Minnesota Valley Business by Free Press Media

The Definitive Business Journal for the Greater Minnesota River Valley August 2019

Mike McQuery of Half Pint Brewing in rural Waseca. Photo by Pat Christman

Brewing Boom No letup in growth of brew pubs Also in this issue • JALISCO MARKET IN GAYLORD • THRIFT STORES FLOURISHING • EDENVALE NURSERY

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New Wage Theft Laws in Effect Written by Gislason & Hunter Attorney, Cory Genelin

he following is an update from Gislason & Hunter LLP’s Employment, Labor and Benefits Practice Group regarding legislation passed by the State of Minnesota at the end of the 2019 Legislative Session. The Act: The laws discussed below were passed as Chapter 7 of the 2019 Session Law. Effective Date: The civil provisions go into effect July 1, 2019; the criminal provisions go into effect August 1, 2019.

Specific Obligations for Employers: Initial Notices Upon Hiring Upon start of work, Section 181.032(d) requires that Employers provide a new Initial Notice (“Initial Notice” is not a label applied by the statute, I’m simply using it as an apt label) including: (1) The employee’s rates of pay including whether the employee is paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or some other method and how each rate is applied. (2) Meal and lodging allowances. (3) Information on paid vacation, sick time, or other paid time off including how it is accrued and how it is used. (4) The employee’s employment status and whether the employee is exempt from any provision of the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act, Chapter 177. (The statute doesn’t specifically refer to the Federal FLSA, but this is probably implicated

under “employment status.” Further, you should be making a determination of exempt/non-exempt under Federal FLSA for every position, so it would be wise to include and exempt/non-exempt indication under Federal FLSA as well.) (5) A list of possible deductions that can be made from the employee’s pay. (6) The number of days in your pay periods, your pay day schedule, and the pay day on which the employee will receive the first payment of wages earned. (7) The legal name of the employer and, if the employer has a different operating name than its legal name, the employer must also include the operating name. (8) The physical address of the employer’s main office, if the employer has a separate mailing address, that also must be provided. (9) The employer’s telephone number. These new Initial Notices must be signed by the employee and a copy of the signed document must be kept by the employer. The Initial Notices must be in English. The Initial Notices must include verbiage (that is currently being generated by the Commissioner) that the employee can request the Initial Notice in some other language. If an employee requests, the employer must provide the Initial Notice in another language. Finally, if any of the information provided in the Initial Notice changes, then the employer must notify the employee in writing

BEFORE the changes take affect. This provision (181.032 (f )) doesn’t say that the change notice must be signed, but practically speaking, a signature will help prove that the change notice was provided. Employer Record Keeping The list of records required by 177.30(a) has been expanded. In addition to the previous requirements, Employers must keep a record of: • For employees paid at piece rate, the number of pieces completed at each piece rate. • A list of the personnel policies provided to each employee, including the date the policies were given to the employee and a brief description of the policies. • A copy of the new Initial Notices required by 181.032(d) including written changes to the Initial Notices These records must be kept for three years and must be kept on site or in a location where they can be retrieved in 72 hours. The statute also clarifies that in the event of a wage and hour claim, if the records kept by the employer don’t provide enough information to determine the amount of wages due, then the Commissioner of the Department of Labor will make a determination based on what information is available. That’s not really a change—that was the practice previously—but now it’s in the statute.

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F E A T U R E S August 2019 • Volume 11, Issue 11

More and more cities, small towns and rural areas are seeing breweries open. It is a trend that those in the industry believe will continue for years to come.

The number of thrift shops in the area has proliferated in recent years, but as the stores find their niche they continue to do strong business amid more competition.

When Tom and Robin Branhan took over the 43-year-old Edenvale Nursery they wanted to update things but they also wanted to retain the charm of the grounds.

Jalisco Market in Gaylord is open every day of the year, offers meats and produce and has a food truck. The combination draws a dedicated following to the store.

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 3

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AUGUST 2019 • VOLUME 11, ISSUE 11

By Joe Spear

PUBLISHER Steve Jameson EXECUTIVE EDITOR Joe Spear ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tim Krohn CONTRIBUTING Tim Krohn WRITERS Kent Thiesse Dean Swanson Dan Greenwood Dan Linehan PHOTOGRAPHERS Pat Christman Jackson Forderer COVER PHOTO Pat Christman PAGE DESIGNER Christina Sankey ADVERTISING Danny Creel Sales Joan Streit Jordan Greer-Friesz Josh Zimmerman Marianne Carlson Theresa Haefner ADVERTISING Barb Wass ASSISTANT ADVERTISING Sue Hammar DESIGNERS Christina Sankey 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 ■ Business Commentary.........................7 ■ 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

Social indicators mean business

e can measure the economy by GDP, e m p l o y m e n t , unemployment and retail trade. We can look at the number of occupied storefronts or new construction as anecdotal measures of a healthy business climate. But what about human capital? Labor remains the biggest cost to any industr y, so it’s worth examining the state of labor and the well-being of people in a given area just as we would measure the amount of output. Individual well-being can be driven by what a community offers or what a community may be lacking. A peaceful and stable social environment can be key to an individual’s quality of life in a community and ultimately their productivity in the workplace. The quality of the social environment can be measured by things like crime, drug use, discrimination, education and opportunity to better oneself. While the common Mankato area narrative revolves around its strong and diversified economy, a local building boom and institutions like government, nonprofits and business that work well together, there’s room for improvement in the socioeconomic environment. Safety net nonprofits appear to have plenty of “business.” The BackPack Food Program that gets school children the meals they need during the school year and the summer seems to be growing by leaps and bounds. Feeding Our Community Partners serves 900 students a week in 21 different schools in five school districts in the Mankato area. They serve elementary and middle school students. A new homeless shelter program using area churches also saw growth this year. In its second

4 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

year of operation Connections Ministry housed 274 individuals, some for multiple nights. That’s an increase from the first year when about 178 were served. Par tners for Af fordable Housing, which operates homeless shelters Welcome Inn and Theresa House, notes 11 families are housed each night in the shelter and it provided 9,200 shelter bed/ space nights to members of the community in a given year. Some 1,015 individuals sought emergency shelter, with 47 percent being under the age of 18. Recent crime statistics shows that overall crime is down in Mankato and North Mankato when measured by the total number of calls. Total crime reports for Mankato were down in 2018 by 12 percent. But so called “crimes of violence” when from 108 to 145, a near 35 percent gain. Police officials note gains in crime don’t necessary mean more crime is happening, but could mean more crime is being reported. Still, it’s a mixed bag for the region. Overall crime is down with some more serious crime rising. The fact that larceny and theft has risen by 10 percent may be the biggest concern for business. Continual reports of serious use of methamphetamine seem most threatening to the social order. In April, police found three pounds of meth in a St. Peter residence where authorities suspected a gang dealer. The cases of meth use have created some scary social confrontations often involving guns. These crimes have a byproduct of community violence. Meth use is directly connected to a lot of other crimes including theft, according to Blue Earth County Attorney Pat McDermott. Drug crimes in Blue Earth County are on pace to be up 10 percent in

2019, according to report by the county attorney. The recent crime report also showed a bump in hate or so called “bias” crimes. Statewide there were 127 reports of hate crimes, and just four locally, two in St. Peter, and one each in Janesville and Waseca. While the numbers are relatively low for hate crimes, this kind of crime carries with it the baggage of discrimination and bias due to one’s race or ethnicity. That’s a motivation that goes beyond need to have money or drugs. It’s an attack due to discrimination, a social condition that carries a high price for any community. We should also sit up and take more notice of these crimes because they’re bad for business and bad for a community’s feeling of welcomeness. A good community with a high quality of social life is good for business. There’s still much to be done. Joe Spear is executive editor of Minnesota Valley Business. Contact him at jspear@mankatofreepress.com or 344-6382. Follow on Twitter @jfspear.

Local Business People/Company News ■

Seys receives award

Jennifer Seys of the financial services firm Edward Jones in Mankato won the firm’s Spirit of Par tnership Award for outstanding performance during 2018. She was one of 1,283 of the firm’s more than 18,000 financial advisors to receive the award. ■■■

Krause elected chair

T h e Minnesota B a n k e r s Association elected David Krause, CEO of Pioneer Bank, as the 2019-20 MBA chair. Krause formerly served as the David Krause 2018-19 vice chair/treasurer and as a member of the MBA Board of Directors representing District 2. Krause is a graduate of Southwest Minnesota State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Management and also attended the Minnesota Bankers Association’s Commercial Lending School and Midwest Banking Institute. He ser ves as chair of GreenSeam board of governors and participates in a variety of other community organizations. ■■■

Schmidt’s Meats honored

Schmidt’s Meat Market in Nicollet won international recognition at the IFFA trade fair. IFFA is the world’s largest fair for processing, packaging and sales in the meat industry. Schmidt’s entered seven products and each won a gold medal. The products included dried beef, wieners, summer sausage, ring bologna, polish sausage, bacon and jalapeno &

cheese summer sausage. ■■■

Profinium honors volunteerism

Profinium honored three employees for t h e i r volunteerism. CEO Marques D o p p l e r , mortgage loan originator Jannell Tufte Marques Doppler and credit analyst Morgan Christensen were recognized. Doppler has volunteered numerous hours for the Fairmont Community Center Action Committee, and is part of the Jannell Tufte GreenSeam boar d of governors. He is also part of the f i n a n c i a l a d v i s o r y committee for the Mankato School District. Tufte donates her time to For a Morgan Christensen Day Foundation, which of fers activities and fun for children battling chronic illnesses. She also volunteers her time at Transitional Housing of Steele County and is involved with Junior Achievement and Realtor/ Affiliate Member Services. Christensen volunteered many hours as the finance chair and budget committee chair at First Congregational Church. She coached a couple of teams at Pacesetter Basketball tournaments. In addition, she has volunteered her time to Kids Against Hunger, Mankato YWCA, Mankato Marathon and Relay for Life.

