January-February 2017: Business Person of the Year by Connect Business Magazine

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Contents

THE MAGAZINE FOR GROWING BUSINESSES IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR 2017

Publisher: Concept & Design Incorporated Editor: Lisa Cownie

Todd Riemann

MTU Onsite Energy

Art Director/Staff Photographer: Kris Kathmann Contributing Photographers: Art Sidner

Todd Riemann had a somewhat unconventional rise to the top of MTU Onsite Energy. We take a look at how his natural curiosity and drive for personal learning and growth helps him energize this global company based in Mankato.

Andy Nessler

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

Contributing Writers: Erin Dorney, Liz Templin, Rob Tindal Production: Becky Wagner Circulation: Becky Wagner

Printing: Corporate Graphics, N. Mankato Mailing: Midwest Mailing, Mankato Cover Photo: Kris Kathmann

Spending more than a decade originating home loans for the Mankato community, Andy Nessler of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage goes beyond the numbers in every transaction he is a part of. It’s the people and the relationships he’s made along the way that he credits for his success.

Dr. Cuong Huynh

Discover Chiropractic

CIRCULATION 9,400 for January/February 2017 Published bimonthly

CORRESPONDENCE

Send press releases and other correspondence: c/o Editor, Connect Business Magazine P.O. Box 176, Nicollet, MN 56074

Dr. Cuong Huynh, Dr. C as he is known in the community, does more than use his chiropractic skills to fix those who are in pain, he uses his caring nature to help the community as a whole.

E-mail: editor@connectbiz.com (please place press releases in email body) Web: www.connectbiz.com Phone: 507.232.3463

COLLABORATION CONNECTION – SPECIAL REPORT

Chambers’ Role in the Business Community

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With Greater Mankato Growth’s announcement of hitting 1,000 members, we take a look at how they impact the region and how chambers in the more rural areas are also growing and helping their communities thrive.

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ABOUT CONNECT Locally owned Connect Business Magazine has ‘connected’ southern Minnesota businesses since 1994 through features, interviews, news and advertising.

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Editor’s Letter Cownie Connection

Connect Business Magazine is a publication of Concept & Design Incorporated, a graphic design firm offering print design, web design, illustration and photography. conceptanddesign.com

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Connecting with Community Business Briefs Chamber Connection Hot Startz! Ask A Professional 4

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Connecting Business and Community After years of being on the outside and anticipating who would be Connect Business Magazine’s Business Person of the Year each January, I was excited to be on the other side this year! Opening my email each day in September to see what nominations I would find, then once they were all gathered, submitting them to the Minnesota State University College of Business to judge, wondering truly how they would pick. As I read through the nomination essays I quickly discovered even though all the nominees were from different industries and had different backgrounds, there was one thing they all had in common. Every single one of them. Their love and commitment to our community. And I also thought how happy I was that I would not have to be the one choosing! So many deserving nominees this year. Truth be told, I wish I could feature all of them! This year’s nominees were not only keen business minds, but they each demonstrated a heart for the communities in our region as well. What I can do is bring you the top vote getter, and the two runners up. They are likely familiar faces to many of you. You may even think you know them pretty well. Well, read through our stories and you may just discover something you didn’t know. Read on to learn from them as we delve into how they have made their respective businesses such a success. Happy reading, and hopefully, learning!

Lisa Cownie Editor

Committed Committed + + Connected Connected

Proud Recipient of: Proud Recipient of:

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By Lisa Cownie Photo by Kris Kathmann

TODD RIEMANN MTU ONSITE ENERGY BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR 2017

Todd Riemann leads MTU Onsite Energy after 32 years with the company, rising from entry-level assembler to CEO and creating an innovative trade training program for students in the area along the way. There is a well-worn path between MTU Onsite Energy CEO Todd Riemann’s big, windowed office to the production floor on the other side of the building. “Todd is a very humble leader and remembers where he started,” says John Haack, a former colleague who nominated Riemann for Business Person of the Year. “To this day it is not uncommon to see Todd dressed in jeans and a t-shirt working on the assembly line.” That could be because the assembly line is where Riemann started with the company more than 30 years ago, back when MTU Onsite Energy was locally-owned Katolight. He started with that company just a couple of years after high school, in 1984, as an entry-level assembler. Now, 32 years later, he has made it to the top. Riemann adds that although he has jumped in to help assembly and in the field, it is not as common today as it was earlier in his career. “In my time with Katolight I’ve been involved in the technical side, the electrical, the mechanical…I’ve just never passed up the opportunity to better my education within the industry,” Riemann reflects. “Now there are a few colleges and technical colleges that have started power generation programs with the diesel engine, but 6

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back when I first started that didn’t exist. So I just had to grab every chance I could to learn about it. Over the years, I have earned certifications for all types of things within the industry.” A quick learner, he also proved to be a genuine teacher. “Todd believes that the employees do not work for him, but that he works for the employees,” says Haack. “He knows that it takes a great group of employees to make a company successful. He is there to help guide them and give them the resources to be successful. Todd has affected so many individual lives by seeing the potential within people and providing opportunities for growth.” That is just one of the sentiments in the nomination for Riemann this year. He was in a group of many other deserving nominees given to the Minnesota State University Mankato College of Business for voting. He came out as the top vote getter, in part, because he is not only dedicated to improving himself, but the company he works for, his employees, and the community, too. He is proud of the MTU Onsite Energy accomplishments. Accomplishments he believes even his neighbors in the greater Mankato region may not be aware of. continued >

Business Person of The Year 2017 winners selected by MSU Mankato College of Business faculty.

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Todd Riemann | Business Person of the Year 2017: 1st Place

“Technology in manufacturing is amazing in this day and age,” says Riemann. “I think more manufacturing tours in the greater Mankato area would be great because people drive around and wonder ‘what’s behind those walls?’” “Technology in manufacturing is amazing in this day and age,” says Riemann. “I think more manufacturing tours in the greater Mankato area would be great because people drive around and wonder ‘what’s behind those walls?’ They may not realize that MTU ships generator sets around the world. I mean a telephone may be working in a hurricane because of us. You might know someone in a hospital in Florida or Guatemala being able to complete surgery during a hurricane because of us–we need to share those stories. “And it’s not just us, there are some manufacturers in this region doing incredible things. It’s amazing what comes out of Mankato. When Japan had the tsunami, we

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reacted in Mankato to support Japan with 85 containerized power generation sets. No one else could do it in the time needed but we did it in Mankato and supported Japan. But how many people know about that?” Now owned by Rolls-Royce Power Systems, MTU Onsite Energy continues to be headquartered in Mankato where it manufactures industrial power generation equipment that provides reliable solutions for a myriad of power generation needs. Featuring low fuel consumption, long service intervals and low emissions, the generator sets can be placed anywhere ranging from a hospital to a data center, to other manufacturing plants. There are numerous applications for customers

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

worldwide, anyone who needs a reliable backup power source. Riemann talks about his rise to the top of the global company based in Mankato, the role he is playing in helping with the workforce issues the region is facing, and why he believes the MTU Onsite Energy global footprint will always be firmly planted in Southern Minnesota. Let’s start from the very beginning, did you grow up in this area? I grew up in the area I guess, what I mean by that is I didn’t grow up in one specific area my whole life. I was born in Mankato. My family moved to Good Thunder and I started kindergarten at a parochial school.

Natural Learner Natural Leader

I then transferred to the St. Clair public school system where I graduated in 1982. I am thankful for the opportunities I had there. During my junior and senior year at St. Clair, I had the opportunity to take vocational studies through the school. I’m the type of person that loves working with my hands, it doesn’t matter if it’s mechanical or electrical. But what is really intriguing to me is carpentry. My brother-in-law and one of his good school buddies started a construction business and during the summer I would work for them building houses and steel roofs. I graduated high school certified in building trades through the Waseca vocational studies program. After graduating high school I was employed by a local construction company in woodworking. When did your tenure at Katolight begin? A couple of years after high school a good friend of mine called me up and said, ‘Todd, I really think you’d like a company called Katolight.’ Back then, we didn’t have the Internet, so I couldn’t just look up the company. My comment was ‘well, I don’t think I see myself building light bulbs!’ And he laughed and said no, they make generators. I thought about it, I interviewed with Lyle Jacobsen, the owner at the time, he hired me and I started working for Katolight in 1984. Your friend must have been right, you are still here so you must have liked it. The company has offered so many career and growth opportunities. I started on the assembly line building generators. I was on the production line for three years, then I was promoted into production test, an area where all prototype and production gensets are tested. After being a tester for a year, I was then promoted to our service department. In the Katolight days, I became the second parts and service technical resource. It was another growth opportunity for me and I had some great teachers. Dan Kapsner and Bob Conrad both had long careers with Katolight and taught me a lot about power generation. I also learned a lot from engineer, Mike Dauffenbach. I started working in after sales support and that’s where I’ve worked most of my career,

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Todd Riemann | Business Person of the Year 2017: 1st Place

about 27 years. I’ve got a strong technical ability and knowledge within both the electrical and mechanical side of power generation. You did take a brief break from Katolight. Yes, at that time I was managing parts, service, warranty and training. Some things changed, so I explored another career opportunity working for Ziegler Caterpillar in the metro area for two and half years. In 1997, a field service opportunity opened at Katolight and I returned to the organization, where I built a 10-year career growth path through the after sales department. Then in 2007, a German company, Tognum, purchased Katolight which presented additional career opportunities.

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Let’s talk about when Katolight, a locally-owned company, was bought by Tognum a global industrial equipment company. Were you shocked when that happened? The acquisition by Tognum at the time was scary due to the unknowns. I can picture that day in my life perfectly, even today. I was on the production floor awaiting a company meeting, it was

Todd Riemann | Natural Learner Natural Leader

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MTU Onsite Energy manufactures diesel generator sets, gas generator sets, power modules, components, gen drive engines, and medium speed generator sets. Global Applications Products are used in Healthcare & Hospitals, Airports, Commercial & Public Buildings, Data Centers, Residential & Utilities: • Hotels • Aquatic Centers • Greenhouses • Industrial & Manufacturing • Agriculture • Landfills • Sewage & Water Treatment • Power Stations • Nuclear Power Plants • Government • Black Start Diesel Generators • Rental

Natural Learner Natural Leader | MTU Onsite Energy

Todd Riemann | Natural Learner Natural Leader

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Power: MTU Onsite Energy is one of the world‘s leading providers of diesel and gas systems based on diesel and gas engines. High-Performance. Global. Reliable. Solutions: MTU Onsite Energy provides custom-made system solutions – from order and project management to completion of the turnkey system, from engineering to service. Flexible. CustomerCentric. Cooperative. Innovation: MTU Onsite Energy is an innovative leader in intelligent and future-oriented energy systems at the highest technological level. We are setting the standards for diesel and gas engine systems. Intelligent. Open. Fascinating. Sustainability: Climate-neutral, regenerative energy sources will continue to play an increasingly important role in our future. MTU Onsite Energy is taking on the responsibility for tomorrow‘s needs with innovative solutions for a better and more sustainable energy supply. Environmentally conscious. Efficient. Trustworthy. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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Todd Riemann | Business Person of the Year 2017: 1st Place

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April 2007. I observed formally dressed individuals who spoke with European accents entering the production floor to address the employees. None of the employees really knew at the time what the acquisition would mean. I chose to have a positive outlook on the acquisition thinking, ‘hey this could be a good thing.’ I’ve never been one to steer away from change. I always try to see change as a good thing. Change can be for the better. So in my mind it was ‘oh, we are going to be taking the next step up.’ And Tognum did an amazing job of transitioning ownership. They took us from a privately-owned, family-owned business to a publicly-traded company. It was amazing how the organization transitioned so smoothly. Tognum made the employees feel like a large part of the family, part of the global team. They had a strategy and took methodical steps to integrate the organizations. With more than 300 employees at the time, it could have been much more difficult. The corporate team did a tremendous job with the integration. Since 2007, we’ve had more growth and change–Tognum sold to Daimler/ Rolls Royce. Then in 2014, Rolls Royce bought Daimler out and we are now solely owned by Rolls Royce.

