2016 Business & Industry by Detroit Lakes Newspapers

BECKER COUNTY 2016

Business & Industry Review A PUBLICATION BY DETROIT LAKES NEWSPAPERS

TOURISM

INDUSTRY

AMENITIES

HEALTHCARE

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EDUCATION

RESOURCES

TRANSPORTATION

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016 | 1

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

Welcome Index BY PAULA QUAM The Detroit Lakes area is beautiful, we know. We’re lucky. We’re smack dab in the heart of lakes country, which means we’re fortunate enough to live in an area where many come to vacation. But although tourism is a large player in the big wheel of business and industry in these parts, it is far from the only player. Agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, education and a whole slew of homegrown businesses provide local people here with competitive wages and a means through which they can build their lives here. In this edition of Business & Industry, we take a look at how several of these local businesses have been growing and evolving with the times. To visit Detroit Lakes today is not exactly like visiting it last year. Times, they are a changing, and so are the area’s industries. We’ll also provide a sneak peek into some very big things that are coming down the pike for the local economy, including the addition of new busiensses and places to live and stay. Finally, out of all the successful businesses that provide jobs to people here, we’ll highlight five of the largest employers around the area that are considered “The Big 5”. Who are they? We’ll break it down. There are so many amenities and educational opportunities in this area that help create a community buzzing with excitement, some of which you can learn about right here in Business & Industry, some of which you may have to get out and discover on your own. This is our town, and it is a great one - we hope you enjoy it.

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY 6 Growth in local businesses

7 9 12 16 18

22 24 30 30 31 32 34 36

Central Market Ecumen Lakeshirts Lakeside Street and road construction projects New construction in town McKinley Plaza project The ‘Big 5’ employers Becker County Lakeshirts BTD Detroit Lakes School District Essentia Health/St. Mary’s

AMENITIES 38 Entertainment and hobbies

38 40 40 41 41 42 42 43 43 43

in the Detroit Lakes area Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center Detroit Lakes Library Lake living Becker County Historical Society Sucker Creek Preserve Detroit Mountain North Country Trail Heartland Trail Mahube-OTWA Detroit Lakes utilities Media outlets

DETROIT LAKES NEWSPAPERS 511 Washington Avenue Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 218.847.3151 www.dl-online.com

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I & B HEALTHCARE 44 Local healthcare facilities,

Essentia Helath St. Mary’s/ Sanford Health Detroit Lakes

EDUCATION 46 MState

48 A look at local school

districts in Becker County

FINANCIAL 50 Business

51 52

& Entrepreneurial Services Tourism Detroit Lakes Development Authority Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corp. Banks

TRANSPORTATION 54 Getting around town

MARY BRENK publisher PAULA QUAM magazine editor VIOLA ANDERSON circulation manager

CONTRIBUTORS: Nathan Bowe Vicki Gerdes Brian Basham

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

From manufacturing to the service industry, local businesses are expanding in big ways

Homegrown and still growing fast

story by vicki gerdes | photos by brian basham As The year 2015 was a big one for business development in the lakes area. BTD Manufacturing, Central Market, Ecumen-Detroit Lakes and Lakeshirts all undertook and completed multi-million-dollar remodeling and/or expansion projects in the past year and a half. Not only that, but the city’s roads and infrastructure got a major upgrade with the reconstruction of Washington Avenue from Highway 10 to Willow Street, along with the extension of Holmes Street to connect with the Highway 10 frontage road on the west side of the city, via a new underpass beneath Highway 59. BTD MANUFACTURING Located in Detroit Lakes’ industrial park, BTD Manufacturing’s local facilities got a $7 million facelift this past year,

including a 90,000 square foot addition. It was part of an overall $33 million investment by BTD to upgrade its facilities in both Detroit Lakes and Lakeville, Minn. According to BTD President Paul Gintner, the expansion was initially triggered by the company’s decision to close a cross-dock warehouse in Otsego, Minn., and “put our warehouses back into our manufacturing sites.” But by expanding Detroit Lakes’ plant facilities to a total of 330,000 square feet – roughly a third larger – they were also able to relocate some functions and improve workflow throughout the operation, Gintner said. “We had too much truck traffic that went back and forth across the street (between BTD’s two main plant build-

BTD Manufacturing made $7 million in improvements to its Detroit Lakes facilities this past year, including a 90,000 square foot addition. 6 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

ings) constantly,” Gintner said. “We created a one-way flow through so that what goes into our plant on the west side of the street is our stamping and tooling operation. The raw steel goes in there.” Once the parts are finished, they are either sent directly to the warehouse for shipping or across the street to BTD’s secondary facility for welding and fabrication. “It’s really a one way flow now,” Gintner said. “The expansion was about closing down the warehouse in Otsego so we didn’t have to haul freight to that site to ship it out, but it also allowed us to move product through our facilities with a much more reasonable flow, and less cost.” During Detroit Lakes’ recent Tour

