January-February 2019 by Connect Business Magazine

CONTENTS

November | December 2018

COVER INTERVIEW

COMPANY PROFILE

B.Stark & Co.

Drawing Outside the Lines

JR’s Barn

LCS Precision Molding, Inc.

Family of Action

Breaking the Mold

AG FOCUS

HOT STARTZ! WALDORF

Action Group

NORTH MANKATO

2 Pins Bakery MANKATO

Exclusively Diamonds

Focus on Agribusiness

Introduction

A Day In The Life

FEATURES

Connecting Back

Connect Network

Quarterbacking the Sale

Bulletin Board

Entrepreneurial Insight

Ask A Professional

Farmers Work in the Winter Too

Neid Excited to be Part of the Ag Industry

Collaboration Connection

Mari Harries, River City Eatery

Connecting Southern Minnesota Business People Since 1994

Betty Ouren, MinnStar Bank

Connect Business Magazine www.ConnectBiz.com Channel: Connect Biz TV

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

CIRCULATION

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Publisher: Concept & Design Incorporated

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Editor: Lisa Cownie

Published bimonthly

E-mail: sales@connectbiz.com

Art Director/Staff Photographer: Kris Kathmann

CORRESPONDENCE

Contributing Writers: Brook Devenport, Kerry Hoffman, Michael Lagerquist Production & Circulation : Becky Wagner Printing: Corporate Graphics, N. Mankato Mailing: Midwest Mailing, Mankato Cover Photo: Kris Kathmann 4

DEPARTMENTS

January | February 2019

Mailing Address: Connect Business Magazine P.O. Box 176 Nicollet, MN 56074 Send editorial correspondence to: editor@connectbiz.com

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

Web: connectbiz.com

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

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INTRODUCTION

The Art of Doing Business Researchers claim the left side of the brain is the more logical, analytical side, while the right side of the brain embraces creativity. People are thought to be more dominant in one than the other. I would argue that business people must engage both sides enthusiastically to be successful. Using logic and analytical thinking to formulate a business plan, but then using creativity to actually put that plan in to practice. All those profiled in this issue exhibit this union of the two sides of the brain. All bring to the table special creative talents that allow them the freedom to master the more logical side of running a business. It not only makes them good in business but it also just makes them, well, good. Good people parlaying their passions in life into successful careers. So, the take away from this issue? Do what you love! Then hopefully, with focus and hard work, the rest will follow. Happy reading, and hopefully, learning,

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Brian Stark connects creativity with career.

In many ways, starting a business is like creating a piece of art: building a company often involves bringing together different “materials,” then honing and crafting them to meet the vision of what the entrepreneur wants the business to be. An artist will first sketch a thumbnail of their project, much like an entrepreneur creating a business plan. An artist will then compose the basic elements needed to get the project going, much like a start up securing financing, a location, employees. Then the artist will start creating, one step at a time, adding detail and sometimes going in a different direction than the original sketch, much like a business owner finding the perfect niche for them. That’s how it went with Brian Stark, artist and owner of B.Stark & Co. “I’m an artistic business person,” Stark smiles. “Because I don’t really think of myself as a business person. I’m almost afraid to say that because, in a business magazine, readers might think, ‘well, he’s not even a businessman!’ But I think that artistic part of me gives me a little of a sensibility of the people aspect. I want to say I just sort of fell into it [owning a business] but it was more than that – I really made a commitment to it. To start a business, you make sacrifices. You don’t just fall off a tree and you are there. We do have a business plan, of course, but I feel like coming at it from the heart angle and hanging on to that for myself, it enables me to think about the human aspect more than just plans and spreadsheets. I think it’s good for anybody to try to have a balance and I feel like my art helps me to do that.” While he fell into the role of business man later in life, Stark was an artist from a young age.

continues >

CONNECT Business Magazine

DRAWING OUTSIDE THE LINES “One thing that comes to mind is when I was a kid, I liked “Peanuts” and the “Calvin and Hobbes” series. Cartooning has always been a really big part of my art love. I used to get MAD magazines all the time and just really wanted to emulate the people in that. So I knew from a very young age what I wanted to do. My mom has things from third grade where I’d say I wanted to be an artist. I didn’t put I wanted to be a businessman,” he grins. But that is what he is. And a good one at that. Promotional products make up a nearly $17 billion dollar industry and B.Stark & Co. is certainly exacto-knifing out its piece of the market here in Southern Minnesota. “There’s more competition now than ever,” he says. “I think that’s probably true of just about every business. There’s more of everything in this world. At the time I started there were a number of other people already doing this, but I jumped in anyway. I would say part of it was I was young enough where I was a little bit naïve

“There’s more competition now than ever. I think that’s probably true of just about every business. There’s more of everything in this world . . . With all the competition, you have to learn how to price your things properly to stay in business.” about it. That combined with the fact that I felt like I would still have time to recover if it didn’t work out. It’s always been a competitive industry. It’s always been an industry where there are a lot of mom and pops. With all the competition, you have to learn how to price your things properly to stay in business.” In this interview, Stark talks about how he has stayed in business for 30 plus years, how it’s changed and what is in the future

for the biggest creative project he’s ever undertaken: running a successful business. First of all, tell me about Brian Stark. Well, I’m from Owatonna and attended Owatonna High School. My reason for coming to Mankato was to attend what was known at that time as the vocational technical school, now it is South Central College. At the time, the program was called Commercial Arts, now it is called

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Graphic Communications. My entrée into the work world was that I wanted to do something connected with art. That was my initial thought of a career. So, I went there for two years and then I got a job at a print shop in town called Ads & Ink which did offset printing and all different types of printed materials for local businesses. I was an artist there for five years. Then at one point, I met a person who did printed t-shirts in their basement but they could not draw. He asked me one day, ‘I like to print but I’m not really interested in drawing, would you maybe want to do this with me and you could be the artist?’ It sounded like a nice sideline thing to do. So I came up with some designs and we actually hooked up with a salesman who sold to resorts up north. I had my own little line of t-shirts and everything. That was my introduction to screen printing and the printed apparel world. Then after doing that for a short time, the printer just was not pulling his end of the bargain and missing deadlines and things like that. It was not in my control and I didn’t like it. I was commiserating with some friends one day on just how frustrating it was to put a lot of work into it and feel let down on the other end. One of my friends said, ‘Well, why don’t you just do it yourself?’ Really up until that point, I had never considered that as even an option because usually - and it was the case for me - when you’re an artist, the furthest thing from your mind is being a businessperson. [laughs] That didn’t even enter my realm of consideration but then I thought about it and I was like, ‘Why I don’t I?’ When was this? That was in 1987. I borrowed some money from my dad and my grandpa and bought a press. I had actually never even printed before so I was really just doing it all on faith. I still had my job at Ads & Ink during the day and I was just doing this at night. I was working really long hours, which turned out to be a trend in my life from then on! [laughs] I did that for a year and then decided the next step was to just quit my day job. Scary stuff. Yes, it was. It’s just such a huge leap but it’s really what you have to do. You have to

January | February 2019

Brian Stark - B.Stark & Co.

buy in to what you’re doing and you can’t hedge it forever. So I left Ads & Ink and that was the beginning of B.Stark Graphics. Let’s talk about the evolution of B.Stark Graphics, now B.Stark & Co. I did the tourist, resort wear thing for a while and started doing jobs for people around town that I knew and people that knew people that I knew because at that point you’re really just trying to survive and do what you have to do to keep it all going. Remember by now I didn’t have a ‘real’ job and income. It was really just me in the beginning, which I actually think was a good way to start. When you are by yourself you really learn about all aspects of what you’re doing and how they all fit together. So I am glad I did it that way instead of starting out with staff right away. When you build from the ground up you do get a grounding that later on you can use to understand all roles in your company. You can understand some of the thoughts of your employees and what their challenges are and things like that because you’ve kind of been there. I always am grateful that it turned out that way because I think it lets me have a little bit more empathy with different facets of what other people are doing. So in the beginning it was just me and then I was joined later by my girlfriend who later became my wife who still works with me. She’s an artist as well or? She is not. She’s the money end. So it was a good match in that way as well. After a few years with the tourist, resort-wear thing, I was just not having very much fulfillment from it. It wasn’t very fun. Everybody was remote, I wasn’t dealing with the customers one-on-one. The custom work resonated with me on more levels and I just liked doing that more. The resort wear didn’t allow for much variety and was just the same thing over and over. We ended up just dropping that and made a commitment to say ‘This is what we’re about. We’re going to do custom work, one-on-one, so people that come in here can talk to us and we can really try to understand them and do what they want.’ It was about more than the graphics at that point so a name change was in order.

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We had hired an employee by then so we became “B.Stark & Co.”. I was happy when the business got to that point. Because in the beginning, it was kind of like scattershot where we were just trying to throw things out there to see what would stick. That was all part of a process that I’m sure many businesses go through. It helps give a more clear idea of what you have, what you are and what you are not. Then you can take your business in the direction you want. Your locations have changed as well. Please talk about where you started and how you ended up here in your own building. When I bought that first press, we started in an older building in Old Town. It is now Cactus Tattoo. At that time, it was owned by a jeweler that had retired and so we leased it from him. It wasn’t a storefront so much as a workspace. I was there for a year and then I moved to what is now the 410 Project across the street from Pagliai’s Pizza. That was a building that was owned by Jim Lyons who was part owner in the Square Deal, the bar right next door.

STARK OUTSIDE THE OFFICE When Stark isn’t running a business, he is, well, just running. “I am an avid runner. I’ve been running since seventh grade. Once you start running, it’s always in there, whether you take a layoff for a while or not, it’s always in there. I just finished the half marathon in Mankato as a charity runner for the Livestrong charity.” He’ll concede though, that B.Stark & Co. remains the main focus, even when it comes to hobbies. “That’s a kind of a core thing for me. Really, I have a lot of interests and a lot of things that I’m interested in. But I think when you own your own business, it’s kind of a combination of a lot of things that you’re interested in. The business then really kind of turns into your one giant hobby. It is what it is because you have to be dedicated, you have to have a work ethic, you can’t delegate that totally.”

Brian Stark - B. Stark & Co.

“[Building your own building] gives you a lot of pause because it is a big decision. I guess we were just up to the rafters down there as they say, and we wanted to invest in an automatic t-shirt press. There was no way that was going to fit into a 20-foot wide building downtown.”