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 5

Farmer chairs MSR&PC

Brown County farmer Cole Trebesch was elected chair of the Minnesota S o y b e a n Research & Promotion Council. Trebesch, 36, farms near Cole Trebesch Springfield on the family farm with his wife, Miranda, and their two children, Oliver and Elsie. He raises soybeans, corn, hogs and cattle. He is a member of the Brown County Corn and Soybean Growers Board. On the Council, Trebesch previously served as vice-chair, and has been active on MSR&PC’s environmental stewardship and production action teams.

Barnick named branch president

St. Peter native and G u s t a v u s A d o l p h u s C o l l e g e alumnus Andy Barnick has been named SouthPoint’s St. Peter branch president. Andy Barnick Barnick came to SouthPoint after most recently working as an area investment advisor for Frandsen Bank in Mankato for the past six years. In addition to his branch president role, Barnick will serve as a financial advisor for SouthPoint Investment Services. ■■■

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Federated a Top Workplace

For the second consecutive year, Federated Insurance has been named one of the Top 150 Workplaces in Minnesota by the Star Tribune. Now in its 10th year, the Top Workplaces program recognizes Minnesota companies with outstanding organizational health based on employee opinions regarding company vision, leadership, benefits, satisfaction, connection, and more. Federated Insurance was ranked on the large company list. ■■■

New plumbing company

Husband and wife Brandon and Jennifer Schmidt have opened Plumb-Rite Plumbing, LLC. Brandon, a licensed master plumber has over 17 years of plumbing experience. Jen, office manager, brings over 17 years of management and customer service relations in the real estate industry. Plumb-Rite Plumbing specializes in residential remodels and new construction and service work.

State Bank, First National merge

Bancommunity Service Corp., parent company of First National Bank Minnesota, is purchasing State Bank of Belle Plaine. They plan to assume operations in about three months with a merger of the two banks early next year. First National Bank Minnesota has offices in Saint Peter, Mankato and Gaylord. “The State Bank of Belle Plaine is a perfect fit to join our organization,” Michael W. Bresnahan, president and CEO of First National Bank Minnesota said in a statement. State Bank of Belle Plaine President and CEO Paul Gatz and Vice President William Gatz will be retiring when the acquisition is complete. The Gatz family has maintained an ownership interest in the bank for 95 of the bank’s 137-yearhistory. The merger will result in a bank with over $340 million in assets and more than $35 million in capital. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

6 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

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Beadell graduates from development academy

Katie Beadell, of Community Bank, graduated from the Minnesota Bankers Association Leadership Development Academy. This year long program, which graduated a total of 19 bankers in 2019, provides indepth skill-building for bankers preparing for critical leadership roles in their banks. The MBA Leadership Development Academy was launched by the MBA to provide additional training for the next generation of Minnesota’s bank leaders. Community Bank has locations in Mankato, Eagle Lake, Vernon Center and Amboy. ■■■

Van Engen joins Bremer

Shane Van Engen has joined the B r e m e r Mankato branch as market president. Van Engen oversees day-today operations and advises Shane Van Engen customers and community members on their financial services needs. He also has a leadership role in the Owatonna and Austin markets. Van Engen has 17 years of financial services experience. He holds a Cer tified Public Accounting license in the State of Minnesota.

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Business Commentary

By Diane Dobitz and Briana Baker

How do you choose the holidays that your business commemorates?

ow do you choose the holidays that your business commemorates? As Memorial Day came again, and we honored the men and women who died while serving in the U. S. military, we are reminded that there is real power in selecting those parts of the past that we decide are worthy of honor and how we build upon the legacies of the past in the present. As Mankato continues to reshape our community identity from a historic place where the largest mass execution by the U.S. government took place with the hanging of 38 Dakota warriors in 1862 to a city that values

inclusivity and desires to be a vibrant, growing regional marketplace, businesses have an important role to play. Businesses have the opportunity to let people know they are part of a business

A special sale or promotion is not an appropriate way to commemorate Indigenous Peoples Day. no

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community dedicated to being collaborative and inclusive, approachable, ethical and innovative as they work towards sustainable economic growth in our region. Sometimes America has confused power with greatness. Wise people know genuine greatness is not a matter of mere power; it is a matter of integrity and relationship. A growing business in Mankato that wants to attract customers and employees from an increasingly younger and more diverse populace will understand the significance of Mankato’s past and want to learn about the cultures of Indigenous Peoples and who they are today among us. You may have noticed that we say “commemorate” instead of “celebrate” Indigenous Peoples Day. According to Melodie Andrews, professor emeritus at Minnesota State University, in the past the hanging of the 38 Dakota warriors was used to promote and sell merchandise such as beer trays, spoons, postcards, and other items. A special sale or promotion is not an appropriate way to commemorate Indigenous Peoples Day. There are numerous other ways to commemorate the holiday. If your business will be closed on the 2nd Monday of October, please take care to remember to put “closed for Indigenous Peoples Day” on your signs and social media instead of referencing Columbus Day. The Mankato Indigenous Peoples Day Committee is also always grateful for collaborators and supporters. Diane Dobitz and Briana Baker are members of the Mankato Indigenous Peoples Day Committee.

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 7

Arial view of Half Pint Brewery. Photo by Pat Christman

Brewing up business Brew pubs continue to thrive

By Tim Krohn | Photos by Pat Christman and Jackson Forderer

he business of beer brewing shows no signs of slowing down as new pubs and breweries continue to open and existing ones grow. “I think there will be a lot more growth in the next few years in smaller cities,” said Lauren Bennett McGinty, executive director of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. “They’re ripe for breweries or brew pubs. They’ve become the community gathering space.”

It took Jeff Luskey and his partners years of maneuvering through planning and zoning to finally get their u4ic brewery open in Blakeley, but when it did it became an instant success. “This year has been really good. Our taproom is pretty much full a lot of the time.” Mike and Amy McQuery opened a true farm brew pub in rural Waseca and have seen steady business at their Half Pint Brewing Co.

Cover Story

8 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

Greg Dembouski of MGM Wine and Spirits said the growth of craft beer keeps him always on the lookout for new brands customers want. Photo by Pat Christman. Mike said that while some Minnesota breweries usually hit Community support breweries and brew pubs have the ground running when they There are 170 breweries in the gone out of business, he thinks open. state and 145 of them are the market is far from saturated. “We have a great community of members of the Brewers Guild, “I think those going out of brewers and they have interested said Bennett McGinty. business were overreaching. I investors. And small towns are She said that in spite of the don’t think the market is helping a lot with zoning and even growth, few breweries are closing. oversaturated. grants and low-interest loans. “We had four or five last year and “It’s going like it was before They have support from one closed this year in downtown prohibition when every small communities.” St. Paul.” town had a brewery. That’s what’s She estimated about 70% of the Vying for shelf space happening now. I see more and breweries are small, selling beer With new brews coming out more people who want to try out of their taprooms, with the rapidly, brewers who sell to liquor different breweries and maybe go other 30% also selling to liquor stores and bars are constantly to two or three nearby and try stores, bars and restaurants. vying for limited shelf space. them.” Bennett McGinty said Dembouski said MGM starts The non-stop introduction of Minnesota brewers have plenty of with area brands. “If Schell’s or new brews leaves MGM Wine ingredients available to them. Mankato Brewery have a new and Spirits owner Greg “We’re fortunate to have a lot of one that’s definitely going in. And Dembouski constantly looking brewing ingredients. One of items featured at the State Fair, for what to stock on the shelves. largest hop farms in the Midwest like Grain Belt Blu, we try to get “It’s never ending. The is Mighty Axe Hops in Foley. those if they’re a hit,” he said. distributors bring the brewery She said there are a few farm He said their beer distributors reps around and we get a chance breweries that pride themselves have a lot of say in what is carried to taste some of them and we get on growing some of their own at MGM. “And we listen to our a consensus at the stores and ingredients. “There are more customers. They know what they decide whether to bring them in thinking of growing fruit and want. And it seems like the harder or not.” other ingredients and many use it is to get, the more they want it,” local ingredients.” Dembouski said. She said that while the capital He said brewers of any size can investment can be large,

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 9

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no longer assume that once they get a customer who likes their brand they will keep them as customers. “I think the loyalty is gone. People want the latest and greatest. You can get bumped out of stores or tap lines pretty easily.” He said edgy names help sell a beer. “But in the end it’s all about the taste.” He said there are many brew enthusiast groups that spread the word quickly about new, good beers. “They talk on social media and word spreads fast. People ask, ‘Why don’t you have that beer’ and it’s like, that just came out yesterday. It’s tough to keep up.”