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Central Market in Detroit Lakes has greatly expanded its “Natural & Organic” food section and added glass-enclosed display cases as part of over $2 million in improvements. of Manufacturing event, BTD’s Detroit Lakes warehouse manager Jon Peterson said that the local plant processes roughly 70 million pounds of raw material each year, which amounts to about 5.8 million pounds a month, or nearly 200,000 pounds a day. Over all of its facilities, BTD employs roughly 1,110 people, with about 475 of them working in Detroit Lakes. CENTRAL MARKET Though Detroit Lakes’ 24-hour grocery store, Central Market, is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its customers, the facility went through over $2 million in improvements during the past year alone, says its general man-

ager, Dan Neumeister. One of the biggest changes was in its natural foods section, he added. “We traveled around and visited other stores to see where the trends were going,” Neumeister said. “That (natural foods) was a big priority.” Vicki Keasler, who supervises Central Market’s organic and natural products section, says that in the four years she’s been with the store, she’s seen her department expand from “one little aisle” to encompass over 3,000 different items. “This is where people come if they have food allergies, or use nutrition for medicinal purposes,” she said. Lactose-free and gluten-free prod-

ucts can be found in abundance in Keasler’s department, along with medicinal teas and other wellness products. “More and more, people are getting back into eating ‘real’ (i.e., organic) food,” she said – but added that not all products that are labeled as ‘natural’ or ‘non-GMO’ are truly organic. “It has to have the USDA organic stamp on the product (to guarantee that it is),” Keasler said. Central Market’s deli was also expanded to include more pre-packaged, healthy meal alternatives like precut fruits and vegetables, meats and cheeses. “Our deli department has all new cases,” Neumeister said, “with a lot of

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016 | 7

equipment installed behind the scenes to support that.” Some of the latest additions include a Jamba Juice bar, fresh-made flat bread pizzas and a full-service meat counter that was “three times as large” as the old one, he said. “We put in a sausage kitchen so we can make our own sausage,” Neumeister added, along with some turbo ovens for making the aforementioned flatbread pizzas, which can be customized or loaded with one of 20 sets of predetermined ingredients and baked fresh in two minutes, or sent with the customer to be baked at home whenever they want it. The Jamba Juice bar has also proved to be a popular addition in its first month of operation, he added. But the natural foods and deli section improvements were just the beginning. “We pretty much replaced all the dairy cases, and all the frozen food cases, and added a lot of backroom coolers to support our operation,” Neumeister said. The dairy and frozen food cases all have doors on them now, he added, which not only keeps the products fresher, but saves energy as well. All new cash registers were installed, including four self-checkout stations,

Central Market’s deli has been made much more state-of-the art over the past year and a half. which allowed them to put more staff into customer service-intense areas of the store. “We’re a very service-oriented store,” Neumeister said. “Our customers are our report card. We’re here for them.” With that in mind, all new gro-

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cery carts were added, and “we’re in the process of building a new service desk, in a more convenient location for our customers,” Neumeister said. New energy-saving light fixtures were also added throughout the store, along with the new display cases and other

The new Jamba Juice bar (above), added in March, has proved to be quite popular. A full-service meat counter (at right) that was “three times as large” as the old one was also added this past year. energy-efficient improvements. “Once everything was up and running, there was a huge energy savings at the end,” Neumeister said. The bathrooms were completely remodeled, and all of the floors were refinished as well. “We basically rebuilt the whole store on the inside,” he added. But even with all that work, they’re never quite done, Neumeister said. “We’re constantly reinvesting in our business as we need to. The grocery industry is a changing one.” ECUMEN-DETROIT LAKES Detroit Lakes’ venerable senior living and transitional care facility, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014, now has a completely new look – thanks to a $12.5 million renovation and expansion project that was finished a year later.

Improvements that were completed in 2015 included removing a 50-yearold section of the building and replacing it with an all-new wellness center that encompassed 30 new transitional care and short stay rooms along with reha-

bilitative services such as a warm water therapy pool, steam shower, massage room, private treatment rooms and a “new, large therapy gym,” says EcumenDetroit Lakes administrator Janet Green. “We added more suites to our mem-

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ory care assisted living facility, The Cottage, to better meet a growing need,” she added. “We enhanced the walkway to our nursing home’s memory care neighborhood, and we remodeled our bathrooms to better provide the care our residents require. “We added a physician examination room, teleservices and business center (with iPads and computers for use by residents and visitors), and we improved and expanded our chapel,” Green said. The wel lness center also includes a new gift shop and a

snack bar “which should be opening soon,” Green said. Aside from the added units at The Cottage, most of the upgrades were made not to grow Ecumen’s population, but to improve services to the residents they already have, she added. “We wanted to offer all these amenities that can be utilized not just by our residents, but by the entire community,” Green said. “We’re not caring for more people, we’re caring more for the people we have… to better meet their current and future needs and improve

their quality of life.” The design of the new wellness center was deemed such a success that Ecumen Detroit Lakes won a “Best in Show” SAGE Design Award. The Minnesota Chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Gerontological Environments (SAGE) presented the award at the recent LeadingAge Minnesota 2016 Institute & Expo. SAGE is a nonprof-

