Business & Industry Review 2014 by Detroit Lakes Newspapers

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY2014 BECKER COUNTY

REVIEW A P U B L I C AT I O N B Y DETROIT LAKES N E W S PA P E R S

2 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW

4 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

Supplement to the Tribune April 23, 2014

Success Stories

Becker County is growing and boasts success stories in both the public and private sectors.

511 Washington Avenue Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 218.847.3151 www.dl-online.com Dennis Winskowski publisher PIPPI MAYFIELD magazine editor Viola Anderson circulation manager Mary Brenk advertising manager CONTRIBUTORS: Nathan Bowe Vicki Gerdes Paula Quam Brian Basham

6 Action Fabricating 10 Daggett Truck Line 16 WE Fest/FACE

Healthcare

The two main clinics in town, Sanford Health and Essentia Health St. Mary’s, have expanded their facilities and their services. Essentia Health St. Mary’s Sanford Health

Amenities The lakes, parks and trails aren’t the only thing Becker County has going for it: Check out the DL library and the community center. etroit Lakes Community and D Cultural Center Detroit Lakes Library Living at the Lakes Becker County Museum Sucker Creek Preserve Detroit Mountain North Country Trail Heartland Trail Mahube-Otwa Detroit Lakes Utilities Media outlets

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

Welcome By Pippi Mayfield

Education

Whether it’s elementary, secondary or post secondary schooling, Detroit Lakes and the surrounding area offers quality education. M State Public schools School to Work program

Want to start a business or move one to the area? There are resources to help.

Detroit Lakes is at the junction of three state highways and two rail corridors.

Resources BES at M State Tourism Bureau Detroit Lakes Development Authority Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation Banks

Transportation Airport The Depot Transit/ taxis Highway projects

Detroit Lakes has proven time and again that it is a growing city, expanding both its business and its recreational opportunities. This past year is no different. Each successful business is a win for the entire community, encouraging people to enter the city gates and utilize all the area has to offer, whether it’s for a weekend visit or to call Detroit Lakes and the surrounding communities home. Three major success stories in the area are Daggett Truck Line, Action Fabricating and WE Fest/FACE. Each provide very different services and tell a different success story. Whether it’s providing tailored transportation services, a major country music venue, or a precise metal fabrication job, the three featured businesses in this year’s Business and Industry magazine are undeniably successful. It’s not all business and industry that makes Detroit Lakes thrive, though. Some of the largest additions to parks and trails the community has seen in years are happening as we speak. Sucker Creek Preserve has nearly doubled in size and will continue to make additions for nature lovers. The North Country Trail has entered Becker County and creation of the man-made hiking trail will continue this summer, eventually working its way into Otter Tail County and beyond. The Detroit Mountain project has more support than ever and organizers plan to reopen the ski mountain this coming winter. The four-season park will offer skiing, snowboarding, tubing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, hiking and more. The Heartland Trail, a multi-use recreational trail, will soon connect Frazee and Detroit Lakes, and eventually connect Detroit Lakes to Fargo-Moorhead, Park Rapids and beyond. With business-friendly leadership, a popular community center, a famous beach, a new trail system and now the return of Detroit Mountain, Detroit Lakes is in a good position to welcome new businesses, or to help existing businesses grow to their full potential.

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Success Stories

Action Fabricating has continued to diversify by hiring talented engineers and skilled workers.

Action Fabricating

It’s the type of “action” most businesses strive for — growth.  story by paula quam | photos by brian basham

It’s the type of “action” most businesses strive for — growth. Action Fabricating in Detroit Lakes is seeing just that these days, as managers there are busy planning ways to handle it. “It’s a really good problem to have,” said Action’s plant manager, Brian Riches, who says this local business has come a long way in its 17 years of existence. From humble beginnings In 1997, Action Fabricating founder Joe Grones of Detroit Lakes turned his knowledge of manufacturing into his own little business. He hired two people to help him. “He pretty much started in a garage with a press brake and a sheer,” said

Jordan Priem, production manager, who says the small operation formed a relationship with a client in Arizona who wanted customized radiators. “And then from there it just kind of branched off and grew,” said Priem. As time went on, Action Fabricating added one metal-fabricating job after another to its growing list of capabilities. It took only two years to turn the small business into a medium-sized company requiring more space, which ended up being a large facility on Hawk Street in the Industrial Park north of Detroit Lakes. Business also grew in the original Arizona location as well, which led to Grones opening up a location in Phoenix in 2000.

Action Fabricating kept diversifying with time, as the company hired talented engineers and skilled workers to come up with ways to do bigger and better projects. Big investments in large pieces of equipment like laser cutters and press brakes kept the metal manufacturers on the cutting edge of the industry, giving Action more capability in production. Continued growth at the company translated into a 25,000-square-foot addition to the building in 2011, and it didn’t stop there. Last year, Action Fabricating and Joe Grones acquired Minnesota Metalworks, a Detroit Lakes operation just across the industrial park that could round out Action’s otherwise relatively raw product.

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

Other fabrication businesses By Paula Quam Metal manufacturing is going strong

for other businesses in the Detroit Lakes area — a concept experts say is due to both an uptick in the economy and ample training and educational opportunities. BTD One of the area’s largest employers in the lakes area for custom metal manufacturing is BTD, located in the industrial park on the east side of the city. The company does metal fabrication, forming, welding, tool & die work, machining, powder coating, prototyping, laser cutting, robotic welding, stamping, cutting, tubing and more. Friesen’s Inc. Also designing and fabricating metal parts in Detroit Lakes is Friesen’s. Food processing, packaging and manufacturing industries keep this locally-grown business busy as well. Located in the industrial park north of the city, Friesen’s has been a familyowned business since 1939.

An Action Fabricating employee grinds a part to perfection (above). Action Fabricating can cut just about any design into a piece of metal. They are currently designing consumer fire pits (right). Action would engineer and manufacture the metal projects; Minnesota Metalworks could then polish it off with its welding and painting operations. And their new slogan of “From start to finish” was born. The pedal to the metal Now, more than ever, the professionals at Action Fabricating are finding out just how far they can go in this industry. In fact, there is even an exploratory team whose job it is to “test” out what incoming job requests can and cannot be done there. “They’re willing to try just about anything once,” laughed Priem. Workers take large sheets of pure metal like stainless steel, galvanized aluminum, mild steel and copper and literally try to manipulate them into anything a customer wants down to the tiniest measurement. Action Fabrication does everything from small widgets to personalized metal fire rings to large-frame

agriculture equipment to mass orders that are shipped all over the country. “We could have somebody come in and say ‘I have this battery for my old tractor and I need a battery box made for it’ to a customer who needs a whole bunch of big pieces of equipment,” said Riches. A large over-head crane is set to be installed in the newest portion of the facility soon, which will again open up new possibilities to heavy duty, large-scale jobs. On the opposite end of that is more of an exploration in delicate metal work that requires laser cutters and a bit of an artistic flare. “We’ve got some very talented people from an engineering standpoint that can draw things amazingly and then be able to figure out how to translate that from paper to a machine,” said Riches. “If you can picture it, we can probably put it together.” Upgrades to the building on Hawk street, which serves as the

Broadway Welding Inc. Metal fabricating and welding, laser cutting, plasma cutting, press braking, sawing and more, Broadway Welding is located on Legion Road in Detroit Lakes.

A laser cutter at Action Fabricating can create extremely intricate designs in metal.

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headquarters for all three facilities, include a new ventilation system in its welding area, as well as knocking out walls to expand its break room. Action is also building a two-story office tower in the middle of the production area in order to increase efficiency between managers and production workers. An increase in the number of employees, which is up to about 65 in the Action Fabricating building alone, also had the company adding a third shift to its production, which now runs 24-7, five to six days a week, depending on work demand. Minnesota Metalworks, which employs an additional 25 workers, is also expected to go to three shifts very soon. Finding talent for this growing industry is something Riches and Priem say can be challenging, but building relationships with area high schools and tech schools is helping tap into some young, local talent. It’s the talent of the workers, combined with the company’s desire to stay tech-savvy that company leaders hope will keep that action going strong “from start to finish.”

Last year, Action Fabricating acquired Minnesota Metalworks (top). An Action Fabricating welder does his job during a day shift at the Detroit Lakes business (middle). Action Fabricating can create almost anything out of most any metal like stainless steel, galvanized aluminum, mild steel and copper like this sign (left).

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10 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

Success Stories

Kevin Renollet, a 30 year Daggett employee, checks the air pressure on a truck tire.