Long road to opening

Luskey, his brother Dave and Curt Fossom all did home brewing in the late 1980s. “The ingredients were horrible back then. The beer was terrible, but we drank it and liked it,” Luskey said. All three are originally from Jordan but Luskey lives in Blakeley. In 2012 the trio explored opening a brewery in Jordan but found rents too high. That’s when they began looking at a vacant building in Blakeley. They upgraded the building, but soon ran into red tape with the county. “It took us two, almost three years because the county hadn’t done (a brewery) before. In 2015 we finally got the OK to open. “The thing with the county took a financial toll on us. We were renting a building we couldn’t

Top: Jeff Ruskey, an owner at u4ic Brewery, behind the counter in the brewery’s taproom in Blakeley. Ruskey said that there are so many different styles of beer out there that even with 24 taps, it’s a struggle to get through them all. Bottom left: The taproom at u4ic Brewery features 24 different taps, free popcorn and board games for customers. Bottom right: Miranda Fossen pours a beer for a customer in the u4ic taproom. Photos by Jackson Forderer

“We always have food trucks here when we’re open. There is a fire pit on the patio. It’s a relaxing environment.” use.” There are 24 taps at u4ic, offering something for everyone, including root beer. “We have everything from the lightest cream ale to dark, heavy imperial

stouts.” Their flagship beer is Car Show American Ale, with Grass Skirt Hawaiian style ale and Joker of Hearts Belgium sour also always popular. Luskey said construction on Highway 169 last year cut into business but people have found their way back this year. And the township changed an ordinance so that u4ic can now be open on Sundays. Besides their taproom, which holds about 100 people, u4ic distributes to bars and liquor stores. “We always have food trucks here when we’re open. There is a fire pit on the patio. It’s a relaxing environment.”

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 11

“Being unique helps us. You can’t go anywhere else and sit on a farm and see the hops growing. Breweries need to differentiate themselves somehow.” Beer and pizza

The McQuerys opened Half Pint Brewing in December. They’d lived in Oregon but visited a family member who lived here. “We fell in love with it,” he said of the Waseca area. They moved here from Oregon and six years ago bought land and built the building. “We’re a little different from any brewery in the state because we’re out in the country rather than in town. We wanted to be a farm brewery, more like a winery. We’re growing our own hops and raspberries and sourcing as much as possible locally,” he said. They partner with the nearby Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm. “People can order from them and they deliver it here, right to people’s table in about 20 minutes. It works out for us because we didn’t want to do food. We’d lose people at dinner time because we didn’t have food. So now people come out for dinner.” Half Pint has 10 taps and has eight or nine different brews. “I’m rotating them all the time. It’s been playing around with a lot of recipes to see what people like and what’s selling. We’re coming down to four that will be on tap all the time - Hannah’s Honey Cream Ale,

12 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

Half Pint Brewing offers a rural setting where customers can sit inside or outside and can view hops being grown on the property. Photos by Pat Christman. Norway IPA, Pa’s Porter and Fra-Seltet” With a three-barrel system, Half Pint is considered a nanobrewery. “I wanted to start on a seven-barrel system but it’s a lot more expensive. I like three barrels because if you do mess up it’s not as expensive. Eventually I’d like to go up to a seven-barrel system.” He said when they first opened they were expecting 30 or 40 people to come on a weekend. “We got 300 on opening weekend. It was a big surprise. We had to shut down for two weeks because we ran out of beer. Now I know how much to make.” They have seating for 60 inside and 30 or 40 more outside. “Being unique helps us. You can’t go anywhere else and sit on a farm and see the hops growing. Breweries need to differentiate themselves somehow.” MV

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Neighborhood Thrift Store manager Lisa Myran puts out bread and sweets for store customers.

Finding a niche

Thrift stores flourish amid competition By Dan Greenwood Photos by Pat Christman

here are plenty of regular household items available at Mankato’s growing thrift stores, but walking out with a rare gem is a distinct possibility. Old style turntables and a diverse array of antiques and musical instruments show up every once in a while, mixed in with more common items like clothes and furniture. There are nearly a dozen thrift stores in the Mankato area, and they each have a niche to stand out in an increasingly crowded field. “There’s a variety of thrift stores in Mankato, and a lot of good causes,” said Dave Gefre, store manager at VINE Home

14 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

Thrift Store, which donates profits to VINE Faith in Action programs and services. “Ours is a little different than some where many focus on clothing, small items and some furniture,” Gefre said. “We are much more focused on household items, furniture of all sizes, we don’t do clothing for the most part here.” The 8,000 square foot VINE Home Thrift Store will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in August. Gefre said they have something for everybody. Words like “chic” and “vintage” are part of their daily vocabulary. He said people enjoy coming to the store often just to browse.

Most thrift stores fill their showrooms with merchandise acquired through donations, and sifting through the items dropped off every day plays a big part in the whole operation. Gefre’s staff and volunteers check donated items to make sure they work and are in good condition. They don’t accept mattresses, box springs, or any gas powered appliances, and are phasing out more outdated items like entertainment centers. For items they don’t accept, Gefre said they’re happy to call up the Habitat for Humanity Restore just around the corner and send donators their way. “If other stores take things, we’re happy to send them to theirs if it’s not something that we take,” Gefre said. “There’s plenty of donations to go around. If we can benefit or somebody else can benefit for their causes, we’re happy to share those resources.”

Neighborhood Thrift

Across town at Neighborhood Thrift Store, clothes are the specialty. At the checkout counter, day old bread and sweets are occasionally available for anybody in need. Store manager Lisa Myran said they also have donated canned food on hand, which fits into the store’s mission of feeding about 160 families in need with a supply of groceries once a month held at Goodrich Construction in Mankato. “We try to have as much fresh produce as possible,” Myran said. Some of that is donated by HyVee, and from July through October about 15 volunteers use the store’s proceeds to drive down to the Cedar Valley Produce Auction in northeast Iowa to buy fresh fruit and vegetables in bulk grown by Amish and Mennonite farmers. As with VINE’s thrift store, Myran said they receive donations every day. “After garage sales we get a lot, and in the spring and fall because people are changing out their clothes and their seasonal items,”

Myron said. “They’re doing their spring and fall cleaning, so those are the heavier times of when we get the most donations. October through December are our busiest months.” Volunteers play a big role in the day-to-day operations. At Neighborhood Thrift Store, the dozen volunteers outnumber the staff, and there are nearly 40 volunteers at VINE Home Thrift Store who donate their time cleaning and sorting donated items, testing out equipment and pricing items. It’s harder to find volunteers than it used to be, but Gefre said the ones they have all come with different talents and skills, like repairing furniture or electronic items before they hit the shelves.

MRCI Thrift

At MRCI Thrift Shop, where profits go towards programs that support people with disabilities, store manager Ally Storm said they have about 30 volunteers who come in regularly, although they could use more. “It used to be easy,” Storm said. “Everyone wanted to volunteer, church groups and different kinds of people wanted to and now it’s so hard to get them. We’re actually in need of volunteers right now and we’ve been trying to recruit people but it’s hard; people have a lot of stuff going on.” Par tnerships with other organizations helps alleviate that

gap. At the end of each semester, Minnesota State University’s international students volunteer as part of their cultural contribution scholarship requirements. Storm said unique specialty items aren’t unheard of; they recently acquired an electric bicycle, and are looking towards selling some of those items online. In May, they acquired an adjacent building to house their ever-increasing inventory. “It continues to grow,” Storm said. “It seems like thrift stores are the thing. We have competition in town; so we try to stay ahead of what’s going on to try to keep up with everyone else. We try to strive with our customer service.” That includes conveniences like curbside pickup at MRCI Thrift Shop. Volunteers and staff from VINE Thrift Store have a truck to pick up larger furniture, and Neighborhood Thrift Shop sells items at half-price on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But they all say it’s their network of volunteers, donations and customers that keep the operation running smoothly. “The employees and volunteers are amazing,” Myran said. “We wouldn’t be here without them, just like we couldn’t be here without all the people that donate and shop.” MV

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 15

Edenvale Nursery’s Tom Branhan checks on some of the fruit trees.