“In 2009, Armin then approached me again and said ‘Todd I have another task for you, I would like you to be our COO.’ I’m like...’hmmmm, wow this is a compliment but I need some time to think about this one.’ So I visited with my family and I decided to accept the challenge.” You are CEO now, but when Tognum first purchased Katolight, they sent someone from Germany over to run this location? After Katolight was acquired, Armin Groeber relocated from Germany to lead the Katolight to MTU Onsite Energy transition as CEO. Armin really took me under his wings. I must have done something that caught his attention, because he really taught me a lot and believed in me. At the time I was leading the training department and Armin asked me in 2007 if I would be willing to return to after sales and lead that team. I accepted the role as Director of After Sales in 2007. In 2009, Armin then approached me again and said ‘Todd I have another task for you, I would like you to be our COO.’ I’m like...’hmmmm, wow this is a compliment but I need some time to think about this one.’ So I visited with my family and I decided to accept the challenge. I’ve always thrived on challenges. Armin wanted to sit down again and in 2010 he said ‘hey I’m going back to Germany, therefore my seat will be vacant, and I

Natural Learner Natural Leader | MTU Onsite Energy FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1927

would like you to take the position of CEO. And once again there was some thought that went into it, but I accepted and in 2011, I became COO/CEO of MTU Onsite Energy. You’ve had a wonderful climb up to the top of the company, was it just your yearning to learn and work ethic or…? I credit my parents and how they brought me up in the world. They taught me to respect people and to have a strong work ethic. They showed interest in me and let me be involved and interested in what they were doing so I could learn from them. I credit my father a lot on that because I was always tugging on his shirt when he was working on the vehicle, wiring something or building something. I was always there wanting to learn and understand how things work. It probably drove him crazy, but he was patient and I was learning from him. I was particularly intrigued with electricity. One day at a very young age I asked my dad, ‘how does it work? He said I’ll tell you two things you need to remember about electricity.

Todd Riemann | Natural Learner Natural Leader

Why YEAP is So Important A quick Google search will show that the demand for skilled workers is growing throughout Minnesota and a slowdown is not in sight for the next decade and a half. In fact, according to the Center for Rural Policy and Development, manufacturing jobs in greater Minnesota are projected to increase by 9 percent by 2020. That means more than 12,000 additional workers will be needed to fill them. Enter YEAP. YEAP is one way Riemann shares his passion for business, growth and manufacturing. His dedication and collaboration with District 77, the Minnesota Department of Education and other local businesses is bringing the program to fruition. YEAP is an apprentice program that offers high school students real world training and hands on work experience in manufacturing along with the opportunity to build and develop usable skillsets. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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Todd Riemann

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The first is to think of water flowing, because it runs like water even though electricity and water don’t mix. And he said the last thing I want to do is tell you to truly respect it, never get comfortable with it. So as time went by that was always in the back of my head. What does he mean it is like water? One day, I was doing something and I turned the faucet on, did what I needed to and turned it off again. And I thought, “Hmmm”. I turned it back on and shut it off. Then I went over to the light switch, turned it on, turned it back off. And I thought, “Aha”! It all made sense to me, what he had shared with me. So driving him crazy, always being in his way actually provided me the stepping stones to where I am today. I share with him as often as I can that I appreciate him and all he did. Do you think with technology and just general busy-ness today, that that type of native, hands on learning isn’t as prominent? That’s one of the things I think that is lost in today’s world. I remember one time someone knocked on the door and said ‘I want to work for you’ and I thought that’s great. But you are just out of high school. You have great knowledge, but what do you have for skills. Very little if any, in today’s world. So I took it upon myself to initiate and introduce a high school apprenticeship program, the Youth Employment Acceleration Program (YEAP). We are in our third year and we are gaining momentum. We’ve already had a handful of students from District 77 participate in the program. Our mottos are A Clear Direction to Your Future and Earn While You Learn. The program offers high school students an opportunity to work in and learn all of the aspects of manufacturing. The students enter the program as high school juniors, working up to 2 hours per day for a minimum of 450 hours. During their senior year, they work up to 4 hours per day for a minimum of another 450 hours. The idea is to get them interested in manufacturing and working with their hands at a young age. The program has recommended prerequisite coursework that they start as early as their freshman year. As a sophomore the students apply

Natural Learner Natural Leader

to the program and participate for two years, committing to a minimum of 900 working hours throughout the program. It does more than teach them knowledge, it teaches them career skills and it builds a work ethic. They learn how to be a part of a company. The students apply and go through an interview process. It sets them up for the future with valuable career skills. Currently, MTU Onsite Energy, EI Microcircuits and Kato Cable participate in the District 77 Youth Employment Acceleration Program. I am very proud of the YEAP program. The program is growing and improving every year. The plan is to take the program outside of Mankato and provide more opportunity for students throughout the region. Are other manufacturers in the region interested in YEAP? There is a lot of interest in YEAP from other manufacturers in and around Mankato who ask how they can be a part of it. First and foremost, my answer is yes, we want you to be a part of it. Secondly, yes, I’ll share what I can to build a similar youth apprentice program within your area. The program itself requires a lot of attention and support to be successful and one thing that has been a big plus for this is District 77 Superintendent Sheri Allen. When I first had the vision for YEAP, she listened and believed in my vision. YEAP takes a lot of support and commitment from the schools, the counselors and the teachers to make the program successful. The next challenge is at the state level. The state needs to consider how to better support the schools so the schools can support the program. Upon completion of the program the students receive a Youth Apprentice completion certificate from the Minnesota Department of Education. The goal is to offer other stackable credentials such as manufacturing certifications and post-secondary coursework credit. We want to bring other manufacturers into YEAP once we can support the program properly.

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How many students have taken part in the first three years? We’ve had seven students receive YEAP certificates to date. However, we are creating JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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Todd Riemann | Business Person of the Year 2017: 1st Place

more buzz and interest in the program. In fact, this year we have two female students who started working at MTU in August! I remember how the federal and state governments embraced and promoted the No Child Left Behind vision. My vision is a qualifying student does not need a 4.0 GPA. We want students that can enter the program and understand the hands-on skills, have a work ethic, and then we build them up. I know there are families that can’t afford a post-secondary education and some students just don’t want that. So we are trying to give everyone a chance as long as they are willing to work for it and learn. I know we can grow them in this program. And if they choose to stay in the area and work for MTU when they graduate, we’ll hire them for open positions. After all, we already have two years invested in them. Governor Dayton took notice of what you are trying to do. Yes, I now have a voting seat on Gov.

Dayton’s Minnesota Workforce Board. We meet quarterly. Greater Mankato Growth President and CEO Jonathan Zierdt saw there were changes in the federal law which would allow private business to have a voice on the board, so he asked me to apply for a position on the board. I sat back and thought, ‘oh I don’t know if I am worthy of this,’ but after giving it some thought, I went through with the process and applied, which included multiple interviews that were very demanding. Then I received a call saying that I had been appointed to the seat. It’s a three-year term and I am just finishing up my first year. They have a total of four meetings a year. I see this as another stepping stone for the YEAP program, as well as what we are facing within our workforce as a whole in this region. It gives Mankato that voice, the manufacturing sector a voice and I really enjoy it. I’m proud to be a part of it. Speaking of workforce, how

many employees do you have here in Mankato? I am going to be very specific with this answer. At the time of this interview MTU Onsite Energy employees 308 people, between both manufacturing facilities. Is that about what it’s always been? We’ve been in the low 300 employee range for a few years. We have two manufacturing locations in Mankato, our headquarters at Power Drive and another location at Lundin Boulevard. Over the years we have prided ourselves on implementing Lean Processes which allow our employees to be cross-trained and thus allow for more flexibility and knowledge transfer. How are the two facilities different? Power Drive is our large bore production facility where we use the 20V and 16V engines to build large generator sets with power ranges from 650kW – 3250kW. Currently, the Power Drive facility is producing

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Natural Learner Natural Leader | MTU Onsite Energy

15-20 units a week. Smaller generator sets are manufactured at our Lundin plant. These range in power output from 20kW – 600kW. Currently, we produce 90-110 units a week at our Lundin Boulevard facility. We currently operate one shift at both locations thanks to our cell assembly flow and excellent manufacturing takt time. Takt time? Takt time is defined as the available production time divided by the customer demand, which is the heartbeat of our assembly line. Our takt time at Lundin is 27 minutes. So every 27 minutes the units in the assembly line move forward. At Power Drive, we are at about a 3 hour takt time, the assembly process is much more involved with the larger generator sets. We are on a good pace. Total numbers will likely be 3,200 – 3,500 generator sets out of this facility this year. How is the power gen business? Business is good. Our products provide

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power to a large variety of customer markets from telecommunications, hospitals and data centers to agricultural facilities and municipalities. Really, we serve all needs. We build a standby product that is similar to an insurance policy. As an example, a hospital needs a reliable generator set so if they experience power loss, they have a backup power source to depend on. MTU Onsite Energy also manufactures prime power and continuous power generator sets, which are especially helpful in areas of the world without a stable or adequate power grid. What’s been the key to your success? The key to success in any business is the people. It’s truly the people that you have that make a successful team. One person cannot make a successful company on his own. You can be a good leader and a good mentor, but you still need the foundation of a great workforce to be successful. I am very sincere when I say, we have the

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best group of people and we couldn’t do it without them. Do you have much turnover in personnel? Every business experiences turnover, especially in times of change, but we also have many members of our workforce with over 30 years. In fact, last week I had the honor of celebrating 40 years of service with an employee. We work hard to retain good employees, which can be challenging these days. The next generation entering the workforce is very energetic. It’s a generation that’s really going to change things as they are aggressive and technology driven. The challenge is they thrive on innovation and expect to see new technology frequently. We have a lot of young people entering our organization and I am happy to say many have now been with MTU Onsite Energy for five years, six years and that says a lot about our organization. I attribute it to our family atmosphere. We really operate as a family here.

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Todd Riemann | Business Person of the Year 2017: 1st Place

How do you keep such a huge company feeling like family? Constant communication is one way. We have quarterly town hall meetings to bring the team up to speed with what’s going on locally and globally. I don’t feel you can communicate enough, our culture is curious. The point of the town hall is to talk about our financial performance, talk about what’s coming up and any changes within the company. I also let everyone know there is an open floor for questions and my door is always open if they don’t want to speak in front of the group. I used to hold town hall meetings each month, I might go back to that. With this industry and this company a lot happens in three months’ time.

at how Greater Mankato Growth has developed. Just the leadership of this town and the continuity within the town is amazing and I hope we never lose sight of such a thing. We have done a lot to build on our strengths. Mankato is very ag centric so we now have the Green Seam and I am really pleased with that. It’s going to bring the needed light on this area and bring infrastructure to those businesses that really need it. Mankato is also a retail hub. I will say, I’d like Mankato to embrace the river more, rather than just build a wall with a mural. Milwaukee and what they’ve done with their riverfront is a good example, embrace it! It’s one of the few rivers that turns north and we should be proud of that and work with it.

Through all of the acquisitions, they kept MTU Onsite Energy in Mankato. Mankato is a great, great city. It’s amazing and it just keeps getting better. One factor is what the colleges here do to support the area with talent. It is second to none. And look

Do you have time for hobbies? I have to make more time for hobbies. I love spending quality time with my family. I have three children and six grandchildren. I also love the outdoors; which includes a broad array of things like hunting and

THE ESSENTIALS

MTU Onsite Energy Phone: (507) 625-7973 Address: 100 Power Drive Mankato, Minnesota Web: mtuonsiteenergy.com

fishing, but most of all I enjoy the outdoors with my wife, specifically when it comes to kayaking. We are now what you call “empty nesters”, so we have increased our outdoor activities which includes learning to kayak, quite interesting for a guy that doesn’t like water! I still have a very strong interest for carpentry and wood-working and I am equipped with all the tools I need and I just love it! This may sound goofy, but I need to keep my brain active! It is always overactive at the office and I need to keep it that way, so this is where my hobbies come into play. Editor Lisa Cownie, also of KEYC News 12, writes from Mankato.

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Thrivent Financial earns fifth ethics award We’re proud to once again be named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by Ethisphere Institute—a leading international think tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics. Contact me to find out how we help Christians be wise with money and live generously.

