Mnvalley 4 15 by Free Press Media

Cloe Thelemann, left, and Kendra Steinberg. Photo by Pat Christman

Healthy Businesses Fitness industry growing Also in this issue • Mankato Industrial Coatings • Garage Ink • Neubert Millwork & Home Center

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F E A T U R E S April 2015 • Volume 7, Issue 7

The fitness industry is thriving as more people are joining fitness clubs such as Fitness for 10, working out at new classes at the Y, or getting quality shoes at River Valley Running.

Chad DeBlieck bought Neubert Millwork & Home Center to compliment his St. Peter Lumber business, allowing him to offer more services for home owners and builders.

Amy Kuhns began custom screen printing as a hobby, but it grew into a home-based business that she operates out of her garage – which inspired the name Garage Ink.

William Petersen and his crew at Mankato Industrial Coatings, now located south of Mankato, give pickup owners a long-lasting bed liner with his Line-X franchise.

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 5

■ April 2015 • VOLUME 7, ISSUE 7 PUBLISHER James P. Santori EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joe Spear ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tim Krohn CONTRIBUTING Tim Krohn WRITERS Kent Thiesse Nell Musolf Heidi Sampson Tim Penny PHOTOGRAPHERS Pat Christman John Cross COVER PHOTO John Cross PAGE DESIGNER Christina Sankey ADVERTISING Ginny Bergerson MANAGER ADVERTISING sales Jen Wanderscheid Theresa Haefner ADVERTISING Barb Wass ASSISTANT ADVERTISING Sue Hammar DESIGNERS Christina Sankey CIRCULATION Denise Zernechel DIRECTOR For editorial inquiries, call Tim Krohn at 507-344-6383. For advertising, call 344-6336, or e-mail mankatomag@mankatofreepress.com. MN Valley Business is published by The Free Press Media monthly at 418 South 2nd Street., Mankato MN 56001.

■ Local Business memos/ Company news................................7 ■ Business and Industry trends.........9 ■ Minnesota Business updates....... 10 ■ Business Commentary................. 12 ■ Construction, real estate trends.. 33 ■ Agriculture Outlook...................... 34 ■ Agribusiness trends..................... 35 ■ Job trends..................................... 36 ■ Retail trends................................. 37 ■ Greater Mankato Growth.............. 38 ■ Greater Mankato Growth Member Activities ....................... 40

6 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

From the editor

By Joe Spear

MSU is big business for Mankato

hile the idea that American universities have been “corporatized” has some merit, on a more basic level, universities are businesses and always have been. The Mankato region is fortunate to have one of the biggest “business universities” in the state system. Minnesota State University is the largest state university in terms of enrollment, but there are other business-like features core to its continued success. President Richard Davenport recently articulated some of those strategies in a meeting with me and The Free Press editorial board. Davenport talks about the university like a business. It takes in revenue like a business, and the recent completion of a seven-year fundraising campaign was impressive that it exceeded its goal by almost 30 percent, raising $100 million when the goal was $75 million. That, Davenport correctly points out, is far above and beyond any other fundraising in the university system. The university, like a business, has a marketing plan. We’re all familiar with the fairly successful marketing tag line “Big ideas, real-world thinking.” But Davenport seems to employ a real critical element of any successful business: benchmarks. He calls MSU a “flagship university” and one where they are always “benchmarking.” That leads to a constant re-evaluation of programs and success measurements. “Don’t lie to yourself,” he says. And MSU does have to work on some things. MSU currently has a sixyear graduation rate of 54 percent. Their goal is 57 percent. So, says Davenport, they have work to do. The four year graduation rate is 25 percent. And the private colleges that can argue they can far exceed that are right, he admits. The university is soon completing the so called “mapping” of its 136 undergraduate programs. This will allow incoming students to see exactly what classes they have to take, what they need to do to complete their major in four years. If they miss part of it, it will give them an alternate route. Davenport says this will increase

university retention -- keep and grow the customer base – and increase graduation rates – improve product value. A more immediate business challenge will be erasing a $4 million university deficit by June 30. That has been driven in part by enrollment declines but also faculty and staff contracts that settled much higher than anyone was anticipating. “We roll with the economic environment,” he says. He notes the cuts will need to come off base funding so “that means we have to cut positions.” Those cuts will come in faculty and administrative positions. As the same time, MSU has been adjusting its approach to recruitment. It used to focus just on high school students and graduates, but now it is going for transfer students, graduate students and international students. Graduate and international student populations have grown tremendously in the last two years with international student enrollment now at about 1,000 students from 93 countries. The university also may look to downsize its 7700 France operation in the Twin Cities. That venture opened a mini-MSU campus in the cities to draw students who for one reason or another weren’t ready for the mother campus. But now too, that strategy is being reevaluated, says Davenport. “We’ll do an audit” he said and determine what the return might be. MSU’s biggest feeder campus – Normandale Community College – is adding capacity so there may not be as much need for the 7700 France location. We often don’t see public universities as the businesses they are, but MSU seems to have more of a business orientation than many other similar sized universities. That should be good for the region but also good for the students who buy their educational product and the faculty who produce it. MV Joe Spear is executive editor of Minnesota Valley Business. Contact him at 344-6382 or jspear@mankatofreepress.com

Local Business People/Company News

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CliftonLarsonAllen adds staff

CliftonLarsonAllen CPAs added three people to its staff. Jenny Matos has joined the New Ulm location as an associate. She earned her accounting degree at Minnesota State University and brings two years of experience. Courtney Odegaard joined the Mankato location as an associate. She earned her accounting degrees at MSU. Heather Schumacher also joined the Mankato location as an associate. She earned her accounting and finance degree at MSU. ■■■

Main Street Dental opens

Main Street Dental clinic has opened an office at 287 St. Andrews Drive in Mankato. Dr. Dan Schafer heads the office which is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Main Street Dental is a general dental clinic, with four other locations: Blooming Prairie, Owatonna, Rochester and New Richland. ■■■

Howe joins YMCA

Stephanie Howe is the new Wellness Director at the YMCA. She comes with a decade of experience in the fitness industry. Most recently, she has been the owner/operator of Howe-to Fitness in Mankato, a group fitness and personal training studio that she started in 2012. Before starting her own business, She spent time working in corporate fitness with HealthFitness Stephanie Howe and prior to that was the health and fitness manager at the Lake Crystal Area Recreation Center. ■■■

Karstens honored

Lana Karstens, from Modern Woodmen Financial Services, is the recipient of the 2015 Yellow Rose Award from the Mankato Business and Professional Women organization. The Yellow Rose recipients are women who make a difference in the lives of other women in the community. She will be honored at the Women’s Night Out Event which will be held on April 27. Karstens joined Modern Woodmen Lana Karstens in 2007 and has served as president of the local National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors organization. ■■■

their President’s Club. The award recognizes outstanding continued service to customers and community, and superior performance. The owner of the agency is Scott Michaletz. ■■■

Hallbeck joins Jordan Sands

Jordan Sands, an industrial sand mining and processing company in Mankato, hired James Hallbeck as director of sales. Hallbeck comes from Chieftain Sands where he was director of sales. Prior to joining Chieftain he was regional president and sales director for Preferred Sands and account manager at Rainbow Ceramics. Hallbeck holds a MBA from Sam Houston State University. ■■■

Marriott earns award

General Manager Boe Lindvall accepted the 2014 Platinum Circle Award from Marriott on behalf of the Courtyard by Marriott Mankato Hotel & Event Center. The hotel received this award for finishing 2014 ranked in the top 5 percent of 910 Courtyard hotels worldwide in overall guest satisfaction. It is the second year in a row the Mankato hotel has won the honor. Boe Lindvall The award was based on the hotel’s overall guest satisfaction and being rated the No. 1 Mankato hotel on Trip Advisor. ■■■

Lime Valley wins awards

Lime Valley Advertising received three Service Industry Advertising Awards for communication excellence. This is the eleventh year that the SIAA has recognized Lime Valley’s accomplishments in advertising. Over those 11 years Lime Valley has garnered 49 SIAA awards, more than any other agency in Minnesota. ■■■

ISG honored for work

ISG (I+S Group) was recently awarded a 2015 American Council of Engineering Companies Award of Excellence for its work on the city of Fairmont water treatment plant. ISG accepted the award along with consultant team partner AE2S. The Fairmont Water Treatment Plant is a 5.4 million gallon per day lime softening plant with granular activated absorbers for taste and odor control. The design incorporated energy saving solar tube lighting for a reduced electrical demand during the day and landscaping with rain gardens to reduce stormwater runoff.