Garden spot

Edenvale’s new owner continues tradition By Tim Krohn | Photos by Pat Christman

hen Tom Branhan took over the 43-year-old a typical candidate to buy a nursery. Edenvale Nursery he wanted to keep the The couple lived in Mankato while he was a CEO in enchanting grounds and quality plants the the Twin Cities for a company that recovered old business was known for. But he roofing material, taking out the tar, also has upgraded the grounds and fiberglass and sand that could be brought in more varieties of plants. reused. He’d previously headed “We’re 5 acres, trees, plants, large ethanol companies. shrubs all walkable. It’s a After he retired, Edenvale owners EDENVALE NURSERY phenomenal setting, there’s Jim and Betty Koberoski asked him 7805 19244, MN-22 nothing like it around. We’re so diff if he’d manage the garden center as Mankato than the box stores,” he said. they were preparing for retirement. (507) 387-6761 “We’re starting to take out some He’d gotten to know them through www.edenvalenursery.com of the older trees and shrubs and his son who’d worked at the replanting. We remodeled the nursery. office, put in new fencing. It’s totally different than “In 2015 they asked me to come on board and run what it used to be but it still has the same charm. the place, so I managed it and ended up buying it. I’m “People come out here with their coffee and donuts waiting for my second retirement, if that’s ever going and sit by the pond in the morning. That’s why I fell in to come.” love with it when my son was working here.” Branhan and his wife, Robin, have always been avid Rough start gardeners while they lived in different places around The timing of the purchase was inopportune in one respect – a major road reconstruction of Highway 22 the country. But as the CEO of major companies, south of Mankato, where Edenvale is located, disrupted before his retirement a few years ago, Branhan wasn’t

Profile

16 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

two years of business. “In 2017 they did the partial detour and it didn’t affect us a lot. But 2018 just about killed us. We went from 16,000 cars a day going by down to none.” He said sales are still lagging a bit this year but business is much improved. “We lost a lot of customers when the road was closed but hopefully they’ll come back.” The biggest learning curve in the new business was the scale. “I was used to running a company with 800 or 900 employees, an executive leadership team. Here you have 15 employees, so it’s a lot more hands on here.” Robin runs the of fice, purchases all the giftware and does other tasks at the nursery. He also had to learn the ins and outs of ordering all the stock for the nursery. “Ordering has to be done now until January for next year. It took a while to learn that. The value I have are the employees. I have core employees with horticulture degrees who’ve been here a long time. They brought me the expertise and taught me what I know.” They order from the eight major growers. “They’re all highly qualified growers and we specify the grades we want, the highest grade and the largest trees and shrubs. We have more mature plants and expertise to help people understand what they’re buying and how to plant and care for things.” While last winter was harsh on plants, shrubs and trees, Branhan said they didn’t see a high return of dead stock on the trees and shrubs they sell that have a oneyear warranty. “We saw a higher rate of returns, but not huge. We give people good instructions on how to plant so we have very few coming back, surprising low,” he said. “If you send someone home with a strong, healthy plant they’re going to be in good shape. If it’s weak it’s hard to get it through the hot summer and harsh winter.” MV

Beyond people wanting to buy nursery stock, many come to the grounds just to enjoy the colorful flowers, paths and pond.

While they are selling this year’s stock, the Edenvale staff is already ordering plants, trees and shrubs for next season.

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 17

Sisters Claudia Enrrigue (left) and Goretti Enrrigue run the familyowned Jalisco Market. The market has been open for five years in downtown Gaylord.

Dedicated following Jalisco Market caters to variety of customers By Dan Greenwood Photos by Jackson Forderer

than this one. It didn’t have either produce or hen sisters Claudia and Goretti meat.” Enrrigue were kids growing up in a One thing she does remember vividly is small town in Mexico’s Jalisco state, playing the classic Mario their father, Roberto Brothers video game Saucedo, ran a store machine at the store. connected to their house. With that kind of It was an experience that entertainment at their helped prepare the family JALISCO MARKET for opening up Jalisco fingertips, the kids acted 416 W Main Ave, as a lookout for customers Market in Gaylord four Gaylord when their mother was in years ago. (507) 237-2617 “I remember a little, not the kitchen preparing a much,” Goretti Enrrigue meal. said. “But it was smaller “If we were playing my

Feature

18 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

Sergio Rodriguez talks on the phone behind the butcher counter at Jalisco Market in Gaylord. The market sells meat by the pound, including steaks. mom would say, ‘I’m going to be cooking; if we have a customer just call me,’” Goretti said. The family relocated to Minnesota 16 years ago to pursue economic opportunities and lived with friends in Morton, about 50 miles west of Gaylord. Shortly after, Claudia Enrrigue, Goretti Enrrigue’s husband Sergio and father Robert Saucedo began working at Michael Foods, a food processor and distributor with a plant in Gaylord. Then in 2015, two brothers and friends of the family announced they were moving to Texas and would be selling the Mexican market, at the time called Fiesta Mexicana, in downtown Gaylord. The family had been thinking about owning a business, but weren’t sure what kind. When the oppor tunity presented itself, they decided to take the plunge, and that catapulted them into new territory, including a butcher shop, and a food truck. They named it Jalisco Market in homage to their home state in Mexico, where uniquely Mexican

and Honduras who are looking for spices and ingredients for traditional dishes like homemade tortillas and tamales during holiday celebrations. “We now have 200 customers that come often,” Robert Saucedo said as he was busy working behind the counter. That loyalty likely stems at least partially from the fact that Jalisco Market is open seven days a week, 365 days a year. While Claudia Enrrigue is the sole proprietor, several family members work there. The shelves are lined with spices, sauces, produce, meat and uniquely Mexican drinks. Some of the most popular products are the uniquely spicy Mexican candies that cover the shelves on the back aisle. “We have different kinds of Loyal customers candies, these are watermelon With some trial and error, they candies, these are mango flavor,” began to connect with other Claudia Enrrigue said. “The vendors and drivers coming to tamarind candies, like Banderilla the area. Jalisco Market is known Tamarindo, are spicy.” for catering to customers not just The market’s food truck, called from Mexico, but also people Four Bros. Cocina Latina, is a from countries like El Salvador name shortened from “brothers MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 19

cultural traditions like Mariachi bands and tequila originate from. Goretti Enrrigue said the previous owners offered a lot of helpful advice and suggestions for the transition, although some of the ins and outs of running a market were learned as they went. They found a good vendor in Chicago that distributes Mexican groceries, but finding someone to deliver their inventory by truck was more difficult due to the rural location. “At the beginning it was really hard to find vendors who liked to come to the store because it was far away from the main (roads) like Highway 169 or 212,” Goretti Enrrigue said. “We’re in the middle of those, but they didn’t want to come unless it was a big order.”

Yadira Mendez (middle) and Anahi Mendez (right), 11, look for candy to buy at Jalisco Market. The store sells Hispanic foods and other Hispanic-oriented products.

20 â&#x20AC;˘ AUGUST 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ MN Valley Business

and sisters.” The Enrrigue sisters also have one brother and another sister. All the family members prepare the food for the truck that runs Tuesday through Sunday. This is their third year selling tacos, quesadillas and corn at the parking lot of nearby Jerry’s Home Quality Foods, the other grocery store in town. The family also takes the food truck to Arlington and Winthrop, although they took a break from travelling to Winthrop as Goretti Enrrigue had a baby this year, but she said they plan to return to the town next year. Claudia Enrrigue said the food truck has grown in popularity and also caters larger parties and events around the region. They are especially busy with the food truck in the summer. “Sometimes we cater for graduations and birthday parties,” Claudia Enrrigue said. “The biggest event was the Gaylord Extravaganza. That was a lot of people, almost the whole town.” Jalisco’s Facebook page keeps customers updated on the business and available items, and they also get the word out through occasional newspaper ads. Each year they participate in summer parades in Winthrop and Gaylord, throwing out candy to the kids. This spring, Claudia Enrrigue accepted an award from Mankato’s Small Business Development Center at a ceremony held at Minnesota State University. When Goretti Enrrigue was serving on the board of Gaylord’s Chamber of Commerce, a woman from the courthouse suggested they apply, a testament to the strong community support the family business receives. “We were surprised, we never won anything,” Goretti Enrrigue said. “To come to a different country and be recognized for the work you’re doing; that’s amazing.” For the future, expect an expanded kitchen and menu at the store itself. In the meantime, the food truck and market continue to cater all of those ingredients and food options you can’t find at a conventional grocery store. MV

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MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 21

Business and Industry Trends ■

Energy Law gives locals more control

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Terry brings more than 30 years of experience providing nancing and cash management solutions to businesses. Visit Terry today and nd out how he can Make More Possible for you! 180 St. Andrews Drive | Mankato, MN 507.386.0200

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22 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

In 2018, the state produced 460,000 barrels per day of crude oil and 5 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas gross withdrawals, accounting for 4% and 5%, respectively, of the national totals. Colorado has about 40,000 active oil and natural gas wells. More than one-third of those wells were located in Weld County, which stretches from the Denver metropolitan area to the Wyoming border. Under the new law, local governments have the authority to regulate the location of new oil and natural gas production facilities as well as the effects of oil and natural gas production, such as land use and surface impacts, including noise. The law also gives local governments the authority to inspect oil and natural

gas facilities; impose fines for leaks, spills, and emissions; and impose fees to fully cover regulatory costs.

Retail/Consumer Spending

Renewables increasing

EIA forecasts that renewable fuels, including wind, solar, and hydropower, will collectively produce 18% of U.S. electricity in 2019 and almost 20% in 2020. EIA expects that annual generation from wind will surpass hydropower generation for the first time in 2019 to become the leading source of renewable electricity generation and maintain that position in 2020.

Coal use at 39-year low

EIA forecasts that U.S. coal consumption, which reached a 39-year low of 687 million short tons (MMst) in 2018, will fall to 602 MMst in 2019 and to 567 MMst in 2020. The falling consumption reflects lower demand for coal in the electric power sector.

Oil inventories to decline

The Energy Information Administration forecasts global oil inventories will decline by 0.3 million barrels per day in 2019 and then increase by 0.3 million b/d in 2020. Although global liquid fuels demand outpaces supply in 2019 in EIA’s forecast, global liquid fuels supply is forecast to rise by 2.0 million b/d in 2020, with 1.4 million of that growth coming from the United States. Global oil demand rises by 1.4 million b/d in 2020.

