Minnesota Valley Business by Free Press Media

The Definitive Business Journal for the Greater Minnesota River Valley October 2021

Garden City farmer Bob Roelofs. Photo by Pat Christman

Finishing strong Despite drought ag is robust Also in this issue • BEST OF 2021: PAGLIAI’S PIZZA, J. LONG’S, COFFEE HAG • MONUMENTS BY TOM MILLER • DICKY’S BARBER SHOP IN HENDERSON

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F E A T U R E S October 2021 • Volume 14, Issue 1

While crops in much of Minnesota were ravaged by the drought, farmers in the Mankato region generally fared better, getting just enough timely rain.

Tom Miller is widely known for his headstone work and for carving stone sculptures such as the bison in Reconciliation Park in Mankato.

Businesses featured in the Best Of 2021 contest in Mankato Magazine are featured, including Pagliai’s Pizza, J. Long’s and the Coffee Hag.

Taylor Peulin, originally from Henderson, moved back and opened the closed barber shop that had been operated for 40 years by Dickie Downs.

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 3

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OCTOBER 2021 • VOLUME 14, ISSUE 1

By Joe Spear

PUBLISHER Steve Jameson EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joe Spear ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tim Krohn COPY EDITOR Kathy Vos CONTRIBUTING Tim Krohn WRITERS Kent Thiesse Dan Greenwood Dean Swanson Jane Turpin Moore PHOTOGRAPHER Pat Christman COVER PHOTO Pat Christman PAGE DESIGNER Christina Sankey ADVERTISING Danny Creel Sales Jordan Greer-Friesz Josh Zimmerman Theresa Haefner Tim Keech ADVERTISING Barb Wass ASSISTANT ADVERTISING Christina Sankey DESIGNERS CIRCULATION Justin Niles DIRECTOR For editorial inquiries, call Tim Krohn at 507-344-6383. For advertising, call 344-6364, or e-mail advertising@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....................................5 ■ MRCI....................................................6 ■ Business Commentary........................8 ■ Business and Industry trends .........22 ■ Retail trends ....................................23 ■ Agriculture Outlook .........................24 ■ Agribusiness trends.........................25 ■ Construction, real estate trends ....26 ■ Gas trends .......................................27 ■ Stocks ..............................................27 ■ Minnesota Business updates...........28 ■ Job trends ........................................28 ■ Schmidt Foundation ........................30 ■ Greater Mankato Growth .................32 ■ Greater Mankato Growth Member Activities ...........................34

From the editor

Apartment trend hitting downtown: What does it mean for Mankato’s future?

he Free Press recently reported the city of Mankato is set to approve some 170 new apartment units downtown, likely a record in recent history. So what does that say about our emerging metropolitan statistical area? There’s either obvious demand for apartments and developers have no hesitancy whatsoever of filling them to the level they need for profitability or there’s a huge tax write-off waiting for someone somewhere. My guess is a little of both. But it’s good to see about 40 and possibly more of those apartments will be affordable with rents as low as $650 per month for a one bedroom. These so called Sinclair Flats and Lewis Lofts are named after Sinclair Lewis, the first American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature who wrote “Main Street” in Mankato, though he was from Sauk Center. The plan also calls another 64-units of senior income-based housing in another building that will be contingent on state tax credits. The more interesting question is the plan for the “high end” apartments. The Landmark Center will be remade into a four-story complex with 33 high end apartments that would rent for from $1,500 to $2,500 a month. A newly proposed project called the Burton Building will house five floors of 89 presumably higher end apartments, though proposed rents have not been disclosed. These projects will change the face of downtown Mankato. The Landmark project is proposed to

4 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

have a micro-distillery, gathering spaces and an event center. It would be connected to the City Center Hotel and local parking ramps. The Burton project also proposes gathering spaces with views of the city and the Minnesota River Valley and a pool and deck. The developments raise interesting questions because even though interest rates are low, building costs seem to be astronomical. We should remember the tax cuts of 2017 remain in place and those cuts resulted in huge reductions for partnerships and limited liability corporations, which are typically the type of business organizations used by real estate companies. Wealthy individuals also can invest in such properties and get tax write-offs on personal income in numerous ways. But one wonders who would rent a $2,500 per month apartment? How about someone who sold their $400,000 home or $500,000 and invested it? A 8 percent typical stock market return on $400,000 would be $32,000 a year. They could pay rent with the interest they earn and not have invested in another probably somewhat overpriced “downsized” home at $300,000. If they buy a house instead of rent, they lose $32,000 a year investment gains with the hope the house would recoup when sold say 10 years down the road. But with the housing market at a high, prices are likely to go down from here. If there is a flood of “empty nesters” to fill up the luxury apartments, that would likely free up some housing inventory,

though most likely at the high end where homes are not going so fast. It’s also good to see old buildings like the Landmark Center being repurposed. A mostly brick structure, it has many lasting architectural qualities that can be enhanced. There are plans to retrofit the space to use the original large window openings. The Burton building, however, will call for demolishing the Kasota stone former Old National Bank building. Hopefully, some of the natural Kasota stone can be repurposed. Still, the projects bode well for enhancing downtown Mankato as a vibrant place to live and do business, likely bolstering the entertainment district. Apar tment living and development also meets green goals of reducing carbon from automobiles. In that respect, the proposed projects are ideal as they are easily walking distance to entertainment at the Mayo Clinic Health System Civic Center and ballroom, but also restaurants and eating and drinking establishments and several art galleries. In the 1970s when I went to school at then Mankato State University, out of towners would refer to Mankato as a “cow town” that was only good for college drinking parties and downtown seven-for-one places. Significant changes have taken place since then, and the only cow in Mankato might be the Maverick bull sculptures at the civic center and the “mechanical” bronze bull sculpture on Front Street in front of Pagliai’s Pizza. It’s good to see as a city boy who came to the cow town hoping it could someday be something better. Mankato has always had the short commutes and less hectic life amenities associated with living here, but it’s now becoming a pretty fun place to be with still short commutes and no traffic jams.

Local Business People/Company News ■

Young joines True

Terry Young has joined True Real Estate as an agent. He is a native of Mankato and resides in Belle Plaine. Young recently finished his coaching license and is active in the soccer community. ■■■

Kolden honored for 50 years

Darrell Kolden, recently received recognition for 50 years in funeral service at the Minnesota Funeral Directors Convention. The ceremony was supposed to take place last year but was cancelled due to the pandemic. Kolden graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1970. His career began in Owatonna, and continued in Iowa and Austin. In 1979 he and his family moved to Le Sueur and purchased the Roschen Funeral Homes in Le Sueur and Henderson. In 2001 he acquired the Fenske Funeral Homes in Belle Plaine and Arlington. He has since sold the business to his son and daughter in law, but continues to work full time.

Ludeman qualifies for Leaders Conference

Sander Ludeman, of Edward Jones, has qualified for the Leaders Conference which recognizes financial advisors who are among the leaders in financial services and provides important industry updates, best practices and ideas to help them serve investors in their communities. Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and through its affiliate in Canada. The firm’s nearly 19,000 financial advisors serve more than 7 million clients with a total of $1.6 trillion in assets under care.

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Joe Spear is executive editor of Minnesota Valley Business. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear.

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 5

Give A Guy A Break!

MRCI and Buff Kings Help Local Man Thrive

Jeff Kosbab

Sometimes all it takes is one act of kindness, one moment of understanding, one big break. That’s how Jeff Kosbab’s story starts. “I always wanted to work with cars, well, actually, I just wanted to work,” explains Jeff, who found it difficult to find work after his Schizophrenia diagnosis. “Finally, someone gave me a chance.” That someone are the owners of Buff Kings in New Ulm. “I have a lot of respect for him, his desire to work and his understanding of being accountable and responsible for the work he does,” explains co-owner Cassie Thompson. “We just wanted to give the guy a break and I really hope he continues to make stepping stones toward a healthy life.” Jeff is making great strides toward living his best life. While Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness, it is also very treatable. While he still experiences anxiety from time to time, Jeff has learned to manage life with the diagnosis, thanks, in part, to his job at Buff Kings. “It’s great, it’s a wonderful place to work. They are flexible with me and I want to do a good job for them,” says Jeff. “I didn’t have a job for a long time, so I am excited to get back to work. I do car detailing and finishing work for them.” Jeff earned the job with the help of MRCI’s Stephanie Haas, who works in the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) program. Stephanie knew Jeff would enjoy working in the auto industry and really listened to his needs when guiding him in his job search. “Stephanie is always very helpful and considerate, I can’t thank her enough,” says Jeff. Jeff is appreciative too, to the Thompson family who have made him feel right at home at Buff Kings. “They gave me a chance, when few others would,” he says. The Thompson’s say it’s been a good fit for them as well. “Jeff seems to take a lot of pride in his work and shows that he is very appreciative of having a job,” says Cassie. “He has a great attitude and is very highly regarded by other employees. “We hired him because of his initiative and his determination to overcome significant mental health issues to be successful. We just think he is a great example for others and we are happy he is with us.”