Ecumen-Detroit Lakes completed a $12.5 million renovation and expansion project in 2015. The awardwinning project included an all-new entrance (above) and wellness center (at left). 10 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

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Ecumen’s new Wellness Center includes a beautiful new lobby (upper left) and welcome desk (below left) with gift shop and snack counter.

it organization dedicated to improving physical environments for older adults. In its award presentation, SAGE cited Ecumen Detroit Lakes’ goal to provide “a whole person approach and create a community hub that helps integrate technology, education, fitness, nutrition and health care.” SAGE pointed to a number of design features that made the project awardwinning, including the community wellness area with a pool, fitness center and yoga space; an art gallery featuring local artists; an internet café, telehealth center, business center, classroom and chapel; and state-of-the-art Transitional Care Units. Also, the award praised the large windows that bring natural light throughout the building and the use of brilliant colors. “We really appreciate the recognition from SAGE,” said Ecumen Senior Business Development Director Dena Meyer, who managed the design and construction process. “The award, along with feedback from our residents and the community, is validation that we achieved our goal of creating a state-ofthe-art wellness hub serving the entire Detroit Lakes area.”

The new Wellness Center also includes rehabilitative services such as a warm water therapy pool (above right) and a new, large therapy gym (above left). 12 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

LAKESHIRTS Detroit Lakes’ homegrown business success story, Lakeshirts, has come a long way since the days when company founders Mark Fritz and Mike Hutchinson were printing custom t-shirt designs in the basement of Mark’s parents’ home. Today, the operation encompasses seven buildings (some interconnected), totaling just under 300,000 square feet, and employs almost 400 people at its location on Randolph Road in Detroit Lakes’ industrial park. In just the past couple of years, Lakeshirts has added 70,000 square feet of production space and completed roughly $10 million in overall improvements. “Our cafeteria is about three times the size of the old one,” says Lakeshirts’ human resources manager, Kara Bren. “Enlarging it allowed us to enhance and

improve the menu offerings for our employees, with more healthy options at affordable prices.” The employee break room area was also greatly expanded, with pinball machines, an arcade bowling machine, air hockey, foosball and pool tables added – not to mention a twisty slide leading from an upper level walkway into the break room, and a video gaming room “that can seat up to 12 people at a time,” Bren added. But a busier break room was just one aspect of the internal remodeling and warehouse expansion project. According to Lakeshirts owner Mike Hutchinson, the overall project involves the whole facility and means replacing drywall with broad-cut pine planking and oldfashioned rolled tin siding for a more relaxed look.

It means moving around departments for improved logistics and lowering cubical walls for better communications, and it means additions on the front of the main buildings to beautify the exterior and provide a nice welcome to clients and other visitors. The addition to the Doghouse Dyeworks building replaced an aging A-frame structure and shows what the larger addition on the main building will look like, with an eye-catching exterior. The addition was built by Foltz Buildings. The interior of the main building entrance will feature a fireplace and a display of Lakeshirts memorabilia, highlighting its 30-plus-year history. Lakeshirts has expanded its buildings and operations repeatedly as it has grown. “We added

Lakeshirts’ $10 million renovation and expansion project included replacing drywall with pine planking and oldfashioned, rolled tin siding (right).

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The employee breakroom at Lakeshirts was greatly expanded, to include a full-service cafeteria and a slide (upper left). Large crowds toured the facility during the Tour of Manufacturing (below left).

onto our building so many times, the offices kind of became a maze,” Hutchinson said. “We decided to redo the offices and give a little more casual look to it than sheet rock.” Over the years, a lot of money and time have been invested in improving products for customers. Now co-owners Hutchinson and Mark Fritz are looking inwards, and have launched the major remodeling and beautification project to tie everything together and make life better for the employees. “I can’t wait until we get it all decorated!” Bren exclaimed. Hutchinson has put a lot of elbow grease into the renovation project, and he credits Don Guida, owner of Blueberry Log & Timber near Park Rapids, with providing the pine planking, and for helping with the remodeling work, too. “He’s an artisan,” Hutchinson said. The remodeling project also includes a new keyless electronic security system. The recent addition to the production facility gave it 60 percent more operational capacity and Lakeshirts can now produce up to 25,000 items a day, or 7 million shirts a year. “The production expansion cost $8 million,” Hutchinson said. “We’re still expanding in production; we put another $1.5 million into equipment this year. The remodeling project is still ongoing. Next up is a refurbishing of Lakeshirts’ customer service area inside the front entrance, and a new display room that is three times the size of the original. New exterior facades for the Doghouse Dyeworks and Lakeshirts’ main building are also in the works. “People want to be proud of where they work,” said Hutchinson. “This is the first time we’ve invested in that part of the business.”

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Lakeside Tavern owner Chet Collins (above right) opened Detroit Lakes’ first brewery (above) this past year.

