.” SPENSER BICKETT may be reached at 218-855-5859 or spenser.bickett@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/spenserbickett.
Advertorial
Teamsters celebrate Labor Day for laborers in the public sector BY SARAH NELSON KATZENBERGER
Probation and Corrections and Social Services make up the area’s Teamsters. Froemke said these public servants are a vital part of providing security resources of all kinds to the area’s most vulnerable members — individuals who often find themselves in situations they never anticipated facing. “It’s because of these services, in many cases, that people can stay and live in Crow Wing County, “ said Froemke. “We think that’s a good thing.” Froemke said he often runs into the stereotype that a union is about lobbying for pay raises and job security, and while that is one of the purposes of the union, the Teamsters first mission is to keep the community financially stable and healthy.” Froemke said the organization works to educate the community on what support Teamsters provide to public servants and why it is so important to do so. “Many times people don’t realize the incredible investment that comes from the state to the county and city,” Froemke said. “We are a major part of the legislative process — we really care about that.” For more information about Teamsters Local 320 visit their website at www.teamsterslocal320.com.
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“Without the labor movement there would be no community and without community there would be no labor movement.” — Brian Aldes
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Brian Aldes, Teamsters Local 320 Secretary Treasurer and principal officer.
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Labor Day was established to celebrate the achievements of the workers. A century ago, workers were often left to their own devices when it came to lobbying for fair pay and reasonable hours. Maintaining a stable job often meant long hours, unsafe working conditions and unfair treatment of employees. The rise of labor unions created a powerful movement of workers whose collective voices could not be ignored. “The historical context is so important in understanding why we pause to celebrate Labor Day,” said Teamster’s Communications Director Gus Froemke. Not many know the value of the worker better than the Minnesota Teamster Local 320 for public and local law enforcement. The labor union has roots in the earliest union movement providing a platform for securing benefits for its members and promoting and protecting fair labor practices. The Teamsters also have a rich history in organizing and defending women’s rights in the workplace. Teamsters represent many of Crow Wing County’s finest who have committed their lives to serving in the lakes area’s public sector. Employees of the Crow Wing County Sheriff ’s Department,
PROGRESS EDITION
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S23
PAPER AND PLASTIC From Page S19
“Then I had to wave the white flag, I couldn’t do it by myself,” Grunenwald said. At first, the business shipped out about one semitrailer load of processed cardboard each week, Grunenwald said, and a load of paper every other week. For the past few months, the business has shipped 5-6 loads of cardboard and 3-4 loads of newspaper each week, he said. “That’s how much that we’ve expanded in less than a year,” Grunenwald said. The business has grown from three local accounts to receiving material from five surrounding states, Grunenwald said. There are two shifts at the business to keep up with all the material coming in, he said.
The process The business has trucks going out daily to pick up material for processing, Grunenwald said, both in the Twin Cities and locally. Local clients include printing facilities like Range Printing and the Brainerd Dispatch, he said. The business doesn’t process metal, Grunenwald said, so if any metal comes in, it goes to Crow Wing Recycling. On the other hand, Crow Wing Recycling sends its cardboard to GreenForest Recycling Resources. “Everyone works well together,” Grunenwald said. Grunenwald works by determining which materials end users are looking for, then finding a business that handles a lot of that material. He then works with that company by doing a waste audit to find out what materials the business is
FOR YOUR
INFO GreenForest Recycling Resources City: Brainerd. Number of Employees: 11. Interesting Fact: The company ships processed and baled plastic overseas to a variety of locations, including China, Bangladesh, India, Germany and Hong Kong.
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
GreenForest Recycling employee Donny O’Brian monitors a cardboard baler, which compacts the cardboard into transportable bales. throwing away. He performed a waste audit at the Brainerd Dispatch, he said, which resulted in a comprehensive recycling program. “We’ll help you with getting rid of that and save you money on that end,” Grunenwald said. Many GreenForest Recycling Resources customers are paper producers and industrial cardboard producers, Grunenwald said. A lot of the cardboard the company processes is shipped to a company in Wisconsin that makes the waffling layer inside cardboard, he said. The company has started shipping material to Michigan and will start shipping to the Chicago area soon, he said. Plastic bales are shipped overseas to companies in China, Bangladesh, India, Germany and Hong Kong. The primary focus at the BIC location is processing paper, he said, while future locations in Hutchinson and Virginia will process curbside recycling. A lot of companies in outstate Minnesota find it easier and cheaper to ship material to Brainerd than to Minneapolis, Grunenwald said, making his business an attractive option. He also focuses on education by working with companies on recycling plans to be able to process more of their materials. “It’s more of a partnership than being just their vendor,” Grunenwald said.
Plans to expand The business is adding a new baling system and a new sorting system this year, Grunenwald said, and will add about 25,000-30,000 square feet to its existing 30,000 square feet at BIC. Down the road, he’d like to have his own facility, with an education center where people can attend classes on recycling or the environment. He’d like to include solar power and a natural prairie environment as well. “We want to tell a nice story, this is what we’re all about,” Grunenwald said. “It’s not just processing, we’re in it for the environment and making a better world out there.” Part of the expansion is going to include the installation of a sorting system that can process paper into a form to be used for making insulation, egg cartons or ceiling tiles, Grunenwald said. A new baling system will go next to the sorting system to maximize efficiency, he said. The business currently has one baler for paper and another for plastic. The machine’s purpose is to compress materials into blocks that can more easily be transported. The business will be opening two new locations this year in Hutchinson and Virginia, Grunenwald said. The Hutchinson facility opens this summer and the Virginia facility opens Oct. 1. Both are county-owned facilities the business was contracted to operate, he
said, and will process curbside recycling from the surrounding areas. The goal is to have paper processed in the Hutchinson facility and sent to Brainerd to be sorted into a higher grade of paper, Grunenwald said. Then, bottles and cans from Brainerd can be sent to Hutchinson to be processed. “Having other facilities gives us much more diversity,” Grunenwald said, “and keeps us very competitive in the marketplace.” Grunenwald estimated he’d have three to four employees during his first year at BIC. Instead, he’s up to 11 employees and planning an expansion. He offers good pay and benefits, he said, which is by design. “I’d rather pay people more money and offer benefits than always have to be looking for help,” Grunenwald said. Grunenwald would like to add a curbside recycling program in the future, he said, which has been a goal of his. “I’ve always wanted my own garbage company, since I always seemed to be running someone else’s,” Grunenwald said. “Down the road, that would be great, be a little bit more diverse.” By the end of the year, Grunenwald expects to add four to five more employees, bringing the total to 15. SPENSER BICKETT may be reached at 218-855-5859 or spenser.bickett@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/spenserbickett.
Advertorial
By Jodie Tweed When a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it affects the entire family. Unfortunately, many families wait too long to enlist the services of a hospice agency to help care for a family member facing the end of life. Patients are eligible for hospice services when treatments for a cure are no longer successful. On average, patients admitted to hospice soon enough can potentially live 19-21 days longer than patients who do not elect hospice. With hospice care, pain is controlled better and patients can often remain in their own homes, allowing them to enjoy the time they have left. When hospice support is provided earlier, primary caregivers can feel less stressed as their loved one’s healthcare needs increase. St. Croix Hospice, which has an office in Brainerd and serves patients within a 60-mile radius, offers unique individualized care for patients, families and primary caregivers. Dignity, respect and compassion are values woven into each service they provide. In addition to nursing and hospice aide services, social worker and chaplain support, they also offer full-time music and massage therapy programs. St. Croix Hospice employs a full-time boardcertified music therapist, Amber Bolstad. Music can be a powerful tool to soothe and calm patients, decreasing agitation, anxiety and depression. It can sometimes unlock memories in patients suffering
from Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Massage Therapy provides healing touch for patients. Some may only need a simple hand massage or a comforting touch to put them at ease. “Sometimes all these patients are feeling are needle pokes,” says Natalie Spiczka, account executive for St. Croix Hospice. “Some don’t have family in the area, and having that touch is so beneficial in comforting their hearts and their minds.” If a patient wants help fulfilling their own “bucket list,” St. Croix Hospice staff work to make this happen for them. Brianna Duflo, care transition coordinator for St. Croix Hospice, says they weren’t sure one patient would be able to fulfill his wish of going ice fishing again, so they brought him a fish house, complete with a live fish in the bucket. “When we come into this world, we celebrate a new beginning. We should celebrate at the end as well, and live our lives out beautifully and peacefully,” says Spiczka. St. Croix Hospice staff provides followup emotional and spiritual support for families up to 13 months after their loved one has passed, helping them through birthdays, anniversaries and other difficult milestones after a loss. St. Croix Hospice is the second largest hospice agency in Minnesota. They also have offices in Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.
“When we come into this world, we celebrate a new beginning. We should celebrate at the end as well, and live our lives out beautifully and peacefully.” ~Natalie Spiczka
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Bring comforting care to patients anywhere they call home throughout the state of Minnesota.
SKILLED NURSING
HOME HEALTH AID
VOLUNTEER SUPPORT
NUTRITIONAL SUPPORT
MUSIC THERAPY
MASSAGE THERAPY
EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL SUPPORT AND COUNSELING
Finding joy in the journey Contact the Brainerd office at 218-203-9890 or visit www.stcroixhospice.com for other locations.
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St. Croix Hospice specializes in end-of-life quality care
S24 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
PROGRESS EDITION
Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch
This spring, crews use a crane to place walls for a new retail center’s exterior along Elder Drive in Baxter by Home Depot and Costco.
WORKFORCE SHORTAGE From Page S19
However, businesses can circumvent the shortage by examining if their wages and benefits are attractive enough, Bergman said. He granted that small businesses may have a disadvantage when it comes to wages as raises might impact their profitability more strongly, but there are other ways to be attractive besides pay alone.
“Benefits, time off — even working conditions can make a difference,” he said. Machine trades, computers and health care are three examples where the workforce may be tied directly to a skills gap, Bergman said. “Attracting people to the area with the right skills is sometimes difficult,” he said. New business owners trying to find out the prevailing wage in the area should go to the Minnesota Department
Advertorial
Jack Pine Brewery relocates and expands By Sarah Katzenberger
tra room makes it possible to host events of all sizes. The Pioneer Room sits adjacent to the large taproom and can be closed off for mid-week bridal showers, business events and private parties. The new taproom boasts a much larger tap system. The previous location had a 14-tap system. The new building’s system can spout a whopping 23 beers. “Our goal is to have 15-20 on tap at any given time,” Sundberg said. All beers are exclusively brewed on location at Jack Pine. Sundberg is tight-lipped about the brews he is partial to. “That’s like trying to pick your favorite kid,” he said. “Of course, I think they’re all great.” Jack Pine Brewery is open seven days a week with varying hours. To stay up-to-date on the latest happenings and hours of business, find them on Facebook or visit www.jackpinebrewery.com.
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BAXTER — Jack Pine Brewery is setting the pace when it comes to the trend of microbreweries exploding into the Brainerd lakes area. In September 2016, the brewpub broke ground on its bigger, better stand-alone taproom on Edgewood Drive in Baxter. Jack Pine hosted the grand opening on Memorial Day weekend to an eager and sizeable crowd and hasn’t slowed down since. Owner Patrick Sundberg said the move, and additional space, has been a welcome change from the previous location in the industrial park on College Road. “We have a lot more room for new opportunities here,” Sundberg said. Previously, Jack Pine Brewery had to operate the taproom and brewing process on alternating schedules. “We would have to stop brewing, clean up and then open the taproom before customers could come in,” he said. “It was a real process.” The extra space allows for a simultaneous operation. Plus, all that ex-
of Employment and Economic Development’s Workforce Center located in the Crow Wing County Community Services building, Bergman said. There, a regional labor market analyst can research the wage for their industry. In Bergman’s experience, small business owners who come to him for labor advice want to know what wages and benefits they should pay to attract good workers and still fit their resources. “How do I attract the right person, at the wage I can afford to pay, with the skills I need?” Bergman said. “That’s really the secret sauce.” Once they’ve found that right person, they need to retain them. To retain workers, Bergman suggested having a clean and friendly work environment, a competitive wage and a good relationship between employer and employee. In the meantime, the shortage isn’t going anywhere, Bergman said. “Short of a recession again, all signs point to, it’s going to continue and probably get worse unless we figure out how to get more workers into the workforce,” he said. Chet Bodin is the labor analyst who works at the office that Bergman suggested new small business owners go see. In his DEED blog, Bodin highlighted several growing sectors based on specific northwest Minnesota regional data. Sectors that experienced especially high growth in jobs as of last year included administrative and support services, managers, miscellaneous manufacturing jobs, insurance carriers, securities and commodities contracts, and computer design and service jobs.
www.brainerddispatch.com FOR YOUR
INFO
Minnesota Workforce Facts Manufacturing jobs classified as “too hard to fill”: Two-Thirds. Crow Wing County labor force participation rate as of June: 96 percent. County Unemployment rate: In June: 3.7 percent.
“Though relatively small, these ‘emerging’ industries may hold one key to helping the region continue to prosper,” Bodin wrote. “Companies such as ATEK Access Technologies, an electronics manufacturer near Brainerd that designs data sharing technology and products, lead through technical and workforce innovation that helps the region maintain a competitive edge.” Bodin advocated that regional planners and polictymakers support local workers who reshape the regional economy in the process of improving and their own skills to get better jobs and pay. ZACH KAYSER may be reached at 218-855-5860 or Zach. Kayser@brainerddispatch.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ZWKayser.
brainerd lakes area
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Serving the Brainerd Lakes Area and Central Minnesota since 1881
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
Cherrywood:
Small Brainerd business makes COLORFUL global impact
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics owner/colorist Karla Overland smiles as she talks about the business and all the different colors Cherrywood creates at the studio in the Baxter Industrial Park. Jennifer Stockinger Staff Writer BAXTER — Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics, a Baxter-based business employing only seven women, may be small but it has made an impact across the globe. Cherrywood owner/colorist Karla Overland has taken the hand-dyeing business from Brainerd to New York City and Houston to overseas to Dubai. Soon, Overland will be adding France and Australia to the list of places that showcase work by Cherrywood. Cherrywood is a hand-dyeing company that turns high-quality, unbleached muslin fabric into a rich, suede textured fabric suitable for making quilts and clothing. The company has developed hundreds of formulas that make almost every color imaginable. Cherrywood sells directly to customers across the country through its website. The fabric is sold at Colorz Quilt Shop in Brainerd and at several quilt shops across the country. Overland is not the original owner of Cherrywood, but when she heard about the company she said she had to become involved with it. Overland’s love of quilting began at age 10 when she taught herself how to sew while in the 4-H program in Morris. She graduated from high school and then went on to earn a graphic arts degree from Moorhead State University. Overland moved to Brainerd when she got a job at Russell and Herder, an advertising company. Overland joined a quilting club in Brainerd and that is when she heard about Cherrywood and Dawn Hall, who started the hand-dyeing business in her home 30 years ago. Hall brought her fabric to quilt shows with her aunt and people loved it. The business eventually moved into a dedicated building in Brainerd. Overland said Hall needed graphic design work done and that’s when they began working together. Overland said when she saw the product Hall was producing, she knew what was next. “I practically begged her to hire me as I loved the product and quilting industry,” Overland said. “I was getting burned out of advertising and I knew this was the coolest thing ever. And with school I had color theory courses in college, so it fit.” Overland became partners with Hall in 2001 and learned the trade. A year later, Hall died from cancer. The business fluctuated between two to four employees at an undisclosed location in Brainerd for several years. Overland had two business partners, Linda Arganbright and Hall’s husband, Allen, up until their retirements.
In 2015, Overland became the sole owner of the company and more space was needed, so the company moved to its current location in the Baxter Industrial Park on College Road. The new studio is more environmental friendly and efficient. Overland said they were having issues with humidity, temperatures, water pressure and space at the former building. “This location is one level and is amazing,” she said. “We know exactly what our water temperature is going to be because we have tankless water heaters. The water has to be 140 degrees.” The location also has an overhead garage door for shipping things out and bringing in raw material, which is an added bonus, Overland said.
The dyeing process It starts with the muslin, which comes in 150-yard rolls. Overland said muslin is a plain, 100 percent cotton fabric made in various weights, where bits of the cotton is visible in the woven material. The fabric is cut in 2-yard pieces so it can be placed in the washing machines for the dyeing process. The fabric goes
through multiple washings, which is one reason why the fabric becomes so soft. There are four washing machines that prewash the fabric to remove sizing and dirt and nine washing machines that dye the fabric. Each washing machine can dye the fabric a different color. “After we cut and wash it to get the sizing and any grease out, we prepare it for the dyeing process,” Overland said. The fabric goes into the dyeing washing machines wet. Overland mixes up each recipe for each dye, which is a powered procion dye. The recipe is a well-kept business secret and is not shared with the public. The dyes are mixed up, put into the machine and there are several steps along the way. One batch takes up to five hours to create. It took an entire day at the old location. “We want to dye evenly and don’t want it twisted,” Overland said. “We are not going for the tie-dye look. “After a long process, the fabric comes out ... a solid color. Once it is dry it will have a suede texture, not flat color.
COLORFUL GLOBAL IMPACT: Page S28
FOR YOUR
INFO
Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics City: Baxter. Number of employees: Seven, which includes Overland. Interesting fact: In a one-year period, the company dyes 20,000 yards of fabric; goes through 8 tons of salt; ships 6,000 pounds of fabric with freight companies to quilt shows; and produces about 350 yards of dyed fabric a week. “The Lion King” exhibit was seen in front of as many as 250,000 people in 24 venues. National quilt show attendance can range from 8,000 to 40,000 visitors.
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics owner/colorist Karla Overland holds up the high-quality, unbleached muslin fabric the business purchases and then dyes it into a rich, suede-textured fabric.
S26 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
PROGRESS EDITION
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All-inclusive interiors: The Hearth Room’s problem solvers
Chelsey Perkins offering nearly every material Community Editor or piece of furniture one might BAXTER — Jennifer Solseth desire as part of a new build and Sara Raimann do their best or remodel. work in the face of problems. “We had clients, and they At the helm of retail and wanted more and more of our interior design company The help with interior design versus Hearth Room for 15 years, the going to all different places sisters strive to offer a one-stop around town or out of town and shop for clients seeking a more trying to piece it all together,” functional and beautiful space. Solseth said. “Most people come to us with The showroom located in the a problem,” Solseth said. “Be it Westport Shopping Center in a space problem, a flow problem Baxter is a journey through the in their house, or something possibilities of home design just doesn’t work for them — living and kitchen spaces anymore — and now we’re showcase a variety of styles and problem solvers. We go to our seemingly endless choices of toolbox with lots of stuff here fabrics and tiles demonstrate and try to solve that problem, the potential for transforming and make it as efficient and best the look and feel of interiors. for the client as we can.” What the company offers is The two are no strangers to client-driven, Raimann said, home building and and grew with transformation as each project to daughters of Doug which they signed Kueper, founder on. The most of architecture common question To make and construction from people who firm Kuepers walk through the something Inc. Combining showroom door, beautiful, the talents of she added, is, you’ve got to certified interior “What are you?” make a mess. designer Raimann “The question and Solseth, is: ‘What are we JENNIFER who heads the not?’” Raimann SOLSETH, coordination and said. “Everything president of The scheduling as that you see is Hearth Room president of the because of clients company, The asking if we have Hearth Room it. … ‘Do you carry began as an extension of their flooring?’ No, but that’s a great father’s construction business. idea. ‘Do you carry lighting?’ At first, they focused on sourcing No, but that’s a great idea. They fireplaces, stone and cabinets kept wanting us to go out with for building projects. But Solseth them shopping, go with them said they saw opportunity in furniture shopping. We already
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Sisters Jennifer Solseth (left), president, and Sara Raimann, interior designer, head The Hearth Room in the Westport Shopping Center in Baxter. know the look, so we might as well just continue.” Now, they carry all of those things and more. “We’re kind of a very dynamic business in the sense that we
do a lot of different things,” Solseth said. “And things that maybe people are not aware of when they walk in. … Usually a place does just flooring, or does just furniture. They don’t
put it all together. There’s some stores out there that are like this, but we’re probably few and far between, these hybrids.”