Daggett Trucking

Hauling for food production industry is their bread and butter  story by nathan bowe | photos by brian basham

Daggett Truck Lines has deep roots in Frazee, where the company was founded more than 80 years ago and where it continues to be headquartered. Today, the company has 130 semitrailers, 100 of them equipped with refrigeration units. It employs 65 overthe-road drivers, 10 people in the office-dispatch area and 13 people in its repair-maintenance shop. The company’s bread-and-butter is hauling for the regional food production industry — frozen Jennie-O turkeys from Pelican Rapids; Barrel O’ Fun snacks and Kenny’s candy from Perham; Trident seafood from Motley; Lamb Weston potatoes from Park Rapids; even flowering plants from Bergen’s in Detroit Lakes.

The food business tends to be pretty stable, without the revenue highs and lows of commodity hauling, for example. “We try to concentrate on customers we can build a relationship with,” said Daggett Truck Lines President Fred Daggett. “If you provide good service, there’s business out there…” Three other Daggetts continue to be involved in the business: Chris and Charlie are vice presidents and Bob sits on the board of directors. The shop at Daggett provides fullservice repair and maintenance service to Daggett trucks and to trucks owned by other businesses: Daggett Truck Lines even has a small body shop. “We do most of the work ourselves on the trucks here,” he said. “We still

service them here — major overhauls, transmission work, body work…” Daggett Truck Lines also has a thriving full-time heavy-duty wrecker business, serving any trucker in the area that needs help. “There was an ice storm near Perham recently and we pulled nine semis out of the ditch between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m.,” Daggett said. The big rigs are usually towed to other shops for repair work, he said. In the winter, a lot of truckers from down South forget they need to use special winter-blend diesel fuel when operating in the cold northern states. “They’ll gel up, and have to be towed in and thawed out,” Daggett said. Daggett Truck Lines also maintains a three-person office at a truck stop in

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

Other major trucking firms in Becker County:

Owner Fred Daggett and longtime mechanic Roy Slupe look over a truck engine in the shop. Clearwater, Minn., serving a group of big rig owner-operators. “They own their own trucks and we dispatch, do billing and find loads for them,” said Daggett. “There’s more risk and responsibility, but with that comes more pay.” Daggett Truck Lines also leases storage trailers for personal use, and moves goods within a 30-mile radius of Frazee. “People are paying $60 or $80 a month for those little storage units, for not much more you can get a whole 48-foot trailer,” he said.

Daggett is an Idealease member, affiliated with International Trucks. “It gives us better parts, better road service and first priority to get our trucks fixed in an International garage,” Daggett said. Daggett Truck Lines dispatches to about 85 big rigs in all, and new drivers are always welcome. “The industry average is way over 100 percent turnaround in drivers — we are a fraction of that,” he said. On the wall hang photos of Daggett drivers who logged over a million miles on the road. One drove

• Foltz Trucking of Detroit Lakes. Last year, the company reported $25 million in annual revenues, 145 employees and 125 trucks with 350 hopper-bottom trailers. It has customers across the United States and Canada, but focuses on the Midwest and South. The company hauls things like spices, grain, cotton seed, canola meal, edible beans, rice, cornmeal, sunflower meal and potatoes. Customers include Land O’Lakes, Tuffy’s, Jennie-O, Anheuser-Busch, Iams, Nestle and Faribault Foods. • R & R transportation Inc. of Audubon has 100 trucks on the road in 48 states, with the main lane of traffic consisting of the Northeast and West Coast. Its main office is located in Audubon, but the main traffic terminal is located in Romeoville, Ill., right outside of Chicago. It also has a satellite office near Los Angeles. It specializes in reefer loads but also does some dry van loads. The company’s equipment is well maintained by its full staff of mechanics. Roger Westlund is the main owner, and his family members are active in the company. The company has been in business and growing since 1977. • Founded in 1969 by Jerry Holmer, Holmer Trucking of Osage specializes in flatbed and step deck shipping. Holmer Trucking’s team of seasoned drivers has navigated the lower 48, Canadian, and Alaskan roads with a complex variety of freight, including snowmobiles and ATVs, military project supplies, general commodities, industrial parts, steel, pipeline supplies, heavy equipment, and industrial supplies. According to its website, Holmer Trucking specializes in making Canadian and Alaskan freight projects smooth and surprise free. In addition to mastering the Alcan Highway, Holmer Trucking has also mastered the procedures of transporting freight over the border. Through a single point of contact its representatives will manage each shipment from the first phone call until the load is delivered. • Giere Trucking Inc. of Detroit Lakes handles general freight. The company has 13 trucks, 14 power units and 14 total drivers. Giere Trucking has been in the transport business since May 16, 1990, according to the Quick Transport Solutions website.

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The History of Daggett Trucking

Daggett Truck Line has a rich history that dates to 1896, when D.W. Daggett arrived in Frazee at the age of 14. He was an energetic young man who soon owned a livery stable. Among his early drayage contracts were hauling supplies and men to the winter lumber camps for the mill at Frazee. Later he began building roads using only horsepower. Trucks became a natural evolution in this business, with the first three trucks being purchased in 1919. They were used for hauling gravel in the summer, potatoes in the fall and pulpwood in the winter. By 1925, Vern was gathering livestock in the surrounding area and hauling them into the railroad yards in Frazee for shipment to South St. Paul. In 1930, Vern began hauling this livestock into the new Armour Packing plant at West Fargo. He would then pick up a load of hay on the way home and sell it to the farmers in the Frazee area. An occasional trip to the South St. Paul stockyards would also be made. The Union Stockyards at West Fargo opened in 1935 and most of the livestock was now taken there. Vern also began hauling livestock and horses to packing plants in Duluth, St. Paul and Austin, Minn., from West Fargo. Many other businesses were added to supplement the trucking: farm machinery, trucks, home appliances in 1933, and automobiles in 1939. As the truck line grew, the other businesses were phased out. Construction of the present offices and maintenance shop was begun in 1959 on CONTINUED | PAGE 14

Bill Baker and Fred Daggett look over a map of Daggett territories in the U.S. (top). Taylor Collins cleans a new wrecker recently purchased by Daggett (above). nearly 5 million miles. Several are still driving. “We’re always looking for good drivers — there’s a driver shortage out there,” Daggett said. “It’s a great job, and the pay is increasing.” About 20 trucks in the company’s fleet are now equipped with automatic transmission, which makes it easier to attract non-traditional drivers like women, retired couples and young people who didn’t grow up driving a clutch. A lot of the old-timers, including himself, are used to driving with a clutch and prefer standard transmission, Daggett said. The employees are the backbone of the company, he said. “After I took over as president, I

really, really learned to appreciate the great employees we have,” he said. “I couldn’t have picked a better crew.” Like everywhere else, technology changes have played a role at Daggett Truck Lines. Engine regulators keep speeds to 64 mph or less, and log books are now kept electronically. Gas mileage and idling time are carefully tracked. Smaller power units are used to keep drivers and motors warm in the cold, but when it gets really bitter the engines have to idle, both for driver comfort and because engines that don’t start are a serious problem for a trucking company. “Trucking is a very low-(profit)

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An old Daggett logo is still on the door of an older truck. The Frazee based trucking company used to specialize in transporting livestock. margin business — usually 3 to 5 percent,” Daggett said. “Pennies make the difference.” Electronic logbooks are a great help in some areas, such as tracking taxes owed to various states for using the highways there. “You can’t even believe what we pay in taxes for all these different states,” Daggett said. Each truck used to have to display stickers from each state, but most of that is handled electronically now, saving a lot of paperwork. “I feel good about the future,” Daggett said. “The area is growing well — we aren’t looking for new customers, just serving the ones we have and growing with them.”

22 acres of land west of Frazee. Several buildings have been added during the past 35 years. They would now cover a football field if the buildings were connected. Until 1960, livestock was the only haul for Daggett. Loads originating at West Fargo, Manitoba and Winnipeg were hauled to packing plants in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Washington. During the 1960s, the trucks began loading out of several Montana and North Dakota sales barns and ranches, as shippers began preferring trucks to trains for their loads. The first two refrigerated trailers were purchased in 1960 to begin hauling frozen turkeys from area turkey plants to the Midwest and east coast. Daggett trucks now transport frozen foods, snack foods, pet food, produce and manufactured goods from Minnesota to most major cities in the Midwest and throughout the United States. These trucks return with processed foods or raw materials for local manufacturers. Daggett Idealease was formed in 1982 and supplies transportation equipment to area manufacturers and food processors under long term lease contracts. The Clearwater Office began in 1992 and is located in the Clearwater Travel Plaza complex. Most of the owner operator fleet is dispatched from this office and they also successfully load many independent truck operators. Brothers Chris and Chuck Daggett, along with their cousins Fred and Bob Daggett, represent the fifth generation of Daggetts providing transportation in Minnesota.

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First Class Metalwork for World-Class Brands The New BTD

Three companies – BTD Manufacturing, Performance Tool & Die, and Miller Welding & Iron Works – have combined to form the new BTD. Each of these companies has had an outstanding heritage of growth, service, quality and innovation. Now together, we offer our customers a substantial range of metalworking capabilities. The new BTD is proud to serve some of the world’s best brands.