He became a friend and he rented it to me and then eventually we lived upstairs. We fulfilled what probably these buildings were originally designed for which was the proprietor would live upstairs and then go downstairs to their business. We were living that 90 years later from when the building was built. That became a thing where we were living there and then going downstairs to work. It was all just very compact and became our lifestyle. How long were you there? We were there until 2004, that is when we built this building and moved here. What precipitated that decision? How did you know it was time to—Because it’s a big leap to just go out and do your own business and then it’s another even huger leap to actually build a building. Well, it gives you a lot of pause because it is a big decision. I guess we were just up to the rafters down there as they say, and we wanted to invest in an automatic t-shirt press. There was no way that was going to fit into a 20-foot wide building downtown. That was when we started exploring what would it really take to do this and seeing what the banks would do and then just feeling like if we’re going to do this, we’re going to

STARK AS HUSBAND, DAD AND FATHER IN LAW Stark’s wife, Micki, is not only his partner in life, but also in the business. They have two sons who grew up around the company, but have taken their own paths in life. “We have two boys,” says Stark. “And actually my eldest son got married two weeks ago. So that was kind of a big step for us. Both of my sons live in Minneapolis. One is a web developer. My other son works for an autism center. So, they are both on their way.” CONNECT Business Magazine

DRAWING OUTSIDE THE LINES

So you started with resort wear, then moved into custom t-shirts but now your product lines include all types of items. Yes, but it still all starts with t-shirts. Then other products stem from what people are asking for combined with the apparel. Our distributors offer what have turned into giant catalogs of items. I have old catalogs that are more like pamphlets of what you could get and now they are literally an inch and a half thick.

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January | February 2019

Actually too many choices sometimes, I think. It’s overwhelming! Yes. That’s a very valid point because one of our jobs, we feel like, is to help curate the choices for people and help them make sense of the fact that there are 20 different–not even that–there are 100 different t-shirts they could get and each one has 68 colors that they could get. That’s part of our job actually, to help people identify what best suits their needs and what they are looking for, rather than have them look through hundreds of pages of product.

BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE Custom art remains at the heart of what Stark is passionate about, and he has surrounded himself with people of the same mindset. The B.Stark art staff can create unique custom art based off a customer’s vague idea or start of a sketch. And they try to make it easy. Customers can submit a written description, rough sketch or a detailed drawing at any stage and the B.Stark staff will take it the rest of the way to professional finished art.

Brian Stark - B.Stark & Co.

As you said, it is a competitive industry. What do you think sets B.Stark apart? How do you carve out your niche in the market and get people to choose you? Honestly, it’s always been word of mouth and not a lot of advertising. I think that you could characterize us that we’ve always really been sticklers on the quality of our work and I think that isn’t always true in the t-shirt printing world. We take it seriously, we take the quality of the artwork and every aspect seriously. That’s why we do it all in-house so we control the quality at every step. We’re not farming it out somewhere where we’re not totally sure what we’re going to get back. We have the control over all of the processes that we use to produce them. Our philosophy is that we want to be responsible for as much of the parts of the product as we can so that we can give the best. That includes the quality of listening and trying to fit the item to the person. Our focus is just to really help people get exactly what helps them do what they’re trying to do. We strive to understand why they are getting the apparel in the first place, then we can help them design and get the best product to meet their end goal and do it within their budget.

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Do you think your industry is dependent on the ups and downs of the economy? Does it fluctuate that way or do you have something that people just need whether the economy is good or not? I think it is somewhat dependent. People always will have to wear clothing and they really enjoy wearing clothing that helps them feel connected to other people or says something about who they are or want to be. That part is important enough to people that it remains no matter what the economy is doing. Ten years ago with the Great Recession, what we really saw was people maybe weren’t getting quite as nice of a t-shirt or jacket but they still wanted to get something. It was an important part of their life to have that theme shirt or that shirt for their company that helps everybody feel like they’re part of the team. That’s the value of what we’re doing. How has your target audience changed. I would say when we first started it was CONNECT Business Magazine

DRAWING OUTSIDE THE LINES more like events and the resort wear we talked about. Now I would say we have much more of an emphasis on doing really good clothing for businesses because we have strong embroidery capabilities. That’s perceived as more of a value-added thing. Then the name-brand thing is big now like the Under Armour and Nike. There’s more of a demand for that. So what’s changed in terms of the customers I would say, is that it’s just become more a part of the lifestyle even than when I started. For instance, when I went to high school we didn’t have a shirt for when we went to sections or for every specific sports team. But now, they do. It’s just become more a part of how people feel connected to their activities in their life and the people in their life. Speaking of being connected in that way, I know you’re very connected to the community and have a focus on helping organizations that come to you. Has that been a big part of

January | February 2019

“So I realized that I can help people through my art and through my business. I can promote their ideas, connect people with what they’re trying to do and connect to other people of like mind. It’s really about the feeling that we’re in it together and we’re part of a group rather than, ‘I’m doing all this by myself.’” your growth as a company too? Yes, and really for me, that’s a big part of our identity of who we are and who we want to be. It’s really a natural outgrowth of the business that we’re in because we’re approached a lot by nonprofits and organizations. It’s a value that we can offer to somebody that’s trying to do a fundraiser

or trying to promote something that is for the community. To me, and this has just been an evolving philosophy, you start out because you want to draw or you want to write something or whatever... but then it evolves into a thing where you see what you’re doing and you think ‘What’s the value of what I’m doing?’.

Brian Stark - B.Stark & Co.

So I realized that I can help people through my art and through my business. I can promote their ideas, connect people with what they’re trying to do and connect to other people of like mind. It’s really about the feeling that we’re in it together and we’re part of a group rather than, ‘I’m doing all this by myself.’ We’ve talked about how your products and locations have evolved, another change is that you are no longer doing it all by yourself. How many employees are you up to now? That can fluctuate a little bit, we’re at about 15 right now. Let’s talk a little bit about technology and how that has changed the way you do business. Actually, when we started the fax machine was considered pretty cool. [laughs] We still do have our fax number actually but it’s not a very big part at all obviously.

But I would say the biggest impact technology has had, has been with the communication with the customers. Now it’s all email. That has changed a lot compared to actually mailing things to people like it was in the beginning, or calling. We see a lot of customers now who don’t even really want to get a call, they just want you to text them instead. The communication with the customers has changed. Another big change I would say is the way that we produce items. I have things I’ve saved from when I started that I actually drew completely by hand, with pen and ink. I saved them because it’s a remembrance of something that would be completely impractical now. You could never do it. The technology has changed so that almost all of the art is done on a computer now. That must’ve been a learning curve for you too though, right? It was, but thankfully it happens gradually over time. What that technology does is

speed up your ability to do a project and get it out to the customer. However, it also speeds up our competitors’ ability to do it. Which means it speeds up people’s expectations of how quickly you can deliver what they want. When I started, there was a little bit more understanding or patience or whatever you want to call it from customers. They would understand that it’s just going to take a certain amount of time to produce and deliver. But that has all just been sped up and expectations are very high. That’s part of our challenge, to devise our systems and our communication within our company to come through on that, to get what people need and want and do it in a timely way. What is the geographic area that you serve? It’s really Mankato and the surrounding towns. We do some work for sales organizations that bring work to us. We don’t really have territories though. We don’t go after

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things in the Twin Cities. I would say we’re local and then with a ring around Mankato. What services do you offer at B.Stark? Screen printing and embroidery of all types of apparel. We do some promotional items, but not a lot because that gets back to the control aspect I was talking about earlier. We don’t have the capability to produce all of the items here so we lose some control. We don’t print the pens here, for example, but we do still offer that because it’s a natural for some people to add that product on to an apparel order. I know another technology-related growth area is in online stores, which you can set up for organizations and businesses. Yes, we have developed an online store system that people can use for employees or members of their organization to shop and sign up individually for what they want. People really like that and it simplifies the whole process. I think traditionally one person heads up apparel orders for their group and it is really a big job. The person in charge of getting the shirts for a group is kind of an unsung hero because they have to collect all the money, keep track of all the names and sizes and just everything. They are in the middle of it all. But the online store thing is really great because it gives everyone a link and then people can go there individually and look at their choices and pay with their own credit card. They can even personalize their apparel with a name or whatever. It just eliminates a lot of extra steps and stress for the one person in the group organizing it all.

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I can tell from speaking with you that even after 30 years, you are still enjoying it. Oh yes. I am happy and grateful. I really need to say how lucky we’ve really been with finding the right people to bring on board. We actually have two people that have been here over 25 years, and a number that are over the 10-year mark. That makes me feel good and it also is gratifying to help them progress and give them a good place to work. They apparently like to work here. We can keep the quality of our products and service high because we’re not constantly training in someone new. We don’t have turn over all the time. The people here are really talented at what they do. So, yes, I definitely still enjoy the work. It always boils down to the people, and if you can have people that you enjoy working with, that’s just such a blessing. Editor Lisa Cownie writes from Mankato.

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FEATURE

Quarterbacking the Sale

Lisa Cownie EDITOR

Mankato’s April Femrite is uniquely qualified to match businesses with buyers A summer icon where the Fairmont community gathers for great ice cream, lunch specials and chatter is for sale. The Dairy Freeze is a successful, albeit seasonal, business with a loyal clientele. Its owner’s wife used to run the ice cream shop, but she passed away. With another business to run, the owner is ready to hand the reins over to someone else. But who? And how? That’s where April Femrite comes in. Femrite is a rarity in southern Minnesota: a business broker certified as a business intermediary, the only one south of the Metro. And the only female in that role in the entire state. “I love it,” says Femrite. “It’s like a matchmaking service, I am helping two people realize their goals by bringing them together.” The role of a business broker is vast. A business broker deals with business valuations, qualifying a buyer, due diligence, advertising/ marketing and other services. She is a pioneer for the business broker industry in the region. She believes she entered the market here at just the right time. With a trove of healthy small businesses throughout the region, and a whole slew of bankable others wanting to buy, Femrite stays busy and says her busy calendar is an indication of the need for her services in the region.

