ECHO JOURNAL | Wednesday, January 26, 2022
PINEANDLAKES.COM
BUSINESS TRADITIONS 2022
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BUSINESSTraditions ROLL OF HONOR 2022
A BRAINERD DISPATCH & ECHO JOURNAL PUBLICATION
Contributed
Jeff and Tracy Swenson pose by their mobile office, their van, with their dog, Toby.
CUSTOMER SERVICE AT HEART OF
Chem-Dry of the Lakes
By Renee Richardson Brainerd Dispatch
BRAINERD — For Jeff and Tracy Swenson, the recipe for success may be a combination of work ethic and connecting with customers. The couple, who own and operate the Brainerd lakes Chem-Dry franchise called ChemDry of the Lakes, also have worked together at the business for an impressive 25 years with a decade of that time in the Brainerd lakes area. Communication is a key to make for a successful marriage and business
151 Years
partnership. For those starting out on their own in business, Jeff Swenson has simple but strong advice. “I would say keep your promises,” he said. “ … Think about it. It’s not for everybody. … Remember you are probably going to work a little bit harder than you have for anybody else.” The trade-off: Greater satisfaction. As for a key to success in working with your spouse, Swenson said it is separating work from home. “We’ve done it so long, we would find it
150 Years
difficult not working with each other,” he said. “We really consider it a good thing we’ve worked together so long.” Swenson said he was one of those guys at work who always had ideas and suggestions that didn’t go over very well. That’s when he knew he’d be better off having his own business. He said the ChemDry franchise provided the structure, while the business decisions are your own and how successful you are depends on what you put into it. Swenson said ChemDry has become the force it has in the
140 Years
industry because of a lot of mom and pop franchises that focus on being honest and forthright, keeping promises and being on time. “I was always told, from some of the older guys, if you are going to make promises you better keep them and you’ll be successful,” Swenson said. He credits his work ethic to the example his father set, a man who worked for more than 35 years and never took a sick day. An industry leader, Chem-Dry is a worldwide franchise and has been in the lakes area for nearly 50 years. The
138 Years
company has a patented cleaning process using a natural carbonating cleaning solution called The Natural, which resembles a mineral bath for carpets. The process uses about one-tenth of the water and doesn’t involve soaps, detergents or harsh chemicals, making it non-toxic for children or pets. With less water used, the company reports carpets dry in one to two hours The company cleans carpets, furniture, area rugs, tile and stone, and wood floors; provides granite countertop renewal; removes
133 Years
pet urine and odor; and provides specialty stain removal and commercial cleaning services. Chem-Dry of the Lakes offers residential and commercial cleaning services, working in office buildings and churches as well as residential homes. A Minnesota native, Jeff Swenson grew up in the small city of Fairmont, known in southern Minnesota as a city of lakes. He said the farming community was a great place to grow up, providing examples of strong work ethics.
CHEM-DRY: Page 2
132 Years
Trinity Lutheran Church, ELCA St. Francis Catholic Church
409 North 9th Street, Brainerd
218-822-4040
www.blccnorth.org
129 Years
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
506 James Street Brainerd, MN
2022 Fair Dates: August 2 - August 6 P.O. Box 169 BRAINERD, MN 56401
1420 South 6th Street Brainerd MN (218) 829-5147 www.trinitybrainerd.org
Brainerd 829-8781 Baxter 828-5191 Aitkin 927-3794
218-829-3834
www.brainerddispatch.com
829-4705
218-829-6680
122 Years
120 Years
113 Years
113 Years
113 Years
702 Industrial Park Rd, Brainerd
124 Front Street, Brainerd
The Parker Building Downtown Brainerd
817 Juniper Street, Brainerd
215 South 9th St. • (218)829-2643 BrainerdElks.org • email info@brainerdelks.org
218-829-4216
218-829-2344
www.stfranciscatholicschool.org
Phone 829-9674
105 Years
100 Years
100 Years
100 Years
87 Years
408 N. 7th Street, Brainerd, MN
Brainerd Elks Lodge #615
Member FDIC
crowwingcountyfair.com
Brainerd
Eagles Aerie #287
8027 Highland Scenic Rd Baxter MN 56425 218-829-8726
105 Years
www.brainerdelks.org Serving Brainerd Lakes Area Communities, Youth and Veterans
“Community involvement — people helping people”
Weizenegger Engel Insurance 15616 Edgewood Drive, Suite 200, BAXTER, MN 56425
10424 Squaw Point Road Brainerd
218-829-3918 www.erniesongull.com
www.kampmannmillwork.com
85 Years
84 Years
Lighting the lives of 38,000 members Since 1937
www.clcmn.edu Brainerd Campus 501 West College Drive, Brainerd (218) 855-8000 or 800-933-0346 Staples Campus 1830 Airport Road, Staples (218) 894-5100 or 800-247-6836
829-4721
84 Years
82 Years
“Good Samaritan Society incorporated in 1922”
Bethany Senior Living Apartments, Brainerd at (218) 829-1407 Woodland Senior Living Apartments, Brainerd at (218) 829-1429 Riverside Senior Living Apartments, Pine River at (218) 587-4433
good-sam.com
82 Years
1711 Southeast 13th St. Brainerd, MN 56401
218-829-4779
Toll Free number (800)892-4779
www.shipmanauto.com
77 Years
Purses, Jackets, Sports Equipment “If you can wear it, we repair it!”