U.S. production up

Annual U.S. crude oil production reached a record 11.0 million b/d in 2018. EIA forecasts that U.S. production will increase by 1.4 million b/d in 2019 and by 0.9 million b/d in 2020, with 2020 production averaging 13.3 million b/d. Despite EIA’s expectation for slowing growth, the 2019 forecast would be the second-largest annual growth on record (following 1.6 million b/d in 2018), and the 2020 forecast would be the fifth-largest growth on record.

$2.76 for gas

For the 2019 summer driving season, which runs from April through September, EIA forecasts that U.S. regular gasoline retail prices will average $2.76 per gallon, down from an average of $2.85/gal last summer.

CO2 emissions fall

After rising by 2.7% in 2018, EIA forecasts that U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will decline by 2% in 2019 and by 0.9% in 2020. EIA expects U.S. CO2 emissions will fall in 2019 and in 2020 because its forecast assumes that temperatures will return to near normal, and because the forecast share of electricity generated from natural gas and renewables increases while the forecast share generated from coal, which produces more CO2 emissions, decreases.

Vehicle Sales Mankato — Number of vehicles sold - 2018 - 2019

1,040 1,077

1500 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)

600

- 2018 - 2019 $405,200

500

$427,187

400 300 200 100 0

Source: Sales tax figures, City of Mankato

Lodging tax collections Mankato/North Mankato $48,861

70000

- 2018 - 2019

$54,494

52500 35000 17500 0

Source: City of Mankato

Mankato food and beverage tax - 2018 - 2019 175000 140000

$58,600 $65,272

105000 70000 35000 0

Source: City of Mankato

C. Sankey

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 23

■

Agricultural Outlook

By Kent Thiesse

African swine fever impacts the hog industr y

ne of the hottest topics in the world’s swine industry today, as well as in the entire agriculture and animal health sectors, is the spread of African Swine Fever in China and other countries. Many concerns have also been raised about the potential animal health and economic impacts to the U.S. swine industry. While ASF is not present in the U.S., or any other country in the western hemisphere, the disease is leading to some changes in disease protocols in this country, as well as having some economic impacts to the ag industry. ASF is a highly contagious viral disease that only infects pigs. Humans have never contracted ASF anywhere in the world and there is no food safety risk from ASF. Other animals and pets are not susceptible to ASF disease, unless the pet is a pig. There is a very high mortality rate in pigs that are infected with the AFS virus. AFS disease is typically spread in swine by close contact such as nose-to-nose, ingestion of uncooked infected meat products, or by equipment and humans. The AFS virus can last up to 30 days in fecal material and organic matter, up to 140 days in fresh pork products, and indefinitely in frozen pork. Currently, there is not a vaccine to prevent or control ASF. AFS disease has been around for a long time, primarily confined to regions of Eastern Europe that were not major hog production areas; however, AFS has now spread into Asia in a big way. ASF was first confirmed in China in August of 2018, spreading quickly through the many small swine herds that exist across the country. By early 2019, ASF disease had been positively identified in nearly every Province in China, and the impacts of the disease continue to worsen. ASF disease has now also been confirmed in the Southeast Asian countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Mongolia, and is continuing to spread across the region. China is the number one producer and consumer of pork in the world, producing and consuming close to half of the world’s total pork last year. In 2017, prior to the ASF outbreak, China harvested and processed 700 million pigs, approximately five times the level in the U.S. Now in 2019, it is estimated that 150 to 200 million pigs could die or be destroyed in China as a result of ASF disease. It is further estimated that China will lose more than 16 million metric tons of pork production in 2019 due to ASF disease, which is more pork than is produced annually in the United States. These alarming numbers are having a huge impact on Chinese pork producers and processors, the Chinese agriculture industry, and the overall economy of the country.

24 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

China normally imports approximately two percent of the total pork that is consumed in the country; however, this represents almost 20 percent of the total world pork trade. Major suppliers have been the United States and Europe. Many analysts are projecting Chinese pork imports to increase by 40 percent in 2019 to compensate for the lost production. Based on the expected increased demand in China, U.S. pork prices rose dramatically from late February to early April this year, with the lean hog price increasing by over $25 per hundredweight; however, in recent weeks, lean hog prices have dropped back to more moderate levels. The U.S. should be in a good position to meet the increased demand for pork products in China, due to the large levels of hog production and pork supplies that currently exist in this country. However, the ongoing trade war with China, which adds about a 62% tariff on Chinese pork imports from the U.S., is tempering Chinese pork purchases from the U.S., resulting in increased Chinese pork imports from Europe. The Chinese trade war has also had a big impact on U.S. soybean farmers, with soybean exports to China being greatly reduced by the added tariffs that were implemented in July of 2018. Most of the U.S. soybeans that were imported into China were crushed into soybean meal for hog feed. The big question going forward is going to be what the level of Chinese soybean imports from the U.S. will be, once the trade war with China is resolved, given that China’s need for soybeans will be reduced as a result of declining hog numbers from ASF disease. USDA is working closely with leaders in the swine industr y, State Veterinarians, State Agriculture Departments, and Land-Grant Universities to develop strategies to prevent and control AFS disease. These collaborative efforts also involve managing the disease, if an AFS outbreak should occur in the North America, as well as working on vaccines to prevent AFS. USDA has also initiated a coordinated approach for AFS surveillance and prevention methods. ASF sur veillance and prevention efforts currently being implemented by USDA include: • Added ASF to the existing USDA surveillance efforts for classical swine fever, including the expansion of the testing capabilities and capacity of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. • Work with State Veterinarians and the swine industry to test sick and high-risk pigs for the ASF virus, including wild hogs and feral swine, in order to isolate any potential ASF outbreak before it spreads.

• Work collaboratively with agriculture and animal health officials on a coordinated approach to prevent ASF, control any disease outbreaks, and manage trade issues associated with ASF. • Special attention by U.S. Customs and Border Protection staff at ports of entry into the U.S., especially for passengers, cargo, and products arriving from China and other ASF positive countries. • Increased surveillance at key U.S. commercial seaports and airports by detector dogs with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to find illegal products being transported into the U.S. The enhanced surveillance efforts actually paid off in March of this year, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted a large shipment of illegal pork products from China that was in the process of being entered into the U.S. Fortunately the shipment was halted and there were no fresh pork products in the shipment, and the illegal products were destroyed. Five important facts for the public to remember about ASF disease: 8 is not a public health threat in the U.S. or other 1. ASF countries. ASF is a disease that only affects swine, and6 there is no evidence that ASF has ever infected humans or other livestock species. 4 is not a food safety concern and pork products 2. ASF are safe to eat. Even though ASF does not affect 2 humans, USDA has strict protocols in place to prohibit sick animals from entering the food chain. USDA also prohibits pigs or fresh pork products to 0 J F M A M J J A S O N D be allowed into the U.S. from any country that is positive for ASF disease. 3. ASF has never been confirmed in the United States. In fact, ASF is not present anywhere in North or South 8 America, and is only currently present in China, other Southeast Asia countries, Africa, and 100 some 6 Eastern European countries. 4. Caution is required when travelling to ASF positive 85 countries. Anyone that travels to China or any of the 4 70 ASF positive countries should be aware of the other impacts that could result if AFS were introduced in 2 the55 U.S. Travelers should follow proper safety protocols and adhere to the guidelines set forth by 400 J F M M JProtection. J A S O N D U.S. Customs and ABorder 5. Collaborative efforts are in place to keep ASF out of 25 J F M A M J J A S O N D the United States. USDA is working with State Veterinarians and pork industry officials to develop a strategic plan to prevent ASF from entering the U.S., as well as to control the disease if an outbreak 100 occur. These efforts also include working should very closely with Canada and Mexico.

Agriculture/ Agribusiness Corn prices — southern Minnesota

Kent Thiesse is farm management analyst and senior vice president, MinnStar Bank, Lake Crystal. 507-381-7960); kent.thiesse@minnstarbank.com

20 100 25 16 85 22 12 70 19 8 55 16 4 40 13 0 J F 25 10 J F J F Source: USDA

$8.08 J J

A S O N D A S O N D A S O N D

$77.35

22 19 16

M M M

A M J A M J A M J

$67.54 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

— 2018 — 2019 25

$17.30

$15.48 J

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

185 pound carcass, negotiated price, weighted average

Milk prices

(dollars per bushel)

$8.1

— 2018 — 2019

Iowa-Minnesota hog prices

— 2018 — 2019 8 20 100 16 6 85 12 470 8 255 4 40 0 0 J F M A M J 25 J F M A M J J F M A M J Source: USDA

Soybean prices — southern Minnesota

$3.15

Source: USDA

12 8

$4.19

(dollars per bushel)

— 2018 — 2019

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 • AUGUST 2019 • 25

13 10

Construction/Real Estate Residential building permits Mankato - 2018 - 2019 (in thousands) $16,705

Commercial building permits Mankato - 2018 - 2019 (in thousands) $11,751

$1,959,312

5000000

10,000,000

4000000

8,000,000

3000000

6,000,000

2000000

4,000,000

1000000 0

2,000,000 J

Source: City of Mankato

- 2018 - 2019 (in thousands) 145 300

Information based on Multiple Listing Service and may not reflect all sales

211

Median home sale price: Mankato region - 2018 - 2019 (in thousands)

250

$180,00 $186,800

200

240

150

180

100

120

0 J

Source: Realtors Association of Southern Minnesota

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

Housing starts: Mankato/North Mankato

— 2018 — 2019

- 2018 - 2019

5.5

4.6%

5.0

Source: Realtor Association of Southern Minnesota

Interest Rates: 30-year fixed-rate mortgage

4.5

4.0

3.5 3.0

Source: City of Mankato

Existing home sales: Mankato region

$11,900,869

12,000,000

3.8% J

10 A

Source: Freddie Mac

Source: Cities of Mankato/North Mankato

Real Knowledge. Real Experience. Real Dedication. Real Results.

