2018
IMPACT The reach of our businesses, organizations and individuals extends well outside Douglas County
EDUCATION
RECREATION
AGRICULTURE
GOVERNMENT
FOOD
ARTS
TOURISM
RETAIL
MANUFACTURING An Echo Press publication
Because We Care… As an independent supermarket owner we are proud to have a personal stake in the community we serve. We are very aware of our responsibilities to our community, our customers and our associates and pledge to be good stewards of your trust.
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Welcome to
IMPACT
2018
Ross Evavold, Editor
O
ne of the first lessons you learn in the newspaper business is how connected people are, and that one person can make a difference in so many other’s lives. From week to week, we’re grateful to be able to tell many of those stories in the Echo Press. Those people are what make the wheels go round at all of the organizations, institutions and businesses throughout Douglas County, and in turn are why so many find this such a special place. However, the impact they make isn’t confined to the city limits or a township’s boundaries or even within the county line. The work that is done here reaches far beyond any of those restrictions, benefitting people from coast to coast, throughout North America and the world, and that is why we are focusing on reach in our fourth annual edition of IMPACT.
Consider how church groups, Rotary and other organizations go on mission trips all over the globe, providing services that enrich those less fortunate than ourselves. As I write this, executive director Lori Anderson of the county’s Habitat for Humanity operations is in Vietnam along with others from this area building a house. When a thunderstorm today interrupted their work, it brought the volunteers closer together with the host family helping to build their house. “For those of us who shared in those moments of beauty inside the storm, it was the tying of the bond of peace that all of us will remember,” volunteer Tom Sinning wrote in a blog post. The more you look around Douglas County, the more you notice those ties to other regions. In these pages you will find countless examples of
TABLE OF CONTENTS Finance........................................................................................6 Government............................................................................10 Tourism.......................................................................................18 Health Care............................................................................24 Education................................................................................28 Manufacturing.....................................................................36 Arts...............................................................................................42 Agriculture..............................................................................46 Retail.......................................................................................... 50 Service.......................................................................................56 Recreation...............................................................................62
A publication of Echo Press, November 2018 225 7th Ave. East, Alexandria, MN | www.echopress.com
PUBLISHER: Jody Hanson EDITOR: Ross Evavold PHOTOGRAPHER: Lowell Anderson DESIGNER: Lori Mork
PAGE 4 | IMPACT 2018
how others rely on products and people from the county, and businesses that have developed bonds with customers from outside the area. They are just a small sample size of how connected we have become. Here’s one story: Alexandria Industries started out in the 1960s as Alexandria Extrusion Co., and the small upstart was approached to produce a series of small aluminum tubings for an unspecified project. Those components were lightweight tubular tripods that became part of the first lunar rover that carried Apollo 15 astronauts David Scott and James Irwin across the surface of the moon on July 31, 1971. When it comes to reach, you can’t get much further from Alexandria than the moon.
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FINANCE
DEL MARI RUNCK
COO, Neighborhood National Bank and Alexandria Lakes Chamber of Commerce President Like so many industries, banking is changing. How so, and how do you meet those changing needs? Banking has changed dramatically in recent years, particularly in the area of the delivery of financial services. As a result, our clients have the convenience of doing business with us 24/7 from anywhere in the world. Digital banking access allows clients to access their account information, perform transfers, pay bills and make deposits through our mobile app. In addition, customers can apply for mortgage and consumer loans on our website. Distance between our clients and our bank is no longer a barrier to providing financial services and has allowed us to extend our reach. For our clients who prefer face-to-face interaction when transacting business, our team welcomes those opportunities as well. One challenge in a cyber world where customers migrate to the convenience of our virtual banking services is the human connection component of our relationship. We continually seek opportunities to ensure our relationships with clients are fostered in new ways, as these relationships continue to be our No. 1 priority. What does Neighborhood National Bank do to separate itself from the others in such a competitive environment? From the moment we meet our prospective customer through the lifetime of the relationship, we strive to do the right thing. Our bankers have a high level of integrity and our primary goal is to meet the needs of every customer and to provide excellent service with every interaction. It is also important to note that Neighborhood National Bank is an independent community bank and decisions are made by those of us that live and work in the five communities we serve. Relationships are so important in many businesses, and certainly in banking. When you came here in 2001, what steps did you take to get acclimated in your new community?
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Relationships are the key to building trust, which is an important part of what we do. After my move to Alexandria to work with the team that was forming Neighborhood National Bank, I found an unlimited number of opportunities through which I was able to build new personal and professional relationships. Throughout my banking career, I’ve always believed that great communities provide opportunities for people to come together to benefit local nonprofits and to create a place to share more about why we might be a good fit for people who are looking for a new financial partner. Lakes Area Professional Women was the first organization I connected with. Soon after, I began serving on the Board of Friends of the Douglas County Library and eventually became involved in the Alexandria Area Chamber of Commerce, the Central Lakes Concert Association and First Lutheran Church Endowment Committee. How do you encourage community involvement from your staff? Neighborhood National Bank is proud to support a wide range of events, celebrations and organizations that provide experiences for our customers, employees and individuals within our communities. Every employee is encouraged to volunteer their time in a non-profit organization for which they have a passion. In addition, our bank has a commitment to provide donations of food to organizations who work to alleviate hunger in the communities we serve. This commitment has grown into an annual “Grocery Grab” event in partnership with Elden’s Fresh Foods, a locally-owned grocery store. Every other community which Neighborhood National Bank serves carries out this same event in March. In 2018, through our five locations, more than $35,000 was raised in support of our local food shelves. We also collect non-perishable food items for the Alexandria Area High School Food Shelf in September of each year through our participation in the Minnesota Bankers Association’s Community Impact week.
Runck continued on Page 8
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DEFINITELY, MOBILE BANKING HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE. SHARI LAVEN
TECHNOLOGY
CEO, VIKING BANK
brings mobility to banking
T
he business landscape is littered with companies that have seen their business models upended in ways that could never have been foreseen a generation or two ago.
The banking industry hasn’t been immune to the changes brought on by technology; changes accelerated by the mobile nature of society and the increasing reliance on cell phones. Not all changes have cried out for solutions. In fact, when it comes to the financial world, one change has presented more opportunities than drawbacks. Mobile banking has opened things up for both banks and their customers, giving them freedom of movement without impeding their ability to conduct transactions with their financial institution. No longer is it necessary for customers to make a trip to their bank during normal weekday business hours to cash or deposit a check. CONVENIENCE As with most technological advances, the big winner has been convenience. Being able to do things from your home – or wherever your travels take you – has been increasingly adopted by customers. “It makes it easy and it makes it fast. They get credit right away,” said Shari Laven, CEO of Viking Bank in Alexandria. “If they had to send a check by mail, it takes that long to get here. Now they get access to their funds that much faster. It’s a time-saver.”
Mobile banking, which relies on a smartphone or tablet, is an extension of online or Internet banking, an electronic payment system through a bank’s website that has been around longer. Customers initially hesitated to trust doing their financial business over the Internet, and it took years for it to really take off. But its advantages – its ease of use, permanent access at any time and from anywhere to your account, the ability to automatically pay your bills, and that time-saving convenience that Laven refers to – began to win people over. All of that was preceded by ATMs, which also was a breakthrough in giving customers easier access to their money. Since mobile banking doesn’t handle cash transactions, ATMs or the traditional bank are still needed for cash withdrawals or deposits. “Definitely, mobile banking has made a difference,” Laven said, noting its use became more rampant when cell phones became smartphones. Within time, the core method of banking was evolving, as fewer people made it a point to actually step foot into a bank. Many employers require their workers to have automatic deposit, eliminating the lines one used to see in banks, often at the end of the week.
“We still see a fair amount of traffic,” Laven said. But it is nowhere near when she first began her banking career, and banks were a place for senior citizens and others to congregate, get a cup of coffee and socialize. “That era is sort of gone now.” RETAINING CUSTOMERS Back to the upside: all this technology has enabled area banks to retain customers even if they live for part or most of the year outside Douglas County. “We have a lot of customers – and I think most banks do – who spend their summers here and winter somewhere else,” Laven said of the snowbirds who flock to warmer climates once the cold comes on each year. Another group that has also been able to keep banking in the Alexandria area is college students, who have a choice to keep their local account active. That wasn’t always the case. “Way back when, they used to have to have two accounts,” Laven said of those area residents who choose to leave for part of the year. “Now they don’t need that.”
Runck from Page 6 What makes this area unique, and what are its strengths? We are proud to provide financial services in the fastest-growing outstate community in Minnesota. Alexandria and Douglas County is a vibrant area that is home to a diverse business community including a downtown that continues to thrive, solid K-12 public education systems, Alexandria Technical and Community College, regional medical facilities and an environment that provides natural beauty through lakes, parks, bike trails and so much more. We PAGE 8 | IMPACT 2018
can all agree that we are the “ultimate destination to live, work, play and prosper,” as the chamber notes through its mission statement. What led you to become involved with the chamber? As a part of the chamber’s Leadership Alexandria program in 20012002, and learning about the chamber’s strong support of the Alexandria business community, I had a deep desire to become more involved. In 2003, I was invited to serve as a Chamber Am-
bassador, and in 2004 I began serving on the chamber’s finance committee. Those experiences led to being elected to the Chamber Board of Directors in January 2015. It has been an honor to serve as its president and work with the board and the chamber staff to formulate and execute plans to serve our 600-plus members, helping to ensure they have success as they do business in our community. How does being involved with the chamber benefit a financial institution such as Neighborhood National Bank?
We became members of the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce in 2001 when we opened our community bank. From the beginning, we found value in the opportunities the chamber provides to network with our Alexandria business community and have also received significant benefits by sending our staff to Leadership Alexandria and Leadership Alexandria 2.0. The chamber also provides an inexpensive tool through which our business can communicate with 600-plus business and non-profit members.