Kato Insurance honored

Midwest Family Mutual Insurance of Minneapolis announced that Kato Insurance Agency has been named to

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 7

Dr. Long joins APM

Dr. Robert H. Long has joined Advanced Pain Management in Mankato. A member of the American Academy of P h y s i c a l Medicine and Rehabilitation, as Dr. Robert H. Long well as the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, Long previously served as the medical director of two different pain clinics in the Twin Cities. After receiving his medical degree, he completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Emory University in Atlanta and then his fellowship in Pain Medicine at Georgetown University/National Rehabilitation Hospital/Washington Hospital Program. ■■■

New real estate group opens

Connect Real Estate Group is a newly established real estate company in Mankato. Besides residential and commercial real estate, Connect also provides property management services. Owner/broker Christa Wolner has three licensed real estate agents: Chris Cousins, Michael White and Kellie Krumwiede. To submit your company or employee news. e-mail to tkrohn@mankatofreepress.com Put “Business memo” in the subject line. Call or e-mail Associate Editor Tim Krohn at tkrohn@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6383 for questions.

8 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

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Business and Industry Trends

Agriculture Crop price stalled

Corn and soybean prices remain stuck at significantly lower levels than a year ago. Local corn prices in March were $3.61 per bushel compared to $4.31 a year earlier. Soybeans were at $9.35 per bushel compared to $13.25 a year ago. But there was some good news for crop farmers recently after the U.S. government made surprise cuts to its outlook for global corn and wheat stockpiles amid signs of improving grain demand. The forecast for world corn stockpiles was smaller than the lowest prediction in a Bloomberg survey of 16 analysts. The agency also reduced its estimate of domestic reserves for both grains. The news helped corn and wheat futures climb some Improving demand for U.S. corn exports will erode American stockpiles, while global use of the grain in livestock feed will climb, the USDA said.

Hogs up some

Hog prices rebounded some in March after dropping some $11 from January to February. In March, a 185 pound carcass was selling for $63.29, up nearly $4 from February.

Energy

Oil prices creep up

North Sea Brent crude oil prices averaged $58 per barrel in February, an increase of $10 from the January and continued to creep up in March, according to the Energy Information Administration. The price rise comes from lower U.S. crude oil rig counts and announced reductions in capital expenditures by major oil companies, along with lower-than-expected Iraqi crude oil exports. The agency expects that Brent crude oil prices will average $59 per barrel for 2015 and $75 in 2016. West Texas Intermediate prices in 2015 and 2016 are expected to average $7 and $5, respectively, below Brent prices.

Oil production still high

The agency is projecting that total U.S. crude oil production will average 9.3 million barrels per day in 2015 and 9.5 million in 2016, close to the 9.6 million barrels per day highest annual average level of U.S. production in 1970.

Although natural gas prices have fallen dramatically in recent months, the agency expects that increases in drilling efficiency and growth in oil production (albeit at a slower rate) will continue to support growing natural gas production in the forecast.

Natural gas use up

It’s projects that U.S. total natural gas consumption, will rise both this year and next driven by demand in the industrial and electric power sectors, while residential and commercial consumption are projected to decline in 2015 and 2016. Natural gas consumption in the power sector should grow by 8 percent this year and by 2 percent next year. Industrial sector consumption will increases by 6.6 percent and 2 percent in 2015 and 2016

Renewables up some

Total renewables used for electricity and heat generation will grow by nearly 3 percent this year. Conventional hydropower generation increases by 6 percent, while nonhydropower renewables generation increases by 1.4 percent. In 2016, total renewables consumption for electric power and heat generation increases by 1.8 percent as a result of a 3.6 percent decline in hydropower and a 4.6 percent increase in nonhydropower renewables. Wind is the largest source of nonhydropower renewable generation, and it is projected to contribute 5 percent of total electricity generation in 2016. Despite this growth, utility-scale solar power averages only 0.6 percent of total U.S. electricity generation in 2016.

Ethanol production falls

After reaching a record monthly average of 1,002,000 barrels per day in December 2014, ethanol production in February 2015 is estimated to have fallen to an average of 948,000 barrels per day. Ethanol production averaged 935,000 barrels per day in 2014, and EIA expects it to average 947,000 barrels per day in 2015 and 942,000 barrels per day in 2016. Biodiesel production averaged an estimated 83,000 barrels per day in 2014 and is forecast to average 84,000 barrels per day in both 2015 and 2016.

Storms drive electric use

Much of the eastern United States experienced a very cold February, which resulted in increased electricity demand for heating. EIA estimates total U.S. generation during February averaged 11,800 gigawatthours per day, which would be a monthly record for February. However, this estimated level of generation still falls short of the winter-month record for total U.S. power generation (12,178 GWh per day) during January 2014.

Natural gas price steady

Natural gas working inventories at the end of February totaled 1,710 billion cubic feet 40 percent above the level at the same time in 2014 but still 8 percent below the previous five year average. The agency expects the Henry Hub natural gas spot price, which averaged $4.39/million British thermal units in 2014, to average $3.07 this year and $3.48 in 2016.

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 9

Minnesota Business Updates

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■ Best Buy resumes buyback Electronics retail giant Best Buy announced that it has authorized $1 billion in buybacks to be carried out over three years. The retailer also unveiled a 21 percent boost to its quarterly dividend and a special dividend of 51 cents a share. The retailer has invested in its web operations amid concerns that its stores were becoming little more than a testing ground for products that are ultimately bought online. The consumer electronics retailer announced its fiscal 2016 master plan designed to navigate shifting consumer preferences as well as more effectively compete in a brutal retail market. Best Buy said it will invest an incremental $100 million to $120 million in fiscal 2016, or 17 cents a share to 21 cents a share in earnings, to continue its ongoing reinvention efforts. Overall, the retailer plans to spend $650 million to $700 million on capital spending, up from $550 million in fiscal 2015.

■ 3M unveils paper policy St Paul-based 3M Co., one of the world’s largest manufacturers and the maker of Post-it notes, will take new steps to ensure that its suppliers of paper, pulp and packaging provide materials that come from sustainably logged timber. The new paper-sourcing policy, aimed at preventing the destruction of fragile forests, comes after pressure on 3M from environmental activists, who accused the company of outdated practices, according to the Star Tribune. The company will now require some 5,000 direct suppliers, located in more than 70 countries, to provide data, including the source of their harvested wood fiber. The company says it may sever ties with suppliers that fail to meet its standards. While other companies have also set conservation standards for their suppliers, 3M’s action is expected to have broad ripple effects, because of the size of its supply network, said Todd Paglia, executive director at ForestEthics, a forest and climate advocacy organization. ForestEthics, which led a campaign against 3M, is now applauding the company’s new standards. “No other manufacturer has adopted such a rigorous policy with such reach around the world,” Paglia said.

■ Target: “Committed to state” On the brink of massive corporate layoffs, executives at Target Corp. said they’re still committed to their home state of Minnesota and their downtown Minneapolis headquarters. Gov. Mark Dayton met last month with Target CEO Brian Cornell and his team, discussing the “several thousand” layoffs that loom for the discount giant, and

10 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

what that means for the Twin Cities, according to the Pioneer Press. “It’s going to be difficult, it’s going to be painful,” Dayton told reporters afterward. “There’s no sugar-coating this for anyone.” But Dayton said he was also reassured Monday -- that Target remains committed to the Twin Cities and Minnesota; that its long record of philanthropy will continue; that the cuts are intended to rejuvenate and revive what Dayton called a “hugely important” Minnesota employer. Still, some analysts think the cuts mean the end of an era at headquarters. “Retailers are becoming decentralized,” said Carol Spieckerman, a retail consultant. “I don’t think it’s to such a degree that Target is going to leave the Twin Cities. But they’re not going to need the headcount they’ve had in the past -- and know that that headcount is not going to come back.”