We Know Commercial Real Estate.

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Tim Lidstrom CCIM/Broker

100 Warren Street, Suite 708, Mankato, MN 56001

507-625-4606

www.lidcomm.com Karla Jo Olson Broker

26 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

Gas Prices 5

Gas prices-Mankato

— 2018 — 2019

54 43 $2.61

32 21 10 0

$2.59

$41.88

+5.3%

Ameriprise

$150.23

$149.68

-0.4%

Best Buy

$63.85

$71.91

+12.6%

Brookfield Property

$19.22

$19.26

+0.2%

Crown Cork & Seal

$59.70

$61.74

+3.4%

Consolidated Comm.

$4.16

$5.17

+24.2%

Fastenal

$32.38

$31.06

-3.8%

General Mills

$51.83

$54.25

+4.7%

Itron

$58.92

$61.70

+4.7%

Johnson Outdoors

$75.32

$74.25

-1.4%

$166.85

$166.31

-0.3%

Target

$86.86

$85.89

-1.1%

U.S. Bancorp

$52.62

$53.10

+1.0%

Winland

$1.20

$1.10

-8.3%

Xcel

$59.68

$61.66

+3.3%

$2.64

21 M

$39.78

$2.68

Archer Daniels

Percent change

July 10

— 2018 — 2019

June 7

Gas prices-Minnesota

Stocks of local interest

0Source: GasBuddy.com J F M A

C. Sankey

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 27

Minnesota Business Updates

■

■ Bad news, General Mills

■ Ameriprise’s 125th

Americans are splurging on food for their cats and dogs — but not snacks for them and their kids. That’s not great news for General Mills. Shares of General Mills, the owner of Cheerios, Lucky Charms and Yoplait, fell after the company reported its latest quarterly results. That made General Mills the worst performing stock in the S&P 500.

Ameriprise Financial marked its 125th anniversary. Since its founding in 1894, Ameriprise has become a global financial leader, with more than 21,000 financial advisors and employees in 19 countries. Ameriprise has nearly $900 billion in assets under management and administration and ranks 249 on the Fortune 500 list.

■ Crown Cork going green Crown Cork has taken its first step toward its goal of being carbon free by 2050 by signing a 15-year agreement with Longroad Energy to utilize wind power in all of its U.S. and Canadian beverage can plants starting July 2020. The new program will rely on a wind farm based in Knox County, Texas to generate over 400,000 MWhs of electricity. The renewable power will offset 100% of the energy usage within Crown’s U.S. and Canadian beverage plants, which account for over 20% of the Company’s global greenhouse gas emissions. The next milestones on the company’s journey will be

Sales missed forecasts, despite soaring demand for the company’s Blue Buffalo pet food. The weaker-than-expected revenue was largely because of a 2% drop in sales in its North American retail unit, the division that includes Annie’s branded cheddar bunnies, Chex, Fruit Snacks and the Fiber One and Nature Valley brands of bars. General Mills said sales of other supermarket staples, such as cereal, yogurt and baked goods, held steady in the quarter. But that wasn’t enough to offset the weakness in snacks.

Employment/Unemployment Initial unemployment claims Nine-county Mankato region Major May Industry 2018 2019 Construction Manufacturing Retail Services Total*

74 137 31 189 421

Local non-farm jobs Nine-county Mankato region

Percent change ‘18-’19

92 139 47 176 454

139000

132,460 130,738

3500 2800

+24.3% +9.4% +51.6% -6.9% +7.8%

126000

2100 1400

113000

700

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.

100000

Minnesota initial unemployment claims May

- 2018 - 2019

Minnesota Local non-farm jobs

Major Industry 139000 139000

2018

2019

Percent change ‘18-’19

Construction 126000 126000 Manufacturing Retail 113000 Services 113000 Total*

2,408 1,328 885 3,969 8,590

2,413 1,775 857 3,741 8,789

+0.2% +33.7% -3.2% -5.7% +2.3%

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

28 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

(in thousands)

200000 150000 100000

2000 1400 1400

700 D

50000

700 0

- 2018 - 2019

3,032 2,009

8000 3500 3500 6000 2800 2800 4000 2100 2100

F M

M A A M

M J

J J

J A

A S

S O

O N

N D

achieving 30% renewable electricity by 2020. To accomplish this goal, Crown is exploring renewable options in other countries, including Mexico, which runs on a different electricity grid than the U.S. and Canada.

trolling motor segment. It has been dominated by Johnson Outdoors’ Minn Kota and Brunswick Corp.’s Motorguide. Analysts say it’s good news for consumers but will put pressure on Minn Kota to keep its impressive market share.

■ Trolling motor wars Lowrance has launched a new trolling motor that’s touted as super-tough and able to go through anything without getting bogged down. Garmin also launched a24- and 36-volt trolling motor that’s quiet and powerful. The entry of Lowrance and Garmin, which could offer more integrated electronics packages, could change the

139000 126000 113000

■ CBD shops swarm malls Green Growth Brands continues to infiltrate the nation’s shopping malls. 139000 3500 They will open more than 70 shops selling personal care and beauty products infused with CBD oil at 2800 Brookfield Properties’ shopping centers throughout the 126000 2100 United States. Brookfield is owner of River Hills Mall 1400 in Mankato. 113000 In addition to opening stores under 700 the Seventh Sense banner, Green Growth 100000 0 J F isMexpanding A M J its Jportfolio A S with O Na new D J prestige brand called Green Lily, described as a “mindful-luxe CBD brand dedicated to empowering women.” Four Green Lily locations will open in the near future at Brookfield shopping centers. 3500 8000 3500 Brookfield Properties’ portfolio 200000 2800 includes more than 160 retail real estate 2800 6000 assets. Currently, there are seven GGB 150000 2100 shops within the Brookfield portfolio. 2100 1400 700

100000

100000 J F

J M

M J

J A

J S

1400 2000

A O

S N

O D

8000 6000

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

76,781 88,845

150000 100000 50000 0

0 0 J F JM

F M A M AJ FA M

M MJ

J JA

J JS

A AO

S N S

O D O

N N

D D

(includes all of Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties) 200000 150000

May

100000

0 F

J M

F M A A M J

M J

J A

2018

2019

2.1% 60,942 1,282

2.6% 60,257 1,588

J S

A O

S N

O D

Unemployment rates Counties, state, nation County/area

- 2018 - 2019

200000

50000

Unemployment rate Number of non-farm jobs 50000 50000 Number of unemployed

100000

2000 0 F F

700 2000

Mankato/North Mankato Metropolitan statistical area

150000

4000

700 0 J 0 J

D 0

200000

3,391 3,861

Minnesota number of unemployed

- 2018 - 2019

Nine-county Mankato region

4000 2100

100000

Employment/Unemployment

F M A A M J

Local number of unemployed 8000 3500 6000 2800

4000 1400

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

May 2018

May 2019

2.1% 2.9% 2.6% 2.9% 2.4% 1.8% 2.3% 3.3% 2.6% 2.3% 2.4% 3.6%

2.7% 3.0% 3.5% 3.2% 3.0% 2.4% 3.0% 3.1% 3.0% 2.7% 2.9% 3.4%

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

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 29

Sponsored by the Carl & Verna Schmidt Foundation

Keeping your convenience spending under control By Sarah Skidmore Sell | AP Personal Finance Writer

ure it’s nice to have your groceries delivered now and then. Want to stream your favorite movies? Why not. But too much convenience can cost

you. The proliferation of subscription services and mobile payments means “It’s very easy for consumers to lose track of what they are purchasing,” said Kate Ryan, a director with TIAA Financial Solutions. A study released last year by McKinsey & Co. found that 15% of online shoppers have signed up for one or more subscriptions to receive products on a recurring basis. Meanwhile more than half of U.S. consumers subscribed to streamed video content last year, according to NPD Group, and nearly 2 billion foodservice deliveries took place for the year that ended in March. Here are a few tips on how to get a grip on it all.

DO AN AUDIT

Track your spending. Pay close attention to all the payments you make and to the methods: credit cards, Venmo, etc. Don’t just guess. Research by Waterstone Management Group found that 84% of consumers underestimate how much they spend on subscriptions. “I’ve never worked with someone who after we calculated their expenses is spending less than they thought,” said Ryan. However, she said that sticker shock can often be a good call to action.