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GOVERNMENT
SARA CARLSON Mayor, City of Alexandria What led you to want to serve as mayor of Alexandria? My father was the chair of the township board for as long as I can remember and my mother served on the church council, school board, and was the state representative for their area. So politics, serving your community as part of your civic responsibility, was just something I knew and learned early – I understood the process and both the good and bad aspects. While Ron and I were raising our four children, I taught special education around the Alexandria area. About the time the youngest was graduating, there happened to be an open seat that needed an appointment on the council and I applied. I served on the council for nine years under Mayor Dan Ness – he told me he would teach me all he knew about Alexandria so I could be the next mayor when he retired. He was a great mentor. I do this job because I love this city – it is the greatest place to live! Since becoming mayor, what are a few key things you have learned about the job and the city? There are lots of facets of the city. For example, there are streets and roads that need constant care, and of course the mayor is in charge of the police department and safety for all citizens is of utmost importance. We also have to maintain the fire department, parks, and we have the Runestone Community Center, and none of that runs without administration. We are constantly looking for economic development that brings growth to our area. However, we must be responsible taxpayers and keep taxes low. I learned early on that I wanted to take an approach that would help the city grow and prosper and increase our tax base. I also learned that meant a lot of meetings, so whenever someone is looking for me, I am usually in a meeting. It takes a lot to run a city efficiently and effectively. I believe that the city PAGE 10 10 || IMPACT IMPACT 2018 2018 PAGE
has a huge role in making the whole Alexandria Lakes Area a growing, thriving area. This is where our partnerships are really important – where we sit down at the table with the county, the townships, the school district, the hospital, businesses and other organizations. Imaginary lines don’t have to define us; what is good for us in the city is good for someone who lives in the county. It is, of course, economically smart as well; we can and should collaborate and share our resources. People want to come to an area where people work together, live together and get along. No one stands alone and gets things done as well as working together and collaborating, partnering. So working together with all entities is a must in my mind and those that would not want to do that would be throwing away money, talent and duplication of services – that again cost taxpayers dollars. What are you most proud of as mayor? On a personal level, I am most proud that I have been able to work through obstacles with civility – finding a way to get things done. Of course, the building of the new police station stands out in my mind. The Broadway project, as well, took years to complete and lots of collaboration and compromise. In addition, I am proud and privileged to have built partnerships in the Alexandria Lakes Area and collaborated whenever possible, with clear and open transparency. I have had the opportunity to serve on two state boards and am currently still on both. I am the past president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and I also serve on the League of Minnesota Cities Board. What I have learned from being on these boards and traveling around the state is that there is no place like home, as Dorothy says in the “Wizard of Oz.” We have a wonderful city and area here and I am so proud to stand up at any meeting or at the state Capitol and say
What are the challenges facing Alexandria? Affordable and workforce housing is really a challenge in Alexandria and to almost every city in Minnesota right now. We work hard to continue to bring housing of all types to our area by working with the HRA and private industry to offer incentives to come to this area to build. Piggybacking on the lack of housing problem brings a
shortage of workers issue to the area in many service and industrial areas – again, we use the partnership we have formed to entice workers to stay or return to this area and raise their families. Lake health is another issue we face and will continue to work on in the future, as we know tourism is important to our economy.
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I am from Alexandria. People recognize Alexandria, they know where we are and usually say – “Oh, I’ve been there, great place!” I am honored to represent this area. I am proud of our city administrator, Martin Schultz, who heads up six departments of great staff – we have wonderful city employees and we could not provide the great services we do without their dedication. The city has implemented performance-based pay and I believe by doing so we have made the workers not only accountable, but we have made them love their jobs even more as they know exactly what their expectations are. This has been a win-win for everyone.
What excites you in regard to the city’s future? We have just finished our comprehensive plan and continue to work on strategic planning. Alexandria is going to continue to grow and thrive. Our city population will soon go past 14,000 and we need to ensure that we provide adequate and affordable housing for all of those residents, along with making sure our transportation system, our electric/water/sewer systems and our other infrastructure systems (broadband, for example) are capable of supporting the projected and ongoing growth. We can do this because of the tremendous partnerships already in place in our amazing community.
Since 1880, the Alexandria School District has created and sustained a highly regarded school system within a thriving community. Our students excel in academics and extracurricular activities, we have highly qualified teachers and staff who have a deep passion for what they do, and our community has a heart for our youth. Our school district has something for everyone, and that’s the reason We are the A Team. The A-Team represents our exceptional school community that is focused on the following areas: · Excellence in Academics – an innovative, challenging curriculum, that can’t be matched. · Excellence in Activities – numerous opportunities to participate in arts, activities and athletics – we have something for everyone. · Excellence in Attention – a personalized, individual-focused experience. A place where every student is known. · Excellence in Access – exclusive opportunities to learn side-by-side with community business leaders and mentors who are dedicated to partnering with students and who bring real-world experiences into the classroom. From our personalized learning initiative and award-winning fine arts and athletics programs to our focus on individualized pathways for college and career readiness, you will see why Alexandria Public Schools is truly a destination district. Learn more about our schools by visiting www.alexandria.k12.mn.us or calling 320-762-2141. Proudly serving the communities of Alexandria, Carlos, Forada, Garfield, Miltona, Nelson, and surrounding area townships.
IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 11
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OUTREACH
pays dividends for police
T
he top two officers in the Alexandria Police Department put a high value on being connected with the people in their city. They continually make efforts to do so, and have seen its benefits. Police Chief Rick Wyffels and Captain Scott Kent have also gone outside of Alexandria for high-level training, and to share their expertise with national organizations. That has also paid dividends. Wyffels has served as president of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, and for nearly a decade has represented Minnesota on the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Systems police advisory group. He presides over the board as chairman, a role he has had since 2016. With its police chief chairing a national board, Alexandria will never be left in the dark. “It puts you in the know of what’s coming a little quicker,” Wyffels said. The Alexandria Police Department was the first in Minnesota to receive training from the national
Anti-Defamation League regarding implicit bias, in the fall of 2017. As a result of that experience, the ADL invited Kent to help facilitate during future training sessions. He has done so in Minnesota, and is going next to Illinois to help train the Chicago Police Department. “To have the talent on our Rick Wyffels staff where we have an Alex- ALEXANDRIA POLICE CHIEF andria police captain going to help train the Chicago Police Department – I am really proud of that,” Wyffels said. He points out that none of these personal achievements on a state and national level would have been possible without the full support of the city. “The credit goes to my boss, the mayor,” he said. When the opportunity to preside as chairman of the CJIS board presented itself, Wyffels said he wouldn’t have pursued it if Mayor Sara Carlson wasn’t fully on board.
Contributed photo
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“Being chairman of the board meant I would travel a couple more times a year. I wanted to know that the support is there, so when I’m off in Louisville, Kentucky, some day, that I know in the back room people aren’t saying, ‘Why is he gone again?’” Carlson told Wyffels she wanted him to continue being a leader on a national scale. “Can you imagine the clout Alexandria has when we need some attention on a police matter?” she said.
Quantico, Virginia. The chief had also graduated from the academy when he was a captain 13 years previously. “The skills that I acquired there have helped me immensely during my time with the Alexandria Police Department,” Wyffels said, and he has seen the same thing happen with Kent. His local connections had branched out exponentially. “There are times I have reached out to a solid core of people who live on the East Coast, the West Coast and in the Midwest, from agencies with 35 people to 900 people, and asked, ‘What are you guys doing?’” Kent said. “We get honest answers and I trust these people.”
BRINGING BACK KNOWLEDGE Kent received that same support from Wyffels in 2016 when he spent 11 intense weeks at the FBI National Academy in
Police continued on Page 16
TO HAVE THE TALENT ON OUR STAFF WHERE WE HAVE AN ALEXANDRIA POLICE CAPTAIN GOING TO HELP TRAIN THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT – I AM REALLY PROUD OF THAT.
Contributed
During week 11 of his training at the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia, Alexandria Police Captain Scott Kent had to do the rope climb during the Yellow Brick Road five-and-ahalf mile long obstacle course.
RICK WYFFELS
ALEXANDRIA POLICE CHIEF
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IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 15
Police from Page 15 Leadership Alexandria, the Blandin Community Leadership Program, Toastmasters and now the ADL training are important for Kent when it comes to his personal development. They are so important that he takes personal time off for his work with the ADL. “For where we live, and what we do, it’s hugely beneficially,” Kent said. It isn’t difficult for Wyffels to find examples of ways all of these extra efforts have paid off. “It helps in that people from other organizations, they actually call you. The BCA (Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) asks for your opinion, and you build professional relationships, and you also have those contacts,” he said. The social capital built by the chief and his captain with various organizations got driven home in 2017 when Jasmine Block was abducted. Wyffels put out the call, saying they needed help in the search for her. “We had people coming here. They flocked here and they stayed here, be-
cause they don’t have to build a relationship with us. We know these people and we know they’re in the game. It was so seamless,” he said. That was the payback for the relationships Wyffels had built. It’s why he encourages officers in his department, and people in private business, to reach out and become involved with others. “It can only help you,” he said, equating it to a spider web that expands throughout the community, not unlike the spider web method used to solve crimes. So Kent and Wyffels continue to make time for the additional work above and beyond all they do in Alexandria, learning from the best and brightest they interact with, and bringing it back here to the city. “I want to make sure that I don’t keep all of this knowledge for me,” Wyffels said. “It’s not ours to own. I frankly don’t want it. I want to make sure I spread it around. I want to give it all away to people here, so we can add more and continue the work we do.”
Contributed
Alexandria Police Captain Scott Kent stands by the FBI Academy sign during the second week of his 11-week training.
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TOURISM
JEFF WILD
General Manager, Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center You have a large customer base, but that wasn’t the case when Arrowwood opened in 1971. How have you built the business, and with so many options available, kept people coming back?