About MRCI

MRCI provides genuine opportunities for people with disabilities and disadvantages at home, at work and in the community. Please help us with that mission by volunteering of your time and talents! Please call 507-386-5600 to make a difference today!

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Business Commentary

By Dean Swanson

Tr y a new way to find employees

ave you seen the most common sign in the windows of area small business? They usually say “Now Hiring.” Finding employees has become the biggest problem for CEOs these days. I have talked to so many that express this frustration… ”I just cannot find enough people to work.” In fact, several CEOs have shared with me that they are having to reduce the number of hours that their business is open because they do not have people to work. I have asked CEOs what ways they are using to seek new employees. My observation is that most are using what they have done for years, and it is not yielding results. So, I have one suggestion. Try something new. Social recruitment may be one answer worth trying. One of SCORE’s content partners, Rieva Lesonsky, has given some guidance on this topic on the SCORE website. I share her work here. Lesonsky is president and CEO of GrowBiz Media, a custom content and media company focusing on small business and entrepreneurship, and the blog SmallBusinessCurrents.com. So many aspects of running a small business have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. And one of the areas that have been most impacted was employee recruitment. It was, after all, quite challenging to find potential new hires when you couldn’t meet and interview them face-to-face. According to a survey by LiveCareer, many businesses turned to social media as a recruitment tool. The company says social platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook allow businesses to learn “a lot about a candidate’s personality.” In addition, for their survey LiveCareer defined social media as “any digital tool that allows users to create and share content with the public.” Since social recruiting is relatively new, many people still don’t have a social presence. The good news for potential employees is, for now, “90% of hiring managers would still invite a candidate to interview for a job—even if they can’t find them online.”

Screening candidates online

From the small business’s point of view, most will search online to see if a social presence exists. The survey shows that 77% use social media to search for job candidates and 80% of companies screen candidates through social media before hiring. In addition, the social media components most often checked by companies when recruiting are:

8 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

n Main posts—66% n About me section—63% n Photos—60% n Candidate’s comments under posts—43% n Followed profiles—25% And here’s what they look for: n 66% are looking for any red flags on a candidate’s social media n 62% want to get an idea about the candidate and their life n 57% check to see if someone would be a good fit for their company culture. The specific red flags hiring managers look out for include: n Discriminatory comments regarding race, gender, and religion—66% n Provocative or inappropriate content—57% n Information about drinking or doing drugs—57% n Bad-mouthing or sharing confidential information about a previous company or fellow employees—51% n Extreme political views—36% n Bad language—34% Of course, the job candidate may have deleted or made some of their posts private, so you still need to conduct other due diligence before hiring.

Facebook top site

The LiveCareer survey shows that Facebook was the number-one site searched when checking potential candidates’ online presence. n Facebook—74% n LinkedIn—56% n Instagram—49% n Twitter—45% n TikTok—12% For some, this may be surprising since LinkedIn is the social network best known for B2B interactions. But in sheer number — and the reported number of job offers received, Facebook is the most popular professional social network. That said, most (68%) of the hiring managers and recruiters expect potential candidates to have a presence on LinkedIn. The Benefits of Social Recruiting as cited by PostBeyond include: You can connect with more candidates. It helps businesses “get their job listings in front of candidates you wouldn’t otherwise reach”—those who aren’t necessarily looking at job boards but are looking at

their social feeds. You’ll save money and time. PostBeyond says, “In general, it costs businesses over $4,000 to hire new talent and takes 42 days on average to fill a given position.” One of the keys to social recruitment is leveraging not only your social platforms but those of your employees. Essentially, you’re reaching out through their networks to find job candidates. Showcase your company culture. Younger workers (millennials and Gen Z want to work for businesses that reflect their values.

How to Build a Social Recruiting Process

PostBeyond also lists the seven steps to building an effective social recruiting strategy. 1. Set goals and metrics 2. Know your ideal candidate 3. Check out what your competitors are doing 4. Define your employer brand 5. Choose the right social media platforms 6. Launch an employee advocacy program 7. Measure, optimize, repeat

Dean L. Swanson is a volunteer certified SCORE mentor and former SCORE chapter chair, district director, and regional vice president for the north west region. For information on the local Mankato area SCORE chapter: scmnscore.org

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Mapleton farmer Pat Duncanson, shown here this summer, says yields will vary widely across the region because of spotty rain during the year.

Fine farming Despite drought, ag strong By Tim Krohn | Photos by Pat Christman

hen area farmers got together or talked on the phone this year, the first and foremost topic was the severe drought. There was little rain in early spring and June brought a long stretch of historic high temperatures near or above 90 degrees. Through the summer hot weather persisted and rainfall was anywhere from 6 inches to 12 inches or more below the annual average. While the dry weather has definitely impacted crops, most farmers in the Greater Mankato

region are finishing the year with a sense of relief and optimism. Area crops were helped by high soil moisture during the start of spring and timely, if not heavy, rains helped crops limp along without serious drought damage. And while area crops were stressed and some had damage, farmers knew their colleagues in much of the state suffered severe crop damage. Mapleton farmer Pat Duncanson said that in this region crop yields will vary considerably as rains

Cover Story

10 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

Bob Roelofs said soybean yields will be below average. were often spotty. “It’s going to be ver y neighborhood specific this year. There are some who are going to have pretty good crops and some who won’t see too good of a crop.” But he and others say strong crop prices will be a saving grace for most farmers. “You just hope the crop prices hold up so even with lower yields there’ll be some decent profits,” Duncanson said. Bob Roelofs, who farms near Garden City and serves on the state Farm Bureau board, said south-central Minnesota was blessed. “I’ve traveled the state for Farm Bureau and we have, I think, the best crops in the state. You go even 40 miles southwest and north and it looks really tough. Marshall looks really rough. There are a lot of areas a lot rougher than here,” he said. “I think corn (yields) will be about average and it’ll be

when harvest is over there will be a wide range of results. “In our south-central region, it varies a lot as far as impacts from the drought. Some of our eastern areas have minimal effects but in southwestern par ts of south-central Minnesota there will be significant reductions in yields,” Thiesse said. “There are variations even in the same township or sometimes on the same farm, depending on where rain fell.”

Profits strong

Following a few years of lower farm profits, 2020 and 2021 saw improved profitability, Kent Thiesse, farm management analyst and vice and predictions are for president at MinnStar Bank, says farm profits continued strength in 2022. should be strong this year. “2021 for most farmers will be a fairly good year from a slightly below average for profit standpoint. Mostly due to beans,” Roelofs said. strong prices rather than Kent Thiesse, farm government payments like last management analyst and vice year,” Thiesse said. president at MinnStar Bank in “Crop prices for most of the Lake Cr ystal, expects that year have been very strong. MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 11

Selling the remaining crop left from last year and being able to forward sell this year’s crop have given some good opportunities for farmers.” While crop prices were not strong last year, heavy government subsidies boosted farm profits. Those included the traditional Farm Bill payments but also several rounds of funding from COVIDrelated funding programs approved by Congress. While government subsidies will be less this year, the strong crop prices will boost profits. Thiesse, Roelofs and Duncanson said that while profitability looks good this year, much of it will be eaten up by ever rising input costs late this fall and next spring. “Input costs rose in 2021 and will probably rise even more in 2022, especially in fertilizer costs,” Thiesse said. Fertilizer prices are expected to jump 3050% next year due to strong world demand and rising shipping costs as there is a shortage of shipping containers

and higher fuel costs. There have also been increases in fuel, seed and other inputs for farmers, but not as dramatic as fertilizer costs.

neighbors who both want to win (the bidding). “We’ve been used to $6,000 to $10,000 an acre here, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens,” Roelofs said.