■ Fastenal has mixed quarter Fastenal Company reported mixed fourthquarter 2014 results, with earnings of 40 cents per share. Earnings grew 21 percent year over year as higher sales and expense control offset gross margin weakness. Sales grew 13.8 percent year over year as underlying markets bettered, vending and construction trends improved, and comparisons eased. After struggling for several quarters, Fastenal turned around in 2014. In order to accelerate sales growth, the company took the strategic decision to increase sales personnel at its stores which largely boosted sales in 2014. However, Fastenal’s margins are contracting as management’s focus shifts away to top-line improvement. Lack of inflation, unfavorable product mix (less fasteners which generate higher margins), pricing and competitive pressures are hurting gross margins despite gradual topline improvement.

■ Sprint teams with Best Buy with Best Buy to launch a one of a kind, all inclusive wireless plan for its users. Dubbed “Best Buy One Plan,” the retailer-exclusive deal bundles the cost of device with the data plan, making it simpler for consumers to decide a plan. The plan includes unlimited talk, text as well as data, and the option to lease a device on the carrier. Sprint, which launched its “Cut Your Bill in Half” promotion earlier in December, was criticized for “misleading” users by claiming the deal allowed them to reduce their wireless bill by 50 percent. However, when device financing costs were factored in, the promotion only entailed a 20 percent discount. Sprint hopes the new “all inclusive” plan would simplify the purchasing decision for users.

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■

Business Commentary

By Tim Penny

SMIF helps to make local foods matter

ecently Target Corp. announced the expansion of its Made to Matter program, an initiative that highlights exclusive “better-for-you products” from mostly up-and-coming brands. The program is part of Target’s plan to boost its reputation as a retailer that provides healthier and less toxic options — especially as consumer demand for such products increases. For Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, we are excited to see that Mankato-based Angie’s Kettle Corn is participating in this year’s Made to Matter program. In 2008, when Dan and Angie Bastian were just starting to grow their business, SMIF provided lending assistance along with other financial partners. Of course we’re proud that Angie’s is now a household name, and we are excited about their ongoing success. We applaud the attention that Target is giving to upand-coming local businesses, as we understand the vital role they play in our economy. According to the Small Business Administration, 64 percent of new privatesector jobs come from small businesses and start-ups. In addition here at SMIF, we have also taken note of the fact that the demand and desire for local foods has been consistently trending upwards in Minnesota. From 1994 to 2011, the number of farmers’ markets has quadrupled. Research also indicates that Minnesota food and farm sectors generate $55 billion in economic activity in Minnesota and support more than 367,700 jobs. Local restaurants, college campuses, hospitals, and corporate dining services are all showing an increased interest in purchasing their food locally. This means that local food distribution, organics, urban agriculture, and alternative farming techniques offer opportunities for small business ownership and employment. As we recognize these growing trends, SMIF has committed to investing in local foods businesses within our 20-county region, as well as playing an active role in the FEAST Local Foods Network. Some direct results we’ve seen come out of this endeavor have been the launch of Blue Earth Valley Trading Company and Alemar Cheese. Blue Earth Valley Trading Company connected with SMIF through the FEAST Local Foods Advisory committee and received mentoring, advice, and financial assistance. The company is owned and operated by Kevin Mattick of Mankato, and harvests and produces honey and maple syrup. Kevin officially opened the business in February 2014; however, in the first few years, products were only sold to friends and family. Now that he has received financial support and mentoring, Kevin is able to reach the volume and consistency of having enough products available to sell to grocery stores. He is also planning to add by-products from maple syrup and honey to add diversification to sales. The goal is to grow into a

12 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

full-time business in approximately five years. Similarly, after working with the local foods advisory committee, Keith Adams of Mankato is now expanding his artisan cheese business — Alemar Cheese — which produces world-class, soft-ripened and fresh cow’s milk cheese for both retail and wholesale. In addition to Blue Earth Valley Trading and Alemar, we have supported several other local food businesses through our lending program, many in partnership with other financial entities. For example, Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables in Rushford, a family-operated farm since 1997, produces a range of fresh market fruits and vegetables for distribution through a 1,000 plus member Community Supported Agriculture program, and to natural foods retailers and wholesalers from Minneapolis and Rochester, to Chicago and beyond. Additional support for our local foods work can be witnessed by the $20,000 grant to Minnesota Valley Action Council. They used these grant dollars to develop a local food hub that makes fresh, healthy, locally grown food readily available to institutions, retailers, and consumers in southern Minnesota. This past year also saw the launch of the inaugural FEAST Festival and Tradeshow in Rochester, where SMIF played a key role. And we’re excited about the opportunity to make this an annual event. The FEAST Festival event brought together local producers to connect with buyers and distributors, as well as attracting 1,200 visitors — thereby providing area consumers this visibility to a number of local food options. We’re proud of the success of the local foods culture gaining momentum across the region and state. And while we hope that many more of our local foods loan clients can become as successful as Angie’s Kettle Corn, we also recognize the value of our sole proprietor startups and small businesses with only a handful of employees. These companies are a vital part of our regional economy, and SMIF will continue to invest in these entrepreneurs as they continue to make an impact within our region. MV Tim Penny is president of the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. 507-455-3215; timp@ smifoundation.org.

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River Valley Running owner Kurt Kieser helps Waseca high school track runner Adam Kuball select the right shoes.

Fitness Businesses in Good Shape Fitness, recreation sector expanding

By Tim Krohn | Photos by Pat Christman and John Cross 14 â&#x20AC;˘ April 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ MN Valley Business

Kieser videotapes a customer to measure his gait to help in selecting the right shoes.

hese aren’t your daddy’s tennis shoes. When a customer comes into Kurt Kieser’s new Mankato business looking for some shoes, Kieser mixes science and experience to help them pick shoes that fit their exact gait, foot shape and lifestyle. “People maybe don’t understand the importance of proper foot gear for running or for doing anything when they’re on their feet a lot,” said Kieser. His River Valley Running store targets a niche he thinks isn’t being met in Mankato. His store joins a growing local market aimed at fitness, sports and recreation. The health of the fitness industry is reflected in more community events, such as the Mankato Mud Run, Mankato Meltdown and Mankato Marathon, aimed at fitness and fun. “There seems to be more of a fitness trend over the past few years,” said Holly Dodge of Fitness for 10, on Madison Avenue. “People are budgeting for it and making it more of a priority.” Not all of the fitness and sports businesses are in it for private profit. The YMCA promotes healthy living and families and relies on its membership income to fund scholarships for lower-income kids and to support other programs. “We are all about families, but to fund all of our programs we need to subsidize those with our membership fees. We need to attract people here so we can do the things the community needs,” said YMCA Executive Director John Kind. He said competitive pressure from new businesses,

including recently added fitness centers such as Fitness for 10, is prompting the Y to update its model to keep and attract members.