Ruthann C. Kragh, FIC, CLTC® Financial Associate 110 South Broad Street Mankato, MN 56001 507-388-3555 ruthann.kragh@thrivent.com connect.thrivent.com/ruthann-kragh Facebook.com/ruthann.kragh.thrivent “World’s Most Ethical Companies” and “Ethisphere” names and marks are registered trademarks of Ethisphere LLC. Appleton, Wisconsin • Minneapolis, Minnesota • Thrivent.com • 800-847-4836 27343AD R3-16

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Catch the new Hometown Business Connection on KEYC News 12! Every week, KEYC and Connect Business Magazine editor Lisa Cownie will bring you the stories of area local businesses and how they impact Southern Minnesota. • Every Monday on KEYC News 12 at 10 • Every Tuesday on KEYC News 12 Midday • See all previous episodes on keyc.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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By Lisa Cownie Photo by Kris Kathmann

Andy Nessler, who calls Mankato home, helps others across Southern Minnesota and South Dakota find theirs as Area Manager for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

Andy Nessler Wells Fargo Home Mortgage 2ND PLACE: BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR 2017

It’s perhaps the biggest financial decision many people will make in their lifetime, a responsibility that Andy Nessler of Wells Fargo Home Mortgage does not take lightly. It is a responsibility he embraces. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people. As a home mortgage consultant, I was able to help people navigate through the process of one of the biggest investments they’ll make in their lives – buying a home,” Nessler says. “To be the one they trust to help them either save money on a refinance or purchase a home, well, it’s an honor. Now with that comes a large responsibility. I fully understand that. People are counting on you to help them reach their financial goals.” It’s his dedication to those counting on him over the last 15 years, that earned him a recent promotion from loan originator and sales manager of the Mankato branch to Area Sales Manager for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage serving South Dakota and Southern Minnesota. It also earned him runner-up in our Business Person of the Year vote. “Andy is a great leader and I’m excited to see where this new opportunity will lead him while he continues to benefit the Mankato community,” says Amy Wagner, a colleague who nominated him. Nessler started with Wells Fargo in 2002, a year after graduating from Minnesota State University-Mankato with a degree in Sales and Marketing. He began in business banking, but fairly quickly figured out he wanted to try originating home

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Business Person of The Year 2017 winners selected by MSU Mankato College of Business faculty.

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Andy Nessler | Business Person of the Year 2017: 2nd Place

mortgages and made a move to that department in 2003. He hired his first junior mortgage consultant in 2007 and continued to hire and develop successful home mortgage consultants ever since. “Wells Fargo has been a great company for me. I’ve loved working here. It will be 15 years in February,” he reflects. “Wells Fargo has 270,000 employees nationwide, so it has afforded me many opportunities to grow and develop as a leader both with the company and in the community.” Nessler accepted one of those opportunities on August 1 of 2016 making a move within the company, being named Area Sales Manager for South Dakota and Southern Minnesota. He will oversee the branch managers in five locations, and help develop the mortgage consultants on each team. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has two offices in Rochester, one in Mankato, one in Sioux Falls, SD and one in Rapid City, SD.

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Andy The Entrepreneur Andy and his wife Christine partnered with a long-time Wells Fargo colleague, Chris Mihm, to start Freedom Home Care LLC in 2014. Freedom Home Care provides customized, affordable, basic home care services with a mission of allowing individuals to maintain their independence and stay in the comfort of their own home for as long as possible. The company also strives to provide family and friends with the peace of mind that their loved one will be well cared for and safe. Freedom Home Care provides non-medical, home care services in Southern Minnesota. Nessler has said his passion for family drew him to the home care industry and that his own parents modeled the importance of caring for family members and friends. But, he admits, Christine and Chris do most of the heavy lifting in that endeavor. “As far as Freedom Home Care, I’m not involved in day to day business, but rather the big picture,” he explains. “Christine and I own half the business and our partner Chris Mihm owns the other half. So I’m involved as an owner, but Chris and Christine have the responsibility of managing the business. And they’re doing a great job.”

Dream Maker | Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

“As a leader now, I get enjoyment out of helping others succeed,” says Nessler. “So my experience of originating loans all those years is a huge teaching tool and advantage for me in assisting our home mortgage consultants since I have experienced many of the same situations they are facing. I also like to see people grow and develop and reach their full potential.” Just as he has had to grow and develop over the last decade. The mortgage industry is one in which you have to hustle to keep up. “The mortgage industry is a constantly changing industry. So the people you will see that are successful in this industry are people that can adapt to it and accept change.” Nessler says overall the changes are good for the industry and help him look out for his clients and their investment. “The government is much more heavily involved than it used to be in terms of home mortgages,” he explains. “With lending comes a lot of different rules and regulations that we navigate through. It’s all meant to benefit the consumer and reduce the possibility of fraud. So it is a constantly changing industry and that’s why people need help when purchasing a home.” Also constantly changing, the ups and downs of the economy. Currently, Nessler says, the Mankato market is enjoying the “up” part of the cycle. In fact, Nessler says he personally had his busiest purchase season this past spring and summer since his first year in 2003.

Andy Nessler | Dream Maker

At Home with Andy Andy lives in Mankato with his wife Christine and their three children; Nine-year-old Max, seven-year-old Liam, and four-year-old Margo. Even though his career could have taken him elsewhere, this is where he wants his family to call home. “We love it here. There’s a reason we’ve stayed here. With Wells Fargo I’ve had opportunities to move but we haven’t wanted to do that at all. Mankato is a great community,” says Nessler. “It’s constantly growing and there are a lot of great things going on in Mankato. I’ve always loved it because it has everything you want and need without some of the other issues you don’t want... like traffic. It is just a great community and I love the direction it has gone and continues to go.”

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Andy Nessler | Business Person of the Year 2017: 2nd Place

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Certainly community has always been important to Nessler. He grew up in Mankato, went to Mankato West High School and then to Minnesota State University Mankato where he graduated in 2001 with a degree in sales and marketing. Mankato is a priority for him. He says the housing market here continues to flourish, with inventory barely keeping up with demand. “I see our home values have rebounded very nicely since 2009, 2010. The new construction has done well. As for single-family homes, we had many people listing their house and selling it the same day, often with multiple offers. That’s a sign of a healthy housing economy.” But Nessler says even when the country goes through the “down” part of the cycle, his industry can stand up to the adversity such as the recession in 2008. “During 2008, 2009 and 2010, interest rates were very low so people were refinancing like crazy. So that actually ended up being one of our busiest times.” Nessler says in any commission-based position, laying the right foundation from the beginning is the key to getting through difficult times, such as downturns or uncertainty about the economy. “The way to try to be successful in this business is to build up your purchase business. In this market, no matter what the rates are, people are buying and selling houses. So you are trying to essentially build up avenues for purchase business. Those avenues could be through community involvement, personal relationships, realtors and other referral partners, that way you are less susceptible to the trends of the market. Meaning, whether rates are up or down, people are either buying or refinancing. So over the years the more

Andy Nessler | Dream Maker

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After Hours Andy works with numbers outside of the office too, in the form of logging miles on a run or bike, or holes on a golf course. “Really I enjoy most outdoor activities like biking, running, golfing and more recently hiking. I have run in some half marathons. Another great thing about this area, are all of the opportunities for outdoor activities.”

Dream Maker | Wells Fargo Home Mortgage

people you originate for, if you do it right and take care of those people, the more people will come back to you for refinance. Also, hopefully, your clients will refer you to others. As my originating career developed it was my parents, my friends, my wife, my past customers, people I’m on boards with, who drove my referrals. Pretty soon you have this large network of ways to get business.” It also helps to be affiliated with a company like Wells Fargo. Nessler says Wells Fargo has been the number one retail mortgage lender in the country for a number of years. “We take a lot of pride in that,” he says. “One thing I’ve always loved about Wells Fargo is that we are a very large company which allows us to offer as many products and services as anybody else out there, yet we are very local in those places we have offices. All of our employees live in the communities of the offices they serve, they raise their families there and are invested in the community. I feel like it’s a national company with strong local flavor.” Certainly community has always been important to Nessler. He grew up in Mankato, went to Mankato West High School and then to

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Minnesota State University Mankato where he graduated in 2001 with a degree in sales and marketing. Mankato is a priority for him. “Community involvement is a big priority for me. I’ve always focused on that. I am on the United Way Board currently, I’ve been campaign chair and board chair throughout my tenure. I have also been involved in the YMCA Strong Kids campaign, Mankato Golf Club board and Junior Achievement.” As he raises his family here and watches his children grow up in his hometown, Nessler looks forward to also helping Wells Fargo Home Mortgage grow its footprint in the market. “People are always going to buy and sell houses,” he says. “It’s an exciting time to be in or entering this great industry. Rates will fluctuate, but if you build solid relationships with your customers they will ride those waves with you.” As one of the top Business Person of the Year vote getters, Nessler offers this as one reason for his success. “I’ve always had the desire to be the absolute best. I think in a commission-based position, as mortgage consultants are, that it’s necessary to be a bit competitive. You have to want to be the best. I’ve always been very driven, respectfully aggressive is how I say it. But it’s more than just numbers on paper for me. I also enjoy the relationships I have been able to build with people. This industry is built on relationships and trust. I enjoy helping others achieve their dreams. First being able to help with home ownership and now being able to develop future leaders at Wells Fargo. I just enjoy it so much.” Editor Lisa Cownie, also of KEYC News 12, writes from Mankato.

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Well, here we are at the intersection of another new year. A time when most start making those New Year’s Resolutions. I myself am often a victim of the resolution game, only to feel like a failure by midFebruary. So this year I am going to try a little resolution reversal. Instead of making a list of things I want to do in 2017, I am going to make a list of what I’m NOT going to do. Let’s start on a personal level. I am NOT going to take my health for granted. Several friends and people I care about faced health battles in 2016 that I can’t even begin to imagine. I am starting 2017 healthy, for that I am thankful and I don’t intend to squander it! I am NOT going to spend more time with my kids. Not because I don’t want to, but because, frankly, their schedules don’t allow it. They are all at ages where they are busy with their own activities and don’t have a lot of time leftover for, well, me. (They’ve

chosen good, healthy activities and are happy, so it’s okay.) So instead of having unreasonable expectations, I will just vow to focus on the quality of time spent with them, rather than on quantity. I can sure make the most of those moments spent in the car, in the kitchen making dinner, and when telling them good night. I am NOT going to ignore the needs of my neighbors. I am already involved in several community groups, but in the new year I may focus on helping individuals in need. They are everywhere I look. Some may need food, some may need my time, often I’ll bet, they’ll only need encouragement. I think I might start not doing this one today. I am NOT going to stop sweating the small stuff, because for me it is the small stuff that can make such a big difference. Issues that some people may deem small are huge to me. It is just the way it is, so might as well stop fighting myself on it. I am NOT going to take up a new hobby. The hobby I currently have, Rick Springfield and his music, keeps me plenty busy, and frankly helps keep me sane (okay, so this point may be debatable). Instead, maybe I’ll focus on enjoying that hobby even more. So all this basically means is that he needs to beef up his Midwest Tour Schedule! (Rick, I hope you’re reading this.) By NOT doing the above, I believe I will NOT lose sight of what truly matters in my life; family, community, things that

make me, me. But, I make resolutions in my professional life as well. I will admit to you that there have been years where “to make more money” has ranked Lisa Cownie at the top of the list. Editor Those years when I saw my kids going to college and others in braces, aging parents and friends in need, home repairs and health care costs all bearing down on me. I resolved to make more money. What was missing in that resolution was the “how” and what NOT to compromise for it. So, just as with my personal list, I could start with resolving what NOT to do in my professional life. I will NOT take a job based on its compensation alone. As many of you reading have probably discovered, enjoying what you do and finding fulfillment in the work you do every day is a treasure that trumps all others. This is also a time of year when businesses reflect back on the last 12 months, and use lessons learned to plan for the next year. Businesses can also embrace resolution reversal! For instance, a business owner can resolve NOT to do everything themselves. Instead, delegate! Take that to-do list that greets you every morning and split it up among others. I know, sometimes it is hard to let go. But it

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shows others you have confidence in them and it leaves you with the time and energy to focus on fewer tasks so you can do them well. This may also help you ensure a good work/life balance in the new year. A business owner, CEO or manager should resolve to NOT be content with the knowledge you currently possess. Instead resolve to never stop learning! What you choose to learn may or may not be related to your business, but the key is to find something you are interested in and then learn more about it. You never know where it might lead. Do NOT keep all of your knowledge to yourself! Share what you know with others. It may spark new ideas, redefine old ones, at the very least you may meet some interesting people along the way. Sharing, collaborating...connecting, those are good goals to have in 2017! And speaking of goals, resolve to NOT set yourself up for failure. Set realistic goals. Goals that will lead to success rather than stress. Goal setting is important for any business that’s for sure. You can make them challenging but not unattainable. A business should NOT reinvest only in itself. Rather, give something back to your community. (Which I believe actually is investing in yourself.) Find a cause that matters to you and give what you can. It may be money, often times though it will be time and talent that is needed. A business may resolve to NOT keep “just getting by with it”. Is there a piece of equipment that is just hanging on and interfering with your productivity, but you are just trying to “make do” and hang in there til you have to get a new one? Well, if it’s making your life harder, make the investment. You’ll be more productive and less frustrated. Resolve to NOT hang on to procedures or habits or people that just aren’t working. Sometimes a product or a technique or a relationship looks logical on paper and should be ideal. But if it’s not, it’s not. Stop wasting energy trying to make the unworkable, workable. Again, more productive, less frustrated. Keep in mind I am NOT an expert on any of this, but I delegated to Google to see what resolutions businesses make at the start of each new year. So I could learn. See, I am starting my un-resolutions already! My best to all of you in 2017!