PAGE 18 | IMPACT 2018
Unemployment levels have been low for awhile, and fewer kids appear to be seeking summer jobs. Have you noticed that, and how has that impacted your ability to staff the resort?
We are very fortunate to have a loyal customer base. Over 60 percent of our business is group business and of that, a huge percentage of our groups return every year or are on a rotation that includes Arrowwood in the mix of destinations that they choose to use for meetings. Our customers love the variety of recreation amenities that we offer, the fact that our meeting and banquet facilities are all under one roof, and our convenient location, yet the best comment we hear the most is that our staff takes such good care of them. A lot of our association and corporate groups return year after year and it’s like welcoming back family. We know them, they remember us, and that’s what’s so fun. It is also very rewarding and fun to see so many families return to Arrowwood each year to vacation.
We absolutely feel the impact of low unemployment levels. It’s made staffing very difficult. We just don’t get the numbers of applications that we used to. To compensate for this, we’ve really changed our focus to the retention of our best employees. We are constantly striving to improve and provide a culture where people want to work. In addition, we have had to resort to hiring J-1 foreign exchange students in the summer months and this has been an incredible opportunity for us. We moved in housing for the students in the spring of 2018 and this allows us to hire and host as many as 30 students each summer. We have a lot of fun with our J-1’s. They really want to be here, learn about our culture and they work hard while they are here. It’s been a rewarding experience each year for us and the students.
How seasonally-driven is your business, and what effect does that have on your operations?
To what extent are Arrowwood’s amenities key parts of the business, and are any additions in the works?
It’s definitely a challenge when the majority of our business comes during the summer months. We hire over 150 seasonal workers each year to get us through the peak season. Many of these are high school and college students. The biggest challenge happens in September and October because the resort is still very busy with groups and conventions while many of our seasonal workers have already left and gone back to school. I feel very fortunate to have an amazing core staff of full-time, year-round employees. The best thing we’ve done to compensate for our seasonality was to build the Big Splash Indoor Waterpark. That has extended our “busy season” to year round.
Our recreational amenities are very vital to our success. Our guests want to have great experiences, things they can do to build memories and share these experiences with their friends and family. We have some very unique recreation things like our executive putting course (an 18-hole mini-golf course that’s real bent-grass greens) and the Big Splash Indoor Waterpark. We have tried to provide things to do so “no matter what the weather, there’s always something fun to do at Arrowwood.” We made a very tough decision to close the horse riding stable after this season. It was an emotionally tough decision to make since Arrowwood started as the Darling Dude Ranch and
horses have been part of our resort since 1948, but it just didn’t make economic sense to continue the operation. We are working on adding mountain/fat tire bike trails and hiking trails through the property that I know our guests would utilize and be excited about. How do you make Arrowwood a place that people want to return? I think it speaks to our mission statement: “As a company, we strive to be the leaders in our industry by fostering a positive culture that focuses on serving our guests, supporting our associates and our local communities while ensuring the trust of our owners and partners.” Our declaration is, “We will do anything and everything to earn our guests’ loyalty; it means the world to us.” In a nutshell, we strive to foster a positive culture where serving our guests comes natural to our employees, and we make a sincere effort to “make someone’s day,” every day. Arrowwood has plenty to offer area residents, as well as out-of-towners. How much of your business is dependent upon locals? We would not survive if not for the business that we get from the Alexandria area. We serve the local
community as a place for company meetings, weddings and social events, as well as provide dining options in the Lake Café and the outdoor Deck Bar and Grill, and of course the Big Splash Indoor Waterpark is open to the public for day visitors to use as well. We appreciate the membership base we have at the Atikwa Golf Course as well as the play we get through tee times at the golf club. Our marina and snow center is also open to the general public, so when our local customers want to rent a pontoon boat for the day or try snowmobiling, we’re available to them.
What are your biggest areas for future growth? We have had a lot of success in renting the larger units that we built. We have 3- and 4-bedroom townhome units and 1-, 2-, 4- and 6-bedroom cottages that have been very popular for family reunions, golf groups, corporate retreats, etc. I think future growth will continue to be in the larger accommodation types that we can offer where people can gather together.
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IT SOLD PEOPLE ON THE COMMUNITY. BRUCE OLSON FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LEGACY OF THE LAKES MUSEUM, speaking on the role resorts had in the development of the area as a regional summer resort destination
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Resorts played instrumental role in
TOURISM
T
he 720 square miles that comprise Douglas County are home to more than 36,009 people, which was the determination of the 2010 census. But that number fluctuates quite a bit, taking into account the “snowbirds” who head south for at least part of the winter.
However, if that number contracts in the coldest months, it most certainly swells in the summer. For that has been a well-established pattern that dates at least as far back as the 1880s, when the area’s many resorts were gaining a reputation for luring tourists in search of fishing, boating, rest and
VOTED
relaxation to this lake-rich landscape. It is said that the county boasts 83 square miles of water, and all of those lakes quickly became the site of a great many resorts that have introduced people to the wonders of the Alexandria area since at least the 1880s. “It sold people on the community,” Bruce Olson said of the important role that resorts had in the development of the area as a regional summer resort destination. In his role as the former executive director of the Legacy of the Lakes Museum in Alexandria, Olson has studied the rich history surrounding the area’s lakes, and that includes resorts.
RESORTS
continued on Page 22
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Memories Made Here
Cabins, along with chairs and firepits, line the beach at Brophy Lake Resort.
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PAGE 22 | IMPACT 2018
Resorts from Page 21 Some of those people who flocked to Douglas County and saw first-hand all that it had to offer wound up building summer homes on the shores of area lakes. “Mom and pop” resorts flourished, increasing to three times the number that currently exist, offering even more people opportunities to say they live on a lake, if only for a week. A couple dozen resorts continue to play that welcoming role today. Although not as many in numbers as once existed, the resorts that remain have deservedly amassed a steady and loyal following, with families returning year after year. “We’re into the fourth generation,” said Dick Wagner, who with his wife Linda have operated Shady Creek Resort on lakes Aaron and Moses for more than 40 years. Like many other resorts, they are only open from May through September, treating a steady stream of visitors to the wonders of lake life. That often includes boats, kayaks, canoes, pontoons, water slides, volleyball courts and playground areas.
Fewer resorts extend the season by more than a month on either side of the summer season. One of those that does is Brophy Lake Resort, which keeps a few cabins and the house available through the winter. Greg Bowen, who owns Brophy Lake Resort with his wife Angela Dotty, sits on the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors. He believes that in spite of the dwindling number of resorts – a trend that may be even more prevalent statewide than it is here – the future for those resort owners who want to stay in the business is bright. And for Bowen and Dotty, who have only owned their resort for a decade or so, they can’t imagine doing anything else. “We’ve talked about selling the resort, but what would we do?” Dotty said. They and the Wagners, and the bulk of the county’s resort owners who remain, appear to be in it for the long haul – which is good news for all of their regular guests.
DOUGLAS COUNTY
Facts
DOUGLAS COUNTY POPULATION 1990 28,674 2010 36,009 2000 32,821 2017 37,575
POPULATION AGE PROJECTIONS Year 0-19 20-44 45-64 65+ 2017 8,876 10,406 10,025 8,368 2020 8,244 10,655 9,418 9,568 2025 7,821 11,054 8,762 10,891 2030 7,480 11,240 8,516 11,704 2035 7,450 11,310 8,709 11,760 2040 7,645 11,152 9,105 11,482 2045 7,742 11,079 9,454 11,178 2050 7,698 10,850 9,859 11,121
www.alexandria-chev.com IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 23
HEALTH CARE
MIKE DOYLE Heartland Orthopedic Specialists Administrative Director What’s the key to Heartland Orthopedic Specialists’ growth? Great people. We have a tremendous group of providers and supporting staff all working together to provide the best care possible for patients. What has the Joint Replacement Center brought to Heartland in the past decade? It has been a tremendous success for us and allows us to average over 600 joint replacements per year while maintaining a 99.5 percent patient satisfaction rate. When Dr. Dale worked with Alomere Health and physical therapist Erin McCoy to help develop the program, we were at the leading edge of a change in patient care. This change and our continuing improvements in the delivery of care have made our practice recognized both regionally and nationally. We consistently receive requests from other facilities all over on how we do it. How did the connection with Alomere Health come about? Ten years ago with the constantly changing health care market, the surgeons at Heartland Orthopedic Specialists were having strategic planning discussions focused on what the future looked like for us. We knew we needed a strategic partner, and knew we needed to align with someone strategically and financially that had similar values in providing the highest level of care to our patients. Along with keeping the values of living in west-central Minnesota, we also wanted to maintain our independence and not become part of a large system. It was a perfect match aligning with Alomere Health, where the surgeons have the opportunity to collaboratively work with the hospital.
PAGE 24 | IMPACT 2018
Heartland supplies athletic trainers and orthopedic team doctors for high schools and colleges. Do you have any advice for young athletes? My advice to young athletes would be to make physical activity a lifestyle. By being active, the longterm health benefits will repay you in many ways. Also, enjoy the moment, the memories you will make will last a lifetime. Some of my greatest conversations are running into previous athletes I have worked with and reliving memories from their high school days. What will having your PEAK Performance group in the NorthStar sports complex mean? We were looking for opportunities to invest in the community to continue to grow a healthy community. The NorthStar Sports Complex offers youth the chance to be physically active more often regardless of the weather, by having access to the fieldhouse or another sheet of ice for hockey. Specifically for our PEAK program, it will give us a little larger facility with easy access for our athletes to come in and train. We had around 250 athletes train in our program last year and hope to continue to grow this with our expansion. We also will be working with the FCA hockey team to help provide a high level of training off the ice. Nate Stark has done a tremendous job growing our hockey treadmill program the past couple of years along with Scott Scholls’ growth of our golf program with the Titleist Performance Institute. What is the best advice you’ve been given? This is really a tough one, as I have received so much good advice over the years. I will break it down into
Doyle continued on Page 27
All roads lead to
A COUNTY HOSPITAL DOESN’T REALLY ENCOMPASS ALL THAT WE DO.