“As a business broker I am basically the quarterback,” she explains. “I play QB for both buyer and seller to keep everything moving along in the right direction.” “As a business broker I am basically the quarterback,” she explains. “I play QB for both buyer and seller to keep everything moving along in the right direction. I act as a liason with lawyers, CPAs, banks where I can help secure financing. I just help business owners and buyers navigate the whole process from start to close.” Word on her work is starting to get out. One thing she is finding is business owners who don’t have a succession plan in place, needing her services to make sure the business stays open. “I just sold a small manufacturing company in St. James,” says Femrite. “The owner was 78 years old and ready to retire. But none of his children wanted to take over the business. There was not a succession plan in place and what I don’t want to see happen is owners having to put a ‘going out of business’ sign up, especially in our area small towns. It just so happens I had a 32-year-old eager beaver that wanted to purchase a manufacturing company. So I didn’t even have to put it on the market because I had these two people ready to go. It was perfect.” While she admits, not all transactions go that smoothly, she is finding as people realize the role of a business broker, the success 24

January | February 2019

stories are coming in. “I have some friends I was working with and they wanted to acquire a CNC manufacturing company. So I started to research to see what was out there. Once I identified some options, I then just did a cold call. There were these two guys in Hutchinson that were retirement age so I approached them and they said, ‘yeah we’ve been thinking about selling’. I brought the two parties together and it turned into a $2.8 million dollar sale that will close in January.” Her passion for what she does is obvious. How she came into this as a career, though, is a long, and winding road. “I am from Mankato and have always considered myself an entrepreneur,” she says. “At one time I had a business I created, Natural Bamboo Clothing. But the recession hit in the late 2000s and sales went down so I closed that. It was a very hard decision, but it was the right decision. Then with some partners we opened up Bent River Outfitter and I managed that full-time for a couple of years. But after a couple of years I was ready for something new. My passion has always been starting new businesses. So my thought process was that I wanted to learn how to be a better entrepreneur and to do that I wanted to go back to school to get my MBA. My husband was like, ‘you already have a Master’s degree so if you want to go back and get an MBA you find a way so that we don’t have to pay for it.’ To that I said...challenge accepted!” Her application to the Minnesota State University College of Business MBA program caught the attention of COB Dean Brenda Flannery who invited Femrite to be the college’s first Entrepreneurship and Innovation fellow. That meant a graduate assistantship which included full tuition coverage plus a 20-hour per week paid position developing entrepreneurship and innovation programs at the University. Femrite had a hand in developing programs including

“After searching for just the right fit for her and her newly-earned degree, she heard about business brokering and the entrepreneur in her decided she should get the service started in Mankato, where it would be a new concept.” the Big Ideas Challenge and Entrepreneurial Film Festival. She graduated with her MBA in 2016 and thought, “now what?” After searching for just the right fit for her and her newly-earned degree, she heard about business brokering and the entrepreneur in her decided she should get the service started in Mankato, where it would be a new concept. “Of course, at that time there were two commercial real estate firms in Mankato. One of my partners at Bent River Outfitters was Dain Fisher, so I had connection to the Fisher Group. I decided to start there. I just met with the group and pitched my resume and my idea to start a business brokerage in their real estate agency and they said, ‘let’s give it a shot!’ That was in the summer of 2016.” With an undergraduate degree and two Masters she decided to go “back to school” once again and get her real estate license, and then the business broker certification was an additional 80 credits. “It was a long educational process,” she admits. “But I finally feel like I now really know this stuff. I am able to sit down with clients, learn about their business and their goals, gather their operational background and their financial information, then do a business valuation. I do comps to see what other businesses like theirs are selling for, I do marketing packages. I just love it all.” And she loves a good challenge, like Dairy Freeze in Fairmont. “It is only open five months out of the year but it provides a good salary for someone,” she says. “It’s a good business so I’m hoping to find a good buyer to keep that open for the community.” She’s also hoping for one more degree. “My lifelong goal is to get my PhD,” she grins. “So check back in another ten years and we’ll see where I am with that!”

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Adding to Her Resume Femrite is taking on another new role, that of real estate developer. “I am tackling my first development project up by the Mankato Golf Club,” she explains. “My dad owned land that he’d had there since the 70s. He had a house and one little parcel left, so I bought it from him. My plan is to build two twin homes there...so four units total. I’m excited, it is something new to play around with and see how I Iike the developing aspect of business.”

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AG FOCUS

Farmers Work in the Winter Too Well, most of us do. People often ask me, “What the heck do farmers do during the winter?” I know one thing is for sure, we do not sit on our behinds and binge watch Making A Murderer on Netflix, as some would assume. Me? As a semi-retired dairy farmer, I may sit on the couch and binge watch Medal of Honor, Jeopardy or The Vietnam War, but that is only because I have finished watching Making A Murderer. Just kidding. I mostly watch Netflix at night, after work, when I am tucked in my bed with the heated mattress pad so high, it’s about two minutes away from spontaneously combusting. Hubs, on the other hand, is probably outside until 7 p.m. doing some sort of odd job. For instance, this week I know he had several odd jobs to do outside. One evening he was repairing the passenger window in my 2009 baby-blue Volkswagen convertible. I couldn’t find the time to help repair it, but I did have the time to rip it apart. I wanted to have it fixed before I put it in storage for the winter. Seems he is always finishing my odd jobs. Another night, he was fixing a hydraulic pump on the loader of our tractor so that he could use it to clean out the barn. We have one garage, three stalls and the night he was working on the tractor, I had to use miniscule-maneuvering to get my Beetle jammed in there tighter than me in a pair of my high school jeans. Who am I kidding? It was a pair of jeans from last summer. They shrunk. Hubs managed to get the tractor repaired and started cleaning out all of our barns. We have several different housing facilities on our farm: open-front shed, enclosed loafing barn and an enclosed, clay-block calving barn. Our loafing barn is very unconventional when considering a dairy barn. There are no stalls, no gutters and our cows lay around chewing their cud, all willy-nilly. We put mounds of sawdust or chopped up corn stalks in there for the cows to lounge around on. And do they lounge. It is quite comfortable 26

January | February 2019

Kerry Hoffman AG CONTRIBUTOR

But it’s our job to encourage youngsters to seriously consider becoming involved in the agricultural industry. When we host tours of young people on our dairy farm, I always tell them, “Just because you didn’t grow up on a farm, doesn’t mean you can’t work in the agricultural industry. The opportunities are endless.” for the cows, but twice a year we need to haul all the bedding material out of the barn. Our loafing area in that barn is 150feet long and about 50-feet wide. The bedding? Well, it’s about four feet deep in that entire area; we just top it off with fresh bedding every day. That’s a lot of bedding to move out of the barn and spread on our fields for fertilizer. If only cows could clean up after themselves. Oh they can spread fertilizer on the fields, but only when they escape the confines of the barn. Then they spread fertilizer all willy-nilly. Even though the need for me to work off the farm keeps me out of most chores, Hubs doesn’t do it all by himself. We have amazing employees that help us out on a daily basis here on our farm. Our herdsman is a full-time employee and we also use the labor of four others to help us out in the evenings. It’s hard to find a dairy farm that doesn’t use hired labor anymore. We also have other acquaintances that help us out when we are doing big jobs like moving manure, making hay or filling our silos with silage, which is chopped up corn plants. Hubs has a friend that comes out to help spread the all-natural fertilizer on the fields. He has also helped us bale hay, wrap hay, haul manure, spread manure and anything else we ask of him. Sometimes he brings his kids, and nieces and nephews along to show them our farm. A few days later we get these adorable thank-you, self-drawn pictures of the farm. Most of them have “Mooooo,” scribbled all over the page. I was trying to work my writing back

around to reference the story I wrote for this issue, but I seemed to have kept writing and now I am not sure how to bring it back around to my main idea. Anyway, one major concern in the agricultural industry is the need for young people to want to enter the professional field of agricultural production. Yes, it is a profession. Now days, the margins are tighter, the work force smaller and farm owners are pushed to the limit to fine-tune expenses and income to limit the losses. But it’s our job to encourage youngsters to seriously consider becoming involved in the agricultural industry. When we host tours of young people on our dairy farm, I always tell them, “Just because you didn’t grow up on a farm, doesn’t mean you can’t work in the agricultural industry. The opportunities are endless.” There are young people out there that have found their niche in agriculture. We need to focus on the opportunities agriculture provides to every employable person out there. My story for this issue involves Parker Neid and how his hard work is paying off in the ag-sector. He’s worked hard. He is but one small cog in the ag industry. He is in school to become a mechanic. We need guys like this, because Hubs can’t fix everything that breaks on a tractor just before we clean out the barns. Life is good in the agricultural industry! Until next time, may all your sunsets be red! Kerry and her husband Steve own and operate a dairy production business in rural New Ulm. Currently, they are milking 140 cows with the help of one full-time employee and several part-time helpers.

Got an agriculture related story idea? Email our correspondent Kerry Hoffman at kahoffman@newulmtel.net

Neid Excited to be Part of the Ag Industry Parker Neid is ensuring his spot in the future of the agricultural industry. A “city kid” that worked on the farm and loved fixing things. He’s an accomplished student and a great person all around. According to his professor, “Parker loves learning!” Some times we worry about the next generation having the will to work hard. Then you meet a kid like Parker. How old were you when you absolutely knew that you wanted to be an ag mechanic? I’ve grown up driving and working on ag equipment, so I naturally took a liking to it. I knew that I wanted to work on machines since I was at least 10 years old, but I knew I wanted to be an Ag Service Technician when I started my On the Job Training program my junior year of high school at Kibble Equipment. I currently work at Kibble Equipment where I get to work on and learn about the machines before I even get to work on them at school.

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

Can you describe for us all the toy machinery you had as a kid and what kind of farm you operated on the living room floor? I first started out playing with small-scale tractors and implements and had my farms set up in the living room. The small-scale tractors soon grew to larger metal tractors and wooden real-life farm buildings, which I had permanently set up in my basement. Along with tractors, I had a large collection of Lego sets which I also had set up. I enjoyed playing with both sets because it allowed me to be creative and sparked my love for farming, equipment and building things. Did you grow up on a farm? If so, where and what did the farm consist of? I grew up helping my dad on the farm (I live in town) since I was 7 years old. We farm 185 acres of corn and 185 acres of soybeans. What made you join FFA? I joined FFA in 7th grade because it

seemed like a great way to get to know my classmates being it was my first year at Sleepy Eye Public since transferring. My dad was in FFA when he was in high school and his experiences influenced me to join. The more I interacted and involved myself within the Chapter, I started taking on different member and leadership roles and going out of my comfort zone. How much of a role did your instructor play in your decision to try out for the Proficiency Award? When I started at Haala Industries, I never expected to put together a Proficiency application based on the work I was completing. It was Mrs. Hoffmann that explained to me that my welding experiences fit perfectly within the Agriculture Mechanics Design and Fabrication Proficiency. I was also working on my Proficiency in Diversified Crop Production application, which had more records and more time invested into it. Mrs. Hoffmann suggested to me that I focus on my Agriculture Mechanics Design and Fabrication application because of the

increased chances of moving farther in the competition. She helped me refine both of my applications for top-level competition. After judging and interviewing at the Regional level, both applications qualified for State Convention. Again, both applications were judged, and I was extremely excited to find out that they both were 1st place at the state level, but only one could go to National Convention. I ultimately chose my Agriculture Mechanics Design and Fabrication application because of Mrs. Hoffmann’s words of encouragement and the large amount of time I put into the application process. Her expertise and FFA knowledge led me to be the FFA member I am today. She has been a positive influence in all of my experiences throughout my time in FFA. Because I am not familiar with FFA, can you describe for me what the award is that you received at National Convention? I was a National Proficiency Finalist in the area of Agriculture Mechanics Design and Fabrication. I believe there CONNECT Business Magazine