Strategic Partnership Series

Connect Business Magazine, Radio Mankato and Minnesota State Mankato are partnering to promote southern Minnesota partnerships between businesses and organizations with MSU students and faculty. The goal is to highlight various industries to show the breadth of businesses in the region and how higher education is helping advance them. SPONSORED BY:

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Minnesota State Mankato Strategic Partnership Series

Part Of The Program Bolton & Menk helped launch the Civil Engineering program at Minnesota State Mankato—and has stayed involved as an active partner since. When Dan Sarff’s son, Brian, was considering colleges they looked at Sarff ’s alma mater, Iowa State. They went to the University of Minnesota. And they checked out Minnesota State University, Mankato. His son was planning to study civil engineering. And Sarff, who had earned that same degree, had strong opinions about which programs would be the best. “While I wouldn’t necessarily have been disappointed if he went to Iowa State, I was definitely encouraging him to go to Minnesota State Mankato,” Sarff says. “We looked around and visited different schools, but he decided to go to Mankato.”

The small class sizes and high ratio of faculty to students helped influence his decision. So did the practical background of the faculty, all of whom were licensed engineers who had experience working in the real world. But it didn’t hurt that Sarff, a senior principal engineer at Mankato-based engineering and infrastructure company Bolton & Menk, had first-hand experience with the program at Minnesota State Mankato. Bolton & Menk, led by then-president Jon Rippke, had been instrumental in helping to launch the program in 2000. Rippke, along with the president of Wells Concrete, representatives from MnDOT and JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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PRESENTED BY:

other local industry leaders, had contributed his time and talent—as well as money—to build a civil engineering program at Minnesota State Mankato. “They needed people who would be ready to graduate and start working right away,” says Dr. Jim Wilde, the director of the program. “There was a shortage of civil engineers who could hit the ground running.” What Sarff and the other partners at Bolton & Menk saw as the program grew was that it did indeed prepare civil engineers who were ready to do meaningful work right away. The company hired two of the first four graduates in 2003 and has since hired dozens more. The number of interns who have come from Minnesota State Mankato is also “significant,” Sarff says. And collectively, they’ve left

Minnesota State Mankato Strategic Partnership Series

it needs for support.” Wilde, meanwhile, is impressed by how committed the board is to the program’s success. Although he attends the meetings and provides context when needed, most of the time he gets to sit back and listen to the ideas generated by the members. “It’s pretty amazing how active they are,” he says. “They talk about scholarships, about how to help us grow the program and how to advance civil engineering here at Minnesota State Mankato. They are completely committed to helping us.” Partners from Bolton & Menk have also served on search committees for new faculty hires. Sometimes, they’ve stepped in to serve as adjunct faculty as well. Wilde remembers one semester when a

“The goal [of the LEAD event] is to give Latino students from southern Minnesota and the southern Twin Cities an experience on a college campus and to help them think about finishing high school and earning a college degree,” Dan Sarff explains. “Ideally, they would think about engineering, but more important is that they consider going to college.” quite a favorable impression. “They are very well prepared,” Sarff says. “They have received an outstanding education.” Which is why Sarff was quite comfortable recommending Minnesota State Mankato to his own son. “We’ve always been very pleased with the civil engineering background that graduates from Minnesota State Mankato have,” Sarff says.

Engineered for Success

It certainly helps the program, which now graduates about 25 students each year, to have an eager employer right in its own backyard. But the benefits of Minnesota State Mankato’s enduring partnership with Bolton & Menk go much further. The company has had a steady presence on the program’s advisory board, which plays an active role in the growth of the program and is quick to rally support from the community when funds are needed for new equipment. Sarff, who recently attended his first advisory board meeting, was impressed by the conversation about the future of the program and how the board can support its growth. “I’m excited to be part of it,” he said. “It seems focused on the big picture aspects of where the program is going and what 32

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principal from the company came to campus twice a week in the middle of the day to teach a class. Others, including Sarff, have been regular presenters in the introductory class, in which engineers from the different fields talk about the kinds of careers available to them. And if Wilde or any of the other faculty ever have a question or want input, they feel completely comfortable picking up the phone and calling. “When we need help, they step up to help us,” he says. They do the same for the students. All of the seniors work on a design project, and engineers from Bolton & Menk are always available as mentors and advisors on those projects. “They give the students their numbers and tell them to call anytime,” Wilde says. “They are always willing to help them out.” “It’s pretty amazing what the students come up with,” Sarff adds. “I know that the individuals who work with them have enjoyed that quite a bit.” When the seniors give their presentations each year, they include a page of acknowledgements at the end. “There are always several Bolton & Menk names on that page,” Wilde says. Bolton & Menk also created an endowed scholarship in the name of Martin Menk, one of the company founders, that is given

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to two students each year. Last summer, when Menk passed away, the company encouraged people to contribute to the scholarship fund in his honor. Wilde was surprised by how many did so. “It was pretty remarkable,” Wilde says. “Not just how many people gave, but also how much they gave.”

Company Culture

Sarff wasn’t quite as surprised to see the outpouring of support in Menk’s name. Bolton & Menk, he says, has always put a premium on supporting education. “When we set out our philosophy as far as where we want to contribute financially as a company, one of our priorities is engineering education,” he says. The endowed civil engineering scholarships are one example of that. But Bolton & Menk has also provided financial support to STEM education at the junior high and high school levels and has been a contributor to the MATHCOUNTS program for seventh and eighth graders as well. For the past several years, it has also helped finance the annual Latino Engineering Academic Day (LEAD) event at Minnesota State Mankato. “The goal is to give Latino students from southern Minnesota and the southern Twin Cities an experience on a college campus and to help them think about finishing high school and earning a college degree,” Sarff explains. “Ideally, they would think about engineering, but more important is that they consider going to college.” This year, 225 students attended the event; four of those students were given a $500 scholarship to go on and study engineering at Minnesota State Mankato, courtesy of Bolton & Menk. Civil engineering is at the core of what Bolton & Menk does, but as the company has grown (it now has 450 employees in 16 offices, 10 of which are in Minnesota), so have the specialties of its employees. That has created new opportunities for relationships with Minnesota State Mankato, Sarff says. For example, of the 11 people working in the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) work group, six are Minnesota State Mankato graduates—and most of those started at the company as interns. Graduates from the Urban and Regional Studies program work as transportation planners, and a biology/ecology major was recently hired as a wetlands specialist. Four of the six full-time marketing professionals and one of three people on the human resources team also graduated from Minnesota State Mankato. “It’s nice for us to have the University here as a resource for so many different fields,” Sarff says. “When you think of Bolton & Menk, you think engineering—but there are so many other programs that we rely on as well.” The University appreciates that a local company has created so many opportunities for its graduates. But even more important, Wilde says, is the fact that the work Bolton & Menk put into starting the civil engineering program has paid off. “I’m very happy to see that their vision for what we could do has worked out,” he says.

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Hurricane Electric, the world’s largest IPv6-native Internet backbone, announces a collaboration with high-capacity communications transport service provider Neutral Path Communications. This has led to the establishment of a new Point of Presence (PoP) within Neutral Path’s MSP1 facility. Located at 713 East Church Street, this Point of Presence is Hurricane Electric’s second with Neutral Path and third in the state.

Mankato True Real Estate is proud to welcome Sarah Allen as a realtor for their Mankato location. “We are thrilled to grow our True Real Estate Mankato team with the addition of Sarah,” said Jen True, owner of True Real Estate. “Her hard work ethic, integrity and passion is a natural fit for our team.” Allen has a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Mass Communication and a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has a strong enthusiasm for real estate and interior decorating. She is committed to providing genuine service and a rewarding experience for both buyers and sellers for true results. Snell Motors’ CFO Melissa Bradley is a winner in Minneapolis-St Paul Business Journal’s “CFO of the Year” category. This annual award honors outstanding financial leaders in the greater Twin Cities area. Nominees were evaluated by a panel of other financial executives who scored them on their contributions to the company and the community. Melissa is one of three being honored for “CFO of the Year” in the category of Medium Private Company CFO. Rosi Back has been selected as Greater Mankato Growth’s (GMG) new Marketing & Communications Coordinator. Rosi

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brings with her a strong background in various marketing and design roles that will be a vibrant addition to the team. She has a degree and more than nine years experience in graphic design, marketing promotions and developing marketing communication strategies for multiple industries with proven success. Rosi has worked at Carlson Craft, Davisco Foods International and most recently at United Prairie Bank.

MANKATO

Freedom Home Care Christine Nessler, Owner and Business Relations Manager for Freedom Home Care recently completed a Dementia training and has become a Dementia Friend Champion through Dementia Friends Minnesota, an ACT on Alzheimer’s Initiative.

Bolton & Menk, Inc. was honored with two awards at the 2016 American Public Works Association (APWA) Minnesota Chapter annual conference on November 17. The City of Mankato Water Treatment Backwash Reclamation Project received the Environmental Stewardship Award for their innovative water reclamation treatment process that is now saving 450,000 gallons of water per day. The City of Buffalo’s Trunk Highway 25 Downtown Corridor Improvements received an Honorable Mention Award for the work done to create a safe multimodal corridor for vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Since 1949 Bolton & Menk has been providing public infrastructure solutions and today has more than 400 employees in sixteen offices throughout the upper Midwest. Connect Real Estate Group adds Realtor Joe Huiras to its team based in Mankato.

The Mankato Area Public School Board has approved Lori Volz as director of business services. Previously, Volz served as executive director of finance and operations in Albert Lea Area Schools. She has served as business manager for Blue Earth Area Schools and as director of finance and operations for Austin Public Schools. She replaces Jerry Kolander, who is retiring after 29 years of service to Mankato Area Public Schools. Mankato-based accounting firm Abdo, Eick & Meyers is pleased to announce its merger with Workforce Resources, Inc. The new business services group, called AEM Workforce Solutions, will focus on providing expert human resources support and consulting services for small to midsize employers. “This merger will allow us to leverage our combined experience and expertise to provide a wider range of services along with outstanding customer service to our valued clients,” said Abdo, Eick & Meyers Managing Partner Steve McDonald. “It will also allow us to continue solving the challenges of our rapidly growing client base.” “We are excited about the opportunities for both our clients and staff as a result of the merger,” stated Leah Davis, president of the newly formed AEM Workforce Solutions. “Our mutual clients will now have access to a broader range of knowledge and skills. All of our staff will benefit from a more robust training and professional development program, and will enjoy additional opportunities to advance and grow in our new firm.” Alison Zelms is Mankato’s new deputy city manager effective December 19. Previously, Zelms served as deputy city manager for the city of Prescott, Arizona. She has 15 years of service in city management. She is the 2014 recipient of “Assistant Excellence in Leadership Award” from the International City Manager’s Association, Washington, D.C. City manager Pat Hentges says her ability to communicate is extraordinary and will serve the city organization and community well. To thank organizations that are helping support its mission, the Mankato Clinic Foundation has approved $31,700 in grants to 11 deserving organizations within the area.

Receiving grants for quarter four are: Mankato Family YMCA ($5,000), Miracle League of North Mankato ($5,000), Minnesota Brain Injury Force Inc. ($1,000), Leisure Education for Exceptional People ($3,200) YWCA Mankato ($3,500), Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, Mankato ($3,500), Greater Mankato Bike and Walk Advocates ($4,500), Eagle Lake Elementary School ($4,000), Junior Achievement of Greater Mankato ($1,000), Mankato Curling Club ($500) and Minnesota Children in Need ($500). Mankato Clinic physicians provide the majority of the Foundation funding as a way to give back to the community by providing support to organizations which strive to improve health and wellness in the communities they serve. Since 2008, the Mankato Clinic Foundation has provided more than $1,340,515 in grants and scholarships to worthwhile organizations, programs and projects.

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Farrish Johnson Law Office Farrish Johnson Law Office is pleased to announce the addition of a new attorney to the firm, Amy E. Sauter. She practices in the areas of family law, dissolution law and custody law.