ALOMERE HEALTH O n the morning of May 11, hospital employees gathered with area residents at the hospital entrance, under a sign that for years had spelled out Douglas County Hospital, to learn what would be replacing those three words. One of the main reasons for the name change was clear to many. “A county hospital doesn’t really encompass all that we do,” Bryce Prellwitz, a manager of medical oncology, told the Echo Press that morning. PAGE 26 | IMPACT 2018
Bill Flaig, a former Douglas County Hospital administrator, observed that the name change was reflective of the growth the hospital had seen over the years. “It serves more than just Douglas County,” he said. The hospital’s CEO, Carl Vaagenes, verified in his announcement that spring morning that the change in names was an acknowledgement of the hospital’s significant regional presence. “Our new name better describes our passion and purpose, not just our ownership or location,” he said at the cere-
BRYCE PRELLWITZ
MANAGER, MEDICAL ONCOLOGY
mony unveiling the change to Alomere Health.
CHANGING HABITS When a business makes an impact on such a wide swath of people, as does a hospital, its name becomes ingrained in their minds. To many, it will always be considered Douglas County Hospital – a name that had been around since 1955 – and years of referring to it as such makes it difficult to replace it with something new. Vaagenes understands that. “There were definitely people who have bled Douglas County Hospital for
years, even our employees, who were mourning the change,” he said. Edward T. Reif, director of community relations and development for Alomere, was born at Douglas County Hospital. “I’ve heard people say, ‘It’s always going to be Douglas County Hospital to me,’ and that’s fine. That’s okay,” he said. “We’ll never forget our name and where we come from,” Vaagenes said. “It’s not that we’re trying to distance ourselves from the name, as much as trying to embrace our patient base in terms of who we serve.”
Decades ago, the hospital’s patients were much more likely to live within the county than they are now. Mergers with Heartland Orthopedic Specialists and Alexandria Clinic (which included Osakis Clinic) in 2012 have expanded its base even further. Vaagenes said that at one point, 46 percent of its revenues came from residents of other counties, while Heartland serves patients from 186 zip codes in five states. The hospital has obstetrics patients from 100 zip codes, and the parents of the 2018 New Year’s baby drove past two hospitals to have their child born here, Reif said. Alomere and its other entities were not only a draw for patients, but for employees. In looking at its workforce – by far the largest employer in the county with approximately 900 employees – roughly 40 percent of the staff come to work from counties besides Douglas. So while it had remained a county-owned hospital and cemented itself in people’s lives, Douglas County Hospital had become a less accurate description of the business. LOOKING BACK A half-year after the name switch, Vaagenes was asked to reflect on how the transition to Alomere Health has gone.
“From where I sit, this has been fantastic. I can’t think of any drawbacks at all,” he said. Some admittedly didn’t care for the name at first, and Vaagenes said a change such as this takes a while to accept. “I had the benefit of knowing the name six months before the rollout and growing with the name, and I recognize everyone else has to go through that same process that we did,” he said. Toward that end, he brought many people on board through what was an 18-month process. “If we hadn’t done that, the outcome could have been very different in terms of the buy-in and support,” Vaagenes said. “It was extremely important for us to do that, and it helped us anticipate where the concerns might be.” The Douglas County Board unanimously approved the name change, and in the months since, Vaagenes has noticed indications the new name is catching on. The hospital had an online store prior to the name change but he said orders for items with the Douglas County Hospital logo were rare. “Now we have a lot of our employees wearing Alomere Health apparel,” he said. “I think it’s only going to continue to grow on people.”
Doyle from Page 24 three points. 1. Make sure to give positive feedback to people all the time. I have to remind myself of this regularly. If you see someone doing something good, tell them. 2. Listen and ask more questions. 3. The last one is not advice per se, but something that was said to me many years ago that has stuck with me. I was walking out of a hotel in St. Louis and the doorman opened the door for me and I asked him how his day was. He responded
with “I am living the dream.” It hit me really hard and after walking about halfway down the block to where I turned around and walked back to talk with him. I thanked him for his response to my question, to which he replied: “Well, I am living the dream.” It changed my perspective. I am truly blessed personally and professionally. I have a great family, great job, and get to live in a tremendous community. I am living the dream.
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IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 27
JACOB SMITH and GRANT SAULSBURY What led you to choose to pursue college in Alexandria?
How did Alexandria Technical & Community College stand out from the rest?
JACOB: When I was in high school I had the opportunity to take a plethora of shop classes. Out of all of them, I enjoyed machine shop class the most. I have always had a mechanical mind, and I figured machining was a good career path for me. My high school shop teacher is good friends with one of my instructors and told me that if I wanted to go to school for machining, I should go to Alexandria Technical & Community College. I didn’t simply base my decision on what my teacher told me. I went and toured another program at another school. In comparison, the tour I had at ATCC was outstanding.
GRANT: What sold me was the open house. I had been looking at a Powersports program at a community college right in my hometown, where I could still live at home and commute. I also was interested in another technical school located in Phoenix. I talked with graduates over the phone from that program, and toured the campus at the local college, and thought that was where I would end up. I decided to drive to Alexandria by myself (about five hours one way) and see what their program was like, and I was instantly sold. No comparison.
GRANT: I am here in Alexandria solely for the college. The town being around so many lakes and so beautiful is a really nice benefit.
Grant Saulsbury, Marine, Motorcycle and Powersports Technician student.
Students, Alexandria Technical & Community College
JACOB: ATCC stands out to me because my instructors expect and encourage professionalism to the highest standard. I am honored to be in a program that is one of the best in the state and is known to produce world-class machinists. In addition, the equipment, tooling and software that we have access to is top-notch. What are the most important lessons you have learned since coming here? JACOB: Some of the most important lessons I have learned are: don’t wonder if you know something – you either do or you don’t; there is no in between; honesty is the best policy; and if you’re not going to do it right, then don’t do it at all. GRANT: Learning how to open up and not be afraid to talk, ask questions and try new things. Meeting people was not the easiest task for me, but ATCC certainly helps with that process, and now I am feeling much more confident moving forward.
Jacob Smith, Machine Tool Technology student. What has impressed you about the college?
GRANT: I didn’t realize it was such a beautiful area, with a lot to offer with its chain of lakes. The town has a lot of attractions and is a lot of fun to live in. The people here are nice for the most part and happy to lend a hand. It is a clean and pleasant area to live in.
GRANT: The Powersports program, in general, has impressed me the most. The three instructors are masters in their fields, shop space is plentiful, school equipment is up to date and more than enough available for all students, attention to detail for the students, along with involvement with other organizations such as SkillsUSA, which has benefited me greatly.
What advice would you give students entering their first year at ATCC?
What are your future plans, and might they include this area?
What have been your impressions of the city?
JACOB: My advice for incoming students is simple: Show up on time. Be ready to learn. Get your work done, and listen to your instructors. GRANT: Get to know the people around you, make connections, do not be afraid to ask questions, and pay attention because it goes by quick! Get involved in SkillsUSA.
JACOB: My overall goal is to go work in industry for a few years, and eventually start my own business. I don’t know if that will happen in the Alexandria area or not.
ATCC continued on Page 32
IMPACT 2018| PAGE 29
NEW HIGH SCHOOL
is a drawing card
W
hen the Alexandria School District closed Jefferson High School and threw open the doors to its futuristic 280,000-square-foot, $73.2 million high school building in 2014, it instantly became the new standard for school officials throughout Minnesota and beyond.
They have been flocking to Alexandria ever since, administrators, teachers and school board members, to see the revolutionary concepts of glass-walled, high-tech classrooms, other walls that move to create flexible “learning spaces,” natural light, flat-screen monitors and instead of desks, flexible furniture. Just as in the film “Field of Dreams,” so too it has been for Alexandria Area High School. Build it, and they will come.
The school has become a tourist attraction all its own, with 62 official tours drawing more than 1,000 people that first year alone – a figure that does not take into account all of the area residents who also took guided or self-guided tours. During the last school year, nearly 300 school officials toured the building. It has also hosted state and national politicians, manufacturers, and representatives from the University of Minnesota and schools throughout the country. “An unexpected challenge for us has been managing the number of visitors in the building to make sure our focus remains on educating our students,” said Julie Critz, the district’s superintendent of schools. REFLECTING CURRENT NEEDS What makes the facility so unique that, five years later, it continues to be sought out by educators and architects?
Critz credits a forward-thinking group of school board members, administrators and community members who at the time recognized the changes in education and the way students learn required a different type of building design. The traditional model of sitting students in rows of desks, listening to a teacher lecture and write on blackboards, has been replaced by collaborative, hands-on experiences.
“Teaching has definitely changed in my career in education. What teachers are doing now to engage students is very different, and it’s changed a lot in the last five years,” Critz said. “Students are engaged differently. The (building) design allows a different way of teaching and a different way of engaging the student.”