509 Washington St. Brainerd
218-829-2496
Brainerd BN Credit Union “Member Friendly - Service Driven”
Sales & Service
804 Laurel Street Brainerd, MN
Since 1940 830 Brook Street • Brainerd, MN
218-829-9065
www.pikeplumbingandheating.com
218-829-4332
309 NW 3rd Street Brainerd, MN 56401
(218) 829-3585 www.klb.cpa
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BUSINESS TRADITIONS 2022
CHEM-DRY From Page 1
Tracy Swenson grew up in Crystal, a firstring suburb of the Twin Cities, but a relatively small city in terms of population. The two met in the metro area. They started their career with Chem-Dry after moving to Boulder County, Colorado, which was recently in the news for a devastating fire that destroyed hundreds of homes. In the move, they joined a lifelong childhood friend and his wife and ended up with two franchises. With the gusto of youth, the 20-somethings were so excited and getting into a work life, they would say if they weren’t cleaning 8-10 hours a day, they should be looking for carpet to clean. Colorado was beautiful and they loved the outdoors and the mountains but missed their families and the lakes. “You can’t turn around in Minnesota without falling into a lake,” Swenson said. Coming back to Minnesota, they found a franchise opportunity in the Brainerd area, which Swenson was familiar with from camping trips. While the work can be demanding, Swenson said it beats sitting behind a desk in an office. The jobs are interesting. They can be problem-solvers and spend time outside working from their mobile office, a tidy van, which one customer commented they could eat off the floors. “My van is my toolbox,” Swenson said, noting he could be described as someone who enjoys being organized. With a place for everything, he can scan the
van after a job and know in a moment if they’ve left anything behind before they leave the customer’s driveway. Being organized and having backup equipment also allows for greater efficiency. One of the biggest draws of the job may be in the people they meet. Some of their customers they’ve known since they were children. They’ve been there for life-changing events. They’ve shed tears with couples who watched a spouse die at home. They’ve been the last person out the door when someone leaves their home of 30 years to go to assisted living. “There has been a lot of emotion with it,” Swenson said of the work. He remembered a regular customer who would call often with a job for him, and then ask if he could take a moment to play the piano for a bit while he was there. So he played for her. Another customer loved radish sandwiches and with the Swensons also putting time into a large garden, they’d bring fresh radishes and canned goods. Sometimes customers who couldn’t have a dog of their own enjoyed being able to spend some time with the Swensons’ dog. Repeat customers and relationship building is a strong part of the
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Wednesday, January 26, 2022 | ECHO JOURNAL
business, Swenson said, where people appreciate having someone look them in the eye and talk with them. Chem-Dry of the Lakes received multiple awards from their parent organization over the years and is a threetime award winner in the Best of the Brainerd Lakes contest. The Swensons can still work long days, getting set for work at 6:30-7 a.m. and arriving home at 7 p.m. with some work still to be done to get the van set for the next day. At age 57, Swenson said when he thinks about slowing down in the future, he’d still like to remain active with the business, perhaps doing the estimates or organizing the van to make sure everything is there and ready for the customers to be visited the next day. “I enjoy working,” he said. “I always have.” They’ve also been problem-solvers, especially when it comes to cleaning up after pets. When one dog started having accidents to the owner’s dismay, they were able to point to a possible urinary tract infection as the cause. A trip to the vet confirmed it and with that resolved, so were the accidents.
CHEM-DRY: Page 3
PINEANDLAKES.COM
“I ENJOY WORKING, I ALWAYS HAVE” - Jeff Swenson
Contributed
Jeff Swenson cleans the hardwood floor. Chem-Dry of the Lakes offers residential and commercial cleaning services, working in office buildings and churches as well as residential homes.
6364YEARS Years
74 Years
72 Years
302 5th Avenue NE Suite 4 Brainerd, MN 56401
S.T. Monda, O.D. J.J. Hanske, O.D. A.M. Archibald-Swanson, O.D. T.J. Swanson, O.D. M.K. Monda, O.D.
New owners as of July 2017!
24-HOUR SERVICE
218-829-4719
chuck@brainerdglass.net www.brainerdglass.net
506 Laurel St., Brainerd
1717 13TH ST. SE. BRAINERD, MN 56401
829-0946
218-829-5436
516 C St NE, Brainerd, MN
218.829.1491
63 Years
61 Years
58 Years
57 Years
57 Years
54 Years
Your Area Volkswagen Dealer Since 1959
16603 State Hwy 371 North
76 Years
210 10th Avenue NE Brainerd, MN 56401 www.atekcompanies.com
65 Years
RESIDENTIAL-COMMERCIAL-INDUSTRIAL “You’re Locally Owned Backyard Nature and Gift Store”
HEATING – VENTILATION – AIR CONDITIONING – COMMERCIAL ROOFING – CUSTOM SHEET METAL
schroedersappliance.com AUTO IMPORT, INC. 22 WASHINGTON ST. BRAINERD, MN
218-829-3307 WWW.AUTOIMPORTVW.COM
53 Years
EVERYTHING PRINT
(Just North of the Pine Beach Rd)
Colleen Goedker, REALTOR
Brainerd/Baxter
218-829-3624
53 Years
53 Years
516 NW 6th St, Brainerd MN 56401
1022 Madison Street Brainerd, MN 56401
218-851-3543 BrainerdAreaRealEstate.com
218-829-8812
rangeprinting.com
53 Years
52 Years
50 Years
Celebrating 53 years of service. A 53-year tradition of performing arts excellence.
218-855-8199
www.clcperformingarts.com
49 Years
218.829.3597
TannerAuto.Net www.kavanaughs.com Family owned and operated for 51 years
44 Years
unitedwaynow.org
44 Years
620 West Washington, BRAINERD
43 Years “Your One-Stop, Locally-Owned
302 South Sixth Street P.O. Box 411 Brainerd, MN 56401 218-829-1451 (main) www.brainerdlaw.com
BURTON
ROSSIGNOL
easyridersbikes.com 415 Washington St. Brainerd, MN
218-829-5516
43 Years
43 Years
Corner of 7th and Laurel Streets
Greg A. Anderson, LUTCF Agent
Medical Supply Company.”