Cover Story

A focus on runners

Kieser opened River Valley Running after nearly two decades in the industry and a lifetime passion for running, including marathons. He worked in running specialty stores and spent the past 10 years as a rep for New Balance. A couple of years ago he began planning to open his own store, which he did a few months ago. A resident of Jordan, Kieser considered opening a store in the Twin Cities. “But they’re saturated there and I’m an alum of MSU and thought why not here? Mankato needs a store like this.” It’s between Planet Fitness and Liv Aveda Salon in the strip mall across from River Hills Mall. The manager of the store, Toby Henkels, also is a running enthusiast as well as an avid biker. And Kieser’s wife, Lindsay, won the half marathon in last year’s Mankato Marathon. At the center of finding the right shoes for a customer is a full-scale analysis. “We measure the size and width of their feet in a very comprehensive way. Customers may be in the store 45 minutes to get the right fit.” They also analyze a walker’s or runner’s gait by having them use a treadmill while Kieser or his staff use an app on their smartphone. “We videotape their gait and play it back and explain their mechanics to them. You can analyze their gait with different types of shoes to see which work best,” Kieser said. “There’s also a standing analysis, too, where they walk

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 15

Stephanie Howe is heading up an expanded selection of classes at the YMCA. and you just watch them. So it’s River Valley Running also old school and technology that we carries walking and running use.” accessories, many offering lots of We cater to anyone on their The store also has an OrthoPrint technology such as heart rate machine where people walk over a monitors and GPS. feet, not just runners. pad that takes an ink impression The store already is getting of their foot to help in choosing involved in community events. So doctors, nurses, factory shoes. They are lining up group runs workers,” he said. “We have Shoes range from $100 to $160, from the store, perhaps one night with the average sale at about a week, aimed at different skill walking shoes, track shoes $120. levels. for high school athletes and “We cater to anyone on their “We also want to be involved in feet, not just runners. So doctors, Miles with Meaning, where you people wear running shoes for nurses, factory workers,” he said. have a group charity run.” “We have walking shoes, track They will also be involved in casual use, too.” shoes for high school athletes and sponsoring and promoting people wear running shoes for community fitness and high casual use, too.” school track events. He said he sees common problems in the footwear many people wear. New focus at the YMCA “The biggest culprit for injuries and sprains is either the Kind said the YMCA is in the midst of a big change in wrong category of shoe for the foot type or mechanics, or how they offer fitness classes. they wear their shoes too long.” He said shoes should be “The Y has always been a place where you pay for your retired after about 400 miles of use. membership and you pay extra for some classes. There are “The third thing I see is just the wrong size shoe.” a lot of classes people pay a lot of money for.” The store also carries a full line of performance apparel, The new plan is to offer more “high-end” classes with made of non-cotton synthetic fibers. “The key to staying more flexible schedules and charge nothing extra for them. comfortable when working out is to stay dry, and cotton “It’s a whole new model for us and came out of our strategic plan. We have kind of gone with the same old, won’t do that. The phrase we use is ‘cotton is rotten for same old and we needed to change,” Kind said. exercise,’ ” he said. “We are making our membership more valuable.” “It’s really important not to wear cottons socks. They’re He said there are no plans to increase the membership like a cotton sponge on your foot.”

16 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

The fitness center at the YMCA is always a busy place. costs, which are $60 a month for a family and $42.50 for an adult. (Those getting scholarships pay less and there are lower youth, college, senior and corporate rates.) Kind said that in the past members had to commit to certain days and certain times to take a class. “Now we’re offering more of them throughout the day and at different times and people come to what they want. I think it’s really something our members are excited about.” Kind said that new fitness centers such as Planet Fitness and Fitness for 10 put some pressure on the Y. “Those other gyms have an effect, especially for people who live on the east side of town and just want the workout equipment. They’re cheaper and closer to them.” Kind said membership at the Y was at 9,000 when he came in 2009 and peaked at more than 11,000 a year and a half ago. After the new fitness centers opened, membership fell to 9,000 but has grown to 9,500. Leading the new fitness program at the YMCA is Stephanie Howe, who was hired as the director of healthy living. She has had her own business Howe-to Fitness for the past two years. She closed that business and brought her class offerings to the Y. The classes are the Les Mills brand of workouts, developed by a New Zealand company founded by Mills. “For 20 years they’ve been the leader of a group of fitness classes,” Howe said. “We’re offering four classes. There’s a little bit of everything.” The classes – BodyPump, BodyCombat, BodyFlow and BodyGrit – offer different levels of intensity and provide different benefits. “BodyPump is bar-bell strength training set to music.

BodyCombat is a cardio class with non-contact martial arts. BodyFlow is a mix of yoga and pilates. BodyGrit is a high-intensity 30-minute interval training that’s really hot right now,” Howe said. She said Les Mills updates its class offerings every four months. “They release new choreography and workouts, so people don’t get bored with them.”

Fitness for 10

Tom Scheman and his family have made their name in furniture in the Mankato area. They own and operate Rooms & Rest in Mankato and other southern Minnesota communities. But a couple of years ago Scheman brought a Fitness for 10 franchise to Mankato, located in the strip mall atop the Madison Avenue hill. “He liked the appeal of affordable fitness and thought it would be attractive in Mankato,” said Holly Dodge, who works in marketing for Fitness for 10 and Rooms & Rest. “He just wanted to focus on healthy living and it fits in a college town to have it affordable.” Fitness for 10 follows a similar model as other franchises such as Planet Fitness, where people can pay $10 a month without signing up for a long-term contract. Dodge said the basic fee gives people access to locker rooms, all the equipment and group classes. A VIP membership offers additional things including hydromassage and “fitness on demand” virtual classes. Fitness for 10 just finished a remodeling and expansion. “We put in a new training area, new fitness classes and expanded our personal fitness classes.” Dodge said a number of new pieces of equipment were

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 17

Top: Matt Dale (foreground) and Mitch Gahler work out on the Jacob’s Ladders at Fitness for 10. right: Fitness for 10 has just remodeled and added new equipment. added, including Jacob’s ladders, new stair climbers and rope trainers. “The Jacob’s ladder, you power it with your own inertia. When there’s tension, you start climbing,” Dodge said. “It’s low impact and a good workout. It’s good for people with sore joints and things.” The rope trainer has people sit down and pull the ropes at whatever resistance level they choose. “It’s more fun than lifting the same weight over and over. It’s more interactive.” Fitness centers are growing across the country. Data from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association show there has been a 2.3 annual growth in the number of fitness clubs in the past five years. Total membership in health clubs increased 5.4 percent in 2013 with a record 52.9 million Americans belonging to them. Industrywide revenue rose 4 percent to about $78 billion.

18 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

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MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 19

Chad and Erin DeBlieck, owners of Neubert Millwork & Home Center and St. Peter Lumber.

Custom cuts Neubert’s mills finishing touches for homes

By Heidi Sampson | Photos by John Cross

he Neubert Millwork Co. began in 1915, originally located in downtown Mankato. At that time they specialized in church pews, pulpits, and furniture. In fact, many of the area churches still have the original Neubert Millwork pews and pulpits in them today. “Finished wood products is kind of where they were back then,” said Chad DeBlieck, current owner of Neubert Millwork & Home Center. “One could say that was the vast majority of what their business consisted of - craftsmanship and fine woodwork.” Due to the floods of the 1960s, Neubert Millwork decided to move out of the flood prone region of downtown to their current location on Lee Boulevard in North Mankato. In the early 1980s, Neubert’s was sold to Clair Haefner of North Mankato. As a result, the business was renamed Neubert Millwork & Lumber. The Haefner family owned and operated the business until 2013, when DeBlieck, of St. Peter, purchased it. For DeBlieck, millwork and lumber would end up being

the perfect combination for a business adventure as Neubert Millwork & Home Center would complement his first business, St. Peter Lumber. DeBlieck’s family background in lumber was a big factor in his knowledge of the lumber industry. His family had been in the lumber business since the early 1960s when his father began working at Standard Lumber of St. Peter. By 1988 his dad purchased Standard Lumber and with the purchase, a new name was conceived, St. Peter Lumber. About 6 years ago, DeBlieck bought St. Peter Lumber from his parents, who are now semi-retired. They still work at St. Peter Lumber helping out whenever possible. “We have a slogan or tag line for Neubert Millwork & Home Center, it’s ‘Finishing Every Base with Style and Quality,” said Chad. “Those are the things we are good at, the pretty parts of houses - the cabinets, the countertops and window trim that we specialize in today.”