LAKESIDE TAVERN Lakeside Tavern brewed up an unprecedented expansion project in Detroit Lakes this past year. Owner Chet Collins turnned an existing portion of the historic building into Detroit Lakes’ first brewery. “This is my dream to do something like this,” said Collins, who named that portion “Tavern Brewery.” The 1,400-square-foot space, which is adjoined to Lakeside, housed The Yogurt Place for a few years. The space was gutted and transformed into a brew pub. The interior wall that once separated the main Lakeside building from the addition was

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knocked out so that it’s all open. The exterior wall that faces the lake will also be knocked out and replaced by 8- by 24-foot sliding glass doors that are opened up in the summertime. A 27-foot bar was built that includes pieces of the 100-year-old bar that once stood in Lakeside. The showpiece of the brewery is the actual brewery. Large five-barrel fermenters holding approximately 10 kegs each sit behind a glass partition so that patrons can watch the magic happen. Included in the hodge-podge of stainless steel contraptions and tanks are two fermenter barrels containing test batches.

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Washington Avenue was completely reconstructed from the ground up, in a two-phase, $4.4 million project completed last summer.

WASHINGTON AVENUE Road construction was Detroit Lakes’ single biggest news story in 2015. Much of the community’s downtown business district was torn up from mid-April to the July 4th weekend, as Washington Avenue was stripped down to bedrock and fitted with all-new utilities infrastructure, concrete paving and sidewalks from Highway 10 to Frazee Street. After that, the second phase from Frazee Street to Willow Street began, continuing into early August. The two-phase, $4.4 million project also included aesthetic and energy efficient improvements such as the addition of LED street lights, colored and textured concrete on the sidewalks, benches and other streetscaping. It was those artistic touches that helped the project receive a Merit Award from the Concrete Paving Association of Minnesota; with this designation, the project now qualifies for consideration for the nationwide American Concrete Pavement Association Excellence in Concrete Paving Awards, which will be announced this summer. “Washington (Avenue) was a very public project,” says Detroit Lakes City Engineer Jon Pratt. “Everybody had a vested interest in it… the downtown really is the front door to your community. Something everyone can look at and be proud of.”

Costs for the project were split between Becker County, which paid $2.6 million; the city, which paid $1.2 million, and adjacent property owners, who were assessed $1 million. HIGHWAY 10 & 59 No less impactful than the reconstruction of Washington Avenue on city residents was the Highway 10 & 59 project, which encompassed infrastructure improvements and resurfacing on both roadways, from the airport area west of the city, along Highway 10 past

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Walmart, Kmart and curling up through Morrow Avenue, which is the road that goes past Perkins, America’s Best Value Inn and Tesoro, then continuing up onto Highway 59 South. The biggest part of this $20 million project was the construction of an underpass beneath Highway 59, connecting the Highway 10 frontage road past Walmart, Kmart and Menards with Morrow Avenue, which curls southward before connecting with Holmes Street on the other side of the underpass. The final phase of that project, which will

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connect the portion of the Highway 10 frontage road in front of the Minnesota Department of Transportation office with the section that continues west to Walmart, is slated for completion this spring. “The city had a lot of utilities that needed to be relocated or replaced as part of this project, and had a significant share in the frontage road, multi-use trails, storm sewer, signals and lighting costs,” said Pratt. As such, Detroit Lakes contrib-

uted roughly $6.2 million of the overall cost of the project, with the Minnesota Department of Transportation funding the remaining $13.8 million. Pratt admitted that completing that last section of frontage road has been particularly frustrating, because the process of settling the road base has taken much longer than anticipated. “The ground underneath is very ‘boggish’,” he said. “It’s 30 feet of highly organic, compressive (i.e., spongy) soil… the only way we can put a road on top of it is to build it up with material and compress it slowly. “It’s a little frustrating, but we’ve got to get it done right,” Pratt added, noting that the last thing MnDOT wants to do is put the road down too quickly, then have to do it all over again when the pavement buckles due to an unstable road bed. (Detroit Lakes Newspapers reporters Nathan Bowe and Paula Quam contributed to this article.)

Highways 10 and 59 in Detroit Lakes also got a $20 million upgrade this past year, including an underpass (middle photo) beneath Hwy. 59 that when finished this year, will connect Holmes Street (at top) with the Hwy. 10 frontage road.

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

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A big year for building, DL sees climb in permits story by nathan bowe | photos by paula quam

Projects valued at more than $34 story by paula quam | photos by brian basham million in construction costs were approved in Detroit Lakes last year, the most since 2007, the heyday before the Great Recession, when building permits in Detroit Lakes hit nearly $51 million in value. Last year’s building permits were led by the New Commercial category, with $13.3 million in construction costs. There were only two such permits granted last year, but they were for big projects – the McKinley Plaza project downtown ($6.3 million) and the Fairfield Inn & Suites project near the Pavilion ($7 million). A building permit reflects the cost

of construction, but not other costs, such as land acquisition, said Larry Remmen, community development director for Detroit Lakes. The McKinley Plaza project has a total cost of about $9 million, while the Fairfield Inn project has a total cost of about $10 million, he said. The McKinley Plaza, a mix of retail and residential space, is expected to be finished this year. The hotel project near the City Beach has taken longer to find its legs, and has been delayed several times. “They’re talking about closing on the land and financing this month, then construction starting at the end of this month,” Remmen said.