BRAINERD MEDICAL SUPPLY TREE SERVICE INC. 24-Hour Domestic Violence Shelter Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport Brainerd, Minnesota
43 Years
(218) 828-1216
Brainerd, MN Fully Equipped & Insured
midminwomenscenter.blogspot.com
1505 State 210 S.W. 829-0133
4 3 Years
42 Years
FREE Delivery in our service area! Major Credit Cards Accepted 24 Hour Emergency Oxygen Service We Process Medical Assistance, Medica, Blue Cross, Medicare and Most Insurance. 206 W. Washington St., Brainerd
(Located in the Tyrol Hills Shopping Center)
218-829-2100
www.brainerdmedicalsupply.com
42 Years
829-7266
41 Years
218-828-4197
40 Years
DANCE
218-829-9345
Greg A. Anderson, LUTCF
Financial Services Professional
www.thebrainerdcenter.com
Dance Studio & Audio/Video Production
829-0076
1021 Industrial Park Road, Brainerd, MN 56401
Welcoming New Students!
417 South 5th Street Brainerd, MN 56401
828-4197
803 Kingwood Street Brainerd, MN 56401
416 S. 7th St. Brainerd
218-829-7599 www.orhwv.com
JustForKix.com/DanceClasses
218-829-7107
www.mickeyspizza.com
39 Years
39 Years
39 Years
39 Years
38 Years
37 Years
Laurie Hall, Agent
712 Maple Street, Brainerd MN 56401 218.828.9000 211 MN Ave N, Aitkin MN 56431 218.927.6911
Little Falls Brainerd Pierz Pine River
OPEN 24 HOURS 7 DAYS A WEEK
A Community Supporter and Locally Owned Company
829-2881 18441 State Hwy 371 Brainerd
218-829-5588
www.theofficeshopinc.com Rolf Moen, D.D.S. Jeff Mattson, D.D.S. Jenna Ude, D.D.S. 402 James Street, Brainerd, MN 56401 (218) 829-4243 www.lakecountrydentalmn.com
326 West Laurel Street Brainerd, MN 56401 Bus - 218.828.0460 • Fax - 218.828.0576 laurie.hall.b5du@statefarm.com Toll Free - 800.828.0460 www.lauriehall.net
We would like our customers to know how sincerely grateful we are for their support over the last 39 years but especially during these trying times. We couldn’t do without you!
www.hannekeninsurance.com
East Brainerd Mall
828-1816
ECHO JOURNAL | Wednesday, January 26, 2022
PINEANDLAKES.COM
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BUSINESS TRADITIONS 2022
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Contributed
Tracy and Jeff Swenson own and operate Chem-Dry of the Lakes. They’ve worked together for 25 years.
CHEM-DRY From Page 2
Other customers reach out to them for their expertise in flooring before they go for a replacement purchase. And they’ve been able to provide information on factory recommendations for cleaning and to help them get the most for their money. “We’re honest with customers and that apparently shows through more than I know and a lot of people thanked us for being honest,” Swenson said. “ … That’s the fun part of the job, you are going to meet so many people.” Their customer base helped them through the Great Recession. The pandemic created more unknowns. They donned their face masks and wiped down equipment with Clorox.
34 Years
sat atop the shower curtain, hissing. Swenson backed out of the bathroom. “When they are hissing at me and bigger than me, I wasn’t going to press my luck.” Tracy Swenson said one thing she hears her husband say to younger people they are involved with is, “Always work harder than the next guy and you’ll do fine.” “It’s been some really good advice,” she said.
All the time people spent in their homes may have helped along with a desire by people to get a deep cleaning for a healthy home during the pandemic. In 2020 and 2021, they had record years for sales. Swenson said they’ve never had a year where they didn’t do a little better than the last year. They’ve also had a few interesting experiences with a wide variety of animal life, including cleaning homes with pythons or ferrets. Once a large iguana
RENEE RICHARDSON, Brainerd Dispatch managing editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee. richardson@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter. com/DispatchBizBuzz.
36 Years
35 Years
Contact us Today For All Your Hearing Aid Needs
1-800-458-0895 Empowering our community through safe and trusting mentor partnerships.
kinshippartners.org
34 Years
17274 State Hwy 371, Brainerd www.preferredhearingaidcenter.com
33 Years
h customers and it w t s e n o h e ’r e “W s through w o h s y tl n re a p p a that of people t lo a d n a w o n k I more than ing honest. e b r fo s u d e k n a th … That’s the fun part job, you are going to of the meet so many people.” - Jeff Swenson
Contributed
Jeff Swenson cleans a countertop.