Profile

20 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

“It’s different when you can provide services that many don’t have the skills to do or don’t stock many feet of molding, which allows us to have a very quick lead time for a customer who calls, walks in the door, or provides boards for a specific millwork project.” Custom Wood Crafting Neubert’s specializes in millwork and custom millwork, custom wood crafting and commercial woodwork for businesses. They have a wide variety of offerings and possibilities available for customers. “We really are a crafting rather than mass production type of business,” DeBlieck said. “So much of what we do is literally custom work such as what may be needed for churches and historic buildings, as they tend to need that extra piece of specificity that you can’t buy off of the shelf. We can create a piece of wood to match any specification, even if a picture is all we have to go off.” He likes the twist Neubert Millwork & Home Center adds to his St. Peter Lumber business, as the two work in tandem. Neubert’s sells eight different species of lumber, soft woods, and plywood’s. They also have basic building packages, remodeling packages, as well as specialty items and millwork available on site. “It’s different when you can provide services that many don’t have the skills to do or don’t stock many feet of

Scott Witty moves a board through a router to create a decorative edge.

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 21

Neubert’s carries a wide variety of lumber to make custom pieces of trim and other finished products. molding, which allows us to have a very quick lead time for a customer who calls, walks in the door, or provides boards for a specific millwork project.” Nuebert’s can also provide customers with a small visual models of a proposed project to help in their decision making process. “Sometimes customers need to have a visual,” DeBlieck said. “Many of our customers search and search and search online for ideas. As a result, we end up getting a

black and white picture of a proposed project, which is great. But, we can’t make their product in black and white. We can make it to the best of our ability by providing our customers with a realistic sample of whatever it is they are considering. “I think that option is very appreciated by our customers, as they are able to touch and feel and say, ‘Yes. This is exactly what we want.’ ” MV

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Kuhns bought larger equipment and moved it to her garage as the business grew.

Garage Ink Silk screen hobby grew into business By Nell Musolf Photos by John Cross

or Amy Kuhns, what started as a hobby has become a full-time business. Kuhns is the owner of Garage Ink, a company that custom screen prints designs on apparel and promotional items such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, sweatpants, can koozies, ornaments, hats and even stadium chairs. Although Kuhns began Garage Ink as a hobby, over the past five years it has grown into a full-fledged business. “In 2010 I was working in a law office in Mankato. I knew that my boss planned on retiring and I began thinking about starting my own business. A friend and I were talking about all the T-shirts we purchased for our children’s activities and I was like, ‘hey, why can’t we print them ourselves?’ ” Kuhns

recalled. Kuhns started small with her first press and recalled that at first it was something of a challenge to figure everything out. “Getting from the design to printing takes several steps and can be tricky at times,” Kuhns said. “When I first started there were days when everything worked just fine. Then the next day things might not work as well even though everything was exactly the same as it had been the day before.” As Kuhns mastered her silk screening technique she began talking about her new venture to other people. She received a few small orders, then a few more orders until her business was growing at a regular pace. Kuhns then purchased a larger screen printing

Spotlight

24 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

Kuhns prepares a logo for printing. press and a better heater. “When I first started, I was heat setting the shirts in my kitchen oven,” Kuhns recalled. “I really had no knowledge of what screen printing was so I did a lot of online research and got some training.” The research and training paid off. After learning more about the art of silk screening, Kuhns acquired a business partner and took her company to the next level. The company was still getting orders, some small and some much larger. In July of 2013, Kuhns was officially done working at the law office and decided to devote her time and energy to making her business grow. “Since then we have done vendor shows, sports clothing and business items for several area businesses and schools,” Kuhns said. “In 2014 I became the sole owner of the business and it is continuing to grow.” Garage Ink has several repeat customers with new customers added regularly. Several businesses have standing orders and Kuhns also helps outfit school athletic teams. “We are involved with several fundraising events in different areas from Minnesota to Missouri and we have printed shirts for benefits in Missouri, California and Florida. We take great pride in being small so we are able to provide a lower cost for fundraising. We enjoy being able to help others,” Kuhns said. While Kuhns is Garage Ink’s primary employee, she has two part-time employees who are available to help when needed.

Into the garage When she first started, Kuhns printed in her kitchen. When she needed more space she moved her equipment to the garage. Around that time she was looking for a name for her business. Since she was printing nightly in the garage and using an oil based ink (the ink is oil based so it can reach 320 degree temperature needed to be set into the shirt), Kuhns and her business partner, along with their children, came up with a name for the burgeoning business. “Everyone liked Garage Ink since we were printing in a garage and the ink is everywhere all the time. So with the kids help, that’s what we named it. I do believe that the business will always be in a garage of some type,” Kuhns said. The company offers custom designs to its customers. When that happens, Kuhns starts with a few options and moves forward from there. “Some of the customers have a good idea in mind of what they are looking for as far as a design and that helps us get started in a specific direction,” Kuhns said. “I also have customers who occasionally say, ‘I want something but I’m not sure what.’ Then I try to help them decide on the right design to fit their needs.” While the rewards of owning a small business are high, being a small business owner also has its challenges. “We are competing with larger companies around the area that can produce larger orders in less time,” Kuhns said.

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 25

Knowing that, she is committed to building relationships with customers that will enable them to trust Garage Ink to provide quality items at a low cost. “People are not always the best about changing and it takes work to get people to try someone new and to give you the opportunity to provide for their needs,” Kuhns said. “Most like to go where they have gotten items before because they know the process and what is expected.” Kunhs has succeeded in building those good customer relationships with several schools in the area and has done a lot of work for several schools and athletic activities in Mankato, Lake Crystal, St. Clair, United South Central and Maple River. Garage Ink has worked for many businesses in the Minnesota Valley area including Minnesota Elevator Incorporated, Heyn Brothers Roofing, Vanderburg Clean, Perfectan, Vetter Stone, Spinners Bar & Grill and the YWCA. Additionally, the company has done fundraisers such as one it did for the USA curling team that went to the Olympics last year. “A gentleman from Mapleton was on the team that went to Russia for the Olympic curling,” Kuhns said. “Ciara Sandborg designed a T-shirt for them and that went wild. We printed shirts daily and mailed them all over the US.” With that particular order Kuhns believes that Garage Ink sent T-shirts to all but two or three states and sent them internationally as well. “We were swamped in ordering, printing, and mailing them,” Kuhns said. “Our garage was a sea of red and blue. We raised close to $10,000 to help get the families to Russia and help with the team expenses.” Garage Ink has also done fundraising T-Shirts for children with spinal muscular atrophy in Missouri, a fundraiser for an injured young bull rider, the United South Central All School Reunion and several different cancer benefits to name a few. Another plus for Kuhns is working from her own home. “I enjoy being at my home and printing from my house. I can work whatever hours I want and if I want to clean in the morning and print later in the day, I can. If I want to print in the morning and take the afternoon off, I can. The only disadvantage about being at my home is that the T-Shirts and other items take up a lot of space. They are everywhere! I stock some of the most used colors and sizes to have on hand for smaller orders and sometimes when I receive a shipment of 1,000 plus shirts there is no room to walk around the garage,” Kuhns said. Kuhns and her husband, John, have two children. Their son is 20 and in his second year of college at Minnesota State and their daughter is 14 and is involved in dance and volleyball and comes up with many shirt ideas for her mom to print, all including glitter, of course. Kuhns family supports her business wholeheartedly although she noted that whenever she announces a particularly large run needs to printed, “They all seem to be busy.” Kuhns hopes to continue to grow and eventually have full-time employees helping her with Garage Ink. “My ultimate goal would be to have a home and Large Morton Building on a Big lot between Mankato and Mapleton with my home and business on one lot, big plans but never out of reach. My partner said, ‘Don’t go too big too fast or you will fail.’ I live by that on a daily basis and take it one day at a time.” MV

26 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

Top: Amy Kuhns screen prints inside her Garage Ink business. Bottom: The oil-based ink holds up to the heat of printing.

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William Petersen, owner of Mankato Industrial Coatings.