In October, NuStep, Inc. announced VINE Adult Community Center as the winner of the 2017 NuStep Pinnacle Award, an international award that recognizes excellence in whole-person wellness programming. The CityArt Committee, a joint program of Twin Rivers Council for the Arts and the City Center Partnership, announced the 2016 CityArt Walking Sculpture Tour People’s Choice Award Winner at the Greater Mankato Business Awards and Hall of Fame event on November 15. The coveted award, based on votes from members of the public, was given to Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby’s Stand for the Flag. The sculpture will be

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Taylor Corporation announces that Michael Rosera has been named Chief Financial Officer. Rosera succeeds former Taylor CFO, Tom Johnson, who transitioned to the company’s Rembrandt organization as CFO. After a national search for potential candidates, Rosera was chosen from a pool of highly-qualified candidates. “I am thrilled to add Mike to our executive team,” says Deb Taylor, Chief Executive Officer. “His background and experience bring a multitude of capabilities and strategic competencies to the organization. In this critical role, Mike will assist in the continued aggressive growth and overall profitability of the Taylor family. Rosera was most recently Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Lands’ End and led all of finance, information technology and inventory management functions.

New Ulm Ryan Sanford has joined Thriveon as Project Engineer. A graduate of ITT Technical College in Computer Networking, Sanford has experience working in different technology environments that include retail, education and technology manufacturing. His depth of experience in both network architecture and IT support are great assets to Thriveon as he works with clients to design, build and implement technology improvements. Gislason & Hunter LLP are pleased to welcome Attorneys Seth Harrington and Christopher Bowler, to the New Ulm office. Harrington and Bowler focus their practices on banking law, corporate and business law and agriculture law. “Both Seth and Christopher are great additions to the New Ulm office,” said Gislason & Hunter Marketing Director, Maureen Gustafson. “They provide clientcentered representation to their clients.” Harrington received his Juris Doctor

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of Law in 2016, summa cum laude, from Mitchell Hamline School of Law. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Minnesota in 2009. Bowler received his Juris Doctor of Law in 2016, cum laude, from the University of Minnesota Law School. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from Northern Michigan University in 2013. Upper Midwest Management Corporation has staff announcements. Terri Jensen, ALC (Accredited Land Consultant), has joined UMMC as VP of Real Estate/ Appraisal Operations. UMMC announces the addition of Andrew McCarthy to its farm management team of land professionals. And Terry Dean, REALTOR® for Upper Midwest Management Corporation, has earned the prestigious ALC (Accredited Land Consultant) designation through REALTORS® Land Institute. Terry becomes the 12th ALC in the state of Minnesota! The cheesemakers of Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) made history at the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) Championship Cheese Contest. Their entries were named champions in both the Cheddar and Italian divisions, with the Cheddar being named the overall best cheese in the competition. It is the first time the two division honors were earned by the same co-op in a single year, according to contest officials.

Minnesota The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits presented the Responsive Philanthropy Award to Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) and the five other Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs) at its annual conference held in October. The Legal Services Corporation announces that Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services will receive a 24-month $286,000 Pro Bono Innovation Fund grant to advance access to legal services in rural areas by connecting low-income populations with pro bono attorneys.

Marco is named a Fast 50 company by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. Marco’s growth earned No. 43 on the Fast 50 list, an award that Marco has won three years in a row. Marco placed No. 39 in 2015 and No. 49 in 2014. Since 2013, Marco’s revenue has increased from $152 million to an estimated $275 million by the end of 2016, something Marco CEO Jeff Gau credits to the company’s acquisition strategy. To facilitate its growth, Marco has hired more than 400 employees since 2013, and currently has 1,130 employees. Marco serves 31,000 customers across 50 locations throughout Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Missouri and Minnesota.

Owatonna SCORE District 508 Director Rick Barkley presented the South Central Minnesota SCORE Chapter 710 the District Chapter of the Year Award. Chapter 710, which is hosted at Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), showed increased activity, growth, mentoring and outreach to achieve this award. SCORE is a nonprofit association supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) with the goal of providing no cost, confidential mentoring by experienced volunteers to aspiring new business owners and to existing businesses.

St. James Pioneer Bank is named one of the top three extraordinary banks in the United States by the Institute for Extraordinary Banking®. Pioneer Bank was recognized with the Institute’s Overall Excellence Banky® Award for exemplary performance in five areas of banking–philanthropy, customer service, thought leadership, workplace culture and financial literacy education. Pioneer Bank was also named a finalist for the 2016 Extraordinary Banking™ Award — the top banking honor in the nation. David Krause, CEO of Pioneer Bank, recently announced the promotion of five employees to Assistant Vice President posi-

tions; Jennifer Wiens, Alison Elg, Samantha Paris, Marie Krause, and Travis Elg. New hires in St. James: Doc Durheim of St. James Publishing has joined the St. James Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Watonwan County Library has hired Mark Blando as their new Director. Rich Olsen has become a board member for the St. James Economic Development Authority. Cinda Wallace, Nurse Practitioner, has joined the St. James Mayo Clinic Health System staff. Amy Long, Mayo Administrator, is a new member of the St. James Sertoma Club. Zach Strom, attorney, is a new member of the St. James Rotary Club.

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Waseca New chamber members are ReUrban, LLC and Make The Grade Photography. The Chamber Ambassadors presented Business Progress Awards to Edward Jones – Ben Salaba, Current Rays Tanning & Clothing Boutique, Bomgaars, Healing Hands Wellness Group, Yellow Mushroom and Roots Award to Barden’s Bar. SMART Transit-Southern MN Area Rural Transit (owned and operated by Cedar Valley Services, Inc.) was named Transit System of the Year. Annual Community Award honorees: Superintendent Tom Lee named 2016 Boss of the Year, Megan Lynch recipient Young Professional Distinguished Service Award, Friends of the Waseca Public Library and Waseca Public Library Board of Directors selected for the Community Development Award, Scott Singlestad recipient Waseca County Distinguished Agricultural Leadership Award.

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COLLABORATION CONNECTION — SPECIAL REPORT

Chambers Evolving

By Lisa Cownie

Commitment To Community Remains Unchanged With the emergence of networking groups and the growth of the Internet and social media sites, the local chamber of commerce is no longer the only game in town for businesses. Data shows in many cities nationwide, chamber membership is stagnant if not declining. Yet, for more than a century now, chambers have fostered economic vitality in the communities they serve and have been the trusted, unified voice for millions of businesses. As numbers all across southern Minnesota show, it’s a formula still working in this region. Chambers here bucking the national trend as businesses have found that membership in a chamber of commerce still appears to be a great return on investment. This was certainly highlighted recently, with Greater Mankato Growth’s announcement of hitting 1,000 members. “The Greater Mankato business community is a key driver of our marketplace and the accomplishments of Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. Analytics provide evidence that GMG members generally do better with double the survivability, two times the customer satisfaction and fans, and expand at four times the rate of non-members,” says Jonathan Zierdt, President & CEO of Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. GMG is a regional chamber of commerce and economic development organization that Zierdt says exists to intentionally develop the regional center by promoting, supporting and serving as a catalyst for economic development through: business growth, retention and attraction; talent growth, retention and attraction; regional livability and advocacy of the marketplace. As the numbers show, businesses in the region are certainly buying in to this concept. “We are enabled to embrace opportunities to advance business for a stronger community because of our members, the regional marketplace, our integrated organization, staff and volunteers. We are delighted and proud to be in the top five chambers in the state for membership and 38

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serve every business we come in contact with,” says Zierdt. Even in the outlying, more rural communities of southern Minnesota, chamber membership is growing. The commitment to the communities each serves is apparent. In Le Sueur the chamber is up to 168 members, an increase of 18 from five years ago. In Fairmont, current membership is 300. It was at 275 in 2011. “The Fairmont Area Chamber is a great resource for businesses looking to move into the area because we occupy a central position in the community that provides essential information, education, advocacy and networking opportunities,” says Margaret Dillard, president of Fairmont Chamber. “The staff and board have accepted the challenge to make Martin County a better place to do business, a better place to visit and a better place to live.” Traditionally, chambers have offered members help in attracting business to the community, educational programs such as seminars and workshops, networking opportunities, as well as political lobbying on behalf of their members and their business

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

community. This unified voice and representation of common interests is the foundation of chambers of commerce worldwide. However, today’s chamber is not what it was 20, 10 or even 5 years ago. And like most industries today, chambers are constantly adapting to economic, environmental, and technological changes. All with a goal of better meeting the needs of members. Greater Mankato Growth is a great example of a forward-looking chamber, yet still holding on to the roots of such organizations. For example, GMG takes a more regional approach and has embraced use of technology to attract and retain members. GMG has and continues to build an online community for its members. “Communication in a member-based organization such as ours is definitely a two-way street,” says Zierdt. “Technology allows numerous avenues for our members to reach us and vice versa; we are connecting with members via phone, email, web and blog posts, as well as social. However, building and retaining our regional memberships is more than just tweets and videos. It’s about making that human connection,

Complementing Chambers: Region Nine Is Another Asset “Unlike a chamber of commerce, Region Nine Development Commission is a regional, governmental organization representing nine counties, 72 cities, 147 townships, and school districts in south central Minnesota.,” says Region Nine Director Nicole Griensewic Mickelson. “Region Nine is a partner in the development of the region through a variety Nicole Griensewic Mickelson of unique services based on the region’s needs. As a federally-designated economic development district, Region Nine leverages federal dollars to provide long-range planning, community development assistance, technical assistance, and a revolving loan fund program to strengthen the regional economy.”

shaking the hands of the doers and the makers, giving and receiving a genuine smile when you make a lasting connection with a new colleague. Technology attempts to but can never replace that.” Cindy Lyon of the Blue Earth Chamber agrees those connections are key. She says member recruitment is a priority in keeping local chambers strong. “We have worked diligently since I started in May 2011 to renew dropouts, recruit new members and continue to gather new opening business to our chamber list,” says Lyon. “And it has paid off. We have gone from 132 members at that time to 160 now. We have a few that retire or close but new business is always ready to fill those empty spots and join the chamber. I am very proud of making connections with these folks.” The Madelia Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau has certainly had challenges in 2016 as it was instrumental in helping the town rebuild after a fire destroyed much of its downtown. It can boast strength in numbers. In 2011 the Madelia organization

had 80 Members and in 2016 they have 105. “The Madelia Area Chamber provides opportunities and events to promote our businesses and organizations,” says Karla Angus, executive director of the Madelia Chamber of Commerce & Visitor’s Bureau. “Together, we’re shaping Madelia’s dynamic business environment by developing an attractive place to work, shop, play and live.” Along with finding new ways to connect, collaboration is another approach embraced by the chamber organizations of today. In Blue Earth Lyons says the chamber works closely with other organizations that have a vested interest in the community. She says it is a win-win. “As the chamber here we are more the “social” side of this,” she says. “That complements the work of the EDA/FCDC. We have become a good team the last few years.” GMG has expanded its “team” over recent years. Greater Mankato Growth serves as an umbrella for Visit Mankato, City Center Partnership, and the recently launched GreenSeam initiatve. GMG is

one of the only chambers in the country to offer such a structure. Along with connecting and collaborating, chambers are taking a more active role in developing young members. For example, the New Ulm Chamber, which consistently hovers around the 350 mark, has the HYPE program. HYPE stands for Helping Young Professionals Evolve. The group meets on a regular basis, building a strong foundation for the business community there. So, it’s a combination of technology and a personal touch that allows chamber organizations in our region to help businesses address big challenges like talent attraction and retention, and global competition in manufacturing and technology development. Dillard says chambers of commerce, like the one she runs in Fairmont, can best be successful by continuing to focus on three main areas; provide good value to members and the broader business community, demonstrate excellence in governance and leadership, and build stronger communities.”

Helping businesses grow and expand through Creating Awareness Talent/Education Innovation Stewardship A diverse place with synergy rooted in agriculture spanning Southern Minnesota & Northern Iowa in the United States. For more information, how to help or read individual ag related stories from business leaders and community members please visit: greenseam.org. #greenseam • Facebook.com/greenseam • Twitter.com/greenseamregion

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reports that homelessness continues to decline in the United States. The report shows the decline specifically among families with children, Veterans, and individuals with long-term disabilities. HUD’s 2016 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found the overall number of persons experiencing homelessness in Minnesota on a single night in 2016 fell by 7% since 2010. In making the announcement, HUD Secretary Julián Castro noted that though the nation is making significant progress in reducing homelessness, the number of doubled up or rent-burdened families remains a vexing problem. According to the HUD news release, on a single night in January 2016, state and local planning agencies in Minnesota reported: • 7,341 people experienced homelessness, representing a 6.7 percent reduction from January 2010. Most homeless persons

(6,452) were located in emergency shelters or transitional housing programs while 889 persons were unsheltered. • The number of families with children experiencing homelessness declined by 13.9 percent (or 592) since 2010. • Veteran homelessness dropped by 56.7% percent (or 644 persons) since January 2010. On a single night in January 2016, 279 veterans were experiencing homelessness. • Chronic or long-term homelessness among individuals declined by 52 percent (or 775 persons) since 2010. • The number of unaccompanied homeless youth and children appeared to decline in 2016 to 730 though HUD will launch a more robust effort to more accurately account for this important population in January of 2017.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota announces a new health brand. According to a news release from the parent company, Aware Integrated, Inc.

the new health brand, known as Stella, will extend its family of diversified companies. Stella has two main dimensions: growing the organization’s existing ancillary businesses like Select Account and Clearstone, and driving transformational innovation with new products and services. Over the coming year, officials say Stella will begin to form partnerships locally and nationally with innovators and strategic investors to build new ideas, technologies, and businesses that will transform health care while contributing to economic growth in the state of Minnesota. These new companies, products, and investments will be managed under the Stella brand.