AG FOCUS

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were 37 individuals who qualified nationally with the same type of application and out of that only four people and their applications were selected to be finalists, one of which was me! During National Convention, I interviewed with a panel of judges who scored my application and me. Based on my score, which was compared to the other three scores, a winner was selected. Although I did not win, I still had the opportunity to be on stage during the session in front of everyone to receive my plaque and $500. It was a great experience and a great way to cap off my high school FFA career. What is your favorite thing to repair and what is your least favorite? My favorite things to repair are machines, equipment and vehicles. I enjoy the challenge of taking something apart, fixing it, and being able to put it back together and having it be operational. There isn’t anything specific that I do not thoroughly enjoy working on. Minor setbacks are always frustrating when working on a variety of machines, especially if they are not anticipated. However, these things happen and working through them only expands my learning. What are your future goals? My future goal is to graduate from South Central College with a degree as a Service Technician and to start working full time in a shop, primarily the Kibble Equipment in my home town. Along with finishing college, I want to continue to help with my FFA Chapter and help with some of the high school sports teams I was on. Can you tell me about the scholarship you were awarded at South Central? I understand it was quite the accomplishment. I received the Glen A. Taylor Presidential Scholarship from South Central College which covers full academic tuition. I applied for and received a general scholarship through South Central. Because of the scholarship, I was granted an interview with the President and others from South Central College’s Academics and Student Affairs. I was extremely excited when I received a phone call from the South Central College President, Dr. Parker, explaining to me that I was one of the recipients for this scholarship. Having this scholarship allows me to focus on my education and not have to worry about paying for college. There are a few stipulations pertaining to this scholarship such as maintaining a 3.5 GPA, completing all of my classes, taking a leadership role in a student organization, becoming a member of an academic club, and advocating for the school and community. GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Parker Neid Age: 19 Hometown: Sleepy Eye, Minnesota Family Members: Mom, Jan; Dad, Bria; Sister, Hayley College: South Central College, North Mankato Program: Agribusiness Service Technician 28

January | February 2019

CONNECTING BACK 2014 Our Business Person of the Year in 2014 was Mike Pinske of AmeriCare Mobility Van providing an important service to our region. Second runner up was Julie Schmillen executive director of Habitat for Humanity South Central Minnesota. Growing up in St. James, Schmillen learned from an early age the importance of serving others. Third runner up was Brian Benshoof, CEO of MRCI. The nonprofit organization that serves individuals with disabilities and disadvantages celebrated its 65th year of operation in 2018.

2009 President of the Mankato-based, $155 million HickoryTech Corporation, John Finke, was our Business Person of the Year in 2009. The Business Person of the Year Runner-Up that year was a community-involved, fourth-generation St. Peter banker with a one-of-akind management style; Sam Gault of Nicollet County Bank. The other Runner-Up was Dale Brenke of Schmidt Siding and Window Company. He helped transform the Mankato home improvement company into national industry leader.

2004 Fifteen years ago, we celebrated our 10th anniversary with special coverage. We revisited more than 40 former cover story subjects to see what was new with them. We also highlighted the 2004 business Person of the Year Lorin Krueger of the $20 million Winland Electronics.

1999 Twenty years ago a woman who remains a leader in our business community graced our cover: Maureen Gustafson. At the time, she was president of the Mankato Area Chamber and Convention Bureau. Also featured were Cuddy Energy Systems and the Robert Fitzsimmons and Sons farm near Good Thunder, where four of Robertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sons run a corporate partnership devoted exclusively to raising and selling hogs. CONNECT Business Magazine

Action Sports owner Jim Swenson among some of his dealership's offerings, including an Action Trackchair all-terrain wheelchair his family developed and manufactures.

January | February 2019

By Michael Lagerquist Photo by Kris Kathmann

One business leads to another and another and another in Marshall. You might as well call Jim Swenson of Marshall “The Action Man.” Anchored by Action Sports, a complete motor sports and marine servicing and selling dealer located near the intersections of Minnesota Highways 23 and 59, Swenson has several businesses – from landscaping and design to storage and automobiles – all operating under the “Action” name. It all started in 1979 when his father, Tim Swenson, purchased Marshall Small Engine and Repair in downtown Marshall and began selling Stihl, Homelite and Husqvarna chain saws. Together, father and son used foresight, ingenuity and, well, action, to create their successful businesses. Sitting in a conference room at Action Sports on a November afternoon, decked out in a cap listing “Dirt. Guns. Storage.” and a sweatshirt for Action Landscape and Design, Jim Swenson, 42, powered through their business history. Swenson stresses there has been no “grand plan” in building this Action empire. More, it’s a matter of taking opportunities, adding hard work, and building success. And when you ask him about how the business works, the answer tends to come out in a well-organized list of opportunities and solutions. “My dad has always been a big-picture guy,” Jim says, referring to the Action Sports facility that includes a total of 32,400 square feet in four buildings. “This facility, even back 20 years ago, was super huge. To put this facility up 20 years ago, at 18,000 square feet, that’s bigger than the car dealers in town.” “He had a vision and it worked. Hard work and vision really pays off.” continues > CONNECT Business Magazine

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By the time Tim Swenson sold the original Marshall Small Engine Repair to an employee in 1986, he had added Polaris snowmobiles, and had bought out Yamaha and its lines of snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles. He would ultimately buy adjacent buildings to accommodate his expanding business, but eventually he would still run out of room. “I think he was renting five different storage buildings, including the two he had on location,” Jim says. “He just outgrew it.”

“I THINK HE WAS RENTING FIVE DIFFERENT STORAGE BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE TWO HE HAD ON LOCATION. HE JUST OUTGREW IT.”

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January | February 2019

The growth continued. According to their website at “shopyourwaytofun.com,” the marine division was added in 1988 with the acquisition of Yamaha outboard products. Alumacraft boats were added in 1990, with Polaris personal watercraft, PortaDocks and PortaLifts, and ShoreLand’r trailers soon to follow. Larson boats were added in 1998 and Palm Beach pontoons in 2000. Ski-Doo snowmobiles came aboard in 1994, with Honda motorcycles, scooters and ATVs also added. With these various lines come clothing and accessories. In the fall of 1997, the move was made to their current location, at the time only one of a few businesses in the area. Businesses already in the area included Walmart, Super 8, the Cenex, Runnings and Quist Moving and Storage, he says. The City of Marshall was ready

Marshall Action Company

All things action

Jim Swenson owner of Action Sports in Marshall, Minnesota has always had a passion for dirt. Yes, dirt. So much so that he has developed several hobbies around that passion: landscaping, tree trimming, excavating, irrigation and lawn care. He decided to turn those sideline hobbies into another business. Under the umbrella, Action Company, Jim shares what he calls a common sense approach to cost efficiency that has also made Action Sports a success. It may seem convoluted to offer so many varying services under one business, but to Swenson it makes sense and it works. He says you just need a creative mind, the right equipment, and the right team. That combination works with a variety of clients and projects around the region, to get the jobs done quickly and cost effectively. ÎÎ One service Action Company provides is that of landscaping and lawn care working with both commercial and residential clients. This department offers everything from shrub installation and removal to new lawn and sodding. Likewise they can install or repair irrigation systems for commercial or residential. ÎÎ Action Company also has a tree service that includes stump grinding, tree trimming and tree removal. Trenching is also available on large scale for projects such as telephone lines or smaller scale such as for an electric fence. He can also do underground boring 18 inches deep and up to 30 ft. long. ÎÎ Swenson’s snow removal service runs the gamut as he has several commercial parking lot clients and also does snow haul out and salting services. ÎÎ Through Action Company excavation service he offers all types of dirt work, grove clean up, metal debris clean up, basement digging, back filling, even brush and forestry mowing.

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ÎÎ Action Company, though, also offers services unrelated to dirt. For instance, storage solutions. Swenson can provide 20 foot onsite construction offices, 20 or 40 foot storage containers, and he even has self storage available. ÎÎ Guns are another interest he has turned into a business. As a class 2 manufacturer he deals with all types of guns: shotguns, rifles, pistols, silencers and class 3 machine guns.

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FAMILY OF ACTION to make the investment, he says. “They put electrical and water underneath Highway 23. It was just a farm field,” Jim says. “But if you think about it, Highways 59 and 23 intersect here. The two busiest intersections in southwest Minnesota are right here.” Even as a 12-year-old kid, Jim was a participant in the businesses when setting up lawn maintenance. He studied hydraulic fluid technology in Granite Falls and worked as a manufacturer’s representative in Minneapolis in the off-road industry for a few years before getting a call from his dad who had lost a key salesman. “‘Hey, I know it’s never been the plan, but would you think about coming back to be a salesman?’,” Jim remembers his dad asking. “And I’m like, ‘Well, I guess we’d better think about it.’” He did return to Action Sports in 1999 and became general manager in 2004. He and his wife, Teah, bought out Tim and

THE SAME SORT OF YEAR-ROUND SERVICING APPLIES TO PERSONAL CUSTOMERS AS WELL. ONE POPULAR SERVICE THEY OFFER IS TAKING A BOAT RIGHT OFF THE LAKE IN THE FALL, FOR EXAMPLE, AND WINTERIZING IT. THEY OFFER AN INDOOR STORAGE PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES WINTER HOMES FOR THEIR PRODUCTS. IN THE SPRING, THEY CAN CLEAN THE BOAT AND HAVE IT READY FOR THE LAKE. Donna Swenson in 2009. “For five years, I really, really worked on the service aspect of it because I knew to have a business succeed through the tough times, it’s good to have a really good service base and make sure you’re making money on service,” he says. “I really, really stressed that for five years and we succeeded. Then 2009 hit and it was devastating, but

we made it because we run a lean, mean machine.” Tim was supposed to retire then, but retirement doesn’t come easily to men in the Swenson family. Just ask Tim’s father – Jim’s grandfather – Earl, who, at age 97, is still operating Swenson Equipment & Distributing in Oklee, Minnesota, which he founded in 1952. It was after his supposed

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January | February 2019

Marshall Action Company

retirement that Tim started tinkering with what would become Action Trackchair (see accompanying sidebar on page 37). When the recession hit in 2009, Jim’s emphasis on service bore fruit. “In a recession [customers] may not buy something new. But they still have something that’s going to break,” he says. “So, if you can capture the repairs you’re

capturing something.” His technicians were spending too much time with pens in their hands rather than wrenches, he says, so they hired their first service writer. They now have two on their staff of about 20 employees. Action Sports works not only with the individuals who come in for a new boat, ATV or four-wheeler, but they have accounts with businesses

and the Department of Natural Resources. “We are an approved vendor for the DNR for all of their four-wheelers in this area,” he says. “They bring all of their boats and motors, and four-wheelers in this area.” “All of their officers have four-wheelers, they all have snowmobiles, they all have boats, so they just come here and we do a preseason check and if there are any problems we get them fixed. We do have a crop consulting company that leases a lot of four-wheelers from us to check crops.” The same sort of year-round servicing applies to personal customers as well. One popular service they offer is taking a boat right off the lake in the fall, for example, and winterizing it. They offer an indoor storage program that provides winter homes for their products. In the spring, they can clean the boat and have it ready for the lake. “So they really don’t have to worry about anything. They literally drop it running