PROBLEM SOLVERS: Page S30
Advertorial
The Good Samaritan Society WRITTEN BY REBECCA FLANSBURG Good Samaritan Society has been firmly woven into the fabric of the Brainerd lakes area since the late 1960s and has earned a reputation as a healthcare organization that offers exceptional skilled nursing care, senior housing, assisted living, post-acute care, therapy and rehabilitation services and specialized care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Since its inception in the 1920s, the Good Samaritan Society family has never lost sight of their vision of meeting the needs and desires of the residents, staff members and communities it serves. As one of our area’s largest employers, this organization employs around 460 full-time and part-time staff members between the communities in Brainerd and Pine River. As the Good Samaritan Society continues to grow to meet the demands of the community so does their need to add quality staff to their roster. For those looking to enter the healthcare and nursing field, positions are currently available in certified nursing assistants, LPNs and RNs and also universal workers; care roles for non-certified nursing assistants. Positions are available in dietary and housekeeping departments as well. Good Samaritan Society’s Employment Recruiter, Danny Bellos. says “We offer a generous up to $12000 scholarship that
is available for employees while they are working in Long Term Care and seeking a two-year LPN degree and up to $24000 scholarship is offered for employees seeking a four- year RN degree while employed by the our organization. Both require only working 10 hours per week while utilizing our scholarship program. It’s like on-thejob training and it’s an exceptional way for people as young as 16 to gain the experience they need, along with the education, to enter the nursing field.” Bellos went on to share that Good Samaritan staff that are studying to achieve their nursing certifications also have access to a childcare reimbursement of up to $360 per semester. Reimbursement for transportation expenses to and from classes is also offered and once the employee is finished with school, there is a monthly student loan repayment program up to $400. “All of our Good Samaritan Society locations have worked hard to raise the bar when it comes to the care needs of our residents,” Bellos observed. “To be a part of a team of people who have a common goal of treating residents with love, dignity and respect is very rewarding. But to be able to work in a career where we are able to make a difference in people’s lives every day is the greatest gift of all.”
www.good-sam.com/careers
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S27
Direct sales have become DIRECT HITS for Brainerd women
Jennifer Stockinger Staff Writer Even if one doesn’t do so personally, more than likely they know someone who sells products — Pampered Chef, Plexus Products or Tastefully Simple — out of their homes. The number of products out there are plentiful in the direct selling world. According to the Direct Selling Association, the direct selling industry was at an estimated $35 billion in 2015 and it continues to grow. The Brainerd lakes area is no different, with a number of salespeople out there. The only thing people need to do is page through one of their social media sites, such as Facebook, to find a party of some kind selling a product, whether it be cosmetics, party supplies, purses and bags, food, household products, accessories. The list goes on. People who sell a product many times do it because they like the product, want the discount and want to sell it to their family and friends.
The Dispatch sat down with two Brainerd women who are in the direct selling world to hear about their successes and experiences. Kaitlyn Rosemore sells Avon — beauty, household and personal care products. Susan Schroer sells Norwex — cleaning products.
Rosemore’s story Rosemore began as an Avon representative in October of 2016, but has been around the product since she was 2. Her mother has been selling Avon products for 22 years and when Rosemore was little, she recalls delivering orders to her teachers in her backpack. Rosemore’s mother started selling Avon to meet people. Avon products have been in existence for 130 years. There are representatives across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada and Avon is the leading social beauty company in North America, the company states on its website. Avon’s
product portfolio includes skincare, color cosmetics, fragrance and personal care products, featuring brands such as ANEW, Avon Color, mark. and Skin So Soft, as well as fashion and accessories. “When my mom started selling Avon, there were no cellphones or the internet,” Rosemore said. “She was a stay-at-home mom and she sold Avon. I grew up with it my entire life. I helped bag orders, hand out brochures and deliver the books. My mom still mails them out. “I always loved the products and had a connection to it, a passion.” Rosemore, 24, signed up under her mom to start selling Avon. “I tried to sell it about four to five years ago, but at that time I was unsure who I was and it didn’t pan out,” Rosemore said. “I didn’t quite feel fulfilled then. I thought I would give it another try this past October.
When my mom started selling Avon, there were no cellphones or the internet,” Rosemore said. “She was a stay-at-home mom and she sold Avon. I grew up with it my entire life. I helped bag orders, hand out brochures and deliver the books. My mom still mails them out. “I always loved the products and had a connection to it, a passion. KAITLYN ROSEMORE
DIRECT HITS: Page S31
Advertorial
A Charming Host
Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes By Rebecca Flansburg Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes rates or they can be purchased for day visiwould like to thank the community for vis- tors as well. iting their premier vacation area hotel, waIf meetings and events are on the itinterpark, meeting and event spaces and the erary, The Sands Ballroom can accomBaxter’s Bar & Grill. The dedicated team modate groups and wedding receptions at Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes is for up to 300 people. Three smaller meetcommitted to making wonderful memories ing rooms can accommodate groups from and creating great experiences for all of 14 to 50 people. Event or meeting attendtheir guests. ees will benefit from a new banquet menu Arrowwood Lodge has 102 spacious designed to take care of any group’s food rooms and suites; so large they are called and beverage needs. Full service catering “cabins.” Each room is comfortably de- is available to serve guests for special ocsigned for the business or vacation trav- casions like wedding receptions, board reeler in mind. Room amenities include a treats or family gatherings. refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, Check out their new website at www. hair dryer, iron and ironing board and free arrowwoodbrainerd or call them at (218) high-speed internet. Other conveniences 822-5634 for more details or to answer any include a fitness center that is perfect for a questions you may have. staycation workout and several rooms and suites that have outdoor patios overlooking the courtyard. Baxter’s Bar & Grill is Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes’ onsite place to dine and relax with a favorite beverage and amazing menu items. Guests can choose from appetizers, sandwiches, steaks, seafood, pasta, hand tossed and wood fire pizzas, fresh salads with house made dressings, and much more. Large groups will appreciate the private dining room and all guests agree that the Lodge’s new look and experience is Northwood’s dining at its best! For those looking for some great recreation or downtime activities, there is always something fun to do in the courtyard. Guests can enjoy Arrowwood Lodge’s new zip line, sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits or simply enjoy the evening out by the bon fire. Their littlest guests are also sure to have a good time on the courtyard’s adventure-filled children’s play set or at the Paul Bunyan Indoor Waterpark. Passes to the waterpark are included in most room
Baxter’s Bar & Grill at Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes
Come in and check out our new menu
(but we kept your old favorites too!)
Daily specials for food and drinks! Come in and experience it for yourself... fine dining with a casual atmosphere.
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Happy Lab�r Day! Baxter’s Bar & Grill | 6967 Lake Forest Road Baxter, MN | (218) 822 - FOOD www.arrowwoodbrainerd.com 001611418r1
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PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
COLORFUL GLOBAL IMPACT From Page S25
It’s like a tone-on-tone variation of color and is sent wet to the subcontractors and they finish it.” There are four subcontractors who work from home. They take the fabric and run it through a mangle, which is a mechanical rotary iron that presses and dries the fabric at the same time. It is then folded, pre-cut to certain sizes, grouped, labeled and priced. The subcontractors also do quality control, looking for any type of flaws, such as spots or blotches. “We don’t throw anything away,” Overland said. “If it doesn’t turn out, we cut it up and throw it into grab bags and sell it. We started selling our lint from dryers as they come out colored and we sell them to fiber artists to make interesting art.” One of the subcontractors, Arlo Hill, has worked for the company for 26 years. Hill said it takes her about 20 hours to complete two batches in a week. Each batch is about 200 yards. “This is a perfect job to do at home,” Hill said. “You can go shopping in between and leave for a few hours because it’s a process. I just keep track of my hours and when the batches are complete I hand it (the fabric that is sized, labeled and priced) back to Karla. “I enjoy the freedom of the job and I have a very nice boss.” The entire process takes about three days. Overland said the overall look of Cherrywood fabric is very specific. The company gained a reputation on its packaging, which hasn’t changed for the past 30 years. One of their trademarks is its eight-step gradation bundle. These gradations of color are formulated so when the eight colors are packaged together, they create a “pleasing collection that is irresistible to quilters,” Overland said. Overland said customers appreciate that the fabric has been prewashed and preshrunk; there is no right or wrong side; it has a high thread count; and has subtle tone-on-tone variations, which creates richness and depth. Almost half of Cherrywood’s fabric is sold online, going straight to the retailer. The fabric also is sold at quilt shows across the country, including ones in California, Texas and New York. Overland attends about 10 quilt shows a year. Traveling to quilt shows around the country has helped the business expand its customer base. The Cherrywood studio has a map on the wall with colored tacks
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Arlo Hill puts the final touches on a quilt package for Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics in Baxter. Hill has been a subcontractor for the company for 26 years. in place for each location that carries the product. The tacks are marked all over the country, from as close as Brainerd to as far away as Dubai. This summer, a tack was added with a quilt shop in Oregon now carrying Cherrywood fabric. Overland said their retail customers are like a family. At the quilt shows, they meet their customers and talk to them about projects they are working on, helping them with colors. After the shows, they reorder through the Cherrywood website. “We have a big following in California because we go to two quilt shows there,” Overland said. “We pick up customers at the quilt shows and they tell their friends. It is word of mouth and is really how we have gotten to where we are today. We have a cluster in Houston, as that is the largest quilt show in the country and it is international. We have people from all over the world and these shows are where we have gotten our pockets of international customers.” The company also is a wholesaler to high-end fabric and quilt stores. Overland said this is the most rapidly increasing part of the business now that production has expanded. Overland said she heard Minnesota has the highest amount of quilt shops in the country, but every state in the U.S. has quilters. She said people don’t realize quilting is a $4 billion industry and it continues to grow. Overland said her biggest competitor is the commercially printed fabrics people purchase off bolts at retail stores. She said all the large companies have a line of solid colors.
COLORFUL GLOBAL IMPACT: Page S29
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics in Baxter takes high-quality, unbleached muslin fabric and turn it into a rich, suede-textured fabric shown in this photograph.
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Owner/colorist Karla Overland sorts through fabrics in a display area of quilt creations located off the front entrance of her business Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics in the Baxter Industrial Park.
Advertorial
Ascensus’ Continued Commitment to the Brainerd Community
Together
in the Brainerd Lakes Community
By Chris Monroe
We thank our associates for their
A study by Deloitte University Press suggests that businesses today should focus on company culture if they want to attract and retain employees. The study identified a company’s social responsibility efforts among the top three things employees value. Ascensus, a technology and services provider that helps over 7 million Americans save for the future, focuses on fostering an inclusive culture. “Our corporate culture is extremely positive,” says Brandy Blum, director of digital programs at Ascensus’ Brainerd location. “We engage associates at all levels to contribute to the success of our organization and give back to the Brainerd community.”
dedication to helping over 7 million Americans save for retirement, healthcare, and college while actively contributing to the Brainerd community.
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Bridges of
• Junior Achievement
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Further instilling a culture of inclusiveness and camaraderie, Ascensus employs an “I-Client” philosophy. “It’s a mindset that embraces our core values,” Blum says. “We always act in the best interest of our clients so we can develop mutually successful and rewarding relationships.” The I-Client philosophy aligns with Ascensus’ core values: People Matter. Quality First. Integrity Always.® “You hear about other companies and their core values,” Blum says. “But ours aren’t just buzz words that come and go. With the support of our associates, they’ve truly helped us get to where we are today.”
Blum recently led efforts to redesign the company’s retirement plan website based on client feedback, making it more intuitive and easier to navigate. “The most important thing we did before starting the redesign was gather customer input,” Blum said. “Our website tagline is Simple by Design; we wanted to make sure it lived up to its name.”
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Before she was leading website redesigns, Blum graduated from college and moved to the Brainerd lakes area, unsure of her future career path. After learning about an opportunity at Ascensus, Blum applied on a whim. Fifteen years later, she works in the same building and has since held various positions ranging from service and operations to an evolving digital leadership role. “Each position has helped me gain an understanding of a different aspect of the company,” Blum says. “Career longevity is common at Ascensus. It’s a great place to work.”
for Life®
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A frequent Top Workplace awards winner, Ascensus fosters community involvement and gives its 1,800 employees company-paid time off to volunteer. Blum volunteers with Junior Achievement and in her children’s classrooms. Of the other 500 Brainerd associates, many volunteer with the Susan G. Komen and Adopt a Highway organizations.
Shelter • Salvation
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COLORFUL GLOBAL IMPACT From Page S28
“They will never have the same texture as (our) hand dyes, as they have been washed so many times,” Overland said. “Our fabrics are very soft. … A lot of award winning quilters love to use our fabric because it really shows off their design work.” Overland said people may see a fabric at a big commercial retail store one month, but it may only be available for a few months. Overland keeps the Cherrywood colors for up to five years for the quilter to purchase “For some quilters it takes a long time to make a quilt,” Overland said. “You start a quilt and stop and finish it 10 years later and we will try to come up with the color and be pretty close.” Overland started a quilting challenge in 2014 that ended up being a hit sensation and helped the business grow even more. Overland wanted to have something fun for quilters to do and said quilting contests are common. She created rules and a theme with specific colors. The first theme was “Wicked,” based on the Broadway play Overland saw in New York City that year. Quilters who participated in the challenge would purchase a packet filled with the fabric — in the first case, it was lime green and black — and they would use their imaginations to create their masterpiece. Every quilt had to be the same size, color and theme. “When I started this challenge, I was hoping for 25 quilts,” Overland said. “To my surprise, there were 114. We kept them all and made a special exhibit (of the winners) and it traveled all over the country. Everybody loved it and wanted
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S29
to know what was next.” The theme of the second challenge was “The Lion King,” which required permission from Disney to use the name. In this challenge, there were 304 entries — tripled from the first challenge. Cherrywood could only keep 120 of the entries, and used outside judges to decide on the winners. The exhibit for “The Lion King” has traveled around the country since August 2016 and will continue to travel through February. Disney chose 24 quilts to display in the theater featuring The Lion King on Broadway at the end of this year. The third challenge has started with entries coming in this past Aug. 1. The theme for the challenge is Vincent van Gogh, a Dutch impressionist painter, and the color is blue. There were 465 quilts submitted. Three judges spent days sifting through all the online images. Quilts that made the first cut were sent to the Cherrywood studio to be judged in person. The Cherrywood challenge has been booked by show organizers for the next two years, regardless of the theme, Overland said, because of its popularity. “This has really put us on the map even globally because these displays have a high impact, everyone is talking about them,” Overland said. “It’s the buzz (in the quilting world). I was approached by a needle company in France who want to display these (van Gogh) quilts in some of their art space. “People doing these quilts are from all Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch over the country (and world): Switzerland, Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics owner/colorist Karla Overland holds up one of the entries New Zealand and I had an email today a quilter created for “The Lion King” quilting challenge. Overland started the challenge for from Spain, asking about this contest. fun and currently is working on the third challenge. It’s been amazing. I’m working on next project, but it is hush-hush.” JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer. stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.
UPCOMING EVENT Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics will take part in The Weaving Waters Fiber Art Trail Sept. 22-23, a self-guided tour of businesses and artisans through cities from New York Mills to Brainerd to Little Falls. People will stop at art studios and shops and learn about the art and do some shopping. Cherrywood will offer ongoing tours of the dyeing facility from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days in Baxter. Overland’s personal fiber artwork will be on display. The night of Sept. 22 is a social gathering at The Landmark Inn in Staples, with music, wine and appetizers. Overland will give a slide presentation at 7 p.m. about the journey she has taken with her annual Cherrywood challenge. 17-3852_Labor Day Ad.qxp_Layout 1 8/2/17 12:23 PM Page 2
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
This display is from “The Lion King” Cherrywood challenge in 2016. The owner of 17-3852_LaborHand Day Ad.qxp_Layout 1 in 8/2/17 12:23 PM Page Cherrywood Dyed Fabrics Baxter created the1quilting challenge in 2014.
Advertorial
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S30 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
PROBLEM SOLVERS From Page S26
Although The Hearth Room offers a wide range of products and services, it isn’t only a business for those undertaking a big change at home. The sisters offer a curated selection of home goods in the store, the discovery of which they credit representatives from the various suppliers they purchase from. They also order an estimated 80 percent of the items they use in decorating projects. “We have people that come in and buy a candlestick,” Solseth said. “And then we have other people come in for an entire house of stuff. … So big ticket items versus people just coming for a lamp, and we’re happy to see both.” Although much of the business The Hearth Room sees is from private homeowners, they do a fair amount of commercial interior design as well. Some recent projects include Lakes Dental Care, RiverWood Bank, BlackRidgeBANK and Associates in Eyecare, all in Baxter. They’ve also signed on for interiors at several multi-housing projects — Pine Grove Estates, Grand Oaks Townhomes and Sprucewood Townhomes in Baxter and East Pointe Townhomes in East Gull Lake. The sisters are on top of the latest trends in home design, with the help of their supplier representatives. “We’re not in Chicago, we’re not in LA (Los Angeles), so as far as what’s the newest products that are available,
FOR YOUR
INFO The Hearth Room
City: Baxter. Number of employees: Seven, five in the office and two field employees. Interesting fact: Light colors and botanical green looks are very popular in Minnesota homes right now. “I don’t know if it’s a Minnesota thing that we crave green, and maybe winters are getting a little too long,” Jennifer Solseth said.
PROGRESS EDITION
we do depend on our reps to kind of guide us and to show us this is a new thing that came out,” Raimann said. “The companies we do work with are wonderful and they guide us and support us.” White is dominating the home interior design world right now, Raimann said, in combination with stained accents. Anything painted is also topping the wish lists of remodelers. Trends on the outs include dark wood floors or cabinets — these tend to be used more as accent pieces, Raimann said, rather than as the main featured pieces. Many of the homeowners who employ their services own vacation homes in the lakes area and have continued their business with Raimann and Solseth at their main residences in the Twin Cities. Although passionate consumers of the latest trends of all tastes in their field, the sisters do recognize an aesthetic preferred in the lakes area compared to those found in urban homes. “We’re very, very traditional in this area by nature. A lot of people this is their second home,” Raimann said. “They already have the trendy stuff, if you will, in their home in the Twin Cities. So when they come up here, they actually want it to be woodsy.” Raimann said despite leaning toward a woodsy, log cabin feel, she’s witnessed a transformation to a more classic look in the area over the past couple decades. “I’m glad that we’re over with everything having these little bears and moose everywhere,” Raimann said. “It’s definitely more of the classic look that doesn’t really go out of style. It’s just kind of nice and timeless. You can just change a few accessories without being stuck with log everything. … If we get a little bit too edgy or too ‘Twin Cities,’ it doesn’t sell, because it’s just not what people want up here.” For those who prefer (or whose pocketbooks demand) the do-it-yourself route, Solseth said her top tips are to photograph the current space and start a binder of favorite looks from catalogs and magazines. “Even if they go to a big box store, it would be helpful,” Solseth said People are becoming better at describing their own style and what they want, Raimann said, and that’s in large part because of the popularity of home design TV shows. For the most part, these shows are helpful to the craft and even offer the design team ideas for difficult spaces, Solseth said. There are the occasional misconceptions forwarded by the highly edited shows, however.
Advertorial
At 125 years old, Hirshfield’s going strong By Chris Monroe
If you’ve ever painted your own home or helped a family member or friend paint theirs, it’s likely you’re familiar with Hirshfield’s. Hirshfield’s has been a household name in Minnesota for 125 years! With an entrepreneurial spirit and a $100 loan, Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield started their first paint store on the corner of Washington and Broadway in Minneapolis in 1894. Customers could buy paint at Hirshfield’s before they could vacuum their homes, listen to music on the radio or clean their clothes in a washing machine. Now the fourth generation of Hirshfield’s is running the business, which has 26 retail locations in four states. In 2001, the third store outside of the Twin Cities opened its doors in the Brainerd Lakes area. When 20-year Hirshfield’s veteran Jeff Lewis was asked to identify the company’s secret to success, without hesitation he said “commitment to customer service. “Many of our employees have been around a long time and our customers expect a level of service that you don’t find everywhere,” he said. Lewis also mentioned flexibility and quick turn-around among the benefits of working with Hirshfield’s. “We manufacture our own paint,” Lewis said.