Sprint has announced the expansion of its investment in Minnesota. The company says it will add more than 200 new jobs by the end of 2017. Across Minnesota, Sprint currently employs more than 300 employees and has more

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than 69 stores. The additional 200 new jobs include retail and business sales positions to serve more wireless customers. The available positions cross all skill levels and will be located throughout the state of Minnesota. The announcement not only increases headcount but also increases Sprint’s investment through network upgrades, distribution points and marketing efforts.

Riverland Community College announces it has formally joined the Southern Minnesota Center of Agriculture, a collaborative group of higher educational institutions with related agriculture programs that serve agricultural students, producers and businesses throughout the region. (See story on page 20 of the July 2016 issue of Connect Business Magazine.) In a news release from the school, Riverland President Adenuga Atewologun says Riverland’s contributions will enhance

educational efforts that promote careers in agriculture, support Farm Business Management education, and expand workforce training. “Last year, Riverland established the Southeast Minnesota Global Center for Agriculture and Food Science Innovation through generous funding from The Hormel Foundation,” said Atewologun. “By joining the Southern Minnesota Center of Agriculture this year, Riverland expands resources available to its students in the Food, Agricultural and Biological (FAB) sciences program. This new partnership will enhance our collaboration with industry and educational partners that are already members of the center and help us develop talent that meets the region’s needs in the agriculture industry.” The Southern Minnesota Center of Agriculture was established in 2013, and is based at South Central College in North Mankato. Other member institutions include Minnesota West Community and Technical College, South Central College and Southwest Minnesota State University.

life. On the Forbes list, Utah led the way for the third straight year. Utah also ranked on top between 2010 and 2012. Only Virginia in 2013 interrupted Utah’s reign this decade as the Best State for Business.

The Mankato Energy Center has officially been sold to Southern Power.

Xcel Energy has 20 Minnesota wind farms providing green energy to Windsource participants. The current cost for Windsource is $3.53 per 100 kWh block, which is partially offset by subscribers paying a lower fuel cost charge because they are purchasing additional wind power. The starting subscription level of 1 block costs less than $1 per month, and many customers choose 100% Windsource to power their homes and businesses. Residents sign up for a one year contract and business customers commit to three years. Xcel Energy purchases or generates additional electricity from renewable sources to meet the electric needs of Windsource customers. Xcel Energy retires Renewable Energy Credits on subscriber’s behalf, so they can use them as energy offsets. These credits are in addition to the renewable energy that Xcel Energy uses to meet the Minnesota Renewable Energy Standard, and are certified by Green-e Energy. Additional information can be found at www. green-e.org.

The Mankato facility includes two natural gas facilities. A major expansion is expected to be complete in 2019. With the addition of the Mankato Energy Center, Southern Power owns 10 combined-cycle and combustion-turbine, natural gas-fired power plants across five states, representing 9,300 MW of generating capacity operating or under construction.

Minnesota ranked 15th on a recent Forbes list of Best States for Business. Forbes 11th annual Best States for Business list measures which states have the best business climates and are poised to succeed going forward. The list factors in 40 metrics from 17 sources across six broad categories: business costs, labor supply, regulatory environment, economic climate, growth prospects and quality of

Xcel Energy and St. Olaf College have joined forces to provide the school with 100 percent wind energy. According to an Xcel Energy news release, St. Olaf will use Windsource, an Xcel Energy program, to power the 56 buildings on its Northfield campus. Choosing renewable energy to run its academic and administrative buildings, student housing and sports facilities will make St. Olaf College the largest Windsource customer in Minnesota. St. Olaf College uses about 14,000 megawatt hours to power its campus. With Windsource it will avoid 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, or the equivalent of taking more than 1,300 cars off the road yearly.

About Windsource

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CHAMBER CONNECTION BULLETIN BOARD

Any chamber of commerce, convention and visitors bureau, or economic development organization in our reading area—large or small, from Amboy to Winnebago—can post on our free bulletin board. For details, email editor@connectbiz.com.

Blue Earth Cindy Lyon, Blue Earth Chamber Blue Earth Area Chamber’s 76th Annual Banquet will be Friday, January 20. They will be awarding Business of the Year, Community Service and a new award Rising Star. The chamber will also review its proposed and actual budget, showcase new board members and introduce the new Chairman of the Board. They will also share updates on the progress of the new “Giant Welcome Center.” Details at www.blueearthchamber.com.

Fairmont Margaret Dillard, Fairmont Area Chamber The Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual Banquet honoring Large, Small, and New Business of the Year (Rising Star) on Thursday, February 23. Last year, the chamber honored Mayo Clinic Health System of Fairmont as Large Business of the Year and Cup N’ Saucer of Sherburn as both Small Business of the Year and Rising Star. Visit our website at www.fairmontchamber. org for nomination guidelines and information!

Le Sueur Julie Boyland, Le Sueur Chamber Two new businesses are open in Le Sueur. Doherty Staffing Solutions has an office at 113 N Main Street; their phone number is (507) 665-3720. RS Health & Gifts has opened at 210 Valleygreen Square Mall; their phone number is (507) 665-0007.

Mankato Rosi Back, Greater Mankato Growth Join regional elected officials, business leaders, community members and GMG staff at Greater Mankato at the Capitol on February 1, 2017

in Saint Paul. Be advocates and raise visibility of our region among state leaders. This event allows all attendees to speak with a unified voice on key policy issues that support our regional growth and vitality. To register and for more information visit greatermankato.com/capitol.

Mankato Julie Nelson, Small Business Development Center Sound legal advice is essential for success in business and can prevent costly troubles. Common issues for entrepreneurs include choosing your business legal structure, contracts, leases, risk management and employment policies. At our Legal Clinics, volunteer attorneys provide no-charge, 30-minute consultations to support small business owners and entrepreneurs as they start and grow their business. Clinics are held on the first and third Thursday of each month, by appointment. Call (507) 389-8875.

Nicollet Alesia Slater, Nicollet Chamber It is a new year already, time for the chamber to gather our 2017 Chamber Member dues. If you are interested in becoming a chamber member, please email chamber@nicollet.org. Last year was a big year with the completion of the Hwy 14 project, followed by the ribbon cutting celebration. It was fun to see all the community support throughout the entire project, THANK YOU! We are working hard on an agenda of events for 2017.

New Ulm Sarah Warmka, New Ulm Chamber/CVB The New Ulm Area Chamber welcomes new members: Doppeleichen Vineyards, No. 213, and Booth Welding and Fabricating. The 28th Annual Parade of Lights was hosted by the Chamber of Commerce

Local Chamber & Economic Development News

Fairmont

Madelia

Stephanie Busiahn, Fairmont CVB

Karla Angus, Madelia Area Chamber

Fairmont is filled with fun and exciting ways to enjoy the outdoors throughout this winter season! The Southern Minnesota Pond Hockey Championship will run from January 13-15, attracting scores of hockey aficionados from across the region. The NSSR and Ice Kahana snowmobile races and the Fairmont Lakes Foundation Annual Ice Fishing Tournament will be held on January 28. Find more winter fun on the Facebook page or go to VisitFairmontMN.com!

Brick by brick Madelia Main Street is rising from the ashes. The chamber has created a new Shop Local campaign with a Facebook page “Shop Madelia”. The theme is Madelia Strong, Shop Where Your Heart Is. The Chamber will post daily specials, events and more information several times a day. Madelia Optometric would like to introduce Kay Anderson as Director of First Impressions. The chamber welcomes a new member, Tatro Plumbing & Heating.

on Friday, November 25. Turner Hall was recognized as the 2016 New Ulm Business of the Year at a banquet on December 5. The Chamber is hosting an Emotional Intelligence Seminar on January 31. The Annual Women’s Networking “Red Shoe” Event will be held February 23.

that are too large to ship from other locations. It also has added office space. Joe’s Grill and Second Hand Treasure have opened up in downtown St. James.

St. James Jamie Scheffer, St. James EDA

The St. James CVB hosted the SMTA (Southern Minnesota Tourism Association) Annual Meeting in November. The twoday event included tours of the St. James Model Railroad Club Museum, St. James Depot Museum, dinner at Plaza Jalisco and meetings catered by Encore Coffee. St. James Chamber welcomes Certified & Diversified Tree Service and Tri-County Seed to its

DODA USA has completed it’s 31,000 plus square-foot expansion in the St. James Industrial Park. DODA specializes in a wide variety of manure handling equipment, pumps, mixers and field irrigation systems. With this expansion, it is now able to manufacture parts

St. James Jennie Firchau, St. James Area Chamber

Thank You Greater Mankato. Proud to Serve You.

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Local Chamber & Economic Development News

Region Nine

Sleepy Eye

Nicole Griensewic-Mickelson, Development Commission

Kurk Kramer, Sleepy Eye EDA

Region Nine Development Commission welcomes Jessica O’Brien as a new Community Engagement Manager for the organization. Her primary role will be to coordinate community engagement sessions, planning activities and resource development within the nine-county region in south central Minnesota. O’Brien previously served for five years as the Associate Director for Mankato Refugee Services at the Minnesota Council of Churches. To learn more about Region Nine, visit rndc.org.

Progressive economic development continues in Sleepy Eye. Casey’s General Store, Sleepy Eye Event Center and Schroepfer Trucking all continue moving toward completion of new facilities. Ruhr Development continues its million-dollar hotel renovation. A to Zinnia has opened a new store. The On The Job Training Program, now in its fourth year with 20 local businesses and students from both high schools, continues to grow. Tri-Valley has made available more early childcare in their facility.

Membership. St. James will be hosting its Annual FREEZE YOUR CABOOSE OFF 4 mile run/walk on February 12.

Waseca Gary Sandholm, Waseca EDA Changes continue in the retail area along N. State Street (Hwy 13). Dairy Queen is building a new shop and will relocate from S. State Street. The owner of El Molino Mexican Restaurant has purchased Out to Lunch and will open a family restaurant. The Refinery Boutique has opened downtown. The Sleigh & Cutter Festival is in February. Events include a parade, curling competition, ice golf, vintage snowmobile races and fireworks. Info at www.sleighandcutterfestival.org/.

Waseca Kim Foels, Waseca Chamber Waseca Area Chamber and Ambassadors will honor citizens working hard to help better our community at its annual Community Awards Event on January 28, 2017. Awards include Rotary Service Above Self, Exchange Club Book of Golden Deeds, Community Development Award, Boss of the Year, Young Professional Distinguished Service Award, Waseca County Distinguished Agricultural Leadership Award, and the Don Eustice Community Service Award. The public is invited. RSVP by January 20. For more information/registration go to www.wasecachamber.com.

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CONNECTING BACK

Read the entire articles at connectbiz.com

5 YEARS AGO

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 Five years ago, a dynamic duo shared the title of Connect Business Magazine Business Person of the Year, Dan and Angie Bastian. They are the founders of Angie’s Artisans Treats, the parent company of Angie’s Kettle Corn, and didn’t fully realize at the time that they had found a real recipe for success, as the company has continued to grow since that time. Runners-up that year were Brian Maciej of Lime Valley Advertising, an integrated marketing firm in Mankato, and Brian Eckles of Blue Earth-based BEVCOMM. 10 YEARS AGO

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2007 A driving force in the Garden City community, Roxie Mell-Brandts, co-owner of Jensen Transport graced our cover as the 2007 Business Person of the Year. Runnersup were Tom Fallenstein of what was then known as Costumes Galore, but a company known worldwide now as Fun.com. And Todd Snell of Snell Motors was also featured as he talked about how his dad laid such a great foundation for the success of the company today. 15 YEARS AGO

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2002 Deb Flemming of The Free Press took a break from her own deadlines to help us meet ours as she was the cover story this issue! Also featured in Connect Business Magazine were United Spray Systems of Le Sueur, and Fairmont Artificial Breeders of Fairmont. 20 YEARS AGO

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1997 Twenty years ago, Dr. Tony Jaspers was on the cover of Connect Business Magazine. At that time, Dr. Jaspers served as the point man for Mankato Clinic. Also featured that issue were Kitchen Tune Up of Mankato and Pro Growth Bank of Gaylord.