35 Years
34 Years
Serving the Brainerd Lakes Area since 1987. 224 West Washington Street Brainerd, MN 56401
7790 Hastings Road Baxter, MN 56425
34 Years
Crisis Line And referrAL serviCe
(218) 828-0096
growbrainerdlakes.org
(218) 828-0110 www.avantech.com
24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK 828-HELP (4357) OR 1-800-462-5525
32 Years
30 Years
30 Years
EST. 1992
Custom Residential & Commercial Construction 11360 Business 371 Brainerd, MN
Brainerd
BRAINERD lptv.org
PeoplesSecurity.com (800) 735-1440
(218) 829-8529
northcountryservicesmn.com
28 Years
28 Years
27 Years
26 Years
www.hytecconstruction.com
828-4188
WE CAN HELP WITH ALL YOUR APPAREL NEEDS WWW.MNTSHIRT.COM
For Persons With Disabilities
829-0029
www.mountedeagles.org
26 Years
26 Years
“38 Years Experience”
825-0522
Brainerd
Residential & Commercial New Construction & Remodels
www.electricetc.com
315 East River Road, Ste 1 (218) 825-0793
“We Sell Fun”
616 4th Street NE (218) 895-5200
13377 State Hwy. 25 Brainerd, MN 56401
Staples
Wadena
(218) 513-1677 stapleslaps@gmail.com By Appointment
www.brainerdrental.com
218-829-4112
www.lakesareapregnancy.org
25 1/2 Years
25 Years
24 Years
218-828-2815
A Locally Owned, Printed, and Published Magazine
17 Years
EstatE salEs S.THOMAS
ASSOCIATES
ESTATE SALES SERVICES
(Steve and Julie Foy-owners) www.sthomasestatesales.com 218-851-0834 • Brainerd, MN
24 Years
22 Years
218-828-4320
17 Years 14 Years
16 Years
13 Years
4750 White Gables Road Brainerd MN 56401
118 Washington St. • Brainerd
All work is performed by owners Jeff & Tracy. Independently Owned & Operated
17 Years
17 Years
218-825-8611
218-828-0330 1775 DANDELION LANE SW BRAINERD, MN 56401
218-330-2338
www.jibechvac.com
11 Years
10 Years
Truth Lutheran Church
201 S. 6th Street Historic Downtown Brainerd
218-829-6300
218-824-0712
Resource Connection Services Overnight Warming Shelter Operation Sandwich Main Office (218)825-7682 w w w.bridgesofhopemn.org
New, Used & Rare Books
501 Kingwood Street, Brainerd, MN (Corner of 5th & Kingwood) truthlutheranchurch.com
20 Years
365-Day Alex & Brandon Child Safety Center (218) 828-0022 midminwomenscenter.blogspot.com
lakecountryjournal.com
Sunday worship 9 AM Fellowship and Sunday school following worship
www.shannonsautoBody.coM
Chem Dry of the Lakes
Superior Carpet, Upholstery Cleaning, Wood & Vinyl Floors, Tile & Grout, Granite Counter Top Renewal
Serving Crow Wing, Aitkin, Morrison, Southern Cass & Todd Counties
An LCMC Congregation…Lutheran Congregation in Mission for Christ
Thanks for your business in 2021
Thank you for voting us #1 Cleaning service in the Brainerd Lakes Area 3 yrs in a row.
www.chemdryofthelakes.com
HomeInstead.com/brainerd S.THOMAS ASSOCIATES
13 Years
www.northcountryfloralmn.com
(Downtown Brainerd)
idyourworld@gmx.com www.idyourworldmn.com
13540 Ironwood drIve BraInerd, Mn 56401
www.brainerdsports.net
1022 Madison Street Brainerd, MN 56401
Danae Blanck Anderson, ASID, CID
ESTATE SALES SERVICES
218-828-4728 800-450-7669
609 Laurel Street, Brainerd Mn 56401
13432 Elmwood Drive Suite 24 Baxter, MN 56425
218.824.0077
218-829-6764
8 Years
Pampered Pets Boarding, Daycare and Grooming 8301 Industrial Park Rd., Baxter MN 218-454-0835 www.pamperedpetsmn.com
218-824-6065
GreenheckAutoGlass.com
Baxter (218)824-0923 Crosslake (218)692-7682 Crosby (218)772-2999 w w w.commongoodsmn.org
4 Years
2 Years
7790 Hastings Road Baxter, MN 56425 Employment contact: HR@tri-ven.com tri-ven.com
4983 County Rd 45, Brainerd, MN 56401
218-820-5159
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BUSINESS TRADITIONS 2022
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Wednesday, January 26, 2022 | ECHO JOURNAL
PINEANDLAKES.COM
Jennifer Pedersen talks about transfering reel to reel at her home-based business Blended Memories Digital Transfer Services Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, at her home office on Memorywood Drive in Baxter. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
BLENDED MEMORIES LINKS
family history to modern times
By Renee Richardson Brainerd Dispatch
BAXTER — Jennifer Pedersen was working the side hustle long before it was trendy to have a second homebased job. Pedersen created a business that helps people take those family moments often trapped in time and brings them back to the present, making them accessible for the more recent generations. She helps people transfer images from 1950s film reels to modern technology. But the work often means more than simply upgrading systems. It’s connecting with people and restoring memories. A client brought in reel-to-reel home movies to put on DVDs. When they reviewed the images with Pedersen to see what they wanted to keep or rearrange, they found images of a girl with a limp and people the woman didn’t recognize. They put those home movies on a separate DVD and a mystery was solved. The camera had been loaned to a neighbor, but the images never ended up with them. The girl in the home movie had polio and later passed away. The family home later caught fire and the neighbors
70 Years
moved away. Reaching out to reconnect with the family brought the offer of seeing their daughter again. The very idea moved them to tears. For Pedersen, it was a way to give them back a small piece of their family after all those years. Customer Bob Dryden said he has no idea how she does it, but Pedersen was able to take old tapes and 16mm film from home movies and turn them into a CD, which he was able to copy and give to his children. It allowed him to pull out photos of his first wife, Linda, and recordings of her singing. She died of cancer in 2003. Having those moments on technology his children can access gives them something precious, Dryden said. ”I’ve been very pleased,” Dryden said. “Anything I’ve asked her to do has outstripped my expectations. I think I give her some impossible requests and she
fulfills them. … She is a miracle worker as far as I am concerned.” Pedersen started her own business, Blended Memories Digital Transfer Services, a dozen years ago working in
128 Years
81 Years
at one time and wasn’t daunted when it came to technology, something she learned to harness as she created her own business. “I really embrace technology,” she said.
by the Canadian border, she said she was horrified when she went to the library and found the card catalog was replaced by a computer system to look up books and she didn’t know how to use it. She was going to change that and eventually the path she started on to increase her knowledge became the basis for her home business. After her family moved to the lakes area and her youngest daughter began school, - Jennifer Pedersen Pedersen enrolled in classes at then Brainerd Community College using a little inheritance space she designed for “I really enjoy it and I to fund classes in music, a home office. She did don’t let it defeat me.” theater and computer most of the work herself, Pedersen was always science. Her son was a transforming the space handy and curious. Her fourth grader at Baxter in the back of her garage father raised his daugh- Elementary School so into her work area. ters with the idea that if she volunteered at the She built her business they were going to drive school computer lab and from word of mouth a car, they should also continued to learn more while holding down a know how to change a about computer techfull-time job. But Ped- tire and change the oil. nology. ersen always had mul- Living with her husband She credited her famtiple irons in the fire in a small community ily, friends and col-
“I really embrace technology. I really enjoy it and I don’t let it defeat me.”