Land costs rising

Livestock uneven

The cost of farmland has continued to shoot up. That means higher rents for farmers who rent land, but it also improves balance sheets for farmers because of land they own. “There are a lot of land sales out there and some sales in Iowa are eye popping,” Roelofs said. “I think it will stay firm and maybe tick higher. It depends on how much cash farmers have. Some who’ve been farming a while have some cash to burn.” He noted that a recent sale in Iowa brought $22,600 per acre. “That’s incredible. Iowa has always been higher than we are, but it will be interesting to see what happens here. But sometimes when you see those huge numbers, it’s just two

12 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

Prices farmers get for raising hogs has been solid, but beef producers have seen low prices. “Hog prices have held up well,” Duncanson said. “It’s been pretty strong all summer. Cash prices are in the upper end of the range with lean carcass (prices) in the $90 range.” But beef prices have been very weak, and beef producers face additional costs and hardships because the drought reduced the amount of hay and driven up costs. “I know a cattle guy by Brainerd who is sending his cattle to Nebraska to feed them temporarily,” Roelofs said. “They just don’t have the feed stock here. He said he’s never had to do that before.” Producers are scrambling to

find hay for the winter ahead. “I’ve never seen so many gravel ditches baled as I have this year,” Roelofs said. “One guy had a third of (the hay) he needed and that’s here in our area. They just didn’t have enough rain for the hay and alfalfa to take off. And a lot of people out west are coming to Minnesota and buying hay and bringing it out there and driving up prices.” While beef prices for farmers are down, prices for beef have stayed high at the grocer y store. That is spurred by a backup at packing plants that mean less beef is processed, which keeps store prices high. The backup also means there are more cattle available than can be processed, holding prices down for live cattle. There are also backups at pork-packing plants, although live hog prices have remained strong. “The backup at packers was made worse by COVID,” Duncanson said. “The backup has gotten really bad. There are

Garden City farmer Bob Roelofs said high crop prices are helping in a dry year that will affect yields. But input costs, especially fertilizer, are rising significantly. only so many packing plants and only so many workers willing to work in them.” The backlog at packing plants also has been affected by new

government rules aimed at protecting the safety of packing plant workers. Those rules effectively slow the processing lines at plants. MV

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MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 13

Tom Miller has carved cemetery markers across the region but is best known for his Native American works, including the bison at Reconciliation Park.

Carved in stone

Tom Miller continues focus on Native Americans By Dan Greenwood Photos by Pat Christman

t’s not difficult to find Tom Miller’s “It got national recognition because it stone carvings around Mankato, from was unveiled by Governor Richard Lamm headstones at local cemeteries, to stone at the time,” Miller said. “All the local news benches at city parks or channels and statues downtown. newspapers – NBC, But before Miller CBS, and the New York moved back to Mankato Times – covered it. That in 1986, he had already was a big steppingstone MONUMENTS garnered national for me in getting this BY THOMAS MILLER going in Boulder and it recognition for his 23833 MN-22, Mankato stone statue, located at was even in the paper in 507-388-5853 the University of Mankato.” Monumentsbymiller.com Colorado’s Boulder Both of Miller’s campus, depicting grandfathers were wood Alferd Packer, a wilderness guide who carvers, and Miller followed suit in his resorted to cannibalism on a winter trek high school shop class. On a visit to the through Colorado’s San Juan Mountains in Mankato East High School Library, he the 1870s. remembers flipping through books on the

Spotlight

14 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

histor y of sculpture and architecture in Europe. “I was dazzled by the stone carving they did thousands of years ago,” Miller said. “It got into my mind that I would love to try it and I thought I could do it even at that age.” After graduating from high school, Miller bought a home on contract for deed in 1978, fixed it up and resold it. He used the money to move to California to attend school at the Laguna Beach School of Art, later earning a scholarship to study stonecarving there. Burnt out on the high population density and traffic, Miller made the decision to move to Boulder, Colorado in 1982. Along with the Packer statue, Miller made several other sculptures for the city of Boulder and the University of Colorado. In those early days of living there, the pay was minimal – from a few hundred dollars in exchange for a month’s worth of work to free breakfast at the campus restaurant. A Colorado histor y buff reached out to him about creating a stone statue of a historical figure and that she would pay him whatever he asked for. Miller suggested Isabella Lucy Bird, a woman who travelled solo on horseback in the early 1870s and climbed to the top of Long’s Peak at Rocky Mountain National Park in 1873. “I was always doing something for myself or for somebody in sculpture, but not back then getting paid well until the Isabella Lucy Bird one,” Miller said. “She said, ‘whatever you want, I’ll take care of you.’”

Honoring Native Americans

Throughout this time, Miller made a point of coming back to Mankato for Christmas each year to spend time with his parents. On one visit in 1986, a story in the Mankato Free Press piqued his interest. The article referred to then Minnesota Gov. Rudy Perpich proclaiming 1987 as a year of reconciliation for the 125th anniversary of the largest mass execution in U.S. history when 38 Dakota men were

While physically demanding, Miller said he still enjoys the artistic work in cemetery markers.

Miller is working on a pair of moccasins that will be placed in Reconciliation Park in Mankato. hanged by the U.S. government in Mankato in 1862. “As a kid, I knew I always wanted to do something for downtown – to honor the Native Americans and reconcile the facts of what happened,” Miller said. He acquired Kasota stone form a local quarry and decided to spend a year at his grandparent’s farm northeast of Mankato working on a sculpture of a Native American man, coordinating with the Mahkato Mdewakanton Association – the group that organizes Mankato’s annual

powwow – who helped to fundraise alongside the Minnesota and Blue Earth County historical societies. “I remember sitting in front of a mirror drawing myself half kneeling like he is, and then added the Native American garb,” Miller said. “I spent the year carving it and had school kids coming out in busses. Thousands of people came to watch and see the process and educate on what happened in town.” They held a dedication ceremony for the completed

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 15

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“Winter Warrior” statue in time for the 125th anniversary on December 26, 1987. While his initial plans were to return to Colorado, completing the statue in Mankato created a domino effect, snowballing into a lot of other work, like carving signs. After he became a father, Miller’s own father suggested he get into the cemetery monument business, and he named his business Monuments by Miller. “I started carving granite,” Miller said. “It’s pretty physical work, but I’ve always liked it.”

Reconciliation Park bison

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16 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

In the late 1990s, Miller began work on a large stone-carving of a bison at Reconciliation Park on Riverfront Drive downtown. Using the largest block quarried in the state, with a weight of 138,000 pounds, Miller used a large hand grinder with a 12-inch blade to carve the sculpture down to 70,000 pounds using a painted, outlined frame as a template. The work was almost entirely done on site at Reconciliation Park, using hammers and pitching tools at first, before chiseling the details using ever smaller hammers and chisels. He compares the smallest tools to fine tune the sculpture with something a dentist would use. Working on the long-term project on a major thoroughfare led curious onlookers, including Lona Falenczykowski, to gather and watch the process. “He’s so incredible and artistic with all the beautiful monuments he’s done,” said Falenczykowski, vice president of the Betsy-Tacy Society. Falenczykowski recruited Miller to make stone pavers engraved with donor’s names adjacent to Betsy’s house at 332 Center Street in Mankato, and he’s currently working on a threepiece bench memorial in honor of all the people who have supported the non-profit. “A lot of times I like to visit graveyards and you can almost always tell his work – the beautiful carving,” Falenczykowski said. “He’s a very creative and talented fella. He’s just been amazing to follow through the years.”