Custom Metalwork for Some of the World’s Top Brands

BTD provides a complete spectrum of custom metalwork services to some of the world’s top brands. These services include metal fabrication, forming, welding, tool & die work, machining, powder coating, prototyping, laser cutting, robotic welding, stamping, cutting, tubing, CNC, EDM and much more. Our company is proud to serve a large list of world-class brands such as: • 3M • Gardner Denver • Pentair • Agco • GE • Polaris • Arctic Cat • Generac • Siemens • Bobcat • Graco • Snap-On • Caterpillar • Honda • SPX • CNH • John Deere • Terex • Cummins • Kawasaki • Toro • DMI • Komatsu • Freightliner • Kubota BTD services our customers out of six facilities in the Midwest. These locations include: • Washington, Illinois • Detroit Lakes, Minnesota • Lakeville, Minnesota (three locations) • Otsego, Minnesota BTD differentiates itself in a competitive environment with exception to quality control, cost containment, innovation and rapid delivery. We invest in our people, our equipment and our facilities to offer our clients the best value possible.

An Otter Tail Company

www.btdmfg.com 1111 13th Ave • Detroit Lakes, MN

In 1995, BTD became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Otter Tail Corporation. This provided our company with the opportunity and resources to grow our business and better serve the needs of our customers. In addition, it helped expand our management expertise, strategic planning and allowed us to hire and train the best people in the business to make products for our customers.

16 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

Success Stories

Hundreds of country music’s biggest names have taken the stage during WE Fest in Detroit Lakes.

WE Fest/FACE

Corporation’s main act continues to grow, provide quality show  story by vicki gerdes | photos by brian basham Though the festival itself takes place but once a year, on the first full weekend in August, the preparations for the WE Fest music festival have become a year-round endeavor for the employees of Festivals And Concert Events (FACE), Inc., the corporate entity that produces the annual event. “We produce a variety of other shows in the region, but really, WE Fest is where we focus the bulk of our efforts,” says John Gourley, chief marketing officer for FACE, Inc. “We’ve invested a tremendous amount of time and financial resources in terms of continuing to enhance the audience experience at this show.” And it shows. Now entering its 32nd year, WE Fest has come a long way since the days when audiences sat on hay

bales to watch their favorite country music stars perform in a dusty outdoor concert bowl south of Detroit Lakes. Today, the Main Stage concert bowl at the Soo Pass Ranch boasts a capacity of 48,000, with 6,300 VIP and reserved permanent seats — built stadium-style to maximize comfort — as well as over 7,000 reserved lawn seats. In addition, the site boasts a secondary concert venue, the Barn Stage, with a seating capacity of over 4,000, and the Ranch House Saloon with a small indoor stage and 300-plus seating capacity. The festival also boasts that it is the only one of its size in America to use all-flush toilets — there’s not a port-apotty in sight within the environs of the concert bowl, Gourley noted.

While it seems to be an odd thing to boast of, the flush toilets are just one way that WE Fest aims to make its clientele as comfortable and happy as possible. “One of the beauties of WE Fest is that you can plan your experience around what you like to do,” says Gourley. “You can meet up with your friends in the campgrounds or at the Ranch House, then head over to the Barn Stage to see a band or two before getting to the concert bowl, where you get the full-blown Main Stage experience.” The VIP camping package, meanwhile, is like no other. “The VIP experience has continued to evolve,” Gourley said. “We’ve enhanced the food and beverages, and added the

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

WE Fest CFO Mark Schultz, CMO John Gourley, COO Bob Bliss and president/CEO Rand Levy.

WE Club, which had a tremendous response, both in terms of the number of members, and the number of people using it to entertain their clients, friends and family.” In addition, while FACE employs a year-round and seasonal staff of just 25, there are an additional 1,800 employees at the site during the festival itself, along with 750 service providers, 700 volunteers and 75 concert bowl vendors. Besides Gourley, FACE’s management team includes Rand Levy, president and chief executive officer; Bob Bliss, chief operating officer; and Mark Schultz, chief financial officer. “It takes more people to do this the way we’re doing it, but we think it’s a good investment, in terms of bringing in new fans and of course, it’s also good for the community as a whole,” said Gourley. “This is a big employment opportunity for people in Detroit Lakes, and around the region. “But really, there’s no other way to provide the kind of experience we offer

without having a good number of employees.” And then there’s the camping. WE Fest campers have a total of 10 different campground options, starting with the top-of-the-line VIP campground located right behind the Main Stage. The campgrounds boast a total capacity of about 30,000 people, Gourley says. Get your tickets early Though the music viewing and camping options are greater than ever, the days of being able to drive up to the main gate on opening day to purchase tickets are pretty much gone. “Our selling pattern has changed in a dramatic way,” says Gourley. Tickets for this year’s festival actually went on sale before the 2013 event had even started — and by now, both camping and music-viewing options are limited. “People have realized that they have to react more quickly, rather than putting it off until later,” Gourley said. “We are selling tickets much, much earlier.

“We have a limited number of general admission seats still available for this year,” he continued. “We do still have some camping available at Hilltop, and a limited number of campsites at Woodchuck, but all the other campgrounds are full. “We have to remind people that if they’re coming to WE Fest this year, they shouldn’t plan on waiting to buy their tickets at the gate. I don’t think that opportunity will be available this year,” he added. In fact, the venue has been sold out for the past four years, which means their strategy is working. This year’s show The lineup for the 32nd annual WE Fest, set Aug. 7-9, is hotter than ever, with both Zac Brown and The Band Perry set to take the stage at the Soo Pass for the first time. “Zac is one of those people we’ve been trying to get here for a long time, but we’ve never been able to work out the logistics, and it’s the same for The

18 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

Success Stories

More than 40,000 country music fans pack into Soo Pass Ranch each summer for WE Fest.

Band Perry,” Gourley said. “The rest of the lineup speaks for itself … it’s spectacular, no question.” Indeed. Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley will join the Zac Brown Band as the festival’s trio of headliners, closing out the show on the Main Stage for each of the festival’s three nights. Also slated for this year are the aforementioned chart-toppers The Band Perry, as well as Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, Randy Houser, Travis Tritt and Thompson Square, along with up-and-comers like Ashley Monroe, Charlie Worsham, Chris Janson and Black Jack Billy.

WE Fest fans line up along a fence seperating the general admission area from the reserved seating.

Many of the lesser-known acts will be following up their Main Stage debut at WE Fest with a set on the Barn Stage, which Gourley likens to Nashville’s Bluebird Café as a venue for showcasing new acts that are about to hit it big. “It can be a career-maker,” he said. “You know you’re going to see quality up-and-coming talent, which in all likelihood will be a Main Stage attraction the following year.” Gourley cited Florida-Georgia Line as the most recent example of the phenomenon.

“They have gotten incredibly hot,” he said. Tickets and camping packages are available online at wefest.com, or by phone at 800-493-3378 (box office hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST Monday through Friday). Follow Detroit Lakes Newspapers reporter Vicki Gerdes on Twitter at @ VickiLGerdes.

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

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AMENITIES

The upstairs of the community center provides space for exercise equipment, weights and studios.

Area filled with activities

From trails to books, Detroit Lakes offers plenty to see and do ď ° story by pippi mayfield | photos by brian basham

So many places to go and things to see. It easily describes Detroit Lakes and the wide variety of amenities that lie just within the borders of the city, not to mention the surrounding county and communities. From hiking through the woods to downhill skiing, historical events to riding bike, reading a book to swimming laps, Detroit Lakes has a little taste of everything. Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center For just over a dozen years now, the Detroit Lakes Community & Cultural Center has been providing entertainment, a good workout and artistic outlets for students and adults alike. Open since Dec. 14, 2001, the community center portion offers fitness classes,

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

The Detroit Lakes Library is in the midst of celebrating 100 years. The outside will have a new look this summer as last fall the grounds were landscaped to correct a leakage issue. The building plays host to many different activities and speakers, and of course plenty of reading materials. swimming lessons, Zumba, PiYO, boxing, massage therapy, Silver Sneakers program and more. Together, the fitness center and the adjacent Historic Holmes Theatre — which opened in May 2002 — bring in over 300,000 visitors annually. And that doesn’t including the various outreach programs operated by the DLCCC in other parts of the community, from the summer recreation and youth baseball programs at Washington Park to the Freeze Your Buns Run and Ice Tee Golf Tournament, both held during the annual Polar Fest winter celebration in February. The Dick Beardsley Run in September is also managed by DLCCC staff, and each year, the Historic Holmes Theatre offers two summer arts programs, the Tuesdays in the Park concert series and Shakespeare in the Park, both held at the Detroit Lakes City Park. One of the biggest and most exciting changes to the DLCCC (at least for the young ones) was the Backyard addition, which opened in summer 2011, adding about 8,000 square feet of new space, and another 2,500 square feet of remodeled space in the existing center. For more information about the DLCCC’s facilities and programs, call 218-844-4221, or visit the website www.dlccc.org.