76 Years
75 Years
MEMORIES: Page 5
74 Years
Home Care and Hospice
Paints • Wallcoverings • Blinds & Shades
Baxter 7447 Clearwater Road 824-0642 hirshfields.com
829-2823
Reichert Bus Service Since 1947 www.reichertbus.com
65 Years
53 Years
NAPA Baxter
14751 Edgewood Dr. Baxter
Brainerd Lakes Best Paint Store
66 Years
leagues for helping her increase her knowledge along the way and she kept at it. After graduating from college, she worked in a couple of nursing homes before deciding that losing people was breaking her heart. She put in an application to work at Baxter School. She wanted to work with computers and be in the library. A part-time job there led to a full-time position a year later. Pedersen excelled at movie and photo editing and kept working at it. With the goal of starting her own business and helping people, she took the “How to start a business” class and put together a business plan. “I’ve really put my foot forward and now I’m happy I got it to where I wanted it to be now,” she said.
65 Years
15670 Edgewood Drive N. Suite 150 Baxter, MN 56425 218.454.1542 knutenelson.org
47 Years
Visit EdinaRealty.com for all your real estate needs. Serving the entire Brainerd Lakes Area
46.5 Years
Brainerd • 218-828-7000 Crosslake • 218-692-5200 Hackensack • 218-675-7575 Little Falls • 320-632-2381
7837 Excelsior Road Suite 100 Baxter, MN
EdinaRealty.com
www.burschtravel.com
44 Years
“Custom...delivered.”
bercher.com 218.829.1381 Lic. No. BC004461
Lutheran Church and Preschool
HEALTHCARE•COMMERCIAL•HOSPITALITY
829-1976 800-950-4707
(218) 829-4759
13815 Cherrywood Drive, Baxter, MN 218-829-4105
218-829-5117 Widseth.com
www.holdenelectric.com
www.ChristBaxter.com Sunday Worship: 9:00am Little Lambs Preschool
43 Years
42 Years
39 Years
38 Years
(218)829-4511
The Best Foods, The Absolute Lowest Food Prices!
www.gnhomecare.com
Baxter
(218)568-5011 WWW.NOR-SONCONSTRUCTION.COM
7669 College Road Baxter, Minnesota 56425-2688
Pequot Lakes
www.lakesdentalcare.com
In the Brainerd/Baxter area since 1980
7895 Excelsior Rd., Baxter 218-828-2160
Baxter
(218) 829-9238 or 1-888-221-5785
Baxter, 218-829-1789, 1-888-420-2015 Nisswa, 218-963-2020, 1-877-963-2010 Pine River, 218-587-2020, 1-888-970-3937 Dr. David Pelowski Dr. Michael Marvin Dr. Daniel Clayton
ECHO JOURNAL | Wednesday, January 26, 2022
PINEANDLAKES.COM
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BUSINESS TRADITIONS 2022
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A wide variety of services are offered by Blended Memories Digital Transfer Services, such as transferring photos and video from older mediums (VHS,8mm film, cassettes, etc.) repairing photos, creating photo books.
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
“COVID kind of helped me quite a bit because people had a chance to go through their closets.” - Jennifer Pedersen
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
Left: Jennifer Pedersen talks repairing old photos at her home-based business Blended Memories Digital Transfer Services Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, at her home office on Memorywood Drive in Baxter. Right: Transfering old VHS tapes to DVD is one of the services offered by Blended Memories Digital Transfer Services.
MEMORIES From Page 4
In 2019, Pedersen retired from her job as media secretary at Baxter Elementary School. Retirement opened her schedule so she could expand what she was doing with her business, which she calls her retirement job. After years of working inside without even a window at Baxter School, Pedersen continues to relish the ability to work in her office sanctuary and take in the view from her backyard and White Sand Lake. She opens the windows and listens to bird song and nature and sets her own schedule. She also volunteers, livestreaming virtual concerts for the Legacy Chorale of Greater Minnesota and working with Crow Wing County Volunteer Coordinators. During the pandem-
31 Years
ic, having people spend more time at home actually was a boon to her business. Almost immediately, business picked up in 2020 and in 2021. “COVID kind of helped me quite a bit because people had a chance to go through their closets,” she said. They went through those proverbial shoe boxes of aging images, whether reel-to-reel film or VHS tapes, and wanted to transfer and preserve the images on current technology that could be shared with loved ones. Some had time for
37 Years
those projects and others felt compelled to complete projects they had on a wish list or had started — like family trees with photos, music and narrated video. For their families, Pedersen said it provides a history they may not have known about. “Those type of things are time consuming, but I love them,” she said. Pedersen said customers appreciate being able to drop their photos and home movies at her house rather than putting them in the mail. Her clients have included a couple who
had video of their marriage in the mid-’70s but no sound. Pedersen was able to connect the images with a cassette recording the couple had to create a meaningful home movie they can now watch on their TV. She hand cleans reelto-reel movies and uses a processor to bring them into high definition, restores aging photographs, and transfers images trapped on aged technology into modern day applications, whether that’s a DVD, a memory stick or uploading the images on YouTube. Projects range
from a simple transfer of a single DVD to more involved projects. She can work with nearly every kind of format, except Beta. She also is able to remove people from photos and restore faded photos and slides. Pedersen provides an estimate for the projects. Retirement meant she also had more time to expand and evolve her business further. When Sid Johnson wanted to make treasure boxes for his family, Pedersen took video of him making the boxes, returning to get addi-
37 Years
36 Years
32 Years
tional images as he customized them, seasoned, cut, dried and sanded the wood. Then the images she put together were to go in the memory boxes for his family. Pedersen said it’s easy to get frustrated with technology as you get older, but for her, she keeps plugging away, learning new things. “It’s good for me to have my brain wrapped around it.” RENEE RICHARDSON, Brainerd Dispatch managing editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee. richardson@brainerddispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter. com/DispatchBizBuzz.