Miller was also recruited to work on the Minnesota State Capitol’s recent renovations, and he continues to create stone carvings across the country, in cities like Chicago to Kansas City. Most of the granite for his stone car vings, especially cemeter y memorials, comes from the town of Barre, Vermont – known not just for its stone, but for its talented stone-carving Italian immigrants. On a visit to Barre, a woman at the Vermont Granite Museum suggested he pay a visit to Giuliano Cecchinelli, a stone-carver known for his intricate and finally detailed headstones at a cemetery in town. When he arrived, a spectacled man wearing a hat approached him. It was Cecchinelli offering to show him around the cemetery and some of the carvings he and his ancestors had done. “He explained all the little details and hidden symbolism in sculpture and in the stone,” Miller recalled. “Later he dropped me off and I said, ‘that was amazing, but why did you do this?’ He said, ‘because I know who you are. That was amazing to me. There’s a band of us. It’s such a treat when I get around these people and we have that common thread.” Miller is currently working on what will likely be his final phase of commemorating the U.S. government’s execution of the 38 Dakota men in Mankato at Reconciliation Park. When it’s finished, two moccasins at the park will face towards Fort Snelling to commemorate the 1,700 Dakota women and children forced to walk the 150 miles from Mankato to Fort Snelling following that mass execution. Many died on the way. Miller said Mankato has changed significantly since he first moved back as it becomes a hub for public art. “It’s so cool to see everything happening from the murals to the silos to the beautifully painted flood wall,” he said. “It brings people to your town and then they spend money here. It’s really what makes a community to me.” MV

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MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 17

MN Valley Business is running some of the

“Best of 2021” businesses and people

featured in Mankato Magazine. The winners of the annual awards are chosen by Free Press Media readers. The complete list of winners was in the July issue of Mankato Magazine. ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE

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BEST COFFEE SHOP THE COFFEE HAG:

Oldest ‘Kato coffee shop

hen it comes to coffee in Mankato, there’s only one original. The Coffee Hag has operated in Mankato as long as coffee shops have been cool. And no coffee shop has remained as cool as The Hag. For owner Jenn Melby-Kelley, cool comes from community. And they’ve never taken their community’s support — or being named Best Coffee Shop — for granted.

BEST MEN’S CLOTHING J. LONG’S:

It’s all about the details

McKenna Young helps a young man pick out a jacket at J Longs.

18 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

t J. Long’s For Men, success can be found in the details. “We have a lot of attention to detail,” said co-owner Matt Long. “And we're always trying to be progressive. We try to kind of push the envelope while, at the same time, stay true to what our core stuff is. That’s Long’s assessment of why people keep coming back to his store for high-end men’s wear. That recipe has worked well for J. Long’s because this year, like many previous years, the store was voted best men’s clothing store in Mankato Magazine’s Best of awards. J. Long’s has existed in Mankato in some form since 1985 when it opened in Madison East Center. Today, after a few moves, it’s at 1640

“Our community means a lot to us,” said Melby-Kelley, who is also on the City Council. “And we do take that seriously. And we’re incredibly proud when we get to put that plaque on the wall and show people that we worked really hard to get there.” Customers of the Old Town business at 329 N. Riverfront Drive are a loyal bunch. Melby-Kelley said that doesn’t happen by accident. “I want people, when they walk in the door, to feel good about who they are. So I want this to be an allencompassing, all-inclusive, positive place for people.” Indeed. The Hag is more than just a place to grab a cuppa joe. People linger at The Hag, strike up conversations, get to know new people. It’s kind of like “Cheers,” if the Boston bar of television fame served coffee instead of beer and proudly flew a rainbow flag. The Hag has always been an LGBTQ-friendly place. In fact, Melby-Kelley said that before the coffee shop was her business, it was her hangout. She felt safe at The Hag. And when she bought it, she wanted to make sure the space remained a beacon of openness and positivity. “This place means the world to me. The Coffee Hag needs to be here.”

Madison Ave. — just a few blocks away from its original location. The main event at J. Long’s is men’s suits, but Long said styles and attire have changed quite a bit over the years. Traditional wool suits have given way to sport coats and stretch shirts. Also, J. Long’s is now offering women’s clothing, including the popular Lululemon brand. In the end, garnering enough votes to win a contest like this comes down to satisfied customers. Long said they’ve always taken that very seriously. “Most guys don't like to shop for the most part. They want a simple experience. They have an event that they're going to, and they want something that's easy. So we just try to take them by the hand and show them everything we have.”

TAKEOUT/CURBSIDE, LOCALLY OWNED RESTAURANT, PIZZA PLACE PAGLIAI’S PIZZA:

‘A place that never changes’

hen pandemic restrictions prevented Pagliai’s Pizza, 524 S. Front St., from serving up its mouthwatering Italianbased menu items to customers seated in the restaurant’s classic black booths, the irresistible aroma of accented tomato sauce, sausage and onions persisted. But for many Pagliai’s patrons in 2020, that scent filled the backseats of their cars as they swiftly transported their precious cargo. “When in-house service was shut down, we decided to start doing curbside pickup,” said Jake Downs, a co-owner of the family-owned business. “We did it the best way we could, by assigning a number when an order was called in, then having customers call once they’d arrived, give us their number and we ran out their items.” Throughout the shutdown, Downs dedicated a single staff member to the exclusive task of running out orders to the curb through rain, snow and sub-zero temps. “It ran really smoothly,” Downs said, “but it was pretty nuts because Front Street is usually packed full, and except for people pulling up for

pizzas, it was a ghost town outside.” Pagliai’s has since reopened for indoor dining and continues its wideranging delivery service for a $2 fee. A Mankato original since 1969, Pagliai’s most popular item “all the time” is its Palace pizza, Downs said. Loaded with sausage, beef, pepperoni, onions and mushrooms, the Palace hits all the sweet spots for lovers of Pagliai’s addictive flavors. “Pagliai’s is a place that never changes and that’s why people love it so much,” Downs said. “Our goal is to keep it exactly the same as it’s always been.”

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 19

Barber Taylor Peulen cuts Cody Blaschko’s hair in his barber shop in Henderson.

Cutting back Henderson native returns to reopen barber shop By Jane Turpin Moore Photos by Pat Christman

ith an estimated population of nearly That forced local customers to reluctantly 1,000, Henderson is unlikely to be adjust their habits in order to maintain their mistaken for a metropolis. distinctive ‘dos. But native son Taylor “I was really bummed Peulen was keen to kiss when the previous barber big-city life goodbye and left,” said Adam Arnst, a return to his hometown busy young father of two along the Minnesota River. who commutes to Mankato DICKY’S “I liked being in Chicago, East High School for his job BARBERSHOP but I was out of work for as a physical education and 413 Main Street, Henderson three months during the health teacher. 507-203-3437 lockdown,” said Peulen, a Added retired farmer 2009 Le Sueur-Henderson Facebook: Dicky’s Barbershop Milt Meierbachtol, 82, “I High School graduate. had to make appointments “I wasn’t doing anything productive there with some of the gals around town without a and didn’t want to be in the apartment 24/7 so barber here.” I said to my wife, ‘Let’s go back to Henderson.’” It didn’t take much more than a nudge to A hairy history convince Peulen that the Sibley County When Peulen and his wife of six years, Anna, community was, in fact, the perfect place for a arrived in Henderson, they got busy helping 30-year-old barber. Peulen’s mother (Lisa Steinborn) and stepfather (Jeff Steinborn) with a house they were “(Longtime Henderson barber) Dick Downs remodeling. Anna, a trained hair stylist whose retired in September 2019 and sold his building tight-knit Italian family resides in Chicago, to the bank,” said Peulen. stepped in to work with Jeff Steinborn at his “Another guy rented it for a while but he was Henderson screen-printing and embroidery deployed to Afghanistan with the National business, Evolution Shirts. Guard and had to step back.” • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

Feature

“The more time we spent here, the more we weren’t sure we wanted to go back to the hustle and bustle,” said Peulen. There were, in fact, downsides to the limitless options of restaurants, entertainment and nightlife. “Our apartment was less than two miles from the barbershop where I worked, but it could take me 20 to 30 minutes to get there some days,” said Peulen. “After the gridlock traffic and constant pandemonium you start to think, ‘There’s got to be a better way to do this.’” Peulen had fond memories of childhood haircuts in Dick Downs’ chair, and in the back of his mind he harbored an old aspiration. “It was always my dream to own the shop,” said Peulen. Peulen waxes warmly about the building at 413 Main St. that he purchased and where he officially reopened a barber business on June 21. “Dick Downs was born and raised here and he knew everybody,” said Peulen. “It [his shop] didn’t really have a name — it was just the town barbershop with the pole out front, and it’s been there since 1974. “I’m working on a sign for it now, but this is the shop that Dicky built and in my opinion, any name other than ‘Dicky’s Barbershop’ would be disrespectful.” After a few post-high school fits and starts, Peulen followed in Downs’ footsteps, earning his barber certification in 2011 at Moller Barber School in Minneapolis. But it was Peulen’s avocational interest in music that connected him to his wife. “I spent a year working and playing in metal/punk bands — I used to play bass guitar—and I had a lot of friends from Chicago that I’d known for years,” said Peulen. While visiting the Windy City, Peulen met his wife via mutual friends. After living for a while in the Twin Cities, the couple returned to Chicago, where he worked at a barbershop and she at a salon “a couple blocks from Wrigley Field,” according to Peulen. Now the Peulens, plus their two cats and a Boxer named Boris, live just down the street from Dicky’s Barbershop.