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FAMILY OF ACTION

January | February 2019

Marshall Action Company

Family HAS traction

When Tim Swenson sold Action Sports of Marshall to his son, the idea was that Tim would retire. Instead, he went to the hobby shop next to his former business and set to work on a project that would change the lives of physically active people who were limited by disability, limited mobility or age. Tim’s son, Jeff, has been confined to a wheelchair since 1998. He saw this wheelchair-snowmobile hybrid with tracks as a way to allow people like his son back onto soft, uneven surfaces they couldn’t maneuver on their own. By January 2009 he had a working model, and in July 2009 he got a patent pending, his son says. Having been in the motorsports business, he had a built-in network of family and friends for distributors, “and it just kind of grew from there.” “Since he was in the snowmobile industry, he understood that tracks are really good for snow, sand and mud,” Jim Swenson says. “He called up Camoplast [now called Camso] that makes the tracks and he found a track that kind of fit his needs that they already built.” He bought their remaining inventory. Imagine a wheelchair equipped with a triangle-shaped track on either side. Now, add the functionality of a seat that tilts forward and backward, and even allows the user to be lifted vertically, virtually standing up in the chair. Accessories can be added to help carry equipment, protect the user from the elements and help them fully enjoy outdoor activities. “Our veterans were generally outdoors people to begin with, so we’ve been selling to them from the first,” Tim Swenson told the Marshall Independent newspaper in July 2013. “With battlefield medicine these days, people are getting blown up and surviving. We’ve sold chairs to quadruple amputees.” In November of this year, Tim Swenson was at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, to present a chair as part of a larger trip to visit to dealers who are family and friends. The Action Trackchair comes in adult and youth sizes, and can be adapted not only for activities, but to accommodate a growing user. The Action Trackchair ST starts at $11,300. It is shown on the website in a camouflage paint design. The Action Trackchair NT has a narrow width so it can fit through standard door openings. The Action Trackstander TR is FDA approved, can lift the user to a standing position, and can be driven while standing or sitting. List price for the TR is $24,150. Chairs can be personalized when ordered, or accessories can be added later. Accessories include a carrier for vehicles, arm rest with pockets, four-point harness, head rest, an attendant control, cup/beverage holder, fishing rod holder, utility tray with brackets, hi-low gun rack and a uni-mount rifle rest. A front wheel kit can be added to increase stability. Jim Swenson operates Midwest Trackchair, one of seven distrib-

utorships across the nation, out of Action Sports in Marshall. His website at midwesttrackchair.com includes several testimonials on what it has meant to buyers: “Action Trackchair, has meant the difference to me of really living without fear!” says Michael S. Hoff. “I am able to go places and do things that I haven’t been able to do for 16 years. All with the confidence that I will be able to get there and get back out again! It has redefined the statement confined to a wheelchair.” Kirk Woodfill says he is now able to fully participate in activities instead of being a spectator: “The difference between attending outdoor activities and being fully involved in outdoor activities has been the use of [an] Action Trackchair. For 33 years I have been attending snowmobile snow cross events across the upper Midwest and until this year I have always been ‘placed’ in the best viewing spot but that is where I stayed. With the use of the Action Trackchair I was able to move about the entire race course and roam the complete pit area visiting with friends like never before.” The internet is also filled with stories of veterans who have received Trackchairs through the charitable efforts of veterans’ organizations. The Action Trackchair is a product of Action Manufacturing of Marshall. Although some components are purchased from other producers, the chairs are built on-site using equipment for laser cutting, powder coating, robotic welding, tube bending and machining.

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January | February 2019

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SWENSON SAID HE USUALLY BEGINS HIS DAY BY STOPPING IN AT ACTION SPORTS, WALKING THROUGH AND GREETING HIS EMPLOYEES, THEN SITTING DOWN WITH GENERAL MANAGER CHRIS ZENT TO FIND OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING THAT DAY. ONCE HE LEAVES THERE, HE’S NEVER MORE THAN A EMAIL OR A TEXT AWAY IF SOMETHING COMES UP. and pick it up running,” he says. “They just have us do everything in between.” Because many equipment owners can’t transport them when they’re broken, they’ve added a service where they will pick up larger pieces of equipment, bring them to the shop to service, then return them when they’re done. This established relationship puts Action Sports in position to help their customers when they want to buy a new boat, trade up to a nicer model, even expand their summer hobbies with winter counterparts, or accessorize with matching clothing. “If they have a lake home, they can come in and we can get them hooked up with the docks and lifts, we can get them the fishing boat, we can get them the Sea-Doo [personal watercraft]. “Then they can come in in the winter,” he continues. “If they have a four-wheeler, we can get them hooked up with pushing snow with a blade. If they like to ice fish we can get them chains on the wheels. If they like to be out in the cold, we have cold-weather wear – boots, gloves, mittens, coats, bibs.” Swenson said he usually begins his day by stopping in at Action Sports, walking through and greeting his employees, then sitting down with general manager Chris Zent to find out what’s happening that

Marshall Action Company

day. Once he leaves there, he’s never more than an email or a text away if something comes up. “Yes, I am everywhere all the time,” he says when asked how he does everything. “The technology in your pocket, you know, you can really be a lot of places at once with email and texting.” The additional business opportunities have come about in a variety of ways, he says. “I bought the container business from a local businessman here in 2014. He came to me because I had the right truck…so that kind of fit. The landscaping thing was the spring of 2017. My project manager actually came into Action Sports looking for a job. When Chris got that resume and everything was ‘landscape, landscape, landscape,’ he said, ‘Jim, you’ve got to take a look at this.’ It took a couple of months to figure it out, and it was a good fit. We’ve been busy ever since.” The website for Action Company LLC lists the following services: landscaping and lawn care, tree service, trenching, irrigation, snow removal, underground boring, excavation, storage solutions and guns. This description on the website sums up his business philosophy nicely: “[Jim] wants to share his common sense approach to cost efficiency that has made Action Sports so successful. He wants to put that knowledge to work for you. With a creative mind and the right equipment, Jim and his team will help you with your project and get it done quickly and cost effectively.” He is, after all, “The Action Man.”

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THE ESSENTIALS

Action Sports 301 MN-23 Marshall, MN 56258 Phone: 507-532-9649 Web: www.shopyourwaytofun.com Action Trackchair 1105 Lake Road Marshall, MN 56258 Phone: 507-532-5940 Web: www.actiontrackchair.com Action Companies Phone: 507-829-5107 CONNECT Business Magazine

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vehicle technology might fit into their business plans.” Jones says partnering with communities and businesses for projects like Recharge Mankato is a win-win for the University, the students and the communities they serve. “We believe that the best way to prepare students for careers in industry is to give them opportunities to work on projects similar to those they will see in industry. What better way to prepare for those activities than to work with industry while going to school!” he says. “These projects require students to work with limited budgets, communicate with professional engineers from a variety of companies and from a variety of locations. They need to learn how to identify the information they need to perform a specific task and how to effectively communicate those needs to others in order to get what they need.

“Students in the AET program have been involved with electric vehicle projects since competing in the first Sunrayce, GM Sunrayce USA, that ran from Orlando, Florida, to Warren, Michigan, in 1990. The University competed in five more Sunrayce events running across the U.S. Participating in solar races that ran across the United States brought a lot of recognition to the program and the things we were doing,” explains Jones. “It helped us get grants to conduct research in electric and hybrid vehicles that allowed students to work directly with government officials that were developing public policy, start-up companies developing new technology and also established companies trying to learn how electric

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“Partnerships like these allow us to provide opportunities to students using the latest technology and many times technology that has not been released to the general public. Without these arrangements we simply would not have the budget to obtain the equipment we have access to.” The collaboration between these stakeholders strives to engage the region around electric vehicle adoption and infrastructure to position Mankato to lead the state in the emerging clean energy economy.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

Betty Ouren

Lisa Cownie EDITOR

Vice President of Human Resources and Marketing, MinnStar Bank, Mankato and Lake Crystal

What community organizations are you involved in. I am currently involved with City Center Partnership in several ways. I am on the CCP Board, Chair of the CCP Marketing & Promotions Committee, and member of the Old Town Association Group. I am also currently involved with the Minnesota Valley Action Council, Warm Your Heart fundraising committee. We are planning our 7th annual event and I have been a part of all of them. I am a long term member of the Southern Minnesota Human Resources Association. (SMAHRA) Tell me a bit about your family. I have been married to my husband Todd for 34 years. Todd and I are graduates of MSU Mankato. We lived in the Minneapolis area for several years after 44

January | February 2019

graduating. We chose to move back to Mankato in 1993 to raise our family – it always felt like home here. We have 3 grown sons, Ken who lives in Minneapolis, Eric who lives in Mankato, and Matt, a Gustavus College student. I loved having three boys and driving them to all of their events all over the country. I really miss it and I think I am still working through the empty nest thing. The fun part is that we now have more time to travel, spend more time with friends and attend events that happen right here in Mankato. You are so busy! What are your top three “keys” to staying organized

and productive each day? First of all, I always give myself two BIG missed meetings/events per year. Especially when my kids were younger, if I missed a doctor/ dentist appointment or a game or a meeting, I just told myself no one is perfect and moved on. That said, I like to be on time, if I’m late or always running behind it takes more energy. I also like to know what the next thing is that I plan to do and have it waiting. That way I know what I will be doing next and I don’t have to waste time thinking about it - which means sometimes my desk gets a little messy! I pretty much have a list for everything I do.

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

There are self-help books, motivational blogs and leadership symposiums to help the business and entrepreneurial-minded make the most of each day to maximize productivity. Connect Business Magazine, though, recognizes we have great resources right in our own communities. So we are going right to local business leaders to give all of you a glimpse into how they manage their days. The goal is that readers may be able to take away little tidbits to incorporate into their own lives to be at their best in and out of the office! This issue we feature Betty Ouren: mom, community leader and powerful professional. Ouren is Vice President of Human Resources and Marketing for MinnStar Bank. She is responsible for staffing administration, marketing and bank philanthropy. She has been with MinnStar for 22 years... and counting! Ouren was also the 2017 recipient of Greater Mankato Growth’s Hap Halligan Award for leadership, an honor Ouren has certainly earned through her involvement in many civic-minded projects.