31 Years
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6 |
BUSINESS TRADITIONS 2022
|
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 | ECHO JOURNAL
PINEANDLAKES.COM
Zaiser’s in downtown Nisswa is open year-round, and it isn’t often that cars aren’t parked out front like on this Thursday morning, Jan. 13. Nancy Vogt / Echo Journal
“A lot of our success has been with team members. I hate using the word ‘staff’ because they’re almost like family.” - Biff Ulm Contributed
Left: Mark and Kay Ulm bought Zaiser’s in downtown Nisswa in 1989. Middle: Biff and Katie Ulm officially became the owners of Zaiser’s at the start of 2022. Right: Zaiser’s Souvenir Gift Shop has a long history in Nisswa.
SINCE 1948, ZAISER’S HAS BEEN A
family-run retail store in downtown Nisswa
really close-knit.” Hanson said Biff and Katie are like a second After owning Zaiser’s gift shop on Main Street set of parents to her, and in downtown Nisswa for she called Kay “Grandma 33 years, ownership offi- Kay.” cially transferred at the History start of 2022 from Mark Mark Ulm succinctly and Kay Ulm to their son shared the history behind and daughter-in-law, the store that beckons Biff and Katie Ulm. people to “shop behind Biff has managed the the red door” in this Dec. store since joining his 28 post on Facebook: parents there in 2012. As “Zaiser’s was startthe official owners, Biff ed in 1948 in Nisswa by said it’s still all about Rose Zaiser. Her son, family, which describes Dave, ran the store with the retail boutique from her until she died. Kay Day One. and Mark bought the “To this day, we keep business in 1989 from it very close. It’s still a Dave’s wife, Arlene, after cooperative team,” Biff he died. Starting Jan. 1, said via cell phone while Biff and Katie will be the driving to Atlanta for a new owners. He has run wholesale show. the store for many years “It’s about the work, and has been in the giftnot the titles,” he said of shop business with us for his leadership team and most of his life. We have employees. always credited him with Employee Sarah Han- taking the business to a son, 22, started working at Zaiser’s one summer while in high school and now works there yearround. She loves small business and reiterates Biff’s comments about the family atmosphere at Zaiser’s. Serving The Brainerd Lakes Area “It’s like a family here. Everyone is super close. We all work together,” she said. “It’s a small group of people that’s By Nancy Vogt Echo Journal
97 Years
218-828-1268
63 Years
35 Years
building Lundrigan’s while the current store was being built. Shoppers can see where additions to the store were made over the years by noting where the floors change colors. The apartment eventually was turned into an office and storage space, and a former outdoor garden became an expansive shoe display room. Biff said Dave Zaiser kept a lot of historical materials in the basement, including postcards, catalogs and the original blueprint of the store. Though the entire Ulm family has been involved in the store - Mark and Kay’s daughter, Holly, also managed Zaiser’s at one time - they never considered changing the store’s name. “It was fun that we were a family business,”
Kay said. Biff and Katie’s three children have worked there as well. “Growing up working in the store, I don’t regret anything,” Biff said. But he and Katie understood the idea of working under parents, so they told their children - Zoey and Max, who are now college students, and Gus, a Brainerd High School sophomore - that their first jobs could not be at Zaiser’s. “But they all ended up working at the store,” Biff said, adding he’s truly enjoyed working with family over the years. “I lean into my dad and my mom when there’s big decisions on the line. How can you not with someone who has that much retail experience and have done what they’ve done?” he said.
With his dad as a co-signer, Biff took out his first business loan at age 16 for $4,000 to start a DJ company that helped put him through college at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. “I always had entrepreneurial interests,” he said, adding his parents’ philosophy was that you made smarter purchase decisions if you earned the money you made. His entrepreneurial pursuits included owning The Painted Turtle, a retail gift boutique next door to Zaiser’s from 1997-2003, owning a photography studio, and creating Nice Enough Stickers wholesale business in 2017.
76 Years
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whole new level.” Biff became involved right from the start. “I was in ninth grade the first year my parents bought the store,” he said, when the Ulms were living in Garrison as owners of a meat market and the Mille Lacs Curio Shop. “My grandparents would go up there for three days, and then my dad and I would go up there for four days that first summer,” Biff said, noting they stayed in an apartment in the back of the store where Rose Zaiser had lived. “It was a much smaller shop back then,” Biff said. Zaiser’s has been in the same location since 1950. When Rose and her husband, Hugo, opened the souvenir shop in the 1948-49 shopping season, it was in the current
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ECHO JOURNAL | Wednesday, January 26, 2022
PINEANDLAKES.COM
|
BUSINESS TRADITIONS 2022
| 7
Builders FirstSource is the latest name for a business that has been bought and sold in Pequot Lakes for 127 years.