Truck-bed tough Industrial Coatings offers durable protection By Heidi Sampson Photos by John Cross

n the past few years, MythBusters, a popular Discovery Channel television show, has conducted a series of tests on Line-X’s bed liner material, proving its successful durability through bomb tests in which the bed liner was applied to both wood and cinder block. To the hosts’ amazement, Line-X’s bed liner material withstood the bombs’ impact in both instances and protected what was under the liner. MythBusters also tested Line-X’s bed liner material in low impact crashes where half of a car was coated in the product and then rammed into a cement median to gauge its effectiveness against the non-coated half of the car, as well as it’s durability when the application was placed on a jacket that was used to protect the participant from a ferrous dog attack. In both

instances the liner maintained its form and protected the item underneath. “It takes 2,500 pounds of force per square inch to tear through this stuff,” said William Petersen, owner of Mankato Industrial Coatings, a Line-X franchise. “For instance, if we had to rip out a bed liner, say something went wrong during the application of it, it would take me and my guy two days with air chisels just trying to get this stuff out of the box. Line-X is a permanent bond product. It’s really a matter of finding the right application for the job.” For many years, the Line-X franchise was housed at Toppers Plus on Madison Avenue. In 2006 Petersen began his career with the Line-X franchise at the Toppers Plus location and in 2009 purchased the franchise. For

Feature

28 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

most of the past six years he continued to operate the franchise out of Toppers Plus. When the former Gaffer’s Lawn & Sport building became available south of Mankato on Hwy 22 he purchased the building last spring and began an extensive remodel. Six months later, just after Christmas, he opened the franchise in the new location. “Our main thing is Line-X bed liners or Line-X coatings,” Petersen said. “They are known for their product because they have highest satisfaction out of any bed liner company. Another great fact about Line-X, is that they have the industry’s first nationwide lifetime warranty available. They are also quickly becoming the biggest truck accessory, as well as truck protective coating business out there.” Bed liner, floors and more According to Petersen, Mankato Industrial Coatings typically sprays about 500 trucks a year. A typical Line-X bed liner application, takes two hours for a single truck bed. However, most of that time is actually spent in prep work, such as making sure the material will stick well, with the typical spray time of about 15 minutes In terms of cost, a short box underneath the rails bed liner runs about $475 for the standard black application. “What sets Line-X apart from any other dealership or spray on bed liner, is that they have standards as far as how thick the bed liner has to be,” Petersen said. “They also have standards for their equipment, to make sure everything looks uniform. I’ve sprayed over 5,000 trucks and only had one ever come back with warranty issues. “We are dealing with $60,000 trucks on a daily basis, the work has to be done right.” Line-X also has protective coatings for floors, such as garages, office spaces and commercial kitchens. Jason Hemmingsen prepares a truck bed to ensure the spray adheres to the box.

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 29

The bed liner must be sprayed on in a uniformed thickness. They carry a 10-year warranty. Although the majority of Mankato Industrial Coating’s business is bed liners, the flooring side of the business requires a great deal of cooperative weather. The perfect weather for a garage floor application would be a 70-degree day. “We can use our product for anything and everything,” Petersen said. “We can spray fiberglass, wood, plastic, and even steel. It really doesn’t matter. We can even spray aluminum.” Petersen even sprayed a giant baseball for the Twins stadium and sprayed entire vehicles, including Jeep Wranglers. Extensive training With 460 franchises throughout the nation the closest dealer to Mankato Industrial Coatings is in Lakeville and

Rochester. Generally, each dealership has a 60-mile radius of operation. However, the franchises work together to help each other out. “We are kind of like a big family. It’s nice. We have a global conference every two years. So, we get to talk to other franchises from other countries and find out what they are doing. For instance, a guy from Australia doesn’t really do protective truck beds, he does protective coatings for oil drilling and pipelines and heavy-duty machinery.” Line-X also has an extensive training program. “Anything that we do as far as bed liners and floorings, requires extensive training,” Petersen said. “Of course, anything after the training is based on trial and error. I like to practice on my own truck first, to make sure we won’t have any issues with the customers.” MV

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Construction/Real Estate Residential building permits Mankato

(in thousands)

- 2013 - 2014 $10,778

11000

Residential building permits North Mankato

- 2013 - 2014 (in thousands)

3000

$2,519

8250

$1,030 $297

2000

5500

1000

2750 0

Source: City of Mankato Information based on Multiple Listing Service and may not reflect all sales

- 2013 - 2014 275

Includes single family homes attached and detached, and town homes and condos

Housing starts: Mankato/North Mankato - 2013 - 2014

165

110

55 J

Source: Realtors Association of Southern Minnesota

Source: Cities of Mankato/North Mankato

Commercial building permits Mankato

(in thousands)

- 2013 - 2014

Commercial building permits North Mankato

- 2013 - 2014 (in thousands)

2000 1500 1000

$2,268 $1,170

$138 $56

500 D

Source: City of Mankato

Source: City of North Mankato

Interest Rates: 30-year fixed-rate mortgage

Foreclosures: 2013 Year End

— 2013 — 2014

5.5 5.0

4.5%

4.5 4.0

3.9%

3.5 3.0

168 122

220

80000 70000 60000 50000 40000 30000 20000 10000 0

Source: City of North Mankato

Existing home sales: Mankato region

Source: Freddie Mac

County

2012

2013

Percent change

Blue Earth Brown Faribault Le Sueur Martin Nicollet Sibley Waseca Watonwan

126 37 46 98 42 49 58 57 17

101 19 27 70 25 43 39 36 24

-20% -49% -41% -29% -40% -12% -33% -37% +41%

Source: Minnesota Foreclosure Partners Council C. Sankey

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 33

■

Agricultural Outlook

By Kent Thiesse

Variable profits in the ethanol industry

he U.S. corn-based ethanol per gallon. This was based on an industry has been on a rolleraverage ethanol price of $2.24 per coaster ride of profitability gallon, and an average price for swings in the past three years, due to DDG’s of $238 per ton. In 2014, the wide variations in the corn price and average revenues from ethanol the oil price. The last half of 2012 production were approximately and early 2013 was a time of very $2.60 per gallon, with an average low or negative profit margins in the production cost of near $2 per ethanol industry, primarily due to bushel, which lead to the favorable the very high corn prices in 2012, profit margins. The average monthly which were the result of the major ethanol price in 2014 ranged from U.S. drought that year. More $2.79 per gallon in April to $2.02 per favorable corn prices in the last half gallon in December. The price for of 2013 and 2014 lead to 2014 being DDG’s in 2014 averaged about $161 one of the most profitable years ever per ton. in ethanol production. In recent The other major factor affecting months, the rapid drop in oil prices, current and future profitability in the combined with relatively low retail corn-based ethanol industry is the gasoline prices, has again tightened price of crude oil, and the related the profit margins at ethanol plants. impact on ethanol prices. From late Based on data from Iowa State September 2014 until January 2015, University, the average cost of corn crude oil prices in the U.S. fell by from September 2012 through approximately 51 percent. The August 2013 for ethanol production decline in oil prices lead to a sharp was $7.14 per bushel, or about $2.55 drop in retail gasoline prices, and per gallon of ethanol produced. The ultimately to a rapid drop in ethanol average conversion rate is prices. As a result, profit margins for approximately 2.8 gallons of ethanol corn-based ethanol production in produced per bushel of corn. The early 2015 are again back to near a total cost to produce ethanol during “break-even” level, even with that period was approximately $3.14 continued lower price levels for corn. per gallon. By comparison, the Current oil prices and retail average corn cost for ethanol gasoline prices are comparable to production in the last half of 2014 levels from 2005 to early in 2007; was near $3.50 per bushel, or about however, ethanol production was $1.25 per gallon of ethanol produced. much more profitable during that This lowered the total cost to period, as compared to current profit produce ethanol down to below $2 levels. The reason being that the per gallon produced. ethanol was still a rapidly growing Revenues for most corn-based industry in 2005-2007, as compared ethanol plants are primarily derived to being a more stable and mature from two sources, the sale of ethanol industry today. In addition, corn fuel and the sale of dried distillers prices were lower during that time grains (DDG’S). The ethanol period than today’s price levels, and industry generates approximately there was a federal ethanol blender 1.7 billion bushels of DDG’s annually, tax credit to encourage increased which is used a high quality livestock ethanol production in place from feed source that is fed as an 2005-2007, which has since expired. alternative to corn and soybean One of the big question marks in meal. Demand for DDG’s has been today’s renewable fuels industry, strengthened in recent years by which includes corn-based ethanol, strong export sales to China and is where the Environmental other countries. Protection Agency will set the the Average revenue in 2012 at cornRenewable Fuels Standard (RFS) based ethanol plants was about $2.96 targets for renewable fuel for 2014 per gallon, compared to the average and 2015. In 2013 the EPA proposed ethanol production cost of over $3 to reduce the total required volume 34 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