“It’s a block and a half walk — literally the best commute I’ve ever had,” said Peulen. Peulen said he bought the building “bare-bones, an empty box.” “It’s a work in progress, but every week I’m improving it,” said Peulen, who maintains regular hours from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday, with the potential of adding a third day in the future.

Convenience and cool cuts

Customers like Arnst, whose daughters are 2½ and less than two months old, appreciate the convenience of having a skilled barber like Peulen close to home. “It’s great,” said Arnst. “He has a good sense of style and understands the way I like my hair. “If I have 45 minutes free, I’ll walk in and get a haircut. This (barbershop) is a great asset for Henderson.” At 82, Meierbachtol has more time on his hands; he values Peulen’s old-school barbershop approach. “You can walk in anytime and if he’s not busy, he’ll take you right in,” said Meierbachtol. Peulen, though experienced in all kinds of cuts, knows some clients just want the basic — and that’s okay. “I can do any cut, any style, any texture,” said Peulen. “I’ve cut at any type of shop you can imagine.” Peulen is committed to maintaining the no-appointment, cash-only setup. “Since 1974, no appointments have ever been done here,” said Peulen. “It’s a social environment and everyone can come in. “I buy papers every day — the Free Press, the Henderson Independent, sometimes the Star Tribune — so there’s always something for people to read.” To his amusement, Peulen is getting lots of requests for mullets of late. “I did five mullets for back-toschool haircuts on a recent Monday,” he said with a laugh. “Who would have thought that in 2021 there would be mullet mania? I love doing them; they look so ridiculous, and none of my friends or I would have gone to school with one—but now they’re almost a

badge of honor.” That said, Peulen doesn’t expect longer styles to return anytime soon. “The very short, skin-fade cut has been really popular in the last couple of years,” he said.

Henderson proud

Peulen’s initiative is praised by longtime Henderson supporters including Doug Thomas, a founder of the Minnesota New Country School and avid restorer of historic downtown buildings. “It’s always great to have another business in town, and the barbershop is obviously one we missed,” said Thomas. “We’re thrilled to have Taylor back, and he returned for the right reasons. He really wanted to live in Henderson again and do something of value for the community.” Besides the essential service Peulen provides, Thomas foresees other contributions, too. “I expect he’ll get involved in lots of other things here,” said Thomas. “He seems like that type of person.” Denny Graham, an area realtor and retired rural United States Postal Service carrier, is similarly encouraging. “I give Taylor all the credit in the world for taking this step,” said Graham. “The old-fashioned barbershop is something a lot of small towns are losing, but this preserves it for us and keeps the social aspect it supplies.” A 1970 Henderson High School graduate, Graham and his wife Sharon raised their three sons in town. “Taking my kids for back-toschool haircuts was a traditional thing,” said Graham. “I hope Taylor is successful; he’s easy-going and nice to visit with.” Indeed, aside from his barbering skills, that trait might be Peulen’s secret weapon. “At the end of the day, I like to talk to people; I want to know what they’re doing, hear their stories and life experiences,” said Peulen. “This is a communication hub— barbershops were a town’s gossip center before Facebook existed— and sure, things have changed a bit, but that will never change here.” MV

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 21

■

Business and Industry Trends

Energy Hydropower makes up 66% of Brazil’s electricity

Brazil largely relies on hydropower for electricity generation. In 2020, hydropower supplied 66% of its electricity demand. Wind and solar

generation have grown quickly in recent years and had a combined 11% share of the countr y’s electricity generation in 2020. Biomass accounted for an 8% share. Fossil fuel-fired plants made up another 12% of electricity generation, while nuclear power accounted for 2%. Most of Brazil’s hydropower capacity is located north in the Amazon River Basin, but

22 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

electricity demand centers are mainly along the eastern coast, particularly in the south. National electricity reliability is challenged because of the country’s reliance on one resource (hydropower), the long distance between hydropower generation and demand centers, continued drought conditions, and deforestation. Brazil aims to increase domestic natural gas production to help diversify its generation mix. Brazil has at least 34 natural gas-fired power plants with a total generating capacity of 11,026 megawatts (MW). Natural gas production has been growing as Brazil develops its vast offshore natural gas reserves, most of which are concentrated in the south off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil also imports natural gas by pipeline from Bolivia and from the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, and Nigeria.

In the Brazilian government’s latest 10-year plan, it forecasts that renewable sources will account for most of the additions to installed power capacity expansion by 2030.The largest forecast addition will come from solar.

Retail/Consumer Spending

CO2 dropped 11%

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions decreased by 11% in 2020 as a result of less energy consumption related to reduced economic activity and responses to COVID-19. For 2021, energy-related CO2 emissions will increase about 7% from the 2020 level as economic activity increases and leads to rising energy use. They also expect energy-related CO2 emissions to rise in 2022 but by a slower rate, 1%. After declining by 19% in 2020, coal-related CO2 emissions will rise by 17% in 2021 and then decrease by 7% in 2022.

Electricity use rising

U.S. retail sales of electricity will increase by 2.7% in 2021 after falling by 3.9% in 2020. The largest forecast increase in electricity consumption occurs in the industrial sector, driven by rising levels of economic output. U.S. retail sales of electricity to the industrial sector will grow by 5.3% this year. Retail sales of electricity to the commercial sector also grow in the forecast, but they grow at the slightly slower pace of 2.2% in 2021 because some workers will continue working from home instead of in office buildings. U.S. residential electricity sales will grow by 1.5% in 2021 as a result of colder temperatures in the first quarter of 2021 compared with 2020 and because of hot temperatures in June.

Natural gas use falls

The share of electric power generation produced by natural gas in the United States will average 36% in 2021 and 37% in 2022, down from 39% in 2020. The forecast share for natural gas as a generation fuel declines in response to expectations of a higher delivered natural gas price for electricity generators, which is forecast to average $4.46/MMBtu in 2021 compared with an average of $2.39/MMBtu in 2020. As a result of the higher expected natural gas prices, the forecast share of generation from coal rises from 20% in 2020 to 23% this year but falls to 21% next year.

Less hydropower

New additions of solar and wind generating capacity are offset somewhat by reduced generation from hydropower this year, resulting in the forecast share of all renewables in U.S. generation to average 20% in 2021, about the same as last year, before rising to nearly 23% in 2022. The nuclear share of U.S. electricity generation declines from 21% in 2020 to 20% in 2021 and to 19% in 2022 as a result of retiring capacity at some nuclear power plants.

Vehicle Sales Mankato — Number of vehicles sold 1,032 1,186

1500

- 2020 - 2021

1200 900 600 300 0

Source: Sales tax figures, City of Mankato Includes restaurants, bars, telecommunications and general merchandise store sales. Excludes most clothing, grocery store sales.