Detroit Lakes Library Since fall of 2013, the Detroit Lakes Library has been celebrating 100 years in Detroit Lakes. Over those 100 years, the library has seen many, many changes both physical and technological. Located at the corner of Frazee Street and Washington Avenue, the library offers multiple classes, public computers, books, ebooks, DVDs, guest speakers and more. The women of Detroit Lakes formed the Library Club, and in June of 1910, the city voted in favor of supporting the library. In 1911, Andrew Carnegie began his foundation that would fund libraries across the United States. In order to receive a Carnegie grant, there needed to be property dedicated for the site, and a governmental entity had to support the effort towards the library. On December of 1911, the city passed a resolution to give $1,000 a year to support the library. E.G. Holmes donated the land where the library stands. Based on city population, the city received a Carnegie grant for $10,000 to build the library in Detroit Lakes. It cost exactly $9,923.60 to build the library. On May 28, 1913, the cornerstone was laid, and as of October, the building was completed except for 51 storm windows that

22 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

Becker County Historical Society and Museum Executive Director Amy Degerstrom and her staff can dig up the history on pretty much anything Becker County.

were put in later and the screens were purchased the following spring. It opened to the public on Nov. 14, 1913. The building measured 4,142 square feet, and the upper floor housed the library, while the lower level included rooms for meetings. The Library Club then used their collection of books and money they had collected to fill the library shelves. About 75 years later, the library expanded its footprint, and last summer the city landscaped the yard to fix a leakage problem. And don’t worry, the year-long 100year celebration isn’t over yet. Living at the lakes A great place to play, a great place to do business. Yes, Detroit Lakes is known for doubling in population over the summer from both tourism and those opening their lake cabins back up. But what about the roughly 8,500 people that call Detroit Lakes home all year? With 412 lakes in a 25-mile radius of Detroit Lakes, you can’t help but be a

lake lover if you live here. From manufacturing to agriculture, retail to hospitality, the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce boasts about 450 members, representing 12,000 employees. And all those businesses are what make Detroit Lakes the strong community it is. Through donations, fundraisers, and other events, those businesses support the community. And who could ignore the activities scheduled throughout the year, with many crammed into summer. From Polar Fest in the winter to Street Faire of the Lakes to officially kick off summer, Festival of Birds to Santa’s Parade, Northwest Water Carnival to fireworks on the beach, Pine to Palm golf tournament to WE Fest, there’s bound to be something for every taste in entertainment. And just outside the city limits, there are plenty of other activities, like the North Country Hiking Trail, the Tamarac Wildlife Refuge, the Hamden Slough and more. So whether you want to take a walk along the beach, snowmobile or cross-

country ski the trials, go golfing, standup paddleboarding or hiking, the opportunities abound for visitors and for those who call Detroit Lakes home. For a full calendar of events throughout the year, visit the chamber’s website at www.visitdetroitlakes.com. Becker County Historical Society & Museum The Becker County Historical Society has grown leaps and bounds over the last handful of years. A variety of displays, traveling exhibits, events, fundraisers, research information and people fill the county museum. The Historical Society Museum, located at 714 Summit Ave. in Detroit Lakes, contains the Walter D. Bird Memorial Library — filled with many archived files, newspaper clippings, photos and more. The Historical Society can offer history on townships, churches, cemeteries — compete with a cemetery database online — and plat maps. The public is welcome to come research on their own, or the society em-

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

OppOrtunity is at Hand... irp Business Loans/industrial site Low interest loan funds are available for new or expanding businesses. 20 new industrial lots available.

tax increment Financing Eligible projects can receive tax increment financing for nine to twenty-five years.

JOBZ incentives Property tax relief, income tax credits and sales tax exemptions through the year 2015 for eligible businesses.

detroit Lakes Becker County airport FBO Detroit Lakes Aviation, Full Service FBO • Fueling • Aircraft • Hanger Rentals • Parts & Maintenance

detroit Lakes: a History of progress

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Community Development Director

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The Detroit Lakes Development Authority is an equal opportunity Lender/Agency

24 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

AMENITIES

Possibly the largest project in the area at the moment, the Detroit Mountain Recreation Area will open for business this winter for skiing. Other amenities will be added for the 2015 summer season.

ployees can do searches for a fee. The Heart O’Lakes Genealogical Society is also a tool for finding family history. At its website, beckercountyhistory. org, visitors can do a search of historical photographs contained in the museum’s database. The Historical Society building itself houses a museum with periodically changing exhibits, along with a gift shop and a meeting room. One of the biggest recent additions was the completion of the Marty Rislund Traveling Exhibit Gallery, so named for a Historical Society volunteer who contributed many hours toward the project. The new 400-square-foot gallery has been used to house traveling exhibits from the Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota Children’s Museum and Minnesota Humanities Center, National Museum of the American Indian and

Minnesota’s Historic Northwest, to name a few. The museum also plays host to a monthly Brown Bag Luncheon with a different topic and speaker each month, and every few months the museum hosts Hidden History Happy hour, which offers a fun look into the “darker” side of history – the subjects everyone wants to hear about, but no one talks about — like bootlegging, prostitution and drugs. The museum also celebrates Museum Day each May and Kids’ Day every Thursday throughout August and provides educational materials for History in a Truck, digitized photographs and about 18,000 historic artifacts. For more information about the Becker County Historical Society and Museum, call 218-847-2938, visit the website at beckercountyhistory.org, or

stop by during regular museum hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday (the museum is closed on Saturdays during the winter months). Sucker Creek Preserve The borders of the Sucker Creek Preserve have expanded to include a 46-acre tract of land across the street from the park, now dubbed Upstream Sucker Creek. There are 10-15 springs that feed Sucker Creek on that 46-acre tract — a major reason park matriarch Sally Hausken of Detroit Lakes says it’s of “monumental importance” for the city of Detroit Lakes to own the land. Last year, the city applied for and received a Legacy grant to build a bog walk, bathrooms, picnic shelters and a parking lot at the newest piece of land. The construction will take place this year.

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

The lodge at Detroit Mountain will be up and running by this winter’s ski season. It will offer food, rentals and a warm place to rest after hitting the slopes. Sucker Creek has long been designated as a trout stream. “A chance to fish a trout stream in a city is a unique opportunity,” Hausken said. Besides the importance of having springs on the property, the land is filled with rare and interesting wetlands and plants. The land consists of 38 acres of wooded land, three acres of meadow and five acres of bog. Detroit Mountain The time has finally arrived. This winter, the slopes of Detroit Mountain will be filled with skiers, snowboarders, tubers and just those looking to get outdoors in the winter and enjoy the newest asset to Detroit Lakes. Those who formed Detroit Mountain Recreation Area Inc. knew they had a solid idea to bring back Detroit Mountain. They found support from the community and beyond, but what they didn’t find with the financial help from the state they had hoped. But, after being turned down for a DNR Parks and Trail Grant, they found the financial support they needed from individuals and businesses throughout not just Detroit Lakes and Becker County, but a surrounding area that knew the ski hill would provide an enormous opportunity. With the facility well on its way to completion, and upper management in place, the mountain will be open this winter for skiing and snowboarding, and then next year will be open for mountain biking, hiking, camping and more outdoor activities. Initially, the total cost of the Detroit Mountain project was estimated at $6.2 million but has climbed to about $8

million. Besides the work being done on the chalet, crews also raised the top of the mountain by 20 feet, lowered the parking lot by eight to 10 feet and constructed a bunny hill. They also built a 4 million-gallon retention pond, which will be used for snow making. North Country Trail Hiking may be one of the most underrated and overlooked contributors to the tourism industry in Minnesota. There aren’t large trailers with snowmobiles, ATVs, boats, bicycles or other evidence that those carloads of people are in town with a purpose. But, hikers

account for the largest piece of the recreation pie in Minnesota. According to a study done at the University of Minnesota Tourism Center in 2009, “Minnesota is home to about five million people of whom 54.4 percent participate in walking-hiking, 29 percent participate in biking, 14.2 percent participate in running, 10.3 percent participate in ATV riding, 10 percent participate in snowmobiling, 6.3 percent participate in cross-country skiing, and 4.5 percent participate in horseback riding. “Overall, recreation participation in Minnesota is expected to decrease or plateau by 2014. However… running

The North Country Trail is slowly but surely making its way from New York to North Dakota. Sections of it running through Becker County are constantly being completed, and last summer connected to Tamarac Wildlife Refuge.