“That allows us to provide fast service for our customers.” And unlike other paint stores in the area, Hirshfield’s matches stain. “A lot of stores send customers to us because they can’t match an interior stain,” Lewis said. “Hirshfield’s can.” According to Lewis, other than color trends, paint hasn’t changed much in the last 20 years. Customers in the lakes region rely on earth tones and greys for most of their decorating needs and the popularity of faux finishes has fallen off significantly. And painting has become a very “green” business. The Environment Protection Agency has reduced the allowable amount of volatile organic compounds (VOC) one gallon of paint can emit. With the help of technology, companies are producing more environmentally friendly paints and oil paints have all but disappeared in recent years. Need some decorative window treatments to go with your newly painted room? A Hirshfield’s design professional will bring its library of options right to your home and help you complete the perfect room. Hirshfield’s calls it “window shopping in a whole new light” and it’s sure to take the stress out of redecorating.
www.brainerddispatch.com
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Outdoor dining with built-in stainless grills accented with stone and wood provide an elegant patio experience for entertaining.
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
The Hearth Room features various designer rooms inside their store. The shopper can visualize how the decor would fit their lifestyle. “Sometimes we run into it where we give them a price, and they think it’s going to cost a fraction of that because the TV has been a little misleading,” Raimann said. “It always takes longer than they think and it’s messy no matter how hard you try to keep it clean. Sheetrock dust is insidious and it gets
everywhere. And it’s disruptive. We’re in your house, we’re in your really personal spaces. Your bathroom.” “To make something beautiful, you’ve got to make a mess,” Solseth said. CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey.
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
DIRECT HITS From Page S27
“Part of (the reason of selling Avon) is to save for my future, for a home and a family. At the time before I was still really young and not quite sure … but I know who I am (now) and stable with what I want.” The Brainerd woman has a full-time job at US Bank in Brainerd, so selling Avon is a way for her to make some extra cash. Rosemore said what is nice about selling the product is she can work as much or as little as she wants. She spends about 10-20 hours a week, basically any of her free time, with Avon. “It doesn’t feel like a job,” Rosemore said. “It’s like talking to my friends and getting them the products they love and I get to do it at home.” Rosemore said she looked at selling other products on the market, but said she wasn’t as passionate about them as she is to Avon. “The key with direct sales if you have to love what you are selling,” Rosemore said.
Schroer’s story Schroer’s adventure with selling Norwex cleaning products started a year after she opened her own business 10 years ago called Extra Wife Enterprises. “I was looking into getting out into the work field and I wanted to stay home with the kids,” Schroer said. “I said to myself my dream would be to come home to a clean house, with a homecooked meal, the table set, groceries in the cupboard, laundry washed, folded and put away, so I could just enjoy spending time with the family.” So that is what Schroer did. She started a business where she cooks, cleans and runs errands for her clients. Her catchphrase is she is an “extra wife, with no rings attached,” meaning she will do all the family household obligations; but she is not attached to the client. Schroer started cleaning for one family and it has grown to
30 families today. When Schroer started cleaning her hands were raw. “I needed to find something that would not only be good for me, but also good for my clients,” Schroer said as she has clients who live on the lakes and she didn’t want any chemicals to drain into the water. “My sister told me about Norwex and I went to one of the first parties and this gal was cleaning with these cloths and I was amazed at how well they work without the harsh chemicals, without the bleach, the ammonias.” There was a 30-day trial on the product so Schroer gave it a chance. “I have nothing to lose,” she said she thought at the time. “If I don’t like it I could take it back. I thought I can clean a lot of homes in 30 days on a lot of different surfaces.” That was nine years ago, and Schroer continues to use and sell the product. Schroer loves the cleaning product and thought if she is going to use it, she might as well sell it to get the benefit of the discounts. She has sold the product to her clients, who want to use it on their home when she is not there to clean. Each client is different, some she cleans weekly, others bi-weekly or monthly or quarterly. Schroer spends less than five hours a month on selling the product, as she has her customer base of people who just let her know when they need more of the product they use. “I have sold a lot over the years through word of mouth,” she said. “There are about a dozen other people in Brainerd who sell Norwex, but everyone is active at a different level. This is what is nice about home based businesses, you can work them around your family schedule. “Most of the time people get into the home-based business because they like the product and want the discount. By selling the product they can get a discount and sell it to their friends who also like it, so it is a win-win situation. “It’s nice to have the extra income and flexibility.”
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S31
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Susan Schroer sits on her front step of her Brainerd home with her cleaning supplies. Schroer cleans homes and cabins for a living and also sells Norwex, cleaning products, which she uses in her business. According to Forbes in 2016, home-based business numbers have seen remarkable growth. The number of such endeavours has risen by 23 percent over the past decade alone, according to the Centre for Economic and Business Research and Vonage. According to Direct Sales Aid, there are more than 60 million sales consultants worldwide contributing to more than $114
billion in sales. In the United States, millions of people get into direct sales either as a part-time or fulltime venture. According to the DSA’s census, 81.8 percent of direct sales representatives in the U.S. are females and a large percentage are between 30-46 years old. The DSA reports the highest number of direct sellers is in
home products, which accounts for 24.4 percent of the total direct selling population in the U.S. The second place goes to health and wellness products and then to personal care and beauty. JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter. com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.
Advertorial
CTC: This is the Future By Sheila Helmberger
As much as Consolidated Telephone Company has already accomplished in its first 65 years in telephone, cable television and Internet services, Kelly Burns, CTC Marketing Lead, says things aren’t about to slow down anytime soon. With the use of various partnerships, Burns said the company is always looking for ways they can help expand broadband in Minnesota. “We’re working on rural broadband. We’re making it a focus because so many people need it. We’re really looking for ways we can branch out and help.” This year CTC has made the technology a reality for the city of Long Prairie. “We’ve been working with them for the past four years and are currently putting fiber in the ground. “People should begin to be hooked up by the end of the year.” Next up? Aitkin. CTC brought fiber to the city last summer and is now partnering with MLEC Energy to expand services to more rural areas. If you’re wondering when CTC and its services might come to your own neighborhood, Burns said people can express their interest online. “We have a new website called CrowdFiber. Instead of calling in and saying, ‘everyone in my neighborhood wants fiber,’ it’s basically a way to let us gauge the interest. Sometimes the decision
is based on the number of interested parties, sometimes by a percentage of residents, but if we see a high number of people responding in a specific area, we will notice that,” she says. Log on to join.connnectctc.com to see what’s currently available in your area or express your interest in possibly getting fiber to your home one day. “You can become an advocate for your own area,” says Burns. CTC began in 1952 as a co-op of farmers, says Burns. Today the company has over 60 employees and is well known for its local customer service and its involvement in the communities it serves. “We are very active in the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, Sertoma and in the Brainerd Public School District, just to name a few. Most of our employees are long term. Once they come on board they stay,” she says, “Our employees not only believe in this company, but we all share the same vision and dedication for providing the best service to our customers possible.” For CTC and its customers, the future is no longer something to look forward to. The future is now. For more information on the services offered by Consolidated Telephone Company, log on to www.connectctc.com or call 218-454-1234.
OUR PEOPLE MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!
At CTC, we’re committed to bringing unbeatable technology that makes your life better. And, when we say awesome customer service, it’s not a line – it’s a guarantee. We don’t go home until your problem is solved. We’re local and committed to our community because we live here too! THANK YOU to our employees for giving back to our community and local organizations to help those in need. You make us better!
(800) 753-9104 | (218) 454-1234 ConnectCTC.com |
S32 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
So you want to
BE YOUR OWN BOSS
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
So, you’ve got the itch. Visions of financial independence, being your own boss, and doing something more fulfilling have got you thinking about going into business for yourself. You’re not alone. In any given year, tens of thousands of Minnesotans dive headlong into business for themselves. It’s part of an overall trend toward entrepreneurship. Startups, mostly small businesses, have been rising steadily for the past two decades in Minnesota.
Have You Got What it Takes to Succeed? But should you take the plunge? This is no time for impulsive decisions. Think it through carefully. The first step is to decide whether you really have the right stuff to be a successful entrepreneur. We’re talking the right skills, the right training and the necessary commitment. The U.S. Small Business Administration has identified some basic characteristics commonly shared by successful small business owners. See how you stack up. You may be ready to be an entrepreneur and start your own business if … ► You like a challenge and are comfortable taking risks. There are no guarantees in business. The financial risks are considerable and the shadow of failure can loom large for the first few years. Does that uncertainty terrify you? Thrill you? Your ability to endure and manage through the uncertainties of business is crucial. ► You can make tough decisions with confidence. Do you trust your
own instincts? You have to be willing to think and act independently. ► You’ve got lots of good ideas. You have an eye for spotting and capitalizing on new opportunities or solving old problems in a new way. ► You’re outgoing and persuasive. C o n v i n c i n g customers to use your products or services is important, but it’s just the beginning. Are you comfortable selling yourself to lenders and p o t e n t i a l partners? Can you motivate employees? ► You dig the art of the deal. Negotiation is a way of life for small business owners. Leases. Credit with suppliers. Contract terms. Interest rates. Salaries. You’re going to have to tackle them all with an eye on protecting the bottom line.
Get the Right Guidance Having ready access to business expertise and sound advice is essential as you’re making crucial decisions about whether or how to start your own business. Every year thousands of people launch startups with little or no expert guidance. And many face serious – and needless – setbacks and failure because of it. Fortunately, there’s no need to share their fate. There are many excellent
resources available for people starting a business in Minnesota. Many consulting services are free of charge or are offered at extraordinarily low cost.
Learn More Consultants at the Small Business Assistance Office at https://mn.gov/ deed/business/help/sbao/ can help
you understand more about all the factors you’ll need to consider before you start a business. And our network of Small Business Development Centers at https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/ sbdc/ has experts located in nine main regional offices and several satellite centers statewide.
Advertorial
Written by Chris Monroe
Thirty-four years ago, with an old dump truck and a backhoe, Raymond Schrupp started digging sewers and basements and laying roads. Schrupp Excavating was born. Today, the company employs 18 people and that old truck and backhoe have been replaced several times over. Schrupp, and his wife Wendy, run the business. Schrupp credits exceptional customer service with keeping him in business. “Our crew is outstanding,” Schrupp says. “We return calls, show up when we say we’re going to and do the job right. We’re like a family.” Recently, Schrupp Excavating dug a large septic system in Walker. “Thumbs up!” said the owner in a voicemail message to Schrupp. “I was so impressed with the crew!” Schrupp Excavating serves a large area as far north as Walker, south to Brainerd, west to Park Rapids and Staples and east to Crosby. You might wonder under what circumstances you would need an excavator. “Residential building sites and septic systems mostly,” Schrupp says. “But if dirt needs to be moved, we’re on the job.” Schrupp Excavating also does commercial work. It prepared the sites for some of the Dollar General stores pop-
ping up around the lakes region. And when Eagle View Elementary in Pequot Lakes was under construction in 2003, it was Schrupp and his crew first on the site to prepare it for building. Schrupp Excavating is known in the area for having dedicated, knowledgeable and courteous workers that know their job and do it well. “Regulations have increased significantly since I started the business,” Schrupp says. “We encourage our guys to attend classes and get licensed and we pay the way. They’re experts.” The most significant regulatory changes have come from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency regarding erosion control and septic installations. “Rules have tripled in the last 15 years,” Schrupp says. “It’s hard to keep up. But we continue to learn so we can do the best job possible.” Five of Schrupp’s employees are licensed to install sewers and two of the five design septic systems. “There’s lots of competition,” Schrupp says. “But there’s lots of business. The ones that show up and do the job right are busy. We have good equipment and a great crew. We’ll get the job done.”
Septic Systems Designed & Installed Driveway & Road Building/Repair Black Dirt, Fill Dirt, Field Rock, Sand, Class 5, Basements STATE CERTIFIED–BONDED–INSURED
Raymond Schrupp
34 Years & Still Digging It Right!
www.SchruppExcavating.com
218-587-4038 3003 36th St. S.W., Pine River FAX: 218-587-3473 Email: schruppex@uslink.net
001613365r1
Business grows despite increased regulations
brainerd lakes area
Progress Edition
b r a i n e r d www.brainerddispatch.com
d i s p a t c h
l a b o r
d a y
Serving the Brainerd Lakes Area and Central Minnesota since 1881
s p e c i a l
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
Time-honored timber:
Antique lumber finds new life at Big Wood Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Dave LePage pauses in his showroom at Big Wood Timber Frames south of Brainerd. Reclaiming timbers from barns and buildings, the company has restored the beauty of old wood. Chelsey Perkins Community Editor Scars left by axes swung before the Civil War show the work of skilled builders who shaped timbers for use in homes, barns and warehouses long before cutting machinery came along. Each board or beam bears the signature of the hands that created it as long as two centuries ago, and Dave LePage recognizes the work those men did and it forms the basis of his modern-day design and construction firm Big Wood Timber Frames. “I probably wouldn’t be doing this kind of thing if it wasn’t for these materials,” LePage said on a June day inside his company’s Brainerd workshop. “They have their own presence and character and history. … That board’s already had an experience in its life, and you sort of owe it to try to do your best on reusing it and putting it in its proper place for its second life.” LePage and business partner Mike Nicklaus started the company in 1991, designing and building timber-frame homes, trusses, entry systems, brackets and porches from reclaimed, antique timber. The pair first opening up shop in the George E. Hess 1883 building in Lowertown St. Paul. Six years later, Big Wood’s workshop space was added on Business Highway 371 in Brainerd, repurposing the Blue Ox Co-Op feed mill and fertilizer factory. Today, the Big Wood campus covers 5 acres and includes multiple buildings erected from reclaimed materials, including the former Minneapolis Racquet Club and beams from an old waterpark. Nearly everything inside — from furniture created from extra-large boards to old blast doors salvaged from the Twin Cities Army
Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills — had its own previous life. LePage knew the Brainerd lakes area, having built homes for family members nearby in the 1980s. But as the popularity of using reclaimed wood, metal and other building materials rose, the “up north” aesthetic of lakes area homes and cabins offered a veritable feast of opportunities. “This (area) is the center of the world for using this kind of stuff, these materials,” LePage said. “It’s definitely the hot look right now. It became popular out in the mountains maybe a little bit before here.” The projects the company undertakes range from reassembling antique barns in their entirety to fashioning flooring and paneling from reclaimed wood to be used in remodels or new buildings. Antique corrugated steel is among the materials collected at Big Wood as well, along with details from doors, windows and more. An eye-catching selection of
cast-iron door handles and hinges are on display in the main office. LePage, whose own background includes construction and studio art, designs most of the building projects the company accomplishes, including homes. His medium was not always antique lumber, however — in line with construction trends and preferences at the time, LePage used green lumber to build timber frames. But he found the new lumber was not meeting his expectations. “The timber frame structures we were cutting in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s were experiencing a lot of shrinkage and twisting,” LePage said. “The timbers change shape, and they were tearing
some of our structures apart. We quickly realized that we’re going to run into problems if we didn’t switch.” The antique lumber, LePage said, long ago went through its own shrinkage process and years later is stabilized. It still undergoes a series of preparations before finding its new home, however, starting with finding its way to Big Wood in the first place. LePage works with a number of people who tear down barns for a living, as far away as Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The company pays for the materials recovered from the tear-downs, allowing their cadre of contractors to deal directly with the property owners.
TIME-HONORED TIMBER: Page S36
That board’s already had an experience in its life, and you sort of owe it to try to do your best on reusing it and putting it in its proper place for its second life. DAVE LEPAGE, co-owner of Big Wood Timber Frames
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Lee Johnson uses a band saw to cut through a reclaimed timber at Big Wood Timber Frames. The solid wood beams are used for interiors in homes across the country.
S34 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
Lonesome Cottage sets foothold in lakes area Dan Determan all have specialities,” Brandon Echo Journal Staff Writer said. “We have the best chair PEQUOT LAKES — For nearly builders, the best case builders two decades, the Lonesome and the best bed builders, and Cottage Furniture Co. has they all specialize in those areas, built and sold log furniture in whereas a smaller operation may build a bed one day and a Pequot Lakes. A few years after Brandon chair the next and you don’t get and Jill Andersen purchased the that specialization. The people company, it became the largest we have working here are the rustic furniture maker in the best we have ever had. … It country, but keeps its focus in is just a phenomenal group of people, and great people make the lakes area. “It is all made locally,” great products.” The company was founded in Brandon said. “This is a local 1998 by brothers Matt and Jeff business that takes a lot of pride in doing things to support Balmer, who began by selling and advocate for the local furniture built in their garage. economy. For Jill and I, we After some expansion, the try to volunteer as much as two sold the company to the we can in the area. We try to Andersens in 2003. After struggling to make a give back as much as we can and we encourage the other profit in the early stages of guys and gals working here to their ownership, the Andersens realized they would need to do the same.” Despite the company’s expand the company and relatively large size, each broaden its appeal outside of piece of furniture comes the area. Brandon began to with a personal touch, the visit log home shows around the country owners said. to build the “Our pieces Lonesome are made by Cottage name, one builder,” as well as the Jill said. company’s The people we have “It’s not an working here are the best furniture assembly line. we have ever had. … It is line, Fireside One builder just a phenomenal group L o d g e makes an of people, and great people Furniture. entire dresser, make great products. From there, so our guys business grew and gals take – BRANDON ANDERSEN to the point pride in what where they they make were able to from start move into a to finish. It’s cheesy, but there really is 35,000-square-foot production love in every piece that goes facility in the business park of Pequot Lakes in January 2008. through here.” “Nine months later, the “We have 60-plus guys building furniture here, and they economy collapsed and we
Dan Determan/Echo Journal
Jill and Brandon Andersen pose in the production facility of the Lonesome Cottage Furniture Co., which they purchased in 2003. The Andersens expanded it to become the largest rustic furniture maker in the nation. scrambled like heck,” Brandon said. “Our sales went down 15 percent in the next year — which was actually pretty good because most of our competition went down between 40 and 70 percent. We started picking up market share from our competitors who went out of business, and when the economy started to slowly rebound, our sales started to climb quite a bit.” By 2010, sales for Lonesome Cottage were back to their prerecession levels, and sales have grown in the years since.
“Business has been really strong,” Brandon said. “With the slow ramp-up of the economy, there has been a lot of hesitation from a lot of our customers to make big buys, and we have seen a lot of our hospitality stuff (for hotels, restaurants, etc.) just take off in the last year and a half or two years. That is where a lot of our growth has been.” Since the Andersens purchased Lonesome Cottage, the staff in the lakes area has nearly tripled, and they promote from within as much as possible.
“That has been important to us — being able to provide good jobs and training to people in the area,” Jill said. “Brandon always says we have to account for 70 families. We have to make sure they have everything they need. It is a big responsibility, and one we don’t take lightly.” Lonesome Cottage also operates bedding manufacturer Wooded River — based in Caldwell, Idaho — and sawmill Green Forest Inc. in Littlefork.
FOOTHOLD Page S37
Advertorial
Holiday Inn Express® Brainerd-Baxter Hotel and Three Bear Waterpark By REBECCA FLANSBURG
Holiday Inn Express® Brainerd-Baxter Hotel and Three Bear Waterpark is well-known for their modern up north guest rooms, excellent amenities like free Wi-Fi access, a 975-sq-ft meeting room, complimentary, hot Express Start Breakfast Bar, mouth-watering fare from their Three Bear Grill and a convenient location that is near major businesses and attractions. Vacationers and local alike also enjoy the hotel’s 30,000-square foot waterpark that features body and tube slides, lazy river and activity pool. But what many may not know is that Holiday Inn Express® is now the first location in the lakes area to offer a new, exciting and state of the art Laser Tag Park and Arcade. Great for all ages, this new offering is bringing a whole new experience to the area. The Cragun’s Laser Tag Park & Arcade was added in 2016 and has since become a popular adventure for those looking for an action-packed birthday party activity or just a unique way to spend an afternoon. Open to guests
and the community, laser tag newcomers and enthusiasts will enjoy available specials for Unlimited Laser Tag Monday through Thursday and also birthday parties who would like to make laser tag part of their special day. Laser tag is also a safe, low impact and painless physical activity that players at any fitness level can enjoy. “Our laser tag arena is a great way for players to engage in an active, family-friendly challenge where teamwork is the key to victory,” General Manager Thomas Vasecka noted. “It’s an exciting and thrill-oriented activity for all ages and a way to work together, problem solve and experience team-building exercises. When groups come in and play against other teams, they start as strangers, but leave as friends. So this Labor Day weekend, we invite guest and members of the Brainerd lakes area to stop by Holiday Inn Express® and Three Bear Waterpark and experience our new Laser Tag Arena and Arcade for themselves.”