Sales tax collections Mankato (In thousands)

- 2020 - 2021

600

$380,454

$462,000

500 400 300 200 100 0

Source: Sales tax figures, City of Mankato

Lodging tax collections Mankato/North Mankato

- 2020 - 2021

70000

$57,800

$39,218

52500 35000 17500 0

Source: City of Mankato

Mankato food and beverage tax - 2020 - 2021 175000 140000 105000

$39,428 $67,721

70000 35000 0

Source: City of Mankato

C. Sankey

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 23

■

Agricultural Outlook

By Kent Thiesse

2021 farm income expected to increase

ased on the data in the latest “2021 Farm Income Forecast” that was released by the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) in early September, U.S. net farm income is expected to increase by $18.5 billion or 19.5 percent above 2020 levels. The estimated 2021 net farm income is now estimated at $113 billion, which would be the highest inflation adjusted net farm income since 2013. In the recent farm income report, USDA estimated the total U.S. net cash income for 2021 at $134.7 billion, which is an increase of $23.8 billion or 21.5 percent from a year earlier. If realized, the 2021 net cash income would be at the highest inflation adjusted net cash income level since 2014. Net cash income includes cash receipts from all farm-related income, including government payments, minus cash expenses for the year. Net farm income is accrual-based, which includes adjustments in the cash income for changes in inventories, depreciation, and rental income. Generally, net farm income is a truer measure of overall profitability in the farm sector.

Following are some highlights from the latest USDA 2021 Farm Income Report:

n Overall, 2021 cash receipts for all commodities on U.S. farms are estimated at $421.5 billion, which is an increase of $64.3 billion or 18 percent compared to 2020. n Total 2021 crop receipts are expected to increase by $37.9 billion or 19.7 percent over 2020 levels, primarily due to an estimated increase of $36.3 billion or 43.6 percent in cash receipts from corn and soybeans compared to 2020. Receipts from wheat sales are expected to increase by $2.2 billion compared to a year earlier, with higher market prices more than offsetting reduced 2021 wheat yields that resulted from the drought. Receipts from cotton production, as well as fruit and vegetable production, are expected to decline in 2021, while sugar beet receipts are likely to increase slightly. n Total cash receipts from livestock production in 2021 are expected to increase by $26.5 billion or 16 percent, reflecting a rebound from the market disruptions and price declines that resulted from the COVID outbreak in 2020. As compared to a year earlier, 2021 receipts from cattle sales are expected to be $8.3 billion higher than a year earlier, with hog sales increasing by $9.4 billion, and broiler sales by $7.3 billion. Milk, turkey, and egg production sales in 2021 are expected to increase by smaller amounts. 24 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

n Of the $64.3 billion increase in total U.S. cash farm receipts for crops and livestock, $43.6 billion or 68 percent was attributed to improved commodity prices in 2021, while $19.6 billion due to improvements in production compared to a year earlier. Obviously, the production improvement will vary considerably across the U.S., depending on drought conditions, swine diseases, and other factors. n Total farm production expenses in 2021 are estimated at $383.5 billion, which is an increase of $26.1 billion or 7.3 percent from a year earlier. The 2021 total inflation-adjusted farm expenses would be the highest since 2016 but would be below the record total farm expense level in 2014. Major factors in the higher farm-level expenses included increases in costs for livestock feed, seed, fertilizer, fuel, labor, land rent, and property taxes. The only projected decline for 2021 was for crop pesticide expense. n One large adjustment in 2021 was the gross receipts from direct government farm program payments. After reaching a record-high $45.7 billion in 2020, direct farm program payments declined by $17.7 billion or 38.8 percent and are now projected to end at $28 billion for 2021. Direct government payments to farmers for 2021 are listed as the following: n Pandemic Assistance for Producers (PAP) payments and the former Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments are forecast at $9.3 billion for 2021 compared to $23.5 billion in 2020. n Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan payments to farmers are expected to increase slightly in 2021, estimated at $8.7 billion for the current year compared to $6 billion in 2020. Most PPP loans to farmers are expected to be forgiven, which is why they are included in the direct payments. n The traditional 2021 farm program payments under the 2018 Farm Bill are expected to total $6.7 billion for the Ag Risk Coverage (ARC) program and $2.2 billion for the Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program, which is down by $1.3 billion for ARC and $2.7 billion for PLC from 2020 payment levels. The 2021 payment decline was largely due to increased prices for corn, soybeans, and wheat. n Even though the total level of gross farm receipts from direct farm program payments ($28 billion) declined considerably from 2020, it was still the second highest total in the past ten years (2012-

2021). The direct farm program payments accounted for approximately 25 percent of the total net farm income in 2021, which was down from the government payments making up nearly half (49%) of the net farm income in 2020. In the seven years prior to 2019 (2012-2018), direct farm program payments averaged $11.4 billion per year, representing an average only about 13.7 percent of total net farm income.

YEAR

U.S. NET FARM INCOME (NFI) 2012–2021 Total NFI NFI % NFI Net Farm from Net Crop from from Income Government Federal & Livestock (NFI) Receipts Farm Payments Program Payments (Billion $$$) (Billion $$$) (Billion $$$)

2021 $113 B. 2020 $94.5 B. 2019 $84 B. 2018 $81 B. 2017 $75 B. 2016 $62 B. 2015 $82 B. 2014 $92 B. 2013 8 $124 B. 2012 $96 B.

$85 B. $48.5 B. $62 B. $68 B. $64 B. $49 B. $71 B. $82 B. $113 B. $85 B.

$28 B. $46 B. $22 B. $13 B. $11 B. $13 B. $11 B. $10 B. $11 B. $11 B.

25% 49% 26% 16% 15% 21% 13% 11% 9% 11%

NOTE --- 6This data is based on USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) annual U.S farm income estimates.

The42021 U.S. net farm income projections show some very strong improvement compared to 2020 farm income 2 levels and are considerably higher than farm income levels from 2014-2019. The improvement in 2021 net farm income levels was largely due to 0 F M A prices M for J crops J A and S livestock, O N Das improvedJ commodity well as some improvement in production levels and continued government farm program support. By comparison, in 2020 the improvement in net farm income from previous years was almost totally driven 8 by record high levels of government farm program 125 payments. Grain prices were sharply higher in 2021 due to6strong export sales to China and other 105 along with a trend to more normal domestic countries, usage854of grains for feed and processing, following the trade and industrial disruptions caused by the Covid 2 in 2020. pandemic 65 There are certainly some reasons for optimism in net 45 0 farm income J and F Mprofitability A M Jlevels J revealed A S Oin the N D latest USDA 2021 farm income report for the U.S. farm 25 J F itM willA beMinteresting J J AhowS sustainable O N D sector; however, the improved farm income levels are in 2022 and beyond. Most likely, crop input costs for fertilizer, seed, fuel, and other inputs will increase again in 2022, along125 with increases in land rental rates in most areas. Government farm program payment levels are also likely105 to decline again in 2022. This combination will result in higher breakeven price levels for corn and 85 production next year. A big key going forward soybean will be65maintaining the strength in crop and livestock prices that resulted in 2021 due to the improved U.S. export45markets to China and other countries. Of course, weather is always a big “wild card” in final U.S. 25 income figures from year-to-year. net farm J F M A M J J A S O N D Kent Thiesse is farm management analyst and senior vice president, MinnStar Bank, Lake Crystal. 507-381-7960); kent.thiesse@minnstarbank.com

Agriculture/ Agribusiness Corn prices — southern Minnesota

(dollars per bushel)

— 2020 — 2021

2 0

$4.96

8 4

$2.75

Source: USDA

Soybean prices — southern Minnesota — 2020 — 2021 8 20 125 16 6 105 12 4 85

(dollars per bushel)

$12.26

8 65 2 $8.07 4 45 0 0 J F M A M J J A S O N D 25 J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D Source: USDA

Iowa-Minnesota hog prices

185 pound carcass, negotiated price, weighted average

— 2020 — 2021

20 125 25 16 105 22 12 85 19 8 65 16 4 45 13 0 J F M A M J 25 10 J F M A M J J F M A M J Source: USDA

Milk prices

$94.18

22 19

$37.97

16 13

J A S O N D J A S O N D J A S O N D Minimum prices, class 1 milk Dollars per hundredweight

— 2020 — 2021 25 22

$16.51

19 16

$13.79

13 10

20 25 16 22 12 19 8 16 4 13 0 J 10

Source: USDA. Based on federal milk orders. Corn and soybean prices are for rail delivery points in Southern Minnesota. Milk prices are for Upper Midwest points.