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The developer has asked the city for a one-year extension of its conditional use permit, which would give it until next April to complete the project. The original permit expires at the end of this month, he said. The project would put a 69-unit Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott on the 2.43-acre site, along with nine condominiums and a 4,000 square foot restaurant to be housed in a separate building. It would convert the Capri Motel and adjacent commercial and residential property to a mixed use development. When it comes to building permits, the second-highest category last year

Detroit Lakes may be a smaller community, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s getting bigger as new construction permits were up again this year

The City of Detroit Lakes approved $34 million in construction permits this past year, the highest since its all-time high in 2007.

was New Residential, valued at $11.4 million for 45 houses. There was one permit in the multi-family category, valued at $1.9 million. There were 48 projects in the Commercial Repairs & Additions category totaling $3.2 million, and 213 projects in the Residential Repairs & Additions category valued at $3.4 million. Add in garages, sheds and other projects, and there were 402 permits granted last year.

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

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INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

Apartments on top, businesses on the bottom, McKinley Plaza is set to open early fall 2016.

McKinley Plaza project is area’s first ‘mixed-use’ concept story by paula quam | photos by brian basham Construction started last year on a large commercial project, the McKinley Plaza Project, in downtown Detroit Lakes. It is rising on the last piece of land left vacant from the Highway 10 Realignment Project, across from Central Market. “We drew up several plans and took our time with this, but a year ago we started to take a bigger look at this ‘mixed-use’ idea,” Jim Buus said in an earlier story. He is one of the developers behind the Downtown Crossing Project. By “mixed-use,” Buus means the four story complex will house several businesses on the ground floor and 36 residential apartments on the top three floors. It’s a concept the developers have already tried and have had success with in West Fargo.

“The trend all across the country, including Minneapolis, Fargo and Detroit Lakes, is downtown redevelopment,” said Buus. “Because a lot of younger, more urban professionals are now looking to live downtown where they can walk to work and have everything right there.” Buus says he and fellow developer Brent Kuehne believe this particular piece of land they are building on, which is on McKinley Avenue between Frazee Street and Holmes Street, is a perfect “bullseye” for the $9 million project with a commercial-residential mix. “You look in every direction from there and to the south is the hospital - the biggest employer in town - to the east is Central Market, the biggest grocery store in town, to the north is the Downtown Crossing and all of its restau-

The McKinley Plaza Project in Detroit Lakes is the first “mixeduse” project that houses buisnesses and apartments. 24 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

rants and businesses and to the west is the downtown district,” said Buus. “So we can envision those younger people who work, for instance, at the hospital living here, keeping their car parked in the underground parking we’ll have and just walking to work.” “The four-story McKinley Plaza will be flagship presence that will tie the larger downtown area together and is consistent with our interest in redeveloping existing sites in the middle of town as opposed to sprawling, suburban-style development,” said Kuehne. Buus says while they do not have rent prices hammered out yet and will not release the names of any businesses they have secured, he will say they have three letters of intent already signed and have been in talks with several more, including a few new restaurants.

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BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016 | 25

The McKinley Plaza project will feature 23,000 square feet of business space and 36-unit apartments for rent. There will likely be six to eight businesses located on the ground floor, depending on each tenant’s individual space needs. They have 23,000 square feet of business space to work with. Buus said based on their interest and success with the Downtown Crossing, they believe they will have no problem filling up both the business spaces and the apartments. “The city (of DL) conducted a housing survey two years ago that demonstrated a need for more rental housing in Detroit Lakes,” said Buus, who says since then he and Kuehne have built a 33-unit apartment complex on the northeast side of the city. “And that filled up within 60 days,” said Buus. “Now we currently have a second one there under construction as well. There is a good demand for the apartments.” Buus and Kuehne, who are affiliated with Goldmark Schlossman Commercial Real Estate Services, have three other partners in the development, two of

which include Steve Gehrtz of Gehrtz Construction Services and Brian Berg, a partner in Zerr-Berg Architects. A lot of the foundation and underground garage work was done last fall and into the winter, with the four story construction going up during the winter. Tenants are expected to move in this summer. “By (this) fall we expect that the businesses will all be open,” said Buus, who

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says they are not only in talks with businesses, but also starting a waiting list for apartment tenants. “It’s exciting; Brent and I really like doing these downtown redevelopment things,” said Buus. “Anyone can go on the edge of town, scrape some dirt and build something, but to be able to add to the vibrancy of a downtown area, that’s what we hope to do.”

The McKinley Plaza is located in what developers call the geographical bullseye of Detroit Lakes.