AAHS continued on Page 32
THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM THE KIDS WHAT THE REAL DEAL IS. JULIE CRITZ
DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS
PAGE 30 | IMPACT 2018
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AAHS from Page 30 The school’s architects and construction management companies were nominated for awards for their work on the structure. The other main lure involves its career academy and small learning models, which has districts who aren’t looking at building a school visiting Alexandria to learn more about its educational system. “In a traditional model, schools are organized by subjects,” Critz said, citing an example of grouping all of the English teachers in one area. “Our model is built around small learning communities. The crux of it is we want our large school broken down into smaller groups ... to better understand the whole child, and to have teachers talking with each other routinely to plan for student success.” BUILDING BRINGS BENEFITS The building has had a ripple effect, and has become a recruiting tool for students and for area businesses. The environment at the school has produced a positive response from both staff and students, Critz says, and many more high school students are attending through the open enrollment process than did at Jefferson. She also said visitors on tours have been impressed by the students’ behavior and maturity, and the school has noticed a decrease in disciplinary referrals. The tours are given by student ambassadors, who undergo training for
the responsibility. It is a welcome feature for those taking tours. “They want to hear from the kids what the real deal is. They know the talking points, but it gives them an opportunity to ask the kids questions,” Critz said, noting it’s also a beneficial exercise for the students. “They learn how to ensure positive and professional impression; greeting and addressing strangers, dressing professionally, presenting relevant information about our school and answering impromptu questions. This is a great life skill.” Back to the building. Critz said when she was principal at Washington Elementary School and giving school tours to job-seeking professionals, they told her that education matters in the recruiting process, as do modern facilities. Now the high school is a driving factor in recruiting high-quality talent to the area. “The high school has been a crown jewel,” said Edward Reif, director of community relations and development for Alomere Health. He was asked if prospective Alomere employees often inquire about the school system in Alexandria. “Yes, without question. If they have kids, every time,” he said. “We bring in people who are well-educated, and they have an appreciation for education and want their children to have that opportunity. “The educational system is definitely a powerful recruitment tool.”
ATCC from Page 28 GRANT: My future plans include gaining experience in the powersports industry after graduation, working as a tech at the dealer level, and hopefully to gain a position in a corporate environment as a career. As of right now, Alexandria is not in the big picture. If your career takes you away from the area, what will you miss most? JACOB: The thing I will miss most is being able to go pheasant hunting at the end of the day.
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GRANT: I will miss the people and friends I have met over the two years here. I will certainly be returning to visit them, and if needed, I will return to do anything that could help with the powersports program.
Jacob Smith is a second-year Machine Tool Technology student from Bemidji. Grant Saulsbury is a second-year Marine, Motorcycle, and Powersports Technician student from Sioux City, Iowa. They both are set to graduate in the spring of 2019.
EDUCATION
Facts
HIGHER EDUCATION
Alexandria Technical & Community College Ranked fourth in the nation for graduation of all public two-year institutions 98% job placement rate for graduates 3,900 students annually Customized Training Center Automation & Manufacturing Business & Management Computer Technology Health Care Public & Workplace Safety Specialized Training Transportation
K-12 EDUCATION
Enrollment District 3,973 Alexandria 825 Osakis 454 Brandon-Evansville
IMPACT 2018| PAGE 33
REAL ESTATE & BUILDING
Facts
Single-family home sales have risen 57 percent since 2013. Douglas County’s vacancy rate in the rental market is currently 10 percent. 2016 properties sold Residential Farm with Building Land Commercial
Units sold 687 2 153 39
Taxable Market Values Alexandria Township Brandon Township Carlos Township Hudson Township LaGrand Township Lake Mary Township City of Alexandria City of Garfield Douglas County
PAGE 34 | IMPACT 2018
Average sale price $227,801 $252,500 $94,842 $175,209 2017 $364,554,000 $167,298,500 $478,038,300 $190,406,500 $604,244,800 $214,289,300 $1,432,500,500 $20,337,700 $5,567,484,700
Average days on market 126 34 366 230 2018 $381,244,274 $177,290,861 $492,144,369 $204,788,298 $644,459,496 $213,595,660 $1,426,823,349 $19,338,379 $5,654,130,223
REAL ESTATE & BUILDING
Facts
CITY TAX RATES
Alexandria Brandon Carlos Evansville Garfield Kensington Miltona Osakis County 47.23% 47.23% 47.23% 47.23% 47.23% 47.23% 47.23% 47.23% City
40.78%
68.55%
78.01%
116.73%
71.69%
45.36%
64.90%
72.92%
School 22.44%
7.48%
22.44%
7.48%
22.44%
4.88%
22.44%
31.43%
Special
1.60%
1.60%
1.60%
1.60%
1.60%
1.60%
1.60%
124.86% 149.28%
173.04%
142.95%
99.06%
Total
1.43% 111.87%
ALEXANDRIA HOUSEHOLDS 6,204 Permits 970 Commercial building permits 41
136.17% 153.19%
DOUGLAS COUNTY HOUSEHOLDS 15,688 Permits 724 Commercial building permits 17
001792162r1
IMPACT 2018| PAGE 35
MANUFACTURING
GARY SUCKOW President, Voyager Industries
Voyager Industries has come a long way from its origins as a two-man crew in 1997. What have been the biggest reasons for its success? Many things have contributed to our success but ultimately, it’s due to our employees’ hard work day in and day out over the last 21 years. With their effort we’ve been able to leverage our aluminum expertise and manufacturing technology to create innovative, industry-leading products that meet the needs of our customers. Why Brandon? How did the company get its start there, and what role does its location play in Voyager Industries? For 10 years I would commute from the Leaf Valley area to Fergus Falls for work, and during that time frame I looked at Brandon as I drove through and said if I ever started a business Brandon would be a great location. Some of the attributes I saw were its proximity to Interstate 94 for truck traffic, and it had Bremer Bank, a hardware store, grocery store and a K-12 school. Brandon also had quite a few neighboring small towns to help draw in employees. As I started Voyager Industries, Gardonville Telephone Cooperative played a big role. Skip Brethorst, general manager of Gardonville at the time, along with its board of directors assisted in our locating in Brandon, getting a building, and to our success years after. The Brandon Economic Development Authority was another factor in choosing Brandon. They had access to some property and without that being available we might not have found land to build here. There were quite a few small towns offering us some attractive deals to locate in their town, but my initial thought of starting a small business in Brandon became a reality and it has worked great for everyone. What does Voyager look for in an employee, and what does it do to re-
PAGE 36 | IMPACT 2018
cruit, train and/or retain its workforce in such a competitive market? We like to have employees that take pride in their work. We produce products that are known for quality and it takes our employees to make sure this happens. We work hard to create an environment that is clean and safe for employees to come to each day; our goal is to have an energized workforce that takes pride in the products we’re manufacturing. Though the conditions for getting employees are difficult, we get a good number of new hires through referrals from our existing employees. With that being said, we are always on the lookout for quality employees, especially welders. Are there advantages to having many other manufacturers in the area? Absolutely; we have quite a few good manufacturing businesses in a 25-mile radius of Brandon. Many of these manufacturers are Voyager customers for aluminum extrusions and sheet. In addition, we do outsource several parts to other local manufactures to add value to our customer base in ways we are not equipped to do inhouse. Having them close helps keep lead times down and eliminates many logistical challenges. What lessons have you learned in working for a successful company that 83 employees count on for their livelihood? We take a lot of pride in our employees and know that every decision we make impacts them in one way or another. I know in making tough decisions not only does it impact my family, but it impacts every employee’s family. I can talk about many things that have led to Voyager’s success, but it is really the employees that make it all happen. Without great employees Voyager is just another company; with our team we are a great company.
Are there misconceptions about manufacturing? What might people not know about Voyager? One of the biggest misconceptions of manufacturing is the overall work environment. Technology keeps improving all around us and the manufacturing sector is keeping up with that, making many jobs easier, safer and cleaner than they have been in the past. We offer all our welders Speedglas welding helmets with an air filtration unit on it, which gives the welder fresh, clean air all the time. We also have an excellent air makeup unit that is constantly bringing in fresh air into our building; the result is a clean environment for the manufacturing we are doing. One of the most common comments I hear when giving someone in the industry a tour is how clean we keep our plant and how clean the air is given the welding we do. What investments has the company made in recent years? Besides growing our aluminum material sales and our value-added capabilities, we have invested in several proprietary product lines. These include Titan Decking, Voyager Dock, Yetti Fish House and Bear Track Trailers, which was an Evansville-based company we acquired three years ago. We invest a great deal in time and money every year updating and refining existing product lines as well as designing new ones and testing them fully prior to bringing them to market. We have also invested heavily in machining equipment, cranes and our buildings. Voyager recently expanded with a 30,000-square-foot warehouse. What does the future hold? Voyager has seen a lot of growth the last few years and we believe we’re set up for success in the future. Our existing product lines and their distribution networks are expanding with consumer demand remaining strong. In addition, we continue to invest in product development and have several new and exciting things in the works. Most importantly, our employees are engaged and committed to building quality products and meeting our customers’ needs.
IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 37
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I NOTICED WHEN I FIRST CAME TO THIS COMMUNITY THAT I THOUGHT WAS EXTREMELY UNIQUE WAS THE COLLABORATIVE NATURE THAT EXISTS AMONG COMPETITORS. CARL VAAGENES
001781042r1
CEO OF ALOMERE HEATH
PAGE 38 | IMPACT 2018
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
has taken off in area
W
hen Tony Dropik graduated from Jefferson High School, he wanted to be a welder. That brought him to what is now Alexandria Technical & Community College in 1977, but at that time no jobs were available in Alexandria. He was forced to leave the area.
“There was literally nothing around here,” said Dropik, who after all these years can be found at ATCC, where he is a welding technology instructor. “After a few years, things started to develop around here. Now the area is just booming.” It most certainly is. Douglas County alone is home to more than 40 manufacturers, employing more than 3,500 workers. They are good-paying jobs, too. According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the average manufacturing salary in central Minnesota is $52,500 a year. “We have quite the payroll from manufacturing jobs alone,” said Nicole Fernholz, executive director of the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission. “A lot of these companies are homegrown,” she said before rattling off several, “and a lot stem from our home-grown individuals, who saw a need and were able to do something about it.”