C. Sankey

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 25

Construction/Real Estate Residential building permits Mankato

Commercial building permits Mankato

- 2020 - 2021 (in millions)

8000000 7000000 6000000 5000000 4000000 3000000 2000000 1000000 0

- 2020 - 2021 (in millions)

$3,038,490 $5,249,060

25000000 20000000

5000000 J

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

Existing home sales: Mankato region - 2020 - 2021 (in thousands)

272 236

300

Median home sale price: Mankato region - 2020 - 2021 (in thousands)

$219,950 $242,450

300 240

240

180

120

0 J

Source: Realtors Association of Southern Minnesota

Source: Realtor Association of Southern Minnesota

Interest Rates: 30-year fixed-rate mortgage

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

Housing starts: Mankato/North Mankato

— 2020 — 2021

- 2020 - 2021

5.5

4.9

4.3

3.7

2.9%

3.1 2.5

$6,357,890

10000000

Source: City of Mankato

$10,296,543

15000000

2.9% O N

Source: Freddie Mac

Read us online! 26 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

16 8 D

Source: Cities of Mankato/North Mankato

Strong roots matter. Expertise for Agriculture Law and Agribusiness. Gislason & Hunter is recognized within Minnesota and throughout the Midwest for our knowledge and experience in the agricultural industry. Our lawyers represent local, regional and national agribusiness clients in all aspects of their operations.

We understand that modern agriculture is large-scale, sophisticated and competitive, requiring solid legal counsel and strategies. Call 507-354-3111 to schedule a meeting.

Gas Prices 5

Gas prices-Mankato

— 2020 — 2021

54 43

$2.99

32 21 10 0

Gas prices-Minnesota

1.99

$59.90

+1.7%

Ameriprise

$257.01

$273.07

+6.2%

Best Buy

$113.22

$116.15

+2.6%

Brookfield Property

$25.80

$26.33

+2.0%

Crown Cork & Seal

$97.72

$109.76

+12.3%

$9.33

+11.9%

Fastenal

$55.78

$55.74

0.0%

General Mills

$57.61

$57.75

-0.2%

Itron

$97.31

$83.35

-14.3%

Johnson Outdoors

$115.60

$114.57

-0.9%

$197.64

$194.55

-1.6%

Target

$260.91

$246.05

-5.7%

U.S. Bancorp

$55.37

$57.20

+3.3%

Winland

$3.40

$5.25

+54.5%

Xcel

$68.95

$68.68

-0.4%

$2.18

$58.89

$8.34

Archer Daniels

Consolidated Comm.

$2.97

Percent change

Sept. 1

Aug. 4

— 2020 — 2021

Stocks of local interest

0Source: GasBuddy.com J F M A

C. Sankey

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 27

■

Minnesota Business Updates

■ Fastenal settles hiring complaint

■ Best Buy selling e-bikes Best Buy is moving into the growing electric transportation category, selling e-bikes, scooters and mopeds. The retailer’s new electric-motorized lineup is now available at Best.Buy.com, USA Today reports. Brands in the collection include Unagi, Bird, SegwayNinebot, SUPER73 and SWFT. Products are set to roll out to select stores throughout the country in October.

Winona-based Fastenal Co. has agreed to pay $168,000 in back pay to resolve a hiring discrimination case brought by the U.S. Department of Labor. A routine investigation done by the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs found that Fastenal in a period from 2016 to 2018 used discriminatory hiring practices at its facility in High Point, N.C., the department said. The investigation alleged systemic gender-based hiring practices affecting 483 female job applicants.

■ Target adding Disney stores Target is nearly tripling the number of Disney Stores at Target. The retailer said it will expand the Disney concept to more than 160 of its locations across the country by the end of the year. The additional stores inside Target come as Disney announced in March that it would close at least 60 of its full-size Disney stores in North America this year. Target also is expanding the shop-in-shop concept with new Ulta Beauty shops and small Apple stores.

■ ADM, Marathon to run plant Agribusiness conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland Co. Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. and Marathon Petroleum Corp. are partnering to operate a soybean processing plant near Jamestown, North Dakota. The Bismarck Tribune reports the facility will supply soybean oil for Marathon’s renewable diesel plant near Dickinson. Marathon’s Dickinson oil refinery recently converted so that it now produces renewable diesel, a fuel that can be used in diesel engines. ADM will own 75% of the joint venture it and Marathon have formed to run the soybean facility. The plant is expected to be complete in 2023.

Employment/Unemployment Initial unemployment claims Nine-county Mankato region Major July Industry 2020 2021 Construction Manufacturing Retail Services Total*

286 780 251 1,229 2,546

Local non-farm jobs Percent change ‘20-’21

116 193 85 312 706

Construction

126000 126000 Manufacturing

Retail 113000 Services 113000 Total*

July 6,598 13,575 8,061 31,082 59,316

2021 2,841 3,014 2,018 7,598 15,471

126000

2100 1400

113000

700 100000

Minnesota Local non-farm jobs 12000 3500 3500 10000

-56.9% -77.8% -66.7% -75.6% -73.9%

8000 2800 2800 6000 2100 2100 4000 1400 1400 2000

28 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

700 D

300000

2,890 2,947

240000 180000 120000 60000

700 0 0

- 2020 - 2021

(in thousands)

Percent change ‘20-’21

Services consist of administration, educational, health care and social 100000 assistance, food andJ otherF miscellaneous services. M A M J J A S O 100000 J don’t F equal M total A because M Jsome Jcategories A not S listed. O N *Categories

3500

124,753

2800

-59.4% -75.3% -66.1% -74.6% -72.3%

Minnesota initial unemployment claims 2020

127,891

139000

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.

Major Industry 139000 139000

- 2020 - 2021

Nine-county Mankato region

F M

M A A M

M J

J J

J A

A S

S O

O N

N D

■ 6,000 3M lawsuits revived

■ Xcel largest green provider

A federal appeals court revived nearly 6,000 lawsuits alleging that a widely used device produced by 3M Co to keep surgical patients warm caused them to develop infections. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the Minnesota judge overseeing the litigation over 3M’s Bair Hugger device had wrongly excluded testimony from medical experts supporting the plaintiffs’ claims. 139000 3500 Bair Hugger consists of a central unit, hose and blanket, and is used to decrease bleeding, improve 2800 recovery times and decrease the risk of infections for 126000 ■ Johnson earnings, sales up patients during operations. 2100 Johnson Outdoors Inc. The plaintiffs claimed that the device was defective 1400 announced increased sales because 113000 it transferred antibiotic-resistant bacteria into and earnings during the open surgical wounds, either by disrupting airflow in 700 company’s third fiscal the operating room or through contamination of the quarter ending July 2. device 100000itself. 0 J F M A M J J A S O N D J Strong demand delivered another quarter of U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen in Minneapolis had unprecedented results,” CEO Helen Johnson-Leipold said found in 2019 that the allegations lacked scientific in a statement. support, leading her to toss all of the lawsuits. Total Company net sales in the third quarter surged But the 8th Circuit said that while there were 54% to $213.6 million, versus $138.4 million in the “weaknesses” in the opinions of the plaintiffs’ experts, 3500 139000 prior were not “so fundamentally unsupported that they 300000 12000 3500 they 139000year fiscal quarter. Fishing revenue increased 51% due to continued high had to be excluded.” 2800 10000 240000 demand126000 across all product lines in Minn Kota and 2800 2100 8000 126000 Humminbird. 180000 2100 Camping grew 84%, driven by higher sales for Jetboil’s 6000 1400 113000 Stash stove and Eureka stoves and tents. 1400 new superlight 120000

Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy was named the nation’s largest investor-owned clean energy provider with wind, solar and battery storage, according to the American Clean Power Association. Xcel Energy at the end of 2020 had 11,205 megawatts of wind and solar power on its system, edging out Berkshire Hathaway Energy and Southern California Edison, the association said. Xcel reports it is more than halfway to delivering 100% carbon-free energy by 2050 and be nearly 80 percent carbon-free by 2030.