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Working hard to build quali Paul Nord

Scott Paulson

Jason Jendrysik

Lancer Seifert

CFO 15 YEARS

ORDER PROCESSING 38 YEARS

SALES & MARKETING MANAGER 4 YEARS

PRODUCTION DRAFTING LEAD 15 YEARS

Dave Anderson

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SALES QUOTE DRAFTING 28 YEARS

INVENTORY CONTROL 38 YEARS

HR AND PAYROLL 20 YEARS

TRANSPORTATION MANAGER 28 YEARS

Alison Kirsch

Brandon Olson

Mic Buschette

ESTIMATOR 10 YEARS

COO 44 YEARS

Arlen Johnson TERRITORY MANAGER 33 YEARS

TRANSPORTATION AND ADMIN ASSISTANT 7 YEARS

28 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

Dave Nagel

Ryan Schute SALES DESIGN 9 YEARS

Paul Okeson

Leon Schiltz

CEO 13 YEARS

DRAFTING SUPERVISOR 27 YEARS

Jim Selzler

Dennis Quittschreiber

PRODUCTION MANAGER 26 YEARS

QUALITY CONTROL MANAGER 30 YEARS

DynamicHomes.com

ity homes for our community Tyler Aho PRODUCTION DRAFTING 4 YEARS

Dave Schouviller

Kaitlyn Gossell

Stacy Moe

Phil Swanson

Tim Olson

PRODUCTION DRAFTING 1 YEAR

ACCOUNTING MANAGER 16 YEARS

TERRITORY MANAGER 13 YEARS

TERRITORY MANAGER 38 YEARS

PURCHASING 33 YEARS

Scott Baker

Jill Cassavant

Roger Swenson

Larry Hoffmann

Jesse Meyer

1ST HALF ROUGH END SUPERVISOR 12 YEARS

SHIPPING & RECEIVING 2 YEARS

CUSTOMER SERVICE 21 YEARS

Kenny Haspel

Troy Schrupp

Jim Cossette

Peter Eidenschink

Kevin Nold

QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR 14 YEARS

QUALITY CONTROL INSPECTOR 12 YEARS

FINISH END SUPERVISOR 26 YEARS

2ND HALF ROUGH END SUPERVISOR 41 YEARS

CUSTOMER SERVICE TECHNICIAN 1 YEAR

PURCHASING 42 YEARS

800-492-4833

INSIDE SALES COORDINATOR 19 YEARS

525 Roosevelt Avenue • Detroit Lakes 1-800-492-4833 www.dynamichomes.com

Jerry Braun

COSTING 11 YEARS

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

There are many large employers in the area, but only a handful are in ‘The Big 5’.

I & B

‘The Big 5’ story by paula quam | photos by brian basham Jobs. For something so necessary, they aren’t always the easiest to come by in the small, rural communities. Often people are forced to choose between the quieter, slower-paced life or the good job that pays the bills. In Becker County though, many enjoy the privilege of having their cake and eating it, too. There are several big employers around the area that employ more than

200 people, but the top five “big dogs” in town could, when combined, employee a third of the entire city of Detroit Lakes. #5 - BECKER COUNTY At 310 employees, the county itself is clearly the most diverse in its employment needs and is certainly one that is service-driven. It hires administration personnel in departments like planning

Becker County is the fifth largest employer in the area, employing 310 people. 30 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

and zoning, motor vehicle, auditor-treasurer and veterans services. But it also needs people for more “hands-on” jobs like those in the highway department, community health professionals, and those keeping the parks and recreation facilities beautiful and ready for fun and relaxation. The county also provides jobs in the more vital field of security. It hires the sheriff’s deputies and staff that patrol the county roads and respond

Lakeshirts has added some new printing equipment this year, which requires more workers. The clothing manufacturers employ 390 people, but will likely crack the 400 mark by summer. to emergencies, the professionals that prosecute those crimes in the county attorney’s office, as well as a jail staff to work the minimum and maximum security facilities. The county also offers jobs through Human Services, the Sunnyside Nursing Home, and it hires transit drivers and people that work in the land-use departments. The list goes on for the wide range of talents and employers needed to keep the county wheels turning. #4 - LAKESHIRTS Coming in at number four, Lakeshirts kicks out specialized clothing like nobody’s business, and they’ve got 390 people on the job. Since 1984, when the company started out with just two people making t-shirts out of a garage, co-founders Mark Fritz and Mike Hutchinson have taken their operation

from the garage to a 300,000 square foot facility. They, too, need a variety of talents to keep coming up with, creating and selling those Lakeshirts t-shirts and sweatshirts that can be seen across the country. Lakeshirts has a whole slew of employees working on its Blue 84 label designed to cater solely to collegiate apparel, as well as its Doghouse Dyeworks leg of the operation, which was created so that the company can dye its own shirts. According to Human

Resources Manager Kara Bren, out of those 390 employees, only 17 of them work part time. The company has continued to add positions to its 20 hour, two-shift days because of the fact that it has recently purchased more presses, which requires more operators. With a company that kicks out roughly 2 million garments throughout the U.S. alone (not to mention the ones going overseas)... there’s simply very little time to “stop the presses.”