Those hometown leaders shared another trait – a desire to work together for the good of the area and the industry as a whole. “One of the things that I noticed when I first came to this community that I thought was extremely unique was the collaborative nature that exists among competitors, particularly in the manufacturing community here,” said Carl Vaagenes, CEO of Alomere Health. In one of the first meetings he attended at Alexandria Technical & Community College, he recalled witnessing the owners of these manufacturing companies discussing how to collaborate to interest school kids in technical careers, and how to work together to support the school. “That to me is another unique thing about this region – that reach across the town and across relationships,” he said. ONE IN FIVE JOBS Manufacturing accounts for 20 percent of employment in the county, and when you consider the indirect effects manufacturing have, its impact swells even more. Each dollar in sales of manufactured products supports $1.33 in output from other sectors, according to the Manufacturing Institute. Sandy Kashmark is executive director of several organizations, including the Midwest Manufacturers’ Association out of Elbow Lake, and the
Manufacturing continued on Page 40
IMPACT 2018| PAGE 39
Manufacturing from Page 39 Tri-State Manufacturers’ Association, serving approximately 180 manufacturers in west-central Minnesota and eastern North and South Dakota. She says the Alexandria area is one of three rural Minnesota manufacturing strongholds, along with St. Cloud and Hutchinson. “There’s so much manufacturing in Douglas County, that they really work with everything,” Kashmark said. Those area manufacturers start work with plastic, metal, aluminum, food and more, she said, and make products and components for a wide variety of industries, “from organic food to guns, recreational vehicles to farm implements, bioscience, electronics, medical, construction, automotive, communications and signage.” That is not even close to a comprehensive list. “West-central Minnesota is potentially home to the largest concentration of packaging machine manufacturers in the world,” Kashmark said, citing Douglas, Aagard, Brenton, along with Massman in Pope County and Thiele Technologies in Otter Tail County. “These machines, which can be large enough to fill a room, are used by such industries as plastics, food, household goods and more,” she said, noting that these machines are sold throughout the United States, North America and overseas. The area’s rise in manufacturing through the years has managed to create another benefit, in addition to the jobs it has spawned. It has added another dimension to the employment picture, and made the area less dependent on any one sector. Fernholz, who is also an officer with the Minnesota Association of Professional County Economic Developers, has interacted with other EDC officials from throughout the state. She says those talks have driven home a point that bears repeating. “A lot of counties are reliant on a single industry. They don’t have the diversity we have,” she said. “We really are lucky to have that much industry here.”
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AREA BUSINESS
Facts
BEST PLACE FOR BUSINESS EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY 4,601 Education & Health Services 4,201 Trade, Transportation & Utilities 3,404 Manufacturing 1,973 Hospitality 930 Professional Services 809 Construction 751 Financial Services 657 Public Administration 222 Information 92 Natural Resources WORKFORCE 7,595 Alexandria 21,400 Douglas County 3,087,727 Minnesota
TOP 10 EMPLOYERS WORKERS BUSINESS INDUSTRY 900 Alomere Health Health care 700 Douglas Machining Manufacturing 604 Alexandria Public Schools Education 473 Knute Nelson Health care 470 Alexandria Industries Manufacturing 400 3M - Alexandria Manufacturing 313 Douglas County Government 300 Central Specialties Construction 300 Brenton Engineering Manufacturing 280 Arrowwood Hospitality UNEMPLOYMENT RATES 2.3% Alexandria 2.1% Douglas County 2.5% Minnesota
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IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 41
ARTS
NICOLE MULDER Executive Director, Theatre L’Homme Dieu What appealed to you about Theatre L’Homme Dieu? There’s something very special about the atmosphere at Theatre L’Homme Dieu that is conducive to quality arts experiences. I grew up in Alexandria and have been attending the theatre since I was a teenage volunteer usher. I moved after high school but visited on a regular basis with my husband, John, and eventually we introduced our kids to theatre at TLHD. This position allows me to combine my business skills with my passion for the arts, in my hometown community, where I still have friends and family I love. It’s quite an opportunity and I’m honored to do the work. TLHD is the oldest operating summer stock theatre in Minnesota. How has professional theater been able to work in Douglas County? TLHD is a space where permanent and seasonal residents, tourists and visitors come together to share an arts experience. Unique connections and memories are made. People enjoy their time there, and return because they have a good experience again and again. By bringing the best performing artists we can to the heart of the lakes area, we give our audience a chance to experience professional theatre without the expense of traveling to the city, paying for parking, and taking half a day of travel time. It’s a pretty cool asset to have in Douglas County. What does having a thriving entertainment scene mean to a community? The arts are important in our community – not as a luxury, but in the fundamental role they play in civic participation, healthy living and the social and economic impact they have in our region. For example, a vibrant arts scene is necessary for employers to help recruit new talent to the workforce, and keep them here long-term. In addition, we know the arts have a tremendous economic impact – over $13 million annually – in Douglas and the six surrounding counties. PAGE 42 | IMPACT 2018 PAGE 42 | IMPACT 2018
To what extent does fundraising play for theaters, and how do you balance those responsibilities vs. other parts of the job? Fundraising is necessary for every theatre. At TLHD, fundraising accounts for nearly half of our budget, and allows us to pay artists a fair wage and keep ticket prices as low as we can. Our diversified fundraising efforts generate revenue from grants, corporate sponsorships, individual donations, planned estate gifts, and two major events per year – our Kentucky Derby Party in May and the Summer Soirée in August. Since half our revenue is generated by fundraising, it would make sense that half my time would be spent on fundraising tasks, but at this point in our business it’s not the reality. My role is also to program the season, hire and manage the summer staff and contractors, plan and forecast for the future, run the business, marketing and PR, manage the campus, communicate with the board of directors, etc. The weight of each task changes in any given month so balance isn’t something I strive for. Instead, I plan carefully. During the summer months my focus is on the people that make things happen: the incredibly dedicated staff and volunteers who make sure our guests will have a wonderful experience. What do you look for in a production, and what plays well in Douglas County? We offer a variety of programming at TLHD. We often keep it light, but know our audiences are adventurous; they like a new romantic comedy or old-fashioned musical, and they also like to be challenged with something poignant. Then we pepper in a concert series and have a great time! Do you have a favorite production of the ones you have brought here? Hard to pick a favorite. Biggest impact on me: “Big River,” 1992.
How do you reach people for whom the arts are not a part of their lives, and what would you say to them? Come on over. You’re invited. Take a tour. See a show. Perhaps you’ll see the world through another’s perspective. Let it move you … or not. The choice is yours. That’s part of what makes art cool. And we’re happy to provide the experience. The theater has a rich history dating back to 1961, but history doesn’t ensure continued success. What has been done to adapt to the times, and what do you foresee in the years to come? I agree, history doesn’t ensure success, but it can build a foundation of memories, tradition and legacy on which to build upon. Part of what’s important about history is to understand the impact and connection to the community it had at the time – what made it relevant – and use that strategy to go forward. We like to say that Theatre L’Homme Dieu is more than just a theatre – it’s an experience. That experience has to evolve in order for us to stay relevant. There will be growth in our programming and some changes in the business model in the coming years. With some careful planning, the addition of some modern conveniences, and dedication to quality arts experiences, we will create an arts organization in our community that is a regional destination, a local gem, and a business that is sustainable for years to come.
THE ARTS ARE IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY – NOT AS A LUXURY, BUT IN THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE THEY PLAY. NICOLE MULDER
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THEATRE L’HOMME DIEU
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LOVE OF ARTS developed here
A
number of students have developed their love for the stage, in one form or another, during their formative years in Alexandria. That growing group includes actor John Hawkes, who has been nominated for best actor and best supporting actor roles for the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. He graduated as John Perkins in 1977 from Alexandria’s Jefferson High School, where a class trip to the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis sparked his interest in acting. He was encouraged as a junior by teacher Scott Fodness to try out for a play, and from that small part a career was born. It took a move to Los Angeles in 1990 before his career really took off. Within a year he had picked up roles in the TV shows “Wings,” “Northern Exposure” and “The X-Files.” By that time he had also adopted the stage name of Hawkes, since there was already an actor named John Perkins. His filmography includes well over 100 film and television credits. He is known for his film performances in “Winter’s Bone,” “The Session,” and
TV shows “Deadwood, “Eastbound & Down,” and “Lost.” He has also had roles in “The Perfect Storm,” “Lincoln” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” But of particular interest to those in Douglas County was his acting return in 2001, when he played the starring role of Elwood P. Dowd in Theatre L’Homme Dieu’s production of “Harvey.” He concluded an Echo Press story in advance of that play by offering a bit of advice: “Don’t be afraid to do what makes you feel alive and happy, even if people tell you, you can’t.” Hawkes was one of three inductees into the school district’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2012. GETTING THEIR START HERE It is hard to match the level of success that Hawkes has achieved. However, many others have gotten their inspiration here before going out and continuing to sing, play music, act or even dance. Tyler Resch recalls taking music lessons at Carlson Music and playing in bands around town while he was growing up. He graduated from high
school in Alexandria in 2009 and this past summer released an EP, a collection of country music songs recorded at a studio on Music Row in Nashville. The record includes tunes co-written by well-known Nashville songwriter Byron Hill, who penned hits for George Strait, Gary Allan, Joe Nichols, Alabama and others. Another 2009 grad, choreographer Mette Towley, was featured in “Lemon,” a 2017 music video collaboration between Pharrell Williams’ band N.E.R.D and Rihanna, who shaved Towley’s head during the video. Since then, she has become a global brand ambassador for Revlon, and has been reported to be making her big-screen debut in 2019 in the film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical hit, “Cats,” alongside a cast including Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden and Ian McKellen. In an interview with the Echo Press, she credited her family and her upbringing in Alexandria, where she took classes at Dancin Off Broadway, an Alexandria dance studio. She praised teachers such as Linda Capistrant, a theater teacher at Discovery Middle School.