HAVE A BLAST! LASER ! TAG OPEN NOW
THANK YOU TO THE STAFF AT HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS.
Have a Safe & Happy Labor Day Weekend! 15739 AUDUBON WAY (HWY 371) • BAXTER, MN 56425
(218)824-3232 • www.brainerdhi.com 001612811r1
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S35
From the ground up: Esser Construction excels at homebuilding
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Esser Construction employees Luke Williams (left) and Jeff Jackson work on a home on Gull Lake this summer. Spenser Bickett Staff Writer The bug to work in construction bit Paul Esser while he was working at his parents’ liquor store in high school. A part-time employee got a job at NorSon Construction and raved about how nice it was to work outside, Esser said. “Back when I was 18 I thought that was a great idea,” Esser said. Esser worked for local construction company Kuepers Inc. for five years, during a time when the housing market was booming, he said. It was a bit of an odd fit, he said, because he never took a woodshop class in high school, but he did take metal and welding classes. “Right at the beginning I was bottom of the totem pole,” Esser said. Esser moved up to a foreman position, he said, and got the chance to run bigger projects during the end of his time at Kuepers. Then in 2003, he founded Esser Construction, with the desire to take on more challenges. Esser Construction’s main focus is homebuilding, Esser said, but the company does pretty much everything.
Through the homebuilding process, Finding work during those first Esser develops a close connection with years was easy, Esser said, because the his clients, which he said he enjoys. homebuilding business was booming. Esser’s business philosophy is simple, But the 2008 housing market crash made he said, and it’s to make sure every it tough to find clients, he said, and there customer is 100 percent satisfied, no was about a year-long stretch when he matter what it takes. didn’t build a new home. “Making their dreams come true, and “We really had to work to get the jobs making it a smooth process we had and appreciate for them,” Esser said. “Just what we did have,” Esser seeing their enjoyment said. “Because many guys when it’s all done and they didn’t make it.” move in, and it’s beyond Esser Construction His character, his their expectations.” stayed busy throughout There was a lot of the Great Recession, personality, that learning during those Esser said, but there were drove us to him, first few years on his about four years of slower more than what own, Esser said. Luckily, business. Thankfully, the a friend was starting his last few years have been the price was. own construction company very busy, he said, and he’s – MIKE MERTES about the same time, he had to turn down a lot of said, so they were able to work this year. help each other out along “There was a period the way. of a month where I was “Just a ton of learning,” Esser said. turning down about a job a day,” Esser “I’m still learning, there’s quite a bit I still said. “Just can’t handle as much work is don’t know.” out there.”
Advertorial
Budget Blinds celebrates 25 years of helping friends
Expectations exceeded Esser Construction built a new lake home on Crooked Lake for Mike and Jill Mertes in the fall of 2015, with the home completed in the spring of 2016. Mike Mertes heard of Esser through a neighbor who knew and worked with Esser, Mertes said. Mertes called four to five contractors, including Esser, before selecting him. What impressed Mertes was Esser’s professionalism and his eye for detail. “His character, his personality, that drove us to him, more than what the price was,” Mertes said. “His price could have been way higher and I still would have used him.” Mertes was looking to add on to a cabin the family purchased about 27 years ago. Because the cabin was too close to the lake and required a variance, he said he didn’t think he’d get a permit to do a demolition and rebuild. After meeting with Crow Wing County, he learned he’d be better off with a rebuild as opposed to adding on to the current cabin.
FROM THE GROUND UP Page S38
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PROGRESS EDITION
S36 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
www.brainerddispatch.com
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Big Wood Timber workers Darrel Roehrich (right) and Adam Hopps inspect a timber that will be milled.
From Page S33
“Shipping is so expensive, we try to get as much as we can locally,” LePage said. “We’ll send a semi (trailer) and usually buy all the usable product from the buildings right from the site.” Some of the buildings are in such great shape, the timbers collected from them are kept together in storage as kits for reassembly. About 25 of these exceptionally beautiful sets of timbers sit together in an open-air storage building on the Big Wood property. “We’ve gone through and make sure we’ve found any rotten pieces, or pieces that need repairs,” LePage said. “We clean it all up and make sure the joints all fit together.” Each timber hauled to Big Wood is put into the hands of one of six full-time employees, whose job is to remove any nails or other pieces of metal embedded in the wood. Some of the timbers are re-sawn, depending on what type of finish was added to the wood. The original wooden surface is the most desired, LePage said. From there,
some of the timbers are re-milled into flooring or siding, while others retain their original massive form and are used in frames. After a quarter-century in the business, LePage said they’ve run across timbers made from rare and extinct woods such as those made from American chestnuts, which were devastated by a fungal pathogen in the early 1900s. They have even begun to recognize the building styles of certain barn builders in a specific geographic region. The company has been involved in taking down a number of well-known buildings, including the towering six-story West Publishing building in downtown St. Paul. That building, of which one entire wall was formed from the limestone along the Mississippi River, filled as many as 30 semitrailers with its reclaimed timbers. LePage said Big Wood Timber Frames is growing as he and Nicklaus continuously reinvest in the business, which he said is nearly one-of-a-kind. “We keep putting our money back into this business. We continue to add more buildings and more people and employees,” LePage said. “There are a couple others that do similar things and that maybe do more flooring. But no
one that really combines the reclaimed flooring, timber framing and heavy timber construction.” Relying on antique materials poses an interesting quandary for the company’s future, however — eventually, the supply of hand-hewn timbers will run out. LePage said he’s working on ideas for business expansion when that time comes. “Any time a timber-frame barn comes down, the materials become a little more rare. And people don’t farm the way they used to,” LePage said. “I remember when I was a kid, you could see 10 barns from a high point on the horizon, and now you might see one old barn.” So what should property owners who may be in possession of one of those old barns do if they wish to remove it? Call Big Wood, of course, LePage said. He advised property owners to take lots of photographs, including close-ups of the timber. Even if the company ends up not being interested in the timber, LePage said he can offer advice for proceeding with a tear-down. And the company is always interested in purchasing materials from those who’ve chosen to deconstruct the buildings themselves. “We’d rather see it preserved than pushed in a pile and lit on fire,
Advertorial
A Professional Job from Start to Finish By Sheila Helmberger
Existing trees that are healthy but don’t fit into the new landscape plan can be preserved by JN Landscaping by gently transplanting them to a new site. They have equipment with the capability of the moving and planting of trees as large as 30 feet tall. If there is a picture in your head of how you want your finished product to look, JN Landscaping will help you bring the design to life with the perfect combination of pavers, stone
and retaining walls, and then finish the job by planting the perfect mix of flowers, greenery and other shrubs that complement the space.
FOR YOUR
INFO
Big Wood Timber Frames City: Brainerd. Number of employees: About 25 employees. Interesting fact: The original Brainerd facility was converted from a fertilizer factory, and a shop built nearby was erected entirely from the timbers reclaimed from the Minneapolis Racquet Club building.
Whether you are looking to increase your curb appeal or to construct a new backyard patio with a fire pit around your home, JN Landscaping can help. To see what they can do for you log on to www.jntreeservice-landscaping.com or call 800-630-2960.
Educated, Experienced, and Excited About What We Do! • BOULDER RETAINING WALLS • BOULDER ROCK GARDENS • RIP RAP SHORELINES • WATERFALLS & PONDS • SODDING • SHRUBBERY • FLOWERS
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capable of gently moving and replanting
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trees up to
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30 feet tall. “That’s a big tree,”
• ROCK & MULCH LANDSCAPING
Nelson said. “That’s instant shade.”
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The company is a full-service landscaper, from complete new construction to old tear outs. JN Landscaping specializes in all areas of landscaping including boulder retaining walls, boulder rock gardens, riprap shorelines, sodding, shrubbery, flowers, paver stone patios, walkways and fire pits, large shade and evergreen trees, as well as rock and mulch landscaping. If you’ve always dreamed of a pond or waterfall, the company can help you implement the look and sound of water into your new space.
CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey.
J.N. Landscaping
JN Landscaping
From finishing your yard following new construction to reinventing a space you’ve always wanted to change, JN Landscaping, specializing in design and installation, can help with the job from start to finish. When your home is surrounded with a beautiful and usable area, it can expand your living space even more, with a place to enjoy for relaxing alone or entertaining friends and family. Landscaping offers a way to complement the natural beauty that already surrounds your home.
which unfortunately happened all too often before it came to its popularity,” LePage said.
1.800.630.2960 218.232.7328 www.jntreeservice-landscaping.com
Locally Owned & Operated
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TIME-HONORED TIMBER
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S37
Dan Determan/Echo Journal
In addition to its production facility, Lonesome Cottage also has a showroom located in downtown Pequot Lakes.
FOR YOUR
FOOTHOLD From Page S34
They also have showrooms operating in Las Vegas and the “furniture capital of the world” of High Point, N.C. Many of the designs for new furniture come from trends discovered through market research, but Brandon indicated many of the company’s top designs come from custom orders. “Our best designs come from our customers,”
Brandon said. “They ask for something custom and we tend to say, ‘That looks pretty good and we should add it to our product line.’” In addition to building quality furniture, the Andersens also take pride in the overall lack of wasted material at their facility. Tree bark is ground into mulch, cedar scrap is made into cedar chips for landscaping and sawdust is burned to heat the facility. The two have also managed to juggle life
both as husband and wife — raising three sons in the process — and as business partners. “We have figured it out,” Jill said. “I don’t think it’s something everyone can do, but we have been able to figure it out. He has his areas and I have mine. We spend a lot of time together, that’s for sure.” With the company’s 20th anniversary looming, the Andersens expect and hope to continue adding new product lines, and well as to continue to
build the company’s local, national and international customer base. “There have been highs and lows over the past 14 years, but it has been exciting the whole way,” Brandon said. “I am not one to sit idle. It is very gratifying to see the impact we can make for our customers. … We have developed some great relationships.” Dan Determan may be reached at 218-855-5879 or dan.determan@ pineandlakes.com. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter at www. twitter.com/@PEJ_Dan.
Thank you Employees and Customers! Happy Labor Day!
Thank you my Great TEAM.
Janzen Auctioneer’s a quality and professional auction company that provides exceptional sales and marketing with positive and profitable results for our auction clients.
Safe Labor Day! 001616536r2
JANZEN AUCTION
BOB, JEREMY & ASSOCIATES • Aitkin
Lonesome Cottage Furniture Co. City: Pequot Lakes. Number of employees: 72 employees. Interesting fact: The company is the largest rustic furniture maker in the country.
IDEAL
SHARPENING COMPLETE SHARPENING SERVICE Lawn Mower Blades • Chisels • Knives Scissors • Axes • Carbide Saw Blades Drill Bits • And More! Free Born Tools Oregon Saw Chain & Bars Sharpaz Saw Blades available.
Have a Happy and
Chris Wohlers • 218-562-4107
Laurie Hall 326 W. Laurel St.
29641 Aspen Lane, Breezy Point, MN 56472
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
Brainerd, MN (3 blocks South of Walgreens)
81 Years of Quality and Professionalism 218-927-4488 or 218-851-0879 cell • jerjanzen77@gmail.com for complete listing & photos: www.janzenauctions.com or www.midwestauctions.com/janzen/
INFO
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Dan Determan/Echo Journal
Lonesome Cottage employs 72 people in Pequot Lakes. Members of the production staff are able to devote their work to a single piece of furniture at a time.
On Patriot Ave. Pequot Lakes (Between Super Valu & DQ) • (218) 568-5668
218-828-0460
(Regular Sunday Worship times: 9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.) 001609129r2
Thank You For Worshiping With Us Join us Sunday for
9:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. Services
CABIN OWNERS, SNOWBIRDS AND VACATIONERS
September 10th at 10:15 a.m.
Who is watching your property when you are not there? This is our specialty. We bring you peace-of-mind and $ savings by inspecting, reporting and remedying any problems (with your prior approval) before they become costly. “We will be there when you can’t” We are licensed and insured with an impeccable record.
Wednesday Night Youth starts
*All Community Youth are Welcome!
A Sincere Thank You to all of our Patients and Staff for another great year.
For more information contact Jim Hanson at
7870 Excelsior Rd., Baxter
218.828.9545 • 877.338.3957
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218-821-8772 or www.cabincheck.com
September 13th at 5:15 p.m.
Dr. Jackie McCall
u o Y k n a h T
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To our Employees and Clients for Being the Building Blocks of our Business.
Treatment of eye infections, injuries & glaucoma Consultations for laser and cataract surgery Eye exams • Contact lenses • Eye wear
The clean you expect. The service you deserve.
Serving The Lakes Area For Over 20 Years The working men and women who form the backbone of our economy have earned our admiration, respect and best wishes. We’re proud to salute them.
“Serving our Members since 1940”
804 Laurel Street, Brainerd, MN 56401 | 218-829-9065
001609118r1
Happy Labor Day!
Laura Block Sarah Pavlacky Bev Smith Jodi Beursken Joan Lendway Laszlo Szathmary Jake Immel Janine Kellig Kyle Carner Amanda Rokio Jake Scharber Pikula Carmel Hoglund Derek Kocak Vicky Merinen Russ Burgoyne Lorena Horak Tina Watson Neil Windorski Shane Bjerga Jesse Johnson Nick Retka Darrel Grandholm Erin Retka Ramona Beach Janice Czech Sue Johnson Molly Doble Sheri Zilligan Nathan Raduenz Anna MacArthur Eric Malone Anna Walker Bill Bailey
218-829-4076
Baxter Industrial Park
Commercial and Residential Construction and Architecture
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We take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to our dedicated staff. You are the reason for our solid reputation.
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Sunday School starts
w w w. hy t e c c o n s t r u c t i o n . c o m ( 2 1 8 ) 8 2 9 - 8 5 2 9 • B R A I N E R D, M N
S38 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
FROM THE GROUND UP From Page S35
Mertes wanted to start the build after Labor Day, so it could be completed by the following summer, he said. Esser Construction ended up sticking very closely to this roughly six-month timeline, he said. The first set of plans, completed by Mertes’ daughter-in-law, were revised after Esser suggested a few ideas, Mertes said. Esser was patient while the plans were revised and redone, Mertes said, which required the plans to be bid and rebid. “I don’t know if all builders would be that patient,” Mertes said. “Because bidding is not a cheap thing.” Esser started demolition the exact day he said he would, Mertes said, and as the project progressed, things went smoothly. Mertes went through projects and builds with other contractors before, he said, and saw projects planned to take six months stretch into two years. “I’ve had just nightmare-type stuff trying to get contractors out to do anything,” Mertes said. Esser Construction kept on a strict work schedule, Mertes said, for the build to be completed on time. Mertes met with Esser once a week at the job site, Mertes said, and during the week, Esser would send Mertes a photo each day of the job’s progress. “He called it the picture of the day,” Mertes said. Esser would respond promptly to questions, Mertes said, and would bring up ideas about alterations during the build. This included things like moving closets, shifting a wall or reconfiguring a space, he said. “Basically, he was ‘the customer is always right,’” Mertes said. “Whatever we wanted, he would do. It didn’t matter how big the thing was.” It was rare to see a contractor defer to a customer’s judgment like this, Mertes said. Esser would give Mertes reasons why something might not be a good idea, he said, but Esser left the decision up to Mertes. “A lot of times we’d listen to him and say, ‘Yeah, you’re right, we better not do that, that doesn’t make sense,’” Mertes said. “He was with us every step of the way all six months. It’s like you’re almost married to him.” After being in the home for a little more than a year, Mertes said he’s “150 percent satisfied” with the job Esser Construction did. Mertes is currently
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Paul Esser, founder of Esser Construction, poses for a photo at a home his company is building on Gull Lake. redoing the guest cabin at the property and has hired Esser Construction for the job. “I didn’t even look for another builder,” Mertes said. “If I want to do anything, I would go to Paul. I won’t even get another bid or ask around.” Mertes is confident in Esser Construction because the work quality is unbelievable, Mertes said. Esser’s attention to detail flows down to his workers, Mertes said, and he doesn’t take shortcuts or use subpar materials. “It all goes back to Paul, he is just a perfectionist,” Mertes said. “He won’t build anything that’s not super-quality.” Esser Construction is currently building a home for Tim McGough and his wife on Gull Lake. Construction started in early May and the McGoughs will be in their home by the end of this year, McGough said.
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
FROM THE GROUND UP Page S39
17-3657_Lakes Ad for Dispatch.qxp_Layout 1 8/2/17 9:59 AM Page 2
Esser Construction has been building homes in the Brainerd lakes area since 2003. 17-3657_Lakes Ad for Dispatch.qxp_Layout 1 8/2/17 9:59 AM Page 1
ADVERTORIAL
To know Lakes Printing you have to meet the employees... Lakes Printing exists today because of the team of employees that come together to do “Whatever it Takes”. This Labor Day we would like to introduce you to the people of Lakes Printing. This team of professionals continues the traditions of quality, honesty and excellence that began almost 30 years ago. Jilene, Rick, Lynn, Robin, Barb and Kevin are the front office team. This combination of years of experience and eagerness to help is always ready to provide answers, get your printing projects rolling and provide support throughout the printing process. They are always working to get you great prices and quality printing within your scheduling needs. Lakes Printing has a full range of digital printing equipment. Sue is the digital color expert. Mike is in charge of the black and white digital press (and is the best proofreader you will ever meet). They have production quality and speed, digital printing equipment. Sue also has a full digital envelope press and a large format color printer for paper banners and signs. This high speed digital equipment does a great job because Sue and Mike are great people. Dustan, Becky, Sera and Dode are the Lakes Printing design team. WOW not only describes the work that they do but it also describes them as people. They bring a fresh and creative look to every project they do. From production art projects to logo design and full scale marketing campaigns you get their full attention on every project. Neil and Kayla are the Lakes area mailing experts. From list creation and list security to mailing processing, addressing and sorting these two have it figured out. Neil and Kayla are able to help you navigate the always changing direct mail world. Lakes printing is a full service commercial printing company with complete offset printing, bindery, pickup and delivery services. This production team is Mona, Zeke, Roger and Renee. This team is not happy unless they know that you will be happy with your printed project. Kevin and Dode may own Lakes Printing but they know that this team is Lakes Printing. Stop by sometime to say howdy. They would love to introduce themselves and to see what they can do for you.
Phone: 218-829-7790 | www.lakesprinting.com 1223 Oak Street, Brainerd, MN 56401
THANK YOUDustan, Sera, Jilene, Zeke, Rick, Lynn, Robin, Barb, Sue, Mike, Becky, Neil, Kayla, Mona, Roger & Renee - We are so proud of all of you and the amazing work you do. You make it easy for us to tag our logo with “WHATEVER IT TAKES ” - Kevin and Dode
PROGRESS EDITION
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S39
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Esser Construction employees work on a home on Gull Lake this summer.
FROM THE GROUND UP From Page S38
and treats his customers well, he said. “I feel fortunate to have gotten hooked up with him,” McGough said.
Project process
It’s been a great process working with Esser, McGough said, because they both speak the language of construction. McGough is an executive vice president at McGough Construction, where he started as a carpenter. McGough Construction is a large commercial contractor headquartered in St. Paul. “He understands that I know what’s going on and I get what he’s doing, and vice versa,” McGough said. “I think there’s a mutual respect around that.” McGough was looking for a home or property in the area for three years, he said. They found a lot and their realtor suggested Esser Construction for a homebuilder. McGough met with Esser and they agreed they would be a good fit for each other, he said. McGough has found Esser to be a contractor with high integrity who focuses on transparency and honesty, he said. Esser follows good work practices
When Esser first meets with new clients, he talks with them about rough sizes for their home and starts drawing up plans. Once the plans are made up, Esser prices out everything needed to build the home, from materials to labor. There’s often some cutting back once the initial bid is finalized, he said, as clients make changes to make the home fit within their budget. “Most people always want to build more than the budget allows,” Esser said. “It’s pretty typical.” Many issues can come up during the homebuilding process, Esser said, but proper planning helps alleviate them. Part of the challenge for a client is making tons of decisions during the process, he said, so guiding them through those decisions is key. “Work them through the process with plenty of time in advance, so they don’t get overwhelmed,” Esser said.