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BTD is one of those homegrown businesses that started out small and only continued to grow. It now employs 475 people locally, most of which are full-time.

#3 BTD The third largest employer in the county is BTD, providing paychecks to 475 employees locally. The metalworks company provides a variety of services to companies all over the country, including welding, metal forming, fabrication and metal tool and dye work. Manufacturing in the lakes area has become a hotspot for job seekers over the past several years, and at BTD, they are almost always looking for more skilled workers. Welding isn’t always just welding at BTD; robotics has helped the industry take on a life of its own, and the company works closely with local high school robotics teams in terms of mentoring and financial support. It may be what keeps the company moving forward and providing hundreds of job to the area. Out of the 475 employees, only about 15 of them work part time. They say they are always recruiting top notch candidates, because after all, iron sharpens iron.

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Lake Region Electric ElectricCooperative Cooperative

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32 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016 www.lrec.coop

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co.op.er.a.tive /kō'äp(ә)rәdiv/ Adjective: Involving mutual assistance in working toward a common goal Noun: a farm, business or other organization that is owned and run jointly by its members, who share the profits or benefits

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BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016 | 33

I & B

The Detroit Lakes School District mails out roughly 1,000 W2’s at the end of the year, and regularly employs roughly 750 people to run its multi-building district.

#2 THE DETROIT LAKES SCHOOL DISTRICT Although there are smaller school districts in Becker County that provide hundreds of jobs, the Detroit Lakes School District tops them all with 500 full time and part time staff who work regular schedules. “But then when you add in substitute teachers, substitute paraprofessionals, support staff and community education, it’s closer to 750 employees,” said Nancy Olson, human resources director for the school district. “We issue over 1,000 W2’s at the end of the year.” Clearly, educators make up the bulk of the job here, but the school is often looking for coaches, food servers and custodians as well. The organization is certainly in “the business of people”, and that is why it employs enough to make up a small town.

34 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

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) • Dawsonville, Georgia 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 S.E. • 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.

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Essentia Health St. Mary’s, like many healthcare facilties, is experiencing a hiring crunch, in which it is always looking to fill more #1 ESSENTIA HEALTH ST. MARY’S The number one employer in Becker County is full of people who are always good to have around in an emergency. The healthcare facility employs 940 people, and that number appears to be going up. Company officials recently spoke about the challenge of finding enough nurses and other medical professionals throughout various fields. Essentia Health St. Mary’s in Detroit Lakes is continually looking for family care physicians, service workers and environmental services. Peter Jacobson, the facility’s president, says they have increased staff by 10 percent over the past five years and that trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down. In fact, the market for healthcare workers locally is so hot, Essentia Health St. Mary’s works with M State in Detroit Lakes in order to grow some more talent. And with baby boomers tapping into medical care more now, the demand for more medical professionals is expected to continue rapid growth, and for job seekers, that’s just what the doctor ordered. EMPLOYMENT ACROSS THE BOARD Although the most recent 2016 statistics show Becker County has an unemployment rate of 6 percent (not seasonally adjusted for February) the number of job vacancies around the area has grown 8 percent since 2015. “A lot of those (vacancies) are in health care, social assistance industries, retail and manufacturing,” said Kelly Nowell of Rural Minnesota CEP. “But I don’t think there is a sector around Becker County that isn’t hiring.” Nowell says the positions that employers can’t seem to get enough of locally include teaching assistants, nurses, heavy tractor truck drivers and jobs within manufacturing. “Manufacturing isn’t the greasy, dark, gloomy, dirty job it used to be,” said Nowell. “There’s a lot of high tech equipment and robotics and IT and creation, design and sales positions, and just the areas themselves are so much more comfortable and bright.” Nowell goes on to say that while it’s these types of industries that keep Becker County rolling along all year round, every summer the tourism aspect does create the “boom” of job openings when spring hits. “Just everything from DOT highway work, to resorts and restaurants, landscaping and construction - there are a lot of great opportunities for people in the summer,” said Nowell, who says those summer jobs can often turn into winter employment opportunities. Rural Minnesota CEP and the Workforce Center can help make connections for both potential employers and employees by calling 218-846-7377 or logging on to rmcep.com.

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36 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

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BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016 | 37

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

I & B

AMENITIES

Detroit Lakes area has many amenities that makes living in lakes country awesome

All for the fun of it 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, 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,

Detroit Mountain opened back up in the winter of 2014 to much success. 38 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

and another 2,500 square feet of remodeled space in the existing center. For more information about the DLCCC’s facilities and programs, call 218844-4221, 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, e-books, 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.

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The Detroit Lakes Public Library is the site of one of the last remaining Carnegie libraries. In 2013, it turned 100 years old, and since it was built, the library has been added onto and upgraded. Those upgrades are both to the physical building and to what it has to offer inside.