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AMENITIES and walking-hiking are expected to increase.” Helping contribute to those tourism statistics and trails is the North Country National Scenic Trail. When completed, the trail will run 4,600 miles from New York to North Dakota. It will be the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States, linking natural, historical and scenic areas across seven states — New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. In 1982, a plan was published as to where the trail should run through the states. While there is that basic idea of where the trail would likely go, it’s a 10-mile-wide corridor, so there is nothing specific about the trail route in areas where it has not yet been established According to the website, the local Laurentian Lakes Chapter “trail section runs from the intersection of the Nicollet and Eagle Scout Trails in the middle of Itasca State Park through Clearwater County to the Becker–Ottertail county border south of the City of Frazee.” As the trail is constructed, primitive campsites are created at various points along the way. There is space for two tents, a wilderness toilet and a fire ring. Everything else brought in must be taken back out with the hiker. Money to fund the construction of the trail comes from the National Park Service and donations, but one large benefit to the Minnesota portion of the trail is funding from Legacy Funds. The trail is strictly for foot traffic, which means walking and hiking in the warm months and snowshoeing or crosscountry skiing in the snowy months. Heartland Trail Within the next two years, residents and visitors of Detroit Lakes and Frazee will be able to ride back and forth via the Heartland Trail. After plenty of rallying, lobbying and planning, the state approved $3.1 million for the Heartland Trail extension, which will run between the two cities. The project is estimated at $3 million, and the remaining $100,000 would be used to plan a design of the trail from Hawley to Moorhead. The Heartland Trail, which already extends 49 miles from Park Rapids to Cass

When the North Country Trail is completed, which is all constructed by hand, it will run 4,600 miles.

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

Last summer construction crews placed a concrete tunnel under Highway 10 east of Detroit Lakes. The tunnel will connect the future Heartland Trail extension to Detroit Lake overlook and downtown. Lake, would continue to stretch west to Moorhead in the future. The state has already invested $1.75 million in pre-work on the trail with design, land acquisition and the tunnel under Highway 10 at the east edge of Detroit Lakes. The cities of Frazee and Detroit Lakes and Becker County have all contributed funds to the project. The DNR will be responsible for the trail and its construction, which is planned for 2015. Those who have lobbied for the trail extension for the last couple years say it will be a boost to tourism, the local economy, physical activity and solidify the area as a tourism destination. The Detroit Lakes in-town trails will be completed this summer, which will connect to the Heartland Trial as well.

Mahube-Otwa Community Action Partnership In 2012, Mahube Community Council expanded its boundaries to serve the people of Otter Tail and Wadena counties as well as the counties they already served — Mahnomen, Hubbard and Becker. Detroit Lakes has remained the headquarters for the agency, and each county has a site office. The agency also has been adding staff because of the increased numbers. The services that Mahube already has been offering for years have simply been extended to the two added counties. That includes Family Health, which includes family planning counseling, physical exam clinics, pregnancy and HIV testing, birth control and contra-

ceptives and sexually transmitted infection screenings. Other programs offered through Mahube-Otwa include Community Service Block Grant, Child Care Resource & Referral, Emergency Assistance, Energy Programs, Family Development, Head Start, Housing and Senior Programs. “We’re pleased with the systems we have in place so we’ll just replicate them in the two new counties,” Executive Director Leah Pigatti said after the addition took place. Detroit Lakes utilities Detroit Lakes owns and operates its own electrical utility. Residential electric Available to residential customers

28 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

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BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

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30 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

AMENITIES for domestic uses including heating and cooling, which may be required in single-family dwellings and individually metered apartments, condominiums, town houses, or mobile homes. • Service Charge- $12.50 per month • All Kwh per month payable July-September- 10.5 cents per Kwh • First 1,000 Kwh per month October-June- 9.4 cents per Kwh • Balance Kwh payable October-June - 7.2 cents per Kwh Seasonal cottage Applicable to seasonal residential customers outside of the incorporated City of Detroit Lakes who normally utilize their dwellings for six months or less of any consecutive 12 month period. Under this rate customers are to be billed twice annually with one bill being issued in May for half the annual service charge plus Kwh usage between the approximate dates of Oct. 1 and May 1; with a second billing in October. • Service Charge- $120 per year • All Kwh May-September- 10.5 cents per Kwh • All Kwh October-April- 9.4 cents per Kwh Off-Peak Heating Available to all electric heating customers with acceptable dual fuel or storage heating systems capable of maintaining living or working temperatures throughout the heated area for 10 continuous hours during controlled periods. All electric heat within the customer’s designated OffPeak area is controlled and must be no less than 8 KW per installation. Service under this rate is metered separately from the customer’s standard rate schedule and all such systems require approval by the Public Utilities Department prior to service. • Service Charge- $5 per month • All Kwh per month on bills payable October-June- 4.5 cents per Kwh • All Kwh per month on bills payable July-September - 10.5 cents per Kwh Water Rates General Water Rate Applicable to all residential, commercial and industrial customers. Each water customer shall be charged a monthly service charge, as established according to size of meter, and a commodity charge based upon consumption. • Meter Size Monthly Service Charge: 5/8-inch and ¾-inch = $11. For more information, contact the City of Detroit Lakes at 218-847-5658 or http://cityweb.lakesnet.net/utilities. Media outlets Detroit Lakes and Becker County are served by a twiceweekly newspaper, a weekly shopper, three radio stations and a local cable TV station. The newspapers are the 4,500-circulation Detroit Lakes Tribune and Becker County Record. The Lake Area Press shopper goes out to about 11,000 homes. All are published by Detroit Lakes Newspapers, which is under the umbrella of the family-owned Forum Communications Co. of Fargo. The phone number is 218-847-3151. Leighton Broadcasting of Detroit Lakes operates TV3

The concrete tunnel under Highway 10 will help those using the future Heartland Trail pass from the north side of the highway to Detroit Lake. Lakes Area Television, and radio stations KDLM AM 1340, Wave 104.1 and Real Country 102.3 KRCQ. KDLM Radio offers news, sports, weather and information for the lakes area of north central Minnesota. It is affiliated with CBS and the Minnesota News Network. Sports coverage includes the DL Lakers, Minnesota Twins, Vikings, Wild, Timberwolves and Gophers. Wave 104.1 offers a variety of popular music, local DJs, The Morning Splash show, an all request lunch show on weekdays, John Tesh in the afternoons, Deleliah in the evenings and also broadcasts Viking games. All three radio stations operate 24 hours. The phone number is 847-5624. TV3 provides exclusive local programming that “features the people, places and events of the lakes area.” The service is provided to the 15,000-plus subscriber households of the Arvig cable System. The phone number is 846-9669. KRCQ 102.3 FM Radio of Detroit Lakes offers news and a mix of classic and new country music in a “real country” format. Popular shows on KRCQ are the Swap ‘n Shop, where people buy and sell items live on the air and Bob Becker’s Old Time Variety Show. KRCQ now also broadcasts NDSU Bison games and Hawley High School sporting events. The phone number is 847-2001.

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BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

Employees Of

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If you’re an employee of one of these Detroit Lakes companies, you’re eligible to receive down-payment and closing-cost assistance toward the purchase of a home. Detroit Lakes employers have teamed up with nonprofit agencies and local governments to offer the Employer Assisted Housing Fund – a great opportunity to help employees in the Detroit Lakes area to achieve the dream of home ownership. Administered by MMCDC, the Employer Assisted Housing Fund provides financing to assist homebuyers with closing costs or down payments – up to $6,000*!

To see if you qualify or if you’d like to learn more, visit www.mmcdc.com/EmployerAssistedHousingFund.htm today or contact your Human Resources Department. *Financial assistance varies depending on your employer. Certain qualifications, including income limits, apply.

32 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

HEALTHCARE

Essentia Health St. Mary’s installed a new MRI machine as part of their imaging construction project.

Top notch healthcare

Essentia Health, sanford provide quality services, facilities  story by PIPPI MAYFIELD | photos by brian basham

In the past few years, the face of health care in Detroit Lakes has undergone some extensive changes. And both Essentia Health St. Mary’s and Sanford Health continue to grow and change. Essentia Health St. Mary’s In 2008, St. Mary’s completed a 40,000-square-foot addition to its campus that encompassed both a new, integrated Therapy Center and an expanded nursing home — with the name of that nursing home being changed as well, from St. Mary’s Nursing Center to Oak Crossing. In May 2011, St. Mary’s EMS completed a construction project of its own, which included 10,939 square feet of space for a garage, office, two confer-

ence rooms and a kitchen. And in August 2011, work was completed on a 49,315-square-foot remodeling and expansion project at the Essentia Health St. Mary’s Clinic, which includes 90 exam rooms, nine procedure rooms and seven registration desks. There is now one main entry for the hospital and the clinic, which is located off Frazee Street, along with new patient and visitor parking on the east side and a drop off lane at the main entrance. There is also a retail pharmacy, complete with drive-through, and Urgent Care is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week. Earlier this year, the imaging department remodel was completed, and a new MRI machine and CT scanner are

now in place. Last summer, the new Essentia Health clinic in Frazee opened as well. Essentia Health-St. Mary’s employs about 850 people in the Detroit Lakes, Lake Park and Frazee area, both fulland part-time. Sanford Health No stranger to expansion, Sanford Health announced plans in 2009 for a 33,000 square foot expansion and 28,800 square foot remodeling project at its existing Detroit Lakes clinic for about $15 million. Completed in October 2011, the clinic’s 60,000 square feet of total space now encompasses a surgery center with two operating suites and an endoscopy suite; expanded imaging and

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

2 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

Trade your briefcase … for a suiTcase!