A common desire for clients is to include as many conveniences and automated features as they can, Esser said. Current popular aesthetic choices include cement board siding and other low-maintenance touches, he said. Granite countertops and ceramic tile backsplashes are also popular choices. “Maintenance-free is a lot higher priority nowadays than it was years ago,” Esser said. Esser Construction builds two to three houses per year, Esser said, which is enough for him. He’s thought about expansion, he said, but prefers the status quo. “Now would definitely be the time to expand, but I don’t know if I really want the extra headaches and overhead as well,” Esser said. It’s a good feeling at the end of a build to turn the house keys over to the client, Esser said. The client is in awe, he said, and very excited at that point of the process. “It’s also a relief, because the last couple weeks before handing over is always the most chaotic, busiest time
on the whole job,” Esser said. “So it’s a great feeling.” SPENSER BICKETT may be reached at 218-855-5859 or spenser.bickett@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/spenserbickett.
FOR YOUR
INFO
Esser Construction City: Brainerd lakes area. Number of employees: Six employees. Interesting fact: After he decided to go into construction, Paul Esser applied for a job with Nor-Son. He didn’t get the job and instead worked for Kuepers. It was the only time he applied for and was turned down for a job.
Advertorial
Happy Labor Day From Pequot Tool, pictured are CEO, Karlo Goerges, Training & Development Specialist, Tim Walker, with Deputy Commissioner MN Department of Labor & Industry, Jessica Looman.
Pequot Tool & Manufacturing Expands to Meet Demand Pequot Tool & Manufacturing recently expanded to meet the diverse needs of its customers. The Pequot Lakes-based company now has 172 employees, an increase of 17 employees since last September. The company recently completed a new 12,000 square foot addition for the fabrication department and added $1.8 million in new fabrication and machining equipment in 2016. Another $1.15 million in machining equipment was added this year. Pequot Tool produces everything from precision-machined component parts to complete assemblies, from prototypes through production, for a host of different industries. They have more than 110 active customers all over the world. The recreational firearm industry is a fast-growing customer base. One of the company’s greatest barriers to rapid business growth is the need for skilled workers. They recently advertised for four weeks for experienced CNC machinists and received no applications. The company offers competitive wages, a full benefits package, including profit sharing and 401(k), all in a fastpaced, highly automated work environment nestled in the heart of the beautiful Brainerd lakes area. “Our growth is limited by the lack of highly skilled workers,” explains Deborah Hoel, human resources manager. “We’re constantly turning down opportunities because we don’t have the skilled workers we need in manufacturing.”
This is an industry-wide problem. As a result, Pequot Tool has developed partnerships with Central Lakes College in support of its manufacturing and robotics programs. Pequot Tool employees serve on their advisory boards. The company also began an innovative adult apprenticeship program, registered with the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, in machining. The company will be adding additional apprenticeships in Fabrication and Quality in the near future. The Machining Apprenticeship, which has 11 employees enrolled right now, runs about three years. Class sizes are kept small to ensure apprentices get enough one-on-one hands-on training during the three-year program. After completing the apprenticeship program, employees emerge at the intermediate level of their career with room for advancement. Hoel says Pequot Tool is only one of two companies in northern Minnesota registered with the Department of Labor & Industry that offers manufacturing apprenticeships. “We expect to see increased sales in the next two years and more demand for employees,” says Chad Shogren, company president. “Our people are the most important asset we have,” added Mike Georges, sales and marketing manager. “We can’t do this without them. We appreciate the employees we have.” Pequot Tool & Manufacturing started in 1981 and continues to be a family-owned private local business. -Written by Jodie Tweed
You Rock! Enjoy a relaxing holiday! 001611702r1
S40 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
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Advertorial
JN Tree Service
Safety is Key in Tree Removal By Sheila Helmberger JN Tree Service offers the services of a certified arborist who can advise you in all facets of tree removal and tree restoration.
JN TREE SERVICE OFFERS
When the heavy storms moved throughout the area in recent years, JN Tree Service was instrumental in helping residents and business owners with the overwhelming job of cleaning up that lasted for months afterwards. JN Tree Service specializes in lot and wood clearing, brush clearing and chipping as well as stump grinding. The company can also provide the services needed to keep your existing trees healthy, something most of us often neglect. “There’s regular basic maintenance that your trees need,” said JN Tree Service owner Joe Nelson. “It’s important to get your tree dead wooded. We do complete pruning and trimming.” As beautiful as the trees in the lake country are, sometimes they can cause problems, too. Downed trees can become fire and safety hazards. If you have a tree that has become hung up in your yard because of age or weather and you would like to have removed, it can be sometimes be tempting to try to take care of the job yourself. Even if you’re confident you know what you’re doing, it is a dangerous job with a risk of personal injury or harm to your home or other buildings. The team at JN Tree Removal has the right equipment to do the job not only efficiently, but safely as well. With one of the largest trucks in the area, they can take it down and mulch it on the spot. The job will be done fast and efficiently. One of the best parts of living on a lake is enjoying the view. Nelson and his crew can
Getting To The Root Of Your Tree And Landscaping Needs!
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• • • • • •
help clear the line of vision so you can make the most out of it. For more information on the company and to learn more about JN Tree Service and what they can do for you, log on to www. jntreeservice-landscaping.com or call 800630-2960.
Free Estimates Fully Insured Licensed Residential Commercial No Job Too Big or Too Small
Specializing in High Risk Trimming, Dangerous Removals, and Complete Landscaping
Educated, Experienced, and Excited About What We Do!
“Attention to Detail is Our Trade” 1.800.630.2960 218.232.7328 Locally Owned & Operated
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Getting To The Root Of Your Tree And Landscaping Needs! Advertorial
Grocery shopping is not what it used to be BY CHRIS MONROE
Grocery shopping has changed dramatically in recent years, driven by consumer But if you’d rather stick around awhile, demand for convenience, technology Supervalu is eager to accommodate you. advances and a competitive environment. A spacious area for dining in, complete with a cozy fireplace and a 60-inch TV, According to food industry newsletter makes for a very comfortable dinner-onFoodDIVE, price is no longer a competithe-go. And soon, Supervalu’s addition tive differentiator. In fact, “value should of a “grab and go” section will expand be reframed to emphasize non-price fac- its customers’ “fast food” options with tors such as freshness, quality, customer healthy choices for when you’re in a service and the shopping experience.” hurry. Watch for expanded seating complete with USB ports for those looking And freshness, quality and customerfor a quiet place to sit and get some work centered shopping is just what you can done. expect from Supervalu in Pequot Lakes. “We go where our customers take us,” Be sure to mark your calendar for says store manager Corky LeDoux. “We’re Thursday mornings when Supervalu stocking a wide selection of gluten-free offers free doughnuts and coffee for and organic products and many, many customer appreciation. more milk options for those who are lactose intolerant.” No, grocery shopping is not what it used to be it’s much better. For the health And freshness is what we hang our conscience, explore the multitude of hat on,” says LeDoux. “Our produce and bottled water choices, but expect to see meat departments draw people to the fewer soft drink options. For the foodie in store.” the family, a wider selection of gourmet options is at your fingertips. And, for the The Pequot Lakes Supervalu, familybusy family, the new “grab and go” secowned and operated, prides itself on its tion will be just what you need. customer service. “We stay well-staffed,” says LeDoux. “If a customer appears And, if you don’t see what you’re unable to find something, a staff member looking for, just ask. The helpful staff at is never far away and is eager to help. Peo- Supervalu will go out of its way to order ple are busy, we want to help them get in just the right item to make your life, and and out of the grocery store quickly.” your grocery shopping experience, easier.
Your local grocer and partner for all your party supplies.
Thank You
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Employees For All Your Hard Work And Dedication. 30503 State Highway 371 • 218-568-5001 www.pequotlakessupervalu.com Locally owned and operated
SAVE ON GROCERIES. SAVE ON GAS.
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BRAINERD LAKES AREA
Progress Edition
B R A I N E R D www.brainerddispatch.com
D I S P A T C H
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SERVING THE BRAINERD LAKES AREA AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA SINCE 1881
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
Tomatillo virtuosos Latino farmers find success with difficult crop
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Jose Garcia (left) and Rafael Becerra stand among their tomatillo plants at the Agua Gorda Cooperative farm in Long Prairie. Tomatillos are a cornerstone crop for the farmers.
Chelsey Perkins Community Editor LONG PRAIRIE — In 2012, a group of Mexican farmers set out to familiarize themselves with the Minnesota climate, renting six plots in the Long Prairie community garden. This summer, that same group is expecting to harvest 50,000 pounds of tomatillos from 15,000 plants — and that’s just one of the dozens of crops they’re nurturing on about 10 acres of land on the southern edge of town. Those green, husked Mexican staples will be used in the making of Minneapolis-based La Loma Tamales, a large factory producing hand-rolled tamales. For the first time, the farmers can pay themselves from the revenue their produce garners, including from membership in the Sprout Food Hub, and contracts with Minnesota Grown for baby zucchini and the Minneapolis School District for organic watermelons. It hasn’t always been as comfortable for the Agua Gorda Cooperative, however, and it’s never been easy. Jose Garcia and Rafael Becerra shared their story with the Brainerd Dispatch inside Garcia’s Mexican market and restaurant, Mi Pueblito, located on the city’s Central
Avenue. The two spoke through an interpreter, Jaime Villalaz of the Latino Economic Development Center in St. Paul. Villalaz has known the farmers since the beginning — in fact, his work as the agricultural business development program director and focus on greater Minnesota Latino communities sparked the cooperative’s establishment in the first place. Located in south-central Todd County, the city of about 3,300 people is one of several greater Minnesota communities to have recently witnessed a dramatic growth in the Latino population. In 2000, just under 10 percent of the city’s population — measuring at just over 3,000 people at the time — counted themselves as Hispanic or Latino. By 2010, the Hispanic or Latino population quadrupled in the city, accounting for 30 percent of the overall population. Villalaz called a community meeting in Long Prairie in 2011, and Garcia and Becerra were among those who attended. “They come from, in Mexico, a farming background,” Villalaz said. “They were interested, curious about the possibility. And they didn’t know what was going to happen. But why not give it a try?” Becerra, Garcia and Garcia’s broth-
er Javier were three of the original eight members of the co-op, but four of the members left during the first year because of the financial hardships involved in getting the operation off the ground. The Garcias and Becerra all originally hail from Agua Gorda, Mexico — the namesake for their north country farming business. “This has been a long transition,” Villalaz said. “The city at the beginning told me no, they cannot farm there (in the community garden) because they are going to be doing business. The reality is, they just wanted to learn how to farm and to give it a try, because they didn’t have any experience growing vegetables here in this type of weather.” Following success and community support in the first year, the group leased 3 acres of land from the city to
TOMATILLO: Page S47
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Tomatillos grow at Agua Cooperative farm in Long Prairie.
Gorda
Pork with passion
Local pig farmers put love into product
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
With Ezekiel on the tractor with his grandfather Tim Stevens, Gabe Stevens walks the hogs to their pen for feeding at Patchwork Farms.
Chelsey Perkins Community Editor NISSWA — The crow of a rooster might be the first sound one hears when visiting Patchwork Farms near Nisswa, but it’s all about the pigs. The small family farm nestled in a stretch of land surrounded by lakes on County Road 127 is home to some of the rarest breeds of heritage porkers in existence — and they have the run of the place. Litters of piglets ranging from just days to several weeks old trot in and out of pens, stopping for a wallow in a mud puddle whenever they please, while larger sows and boars pile together in the shade of an oak canopy. “Our pigs don’t ever see the inside of a barn,” said Gayle Stevens, who owns the farm along with husband Tim Stevens.
“To be considered pastured, they have to be outside 50 percent of the time. Ours are outside 100 percent of the time.” The Stevens family is responsible for some of the only heritage breed local pork available in the Brainerd lakes, found at an increasing number of farmers markets, retail locations and restaurants. But the pig farmer life wasn’t always the plan — they purchased 80 acres east of Nisswa in 2012 to have more space for farm creatures more familiar to the family. “We got into horses over 20 years ago with the girls, and we did have some sheep and goats and chickens before,” Gayle said. “We (later) bought a lake
PORK: Page S44
PROGRESS EDITION
S42 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
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Accessible art one hand at a time
‘It was terrifyingly scary’ In 1996, he had an idea for a startup venture of his
Thank You…
Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch
Gary Guderian leads his buckskin mare Summer out of a pasture at his rural Pillager home. Horses inspired Guderian as he created his own company with horse playing cards available at area shops and now designs for Ohio-based Kelley & Co.
Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch
Beyond the cards themselves, Gary Guderian designed the individual card boxes as well as the display box with its popup cutout ready for store shelves.
own. A card player, he considered the opportunities to design, make and market a cowboy playing card deck. “I liked horses, played cards,” Guderian said. “I liked the West and I’d say, ‘Why don’t they have a deck out there?’” Getting from the point of an idea to an actual product — and a marketable one — took a couple of years. Guderian started sketching. But without a product to show, he had to print enough of the decks himself without potential buyers for the lot in order to reach a sellable price. “It was terrifyingly scary,” Guderian said. “I had to
Pastor: David Uhrich SUNDAY MORNINGS 9:00-9:55 AM – Sunday School for Children & Adults 10:15-11:30 AM – Family Worship Service with Children’s Church Provided
“A Loving Church” “A Non-Denominational Fellowship of Believers”
WEDNESDAY EVENING SCHOOL YEAR SCHEDULE 5:15 PM – Family Fellowship Supper 6:00-7:30 PM - AWANA & Youth Group
24646 Hazelwood Drive, PO Box 627 • Nisswa, MN 56468 • Church 963-2626 • Day Care 963-1088 website: www.christcommunitychurchnisswa.com • email: christcommunitychurch@nisswa.net
Dollars raised in our Thrift Store go to help those in need in the Brainerd/Baxter Lakes Community!
www.facebook.com/Brainerdsalthriftstore Accepting Donations, Call For Information
Store Hours: M-F 9am to 5pm, Saturdays 9am to 3pm, Sundays Closed
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609 Norwood Street • Brainerd, MN
WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR DEDICATED AND HARD WORKING CREW.
Thank you to each and every one of you... YOU ARE THE REASON WE CAN DO WHAT WE DO!
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ACCESSIBLE ART Page S46
10:00-10:15 AM – Coffee Fellowship
To our dedicated staff and caring community. Without your support, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.
Located next to the Dairy Queen in Pequot Lakes | (218) 568-8223 | www.lonesomecottage.com
borrow the money for the mailing.” He started with what it would cost to get the plates ready at the print shop and an initial run of 10,000 card decks. Using his marketing background, he mailed out brochures and waited. And waited. And waited. For two weeks, he never heard anything. It was nerve wracking. “Then finally I got two orders for like 24 decks. … This is not going well,” he said, seated at his dining room table surrounded by examples of his wildlife art and horse designs. He started thinking the worst. “Within like two weeks, I had 5,000 decks ordered.” So he gave the printer the go ahead. By Christmas, he sold 8,000 card decks and then found out he wasn’t going to experience a post holiday slump as shops in Arizona began buying decks in February for snowbird tourism. “That’s the risky part,” Guderian said. “You have to print all these decks first.” Then distributors began ordering 1,500 at a time. Guderian expanded his cards to include a wildlife deck and Sportsman’s Warehouse ordered 10,000 at a time. The cards did well, but Guderian never had the distribution channel he needed to get into massive numbers. Even so, he said in a decade about 200,000 decks of cowboy cards were sold. Later, some of the companies Guderian was working with decided they would create their own cards, effectively cutting him out of the mix. He said artwork can only be copyrighted to a certain extent. He got out of the playing cards for a time. But it beckoned again later. “I really wanted to get back into horses,” Guderian said. “By that time I’d been painting a lot.” He saw other horse card decks and often thought the
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Renee Richardson Managing Editor PILLAGER — Putting art into people’s hands may not have taken the expected path for one lakes area artist, but his work is doing just that — literally. It involved a new way of thinking. And it meshed two of Gary Guderian’s long-term passions — art and horses. Inspiration for his work began early in life and the path to re-imagine art and business took an entrepreneurial leap. A love affair with horses and admiration for the beauty and grace of movement they possess started when Guderian was a child and never left him. “You can’t get rid of it even if you wanted to,” he said. The middle child of seven, Guderian grew up about 20 miles south of Alexandria on a dairy farm. Riding Princess, the family Shetland pony, meant getting a good run and timing a jump to reach her back before she could turn or find a soft spot to plant her flat, even teeth. As a teenager, Guderian was given the choice of a class ring or a horse. With his response, his parents bought him a 2-year-old gelding. The cross-bred dark blue roan was a horse he could work with and train. Guderian’s career path after graduation took him to college for graphic design and led to Helena, Mont., for work at an ad agency. His experience with horses grew as he worked for a ranch one summer. Between haying work there was plenty of time for riding fearless, sure-footed mountain horses. “It was a great experience,” Guderian said. In Montana, he spent a decade of work for one of the largest regional ad agencies with clients like Yellowstone National Park, the Montana lottery and tourism, along with ski resorts, major businesses and political campaigns. He met his wife there and started a family. In the late 1980s when living in Montana became more expensive, his friends moved out to the Seattle area. Guderian said at that time Californians were migrating to other western states fueling a real estate market that made 5-acres of undeveloped land in Montana rise from about $5,000 to $70,000 in four years. The Guderians decided to go in an entirely different direction — back to Minnesota. His friends, he said, thought he was nuts. Back in Minnesota, Guderian continued his work as a graphic artist. He worked at a Brainerd agency for 16 years and spent a couple of years in the metro before he was laid off. Guderian saw the writing on the wall. By the time he was laid off, Guderian was freelancing at night.
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S43
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Digital Horizons co-owner Chris Schucker details the origins of the custom home automation company and their plans for the new space.
The sun rises for a new Brainerd tech business Zach Kayser Staff Writer A business that used to run out of a man’s home is now moving to an industrial park site he hopes will become Brainerd’s tech mecca. Co-owners Chris Schucker and Scott Johannes were working for a tech company in Brainerd when they decided to strike out on their own in 2013. Taking out a “considerable amount of money” from their retirement accounts, the pair began a business that ran out of Schucker’s house. First, Schucker’s kitchen table formed
the main work space — then that became too small, and they moved down into his basement, which also quickly filled up. Semitrailer trucks were constantly driving down Schucker’s street to deliver loads of things, like $10,000 worth of TVs. So the two began hunting for a building of their own to put the business, and found a former bakery in Brainerd’s industrial park to remodel. They specialize in custom-installing and servicing technology, mostly automation and audiovisual, in homes and businesses. “We put it into a building, and we
make it easy to use,” Schucker said. Johannes handles the technical aspects while Schucker does most of the business relations. And their growth has skyrocketed. “Since we’ve started, our business has grown 100 percent, year over year,” he said. A year and a half ago, Digital Horizons hired its first full-time employee. There will be five employees by the time they move into their new space. The business turned 4 years old in June. It’s a long way from when Schucker was a kid, taking apart remote-controlled cars to see how they worked. Digital Horizons recently installed the
AV system in the Crow Wing County Board of Commissioners boardroom. They set up a touchscreen computer system so that the clerk can record meetings and change who shows up on camera with the movement of a finger. Digital Horizons installed four 1080p high-definition cameras, so residents who can’t make the meetings or need to view them later can still have access to their government’s doings. And the company installed microphones for each of the commissioners, so their words
NEW TECH BUSINESS: Page S45
Advertorial
BY NICOLE STRACEK Are you searching for something more than just a job? If you are a career-minded, hard-working individual, visiting with the team at the Employment Resource Center can offer you the opportunity to secure a career that is both rewarding and lifechanging. Founded in 2007 by Chad and Jody Harting, the Employment Resource Center is the only locally owned and operated staffing agency in the lakes area. With locations in Brainerd, Hackensack, Hutchinson and Wadena, the Employment Resource Center was developed with the mentality the people and the communities they serve is the foundation to lasting relationships. Owner Jody Harting is proud to serve the people in the communities throughout Brainerd and surrounding areas. She attributes a large portion of the Employment Resource Center’s success on the amazing community and talented team of individuals she works with. “Our entire Brainerd office staff is made up of either Brainerd, Pillager or Pequot Lakes graduates. They all chose to live and work in this community and their love of the area is evident through their hard work and dedication to both our employees and
clients.” Job seekers will be excited to know the Employment Resource Center focuses on temp to hire positions rather than temporary jobs. Harting says that over 90 percent of our positions are temp to hire. So many people have the misconception that you can only get “temporary” jobs through a staffing agency. Utilizing an agency can help you secure a great new career. Job categories include a variety of industries including; construction, manufacturing, hospitality and professional. Currently, there is a high demand for job seekers looking for a career in light industrial or manufacturing. The Employment Resource Center works with many of the leading manufacturers in the area with a tremendous amount of growth and opportunity for job seekers to find solid employment -- welders, machine operators, CNC machinists, entry level production, food Processing and assemblers, just to name a few. For more information on these positions or any opportunities available through ERC, visit ercstaffing.com. Call our office at 218-824-9675 (WORK) or stop by any of our four locations. Walk-ins are always welcome.