113000

700

100000 100000 J F

J M

M J

J A

J S

A O

S N

O D

240000

120000 60000 J F M A M M A M J J M A M J J

J A A

J S S

A S O N O N D O N D

232,475 104,469

240000 180000 120000 60000 0

J JA

J JS

A AO

S N S

O D O

N N

D D

(includes all of Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties) 300000 240000

June 180000 Unemployment rate 120000 Number of non-farm jobs Number of unemployed

60000 J

0 F

J M

F M A A M J

M J

J A

2020

2021

6.2% 58,881 3,890

3.1% 57,354 1,831

J S

A O

S N

O D

Unemployment rates Counties, state, nation County/area

- 2020 - 2021

M MJ

Mankato/North Mankato Metropolitan statistical area

180000

300000

D 0

300000

8,122 4,057

Minnesota number of unemployed

- 2020 - 2021

Nine-county Mankato region

60000

Employment/Unemployment

F M A A M J

Local number of unemployed 12000 12000 3500 10000 10000 8000 2800 8000 6000 6000 2100 4000 4000 1400 2000 2000 700 0 0 J F 0 J F

4000 700 2000 0 0 J F M A J F JM FA M M AJ

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

July 2020

July 2021

6.4% 4.7% 6.2% 6.4% 6.2% 5.8% 6.2% 6.6% 5.0% 8.2% 7.6% 10.5%

3.2% 2.7% 3.7% 2.9% 3.4% 2.8% 3.2% 3.6% 3.5% 3.5% 3.4% 5.7%

Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development C. Sankey

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 29

Sponsored by the Carl & Verna Schmidt Foundation

Parents should think twice about student loans By Cecilia Clark | NerdWallet

he debate over student loan debt often neglects a significant group: parents. About 1 in every 3 dollars the federal government lent for undergraduate education last year were in a parent’s name. In total, federal parent loan debt is over $103 billion across more than 3.6 million borrowers, according to the office of Federal Student Aid. But parents who want to help their children pay for college often fail to do the math. The Department of Education suggests 9% of parent PLUS loan borrowers default within two years of their child leaving school. “They don’t think about the cost and what the return on investment is and whether they’ll be able to manage the cost after the fact,” says Jan Miller, president of Miller Student Loan Consulting. “You have to make the tough decisions now so that you don’t get yourself in a position later that is unrecoverable.” Here’s when you might balk at paying your child’s college, and why that’s OK.

Payments will be too high

If you borrow $17,500 -- about the average amount disbursed to each parent borrower last year -- at the current 6.28% interest rate, expect monthly payments of about $197 and a total repayment amount of $23,611 over 10 years. If you borrow that amount yearly for four years of college, payments become about $788 with over $94,000 total repayment, assuming the interest rate stays the same and you make payments on time. Kristen Holt, CEO of Greenpath Financial Wellness, a non profit financial firm offering free student loan counseling, says some people have to borrow just to make payments. “Look at the budget and what you can afford,” she says. “If you don’t, you are going to be in this perfect storm where you have to make (debt) payments on debt,” she says.

Tuition wasn’t in your retirement plan

Those over 60 with student loans struggle to cover basic living expenses and are more likely to have Social Security garnished for unpaid debt, according to a 2017 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau report. Calvin Williams, CEO and founder of Freeman Capital, says he understands wanting to give your child the best. “But if you don’t plan and take care of your retirement, then you could be asking your child to take care of you in your later years. So in many ways, paying for your own retirement is putting your

30 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business

child first,” he says. Consider this: Paying that $788 a month toward college for 10 years instead of investing for retirement could leave you $128,000 poorer, considering a 6% return.

You haven’t set boundaries

Miller says many of his clients expected their child to help with payments -- but it didn’t happen. “It’s important that parents and students discuss how the cost of college is getting split in a way that’s realistic and comfortable for all involved,” Manny Chagas, vice president of Discover Student Loans, said. He suggested using free online budgeting calculators to start the conversation. Families should discuss what is important and be open about money, says Elizabeth Sterbenz, a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in financial therapy. “You want to give your child the moon, but being really realistic about what’s going on really gives a lot of clarity,” she says. “We are all doing the best we can with what we’ve got.”

Considering parent loans?

Before committing, ask yourself: n ARE YOU RISKING RETIREMENT? While your child can borrow for school, you can’t borrow for retirement. n ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH OTHER DEBT? Carrying a credit card balance or holding other high-interest debt is a red flag. n CAN YOU AFFORD PAYMENTS? Do the math. Budget tuition loan payments to make sure they fit. n DO YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY FUND? Don’t force yourself to choose between a medical emergency and a student loan payment. MV

Sponsored by the Carl & Verna Schmidt Foundation

New rules for entrepreneurs post-Covid By Tina Orem | NerdWallet

he last 18 months can understandably make it seem like now is a terrible time to start a business. But for some entrepreneurs, the steps for starting a business are still the same — it’s just the rules that have changed. Two small-business pros explain how COVID-19 has rewritten four basic tenets of starting a business and what the path to success looks like for new entrepreneurs in 2021.

Create a business plan

What’s the same: You still have to write a business plan, says Frank LaMonaca, a small-business mentor with SCORE in Westerly, Rhode Island. A business plan typically includes such things as how much your product or service will cost, how you’ll market it and how much you’ll need to make to break even. “I think the basic business plan is ... tried and true, and that certainly doesn’t change in COVID,” he says. What’s different now: Your online strategy has to be front and center. Are you prepared to connect with customers through video chat? How interactive is your website? Do you know how to market yourself on social media? The past 18 months have proved how important these questions are for startups today, according to LaMonaca. “Those that survived the best had very robust digital-marketing strategies. They had an online presence that connected them to their customers, their clients, their cohort,” he says. “Even if they were a service business … they benefited from having a connection to their customer, keeping them apprised of what was happening next and where they were going.”

Calculate what you need to get started

What’s the same: New businesses typically need a pile of cash upfront to set up, open their doors and cover expenses as they ramp up sales. Banks are an unlikely source of those startup funds, says Jerry Herrick, a SCORE counselor in Northern California. “Banks don’t waste their time dealing with somebody who’s a year away from making it money,” he says. Herrick says tapping personal savings, friends, family and other sources of capital is more likely to produce the funding you need at first. What’s different now: You’ll probably need way more cash than what your calculations suggest to get started these days, according to LaMonaca. He recommends doubling it now. “If you were thinking, ‘I need enough cash for six months,’ we’re saying, ‘No, you don’t know what’s coming. And you don’t know when the next shutdown might be. You don’t know how clients will react to what you need to do, whether it’s mask mandates, whether it’s vaccination requirements.’ I mean, these are things that you’ve got to think about,” he says.

Fight inertia

What’s the same: To start a business, you have to actually start a business, Herrick says. “You’ve got to jump in,” he says. “What have you done today? ... What are you going to do tomorrow?” What’s different now: Starting a business already takes courage and risk tolerance; now you may need even more of those things.

Track your money

What’s the same: Finding accounting software for your small business and opening a separate checking account for it are still important first steps, Herrick says. Recording all of your expenditures, even if your business isn’t open yet, can save you money on taxes and keep things much more organized. “Always document the money you receive,” he adds. What’s different now: With the complexities of changing tax laws, the Paycheck Protection Program and other state and federal business rules, surrounding yourself with smart people may be more important than ever. MV

MN Valley Business • OCTOBER 2021 • 31

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 9 BUSINESS AWARDS

5:30 - 8:30 PM

and

Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center, Mankato

HALL of FAME

This premier business event is a time where Greater Mankato Growth, Visit Mankato, City Center Partnership, and GreenSeam honor outstanding businesses, professionals, and organizations within the Greater Mankato Community. During the global pandemic, all events, programs, and sponshorship opportunities are subject to change their format or delivery model to ensure the health and safety of our community, volunteers, and staff.

greatermankato.com/awards

Coming in October Each year, the South Central Tour of Manufacturing Partnership invites all manufacturing businesses from across South Central Minnesota to participate in the Tour of Manufacturing. The event is similar to a “Parade of Homes” and FREE to students, job seekers, and the general public. This year's Tour will take a hybrid approach and community members will be able to stop by for a self-guided or guided tour of participating manufacturers either virtually or in person.

greatermankato.com/tour 32 • OCTOBER 2021 • MN Valley Business