of renewable fuels for 2014 to 15.21 billion gallons, which would be a reduction of approximately 16 percent from the original 2014 RFS requirement of 18.15 billion gallons. The existing RFS volume targets were established by the “Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007. As of this writing, the EPA has yet to make a decision to finalize either the 2014 or 2015 RFS guidelines. The original goal of the EISA legislation was to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil to meet our energy needs, and to expand the production of renewable fuels domestically. It is estimated that 14.4 billion gallons of the original 18.15 billion gallons of total renewable fuel for 2014 were to be derived from cornbased ethanol. If the reduced EPA RFS targets are implemented, the desired ethanol production level for 2014 would be lowered to just over 13 billion gallons. The RFS standard for 2013 was a total of 16.55 billion gallons, with an estimated 13.8 billion gallons from corn-based ethanol. The volume of corn-based ethanol with the original RFS guidelines is set to increase to about 15 billion gallons per year in 2015, which is about where current production is at, and then be held steady. Most of the RFS increases in renewable fuels beyond 2015 are slated to occur from development of the production of advanced biofuels, primarily from cellulosic ethanol. The 2007 EISA legislation granted EPA the authority to waive the renewable fuels requirement for an individual calendar year by “reducing the national quantities of renewable fuels that are required,” based on certain criteria. To reduce the RFS requirement, EPA must determine that implementing the requirements would “severely harm the economy or environment”, or that there is “an inadequate domestic supply” of renewable fuels. The so-called ethanol “blend wall” is potentially being used to justify any potential reductions in the RFS requirements for 2014 and 2015. In simplistic

Agriculture/Agribusiness Corn prices — southern Minnesota

(dollars per bushel)

— 2014 — 2015 8

16 12

2 0

$9.35

$3.61

Source: USDA

Iowa-Minnesota hog prices

Source: USDA

Milk prices

185 pound carcass, negotiated price, weighted average

— 2014 — 2015 140

110

Minimum prices, class 1 milk Dollars per hundredweight

— 2014 — 2015 30

125

$23.18

$119.15

$63.29

65 50

(dollars per bushel)

— 2014 — 2015 20 $13.29

$4.31

Soybean prices — southern Minnesota

Source: USDA

$18.04 J

Corn and soybean prices are for rail delivery points in Southern Minnesota. Milk prices are for Upper Midwest points.

terms, the ethanol “blend wall” is the point at which the required volume of ethanol for domestic gasoline blending matches the expected production of ethanol. As total U.S. gasoline consumption has declined in recent years, so has the volume of ethanol required to meet the desired “blend wall”. Another big question for the future growth of renewable fuels in the U.S., or expansion of the “blend wall”, will be whether or not there is an increased focus on greater acceptance of “E15” gasoline blends, as well as greater acceptability and engineering advancements of “flexfuel” vehicles, and more availability of higher ethanol gasoline blends at retail gas pumps. If U.S. ethanol production is to be profitable in future years, beyond domestic fuel needs in the U.S., it will likely require increased ethanol and DDG exports to Canada, China, and other countries in Europe and Asia. Regardless of what ethanol opponents may be hoping for, U.S. production and use of corn-based ethanol is not likely to decline or disappear anytime soon. The corn-

Source: USDA. Based on federal milk orders. C. Sankey

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based ethanol industry is firmly established, with many well managed and profitable ethanol plants in operation. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, there are expected to be 213 ethanol production facilities operating in the U.S. in 2015, with a total production capacity near 15 billion gallons. Minnesota has 20 ethanol plants with a total production capacity of approximately 1.2 billion gallons per year. It is estimated that the U.S. ethanol industry will process approximately 5.25 billion bushels of

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corn in 2015, including over 400 million bushels of corn in Minnesota. MV Kent Thiesse is farm management analyst and vice president, MinnStar Bank, Lake Crystal. 507- 381-7960; kent.thiesse@ minnstarbank.com

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 35

Employment/Unemployment Initial unemployment claims

Minnesota initial unemployment claims

Nine-county Mankato region Major February Industry ‘14 ‘15 Construction Manufacturing Retail Services Total*

243 167 45 199 654

Percent change ‘14-’15

283 161 40 146 630

Major Industry

+16.5% -3.6% -11.1% -26.6% -26.6%

February ‘14 ‘15

Construction Manufacturing Retail Services Total*

4,766 2,519 1,391 5,196 13,872

Percent change ‘14-’15

5,102 2,160 1,221 4,420 12,903

+7.0% -14.3% -12.3% -14.9% -6.9%

Services consist of administration, educational, health care and social assistance, food and other miscellaneous services. *Categories don’t equal total because some categories not listed.

Local non-farm jobs

Minnesota Local non-farm jobs

- 2013 - 2014

Nine-county Mankato region

129,259 125,494

133000

2000

111000

1000

Local number of unemployed

- 2013 - 2014

Nine-county Mankato region

Minnesota number of unemployed

8000

109,216 137,950

150000

4,872 5,862

6000

- 2013 - 2014

200000

10000

100000

4000

50000

2000 0

2,875 2,825

3000

122000

100000

- 2013 - 2014

(in thousands)

Mankato/North Mankato Metropolitan statistical area

Unemployment rate Number of non-farm jobs Number of unemployed

2013

2014

3.5% 56,499 2,050

2.6% 58,869 1,594

Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

36 • April 2015 • MN Valley Business

Unemployment rates Counties, state, nation

(includes all of Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties) December

County/area Blue Earth Brown Faribault Le Sueur Martin Nicollet Sibley Waseca Watonwan Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota U.S.

December 2013 3.6% 4.4% 5.4% 6.8% 4.4% 3.4% 4.5% 5.4% 5.1% 4.3% 4.4% 6.5%

December 2014 2.7% 3.8% 4.5% 5.6% 4.0% 2.5% 4.0% 4.3% 4.7% 3.3% 2.7% 5.4% C. Sankey

Retail/Consumer Spending Vehicle Sales Mankato — Number of vehicles sold - 2013 - 2014 1200

884

1000

798

800

$406

$387

400

100

200 J

Source: Sales tax figures, City of Mankato

Lodging tax collections Mankato/North Mankato $56,900 $45,279

60000

Source: Sales tax figures, City of Mankato

Mankato food and beverage tax

- 2013 - 2014

85000

50000

$55,837 $59,000

68000

40000

51000

30000

34000

20000

17000

10000 J

Source: City of Mankato

Gas prices-Mankato — 2014 — 2015

- 2013 - 2014

500

200

400

(In thousands)

300

600

Includes restaurants, bars, telecommunications and general merchandise store sales. Excludes most clothing, grocery store sales.