What a Workforce! THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES
We salute the hardworking Americans who keep our country moving forward with their dedication, determination and innovation.
Happy Labor Day! 001615503r2
The Employment Resource Center: Making Connections That Last
LOOKING FOR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES? CONTACT ONE OF OUR OFFICES AT: BRAINERD - 218-824-9675 HACKENSACK - 218-675-5661 WADENA - 218-632-9675 HOURS: M - F | 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM Website: ercstaffing.com
S44 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
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Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
A herd of pastured, heritage breed hogs feed on hay in the shady woods of Patchwork Farms east of Nisswa. Fed grains and grasses instead of corn, the pigs naturally produce a rich, marbled, red-colored meat.
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Gayle and Tim Stevens with their visiting grandsons Ezekiel (left) and Gabe operate an 80-acre farm with heritage hogs, cattle, goats, chickens, ducks and a lone turkey on their spread, Patchwork Farms east of Nisswa. The pork is served at local restaurants and sold at local farmers markets.
PORK From Page S41
cabin. But there was no room for horses, no room for dogs. I missed having chickens, and I missed having goats. So we sold the cabin and bought the farm.” The couple pondered pig farming, first assuming it would require a large barn. Research soon revealed this wasn’t a necessary component of raising the animals, and Gayle purchased the farm’s original three pigs while Tim was away for work — after calling first, of course. They joined the horses, cows, rabbits, chickens, geese, ducks, cats, dogs and even bees found on the Stevens’ property — not to mention Bob Gobbler, the one and only tom turkey. “For years, I didn’t want to have anything to do with pigs,” Tim said. “But when we moved here, we had the acreage and she decided she was going to get three pigs while I was gone. … Next year, we had babies and more babies and more babies, and it just evolved from there. They have good personalities, though.” All three of the original pigs remain at Patchwork Farms, including Turtle, a 900-plus-pound sow who’s mothered
countless litters of piglets, and a boar named Brutus, who’s fathered just as many. For those without names, their fates aren’t quite as idyllic — but the Stevenses put effort into ensuring their lives are as pleasant as possible. The herd of more than 200 pigs on the farm are made up primarily of crossbred large black and red wattle breeds, producing a deep red meat with more flavor and marbling than found in commercially produced pork products. The breeds are known as “heritage” because they were some of the original breeds raised by farmers of a pre-industrial, bygone era. The term is “largely art and not science,” states heritage breed advocacy organization The Livestock Conservancy, but is important to the future of agriculture. “These are animals that were bred over time to develop traits that made them suited to specific local environments,” the organization’s website stated. “Because these breeds have been developed and selected over time, they tend to have better disease resistance, are well-adapted to their environments, and thrive in pasture-based settings.” The Livestock Conservancy maintains lists of endangered breeds of a variety of livestock, and both the large black
and red wattle pig breeds are considered threatened by the organization. This means there are fewer than 1,000 annual registrations in the United States, and the estimated global population is less than 5,000. The Stevenses cross-breed the varieties because it produces a faster-growing pig than the red wattle breed alone, which can take a year to be ready for the butcher. Both are known for gentle dispositions, an important trait on a farm where the pigs are permitted to roam freely alongside grandchildren. “They wander in and out of these pens, and all the other pigs get to know them,” Gayle said. “That way, when it’s time to move them into a pen you don’t have anybody fighting. We have had that happen where they’ll kill each other if they’re not used to them. … We won’t keep a mean pig.” The free-ranging lifestyle of the animals is but one aspect of the care Gayle and Tim dedicate to the pigs. Their diets are carefully planned and responsibly sourced, Gayle said, helping to produce pork the family is proud to offer. In addition to the grass and acorns available in the natural environment, the
PORK Page S45
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Ezekiel Stevens is excited to hold a baby pig at Patchwork Farms.
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
With her sister Katie Turcotte and niece Ellie, Gayle Stevens works at the Patchwork Farms stand at the farmers’ market in Baxter this summer.
Advertorial
Team Driven Quality helps Waste Partners Grow Written by Jodie Tweed
Thanks to all our employees for their hard work and dedication over the years. Have a safe
Eric Loge, and his father, Gary, started Waste Partners 18 years ago. When the business started, it had 500 customers. Today the client list includes 12,000 of their lake country friends, neighbors and businesses throughout Cass and Crow Wing Counties.
• Family Owned & Operated • Experienced, Safe & Knowlegeable Staff • Clean, Well-Maintained Equipment • Active Involvment in Area Community Organizations & Events • Recycling Service Available in Many Locations
team wants to remain a part of.”
“Don’t get me wrong”, Loge adds, “there are days where no one wants to be doing what we do.” This is why he hires what he calls “rugged individualists.” “Our people must persevere through bad weather, impatient traffic and “This growth is an incredible poor road conditions, not to mention testament to the work on the street working in a top 10 fatality industry,” our team performs with pride every he says. day,” Loge says. “Our commitment is to make sure our customers’ needs He mentioned people who apply to are met with outstanding customer the profession don’t really understand service. This, in turn, builds loyalty so customers have no reason to go the difficulties of balancing daily demands until they are on their own. elsewhere.” But to those who stay committed and Waste Partners is committed to have that “Git ‘er done” mentality offering the highest quality of service Waste Partners can depend on, they available at competitive prices. They do become like a family member to whom this using a common sense approach they are fiercely loyal. in their business dealings.
Waste Partners, Inc. Website: www.wastepartnersinc.com 2928 State 371 SW Cust Svc: info@wastepartnersinc.com
PO Box 677 Pine River, MN 56474 218-587-8727 (office) 218-587-5122 (fax)
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Loge finished by saying, “So today, I “We get up early, work hard every salute and give thanks to every working day, and finish what we start. We person that goes to a job and gives their utilize some of the best equipment in the industry and continuously best every day. Even though you may improve in order to be more safe and feel unappreciated at times, productive,” Loge explains. “We you might be surprised to find also work very hard at fostering out how many do actually value a working environment that our your efforts.”
Residential Garbage Collection & Commercial Waste Collection
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S45
PORK From Page S44
couple is developing a fodder system to produce fresh, green grass year-round. The pigs also feast on a diet locally grown, non-genetically modified feed and the spent brewers grains from two local breweries -- Gull Dam Brewing in Nisswa and Roundhouse Brewery in Brainerd. “That’s just a waste product for them, but it’s like all protein and fiber,” Gayle said. “So it’s a good supplemental feed for the pigs. In the wintertime, it’s great because it’s hot, so it’s like eating hot cereal.” Some of the oats and barley fed to the pigs are grown by a farmer in Browerville, who raises his own herd of heritage pigs and is the closest state-inspected butcher. Other grains are sourced from farmer Wally Thesing in Fort Ripley. What can’t be found at Patchwork Farms is the “slop” one might expect pigs -- the reputations of which don’t include discerning palates -- to consume widely. “We really try to be careful with what the pigs are eating,” Gayle said. “They don’t get any slop from any schools or restaurants or anything. They might get produce from local farmers -pumpkins, fruits and veggies -- when it’s the season. Otherwise, we really watch what they eat.” Gayle is passionate about what her pigs eat, just as she’s passionate about the effect it has on the humans who eat the pigs. She sought to capture this in naming the farm: “P” stands for produce, “A” for animals, “T” for teaching, “C” for community, “H” for home, and “work” for, well, work. “Once we got into this, even before we came up with the name, I spent a lot of time educating people on food,” Gayle said. “A few years back, I owned a feed store for a little while, so I learned about food for feeding animals. So I don’t prefer to have a lot of corn in our feed, because corn puts on a bad fat. We prefer to have more oats and barley for the carbs instead of corn. … I guess the main thing is we just want to make sure the products are natural, because there’s just way too much chemicals into our food that we eat nowadays.” Gayle practices what she preaches, selling their natural pork products to customers browsing at least six area farmers markets -- Brainerd, Baxter, Nisswa, Ideal Township, Remer and Staples. Plans in July called for adding Pine River and Hackensack to the
rotation, and she hopes to break into the Twin Cities farmers market scene as well. Among the offerings are pork steaks, roasts, chops, braunschweiger, breakfast sausages and nearly 20 brat varieties -- the top seller is the wild rice, cranberry and mushroom brat, but some of the newest offerings include feta cheese and spinach and habanero-mango. If the markets aren’t accessible, shoppers can also purchase Patchwork Farms pork at Gramma’s Pantry in Aitkin, Grandpa’s General Store in Ossipee, the Ideal Green Market in Ideal Township and Northeast Liquors in Brainerd. And for those who’d rather someone else cook their food, visit Northwoods Inne in Ossipee, Irma’s Kitchen at Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake, Chameleon Cafe near Brainerd International Raceway and Baxter’s Bar and Grill inside Arrowwood Lodge at Brainerd Lakes in Baxter. Although the farm’s labels don’t indicate the lifestyle and diet of the pork behind it, Gayle offers a standing invite to all those interested: “Come to the farm, and you’ll see how they live.” CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey.
FOR YOUR
INFO Patchwork Farms City: Brainerd. Number of members: Near Nisswa. Interesting fact: Two of the main breeds of pig raised by the farm are threatened heritage breeds -the large black and the red wattle. This means the estimated global population of the breeds is fewer than 5,000 animals.
Advertorial
Steve Kohls/Brainerd Dispatch
Digital Horizons’ future home is pictured in the Brainerd Industrial Park. The company plans to be open in the new space by October.
NEW TECH BUSINESS From Page S43
can be clearly heard by the residents they serve. You can see it all on a video featured on Digital Horizons’ YouTube page, including high-definition interviews with county staff. Schucker also did a Facebook Live video update on the company’s work installing a similar AV system in the Brainerd City Council chambers. Before his company stepped in, the city council was recording audio from their meetings on physical tapes. Digital Horizons will also have a weekly vlog (video blog) or podcast, as soon as they get an intern, Schucker said. Their showroom, or “experience center,” is designed to replicate a kitchen in a house that’s been digitized by their team. For example, a TV can drop down from cabinet space. The entire building is under Digital Horizon’s signature lighting control system that eliminates the need for switches in every room, and the exact lighting brightness can be controlled as a percentage. The company means for the new building to be a place where industry peers, such as construction and architecture firms, can learn about new possibilities when designing a home or business. The center also allows them to experiment and test new systems in a realistic setting, to make sure they’re giving the best possible product. But the company’s portfolio isn’t limited to entertainment, lighting and government applications. They also offer video surveillance systems, so homeowners and business employees can keep tabs on stuff while they’re away. Johannes, Schucker and company also
do central vacuum systems, or a network of pipes built into a home that provides suction and filtration, replacing a conventional vacuum cleaner one has to haul around up steps and around corners. Each job is unique, like an architect’s plan for a new house, Schucker said. “That’s what we enjoy about what we do,” he said. “When we come in here day to day, we’re never doing the same thing twice, it’s always something new.” The new facility is planned to be open to the public in October. ZACH KAYSER may be reached at 218-855-5860 or Zach. Kayser@brainerddispatch.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ZWKayser.
FOR YOUR
INFO Digital Horizons City: Brainerd. Number of members: Three full time, one part time. Interesting fact: The biggest install of wire in one house for a Digital Horizons project was 10-15 miles. The price range for the technology can range from $300 to more than $250,000.
A Local Company You Can Rely On & Trust!
Wilderness Land Clearing and Mulching
Offering Wild Game Plots, Commercial Brush Removal and More 001454051r1
By Sheila Helmberger
Whether you are completely clearing out a lot to make room for new construction or are cleaning up an existing space by removing brush and other debris, Wilderness Land Clearing and Mulching can help. When you need to tackle either job, it’s important to hire someone who can remove the land you want, but will also take steps to preserve and restore the area that will be left remaining. Wilderness Land Clearing and Mulching specializes in land clearing but the company can also aid in buckthorn eradication, the creation of turkey and deer food plots, wildlife habitat restoration, and commercial and residential brush removal. They use equipment that can also take the mulch that remains from a project and work it gently back into the ground to decompose and re-nourish the soil.
want to use it during the hunting season or purely for recreation. Creating a wildlife habitat restoration project on your property can be an important step in preserving it far into the future. This can be done as easily as planting a permanent space that consists of perennials, shrubs, grass and other trees for both human and wildlife enjoyment. Their customer service record in the area speaks to the excellent work that they do. Wilderness Land Clearing and Mulching has both the knowledge and equipment to take care of your land clearing needs. Learn more about how Wilderness Land Clearing and Mulching can help with your project. Log on to the website at wildernesslandimprovement.com. 800-630-2960.
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After:
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If you own acreage, Wilderness Land Clearing and Mulch can also help you make the most out of it by working with you to design and create a trail system. This is one way to truly enjoy every bit of the space, whether you
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Commercial & Residential
800-630-2960
wildernesslandimprovement.com
S46 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
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Renee Richardson/Brainerd Dispatch
Artist Gary Guderian sketches and then paints his card designs with acrylics before scanning them into a computer for Photoshop work to create the card design, numbers and suits.
ACCESSIBLE ART From Page S42
images were too cartoonish or strayed too far into novelty territory that they were nearly impossible to use for actual card play. He wanted to create a card deck true to the horse with eye-catching illustrations but more than a novelty. “I’m kind of a stickler too, I always wanted to make sure you could have a deck people could play with, that was my No. 1 thing,” he said. By now, the internet was a thing. He set up a company he named G-Bar-6 under Gary Guderian Creative Design. This time, he mailed out a small card directing potential distributors, buyers and stores to the website. Locally, his cards are available at spots, including J&B Western Store, Outback Trail Rides and Madden’s Resort.
Accessible art His artwork has now transcended even the playing cards but continue to be part of something people can use everyday. Ohio-based Kelley and Co., with stores buying from them across the U.S. and Canada, sought him out and picked up his horse playing cards. The package of two cards in a box deck are now a top seller in the Kelley and Co. catalog. When Kelley and Co. asked if he’d design for their lounge wear, he said,
“sure, if it means drawing horses I’ll go for it.” So he came up with a concept of dreaming higher, with a horse jumping over the moon. Kelley and Co. took it to their buyers to see how it would sell and that led to a partnership for multiple items. He’s designed logos and artwork for a shirt and pants, a sweatshirt, hat, wine glasses, water bottle, a special moments coffee mugs series and insulated beverage containers. Guderian said he suggested they add a wine glass and Kelley and Co. liked the idea so much they added both a long-stemmed glass and short glass. “It’s a good connection,” Guderian said of the partnership. Once he started painting, Guderian found an outlet for his art. He even paints on camping trips. Those paintings, many on hardboard, adorn the walls — from floor to ceiling — in his studio and are throughout his tidy home. Paintings range from those so detailed they resemble photographs. An eagle on a high ledge seems so real a breeze from a window could ruffle its feathers. But he found his more impressionistic wildlife paintings, more watercolor in appearance, are more popular now than the detailed work. He sold canvas paintings
Advertorial
Country Kitchen of Baxter Family Style Restaurant and Catering By Sheila Helmberger
it right to your car.” Country Kitchen also specializes in catering for small groups of up to 60 or 70 people for seminars, trainings and other meetings off-site. Evening groups can be accommodated right at the restaurant, he said. Last year, the restaurant added an electronic sign out front to let customers know about featured menu selections and other information. He said if there is a birthday, anniversary, or other good news to celebrate, residents are welcome to call and have that added to the sign, too. One thing that won’t change at the Baxter Country Kitchen is the sale of alcohol. Proud to offer good food in a family atmosphere, when asked if he’d ever add beer and wine to his menu like some of the restaurants in the chain do, Kevin said he never would. Those who pass by may have noticed a couple of subtle cosmetic changes made this summer. They include replacing the siding on the front of the building with steel and a new sidewalk structure. A step that existed before has been downgraded to offer better handicapped accessibility.
Kevin, Owner
Renee Richardson, managing editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee.richardson@brainerddispatch. com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ DispatchBizBuzz.
FOR YOUR
INFO G-Bar-6 City: Pillager. Interesting facts: His G-Bar-6 name came from his initial and the six members of his family and sounded appropriately ranch like. His cowboy design poker size cards sold about 200,000 decks. Guderian worked with another noted area artist, Ron Finger, on a sportsmen’s card deck featuring fish.
Mitchell, Samantha Nelson, Bonnie Lakin, Chad Davis, Brittni Davis, Floyd Ohman, Pamela Pikula, Keyanna
Raboin, Lilly Roseman, Randi Stumpf, Hillary Stumpf, Jacob Stumpf, Marilyn Stumpf, Kevin Ullrich, Lisa
We wish everyone a Safe & Fun Labor Day Celebration! Don’t forget to stop in your locally owned Country Kitchen
Take out! 001612676r1
“We are proud to own one of the few locally owned family style restaurants in the area”
there so that’s been pretty cool,” he said. “So that’s a way to put art on something people will buy and people will use.”
Country Kitchen would like to say THANK YOU! to all our dedicated customers and staff members! Barthel, Gerald Bernath, Michael Borders, Scott Barthman, Dawn Comings, Brittany Ebel, Jason Fuhrer, Sara
7788 Fairview Rd, Baxter 001612683r1
You would be hard pressed to find someone who had never been to a Country Kitchen. The restaurant is already synonymous with the best pancakes in town, a warm atmosphere and great service. Soon it will be a leader in convenience, too. Kevin and his wife, Marilyn, have owned the Brainerd restaurant for over 23 years. When it opened 45 years ago, Kevin said there were 25 items on the menu. Today there are over 80. He says he is proud to own one of the few locally owned family style restaurants in the area. “The industry is changing so much and so fast. We see it even just in Baxter,” he said. As the lifestyles of his customers change, Kevin says the way he does business is changing, too. Customers are already welcome to pick up their Country Kitchen favorites to enjoy at home by calling ahead and accessing the menu at countrykitchenrestaurants.com, but that’s about to become even more slick. Soon you will be able to use a mobile ordering app to complete the process. “This will allow our customers to order their food, pay in advance and it will be ready when they arrive. When we know you’re here, our employees will be able to deliver
for $175 but said he’s always been more of a creator than a seller. And without a known name, he said it’s hard to find an outlet to sell those paintings. He said he goes from creating a card a week to two cards a day when he’s ramped up and spurred on by a looming deadline. Getting the horse deck designs takes about eight months of work. Guderian does the artwork and then matches the design to a card with a mix of English and Western styles, draft horses to ponies, hunt seat to western pleasure. The artwork is scanned into the computer where Guderian uses PhotoShop to create each card with numbers, background and suits. It was challenging to figure out who should be the king of hearts (Clydesdale) or the queen of spades (a striking black and white paint). Guderian then decides on colors and how much chrome, or white markings, the horse may have be it a star or blaze or white stockings. Then it goes off to the printers. What makes horse art satisfying for Guderian is being able to sketch and paint horses and know his art is accessible. “People struggle to buy prints on a wall to get that art out there, but on a deck of cards they’ll throw down $5 on a deck of cards to kind of get my art out
218-829-1739
www.BAXTERcountrykitchen.com
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S47
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Tomatillos grow at Agua Gorda Cooperative farm in Long Prairie. The green, husked Mexican staples will be used in the making of Minneapolis-based La Loma Tamales, a large factory producing hand-rolled tamales.