ALL OF THIS CAME OUT OF THE INFLUENTIAL COMMUNITY WHERE I GREW UP. SPENCER BRAND
ALEXANDRIA ALUMNUS
Spencer Brand
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Towley earned her bachelor of arts in dance and cultural studies comparative literature at the University of Minnesota, and moved to Los Angeles for the increased opportunities there. Music has led Alexandria grad Spencer Brand down paths he could have never envisioned when he was in high school. It has taken him to the University of Minnesota School of Music, and last summer he played across the Czech Republic in the Prague Summer Nights Music Festival, playing one of the oldest concert halls in Europe, and the last theater standing where Mozart conducted. “It was truly an incredible experience,” he said. Brand is currently working on his doctorate at Arizona State University, where he is serving as principal trumpet in the school’s University Symphony on the Leonard Bernstein “Mass.”
Tyler Resch
ALEXANDRIA NATIVE
“All of this came out of the influential community where I grew up,” Brand said, noting that the arts scene has only intensified since he lived here. “There were so many ensembles to be a part of at the high school and so many community opportunities to take part in,” Brand said, referencing the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra, Alexandria Area Arts Association and several others. “There were also so many talented musicians in the community and it was so inspirational to play and learn from them.” In the spring of 2019 Brand is returning to play with the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra. “The Haydn Trumpet Concerto is considered by many to be his best concerto he ever wrote, and it is truly humbling to have the opportunity to play it with my hometown orchestra,” he said.
John Hawkes
ALEXANDRIA NATIVE
Photo by Robert Hoffman
Mette Towley, a Jefferson High School graduate and professional dancer, starred in N.E.R.D. and Rihanna’s music video for “Lemon.” Here, she is pictured with choreographer JaQuel Knight, who was also the choreographer for Beyoncé Knowles’ ‘Single Ladies.’ IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 45
AGRICULTURE
MARK JASKOWIAK
General Manager, Pro-Ag Farmers Cooperative Pro-Ag Farmers’ Cooperative has facilities in Parkers Prairie, Urbank, Eagle Bend, Henning, Garfield, Brandon, Browerville, Clarissa and now Hoffman, along with the County Store in Alexandria. What has prompted your growth since merging with the Miltona and Urbank creameries in 1998? The changes in agriculture and the different farming techniques. Farms are getting larger and larger. This is a very capital-intensive business. When it comes to agronomy it takes a lot of equipment, so you need to cover a lot of acres to pay for that equipment. For us, one of the reasons was territory. We had to expand our territory so that we can remain competitive in this very competitive market. The recent merger with the Hoffman Cooperative Grain Association gives Pro-Ag its first facility with rail access. Could that be a game-changer? It should be. The main goal of the merger was to give us access to the rail unit trains to move our grain out of this area. We were a truck market for many years, but with the loss of livestock, there’s so much grain now you just can’t rely on moving all your grain by truck. You also have to access the export markets, and that’s where Hoffman came in. A rail loader relies on bushels – that’s what makes them profitable. You have to put so many bushels through to make it work. We are adding to that facility to pick up more speed as far as loading. We’re putting up a bin right now, and we’ll put up another bulk weigher in the future to load 110 cars. We have to expand the track a little bit. That project has started, and should wrap up next year sometime. What advantages does being a member-owned cooperative offer?
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The way the co-op operates is one member, one vote. The board of directors that controls the company is elected by the membership. They’re all farmers, and they all have stock in the company. Every year we have an annual meeting. If we’re profitable, we split that profit up amongst our membership. A certain percentage of that is cash, the rest is in stock. We continue to put money back into the communities and the members’ hands. That’s the goal of the co-op. They own it, and if we make money, they share in that profit. Growth has been a defining part of Pro-Ag. Do you see that continuing? Not at the moment. Right now everybody’s kind of weathering out this economy, seeing where it’s going to go, if we’re going to have some better commodity and livestock pricing. That drives everything as far as where the company is going to go. When farmers are having tough economic times it’s also very hard on us. They just don’t spend a lot of money, just on the absolute necessities. What is Pro-Ag’s mission? To stay competitive in the market and serve our local communities and farmers in the area is our No. 1 goal. It’s also to retain our employee base. We have very good, dedicated employees who are very dedicated to serving the farmers in the area. They know them, and have relationships with them. But our workforce is getting younger, and it’s harder to find people who know ag because there aren’t that many farm kids. We rely on ag schools, and do a lot of internships. Getting the right employees here is a critical issue, because we run pretty hard in the spring and fall and it takes a pretty dedicated employee. Any other big challenges?
Just the ag economy, and it’s tough sledding right now. What’s been saving us is big yields. The prices haven’t been the greatest, but the yields have been fantastic. How difficult is it to predict what the future holds? It’s impossible. Who would have predicted tariffs? You just have to manage your way through it like anything. It’s been that way in ag forever. There’s always something that comes up unexpected. What do you see on the horizon? A lot of our farmers are aging. What I see is the majority of our farmers are in their late 50s and early 60s. Not all of them have sons or daughters taking over the farm. This land is going to come up for rent or sale, and who’s going to be running all this land?
JOHNSTON LAW OFFICE, P.A.
CELEBRATES ANNIVERSARY! Scott T. Johnston, Attorney at Law, is happy to announce that October 19, 2018, marks the 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY of JOHNSTON LAW OFFICE. Scott is also entering his 40th year in the practice of law in Alexandria, having begun his legal career in 1979. He looks forward to serving clients for many years to come! Kelly L. Jenzen, Attorney at Law, has been practicing law for 18 years, and has been with Johnston Law Office for 13 of those years. Prior to coming to Alexandria, Kelly was a product development attorney with Bankers Systems in St. Cloud. Johnston Law Office concentrates on these areas of law: Condominiums/Townhomes - Business Acquisitions/Sales - Buy-Sell Agreements Formation and Representation of Business Entities - Title Insurance - Title Opinions Real Estate Closings - Real Estate Transactions Representation of Banks Estate Planning - Probate - Trusts - Wills - Powers of Attorney - Transfer on Death Deeds
Kelly L. Jenzen
Scott T. Johnston*
Johnston Law Office, P.A. is located at: Easton Place, 510 22nd Avenue East, Suite 101, Alexandria, MN 56308 Phone (320)762-8814 - (320)762-9111 (Fax) emails: johnston@johnstonlawoff.com jenzen@johnstonlawoff.com * Certified as a MSBA Certified Real Property Law Specialist, as certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association. 001796534r1
IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 47
EXPORT MARKETS
crucial for county’s farmers
A
griculture has played an important role in the economy of Douglas County for more than 150 years. And when it comes to discussing an industry’s reach, it is difficult to beat the distance that crops grown within the county travel before they reach their final destination. “Whether it’s pork or dairy or crops, they go all over the world,” said Craig Will, a farm business management instructor at Alexandria Technical & Community College. “That’s part of the reason that we have the farm bill itself, to produce cheap food for consumers throughout the United States and abroad.” The top three export markets for U.S. agricultural products are Canada, China and Mexico. For Minnesota farmers, the primary export markets are China, Mexico, Japan, Canada, South Korea and Taiwan. Those global ties offer huge opportunity to Douglas County farmers, but they also add another component to an already-volatile business model.
Welders Machinists, Mills, Lathe Operators Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Mechanical and Electrical Assembly
PAGE 48 | IMPACT 2018
“In a general sense, agriculture right now is facing a lot of uncertainty,” said Jan Doebbert, who operates a 700-acre farm producing corn and beans on the Douglas-Pope county line. “It’s beyond what the normal situation is as to weather. That’s a normal part of farming. But it’s expanded beyond that.” Doebbert was referring to the tariffs China imposed this summer on a majority of its U.S. agricultural exports. The move was a blow in particular to Minnesota and North Dakota farmers, including many in this county, with the biggest impact being felt by soybean growers. China accounts for more than half of all U.S. soybean exports, and western Minnesota farmers have been shipping their soybeans to the West Coast for years, where they are loaded on ships bound for Asia. “When we’re not shipping on the railroad, more beans are going to St. Louis and on the (Mississippi) river,” Doebbert said. “Those are the structural changes that people really aren’t aware of, and it’s going to impact the cropping profile going ahead if it isn’t resolved.” Some of his crops go to turkey growers and other livestock in this area, but his corn and beans have gone to the West Coast. With that market drying up, he said a lot of farmers have been forced to store their crops.
Product Development Service Technicians Sales and Marketing Administration
“We’ve gotten so efficient in agriculture, we raise so much more, there just isn’t the storage,” said Will, who heads up the college’s Farm Business Management program that was formed in the early 1960s. With so much of what is produced being exported, there hasn’t been a big need for more storage. Will said this area’s crops being shipped by barge are either going down the Mississippi or through the Great Lakes. Some corn is going to produce ethanol, which is shipped all over the world. India is a big market for that, Will said. According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the state’s top export commodities are soybeans, corn, feed grains and processed feed, and pork. Douglas County doesn’t have as many farmers raising livestock as it used to, but roughly half of the county’s farms are livestock operations, including dairy, beef, swine and poultry. “We have a lot of livestock that go overseas,” Will said. “A lot of cattle gets shipped across into Mexico and Canada.” These are all examples of how farms in Douglas County are making a widespread impact on people everywhere. “A lot of product goes throughout the world. It’s a global market, and that’s the reality of agriculture,” Will said. “We’re not just feeding ourselves anymore, we’re feeding the world.”