Travis Grimler / Echo Journal
“I can’t stress enough that I have one of the best teams around. It’s very encouraging and it makes me happy how well my team does.” - Dave Lester
BUILDERS FIRSTSOURCE IN PEQUOT LAKES
has ties going back 127 years magazines, Ingram Lumber Company became Broker Lumber Company in 1914. To further complicate the timeline, the centennial book says in 1914 the Lund and Broker (as in Otto Lund) Lumber Company added a 25 horsepower motor to its mill the same year with help from the Arvig brothers. According to the Centennial book, Mathison Lumber Company was still in operation as late as Oct. 31, 1924, when the business burned to the ground and left 15 men unemployed for the winter. The book records the arrival of Aldro and Myrtle Mabbot to Pequot Lakes on Oct. 31, 1930, when it reads, “Aldro will help Ludwig Mathison at his Pequot Lumber yard.” In 1920 and 1922, Broker Lumber was operating separately from Mathison Lumber Company, as indicated by records of fires that nearly destroyed the mill in both of those years. In 1920, the destruction was not well documented except that it nearly resulted in the complete destruction of the business; and in 1922, the fire destroyed a planing
mill and 70,000 board feet of lumber. On April 30, 1926, the Centennial book says Broker Lumber Company was sold to Standard Lumber of Winona. At the time, Standard Lumber owned stores in Nisswa, Crosby and 38 other Minnesota lumberyards. Otto Lund remained with the company when it changed hands yet again, now as manager instead of an apparent partner. Mabbot said he stayed with the company until his retirement on an unknown date, though in January 1964 the manager was Harold Herboldt. Even though the Centennial book has record that a burglary at Standard Lumber cost the company $10 in September 1941, the book does not go into such detail about when the
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lumberyard moved from the shore of Sibley Lake. It’s likely been in its current location since Dec. 18, 1947, when the new Standard Lumber building, constructed by Otto Berg, had its grand opening. The Centennial book states: “It was built where Day and Son Garage had stood. With the ‘new’ 371 coming through town it was necessary to move the lumber yard a few hundred feet to the east.” This last statement indicates that the lumberyard had been moved away from the lake at some earlier time, though when is a mystery. Today’s general manager has enough information to fill in the blanks after the company’s acquisition by Standard Lumber. “I’ve been up here about seven or eight years,” Lester said. “I
99 Years
Since 1902 Since
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know some of (the history) but I don’t know the exact dates. We’ve had a few legacy companies before BFS. 2015 is when we became BFS. Before that we were Pro Build starting in 2007. Before that we were United Building Center. I think it was 1983 we became UBC and before that we were Standard Lumber Company.” A lot has changed in the past 127 years. What began as a sawmill on Sibley Lake eventually grew into a full lumberyard and hardware store. In its early years, residents of Pequot Lakes likely bought their lumber for roofing, framing and siding from Mathison and his company with nails and other hardware coming from Ellingson’s Blacksmith Shop.
c.
75 Years
nial’’ book, the earliest lumberyard in the city was on the shore of Sibley Lake in 1895, where a sawmill had been set up to provide materials for the construction of early Pequot Lakes. According to a Pequot Lakes Area Historical Society column published in the Echo Journal detailing early commercial endeavors as drawn from the diaries of Myrtle Mabbot, her father, Ludwig Mathison, built the first lumberyard. Mabbot said her uncles, Otto Lund and Anton Lund, worked closely with him. In 1897, a second sawmill followed, owned by the same family that founded the Bemidji Woolen Mills. For many years from this point on, the city of Pequot Lakes boasted not one, but two lumberyards. The history gets complicated from here, as Mabbot’s recollections clash with not only the centennial history book, but also with two October 1914 industry magazines, the “American Lumberman” and the “National Lumberman.” Mabbot said her father sold the company to James Ingram, who sold it to “Mr. Broker.” According to the two
Su
In
By Travis Grimler Echo Journal PEQUOT LAKES — The city of Pequot Lakes has long had a variety of businesses serving virtually all of its citizens’ needs. Few might realize how big one such business really is. “Builders FirstSource is the largest building materials supplier in the nation,” said David Lester, manager of the Pequot Lakes store that sits just off Patriot Avenue on East Sibley Street. However, the building wasn’t always Builders FirstSource, so it might be even more surprising how much history is behind the Pequot Lakes branch of the company. “We’ve been in Pequot Lakes for a long time as a lumberyard,” Lester said. “Servicing lumber, foam, shingles and everything like that for cabins and houses.” Given the importance of the lumber industry in the history of Pequot Lakes, as well as the state of Minnesota, it may be no surprise that Builders FirstSource in Pequot Lakes has ties going back before the city’s founding. According to the “Pequot Lakes High School Project Centen-
r veyin
g,
30206 Rasmussen Road, Suite #1 Pequot Lakes, MN 56472
218-568-4940
8 |
BUSINESS TRADITIONS 2022
|
Wednesday, January 26, 2022 | ECHO JOURNAL
Nancy Vogt / Echo Journal
Zaiser’s employee Sarah Hanson shows her shoes are from the store where she’s worked for so long Thursday, Jan. 13.
Travis Grimler / Echo Journal
Builders FirstSource in Pequot Lakes is a one-stop-shop offering tools, materials, delivery, installation and drafting among other services.