Sales tax collections Mankato

Stocks of local interest

Feb. 10

March 10

Percent change

Archer Daniels

$46.48

$45.52

-2.1%

Ameriprise

$136.03

$130.24

-4.3%

Best Buy

$38.16

$39.97

+4.7%

Crown Cork & Seal

$49.50

$50.52

+2.1%

Eventis

$24.00

$20.88

-13%

Fastenal

$42.57

$40.60

-4.6%

General Growth

$29.39

$28.82

-1.9%

General Mills

$53.09

$51.79

-2.4%

Hutchinson Technology

$3.66

$3.23

-11.7%

Itron

$36.99

$35.20

-4.6%

Johnson Outdoors

$30.00

$30.75

+2.5%

$164.48

$162.26

-1.3%

Target

$76.21

$77.67

+1.9%

U.S. Bancorp

$44.19

$43.71

-1.1%

Wells Financial

$27.15

$28.51

+5.0%

Winland

$1.00

Xcel

$35.58

$34.16

-4.0%

$3.55

$2.49

1 0

Gas prices-Minnesota — 2014 — 2015

$3.52

4 3 2 $2.44

1 0

Source: GasBuddy.com C. Sankey

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 37

rassroots community visioning efforts are an ever-evolving process and are not new to Greater Mankato. The successes of ACT 2000, the predecessor to Envision 2020, had a long and fruitful history dating back to 1965. Following the completion of ACT 2000, a new visioning plan was needed that would represent the future desired state of community stakeholders. In 2005, Citizens Voices and Greater Mankato Growth (the Greater Mankato Chamber of Commerce and Greater Mankato Economic Development (GMED) at the time) were each exploring the possibilities for a community-based visioning effort. The leaders of Citizen Voices convened a meeting with the Chamber and GMED to discuss the possibility of collaborating on a shared community strategic planning process. These key organizations agreed to work together on the process and with the inclusion of key governmental perspectives and a plethora of community stakeholders, Envision 2020 was born.

Greater Mankato Growth

The strategic planning approach chosen for Envision 2020 had two stages: pre-planning and planning. A third stage, which we are currently in, is the implementation of the plan itself. The Initiating Stage, or pre-planning stage, focused on project logistics, design of the actual community planning process and identification of stakeholders. The Stakeholder Planning Stage, involved activation of the community planning process and the development of the community action plan by the stakeholders of the region. The Initiating Process identified more than 400 community stakeholders. Through recruitment strategies implemented by the volunteer committee, more than 200 stakeholders committed to participate in the process. Other passionate residents also stepped forward and the project leadership welcomed their participation. This process helped to identify the key performance areas and the goals that correspond to each. Key Performance Areas: From these visioning and planning efforts Envision 2020 was formed, and it currently consists of six key performance areas which include; community planning & regional governance, economic development, education, health & human services, livability and transportation. Each key performance area focuses on the goals and priorities that community stakeholders identified as being important to achieve by the year 2020. An example of goals from the Transportation key performance area include; 1. Develop an accessible, efficient, cost effective and cooperative mass transit system 2. Develop a comprehensive non-motorized transportation system that is accessible, safe and region-wide.

38 April 2015 • MN Valley Business 1 •• JANUARY 2013 • MN Valley Business

Maintain, improve and coordinate an efficient and safe system of streets, roads and trails throughout Greater Mankato. 4. Enhance and develop a multi-modal transportation system that includes pedestrians, bicycles, motor vehicles, transit rail and air. If you would like to review more materials about the key performance areas please visit our website at envision-2020.com. Review, Revise and Renew: With only five years remaining in the Envision 2020 initiative, community stakeholders decided it would be beneficial for Greater Mankato to re-evaluate the goals and priorities that were set at its inception. By doing this stakeholders ensured that they would be working towards the objectives the community deemed as important to accomplish by the year 2020. In October 2014, a large community gathering was hosted at the Verizon Wireless Center. At this meeting; accomplishments from each key performance area were shared, small group discussions were held to help identify areas where Greater Mankato could improve and an explanation of the next steps in the re-evaluation process were discussed. In conjunction with the meeting a community survey was conducted. The results from the survey identified goals and priorities that were most important to community stakeholders. It also encouraged individuals to contribute their efforts and expertise to Envision 2020 in a variety of ways including; joining one or more key performance areas, attending focus groups or by volunteering their time. Since that time each key performance area has analyzed the survey results and created specific questions for their focus groups which were held in early February. The feedback received from these focus groups has played an integral part in shaping each key performance area and Envision 2020 as a whole moving forward.

Building a Better Future,Today: What is next for Envision 2020? The rollout of the of the renewed Envision 2020 community report will be made available in late April through a news release and social media venues. The purpose and desire for the community report is to invigorate community stakeholders and encourage all members of the community to work towards a stronger and more vibrant region. If you would like further information or would like to become involved with Envision 2020, and shaping the future of Greater Mankato, please contact Andrew Langholz at alangholz@greatermankato.com or visit the Envision 2020â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at envision-2020.com.

MN Valley Business â&#x20AC;˘ April 2015 â&#x20AC;˘ 39

Greater Mankato Growth

Throughout the month of March, each key performance area hosted meetings with community stakeholders to make final revisions to the plan. These revisions include; creating a new mini-vision, mapping out goals to accomplish by the year 2020 and the rationale for setting each goal.

Growth in Greater Mankato NEW BUSINESS

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Grab a colleague and join us for the 2015 Greater Mankato Business Showcase. This free event is an opportunity to network with more than 500 individuals from regional businesses and learn about their products and services.

Tuesday, April 28 4 - 7 pm Verizon Wireless Center For more information about the Greater Mankato Business Showcase visit: greatermankato.com/businessshowcase. Presented By:

Knutson + Casey Law Firm 196 S. Andrews Drive, Suite 100 Mankato, MN

True Façade Pictures 509 South Front Street Mankato, MN

Greater Mankato Growth

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Gravie 10 South 5th Street, Suite #650 Mankato, MN gravie.com

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40 April 2015 • MN Valley Business 1 •• JANUARY 2013 • MN Valley Business

Prairie River Home Care Inc. 1961 Premier Drive, Suite 340 Mankato, MN prhc.com

Discover Chiropractic 1609 North Riverfront Drive, #100 Mankato, MN mankatodc.com

Navigating through greatermankato.com Resources available on Greater Mankato Growth’s website, greatermankato.com

Hot Deals Find hot deals, coupons and promotions from member businesses in the Hot Deals section of greatermankato.com. The page currently features lodging, restaurant and service coupons, along with exclusive member to member offers. If you are a member of Greater Mankato Growth login to the member portal of our website to add your hot deals. To see current hot deals, coupons and promotions visit greatermankato.com/coupons.

5:00 - 7:00 pm April 7 May 5 June 2 July 7 August 4 September 1 October 6 November 3 December 1

Community Bank MTU Onsite Energy First National Bank Minnesota & Tavern on the Avenue Cambria Unique Specialty & Classics Mayo Clinic Health System - Eastridge I+S Group Blethen, Gage & Krause Gislason & Hunter

2015 Business After Hours Sponsored by:

April 15 May 20 June 17 July 15 August 19 September 16 October 21 November 11 December 16

Hilltop Florist & Greenhouse Brunton Architects & Engineers McDonald’s Restaurant, Madison Avenue Brennan Companies,Vanderberg Cleaning Services & Friesen’s Family Bakery & Bistro in Old Town Center Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union Monarch Meadows South Central College Enventis Wells Federal Bank

2015 Business Before Hours Sponsored by:

February Business Before Hours hosted by Between the Bridges Healing Center

Business After and Business Before Hours gives representatives from GMG member businesses at the Engaged Level or higher an opportunity to get together with one another to exchange ideas and learn about each other’s businesses. For more information on these and other member events, visit greatermankato.com/events.

MN Valley Business • April 2015 • 41

Greater Mankato Growth

February Business After Hours hosted by Pub 500

7:30 - 9:00 am

We would like to thank all of those who helped make the Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. Annual Meeting a success. More than 370 business professionals were in attendance as we celebrated the accomplishments of 2014 and looked ahead to the goals of 2015. Greater Mankato Growth,Visit Mankato and City Center Partnership were honored to recognize our Volunteer of the Year Recipients and celebrate the successes of our outgoing board members during the event.

Greater Mankato Growth

To view photos, videos and the annual report from this year’s Annual Meeting visit greatermankato.com/annual-meeting.