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Dr. Cuong Huynh – “Dr. C” Co-Owner, Discover Chiropractic 3RD PLACE: BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR 2017

The friendly and vibrant personality of Dr. Cuong Huynh, — AKA Dr. C — shows through in his chiropractic practice and in his community involvement.

You never expect to enter any sort of doctor’s office and feel comfortable. You’re there because you are somehow broken, begrudgingly spending time and money to be “fixed.” Often times, it’s cold, white and sterile. And you’re probably stuck waiting alone in a tiny room wondering what will happen next. However, when I walked into Discover Chiropractic to interview Dr. Cuong Huynh, runner up for the 2017 Business Person of the Year award, I felt anything but uncomfortable. The office has more of a coffeehouse vibe, with comfortable seating, a low counter, natural light, earth tones, and a team of front-end employees who will reach out and shake your hand with a smile. Once we started chatting, I immediately experienced the kind, caring attitude that Dr. C’s nominator (a past patient) spoke so highly of. We dove right in, chatting about his own experience with pain, how he was introduced to the world of chiropractic care, and his passion for building community through stellar customer service. Growing up, Dr. C was the kind of kid you don’t see all day, and then have to search out at night. “My brother and I were both really active,” he says. “We lived in this apartment complex and there was a nicely wooded area outside of the school so we were always hanging out outdoors.” Combined with sports, all of this activity took a toll on Dr. C, and he developed severe pains in his feet and back. Things got so bad that if someone tapped his back in the right spot, he would fall to the ground in agony. His friends would use this weakness to mess with him, pressing into his back and watching him crumple. “They just thought it was funny,” says Dr. C. “But my mom took me to all the doctors we could think of. We had every test, every scan you can think of done.“

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Business Person of The Year 2017 winners selected by MSU Mankato College of Business faculty.

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Dr. Cuong Huynh (right) with wife and business partner Dr. Deb Bobendrier. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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Dr. Cuong Huynh | Business Person of the Year 2017: 3rd Place

One of his friends turned out to be a chiropractor. “We got to talking, I told him a little bit about my story, and he told me he could help me,” Time after time, the doctors found nothing, labeling Dr. C’s injuries as growing pains and putting him on painkillers. “My foot doctor eventually said that I had flat feet so he put some insoles in my shoes. They were supposed to help, but they ended up making things worse,” he says. By freshman year of high school, the pain was so excruciating that Dr. C had to quit track, football and basketball. “I loved sports,” he says. “I had to let them go. The next year was really tough because I didn’t realize how much of an impact that was going to have on me.” When his friends would ask him why he wasn’t going out for the teams, he would make excuses like ‘I’m working, I can’t make it’.

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“I was trying to hide the fact that I couldn’t run anymore. I was ashamed of it,” he says. That shame depressed Dr. C throughout the rest of his high school years, taking an emotional toll on his personality and social life. “To be honest, I probably wasn’t the best person to be around. I just wasn’t myself,” he says. Fast-forward a few unhappy and angerfilled years and Dr. C entered college to start a pre-med program. He figured he would be a medical doctor, or a dentist. “I was good at it, I liked the sciences,” he says. But without any kind of passion driving those career paths, he still felt a little lost. The only kind of exercise he could still do due to his injuries was weightlifting, so he

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

would work out and make friends at the gym. One of his friends turned out to be a chiropractor. “We got to talking, I told him a little bit about my story, and he told me he could help me,” says Dr. C. “I didn’t understand, it just didn’t make any sense. After everything I’d been through, how could he possibly help me?” However, the more his friend explained the relationships between biology and neurology and anatomy and physiology, Dr. C. began to connect the dots. Eventually, he let his friend adjust him for the first time. “I was pretty scared. But I just trusted him,” says Dr. C. Afterwards, he was astounded. “You suffer in pain for so long that you get used to it, and you kind of forget what it’s

Dr. C | Discover Chiropractic

“I was pretty scared. But I just trusted him,” says Dr. C. Afterwards, he was astounded. “You suffer in pain for so long that you get used to it, and you kind of forget what it’s like to feel normal again. That feeling was so foreign.” Dr. C found his passion. “It just kind of hit home. I realized that I wanted to find those kids and help them before they ever had to go through what I went through.” He didn’t even have to change his degree since chiropractic had the same prerequisites. After graduating from the University of Washington, Dr. C moved to California to get his Doctorate in Chiropractic in San Jose. It was in graduate school that Dr. C. met his wife, fellow chiropractor Dr. Deb Bobendrier. After graduation, the two took jobs out west to learn the ropes. “We were learning a lot of stuff. We were having fun, but there is a part of it that we thought we were missing. We didn’t know what it was at that time. We couldn’t pinpoint it. But it wasn’t exactly what we had envisioned when we would have a practice,” says Dr. C. In 2007 the two made the decision to leave those jobs and move back to Mankato, closer to Dr. Bobendrier’s hometown of Pipestone, MN. In 2008 they opened

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like to feel normal again. That feeling was so foreign,” he says. His friend traced his injuries back to a motor vehicle accident when Dr. C was only five years old. The car was rear-ended and Dr. C suffered a whiplash injury that went untreated, wearing away at him over the years. Eventually, Dr. C was running again. Slowly at first but eventually doing a half marathon. “It was so cool, on the inside I was screaming,” he says. That was when he thought to himself, ‘Hey, there are other kids like me out there, kids who were never diagnosed properly and who are suffering.’

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Dr. Cuong Huynh | Business Person of the Year 2017: 3rd Place

“The reality of what we saw is that it’s not really there,” says Dr. C. “I’m not saying that every place is bad. But I think as a society, we’ve provided very bad service for so long that we’ve gotten used to it.” Discover Chiropractic in Mankato. “We didn’t know a single person there. I walked into the building that we had picked out and it was four walls and a dirt floor. It was so scary,” he says. But they kept their vision and stuck to it. After about four years, the practice moved to their current location on Riverfront Drive. In 2013 they opened a second clinic in Nicollet, where Dr. Bobendrier practices. Between their two locations, Dr. C and Dr. Bobendrier see anywhere from 6,000 to 7,000 patients a year. Their business is clearly

Dr. Cuong Huynh | Dr. C

Some Advice, On The House “If you’re sitting at a computer all day, change it. We’re not designed to sit all day long. But if you have to, make sure your employees have access to a good chiropractor. Employers can save money and increase productivity by paying attention to ergonomics, exercise, nutrition, and chiropractic care to help prevent injuries before they start.” And from a lesson learned firsthand: “If you or your kids have been hurt, or were in a car accident, please get checked by your chiropractor. It was the root of how I got to where I am, because a small problem that was barely noticeable got missed and turned into a tidal wave of an issue.” Dr. C’s Advice on Being an Entrepreneur: 1) Number one, just genuinely care about people. It takes you a long way. 2) If you’ve got a vision in life that you want to follow, keep it in front of you. Do everything you can to move toward it. 3) There are benefits and challenges—it’s a trade off. You have to decide what you want in life. 50

growing, and it’s not only because more people are becoming familiar with the benefits of chiropractic care. Dr. C’s nominator for Business Person of the Year and a former patient, believes it is his care and attention to detail that is driving the growth of Discover Chiropractic. Dr. C and his team believe in taking customer service to a new level, a level they believe is rarely experienced these days in the world of healthcare. “Everybody says that their most important value is providing great customer service to patients and their care. The reality of what we saw is that it’s not really there,” says Dr. C. “I’m not saying that every place is bad. But I think as a society, we’ve provided very bad service for so long that we’ve gotten used to it.” When working with Discover Chiropractic, the attention to customer service that goes above and beyond is immediately visible. The practice website lays out a mission, vision and core values that are brimming with positivity and action. Visitors can find a detailed description of what to expect when they come to the office, calming

Dr. Cuong Huynh | Dr. C

Chiropractic Background Chiropractic comes from the Greek words chiro and praktikos, meaning, “to do by hand.” A Doctorate in Chiropractic typically requires four years of undergraduate education, followed by four years of specialized training in an accredited Chiropractic college. Training includes extensive hours in human sciences, practical lab, diagnostics, and treatment. Dr. C’s Degrees: • Associate’s degree at Tacoma Community College • Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Washington • Doctorate in Chiropractic at Palmer College of Chiropractic West

Dr. C | Discover Chiropractic

any pre-visit anxiety. The same care has been taken with on-site facilities; the Riverfront location offers ample parking, an inviting lobby with cheerful staff, and a children’s play area. The private rooms are warm and tastefully decorated, contrasting with the cold, sterile environments we’ve come to associate with healthcare. All of these measures help to instill trust between patient and doctor, a trust traced back to Dr. C’s initial introduction to chiropractic care. He trusted his friend from the gym and that trust brought healing to his decades-old childhood injuries. It makes sense that he wants to pass that sentiment along to patients in his own practice. “Every decision we’ve ever made is focused on giving our patients a better experience,” says Dr. C. “We pay attention to every little detail. How they’re treated. What they see. What they smell. What they hear.” Instead of comparing themselves to “the best” chiropractor out there, Discover focuses on what the patient’s best, last experience is. That is what they are trying to compete with when thinking about customer service, striving to be better and innovative with how they take care of people. Dr. C loves changing things. One example of this, is how he handles the widely dreaded patient paperwork shenanigans. “I hate, hate paperwork. I hate going to my doctor and filling out, like, twenty pages and signing my life away,” he says. “When we first started our practice, our intake forms were twenty to thirty pages long. That’s what we were trained to do. But over time we changed that.” New patient paperwork at Discover Chiropractic now consists of a single page. One of Dr. C’s favorite parts of owning a business is working as a team to change people’s lives. When patients first come to him,

they are often miserable, hurting, angry, or reclusive. Because they’re hurting, they are, as Dr. C says, not themselves. “But you take that away from them. You help them feel better, help them get better. You get to see that real person behind all of that,” he adds. For Dr. C, helping people express themselves fully—to be part of a community—is the best part of being a chiropractor. The most challenging aspect of his job is overcoming the perceptions that

Dr. Cuong Huynh | Dr. C

Outside of Work “I’m a big baseball nut.” “I joined CrossFit last year, which was really fun.” “I garden and raise tropical fish—I started the fish because I wanted to use the water for my plants in the garden.” “My wife and I are BIG dog lovers. That’s why we have an office that is dog friendly as well as people friendly!” 51

Dr. Cuong Huynh | Business Person of the Year 2017: 3rd Place

“People always fear what they don’t understand,” he said. “But in the end, it’s worth it to me because this is my passion in life. What I want to do is take care of these people.” surround chiropractic care. Many people are uneducated about this non-invasive form of healthcare, and changing those perceptions can only happen one person at a time. This is why paying attention to all of the little details and providing excellent customer service matter to Dr. C. “People always fear what they don’t understand,” he says. “But in the end, it’s worth it to me because this is my passion in life. What I want to do is take care of these people.” When asked how it feels to be nominated for the Connect Business Magazine Business Person of the Year Award, Dr. C says he feels honored. “I’m honored because I feel like I’m still a newbie in this town.

CONNECT Business Magazine

I’ve been here for eight years, and I moved here and didn’t know a single soul. I look back to where I was then and what I know now. I must’ve built a pretty good network of friends out here.” With a vision focused on building a thriving community, it’s no wonder that Discover Chiropractic has built strong networks in Mankato. “We’ve gotten heavily involved in the community in projects that are different every single year. My staff and I get together, and we pick a project,” he says. “My wife and I have other projects that are just close to heart.” Together, they have co-chaired Relay For Life, volunteered with the YWCA’s Girls on the Run program, the Southern Minnesota

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Dr. C | Discover Chiropractic

THE ESSENTIALS

Discover Chiropractic Mankato: 1609 North Riverfront Dr #100 Nicollet: 304 Pine Street Phone: (507) 720-0742 Web: mankatochiropractor.com Facebook: Discover Chiropractic Twitter: Discover ChiroMN

Children’s Museum, the Rotary Club, and countless other organizations. “There are so many different organizations that need help, whether it’s manpower or monetary. So we do the best we can and always encourage other people to go out there and help too,” says Dr. C. “The more people we can get out the better, because that helps build this community. It makes it a place that people want to be.” Freelance writer, Erin Dorney, writes from Mankato.