CONSIDER THE VALUE

Grant McOmie of Portland, Oregon said that he and his wife decided ridesharing didn’t have a spot in their aggressive budget and they ditched Amazon Prime, Netflix and various music streaming services as well. Over the past 18 months – through taking the bus instead of Lyft or Uber, or making a meal instead of ordering delivery – he estimates they’ve saved around $5,000. In some cases, however, convenience can pay off. For example, Sarah McLaughlin moved to Austin about a year ago and has yet to set foot inside a grocery store. She relies primarily on Instacart for her

30 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

groceries and estimates she’s cut her monthly grocery spending by $200 by curtailing her impulse spending on things like magazines and makeup. Utpal Dholakia, a professor of marketing at Rice University, recommends asking yourself: If I didn’t have this service today, would I buy it again? If no, toss it. If yes, keep it and enjoy. There’s plenty of research to show that a consumer is likely to spend more if they use a credit card, versus the inconvenience that comes with paying cash. So ask yourself whether you would hand over $50 cash for that last Uber ride or $100 every month for barre classes and see how that feels.

MAKE CHANGE

n If you know you are ready to ditch something, unsubscribe or delete your account. Be prepared – they will try to lure you back. n Add some friction. Even small steps to make payments less easy may curb your spending, such as eliminating auto billing or deleting an app on your phone. n Put all your subscription or convenience spending on one card to better monitor it, advises Dhaval Moogimane of Waterstone Management. Or try his more draconian suggestion – cancel your credit card, forcing you to only update billing for the services you truly want. n Set an alternative goal. If there is something you want, such as money for a car or a down payment on a house, remember that when you are tempted to make a purchase. That can help keep your spending focused. n Go on vacation or do something else to disrupt your life. Dholakia says research shows the best way to break a habit is to change the context in which the habit was made. So if you get meal kits each week, a vacation may change your routines and help shake your reliance on them. In the end, it all comes down to you. “You have to be in charge of saying this is something I am not enjoying or using,” Dholakia said. “You can’t have someone else do it for you.” MV

Sponsored by the Carl & Verna Schmidt Foundation

Mainstream autos get driver-monitoring devices By Tom Krisher | AP Auto Writer

ould you pay more for a car or SUV that warns you if you’re falling asleep or not paying attention behind the wheel? Auto companies are figuring that because your life could depend on it, you will. As safety features such as automatic emergency braking and lane-centering make their way from luxury vehicles down to lower-cost rides for the masses, distracted driver alert systems are coming with them. At last month’s New York International Auto Show, Hyundai and Subaru both announced such systems in mainstream vehicles. Every day, at least nine people are killed in the U.S. and 100 are injured in distracted driving crashes, according to the National Safety Council. Drivers who are preoccupied by cellphones, dashboard touch screens and other distractions caused 3,157 fatal crashes in the U.S. in 2016, the latest year that government statistics were available. That’s 9% of all fatal crashes in the country. Distracted driver alert systems started showing up in luxury cars about a decade ago. Mercedes-Benz had a system that displayed a lighted coffee cup icon on the dashboard. Over the years they’ve become more sophisticated and made their way into mainstream vehicles, usually on pricier versions. For instance, Subaru’s “DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System” uses a dashboard camera to watch the driver’s eyes and face. If it sees the driver is looking away from the front of the vehicle for an extended period, it will beep and show the message “Keep eyes on road” on the dashboard. The system watches for heads nodding or someone talking on the phone or texting, or even looking into the back seat, said Subaru spokesman Ron Kiino. On the newly redesigned 2020 Outback SUV, the system will be standard on the three priciest versions, the Touring, Touring XT and the Limited XT, and it will be an option on the Limited, the lowest cost version with leather seats. No prices for those models have been announced, and it won’t be available on cheaper versions. The Subaru system made its debut as standard equipment on the luxury version of its Forester SUV for the 2019 model year. To get it, you have to buy the priciest version, the Touring, which starts at $35,270, more than $10,000 above the lowest-priced model. Hyundai’s system is standard on the Venue, an entry-level SUV that will start under $19,000. It doesn’t watch the driver’s face. Instead, it uses the same frontfacing camera as the standard automatic emergency braking and lane assist. If you swerve or veer, the Venue’s software will sound a bell and the dash display

will politely show a coffee cup and the words “Take a Break.” Hyundai’s market research found that people want the feature, said Mike Evanoff, senior manager of product planning. “It’s just another layer that’s a ‘got your back’ kind of thing,” he said. The warning system is already on Hyundai’s Veloster sports car and will make its way to the entire lineup as vehicles are updated and outfitted with standard automatic emergency braking by September of 2022 in an industry agreement with the U.S. government, Evanoff said. Subaru, which has made safety a cornerstone of its marketing efforts, says its buyers are safety conscious and will be interested in the feature, even if it costs more. And if the system is too annoying, customers can turn it off, Kiino said. Other systems on luxury vehicles are more sophisticated. The one on Cadillac’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous system makes sure the driver is paying attention and will even pull to the side of the road if they aren’t. Mercedes’ Attention Assist system tracks more than 70 variables including time of day, elapsed driving time and steering movement to determine if a driver is tired or not paying attention. When a certain threshold is reached, it issues audible and visible warnings. Karl Brauer, executive publisher for Kelley Blue Book, said the devices are proliferating as vehicles make the transition from human drivers to full automation. Systems like Tesla’s Autopilot and Super Cruise, which control steering, braking and speed under certain conditions, are steps toward autonomous cars, but they can’t drive themselves because humans must be ready to take over, he said. “If you’re going to have systems like that, you need these driver monitoring systems to make sure that humans aren’t abusing the technology,” Brauer said. But not everyone will be interested in being monitored. Chris Cerino, 49, of Wadsworth, Ohio, near Cleveland, said he’s old enough to know that he has to pay attention while driving. “That kind of stuff is not going to make a terrible difference for me now. I understand. I learned my lessons,” said Cerino, who is selling a 2009 Subaru Outback. Cerino said there’s too much automation these days, but conceded he would probably want the feature if he still had young children. Then again, he might turn it off. “There’s a time and place for a lot of things, but I don’t need to be told when to hit the brakes or when to swerve or everything else,” he said. MV

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 31

RIBBON CUTTING

WHO ARE THE

Blue Skye Mercantile 237 Belgrade Avenue, North Mankato

RIBBON CUTTING

RENOVATION

Data Noir, LLC 112 South Riverfront Drive, Mankato

South Central College 1920 Lee Boulevard, North Mankato

RIBBON CUTTING

Master Electric 1653 Stadium Lane, Mankato

Spotlight Theaters 12 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 1640

RIBBON CUTTING

Rosa Place Apartments 510 Timberwolf Drive, Mankato

Terrace View Golf Course 19304 State Highway 22, Mankato

he Greater Mankato Growth Ambassadors are the greeting arm of Greater Mankato Growth to promote the community and encourage expansion of established businesses and the development of new businesses in Greater Mankato. Each month they make visits to businesses in the Greater Mankato region who are new to the area, move to a new location, have a major reinvestment in their property, or are holding a celebration event (groundbreaking, anniversary, etc). If you are a new or existing business and want to schedule a visit with the Greater Mankato Growth Ambassadors please call 507.385.6640. If you are interested in becoming an Ambassador and work for an Engaged Level or higher member of Greater Mankato Growth, please call 507.385.6643.

BE A COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR: Are you a super connector? Passionate about our community? Share your knowledge of Greater Mankato, your network and your friendships with newcomers.

2019 Sponsor:

GET A COMMUNITY NAVIGATOR: We want to give a warm welcome to all newcomers. Sign up for a Community Navigator to help you get acclimated. Take the interest survey and we’ll match you with a Community Navigator who shares your interests and is an ideal match.

Learn more at: greatermankato.com/navigators

32 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

2019

2019 SPONSOR:

5 - 7 PM

JAN 8 FEB 5

AmericInn Hotel & Conference Center 240 Stadium Road, Mankato

Laurels Edge Assisted Living 77 Stadium Road, Mankato

JUL 9

U.S. Bank

AUG 6

Pantheon Computers

WHY JOIN MAR 5 APR 2

BankVista

1501 Adams Street, Mankato

Carlson-Tillisch Eye Clinic

120 North Broad Street, Mankato

115 East Hickory Street, Suite 200, Mankato 1 Civic Center Plaza, Mankato

GREATER MANKATO GROWTH?

SEPT 3

Mankato Clinic - North Mankato Family Medicine

OCT 1

Hilton Garden Inn

1575 Lookout Drive, North Mankato

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Mayo Clinic Health System

MAY 7

Courtyard by Marriott Hotel & Event Center NOV 5

JUN 4

Dotson Iron Castings Build your Brand; Exclusively Diamonds DEC 3 200 West Rock Street, Mankato 1601 Adams Street, Mankato grow your business. Stand out and get It’s not just st WHO WHO you ou 2019 June Business by Dotson Iron Castings noticed! After Hours hosted know, it’s who knows k YOU. Networking IS Powerful.

EXPOSURE

901 Raintree Road, Mankato

1025 Marsh Street, Mankato

NETWORKING TW WORKING ORKING

BE IN THE KNOW

LEARNING

Gain access cces to Member Exclusive Content to help grow your business.

TALENT RETENTION

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS

Receive our member only emails making you the first to know the latest news.