BUILDERS
“My degree was in marketing. I love business and I really love small business,” he said, noting his passion for photography as well. Running both a photography business and a retail store at the same time became too much, however, as Biff had married Katie - whom he met when she worked at Zaiser’s and he at The Painted Turtle - and they were raising a young family. So he chose photography and sold The Painted Turtle. “To this day, it was the hardest business for me to sell and walk away from,” he said. After a 12-year career in photography that required extensive travel, Biff made another career change so he could be closer to home and family. “My mom and I co-managed (Zaiser’s) in the summer of 2012,” he said. “At that time, I just knew it was time for a new chapter. And Zaiser’s has always been such a special store to our family and I knew I could take it to the next level.” His parents trusted him and were hands off. “I’ve always run the store like it’s my own, but made clear I was the manager,” he said. The philosophy he’s carried through business is that the way you create success is by creating success for others. “My job is to create amazing experiences for customers,” Biff said, adding the true niche for Zaiser’s is to find products shoppers won’t
find online or in big box stores. “A lot of our success has been with team members. I hate using the word ‘staff’ because they’re almost like family,” Biff said, naming Ana Hennes, Kristine Fjeld and Katie Bowman, who cooperatively manage the store. That frees him up to focus on his wholesale business, Nice Enough Stickers, which he first created as a line for Zaiser’s. The challenge of retail is maintaining hours and being dependable for customers. Biff said his team allows both to happen. He and Katie remain involved at Zaiser’s. A Brainerd High School teacher, Katie does bookwork and organizational tasks for Zaiser’s. Biff works weekends at the store. “She maintains a healthy dialogue and keeps me grounded,” he said of his wife. The best part of Zaiser’s is the customers, Biff said. “It’s just crazy there’s customers that I remember when they brought their kids in and their kids were little. Now you see them, and their kids are grown adults with their kids with them.” GIfts available to shoppers are vastly different now than when the store first started, evolving from souvenir T-shirts and shot glasses. There’s so much tradition in Nisswa, where people are on vacation so are usually in a good mood. Biff enjoys creating that positive experience, as well as working with other small businesses.
Saying he’s been blessed with the success in his life, Biff looks forward to the future and carrying on the original Zaiser’s tradition. “It’s really easy to continue to have a place where people can see some stuff that they’ve never seen before,” he said. “When a person comes into our store, we just treat them like a guest in your home.” “From the bottom of my heart, I want to see Nisswa thrive,” Biff said.
Nancy Vogt, Echo Journal editor, 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.
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52 Years
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Driving in their motorhome to Texas, Mark and Kay talked about what they enjoyed most about owning Zaiser’s. “We just enjoyed retail overall,” Kay said. “Being self-employed,” Mark added, noting at one time they owned six gift stores. “We enjoyed people.” Kay said they mainly dealt with tourists, who are really happy people. “They’re on vacation. You’re dealing with the best customers,” she said. Mark loved being involved with the Nisswa Chamber of Commerce and activities. “You’re doing business in the town and trying to give back to the town as well,” he said. Mark and Kay once owned six stores, including The Totem Pole. Zaiser’s became their lead store - “the biggest and best” - which is partly why they eventually owned just that store. “How can you not love Nisswa?” Kay asked.
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By the time it became Standard Lumber Company, lumber and hardware were likely available all under one roof. Lester said the lumber company was also the city’s source of heating coal. Today, Builders FirstSource provides expertise as well as materials. “We sell everything from foam to trim for the inside of the house. We deliver windows, we have in-house drafting, in-house estimating and sales guys who can either stay in the yard or go to the job site to help homeowners or contractors,” Lester said. “We have our own trucks and we deliver with our semis or trucks with flatbed trailers. We have an install crew that will do spray-in foam or blow-in insulation for attics. We’ve been doing that for years,” he said. Lester said the business is trying to get a second installation crew. Their ranks are always growing. When he started with the company, Lester said there were nine employees. Today, the store has 13 and is looking for four more. What was once a niche business today
111 Years
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Travis Grimler is a staff writer for the Pineandlakes Echo Journal weekly newspaper in Pequot Lakes/Pine River. He may be reached at 218-855-5853 or travis.grimler@pineandlakes.com.
86 Years
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so he and his staff are constantly training to understand their products, markets and customers better. “The internet has really changed the business as well as the knowledge our customers have that we have to keep up with,” Lester said. “(They say), ‘I saw this on Pinterest,’ or something like that. We’re constantly trying to keep up on training and what’s new.” As in many industries, the quality of the staff determines the quality of the product or service, and Lester believes his staff has the quality needed to continue to stand the test of time. “I just realize how good the people I have are,” Lester said. “I can’t stress enough that I have one of the best teams around. It’s very encouraging and it makes me happy how well my team does. They make me look good. It’s a nice area. Everybody is nice and I have a really knowledgeable staff. I’m just proud of my team and I want to stress they don’t get enough credit. I’m excited to see what they do in the future.”
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has almost everything under one roof with the most recent addition last year. “Last year we started having an in-house designer to draw the houses,” Lester said. “She started, I believe, in April or early spring of last year. That was new for us to have in-house design.” Having a larger company behind the wheel has its advantages. What isn’t necessarily done in Pequot Lakes might still be handled by Builders FirstSource. “We do manufacturing,” Lester said. “We have millwork facilities and block plants throughout the country. We don’t necessarily do that in the Pequot location, but overall for the company we do have a vast variety of work we do, and we continue to grow.” Lester said plans for future growth include not only a second installation crew, but newer equipment and more sales professionals. “We’re trying to do more things in house,” Lester said. “We can draw for them, we can sell the materials, we can do installation for them.” Lester said the internet is constantly changing the industry
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Adam Putnam 218-330-7851 Larry Putnam 218-746-3828 Serving Central and Northern Minnesota
10 Years
1 Year
FOR ALL YOUR AUTOMOTIVE NEEDS
and Arlean’s Drapery
34650 CR 3, Crosslake
320-676-3409
millelacsdriving@gmail.com
218-692-4800
maucieris@crosslake.net Find us on Facebook!
Julie Gowen | Owner/Designer
Hackensack, MN Movie Hotline
218-675-5373
www.bearpausetheater.com
803 4th Street Ironton, MN
218-545-5715
218.692.4521 jaginteriorsolutions.net
(218) 546-5465
212 W Main St, Crosby, MN 56441