Do you have any routines that you can share with us that you do each day. A quote I heard 30 years ago ‘Every act of kindness done makes life nicer for someone’ has always stuck with me. Only it doesn’t only make life nicer for that someone, it makes life better for you. I maybe don’t do it everyday, but it sure isn’t hard to give someone who isn’t expecting it a compliment. I’ve done the drive thru difference, handed out flowers to the school bus crossing lady and to the school lunch account lady, ice cream at the orthodontist office, coffee to the random walkers, or doughnuts to the hotel workers where I was staying. I hate to say it, but I might be doing it for selfish reasons. It is just such a great feeling to make someone’s day brighter. Congrats on receiving the Hap Halligan Leadership Award. GMG is a respected community organization and I am honored to be recognized by

“I like to empower and inspire others to be the best they can be. I do this by giving confidence and encouragement, guiding but not dictating. I’m willing to allow the person to make their own mistakes knowing they will learn even more.” them. Our community has so many good leaders and so many selfless volunteers, I am truly proud to call this home. The opportunities to lead and volunteer are endless - there is always more to be done. How would you describe your leadership style. I like to empower and inspire others to be the best they can be. I do this by giving confidence and encouragement, guiding but not dictating. I’m willing to allow the person to make their own mistakes knowing they will learn even more. I’m always available if and when they have

questions or issues. Good leaders will earn the respect of others and show respect in return. I try to be a good communicator and keep others informed, be appreciative, set a good example, put others first, and show empathy. What is the last thing you do before you leave the office each day. Look at my calendar to see what I have the next day or two. That way I can plan out how my tomorrow will work. Of course there are always surprises to be side tracked by but having the plan helps me get back on track after the distraction has been resolved.

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ENTREPRENEURIAL INSIGHT

Owner, River City Eatery in Windom In the 1700s the word entrepreneur entered our vocabulary, meaning adventurer. The meaning has been honed over the centuries and is now widely regarded as one who launches and runs a new business. However, entrepreneurs remain adventurers at heart, taking on great risks based on an idea or expertise one has developed in hopes of making a profit. While we identify entrepreneurs as adventurers, Mari Harries describes herself as more of a dreamer. She will tell you, the sheer desire to make her dream a reality pretty much directed every business decision she has had to make. 46

January | February 2019

“I’m a dreamer, always have been, almost to a fault,” she says. “River City Eatery is my dream, my heart and my soul, and I’m determined to make River City Eatery a story to tell among the respected stories of the history of downtown Windom.” Windom, population around 4,500, is her hometown. So after a good amount of traveling around the country and the world, she knew it was there she would take all she learned from her time away to start her own business. “Since I was born and raised in rural Windom, I always had the classic ‘I can’t wait to leave this place and explore the world’ mentality and college became that chance. After three years studying English Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, I ironically transferred to Winona State University to be closer to home!” she explains. “After graduating with a degree in English,

Lisa Cownie EDITOR

I naturally - ha! - pursued my dream to open my own place. But as a recent college grad with no money, no credit, no experience, I was quickly denied any financial support from pretty much every avenue possible.” Not one to be deterred, she took jobs that would give her experiences to set her up for own gig...eventually. “I got a job working for Prom Management Group, a traveling catering company. It was the perfect job for me at the time because I got to live in Windom near family and friends, but travel across the country to various professional golf tournaments to cater in corporate tents. It really opened my eyes to the possibilities in the food business,

PHOTO: KRIS KATHMANN

Mari Harries

Bringing the World to Windom Harries brings her experiences and insights from world travel to her hometown of Windom. “I was raised to believe the world is at my fingertips if I’m willing to listen, learn and work hard for it. In all my travels, and I have done my fair share, trying to find where I fit, where I belong, nothing ever compared to the comfort and possibility that exists for me here in my hometown of Windom, Minnesota. So I took all the most wonderful things I had once enjoyed at numerous cafes, coffeeshops and restaurants around the world, along with my own ideas, and with the support of amazing friends and family, I am the proud owner of River City Eatery in beautiful, historic downtown Windom.”

which only made my desire to open my own restaurant more and more exciting.” She eventually took an office job, but after spending three years behind a desk she told her husband she just couldn’t do it anymore. “I told him I just had to pursue opening a restaurant again,” she reflects. “There is really no other way to describe it other than having this creative beast inside of me that I needed to get out. I needed to open River City Eatery, or I thought I would literally go crazy, so I started tweaking my business plan again, figuring out how I was going to finance it, and all the other crazy stuff that comes along with starting a restaurant. It was no walk in the park, but I was pretty darn persistent and completely blinded by passion to make this restaurant brewing inside me a reality.” So in May of 2011, Harries purchased the building in downtown Windom and after six months of “flipping” the building with the help of family and friends, she opened in October of 2011. “We are on the downtown square. Windom’s downtown square is the heart of the community. When I opened - and still some people to this day - told me I had to be on the highway for exposure to succeed. I beg to differ. River City Eatery is special, just

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BUSINESS ADVICE THAT WORKS “The SBDC teamed me up with a consultant who had been in the hospitality industry and could identify my strengths and weaknesses, and direct me so that I was a complete package. I could not have done it without them.” Renae Groskreutz JR’s Barn, Waldorf Contact the Small Business Development Center to develop a personalized plan myminnesotabusiness.com or call 507-389-8875 MSU Strategic Partnership Center, 424 North Riverfront Drive, Suite 210, Mankato, MN POWERED BY

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ENTREPRENEURIAL INSIGHT like downtown Windom. I want people to connect with the community, to stop for a second during their busy day without hearing or seeing the rush of traffic, to just enjoy.” Her hunch paid off and in June of 2016 she purchased the building next door to expand and continue to grow, fueled by Harries’ passion...and her good food. “I like to consider River City Eatery a New American restaurant, mostly because

I feel like it’s the only way to describe a restaurant that colors outside the lines. We pride ourselves in a unique menu by taking familiar foods, especially Minnesota comfort foods, and giving them our own fresh approachable twist. We have a passion for good fresh food, which is why we don’t have a fryer, we don’t do burgers, and we stay unique to our own vision of food to give people an experience they have never had.”

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Part of her philosophy is that she believes food is an art. She likes to take familiar foods and give them a fresh, modern twist. There are so many flavors, colors, textures and fresh seasonal foods to play with that she uses those to make every day at River City Eatery a satisfying one. “At the heart of what we offer is just to give people an opportunity to connect with each other around a table, to celebrate no matter what is happening that day in their lives,” she says. “My Danish roots call it Hygge. My most favorite memories are around a table with good company, good food and good drinks. I want to give that to people. Oh, and I was put on Earth to do this. I get to use every inch of my being, of my creativity. I’m challenged every day, multiple times a day. And my work is never finished.” Not only is the food unique, but her collection of oddities, inspirational pieces and conversation starters makes River City Eatery one-of-a-kind. “I hope that all who enter River City Eatery delight in its comfortable atmosphere, eclectic style, and appreciation for old things with new purpose. In fact, we think it’s kind of cool to recycle, and it’s actually quite liberating to think outside the box!” To be successful, Harries says she has surrounded herself with like-minded people. “I haven’t done this all myself. These are the people I’m proud to call my staff, my team and my family. Each of these people bring their own unique qualities to our establishment, and I can’t thank them enough for their hard work, dedication and comradery.” With the right location and the right staff, Harries believes she is headed in the right direction for the future. “Pinch me. This is beyond what I ever dreamed of with limitless potential. I can’t wait to see where it continues to take me, my staff, and all the beautiful people that walk into our doors willing to let us give them an experience.” THE ESSENTIALS

River City Eatery 344 10th Street Windom, MN 56101

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Phone: 507-832-8383 Website: rivercityeatery.com

January | February 2019

HOT STARTZ! MANKATO

PHOTO: KRIS KATHMANN

Exclusively Diamonds After 38 years in business, Exclusively Diamonds continues to grow prompting a move to a bigger space at 1601 Adams Street in Mankato. “The larger showroom has a more extensive Rolex buildout, increases our bridal/ engagement ring space, and provides ample space for us to host our annual Holiday Party and Ladies’ Night complete with live music and catering,” says Maria Person, Vice President of Exclusively Diamonds. She says the focal point of the new building is a magnificent crystal chandelier. “It has more than 570 crystals and really is a statement piece for our showroom. We also love our new Vetter Stone wall and Cambria countertops, carefully chosen to complement the new building. It was a special goal of ours to feature some of Southern Minnesota’s finest products, many of which are used in constructions around the world,” says Person. Overall, though, the goal of the new space all comes down to one thing from the iconic Mankato company: providing a unique and special customer experience. “We have a passion for providing an

outstanding experience for our clients each and every time they enter the store,” says Person. “That motivates everything we do. Our customers are special to us. We feel it is our job to make their visit to Exclusively Diamonds the highlight of their day. It does not matter what stage of the jewelry buying cycle people are in – whether it is the very first time to buy a piece of jewelry or if they have several beautiful pieces – we offer the ultimate value in our products, services and expertise.” Exclusively Diamonds can now be found in the former Wells Federal Bank building on Adams Street. While the location has changed, Person says the core of who they

are, has not as they will continue to feature jewelry collections from around the world combined with their signature legendary service now in a new space that truly showcases what they have to offer. “Customers can look forward to a more luxurious browsing experience. Our new location offers several different areas for clients to lounge, drink coffee, or enjoy a glass of wine while they shop,” Person says. Exclusively Diamonds 1601 Adams Street Phone: 507-345-1658 Website: exclusivelydiamonds.com

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HOT STARTZ! WALDORF

To some, the old, almost-burned-down barn looked like something that needed to be leveled and taken away. But Joel and Renae Groskreutz saw something else. “It was a vision that God laid on my heart,” says Renae. “For the barn to be a place for laughter and for memories to be made. That is when we decided to revamp not only the barn but the entire yard. JR’s Barn does not only offer a barn but an outdoor beautiful location for weddings or just a place to have an amazing time together. Our intent is to bring joy and life to our community by offering a beautiful event farm for all ages to enjoy including weddings, family gatherings, proms, school reunions, and other events.” The Groskreutz’s started renovating the barn in January of 2017 and held their first wedding in July. The venue is located just outside Waldorf, Minnesota, about a 30 minute drive from Mankato. So far Renae says, JR’s Barn has proven to be popular. “We are so thankful for all of our wonderful couples that choose us,” says Renae. “It is always so fun to see how unique every couple is. As well as hosting family reunions and proms! Overall our goal is not to ‘make

the dollar bills,’ but to help each couple to have the day of their dreams.” The family is already making plans for more improvements and added amenities in the near future. “We will be adding a heating source for early spring and late fall events. Expanding our time range is important as we are an original 1912 barn. Adding heaters will allow our guests to be comfortable,” explains Renae. “We also are excited to be

in 50

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converting the corn crib into “Corn Crib Chapel” as an alternative for rainy weather. And we are looking forward to providing a Courtesy Shuttle Service that will allow couples to not worry about making it back to their hotel.” JR’s Barn 21573 45th Street Phone: 507-327-7047 Website: jrsbarn.com

PHOTO: KRIS KATHMANN

JR’s Barn

To be considered for HotStartz, tell us about a new business or new professional in the area by emailing editor@connectbiz.com.