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 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. 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 crosscountry ski the trials, go golfing, stand-up 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

40 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

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 employees 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 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.

The Becker County Historical Society is planning to build a new building in 2016. The capital campaign will kick off this summer. The building will be located directly west of where the current building sits.

With an old building crumbling around them, the BCHS will be building a new building in 2016. There will be more space, and a roof that doesn’t leak. 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. 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 wood-

ed land, three acres of meadow and five acres of bog. DETROIT MOUNTAIN For the past two winters, the slopes of Detroit Mountain were 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

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hill would provide an enormous opportunity. With the facility completed and upper management in place, the mountain opened for winter filled with skiing and snowboarding. This spring, the mountain area will be open for mountain biking, hiking 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 milliongallon retention pond, which is 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 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–Otter Tail 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 cross-country skiing in the snowy months. HEARTLAND TRAIL Within the next year, 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

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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 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. 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 contraceptives 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 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 JulySeptember- 10.5 cents per Kwh • First 1,000 Kwh per month OctoberJune- 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 Off-Peak 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 twice-weekly newspaper, a weekly shopper, three radio stations and a local cable TV station. The newspaper is the 4,500-circulation Detroit Lakes Tribune. The Lake Area Press shopper, which is is being re-designed in May as “The Tribune Weekender”, goes out to about 11,000 homes. Both 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 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.

BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016 | 43

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

I & B

HEALTHCARE

Essentia Health, Sanford provide top-notch care right here in town

Here’s to our health... story by pippi mayfield | photos by brian basham

In the past several 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 conference 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. 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 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 were 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, diabe-

Sanford Clinic is one of two clinics in Detroit Lakes. 44 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

tes 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 “health coach,” whose job is to coordinate patient care before, during and even after each clinic visit.

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BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016 | 45

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

I & B

EDUCATION

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 higher 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

Detroit Lakes Public Schools continue to grow with technology advances and other student needs. 46 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

studying closer to home before solidifying four-year goals. A.A. degree-level courses in English, math, science, history, speech, political 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,

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M State in Detroit Lakes offers a variety of courses for students of all ages. Besides graduates, many high school students also take advantage of the post-secondary program, earning college credits before they graduate from high school.

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 through eighth grader, and so far school leaders are glad they did. 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, which moved to the M State campus this year, 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 ini-

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48 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

tiative with iPads and ramping 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. 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, 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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BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016 | 49

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

I & B

RESOURCES

Financial friends

Money matters donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to be navigated alone; there are several agencies to help

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 software 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 the lease price. The average office space leases for $100 to $160 a month, depending on square footage, location and similar con-

Those building businesses in the county have several avenues for financial help. 50 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

siderations. 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-five-year 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. Per year, the chamber fields roughly 7,000 phone calls, more than 3,000 walk-ins and distribute 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 has thousands of 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 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 traf-

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fic 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 cham-

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ber 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 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

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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. • 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

BECKER COUNTY TRANSIT

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 existing 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 218847-4771. There is also a branch office at Wal-Mart. Phone is 218-847-9700. • 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.

Here to get YOU there!

• Work • After School activities • Shopping • Summer Rec • Dining • Banking • Medical Appointments • Socializing • School • College Classes • Easy to schedule • Professional Driver Staff Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m • 218-847-1674 • Toll Free 888-847-1674

1320 ROSSMAN AVENUE • DETROIT LAKES, MN 56501 001407477r1

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BUSINESS & INDUSTRY

I & B

TRANSPORTATION

Up and around town... 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, public-use 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 — 24-hour 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. 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 five buses and one car operating Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:45 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

Randal Mack a pilot with Mead & Hunt engineering firm, fills his plane with fuel at the Detroit Lakes Airport. 54 | BECKER COUNTY BUSINESS & INDUSTRY REVIEW 2016

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. • The White Earth Public Transportation service operates Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. driving people to various stops on the reservation and Detroit Lakes. They have limited service on Saturday from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and again from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday the shuttle goes from the Depot in Detroit Lakes to the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen for a flat $2 per person, oneway trip. Users receive a free gaming package — coupons for $5 off dining and $10 in free slot play. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they also offer shopping trips from various pickup locations in Ma-honmen and the reservation to Walmart in Detroit Lakes. Schedules for the transit can be found at the Detroit Lakes Chamber of Com-merce and also on the White Earth website. Call 218-983-3283.

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tion a r o p r o nt C e m p o l e ent v e m p D o l y e t v i e n D nity mmu u o m C m o a C t o d ss an e nnes i n i M s u t B s , y e g t n i i s u n o Midw H u f o m m years o 5 4 c g n i g t a Celebr hrivin

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Julia Nelmark Director New Markets Tax Credit Financing

Kevin Shipley President

Nicole Kirchner Vice President of Business Development

We look forward to working in partnership with local financial institutions, businesses, investors, communities and organizations in 2016.

119 Graystone Plaza, Suite 100 | Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 | www.mmcdc.com | 218-847-3191 | info@mmcdc.com 001407060r1

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