REFERRALS

NOTE: Calendar magnets are available at the check in table at each Business After Hours event and they are available at our We only refer member office at 3 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 100. Also, a downloadable version is available at greatermankato.com/business-after-hours.

Keep your employees

businesses. Word of mouth

access to our member only events and programs.

member of GMG.

Business After Hours gives representatives Level or higher andEngaged direct referrals comean opportunity to engaged and retained from with Greater Mankato Growth member businesses at the get together with one another to exchange ideas and learn about each other’s businesses. greatermankato.com/events from being a valued

SHAPE YOUR CREDIBILITY THANK YOU FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP! COMMUNITY

Your investment helps us continue to build the best environment for your business and its employees.

Raise your reputation by belonging. Research shows that businesses who belong to a chamber of commerce are more successful.

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Innovative Basement Systems teaminnovative.com

greatermankato.com/join

NEWEST

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Greater Mankato Growth Members Provenio Consulting, Inc. provenioconsulting.com

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MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 33 greatermankato.com/join

moremankato.com We asked Doug Lamoureaux, Jason Miller and Leslie Stoltenberg of Nidec...

Why Do you LOVE Living in Greater Mankato? How do you spend your leisure time? Jason: Running my kids around a lot so I frequent the parks in the area with great playgrounds. I also check out live music and enjoy fishing on local lakes. Why do you live here? Jason: Mankato feels like a suburb size city, but you recognize seven people every time you go to the grocery store. Leslie: Mankato has a similar feel to a small town but has many more opportunities like a metro. We decided to stay after going to school here because it felt like a really good place to raise a family. Why do you think it is great to do business in Greater Mankato? Jason: This company has a great history with people who have been here a long time, who care about the community. This has provided opportunities to grow throughout the years. Doug: There is a shared pride in craftsmanship in this community. We are still the same company that was formed in the 1920s with a great

We would like to thank the golfers, our sponsors, the Mankato Golf Club staff and all our volunteers for giving your time and energy to support another amazing event!

Golf Cart Sponsor

Beverage Cart Sponsor

34 • AUGUST 2019 • MN Valley Business

reputation, which is enhanced by Nidec. What do you think are the community’s greatest assets to attract talent? Doug: Greater Mankato offers a lot of opportunities for professionals on the whole spectrum, from blue-collar to white-collar while making many opportunities for growth throughout one’s career. Why is this a great company to work for? Doug: Really solid pay and great benefits. Leslie: Employees see that they really can make a difference here.

Find your “WHY” at moremankato.com/virtual-tours Thank you to Nidec for being early adopters of the More Mankato community campaign and for continuing to support everything Mankato!

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 12 2019

BUSINESS AWARDS

and

HALL of FAME

WHY JOIN GREATER MANKATO BUSINESS AWARDS & HALL OF FAME

EXPOSURE

Build your Brand; grow your business. Stand out and get noticed!

LEARNING

This premier business awards event is a time where Greater Mankato Growth, Visit Mankato, City Center Partnership & GreenSeam honor the outstanding businesses, professionals and organizations within the Greater Mankato community. Nominate a deserving business or individual at greatermankato.com/awards!

GREATER MANKATO GROWTH? NETWORKING TW WORKING ORKING It’s not just st WHO WHO you ou know, it’s who knows k YOU. Networking IS Powerful.

Presented by:

BE IN THE KNOW

Partnerships with local businesses provide Gain access cces to Member Receive our member only Exclusive Content to help emails making you the first to grow your business. meaningful experiences for Travel Writers know the latest news. MEMBER Visit Mankato working with influencers to promote Greater Mankato as a travel destination EXCLUSIVE TALENT REFERRALS BENEFITS We only refer member t’s no secretRETENTION that “word of mouth” has always had a strong effect on consumer behavior.

By: Brittany Junck, Marketing & Communications Coordinator

businesses. Word of mouth your employees If John DoeKeep is patronizing a business and just scarfed up the #WorldsBestPizza, social and direct referrals come engaged andabout retained with media is going to know it. On the contrary, the door of publicity can swing both from being a valued access to our member only ways especially if Mr. Doe had to wait a few extra minutes in line to receive his car rental of GMG. member events programs. and then plasters hisand negative review all over the Internet. So in reality, influencers are everywhere sharing their #BestTimeEver and #NeverDoingThatAgain experiences. Anyone can be a critic, but who’s toSHAPE say they areYOUR a credible source? Some have even CREDIBILITY gone so far as to “arrange” negative reviews on their competitors (UFF DA!). Raise your by COMMUNITY belonging. reputation Research shows Your investment helps us that businesses who belong Influencer marketing has been a strong Visit Mankato and developing continue to initiative build theof best to a chamber of commerce effective strategies through research of our local markets. We have developed environment for your are more successful. relationships with notable influencers from around the country that align with our business and its employees. destination’s assets. From there, we work with local businesses to build an itinerary and create an experience for these influencers to promote Greater Mankato by sharing their story through various mediums to followers from all around who share similar interests.

Earlier this summer, our team brought in outdoor and adventure travelers, Jenna and Micah from “Wander the Map”, who explore destinations all over the globe and share their story throughout social media while capturing quality footage of their authentic experience. Jenna and Micah’s outdoor and urban adventure in late June, was filled with an itinerary packed with experiences provided by our local businesses including bike-riding along Mankato’s trails with rentals provided by Nicollet Bike Shop, paddling along the Blue Earth River on kayaks from Bent River Outfitters, dining experiences at greatermankato.com/join Olives, Pub500, Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery, City Art and more! They shared their Mankato experiences on April 2018 social media (@WandertheMap) and have put together a video capturing their three-day excursion that we will use in future promotions to attract tourists outside of our region. Questions or inquiries regarding influencers can be directed to Carrie Kijenski, ckijenski@visitmankatomn.com

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 35 greatermankato.com/join

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Young Women Explore Business and STEM Careers at Bold Futures Camp Written by Luke Howk and Mikaela Fischer

eb Taylor, CEO of Taylor Corporation, and Dr. Brenda Flannery, Dean of the College of Business at Minnesota State University, Mankato are both driven by their passion to empower young women on gaining exposure to STEM and business career opportunities. Their shared interest led them to partner and develop the Bold Futures Camp.

Since 2018, the Bold Futures Camp has provided a week-long residential summer camp experience for up to 50 Southern Minnesota high school women who have expressed an interest in business or STEM careers. This past June, 39 students from 13 Southern Minnesota high schools, were directed by Karri Olmanson, YMCA Youth and Family Programming Director, and Mikaela Fischer, Internship Support Assistant with the College of Business. Additionally, campers received coaching and mentoring from 10 Minnesota State Mankato undergraduate and graduate student camp counselors from seven countries and 11 mostly business and STEM-related programs. During this week-long camp, participants engaged in a full schedule packed with business and STEM workshops, company tours and team-building activities, all to encourage college and career exploration. On the first day, campers were assigned to squads named after historical business and STEM professionals. From there, they began team building with the Adventure Education Program on the high ropes course and rock-climbing wall. Most mornings throughout the week were spent together in hands-on coding, water purification and robotics labs. The afternoon activities allowed campers the opportunity to then apply these new-

found skills into real-world settings. One afternoon was spent kayaking with Bent River Outfitters which provided the women a chance to test the physical and chemical makeup of local water supplies. During company visits at Taylor Corporation, the Minnesota Lynx, Microsoft, Coloplast, MTU Onsite Energy, and Fun. com, campers experienced a day in the life of engineering, technology, analytics, marketing, supply chain, finance, and other business and STEM professions. One evening activity included the Bold Futures networking dinner. This provided campers with the opportunity to interact with a panel of women leading STEM and business organizations including Deb Taylor, Dr. Brenda Flannery, Dr. Annette Parker, President of South-Central College, and Mayo Clinic Physician, Dr. Gina Razidlo. Following dinner, the campers practiced their elevator pitches and professional networking skills with over 30 leading women in business and STEM professions. On the final day, squads of five campers prepared and presented multimedia presentations to parents, university leaders, and corporate partners reflecting upon their experiences throughout the week. The common themes throughout their presentations included having a better vision of what lies ahead, knowing there is a vast network of women to support them, and excitement about the ecosystem of career possibilities available to them. The Bold Futures Camp is fully sponsored by the Glen A. Taylor Foundation and offered in partnership between Taylor Corporation, the College of Business, Minnesota State University, Mankato, and over 30 business, community and educational partners. For more information on The Bold Futures Camp visit: boldfuturescamp.com For more information on the College of Business visit: cob.mnsu.edu

MN Valley Business â&#x20AC;˘ AUGUST 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ 37

INNOVATIVE PREGNANCY CARE THAT FITS YOUR BUSY LIFE.

A new Mayo Clinic-developed program brings new life to pregnancy care. Online and telephone appointments replace a few in-clinic visits, saving you time and travel. You’ll also get expert answers just when you need them. Plus, at-home checks with a fetal doppler let you and your family listen to baby’s heartbeat anytime—you’ll share the excitement and enhance your peace of mind.

The Family Birth Center Call 507-479-5566 to learn more about advanced pregnancy care perfect for busy moms at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. mayoclinichealthsystem.org/busymom

MN Valley Business • AUGUST 2019 • 38