NORTH MANKATO

PHOTO: KRIS KATHMANN

2 Pins Bakery With the opening of 2 Pins Bakery, Tony Friesen has come full circle in a career that has spanned three decades. “I’ve been in the baking industry for 30 years,” he explains. “Starting in my father’s shops, then at Hy-Vee and Friesen’s, and finally now my own shop: 2 Pins Bakery.” 2 Pins Bakery is a one-man show for Friesen. It opened in October on Belgrade Avenue in lower North Mankato. In his previous endeavors, he’ll admit, he tried to do too much. Friesen is building on those lessons. 2 Pins allows him to focus solely on baking, his real love in the kitchen. “We have many daily items, but special orders are my passion,” he says. “Cake decorating excites me more than anything. From birthday cakes and weddings to office party treats likes cookies and muffins, if it’s baking I’m all about it. 2 Pins is also allowing me to make amazing candies, snacks and breads.” While he is perfectly comfortable navigating recipes in a kitchen, he says running a business solo has been a bit of a learning curve. “Things have been very exciting from the start,” he says. “Figuring out how to

run a shop solo may have had some initial challenges, but I’m realizing it is allowing me more time to focus on community development projects that I participate in, which is super rewarding.” Community is another passion for Friesen. “The last year has been a whirlwind of changes for me and I can honestly say I am so happy with where I have landed, and that is thanks to my amazing community and their support,” he says. Friesen says the move to North Mankato’s Belgrade Avenue allows him to continue to be creative in his offerings and to continue

collaborating with businesses around him in his new neighborhood. “I am very excited to have partnered with Arizona Olive Oil in Lower North Mankato,” he says. “Coming across the river for me was super exciting, to be joining with all the excitement happening on Belgrade. This all just feels right.” 2 Pins Bakery 237 Belgrade Avenue Phone: 507-469-4850 Facebook: 2 Pins Bakery, by Tony Friesen

We approach every client, location, and project as unique and let collaboration lead us to the

RIGHT SOLUTION.

bolton-menk.com CONNECT Business Magazine

By Lisa Cownie Photo by Kris Kathmann

Waterville company is thriving in the competitive global market producing plastic injection molded parts. Around this region, Waterville, Minnesota is known as the home of Kamp Dels, the Sakatah Lake State Park and an eclectic mix of charming restaurants and bars. Mixed in with the small town feel of Waterville, population 1,945, is a player in the global injection molded plastics market: LCS Precision Molding, Inc. Reed Hart, owner of the now four-decade, family-owned operation, is proud of its location and the jobs its provides for the community. “Waterville is a terrific community to own a business in,” explains Hart. “Many of our employees live in Waterville or in one of the other communities nearby, and we’re proud of the fact that more than a few of these employees have been with us for 10, 15 or 20 years. For a business like ours these long-term employees are key. Quality is very important to our customers, and employees who understand the parts we make and know our customers, are key to customer satisfaction and our success.” The global injection molded plastics market is now an almost $300 billion industry. Increasing demand for plastics components in a variety of end-use industries is fueled by growth in industries that include packaging, automotive, electronics, home appliances, medical devices, as well as windows and doors. LCS Precision Molding, Inc. has been in business for more than 40 years with a plant, warehouse and office in Waterville. By industry standards, it’s a mid-sized company with 24 full-time employees, several part-time employees and even temp workers when demand is high. The injection molding process involves manufacturing of molded products by injecting molten plastic materials using heat into a mold and then solidifying them. LCS, though, long ago broke the mold for what its creator had envisioned. continues > 52

January | February 2019

Breaking The Mold

– LCS Precision Molding, Inc.

“The business was started in 1975 by Don Kaplan,” explains Hart. “He owned a Manufacturers Rep company and through that company he saw an opportunity to supply several of his customers with plastic molded parts. LCS, which was originally named Lake Country Sales, has slowly grown in size from a one machine side business to our current 15 injection molding presses.” Coming to Waterville, Minnesota also broke the mold for what Hart envisioned for his life. His education and career have taken him criss-crossing the country, before he and his family settled back in Waterville and took over the company that has deep roots in the community. “LCS was started by my father-in-law. He reached a point where he wanted to pull back from the businesses he owned and focus on his Elk farm,” explains Hart. “So my wife and I purchased LCS in 2006 and moved to Minnesota. “I’m originally from Ithaca near the finger lakes region of Upstate New York,” he continues. “After high school I moved west, first to Colorado, where I met my wife, then to Northern California where we both completed our college degrees at Cal State San Francisco. After working for a few years we moved back to Ithaca for graduate studies at Cornell University. I completed an MBA; my wife has a Masters in Industrial and Labor Relations. After graduate school we both spent many years working for Hewlett-Packard in California.

My wife, Julie Kaplan, worked for over 25 years in various human resources roles and I worked in Operations for Hewlett Packard’s North American Server business.” Hart had the education and the experience and brought his own vision with him to LCS. “Because of Don Kaplan’s work representing suppliers to window and door manufacturers, the fenestration industry has been and continues to be the central core of our customers,” says Hart. “We supply parts to Amesbury Truth, Andersen, Kolbe, Sierra Pacific, Weather Shield, and many more of the window and door companies throughout the Midwest and around the country. “Branching out from that core, though, we now work for a wide variety of industrial customers, supplying parts for recreation-related companies, motorsports, furniture, retail display, and companies in a number of other industries. Like all injection molders we pursue projects where we can partner with customers to supply high volume parts on a long-term basis, but we also are happy to work with customers on prototype or small run projects. For example, we have a customer that came to us 5 or 6 years ago to produce replica guitar bobbins for custom guitars. We still make a relatively small number of these parts each year, and hanging in our offices is a picture of a guitarist for James Taylor’s band on stage playing a guitar that has one of these LCS produced bobbins on it!”

Trends in Precision Molding Precision molding is becoming more popular and is the current trend used to address many manufacturing challenges. That is because it allows engineers to quickly address production issues using advanced tools. Tools that are so technologically advanced they can monitor the injection process and send alerts during a malfunction. There are tools to simulate mold flow and make changes to processes in real time. Companies can even program machines to alarm when operation is outside of tolerances. Another trend to watch is metal to plastic conversion. More and more manufacturers are considering changing metal parts and products to plastic. It’s not a new concept, the idea of metal to plastic conversion has been around for quite some time. Until now, some companies didn’t consider it as a viable solution. The industry had the idea that metal is superior to plastic. But they are finding that’s not always the case thanks to new materials and mixing processes. Today’s plastic can be stronger, lighter in weight, and more flexible in design.

January | February 2019

While some items may always need to be made from metal, the excuse of “it’s always been made this way” is becoming less and less of a reason to put off switching to plastic parts. Nearshoring is another trend to watch. This is the concept of outsourcing work to within the United States. Outsourcing to companies in Asia used to be understood as helping to lower costs in production, materials, and labor. But the industry found outsourcing overseas can have many hidden costs. It also dramatically impacts the timetable, potentially adding weeks to the schedule. Companies that require fast turnaround simply can’t afford that. Faster turnaround times also makes it easier to have a tighter reign on production and quality. If a production run contains a defect, the steps needed to fix the mistake are within reach and can be caught early on. Nearshoring reduces the amount of time it takes to receive the product while still letting companies take advantage of lower costs.

While Waterville was a far cry from what Hart and his family experienced in California, it has suited them well and Hart says is a great place to grow a business although it does come with its challenges. “The challenge we face is the same one faced by most manufacturers in southern Minnesota in these times of high employment – it’s often difficult to find local employees, particularly to staff 2nd and 3rd shifts,” says Hart. Economic and political challenges are also a constant presence. Shortly after Hart purchased the company, the recession of 20082010 hit the country...and his industry in particular, hard. “Because we do so much work for companies in the housing industry the great recession of 2008-2010 hit us very hard. It took some time to climb back out of that hole and get back to the revenue numbers we had in 2006-2007. Once we were able to do that we’ve been pleased with the growth we’ve been able to achieve, which has averaged a little over 10% per year,” says Hart. The key to that growth and success, Hart says, doesn’t come down to just the products, mostly it’s the people. “Our success has been the people we employ,” he says. “They enjoy working in the community they live in, and take pride in LCS. While there are types of parts where we have particular expertise, much of our competitive advantage comes from employees

“The challenge we face is the same one faced by most manufacturers in southern Minnesota in these times of high employment – it’s often difficult to find local employees, particularly to staff 2nd and 3rd shifts.” who do what it takes to make sure our customers get quality parts on time. On some thankfully rare occasions over the years, I or one of my employees, have couriered parts to customers to avoid an early production line shutdown. Engineers, plant managers, and purchasing managers remember vendors that go above and beyond as companies they want to do business with in the future. A number of times over the years we’ve gotten calls for quotes from someone we worked with in the past who’s moved to a new company and recommended us when it came time to look for an injection molder.” It’s not only the local employees Hart chooses carefully. “LCS carefully selects our vendors to ensure customers get the

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Breaking The Mold

– LCS Precision Molding, Inc.

best possible pricing on a project from planning phase through production parts,” he says. “These relationships allow us to bring the highest levels of experience and skill to bear on our projects, and we’ve only built relationships with companies that we know have a customer first philosophy.” Hart is proud of the company, the community, and the culture he’s built. LCS is a privately held corporation with stock held by Hart, his wife and his daughter, qualifying LCS as a Minority-Owned Business. “We first became certified several years ago when my daughter was working for us as our marketing manager,” Hart says. “She still helps out on a part-time basis with our marketing efforts, but now lives in New York City and has another job. Anyway, some customers either because of their own purchasing policies, or because of government-related contracts look for minority-owned vendors for their bid lists. There don’t tend to be many minority-owned manufacturers, to a large degree because manufacturing tends to be capital intensive, so that can often be a barrier to entry. Minority-owned businesses are more common in service-related industries with lower start-up capital requirements. The advantage is relatively small – it may help us to stand out and have an opportunity to quote where we might not have stood out in the past. “But more importantly, it’s something we’re proud of. So when my daughter researched it and found we qualified we went through the application process and noted it on our website and in our 56

January | February 2019

marketing materials.” Hart only takes a brief pause to look at where the company has been, as he knows the future will also have its challenges. “I am not a fan of the recent rounds of tariffs put on products sourced in China. I think it will be a net negative for our standing in the world, and for the U.S. economy. We are working with several customers who are looking at bringing parts they’re currently sourcing in China back to the U.S. I’m confident we can provide similar pricing, and much better lead times and service to these customers by making these parts in Waterville. While I don’t like the tariffs, I don’t think they’re going away anytime soon, and I think there will be a shift toward U.S. vendors for some types of plastic parts. We want to make sure that manufacturers in the upper Midwest think of LCS when these on-shoring decisions are made.” Editor Lisa Cownie writes from Mankato.