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34 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

HEALTHCARE

lab services; expanded and relocated physical and occupational therapy spaces; outdoor space for mobile medical units with over-head canopies on the south and north entrances; and expanded clinic space for future growth of up to 36 providers, both primary and specialty care. The pharmacy and optical shop got completely redone as well. One of the biggest moves was bringing behavioral science, which was down the block from the main clinic, under the same roof. Services now offered at the Detroit Lakes clinic include dermatology, diabetes education, dialysis, hematology, nutrition, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology, optometry, orthopedic surgery, internal medicine, family medicine, psychology, physical and occupational therapy, occupational medicine, surgery and urology. The clinic now employs one full time RN strictly as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;health coach,â&#x20AC;? whose job is to coordinate patient care before, during and even after each clinic visit.

Sanford Health also competed major renovations and an addition in the last couple years to include same day surgery suites and other amenities.

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

36 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

EDUCATION

Detroit Lakes Public Schools continue to grow with technology advances and other student needs.

Quality education

Lakes area offers public and private schools, community college  story by PIPPI MAYFIELD | photos by brian basham

“Will you succeed? Yes you will indeed! Ninety-eight and three-quarters percent guaranteed.” – Dr. Seuss Detroit Lakes and the surrounding communities can help with that success with both private and public school options and a community college. M State An important part of any organization’s staying power is its willingness to embrace change. Nowhere is this more evident than at the Detroit Lakes Campus of M State, also known as Minnesota State Community & Technical College in Detroit Lakes. Since the school began its operations more than 50 years ago, it’s been creating and redesigning programs that

teach students the skills and knowledge employers want. MSCTC serves about 9,200 students annually on campuses in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Wadena and through online coursework. While M State’s Detroit Lakes campus still offers traditional two-year programs such as accounting and nursing, the college has steadily increased its offerings of new and improved programs to meet the needs of the 21st century workforce. M State offers more than 100 career programs and liberal arts transfer degrees. The college is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, which comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the high-

er education needs of Minnesota. The addition of the Associate of Arts program became possible with the merger of the Fergus Falls Community College with the Detroit Lakes, Moorhead and Wadena campuses of the former Northwest Technical College. With that merger, the institution became a comprehensive community and technical college and the A.A. degree be-came the equivalent of the first two years of a four year degree. In the past six years, M State’s transfer options have continued to greatly strengthen, giving students the option of studying closer to home before solidifying four-year goals. A.A. degree-level courses in English, math, science, history, speech, political

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

WE’RE NOT TOO BIG. WE’RE NOT TOO SMALL. At Marco, we know how overwhelming technology can feel. So we do everything we can to match you up with the right technology and keep it running smoothly. We’ll keep an eye out for solutions and processes that could save you precious time and money. And, we’ll help you avoid the ones that won’t.

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38 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

EDUCATION

M State continues to keep up with education demands by offering more courses, online programs, a transfer degree and other initiatives to make education easier and more affordable. science, psychology, art, sociology and introduction to humanities are among the classes offered. Online programs have also bolstered the school’s growth, as non-conventional students flood the web, hungry for educational opportunities that fit into their schedules. In addition to the transfer degree, the Detroit Lakes campus also manages eight other online programs in their entirety. These include radiology technology, web development, network technology administration, IT or information technology support, administrative management technology, paralegal and entrepreneurial A.A.S. M State is also placing more emphasis on working with other community entities throughout the workforce and high school to better prepare local students for in-demand jobs in the region, whether it be working more with adult basic education, a school-to-work program at the high school or professional mentor.

Public schools Schools, often called the “heart of the community,” are certainly that in Becker County. And while they all strive for excellence in educational opportunities, they also all have their own special ways of shining. Detroit Lakes The Detroit Lakes Public School District is a conglomerate of five schools — Roosevelt Elementary, Rossman Elementary, the Middle School, the High School and the Lincoln Education Center. A private Catholic school, Holy Rosary, also sits in the heart of downtown Detroit Lakes. Private schools Faith Christian School and Adventist Christian School are also located near Detroit Lakes. Keeping up with the changing times, Detroit Lakes students are putting down some of their old text books and picking up their new iPads. The district’s iPad initiative put the devices in the hands of every fifth grader, and so far school leaders are glad they did. And there are no plans to stop there. Many school leaders are hoping the iPad initiative continues to grow throughout several other grades. The district offers a variety of Advanced Placement courses to enable high school students to get a jump start on their post-secondary education. Its Area Learning Center provides educational alternatives for those kids who may struggle, academically and

otherwise, in a traditional school setting. At the Lincoln Education Center, the district provides a full spectrum of community education courses and activities for all ages, in areas including computers, driver’s education, crafts and hobbies, safety courses, trips, tours as well as cultural, athletic and youth enrichment activities. The center also houses Early Childhood Family Education and Early Childhood Special Education. Frazee-Vergas The Frazee-Vergas School District has undergone several positive changes in the last few years, including the hiring of Superintendent Terry Karger, implementing a one-on-one technology initiative with iPads and vamping up their course offerings. The school district continues to boast high test scores academically and high achievements in other areas like its Future Farmers of America organization, its newly formed Robotics program and of course, wrestling. Its wrestling program remains topnotch as the team has made it to state eight out of the past nine years. Lake Park-Audubon Change came fast at Lake ParkAudubon, too, as students not only continued to get used to their newly remodeled and expanded elementary school, but also began the year in their new high school.

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

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40 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

EDUCATION Grades 7-12 are settled into their new $17.5 million, 105,000 square foot building. The facilities, which uses geothermal heating, has a gym that holds 1,000 spectators and customized classrooms, is located on the west edge of Lake Park. The facility also provides wireless Internet access and is monitored by 50 cameras spread out throughout the grounds. While the elementary school was remodeled at the same time, it has already tight on space, and school board members and district leaders are going back to the drawing board to see what their next move will be to add more space for the growing population. The district recently moved to make laptop computers available to students. Waubun-Ogema-White Earth The Waubun-Ogema-White Earth School District has also been going through tremendous change over the

past few years. In March of 2010, the district was identified as a “turn around school” after receiving low test scores. School leaders rallied and have since taken a $1.4 million grant and used it to implement change. An hour of instruction has been added to the curriculum daily, and professional learning communities were formed to ensure teachers were as effective as possible. But an area where the WaubunOgema-White Earth School District needs no help in its technology, as iPads and other app devices are used daily. School-to-work program Helping students find their calling in life earlier rather than later is the goal of the School-to-Work Program at Detroit Lakes High School. Matching students with their desired career choice, teens are able to get out into the workforce and see firsthand what the career is all about. For many,

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the move solidifies the student’s choice. For others, it may be the best wake-up call to a career they really weren’t cut out for after all. This can save students lots of time and money in unneeded costs. First implemented in 1996 in Detroit Lakes High School, the program has grown from a few manufacturing-type jobs to pretty much any career a student wishes. (There are a couple exceptions like physician assistants because with confidentiality laws, doctors can’t have high schoolers in the exam rooms with them. Coordinator Vern Schnathorst tries to find the closest thing possible though.) There are about 120 students a year going through the School-to-Work program, and about 50 percent try a couple internships out before they find the right fit. Some internships have even turned into a job after graduation, so the program can benefit the businesses as well as the students.

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42 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

RESOURCES

Local resources can help anyone from starting a business to marketing that business to tourists.