From Page S41
begin a larger-scale operation. Although producing a variety of vegetables, they zeroed in on tomatillos — a difficult and labor-intensive crop fewer producers attempt to grow. “They were looking for options and look at the produce with more demand, and in this particular case tomatillos is a hot commodity,” Villalaz said. “The season is so short, and they have to keep track and start right in time of the growing season. That’s the only way they can achieve their goals.” Although the cooperative managed to produce 18,000 pounds of tomatillos in the first year, the initial investment and growing pains took its toll the second year. Difficulty in finding markets to sell their produce put them deep in the red, and led to the loss of crop without a place to go. Garcia and Becerra said they wanted to quit — but it wasn’t an option. “At the time, they were not aware of how deep they were learning and they noticed that they didn’t have any other options but to continue with the product,” Villalaz said. “It was too much they already invested. Not only in money, but so many hours they put in during the growing season. Plus, they were starting to buy small farm equipment. In 2014, they lost many, many pounds — hundreds and hundreds of pounds of watermelon and cucumbers — due to lack of markets.” Complicating matters was the difficulty the group faced acquiring loans to invest in the farming business in the first place, Villalaz said. “Many of the obstacles are to get the
loans,” he said. “Especially for people with the language barrier, that’s critical.” With so much on the line, the farmers went ahead with another growing season, and then another. The tide began to turn, Villalaz said. In 2015, they purchased an additional 54 acres near their leased acreage from the city. They connected with Little Falls-based Sprout Food Hub, which assists more than 40 local and regional producers with distribution of their produce. This includes through community-supported agriculture shares and as part of meal programs at six central Minnesota school districts. This meant the farmers no longer needed to seek out individual markets for their fruits and vegetables, instead selling in bulk to the food hub. This year’s newest plants include green beans, garlic and a yellow-fleshed breed of watermelon. The variety of plants they grow continues to expand each year, including everything one would need to make a good salsa among the dozens of crops. In fact, the Agua Gorda Cooperative farmers plan to produce value-added products like salsa from their produce next, using Garcia’s restaurant kitchen. Tomatillos are the main ingredient in green salsas and enchilada sauces found in Mexican cuisine. Although the tomatillos dominate the farm’s landscape for now, it’s the watermelons Garcia and Becerra are hoping will become their top draw. Grown organically on a plot just down the road from the rest of the farm, the melons were just larger than softballs in late July. Unlike the finicky tomatillos, Villalaz said watermelons are much easier to grow, and expanding the farm into some of the vacant acreage seems less daunting with a crop that’s easier
to tend. “They don’t need basically any work,” Villalaz said. “You just need to keep an eye on some of the seeds. Their goal is to be able to have the majority of their farm concentrate on watermelons, and whatever produce is without so much work to do. The tomatillo is really, really hard to grow. It needs a lot of attention.” Now able to pay themselves and get their well-tended crops into the hands of consumers, the biggest aspiration for Garcia and Becerra is to provide what drew them to Long Prairie in the first place — good work. “They wish they can employ people from the community and pay good wages on a full-time basis, at least during the growing season,” Villalaz said. CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey.
FOR YOUR
INFO Agua Gorda Cooperative
City: Long Prairie.
Number of members: Four co-op members, plus family members who assist with harvesting. Interesting fact: The cooperative got its start in the Long Prairie community garden and takes its name from the farmers’ hometown of Agua Gorda, Mexico.
Thank You To all our employees and clients. It is our honor that we are working with such dedicated people. Enjoy your holiday.
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TOMATILLO
23103 COUNTY RD 3, MERRIFIELD, MN 218.765.3111 | WWW.CLOWSTAMPING.COM
S48 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
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Advertorial
DON’T MISS THE FIREPLACE SALE! AUG 28 - SEPT 8
Today’s fireplaces are equipped with more gadgets and sport simpler lines By Chris Monroe
Over 63 years ago,, Brock White Construction Materials opened its doors in St. Paul. Today, it has 15 stores across the Midwest and continues to provide its customers with products from some of the best manufacturers in the country. “Brock White offers excellent quality at a good price,” according to Merry Rohloff, a 18-year employee of the company. “Many on our staff have been with the company a long time…that translates to years of experience for our customers,” Rohloff said. Just as it has for the past 29 years, Brock White will usher in the fall season with a huge fireplace sale. Beginning the last week in August and continuing for two weeks, Brock White – Brainerd will partner with its manufacturers to bring great savings to its customers. When working with customers on their fireplace needs, the experts at Brock White begin by learning a little bit about the customer’s desires for their new fireplace. Is the atmosphere provided by the unit most important? Or, is providing heat for the family the top priority? The customer often comes into the store with
lots of questions and the experienced staff at Brock White is there to help. Once a customer’s needs are understood, the staff goes to work offering suggestions that fit those needs. “Today’s customers are looking for clean lines…a simpler look,” Rohloff said. While Brock White offers real and manufactured brick and stone options, real stone seems to be the most popular among its customers. “There is a uniqueness to real stone that can’t be replicated with manufactured stone,” Rohloff said. “No two stones are the same and it’s easier to do special cuts, resulting in a fireplace that’s individualized for each client.” What’s changed most in the 30 years the company’s been in business? “Customers want more gadgets,” Rohloff said. Full-function remote controls are popular. While you’re at Brock White for the big sale, check out its landscaping offerings. It offers steps, retaining walls, fire pits and much more for your outdoor entertaining. It focuses on natural products to expand your living space and make the outdoors an inviting area.
DON’T MISS THE FALL FIREPLACE SALE! AUG 28 - SEPT 8
Your dream fireplace starts here. BROCK WHITE BRAINERD 3855 Independence Road Baxter, MN 56425 218-829-1929 BrockWhite.com/Brainerd
Brock White Brainerd has the best names in wood and gas burning fireplaces and stoves. From traditional to contemporary, we have the style to fit your home or project. Don’t miss our 29th Annual Fall Fireplace Sale, August 28th through September 8th. Visit our Baxter showroom to make your selections!
WWW.BROCKWHITE.COM 001615466r1
Advertorial
Schroeder’s Appliance is famous for quality product and customer service By JODIE TWEED
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JULY 16 - SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
When local contractors need an entire set of household appliances they know to stop by Schroeder’s Appliance Center in Baxter. Owner Chuck Schroeder said he’s noticed that the housing market has been steadily improving because of all of the orders for new appliances he’s seen come in from builders and homeowners. But then, Schroeder’s Appliance Center has a strong customer base. The locally owned and operated appliance sales business has been in the Brainerd lakes area for more than 56 years. The company was founded in 1960 by Schroeder’s father, Ken, who bought the company from Melon Communications. At the time, radio was popular, and the company sold and serviced radios. The business soon evolved into television sales and repairs, and then transitioned into selling appliances. Today Schroeder’s Appliance Center is known for its quality name brand appliances and the fact that the company services what they sell. This is a big reason why many people chose to purchase their appliances from Schroeder’s; they know if there is a problem they have a local company to call for repairs. “We have a service department that takes care of customers,” Schroeder explained. “If you have problems, you’re not calling
an 800 number. We get things taken care of right away. It’s very important to our customers and our customers rely on us. We service anything we sell.” Schroeder’s Appliance Center remains a family business. Chuck Schroeder’s father and company founder, Ken Schroeder, still works part-time there and Chuck’s sister, Karen Schroeder-Stave, a first-grade teacher, also works part-time. Chuck Schroeder said word of mouth is one of the biggest reasons why new customers walk through the front door. They also keep prices low to compete with the larger stores. “Nine times out of 10, our new customers say somebody told them to come here because we take care of our customers.” When you visit the store, you’ll get personalized service from one of Schroeder’s knowledgeable sales staff. They offer a wealth of knowledge about the appliances they sell, and they can work with you to find the appliance that fits your needs, but also your budget. Schroeder’s Appliance Center has six fulltime and two part-time employees. “On this Labor Day, I’d like to thank all my employees for the hard work,” Schroeder said. 001527555r1
*See store associate for rebate form with complete details. Only valid at participating KitchenAid brand retailers. Consumer may choose one model per appliance type up to a maximum of 6 models, with a maximum rebate amount of $1,600 per household. Rebate in the form of a KitchenAid brand MasterCard® Prepaid Card by mail. Cards are issued by Citibank, N.A. pursuant to a license from MasterCard International and managed by Citi Prepaid Services. Cards will not have cash access and can be used everywhere MasterCard debit cards are accepted. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated. Additional terms and conditions apply. ®/™ ©2017 KitchenAid. All rights reserved. To learn more about the entire KitchenAid brand line, please visit kitchenaid.com. CCP-22223
16603 State Hwy 371 North, Brainerd/Baxter
schroedersappliance.com • 218-829-3624
(Just North of the Pine Beach Rd)
BRAINERD LAKES AREA
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D I S P A T C H
L A B O R
D A Y
SERVING THE BRAINERD LAKES AREA AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA SINCE 1881
S P E C I A L
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
Gull Lake Yacht Club Rededicates itself to sailing promotion, education Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Bennett Day (left), Hayden Regberg, Taylor Jensen, Jackson Medeck, Lillie Lord Anderson and KK Lord Anderson sail during a lesson on Gull Lake. Travis Grimler Echo Journal Staff Writer In 1947, a group of boat-loving people got together on Gull Lake with the promotion of sailing in mind, and to that end they created the Gull Lake Yacht Club and the Gull Lake Sailing School. “The purpose of the yacht club in the beginning was to perpetuate sailing on this lake and to provide friendships surrounding water sports, specifically sailing at that point,” said Cheryl Cote, former commodore and former head of the sailing school board. This year the club decided to distance itself from some of the distractions that developed over the years and rededicate itself to sailing by merging with the school. Many previous events led to this decision. It started with the club property, located at the end of Love Lake Road north of Brainerd. “Some people on Gull Lake had a vision to have this kind of be a get-together place to meet people on the lake and keep sailing on Gull Lake and teach people to sail,” said former club Commodore D.J. Dondelinger. “The early commodores were all sailors,” said Cote. “That’s how the organization started. Sailing was big on Gull Lake in 1947 to the ‘50s.” The club was primarily the place where sailors and enthusiasts went for sailing races. Wanting to keep the tradition of sailing going, the founders also started the sailing school at around the same time to pass on the knowledge and love of sailing to children and people moving to the area. The classes included everything from knot tying, wind reading and boating safety to swimming lessons. “I learned to sail there when I was a kid,” Dondelinger said. “I have been a member my whole life. I grew up next door so I went there for swimming les-
sons and met a lot of my good friends there. It was a little building. It was fun. I would go over there and learn to sail. I can still tie a bowline and a square knot because of the yacht club. You learn all of the boating rules way better than you would in boating safety (classes),
Kelly Humphrey/Brainerd Dispatch
Sailing instructor Leo Driessen explains the meaning of various signal flags during a rainy day indoor sailing lesson at the Gull Lake Sailing School.
it’s not even a contest. You understand right away.” During his youth, Dondelinger said there was racing at the yacht club on Wednesdays and Saturdays whenever the weather was right.
Early on the club began hosting regattas, including the annual August Fun Regatta. Dondelinger said in those days many boats showed up to race at the regatta. “I remember when the regatta would fill up half of Love Lake with sailboats,” Dondelinger said. Through the club’s history many things have changed. Motorized watercraft have become more common and perhaps more popular due to their simplicity, and the club became a place for social gatherings of non-sailing members. New people on the lake got to know their neighbors by joining the club, even if they had no sailing interests. The club was as much about networking as it was about sailing and had members from many local business families like the Cote, Mills, Dondelinger and Driessen families. During that time, student numbers fluctuated regularly from eight- to nine-student classes in early years to more. “As the sailing school evolved, the yacht club’s purpose was to get people involved to help grow the sailing school,” said Mary Jetland, past yacht club board member and current sailing school board member. “The yacht club was a way to get people to come and get together and help support buying boats, hosting regattas and people coming in and volunteering. These races take a lot of volunteers.” At the school’s high point there were as many as 75 students per summer; at low points it was much fewer. “It’s gone up and down, really,” said Jetland. “When I was involved in the ‘70s it had gone through a dip, and then there were a ton of families again and a lot of boats in the annual regatta. It’s kind of gone down a little again and now it’s starting to come back up. It’s had cycles over the years.”
The club’s focus also shifted over the years. Promotion of sailing remained an important goal, but club members had their attention split among many other things, including the many events hosted to fund the sailing school. With that goal in mind, the club eventually opted to construct a new building for social gatherings. The group also hoped the building could help provide funds through rentals for weddings and other events. The decision backfired. Maintenance of sprinkler systems, expenses for taxes and building construction all resulted in serious, unexpected burdens. “When the yacht club built the new facility on Gull Lake, one of the things
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Gull Lake Yacht Club/ Sailing School City: Rural Brainerd. Number of members: Approximately 15 volunteers and four paid instructional staff. Interesting fact: The Gull Lake Sailing School is open to people who don’t have any sailing experience, a boat or a residence on the lake. The school provides boats so anyone can learn to sail.
Whitefish Chain Yacht Club 65 years of water safety Theresa Bourke Echo Journal Staff Writer CROSSLAKE — For the past 65 years, the Whitefish Chain Yacht Club has been dedicated to water and boating safety on the chain. The 214-member club started in 1952 with a couple people who were concerned about a rock pile in a nearby lake. “There were some property owners up here who were tired of their kids hitting the pile of rock that’s between Foley Point and O’Brien’s Point,” said Bob Nelson, secretary and former commodore of the Whitefish Chain Yacht Club. “So they decided to form a boating club to put some buoys out to mark the rock pile.”
The group first called itself the Whitefish Boat Club and then eventually morphed into the yacht club. “There are certain benefits to being an official yacht club, although we have nothing to do with yachts in particular,” Nelson said. Yacht club membership comes with certain privileges, such as flying the club’s burgee on your boat and access to hundreds of other yacht clubs around the country. But Nelson said those are simply perks. “We’re really a water safety organization,” he said, adding that the
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Theresa Bourke/Echo Journal
Johnny Wallin, of Bertha Boatworks in Pequot Lakes, shows Rachael Nelson the ins and outs of driving a boat during a Women at the Helm class, sponsored by the Whitefish Chain Yacht Club.
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S50 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
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Wind, Water, & Wheels grows with kayak business Theresa Bourke Echo Journal Staff Writer CROSSLAKE — A booming kayak industry in the lakes area has made business for Jim Bergquist almost too much to handle. Bergquist owns Wind, Water, & Wheels in Crosslake, where selling and renting kayaks is his main business. “We’ll come in the morning here, and there will be 10-15 people at the door waiting to get in to rent or buy stuff,” he said. The “stuff” customers line up for are kayaks from Crow Wing Kayaks and paddleboards from Paddle North in the Twin Cities. Bergquist — who bought the business from Stern Manufacturing in 2012 — also rents and sells lake floats and rents bicycles. “It’s really built up a reputation,” he said of his store. “The thing we’ve got going for us is it’s a local product, and people can try them out before they buy. And nobody else can offer that. That’s our niche.” Stern Manufacturing makes the kayaks in Brainerd, and Bergquist then adds the final touches himself. “All of our models are the same boat; they just have different things on them,” he said. “We finish them off in the store so people can have theirs designed the way they want it or we can make them into the models that we make them into.” Right now the store sells six different models — some equipped for fishing, some with enough storage for overnight trips, and some made simply to explore the waters. Bergquist is also working on a hunting model, as many people now buy kayaks for duck hunting. “We’ve tried to change our design with the changes in our industry,” he said. “It leans heavily toward fishing and hunting, so most of our models are fishing kayaks.” Not only has the kayak industry changed in recent years, but the demand has also grown, which Bergquist attributes to the inconvenience of hauling canoes and other, bigger boats for older people. “I’ve had people come here and say, ‘I’ve gotten rid of my speed boat; I’ve gotten rid of my pontoon. I want something that I can throw on my car, I can do it myself, I can get out in every nook and cranny,’” Bergquist said. “All the other boats are high maintenance. But no maintenance (is) required (for a kayak). You don’t have to have it stored. You
don’t have to have the engine drained or anything.” The kayak business alone isn’t all that has changed since Bergquist bought Wind, Water, & Wheels five years ago. He started in a building nearby his current location on County Road 66, but when that building was torn down two years ago, he moved next door. And the changes are still coming. “Somebody just bought the building now here, and they’re going to tear this building down,” Bergquist said. “I have plans for moving, but I don’t have any place to go yet.” The current store is set to be torn down in November, so Bergquist will have the winter to find a new location before setting up shop for the 2018 kayaking season. One even bigger change could be coming for the store a couple years down the road. “I’m looking to train somebody in that would be interested in possibly taking over,” Bergquist said. “I’m 64 … and I’ve got injuries to both my arms from carrying and throwing kayaks for all these years. And ideally I would like to have somebody that would be interested in working for me for a couple years and eventually taking it over.” Finding the right workers isn’t easy though, which is partially why Wind, Water, and Wheels only has two employees in addition to Bergquist. “My hours depend on how busy I am, and it’s just for such a short time during the year,” Bergquist said. “You have to be able to do so many things. You’ve got to know how to fill out rental forms; you’ve got to know how to put kayaks together … It takes a lot of time to train in somebody to get to know all of that stuff, so it’s mind-boggling.” This unpredictable, “mind-boggling” business wasn’t something Bergquist had originally put much thought into himself. The opportunity presented itself when he worked as a dealer for Stern Manufacturing out of his home in Fifty Lakes and started to notice ways the company could improve. “I was kind of riding them (Stern Manufacturing) about the fact that nobody was marketing these and that their website was out of date. All of the dealers that were in there weren’t dealers anymore. And then I ran into people who said they were dealers and weren’t on the website,” Bergquist said. “So I
Over 130 years and we’ve never missed a publication date. EVER. First edition: Dec. 22, 1881 (weekly)
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kept harassing them. Then they finally said, ‘Well, how would you like to buy the company and run with it?’ So that’s basically what I did.” The now-owner ran with more than just the idea of selling and renting kayaks. He has since started a paddling club that meets 10-15 times a year to explore different lakes and rivers via kayak, canoe or paddleboard. “I just throw out ideas of where to paddle, or sometimes people in the club do,” Bergquist said, adding that the club doesn’t cost anything unless participants need to rent a kayak or paddleboard, which he offers at half price. “All I need are people’s email addresses, and you’re in the paddling club.” For the past three years, Bergquist has also donated the use of his kayaks and equipment to Wounded Warriors kayak trips down the Pine River. “I’ve offered it to other organizations, too,” he said. “If my kayaks are sitting back there (in the store), they’re not doing any good. If they’re out on the road, Crow Wing Kayaks’ name is out on the road.” Through his customers and the organizations he has worked with, Bergquist said the kayak business has led him on quite an adventure.
“It’s just been a fascinating ride. I feel like a kid with toys. You meet the greatest people,” he said. “Our customers are everything.” Theresa Bourke may be reached at 218-855-5880 or theresa.bourke@pineandlakes.com. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter at @PAL_Theresa.
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Wind, Water, and Wheels City: Crosslake. Number of employees: Three. Interesting or little know fact: Wind, Water, and Wheels produces only sit-on-top kayaks and is the only kayak shop in the Brainerd lakes area that uses all local products and lets customers test the kayaks before buying them.
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Theresa Bourke/Echo Journal
Jim Bergquist - owner of Wind, Water, & Wheels in Crosslake - shows off two of his popular kayak models. Bergquist sells and rents Crow Wing Kayaks products, which are all produced locally.
June 16, 1883, City council votes Brainerd Dispatch as the city’s official newspaper
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Earliest microfilm issue: Vol II No. 33, published on Aug. 2, 1883 First South Sixth Street Home shown in the early 1920s
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September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S51
BLAEDC’s recruitment program helps area businesses GrowthZone in Nisswa benefits
Nancy Vogt/Echo Journal
Scott Juranek (left), GrowthZone CEO, and Jeff Fox, chief financial officer, sit in the business’ entrance at the Northland Center in Nisswa.
BLAEDC Robin Eddy, director of software delivery and quality at GrowthZone, acknowledged BLAEDC’s help in bringing Thames to the company. The organization brings families to the area by helping spouses find jobs and helping parents find the right school district. “It’s the whole package. It’s not just an employment opportunity,” she said as she was preparing a job offer for a potential employee in Wisconsin. BLAEDC hired Mike Bjerkness as workforce director last November to design the recruitment program that has helped GrowthZone and other Brainerd lakes area companies. Bjerkness said BLAEDC had been hearing from IT companies in particular that were having issues recruiting high-level employees to the lakes area market.