THE ESSENTIALS LCS Precision Molding, Inc. 119 South 2nd Street Waterville, MN 56096 Phone: 507-362-8685 Website: lcsplastics.com

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LCS can help take a project from design phase into full scale production. Their engineering department can assist with part design, prototyping, resin selection, and source the most cost effective tooling available through both domestic and Asian toolmaking partnerships. Their factory specializes in cost effective short run manufacturing, part assembly, min/max stocking programs, short lead times and consistent OTD record of >95%.

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January | February 2019

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BULLETIN BOARD Local Chamber and Economic Development News

Check Out What’s Happening In Your ! y t i n u m m o C

included Hy-Vee (Large Business), Slumberland Furniture (Small Business), Golden Tie Tuxes (Rising Star), and Fairmont Opera House, Inc. (Non-Profit). Visit FairmontChamber.org for nomination guidelines and information.

Greater Mankato Growth Rosi Back: Greater Mankato Growth, Visit Mankato, City Center Partnership and GreenSeam are looking forward to sharing their accomplishments from this past year and exciting plans for the future at the 2019 Annual Meeting. This completely redesigned event has moved from a luncheon to an evening event with an annual meeting preceding a social and sit-down dinner featuring a high-profile keynote speaker. Join us on Thursday, March 7, 2019 as we raise our glass to the companies, organizations and volunteers who partner with us to help our community thrive. Register at greatermankato.com/annual-meeting.

Lake Crystal Area Chamber

Blue Earth Chamber Cindy Lyon: The new GIANT Welcome Center is open at 1134 Giant Drive. Stop by and see the new digs. Opening of the Giant Memorabilia Museum will be announced soon. The Chamber partnered with B&G/Green Giant and the Movember Foundation for a giant “Moustache” national event. The Giant sported a giant ‘stache for the month of November and the Welcome Center hosted a variety of events around this fundraiser and men’s health awareness quest. We hope everyone enjoyed their Holiday Season and we wish you all a giant New Year!

Visit Fairmont Stephanie Busiahn: Things are heating up in the Fairmont area this winter! Minnesota’s favorite winter pastime will get your blood pumping at the Southern Minnesota Pond Hockey Championship, January 18-20. This annual event draws scores of hockey enthusiasts from across the region. Drill deep into winter tradition with an adventure in hardwater fishing! The Fairmont Lakes Foundation hosts their Annual Ice Fishing Tournament on January 26. Find more winter fun on our Facebook page or go to VisitFairmontMN.com!

Fairmont Area Chamber Ned Koppen: The Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce will be holding our Annual Banquet in February. We will honor area businesses with Large, Small, and New Business of the Year (Rising Star) Awards as well as Non-Profit of the Year. Last year, our honorees

January | February 2019

Julie Reed: The Lake Crystal Area Chamber is already in the planning stages for the upcoming Lake Days. Once again we will be hosting the “Battle of the Bands” competition parade which brings over 1400 enthusiastic high school musicians into town. After fifteen years of amazing high school talent with musicians, band directors and judges, we are looking to continue this event with a new parade coordinator. The Chamber will have a hard time filling the shoes of Dina Voit who has brought this kick off Lake Days event into to Lake Crystal. We are hopeful that we can continue to entertain and amuse parade goers again this year. Thank you Dina for your time and talents - you will be missed.

New Ulm Area Chamber Sarah Warmka: The New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce welcomes these new members: Credit Bureau of New Ulm, SpecSys Inc, AmericInn & Suites Sleepy Eye, and extended Human Resources, LLC. The 2019 Chamber Annual Meeting will be held January 24. The 6th Annual Women’s Networking Event, “Mingle With A Purpose: Heels and All,” will be held on February 21, with a new leadership development workshop, “Digging Deeper with our Red Heels,” taking place on February 22. Save the date for the Home & Health Show, March 22-24.

Region Nine Development Comm. Nicole Griensewic Mickelson: The second Friday of every month, Social Media Breakfast-Mankato gathers to share experiences and learn about a variety of different topics surrounding social media and digital marketing. These events are open to the public and always free to attend. To learn more about upcoming events, follow Social Media Breakfast-Mankato on Facebook. Social Media Breakfast-Mankato is sponsored by Region Nine Development Commission, the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Otto Media Group.

Submit your chamber news to editor@connectbiz.com

Small Business Development Center

Springfield Chamber

Julie Nelson: As demand for SBDC services continues to grow, we are pleased to announce that our team is growing, too. We are excited to welcome Jo Flitter: Bookkeeping and QuickBooks; Nancy Goodwin: Marketing Strategy; Tami Murphy: Human Resources; Wes Otto: Digital Marketing; and Gary Schott: serving Waseca County. Go to myminnesotabusiness.com to apply for services and get connected to one-on-one, personalized assistance from our professionals.

Denise Gicker: The Chamber has been actively planning our Holiday Open House event to encourage residents to Shop Local this holiday season. January will be a busy month and will include Bean Bags and Brunch. This event, scheduled for January 27, is open to the public and will include a bean bag tournament and a hot brunch. Watch for all the event details to be released soon!

St. James Economic Development Jamie Scheffer: The St. James Economic Development Authority is pleased to announce the sale of our 20,000 square foot spec building to Great River Energy (GRE). The building will house vehicles and equipment for Great River Energy’s line technicians, telecommunications and metering employees. Seven employees will be reporting out of the new facility.

St. James Area Chamber Joe McCabe: Highway 4 road construction is finished and St. James has the first mini-round-a-bouts on a state highway system in Minnesota. The front of the Collage Saint James has been restored to the original design of the building which was constructed in 1891, the Minnesota Historical Society provided partial funding for this project.

St. Peter Chamber Ed Lee: Joining the St. Peter Chamber recently were Mankato Symphony Orchestra and Ed Allen Designs. Winterfest is just around the calendar corner February 1 through 10, with marquee events being the Medallion Hunt, Polar Plunge and Winter-Slam (demolition derby). Watch for the 2019 Membership Directory/Resource Guides to be delivered to every home and Chamber-member business in St. Peter early in the year. The Chamber Board has set 2019 goals focusing on promotion, member relations and advocacy.

Sleepy Eye EDA Kurk Kramer: The Sleepy Eye EDA continues their efforts with downtown rehabilitation work. To begin 2019, they are planning on implementing a façade program with four specific buildings on Main Street. This matching grant program will bring some immediate results for the improved aesthetics of the downtown district. The EDA is also specifically focusing their efforts to assist in the rehabilitation of the old PIX Theater building, including lighting the old marquee. The PIX is being completely renovated and will be reopened to house two new businesses: The Sleepy Eye Coffee Company and The Sleepy Eye Brewing Company.

Waseca Economic Development Gary Sandholm: An Opportunity Fund workshop on October 30 covered the latest guidelines for this new development tool. Attendees were from much of Southern Minnesota. Opportunity Funds looks to be a fantastic development tool that Waseca plans to use aggressively. BEST of Waseca County held its Fall Business Summit on November 7. A lot of things are beginning to happen in Waseca including Midwest Hemp Farms purchase of a greenhouse to grow hemp and extract oils from the plants.

Discover Waseca Tourism Gary Sandholm: The Sinister Forest was a huge success. Using the trails and cabins in Maplewood Park, a fun and scary time was had while dodging ghosts, ghouls, zombies, and other neat people. Moving into the time of ice and snow, we look forward to Sleigh & Cutter’s full slate of activities as well as winter activities including ice fishing, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and other outdoor fun that can be had in Waseca County.

Wells Area Chamber Beth Anderson: The Wells Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to start 2019 with some fun networking opportunities! Chamber business members are invited to the Winter Social on January 9 at the Wells American Legion – food and entertainment are hosted by the Chamber. Next up in February is Las Vegas Night! Please join us for games, raffles, silent and live auctions, food and a cash bar – it’s a highlight of our year! Contact GeDee at the Wells Area Chamber office: (507) 553-6450 or go to wellscc@bevcomm.net for more information.

Winnebago City Council Jean Anderson: Winnebago received a Small Cities Development Grant from the Department of Economic Development in the amount of $890,000 to be used for infrastructure and housing rehab. Additionally, MNDOT finished extensive improvements along Main Street. Those improvements included pavement resurfacing, new downtown sidewalks and improved accessibility for the handicapped. Hall of Fame nominations are being taken for 2019. Applications can be picked up and dropped off at the Winnebago City Hall.

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Window Cord Safety for Young Children and Pets

Brook Devenport OWNER, BLINDS & MORE INTERIOR DESIGN GROUP

Children and window covering cords don’t mix. When cords are accessible to small children or pets, these seemingly harmless products may become strangulation hazards. This is especially important with older window coverings that may not meet the latest national standard for window cord safety. As of December 15, 2018, all window coverings sold in the U.S. and Canada must pass the Best for Kids™ Certification. Corded window coverings will only be available on custom-order products, as corded products are still needed by a wide range of consumers, including the elderly and those with disabilities, those short in stature, and those with windows in hardto-reach locations. To maximize window cord safety when young children or pets are present, consumers are urged to follow these safety guidelines: • Install only cordless window coverings or those with inaccessible cords in homes with young children. Replace window blinds and corded shades with products that are cordless or have inaccessible cords marked with the Best for Kids™ certification label. The label enables you to easily identify products best suited for homes with young children. • Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall. • When window cords are present, ensure that all window cords are out of sight and reach, by shortening or moving them up and away, so that they are inaccessible to young children. You can purchase cord blind cleats at your local hardware store and install them to wrap up the cords. • You also want to be sure that your windows are secure. Most children five years old and younger can fit through 62

January | February 2019

a 6-inch window opening. Window screens will not prevent falls so there are a few things you can do: • Install a stop that prevents windows from opening any further than four inches. • Install window guards that cover the lower part of the window. • Install wedges to stop a window from opening too far. • Install child proof locks to the windows that will prevent them from opening at all. • Install guards on casement windows which is a better idea than removing the crank.

• If you can’t replace your corded window coverings, you can order free retrofit kits from WCSC at windowcoverings.org. The website also contains a wealth of useful safety information for parents and caregivers. Alternatives to corded window coverings would be the following: • Cordless Simply use your fingers to raise or lower the shade. Cordless shades eliminate the need to have an operating cord, while offering a more streamlined appearance. • Motorization An effortless, cordless operation that you operate with a hand held or wall mounted remote control. Other options for operation are your phone, iPad or home