SPECIAL REPORT: RURAL BUSINESS SUCCESSION

Two of every three businesses in the U.S. are owned by a baby boomer looking to turn over the keys to the next generation in the coming years. That means change is inevitable in the landscape of Minnesota’s Main Streets and business communities. Bruce Schwartau, who leads Extension’s Community Economics program and analyzes Greater Minnesota’s retail trade sector, has been watching the change. “The challenge of this demographic shift is that efforts will be needed to attract buyers,” he says. “These shifts will also mean a transfer of community leadership when current business owners step back. But, done well, business transfer can push a ‘reset’ button that spills over to community life in positive ways. Either way, there’s a lot at stake for communities.” Because each business is critical to rural economies, Extension educators have heard concerns about business succession in rural communities. Those concerns spurred Extension community economics educator Liz Templin to lead a team to examine business succession. “We wanted to hear from business owners that recently purchased businesses in small towns. From them, we can learn about the struggles and the opportunities of business succession. Most important, we wanted to learn what communities could do to help.”

Asking businesses and communities

To examine rural business succession, Extension identified 690 Greater Minnesota

cities with populations under 7,500 residents, and ultimately identified 358 businesses that had transitioned to new owners between 2008 and 2012. This timeline was selected to ensure that businesses were stable for at least three years after business purchase. A total of 176 businesses responded, for a 49% response rate. The team also interviewed the leaders of rural business succession initiatives in four rural Minnesota communities and two North Dakota communities. The goal was to compile lessons they learned, and to hear what they recommend to other communities. First, some good news. Most of the new business owners surveyed said that they’d brought new customers and increased sales to the businesses they purchased. In fact, 69% had increased the sales volume of their business; 68% had increased the customer base; and 41% had increased the number of employees. Moreover, 87% had either maintained or Liz Templin increased the number of employees. Michael Darger, Extension Business Retention and Expansion Specialist, calls this an “aha!” finding. “When communities support the successful sale of a business they’re not just ‘dodging a bullet’. Business succession can grow the local economy. For rural businesses, in particular, this is critical. If you don’t retain that business, another community will capture the economic activity.”

Who will buy rural businesses?

Study results indicate that a variety of entrepreneurs are choosing to run a business in rural communities. The study found that: • 45% had lived in town their entire life; • 12% returned to their hometown to take over the business; • 33% were new to town. Of these, 19% picked the location and then found a business to buy; 14% picked the business to buy and then moved to town. Ben Winchester, Extension Research

Fellow who identifies rural trends, is excited to see new owners invest in small towns and change the landscape of rural economies. He isn’t surprised that a strong portion of buyers are returning to rural areas or moving to small towns for the first time. “People aged 30 – 49 are attracted to rural communities for the quality of life they can have there. These people bring businesses with them or purchase existing ones. Where would our communities be without them?” Buying a rural business is a challenge and, not surprisingly, financial challenges are at the top of the list. Roughly 30% of those surveyed said it was difficult to finance the purchase of the business and 25% said it was tough to get accurate sales and profitability records from the previous owners.

What can communities do?

“The importance of business succession planning can’t be understated,” says Templin. “Solid planning assures that finances are in order, infrastructure is in place, and employees are ready for the change.” But there are some critical barriers between owners and succession planning. Business consultation, as well as the recommended business updates (like remodeling a building), can be expensive. Planning takes time that small business owners don’t have. And business owners worry, too, about whether the process will result in others hearing about matters they want kept confidential. To overcome these barriers, owners need to understand the benefits of succession planning. “Community leaders can start a conversation with local owners to help them invest in succession planning,” says Templin. Karen Lauer notes that these conversations have been quite productive in Barnesville. “Our businesses were grateful to hear a variety of perspectives to help them start thinking about these topics,” she said. “Many business owners had been thinking about business succession but had no clue where to start.” The study pointed to a number of opportunities for communities to support business succession: • Offer low- or no-cost professional valuation of local businesses. Valuations can level

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

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the retiring owners’ expectations with market realities and help owners make a practical list of things to do to increase the value of their business. • Bring local bankers and accountants to the table. New owners named bankers and accountants as the most critical conduits for their success. “These players may not know how important they are to their community’s future,” says Templin. “Community leaders can bring them to the table, make connections to potential buyers and urge creativity when it comes to providing credit to buyers.” • Offer mentors. Businesses strongly indicated that help from experienced business people helped them succeed. This is a great role for retired business owners. • Find micro-lending funds. A little financial support might make a big difference to new buyers. And the vote of confidence it gives from the community also makes a difference. • Consider the workforce. Potential buyers are deterred if they don’t know whether they can find good local employees. To address workforce development communities can, for example, connect businesses to workforce training programs and invest in quality of life improvements that help businesses attract employees. • Find intermediaries to broker business sales. Business brokers often do not serve rural Minnesota, but one community initiative sought out brokers of all kinds and noted that trade associations can share information and connections that can facilitate a sale. • Be realistic about business viability. Though communities may have heartfelt nostalgia for all local businesses, some may not have kept up with global trends or current technology. In these cases, hanging on may deplete public resources — not to mention community morale. “Above all,” says Templin, “don’t be apathetic. Ask what retiring owners need and find resources for new owners. Most importantly, welcome new business owners to town. They are the future.”

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Liz Templin is Extension Educator, Community Economics for the Center for Community Vitality.

CONNECT Business Magazine

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

HOT STARTZ!

Very New or Re-formed Businesses or Professionals New To Our Reading Area

MANKATO

Mankato Vintage Market

ART SIDNER

Paul Rosenberg owned and operated The Bobber Shop Fishing store on Riverfront Drive for 15 years. When it came time to close the doors, his wife Kelly had a completely new idea for the location: an occasional store. “Paul’s mother has the occasional store, Back Porch Vintage, in Spencer, IA,” says Kelly. “And I’ve been flipping furniture for several years, so it was a good fit.” Dubbed, Mankato Vintage Market, it offers a wide selection of vintage furniture, handcrafted items and antiques. The store carries painted furniture, antiques, seasonal décor, handmade soap, Fusion Mineral Paint, hand painted signs, jewelry, Minnesota artwork, stained glass, wine bottle creations and actually, so much more. Kelly wouldn’t be able to do it without her vendors that bring in items every month. “They are the best in the area!” she says. “Saving old pieces of furniture has been a hobby of mine for several years,” says Kelly. “It’s so much fun to find something that is destined for the trash because it’s not appreciated, repairing it (if needed), and updating it with paint. People tend to think that newer is better, but it’s not made with the quality wood or craftsmanship that they were using in the past. I’ve pulled chipped veneer off old dressers, and the wood underneath is prettier than anything you can buy in a store, and it was never meant to be seen!”

The Bobber Shop closed in March 2016 and Mankato Vintage Market opened in April 2016. The store is generally open the second weekend of each month, Thursday 5-8pm, Friday and Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 11-4. “People say they’ve been waiting for years for a store like ours in town. Quality pieces at affordable prices,” says Kelly. “We are just going to keep doing what we’re doing. It’s been a lot of fun! Find them on Facebook for updated hours and for all of the event updates at Mankato Vintage Market. MANKATO VINTAGE MARKET Address: 1630 North Riverfront Drive Facebook: Mankato Vintage Market Phone: (612) 756-0796

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Bolton-Menk.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

CONNECT Business Magazine

HOT STARTZ!

Heat Blowdry Bar and Wax Studio Friendly, fashionable, forward thinking: three adjectives three friends came up with when they decided to open their own business. Heat is a hybrid salon specializing in blowouts and waxing, but also offers traditional salon services such as cuts, colors, men’s cuts, bridal, updo’s, and perms. The three owners, Mary Kaus, Nicole Panko and Sally Weness each bring their own unique abilities and have an integral role in the business. Nicole is an interior designer at ISG and does Heat’s graphic design and marketing. Mary, who is general manager of Cambria Mankato, provides the business acumen. Sally is the hair designer who inspired the trio to go into business. Sally says, “Our biggest surprise is that people do not know what a blowout is! Blowdry bars are widely popular in all the major cities in the United States and we are a small town so I guess we should have expected it. It is trendier, but women used to get their hair done at salons long ago! Remember the days of rollers under the dryer? Our concept is similar but includes a round brush and blow dryer to blow the hair smooth and create volume.” Opening in June of 2016, Mary says the biggest challenge so far is getting the word out that they are open. She says, “The interior of Heat is so beautiful (thanks to

Nicole’s talent) and we want people to walk through the doors. We have a style “bar” complete with Cambria countertops and herringbone floors. The space is very elegant and modern; a place you want to go to and hang out.” Another challenge is finding the time to focus on the business while they also have full time jobs elsewhere. “So lots of time is spent at night and on the weekends,” says Nicole. “We try to have consistent weekly meetings and quarterly meetings which include our husbands to stay on track and discuss important issues.” The trio says they are happy with the way sales have grown each month so far. HEAT BLOWDRY BAR AND WAX STUDIO Address: 1591 Tullamore Street #200 Telephone: (507) 387-5115 Facebook: Heat Blowdry Bar and Wax Studio

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MANKATO

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CONNECT Business Magazine

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

Very New or Re-formed Businesses or Professionals New To Our Reading Area

EAGLE LAKE

Bella Nova A year after Brenda Sanderson opened Sisterhood Inspirations in Lake Crystal, she has already expanded and opened another store in Eagle Lake. “I selected Eagle Lake for many reasons,” Sanderson explains. “First, I love the small town feel. Eagle Lake is similar in size to Lake Crystal, it’s growing astronomically, and I love that it’s literally a 3 minute drive from Mankato. “I really wanted to access more of the Mankato population but keep that small town friendly feel, and I think Eagle Lake is the perfect area for that. The building is in a prime location, and the layout of the Boutique is very open and welcoming. It literally takes less then 4 minutes to drive from the intersection of Madison Ave and Hwy 22 to Bella Nova’s front door!” Sanderson is quick to point out that Bella Nova is an entirely different store than Sisterhood Inspirations. “They have different inventory, different staff and a completely different layout and feel. They will both carry clothing relatively similar in price and quality, some of the labels are the same, but the styles are completely different. The stores won’t carry any of the same inventory, as it is very important for me to still direct traffic to the Lake Crystal location, and to do that, I need to offer a different selection.”

Opening the second store has also allowed her to expand her staff. She went from a staff of just herself and one part-timer, to adding a store manager and three more sales associates. She says, “It’s very exciting being able to offer other women a job in this amazing industry. I am a big believer in if you love your job then it’s not a job! I have certainly found it.” BELLA NOVA Address: 706 Parkway Avenue Telephone: 507-530-6809 Facebook: Bella Nova Boutique

ART SIDNER

To be considered for one of three spots in the March Hot Startz!, email the editor at editor@connectbiz.com. Businesses considered must have started—or changed greatly in form—within one year of our publishing date. Professionals chosen must be new to our reading area.

Pioneer Bank Your Business Bank

David KRAUSE

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Mike KUNKEL

Andrea JOHNSON

Denise NIENOW

HARRINGTON

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Lewisville • Madelia • Mankato • Mapleton • North Mankato • St. James • Lake Crystal Loan Production Office 507-625-3268 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

CONNECT Business Magazine

ASK A PROFESSIONAL

Rob Tindal Owner, Tindal & Associates Mankato

There are a few things a business, whether new or well established, should consider when shopping for an accountant or tax preparer. The first thing to consider is “am I comfortable with my accountant or tax preparer?” In my experience, this is the number one thing that should be considered when deciding who to work with. I truly believe that if you are not comfortable with the person or do not fully trust what you are being told, the relationship will always be stressful and strained. Second, “what will the annual costs be?” Make sure to ask when and what you will be charged for exactly. Some accountants and tax preparers charge for everything just like an attorney. Better to ask at the start what is included in the fees, rather than have a surprise when the bill arrives.

More Than Numbers Find the Right Fit Remember, paying a higher price does not always guarantee that you will receive the best service for your money. A lot of people expect that if they are paying someone $250 per hour, they must be getting every tax advantage possible. Truth is, you might just be paying extra for the certification and not experience. You want someone knowledgeable and up to date on the different laws, guidelines and deductions. Preparing taxes is more than just data entry. A preparer should be asking questions about basic deductions. A lot of people overpay tax

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CONNECT Business Magazine

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017

because of missed deductions. To take that a step further, try to find someone who has extensive knowledge in your particular type of business. For instance, a farmer would not want to use someone who has never done a farm return before. So make sure to ask a few questions about your situation and don’t feel uncomfortable asking those questions. So it’s important to consider the experience of the professional. Try to find someone within your budget that has the knowledge that is required to help your business save

I truly believe that the relationship between a business and the accountant or tax professional is the most important aspect to help any business excel.