“It was a struggle. We don’t have a four-year institution in Brainerd to bring these people,” Bjerkness said. His goal was to get five people hired in his first year. He has completed six successful recruitments so far, and had just made another offer for GrowthZone to the potential employee from Wisconsin.
BLAEDC: Page S52
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Nancy Vogt Echo Journal Editor NISSWA — Texas native Collin Thames always dreamed of moving away from his home state, and a Nisswa company and Brainerd organization helped make that dream come true last January. That’s when Thames made the move more than 1,100 miles north to work for GrowthZone, a company based in Nisswa that provides management software and services for member-based organizations worldwide. He had help from the Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Corp. “Ever since I was little I wanted to live out of state, be a bit more adventurous than the rest of my family,” said Thames, 26, who grew up in various parts of Texas and most recently lived in Dallas. Desiring a better career path and a smaller community, Thames decided to look for a job out of Texas, focusing on the Brainerd lakes area. His girlfriend, Aryn Kriesel, had grown up in Minnesota, and he’d visited her parents’ home in Lake Shore a couple of times. While there were plenty of job opportunities in the Twin Cities area, Thames didn’t find a lot of offerings in his field in the lakes area. Then two things happened nearly simultaneously. Thames had contacted Mike Bjerkness with BLAEDC, and both Bjerkness and Kriesel discovered a potential job for Thames in quality assurance with GrowthZone, located in the Northland Center in Nisswa. “He was a big influence in getting me up here and getting a good job,” Thames said of Bjerkness, noting he helped Thames find an apartment and had other helpful tips. Moving to the lakes area from Texas in mid-January wasn’t too difficult, Thames said, noting he’d missed the previous week’s bitter cold snap. The lakes area is about the same size as his hometown in Texas, and neither he nor Kriesel were fans of large metropolitan areas or having a 10-minute drive take 35 minutes. Of the snow and cold, he said: “It was something I’m not used to, of course. In Texas, it only snows every other year or so.” However, Thames said he loves snow and prefers cold weather. “I adjusted pretty well,” he said. “Of course, I was a bit leery of driving on snow and ice.” And he quickly settled in at GrowthZone. “I’m from a small town like this with less resorts. I am from that small-town culture,” he said. “When I came up here, it kind of has that feeling. My last job was with a smaller company too. I’m used to that close-knit, small company environment.” Thames enjoys his drive to work too. “Until I came to live here I had never seen a natural lake. They’re all man-made in Texas. I find them gorgeous; they’re blue,” he said, noting he liked seeing the ice-covered lakes melt on his commute to work. “Work’s been great. It’s an amazing company with great leadership and co-workers,” he said of GrowthZone.
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GULL LAKE From Page S49
that they thought would be beneficial for the club would be to allow the facility to be used for weddings and parties and events with the hope that would help sustain the club and sailing school and pay for the asset,” Jetland said. “Over time we realized we don’t have a staff. We are not set up to operate in that kind of environment. We really looked at it as a distraction from our mission of sailing more than anything. It had definite tax ramifications for the club that weren’t sustainable.” It didn’t help that the new facility was constructed in the middle of the 2008 recession. To make matters more difficult, the club lost members during that time due to financial burdens. “Stuff like that just broke it,” Dondelinger said. In an area where there are many charities, nonprofit clubs and children’s athletic teams requesting money from the same people, a “social club” on Gull Lake didn’t rank high on people’s priority lists, Dondelinger said. “There’s a lot of places to put that money,” he said. The club needed to make changes, and the board determined that going back to its roots was the best option. “We really took a look and did some strategic planning for the two organizations and determined what we need to do is to take the yacht club back to its focus
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on hosting regattas,” Jetland said. The club voted in favor of transferring all its properties to the Gull Lake Sailing School. The transfer simplified operation, reduced costs and eliminated several distractions. “People can now support it with a tax-deductible donation,” Cote said. “We hope that model, long term, will be a good change and an improvement for the overall financial situation for the club. We are out of debt. We’ve come so far in three years. We really have. That’s great, so what we are trying to do now is set ourselves up to be fully sustainable and grow the club and grow sailing again.” “All of the property was transferred to the nonprofit Gull Lake Sailing School,” Jetland said. “There is a new board that has been developed and they will be responsible for activities of the sailing school. They will be responsible for growing the sailing school in the future. That is a desire. At this time, in the future we may look to how we can utilize the facility for other things in the community. For right now, we are simplifying a lot of things before we move forward and figure out in what way we can enhance water sports, water safety and water education.” The club still operates on a social level, and there are still non-sailing members, but the school, sailing and racing are the motivation for all of the club’s operations again. “Now, what’s old is new again,” Cote said. “We’re going back to the basic form where the members have more of an active role in the parties and social
circuit of the club. We’re not making big, formal parties anymore. We are doing the smaller get-togethers that the members put on. We still do the big summer fundraisers so we can make larger amounts for the Gull Lake Sailing School. Then our spring opening party and the regatta will still continue to go on.” Part of going back to the club’s roots includes reviving local interest in sailing in an age where electronics keep people indoors on sunny days and many people seem to prefer the simplicity of motorized watercraft. At this time, the club is attracting a growing number of students to the school through the affordability of classes and the availability of scholarships. “It’s a great thing,” Dondelinger said. “I think a lot of people don’t know it’s available to them and inexpensive. You don’t have to have your own sailing boat.” “They don’t have to own a sailboat,” Cote said. “We provide them, they just need to bring a life vest.” Many board members with the sailing school would like to see local schools work together to form sailing teams. “There are 14 high schools in the Twin Cities that have sailing teams,” Cote said. “There are kids getting scholarships around the country for sailing. We feel like we can tap into the kids here. Ski Gull has grown their Alpine ski club to 100 kids. In the Cities, a lot of the skiers love to sail. We’d love to reach out to more groups like that to get a lot of the local kids involved and even look at if we could look into a high school program some day. We aren’t there yet because
we are still getting things restructured.” “A lot of the schools in the Cities have cooperative programs, so you could have Crosby, Brainerd, Pillager and Pequot together as one program,” Jetland said. “They would need to get that affiliated with the Minnesota State High School League. I believe it is a full blown letter in the Cities now. That would really take some local people to champion that. We know there are some local people in the community that might be interested.” In addition to providing outdoor fun on the lake, Cote, Jetland and Dondelinger say sailing teaches countless valuable life skills and lessons that students can use elsewhere. Dondelinger said sailing improves confidence and teaches a rock-solid understanding of boater safety laws. Cote and Jetland said sailing not only improves teamwork and social skills but teaches spatial awareness and physics. Involvement in the school and club tends to have a lifelong impact that students can take with them wherever they go, even on vacation. “The sailing school is terrific,” Dondelinger said. “I think it’s a really great thing. I have no problem going to the Bahamas and renting a sailboat. I learned it all on Gull Lake. There aren’t a lot of people with that confidence and knowledge. The only reason I have it is because of the Gull Lake Sailing School.” The Gull Lake Sailing School hosts classes from late June to early August for students ages 6 and up.
them in projects. We’d like them to come back as employees,” she said. “We want to keep them here in the northern Minnesota area and continue to build our business and economy by keeping talent local.”
That initial product, released in 2000, was ChamberMaster. Most chambers of commerce don’t have IT staff members so they were looking for tools to help with day-to-day business, Juranek said. ChamberMaster does just that. “We have a whole suite of software that helps a chamber thrive,” he said. In 2011, the company moved to Nisswa, and in 2012 it released MemberZone for trade and industry associations. Three years ago, the business started the next generation product that reflects software for any type of association. BLAEDC was GrowthZone’s first customer. Ironically, Paxton is also a customer with her business, Ultra Paws, and is helping shape the new GrowthZone software, Juranek said. While chambers of commerce are GrowthZone’s largest market, home builder associations make up the second biggest market. GrowthZone has over
GrowthZone GrowthZone originally was called MicroNet, which started in 1996 as an information services company in the Twin Cities that helped small businesses with computer issues, said Scott Juranek, company CEO since 2008. Doug Hennum started the company, which moved to Brainerd in the late 1990s. Juranek said Lisa Paxton, then CEO of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber, wanted a better way to manage chamber member data and tie it into the website. “Lisa worked with Doug. He created a solution that went through a couple iterations,” Juranek said. “This whole company was born out of that. Doug found a software developer to put that together.” Nancy Vogt/Echo Journal
Collin Thames, shown working at GrowthZone in Nisswa, moved to the lakes area in January from Dallas for his job.
BLAEDC From Page S51
“We’re moving people to the Brainerd lakes area,” he said, for good-paying, higher level career positions. “To me, that’s important. We’re not just taking from one company and moving to another.” Lakes area companies Ascensus, CTC, GrowthZone and Syvantis Technologies, along with a grant from the Blandin Foundation, supported BLAEDC in hiring Bjerkness to build a recruitment program. The program’s approach includes marketing the lakes area and showcasing what it offers for potential businesses to locate here, and recruiting executive level employees for existing businesses. Bjerkness doesn’t just bring a new employee to town and tell them congratulations and good luck. He takes the extra steps to help the new recruits get settled here, helping them find housing, a financial institution, insurance agent, broadband internet provider and more. “When we tie them into the community, they’re more apt to stay with the company,” he said of millennials. ”It’s nice that you can help them. Part of what I find is if they don’t get tied into that community in the first six months, they
might leave.” That connection to the community helps businesses in the long run. “We feel good that we’re helping them expand and grow and stay in the Brainerd lakes area,” Bjerkness said of those businesses. Bjerkness is currently working to bring employees to GrowthZone and Syvantis Technologies in Baxter. He’s also helped CTC and the new Kubota dealership - Quality Equipment - that was built recently north of Brainerd on Highway 371. He said BLAEDC is paving the way with its recruitment program. To his knowledge, Bjerkness said, no other economic development corporation does actual recruiting. GrowthZone also reaches out to potential future employees by participating in area school districts’ career days. “We help students with resumes and interviewing, and particularly with students interested in the IT field,” Eddy said, noting GrowthZone will hire high school and college students as interns in the summer. “We spend the time to train and involve
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WHITEFISH From Page S49
fundamental purpose is “promoting boating and water safety on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes.” A big part of that initiative is what started the group in the first place — buoys. The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Department water patrol unit decides, for the most part, where the buoys should go, but the yacht club takes over from there. “We pay to have them installed and taken out and repaired and replaced as necessary,” Nelson said. “We now have 114 or 116 buoys on the chain; we started out with probably two.” The club makes sure to replace each buoy every eight to 10 years, as they wear out over time. The buoys are just the beginning of the yacht club’s dedication to water safety. The group also partners with other organizations to offer boating and water safety classes for both kids and adults free of charge. The sheriff’s department water patrol works with the yacht club to provide youth boating classes. These lessons also serve as a community-building activity. “It helps build a relationship between the sheriff’s water department and the boating community up here,” Nelson said. The club also gives each participant a personal flotation device for added safety. Youth swimming lessons orchestrated by longtime club member Vickey Leonard further add to the yacht club’s safety initiative. Leonard tailors her classes specifically to swimming in lakes. “We do not teach strokes to perfection like you’re teaching a swimming class,” she said. “It’s modified strokes so that the kids are able to help themselves if they get into an emergency, that they know how to keep themselves above the water, like treading water, back floating, that kind of thing.” Leonard also educates her students about different kinds of lake water, how the weather affects waves on lakes and how swimming areas are designated. Proof of the safety classes’ benefits are shown through past students who now come back to help. Ryan Prouty, of Crosslake, helped Leonard teach swim lessons this year. He said the club helped him to eventually attain his lifeguarding certification, so teaching young swimmers is his way of giving back. The last class the club offers is called Women at the Helm, which aims to teach women how to operate boats. This class began several years ago but just resurfaced in the last three years. “If I remember correctly,” Leonard said, “a board member at that time was out boating with his wife, and he had a heart attack. And she had no idea how to get that boat in to get him in for medical treatment.” Johnny Wallin, of Bertha Boatworks in Pequot Lakes, teaches Women at the Helm classes, which Leonard said have been fairly popular in recent years. Rachael Nelson, a Women at the Helm
participant from Winsted, took the class this year so she would be able to drive her boyfriend’s boat when they go out on Little Pine Lake. Nelson said she liked that the class was geared toward women and was very hands-on. “I’ve always wanted to learn a little bit more about boats anyway,” she added. Like Rachael Nelson, many class participants do not live locally, let alone have yacht club memberships. But even the non-locals could become members. Bob Nelson stressed that owning property on the Whitefish Chain is not a stipulation for yacht club membership, nor is living locally at all. The club — just like its safety classes — is open to anyone who wants to join. “We’re always looking for new board members to have different points of view, different ages, different backgrounds, different experiences,” Bob Nelson said. Businesses and organizations can also join. “Frankly, we think that every resort and every business that rents boats should be a member because they all benefit from the buoys. Their guests do, or their customers,” Bob Nelson said. Members pay dues that go toward paying for the buoys, compensating class instructors, buying personal flotation devices for boating class participants and keeping up club communication (printing, mailing, maintaining the website). Because of the club’s focused mission, those few costs are the only expenses it has, and donations and membership dues are its only source of income. “We have a nice, tight mission,” Bob Nelson said. “We have good focus on what we’re doing.” Leonard boiled that mission down to one key idea - safety. “With our boating safety class, we want them to learn how to be safe boaters. The Women at the Helm class, we want them to be safe boaters,” Leonard said. “And then our youth that are in the swimming and water safety classes, we want them to have a safe water environment experience while they’re in the water playing and having fun.” Theresa Bourke may be reached at 218-855-5880 or theresa.bourke@pineandlakes.com. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter at @PAL_Theresa.
FOR YOUR
INFO
Whitefish Chain Yacht Club
September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017 S53
Theresa Bourke/Echo Journal
Ryan Prouty, of Crosslake, teaches youth swim lessons sponsored by the Whitefish Chain Yacht Club. The classes focus on lake safety.
BLAEDC From Page S52
2,800 total customers; 2,400 of those are chambers, over 100 are home builder associations and the remaining are various other entities. The company’s most recent growth has come from those non-chamber associations, and that’s why the company changed its name from MicroNet to GrowthZone — because the product evolved and now has a broader focus than just chambers of commerce. “We’re definitely growing here,” Juranek said, noting most of the company’s growth has been in the past four to five years. The company has about 90 employees, including about a dozen in other states. Positions include software developers, sales people, customer success, marketing, human resources, software quality assurance, web design and product management. Juranek projects adding another 10-15 employees per year, and he said they’ll need more space by the end of this year or beginning of next year. Juranek likened GrowthZone’s products to Netflix, where people pay monthly, log on and find new content. “People are purchasing our software on a monthly subscription,” he said. “Instead of adding movies, we’re adding benefits for the association staff and their members.” GrowthZone has chamber members from every state and Canadian prov-
ince, as well as in the United Kingdom and Australia. The company has over 2,800 customers. Juranek said a fun goal is to one day reach 10,000 customers, since Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes. “It’s a fun path,” he said. “We constantly are improving our service and benefits. Staying focused on what our customers are telling us and anticipating what will help them create better communities has been a winning formula for our team.” Nancy Vogt may be reached at 218-855-5877 or nancy. vogt@pineandlakes.com. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Nancy.
FOR YOUR
INFO GrowthZone
City: Nisswa
Number of employees: 90 Interesting fact: In 2006, the first son of Chris Mead, a vice president at the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, was named ChamberMaster Mead for two weeks. This was part of a fundraiser and was when selling naming rights was a fun way to raise money and awareness. This was featured in the Wall Street Journal.
Thank you to our wonderful employees and loyal patrons for making this another great summer!
City: Crosslake.
Number of members: 214 families/ businesses. Interesting fact: Despite the name, the club isn’t associated with yachts but instead is dedicated to promoting water safety on the Whitefish Chain. Having the name “yacht club” gives the group special perks, like access to other yacht clubs around the country.
Elks National Foundation’s Drug Awareness Program is the Largest in the Nation.
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Meals to The SHOP drop-ins $2,500 Educational materials to VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic $1,200 St. Cloud Veterans Hospital Bingo $1,100 Youth Activities: Hoop Shoot, Soccer Shoot, Americanism Essays, And more...
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Brainerd Elks Lodge 615 We Proudly Support Our Communities “Antlers” Youth Program For Ages 12-20 - Join Us! Making Memories NEW Jr. Elks Scholarships & Student of the Month $11,800 A personal Dictionary to each 3rd Grader in our Region for Youth & Veterans Central Lakes College Veterans Dinners $2,000 in 2017. Brainerd High School A Capella Choir
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Salute!
Thank You SCI Employees for your dedicated teamwork and care. Your hard work is greatly appreciated!
Happy Labor Day!
To our employees for another phenomenal year of team work and dedication.
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Baxter Facility 7756 College Drive Baxter, MN 56425
218-828-5076
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Brainerd Facility 1100 Industrial Park Rd SW Brainerd, MN 56401
sternindustries.com
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Our Mission: To be our customers best value supplier.
S54 September 4, 2017 • September 7, 2017
PROGRESS EDITION
www.brainerddispatch.com
Advertorial
Essentia Health provides convenient care. BY SARAH KATZENBERGER
Nurse Practitioner Amy Thesing is updating information in the waiting area at Convenient Care at Brainerd Cub Foods.
Patient registering at Convenient Care using self-registration technology onsite to reduce the wait time.
visit to urgent care or the emergency department,” Martensen said. Martensen noted that a convenient care visit takes about 20 minutes depending on what treatment is required or if labs are needed. In cases where a condition needs further treatment, Convenient Care providers can help patients determine the next steps and what options lie ahead. For patients who see a primary care physician with Essentia Health, their visit will automatically be recorded in their medical chart. In addition to the convenience of low wait time, Martensen said a major benefit of Convenient Care is the low cost. Services average a cost of $78 with the most expensive service costing $118, not including additional labs or further testing in some cases. Patients can run the cost through their insurance or opt to pay for the service up front. The value of the care Essentia delivers is noted by Minnesota Community Measures Total Cost of Care which lists: Essentia Health in Brainerd as 8 percent less than the state average, and 11 to 40 percent less than area competitors. “I think the service of offering patient care at the right time, and at an affordable cost really fits well with our mission to care for our patients and meet their needs right when they need it,” Martensen said. “That’s what we’re really all about.” For more information on Essentia Health Convenient Care Clinics in Brainerd and Baxter and for current wait times, visit EsssentiaHealth.org.
Nurse Practitioner Amy Thesing is caring for a patient at Convenient Care at Brainerd Cub Foods.
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Let’s face it, being sick is never convenient. Essentia Health has set out to change the pains of being ill by providing fast care for basic ailments. Essentia has Convenient Care Clinic locations at Cub Foods in Baxter and Brainerd. The Brainerd location celebrated its grand opening in January 2017. The Baxter Clinic has been open since 2008. The clinics are open seven days a week from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. with limited holiday hours. “These locations help patients seek the right amount of care at the right time,” said Convenient Care Manager and Registered Nurse Jessica Martensen. “We offer clinic services during and after regular clinic hours at a location a patient may need to visit anyway.” The Convenient Care team is made up of a fulltime rotation of clinical providers who work between the two Cub Foods locations, Urgent Care and the Emergency Department bringing a diverse depth of
experience. Convenient Care is walk-in appointments only, and patients can check online to see regularly updated wait times at both locations to determine which location has a shorter wait time. “We work hard on keeping wait times accurate so patients can anticipate what their wait will be,” Martensen said, noting that for families with young children and people leaving work to seek treatment, this resource can be particularly helpful. Convenient Care also offers self-registration at both locations to help minimize wait times, something Martensen said has been a huge benefit and welcomed by patients. “It cuts down on wait time to allow patients to see the provider faster,” she said. Patients are seen by a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant for minor illnesses and injuries including coughs, colds, sore throat, flu symptoms, strep evaluation, minor skin rashes, minor burns, bladder infections (with stipulations for age and gender) and more. “These are inconvenient illnesses that may be serious enough to need attention from a health care provider, but not something that warrants a