Help is on the way

assistance is out there to get tourists to town and in the door ď ° story by pippi mayfield | photos by brian basham

Starting a business? Need a little boost? There are several resources available. Need some information about where the best location in town is for a business? There are resources for that too. Need a loan? Got that covered as well. Business and Entrepreneurial Services The Business and Entrepreneurial Services at M State offers services for start-up companies that need a little extra boost. It operates from offices at M State in Detroit Lakes and has satellite sites in Frazee, Perham, Park Rapids, New York Mills and Hawley. The Business and Entrepreneurial

Center originally opened in October of 2009 with eight offices at M State. In addition to the office space grouped around the BES administration center, the site offers light industrial space in an area that had been used by the neon sign and tube program. BES incubator spaces have been opened in Frazee, Hawley, Perham and New York Mills. In all those places, the incubator model is the same â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the BES provides space and manages it on behalf of an EDA, an EDC or a city. The governmental unit acts as landlord of the incubator building, be it leased or owned outright. The BES provides business start-ups in its incubator system with basic office furniture, a desktop computer and Microsoft soft-

ware programs. There is also a common work area with coffee, a fax machine, a printer, PowerPoint technology, a screen and Skype for web-based face-to-face conference calls. They also get the services of the BES incubator manager and the BES administrative assistant, who can answer the phone for anyone at any location that has a local phone line. The incubator system offers business counseling, workshops and training, free SCORE, a free mentorship program, a Small Business Development Corp. satellite office, shared business services, (fax, copy, notary public) a resource library and professional phone answering. All that plus utilities is included in

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

the lease price. The average office space leases for $100 to $160 a month, depending on square footage, location and similar considerations. In return, tenants have obligations. They must take a QuickBooks (accounting software) class and meet with BES staff once a quarter to discuss growth and challenges they are facing. They must provide BES staff with a business plan, and they must be doing the business of business — that means being active with their financials. The incubator helps start-ups get registered with the state and licensed if necessary. Businesses can’t stay in the incubators forever. There’s a three-to-fiveyear maximum stay. After three years, BES staff starts moving them towards graduation.

Tourism bureau Though they work hand-in-hand on projects and are housed in the same office, the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Detroit Lakes Tourism Bureau are two separate entities, with separate boards, separate funds and separate purposes. The chamber is in place for the businesses and members within about a 50-mile radius, and the tourism bureau exists to entice people from at least 50 miles or more away to come to Detroit Lakes. Last year, the chamber fielded 7,000 phone calls, 3,250 walk-ins and distributed 60,000 Visitor Guides, including getting the regional guide into places like the Mall of America, airports around the state, travel information centers and several expos. It also had 152,000 website visits at VisitDetroitLakes.com.

When someone calls in for referrals to hotels, restaurants, etc., Executive Director Carrie Johnston said the chamber first promotes its members and then other businesses in town that aren’t members. It’s part of the perks of being a member. There are nearly 500 chamber members. The chamber’s job is to support those businesses and employees first and foremost. By supporting those businesses, it helps keep the town “economically viable” for visitors and tourism. She works to keep her members “in the know” with trends, local campaigns and events. The DL Regional Chamber is one of the largest in Minnesota. It is in the top 25 for number of members, and the area chamber is also a member of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. The chamber is also a part of Grow Minnesota, which provides chamber

Kids play in the sand on the Detroit Lakes mile-long beach.

44 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

RESOURCES members with information across the state, not just local resources. Also statewide, the DL chamber is a part of Explore Minnesota, which makes it a location for Minnesota maps and a hotline that accesses information on birding, trails and fishing updates. Networking events remain a priority for the chamber with functions such as Sunset and Sunrise Socials — for members. Any business can be a member of the chamber, with many of them coming from within a 50-mile radius. Members have the benefits of ambassador visits, groundbreaking recognition and tourism visit support as well. The chamber, and its subcommittees, helps with organizing Ag in the Classroom, the tractor parade during the Becker County Fair and a legislative forum. The Promotions and Events committee also takes care of Crazy Days and Light up the Lakes. Two of the main fundraisers for the chamber are Art in the Park and the shuttles during WE Fest. Not only are the shuttles good for cutting down traffic and parking congestion at the WE Fest grounds they also benefit businesses in town.

The chamber’s mission, though promoting the city as a whole, is to its members first. A board of directors made up of 12 community members governs the chamber and oversees Johnston. A third of the board is made up of tourism representatives, a third from retail and a third are at-large. If the chamber’s job is to support business, it’s the tourism bureau’s job to get out-of-towners to those businesses. The 3 percent lodging tax charged in Detroit Lakes’ lodging establishments goes to the tourism bureau to promote the area and get tourists into town, generating more money for business owners in the county. The advertising dollars are spent in national and regional magazines (including some for Canada) and marketing pieces rather than local pieces. The tourism board is smaller than the chamber board, with only five members and one liaison from the Detroit Lakes City Council. The mayor appoints, and the council approves, the members of the board, but the council has no control over the board and how the tourism money is spent.

Detroit Lakes Development Authority The Detroit Lakes Development Authority is open for business, with a full kit of economic development tools available and lots available in a new industrial park. A couple years ago, the city added onto its second industrial park, encompassing 60 acres and features 20 new lots. It is located north of town on Richwood Road. The total project cost was $2.2 million. The city paid about half and the rest was covered largely by the federal Economic Development Administration, which chipped in $1.1 million, and the state of Minnesota, which came through with $250,000. The federal EDA helped pay for the first Detroit Lakes industrial park on Eighth Street in 1971, and with an expansion there later. It also helped with the city’s second industrial park, paying $500,000 of the total $1 million cost back in 1998. There are also six lots available in a smaller park off North Tower Road. The city utilities department has its headquarters there now. Detroit Lakes has several revolving

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loan funds available to qualified business developers. The DLDA has a $400,000 loan pool for gap financing and the city’s public utilities department has a $1.5 million loan pool. The West Central Initiative, which includes the Becker County area, has a $600,000 loan fund available. In all, there is about $3 million in loan funds available in the Detroit Lakes area. The city also offers tax increment financing to qualified developers, and in the past has provided tax abatement packages and participated in the state’s JOBZ program. Becker County also has a revolving loan fund and an economic development department with a full range of programs available. Frazee and Lake Park also offer development incentives through an EDA and have industrial parks available. Other communities have industrial parks available, including Audubon and Callaway. The White Earth Reservation also welcomes business development, and developers there may well be able to tap into sizeable loans and federal tax

credits available through the Midwest Minnesota Community Action Agency in Detroit Lakes. MIDWEST MINNESOTA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Looking for a business loan from $5,000 to $20 million? That’s an unusual range, but the Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corp. MMCDC is an unusual organization. With headquarters in Detroit Lakes, the MMCDC is a non-profit organization that provides capital resources and innovative ideas to assist in successful business and community development throughout Minnesota and the Midwest. The MMCDC is one of the largest non-profit lenders in the state. It lends to businesses — both established businesses and start-ups — that aim to improve their community by creating new jobs and greater financial opportunities for residents. In brief, here are the services offered by MMCDC: • Business lending for new business and business expansions that generally

serve to improve the community, such as the creation of new jobs, with loans ranging from $5,000 to $20 million. • Community development and technical assistance. • Affordable housing initiative: The MMCDC manages rental properties that accommodate everyone from lowincome and handicapped individuals to senior citizens in need of assisted living. • The MMCDC pro-vides affordable loans for home purchase and home repair by using a combination of lowinterest loan products and down payment assistance. The MMCDC offers a number of advantages to businesses: • Low interest rates – MMCDC can often provide a loan with a below-market interest rate, so eligible business owners can save on interest expenses. • Flexible terms –MMCDC’s loan programs offer business owners flexible terms, providing more options when it comes to the length of the loan. • Community development – By teaming up with MMCDC, eligible business owners get the personal satisfaction of knowing that they’re helping to improve the community in which they live.

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• A wide variety of programs and financing options – Through MMCDC, eligible business owners are granted access to a number of loan programs that traditional lenders can’t always offer. These programs feature low, and often fixed, interest rates, reduced closing costs and minimal down payments, so you need less money at closing. In 2012, MMCDC’s track record of successful rural community development was recognized and rewarded with an additional allocation of federal New Markets Tax Credits. This allocation is to be used exclusively within qualified rural areas of North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Minnesota. New Markets Tax Credits make difficult-to-finance projects viable through lower interest rates, partial debt forgiveness, higher loan-to-value ratios, extended amortization periods, reduced debt service requirements, and/ or interest-only payments for seven years. Synergy loans are designed to help with everything from jump-starting a new business to expanding an existing one. These loans are made possible when you work with MMCDC to

take advantage of the opportunities offered by the federal government’s New Markets Tax Credit pro-gram. Eligible borrowers for the IRP Business Loan Program include most for-profit businesses that are located in rural areas and provide employment opportunities to community residents. Loans are available in amounts up to $250,000 or 75 percent of the project costs (with a $250,000 maximum). For larger projects, another lender may be involved to provide additional debt. The term of your loan depends upon the type of asset you’re interested in financing. Equipment loan terms range from 3-10 years. Real estate loan terms range from 15-25 years. Loan terms of up to 30 years are available if special circumstances exist. Eligible borrowers for the Rural Business Enterprise Loan Program include most for-profit businesses that provide employment opportunities in rural areas. The MMCDC also has a special loan pool for Native American businesses in rural areas. Loans are available in amounts up to $450,000, collectively. Up to 75 percent project financing is available for exist-

ing and start-up businesses on a typical structure. The term of your loan depends upon the type of asset you’re interested in financing. Banks The multiple banks located in Detroit Lakes have something that sets them apart yet brings them all together when it comes to business and mortgage lending. • Bremer Bank is located at 115 Holmes Street or call 218-847-9292. • Midwest Bank’s main office is located 613 Highway 10 East. Phone is 218-847-4771. There is also a branch office at Wal-Mart. Phone is 218-8479700. • First Security Bank is located at 611 Summit Avenue or call 218-847-3042. • Bell State Bank and Trust is located at 920 Lake Avenue or call 218-8443000. • American National Bank is located at 1325 Highway 10 West or call 218847-1383. • Wells Fargo is located at 211 Holmes Street West or call 218-8471361.

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TRANSPORTATION

Every summer the Detroit Lakes-Becker County Airport hosts a fly-in for those interested in aviation.

By ground or by sky

Detroit Lakes offers several transportation options  story by pippi mayfield | photos by brian basham

Airport The Detroit Lakes-Becker County Airport is a publicly-owned, publicuse airport located two miles west of the central business district of Detroit Lakes. The airport covers 288 acres and has two runways — a 4,500-foot by 75-foot asphalt surface open year-round and a 1,880-foot by 250-foot turf surface which is closed during winter months. It is managed by Detroit Lakes Aviation, a full-service FBO, which provides hangar space, maintenance, fuel and rental cars. It currently maintains light sport aircraft, piston twins, turbo props and jet aircraft. It offers annual inspections, event or phase inspections, 100 hours pre-buy

inspections and exports. In addition, Detroit Lakes Aviation offers avionics, pilot services, pickup and delivery services, and fuel — 24hour 100 low lead fuel and a full service Jet A fuel with single point are available. Aircraft sales and float plane service are also offered. Operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, but after-hour and weekend services are available. The Depot Not only does The Depot serve as a stop for the Amtrak train, it is also a coffee shop and hub for White Earth Transportation. Located along Highway 10 at the intersection of Washington Avenue, the Northern Pacific depot was built in

1908, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. Over the years it has been used for a variety of businesses and headquarters, but none have upgraded the building like the White Earth Tribe and its Shooting Star Casino. The White Earth Tribal Council leases the depot building from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad, and the Shooting Star Casino operates the coffee shop that is housed in the completely refurbished White Earth Transit Station. They offer baked goods from a local bakery, ice cream, coffee and sandwiches. There is seating inside and patio seating for the warmer months. There are also kiosks with native products and arts handmade from the

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014 |

White Earth Reservation including jewelry, custom beadwork, baskets, wild rice and birch bark items. Some are just for display, and some items are for sale. There is free Inter-net access as well. What really makes The Depot a hot spot is being the transportation hub for Detroit Lakes. White Earth Transit has daily service from The Depot to Mahnomen. On Mondays and Wednesdays, there is a roundtrip shuttle to the Shooting Star Casino, that includes coupons for the casino. Visitors are asked to sign up in advance so that their gaming packages can be ready upon arrival. A shuttle also runs the day of major events at the Shooting Star, bringing people to the event and back to The Depot following the performance. Jefferson Bus Lines — a long-distance carrier — makes two stops a day at the transit station and has formed a partnership with White Earth Transit to “match schedules.” You can buy a bus ticket in Minneapolis and ride to Mahnomen, changing buses in Detroit Lakes at the depot. Another package is for those in Fargo. For $25, people can ride from Fargo to Detroit Lakes, change buses and head on up to the casino. Those people will also receive coupons for the casino. The Detroit Lakes taxi company is also committed to serving bus and train passengers, even in the early morning hours. The western portion of the depot building, which was once the freight holding area, has been turned into a meeting space. The walls show scenes from 1909, and how the depot first looked. The original doors still hang in the doorways, but have now been switched to the inside of the building and glass panels

have been installed in the doorway. The room is able to accommodate about 18 people with tables, and about 30 with just chair space. There is no liquor license though, so no alcohol allowed. The depot is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Getting rides Getting around Becker County has become a lot easier in the past few years thanks to several public services that are happy to bring you where you want to go. • Rob and Roxanne Fairbanks started DL Taxi Service in June of 2006. The service serves all of Becker County and beyond. The service provides service rides and deliveries at a discounted rate. Fairbank’s taxi service, DL Transportation, can be reached at 847-3456. • The Becker County Transit system provides service throughout the county for $1.50 per five miles traveled. The transit system has four buses and one car operating Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Although 28 percent of the riders are seniors, the transit service is available to anyone who wishes to use it. The buses can take people to work, medical appointments, shopping, visiting, school children to day care facilities and disabled individuals to their appointments. Becker County Transit also offers door-to-door service and can accommodate individuals with disabilities and most mobility aids in service today. The Becker County Transit System can be reached at 847-1674 or 1-888-8471674 and operates Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. • The White Earth Public Transportation service operates Monday through Friday,

50 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2014

TRANSPORTATION driving people to various stops in Mahnomen, White Earth and Detroit Lakes. The service has daily scheduled stops at the Depot in Detroit Lakes, Shooting Star Casino and various stops in White Earth in between. A full daily schedule is available at the Depot. Every Monday and Wednesday, it offers a free shuttle to and from the Shooting Star Casino from the Depot in Detroit Lakes. This free shuttle leaves the Depot at 10 a.m. and arrives back at 2:45 p.m. Users receive a free gaming package â&#x20AC;&#x201D; coupons for $5 off dining and $10 in free slot play. White Earth Public Transportation can be reached at 218-983-3283.

A roundabout is scheduled for construction this summer at the intersection of Highway 59 and Willow Street.

Highway 10/59 projects Big changes will be seen on the streets and highways in the Detroit Lakes area in the next couple years. There will be a roundabout at the intersection of Highway 59 and Willow Street. There will be a frontage road from downtown to the Walmart area. There will be an underpass at Highway 59 south. And the southern portion of Washington Avenue (the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main business district) will get the facelift the north side saw a few years ago. The Washington Avenue project is slated for this summer, and the street will look similar to the streetscaping of North Washington Avenue. As for the Willow Street-Highway

59 crossing, the project will happen in 2014 as well. MnDOT has been studying the crossing for a couple years, trying to find a solution to accidents, traffic stacking and other issues the intersection has posed for many years. The solution will be a roundabout. The biggest project will come a year or two later with the frontage road from downtown to the Walmart area. The estimate for the project comes in at about $10 million, which will be shared between the state and the city. The project will include a frontage road from Holmes Street to the Walmart area with an underpass at Highway 59.

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HOSPITALIST Tuhin Banerjee, MD HOSPITALIST Rajit Kaushal, MD Tuhin Banerjee, MD MD Monika Pokharel, RajitSashank Kaushal,Pokhrel, MD MD Monika Pokharel, Ritesh Singh,MD MD Sashank Pokhrel, MD INTERNAL Ritesh Singh, MDMEDICINE Dinesh MEDICINE Chaudhary, MD INTERNAL Shivan Kulasingham, MD Dinesh Chaudhary, MD Monika Pokharel, MD Shivan Kulasingham, MD Monika Pokharel, MD NEPHROLOGY NEPHROLOGY Binaya Khanal, MD Karla French Binaya Khanal, MDBaker, MD Karla FrenchMIDWIFERY Baker, MD NURSE NURSE MIDWIFERY Marna Crow, CNM

Marna Crow, CNM ONCOLOGY ONCOLOGY Mahendra Gupta, MD

Mahendra Gupta, MD ORTHO & SPORTS MED ORTHO & SPORTS MED Francis Cormier, MD Francis Cormier, MD PAC Michael Bishop, Michael Bishop, PACNP-C Linda Lohnes, Linda Lohnes,Meier, NP-C PA-C Timothy Timothy Meier, PA-C PAIN MANAGEMENT PAIN MANAGEMENT Leslie Chan, MD Leslie Chan, MD NP Laura Bergs, Laura Bergs, NP MD John Vinych, John Vinych, MD John Erie, MD John Erie, MD PEDIATRICS PEDIATRICS Dinesh Chaudhary, MD Dinesh Chaudhary, MD Soma Ghosh, MD Soma Ghosh, MD PHYSICAL & REHAB PHYSICAL MEDMED & REHAB

Dennis Sollom, Dennis Sollom, MD MD PODIATRY PODIATRY

Jared Aelony, Jared Aelony, DPMDPM Andrew Moen, Andrew Moen, DPMDPM PULMONARY MEDICINE PULMONARY MEDICINE Donald Matthees, Donald Matthees, MD MD RADIOLOGY RADIOLOGY Douglas Landers, MD MD Douglas Landers, URGENT CARE URGENT CARE Karin Halverson, NP NP Karin Halverson, Erika Schmidt, FNP FNP Erika Schmidt, Susan Ivankovich, PA-CPA-C Susan Ivankovich, JanaJana Sundeen, NP-CNP-C Sundeen, Janell Kjos,Kjos, NP NP Janell Vonda Eidenschink, PA-C PA-C Vonda Eidenschink, UROLOGY UROLOGY Gregory Post, MD Gregory Post, MD Steven Strinden, MD Steven Strinden, MD

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