A LOT OF PRODUCT GOES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. IT’S A GLOBAL MARKET. CRAIG WILL
FARM BUSINESS MANAGEMENT INSTRUCTOR, ATCC
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RETAIL
LYNELLE & JEFF LANOUE
Owners, Past & Present Home Gallery What are the benefits of a healthy retail sector? It provides a sound foundation for other retail and service businesses to build on or relocate here. It benefits the community as a whole. The more we have to offer, the more customers will want to come back. In October, Alexandria was named Minnesota’s Retail Community of the Year. What is being done right locally, and what else could be done? The biggest part of this award is the meaning of the word community. It’s not just any one part of the retail community. Big and small, we all get a big pat on the back, we all need each other to make our business community stronger. All businesses need to continue networking together to maintain healthy community connections for continued growth and success. In what ways could retail be stronger, and how would that benefit the area? Doing your shopping and other business within the community strengthens every business. It helps create jobs, provides tax dollars to maintain the community and gives our community more tools for maintaining a positive work/life balance. The money spent here stays here. Alexandria is considered a regional shopping hub. Does the closing of JCPenney and Herberger’s threaten that status, and what can be done to maintain this as a regional draw? Whether it’s a family vacation, girls or guys weekend, relocating for employment or retirement, Alexandria has become a destination area for many reasons. We live in a world of change; retail is no different. We all hate to see businesses go. As a very strong community, we will overcome and change how we do business to fill the demands of our customers. PAGE 50 | IMPACT 2018 PAGE 50 | IMPACT 2018
How important are tourists and customers from outside the area to your business, and what do you do to reach those potential customers? It’s the old saying: “Build it and they will come.” The Alexandria community has worked very hard to make this an area people want to come to for a wide range of reasons, and experiencing retail is just one of them. As a local resident, we may not always see what’s happening to promote our community, but it is happening and has been growing rapidly over the last couple of years. Social media is a good tool for reaching out to customers and supporting the local organizations that reach outside the community to promote the Alexandria area. With the advent of online shopping, what can local stores do to keep sales here? Online shopping is not going away. As a business owner, it’s our task to figure out how to survive this change. Change does bring opportunity and opportunity will bring challenges. Working together to create an even stronger retail community we will overcome the challenges and be stronger. Create the atmosphere and experiences that makes customers want to come back. Minnesota Nice … Alexandria Nicer. The shopping scene is continually evolving. What do you see on the horizon? People love new experiences as much as new products. Here in Alexandria we have a product you can’t buy online. It’s the wonderful opportunity to explore the many exciting things to do here in our community year round, and retail shopping is one of them. I challenge every local resident to stop and look around the Lakes Area at all we have to offer here. Take a minute to think about the importance of having all of this in our community. By proudly supporting business neighbors and doing all business locally, it makes a strong growing community for all.
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Y T . I L I B I S N O P S E R . Y Respect
We treat others as we would treat ourselves.
RESPECT . IN TE GR IT
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Integrity
We practice ethical behavior.
Responsibility
We take responsibility for our actions, support our community and cooperate to improve and innovate.
“The culture of Echo Press and its success is based on the above values. We’re proud to be actively involved in impacting lives in Douglas County and beyond daily.” Jody Hanson Publisher, Echo Press
since 1891
320.763.3133 • www.echopress.com
WE’RE LUCKY WE HAVE OUR UNIQUE SHOPPING EXPERIENCES DOWNTOWN. NICOLE FERNHOLZ
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALEXANDRIA EDC
PAGE 52 | IMPACT 2018
Area relies on out-of-town
SHOPPERS W hen the Minnesota Retailers Association announced in October which city would be singled out as the state’s Retail Community of the Year, that honor was bestowed on Alexandria.
That doesn’t happen by accident. In fact, it takes a considerable amount of work, which was pointed out by the president of the Alexandria Downtown Merchants Association, Pam Botker. “We’ve been working really hard to keep our downtown alive,” said Botker, owner of of Creative Touch Boutique. That point was reinforced by MRA president Bruce Nustad, who was quick to credit the number of organizations that have worked together to strengthen Alexandria’s retail land-
scape. He cited the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Merchants Association, the city, Explore Alexandria Tourism and the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission, along with community and civic organizations and retailers. “What is truly unique about Alexandria is the retail experiences that are created as the community works together,” Nustad said. Business owners realize there is strength in numbers, and with each success it makes Douglas County a more viable shopping destination. Tara Bitzan, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, stressed the strong business-to-business support that she sees throughout the area. All of that pulling together over the years has made Alexandria a regional shopping hub, as evidenced by a 2013
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Shopping from Page 53 retail trade analysis of Alexandria and Douglas County, sponsored by the Alexandria EDC. It analyzed the “pull” factor of sales in relation to an area’s population, and compared it to the rest of the state. Alexandria had the third-highest pull factor in Minnesota among similarly-sized cities, and was considered one of the strongest retail centers excluding the Twin Cities metro area. One reason for that is the number of unique shops, especially downtown, that hold special appeal to outof-town visitors who don’t have those opportunities in their hometowns. “We’re lucky we have our unique shopping experiences downtown. We really are a retail draw for communities all over,” said Nicole Fernholz, executive director of Alexandria’s EDC. That draw is being put to a test with the 2018 closings of JCPenney and Herberger’s stores that had anchored sections of the Viking Plaza Mall for years. But Fernholz says the closings represent a shift in the retail industry away from superstores and toward smaller neighborhood stores, and that shift was already happening in Alexandria. She said losing Herberger’s and JCPenney is not any sort of warning sign that the city’s retail sector is in trouble. “In fact, there are several indicators that show we have a strong retail economy starting with our numerous non-chain retail stores,” she said. “Look around the Alexandria area and you can see that these niche stores continue to be a vital and active part of the
community that bring consumers and other retailers to the area.” James Feist, executive director of Explore Alexandria Tourism, praises those stores for being willing to react to trends and be responsive to their customers. “Many of these stores are open to change,” he said, noting they saw the trend toward more boutiques. He mentioned that Sweet Seasons became Hello Beautiful Boutique and Coffee Shop, and Creative Touch Home Gallery became Creative Touch Boutique. Feist said that his agency’s marketing budget in 2018 has gone into print, billboards, radio/TV, web and other advertising and has produced an incredible reach outside of the region and brought people and their pocketbooks here. One way to measure that has been the revenue produced by the 3-percent lodging
tax, which has produced steady increases each year, he said. The shopping district is critical for drawing visitors and tourists to Alexandria, Bitzan said. That in turn is the key for several businesses as well. Patty Dusing, who owns a downtown women’s clothing boutique, Trend and Couture by Ann Manning, makes a point of asking her customers where they are from. She estimates that 90 percent of the shoppers in her store do not live in the area. Douglas County has a lot riding on continuing to lure those visitors to the area. Not only is it critical to the success of so many retailers, but it positively impacts other areas by boosting the restaurant and lodging sectors, generating increased sales tax revenue and creating more jobs.
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Alexandria • 763-6622 Brandon • 834-2249 Bremer.com Left to Right: Roger Blank, Craig Olson, Tyler Byron, Tony Loosbrock, Cindy Johnson, Steve Otto, Brent Iserman PAGE 54 | IMPACT 2018
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IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 55
SERVICE
DAVE WOLF CEO/General Manager, Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association What attracted you to Gardonville, and what excites you about your work now? Gardonville is organized as a cooperative and I’ve always preferred working for a cooperative. The purpose of a member-owned cooperative is to provide solutions and services that benefit the membership. Being controlled by the membership ensures the focus is on providing solutions for the membership versus maximizing our net income for absentee investors. It’s exciting to be part of a value proposition like this. Gardonville doesn’t just develop and deliver technology, we focus on economic development, enriching greater Minnesota, and we support the growth of our rural communities. I love it all. The people who formed Gardonville in the 1940s knew the vital role telecommunications played at the time. How have you gone from a telephone-based business to where you are today with broadband and high-speed internet? The “cooperators” who originally formed Gardonville 75 years ago recognized the need to get phone service to the farms. Investor-owned utilities typically passed over rural areas since there was not enough profit in building rural networks. Rural farms and businesses were economically impacted by this, so people banded together to form Gardonville. Telecommunications has changed drastically over the past 40 years. Those same rural farms and businesses would also be economically impacted by not having high-speed internet. Modernizing our network to accommodate both voice and high-speed data service has required a 100-percent upgrade of every part of our network. It’s quite a long and expensive project, but we are making tremendous progress with this endeavor.
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What are a couple of things people probably don’t know about Gardonville? Gardonville was one of the first Internet service providers in the area. Being an early adopter in delivering various services, Gardonville was also an early pioneer in delivering satellite television, we were an early investor in cellular services and we have been utilizing fiber optic cable for over 30 years. How has expanding your reach into other areas benefited Gardonville, and could its service area increase further in the near future? Today’s technology is very robust, and because of that, Gardonville’s broadband network has surplus capacity. That surplus capacity scales nicely and monetizes well in our extended market reach. The fiber optic network that we have built around Alexandria offers the best option for connected services in the region, both in value and reliability. That value is brought back into the cooperative in new revenues and service offerings to the members. Gardonville has also expanded into other business areas. How did that come about, and what was behind the diversification? In 2004, Gardonville bought Brandon Communications. Through that acquisition a large effort was placed on developing wireless services like Land Mobile Radio, Wireless Broadband, radio tower leases and acquiring licensed spectrum. We believe wireless plays an important communications role and we feel it’s necessary to build and develop services that complement our cable-delivered broadband products. There have been years in which our wireless service offerings have generated over half of our gross revenues.
The company’s first board of directors consisted mostly of people who led the local creamery systems. In a way, Gardonville is going back to its roots with the Millerville Creamery. It certainly is. Gardonville is here to solve problems for our members and communities. Through that mission, we have completed well over 40 economic development projects. The Millerville Creamery is a vital part of our local economy and we recognized a management agreement with the creamery was an opportunity to strengthen the local economy in our cooperative service area. Managing the creamery has been a challenging project. There is plenty of work to be done but I am optimistic about the outcome. Gardonville was formed by a creamery cooperative 75 years ago, and I cannot imagine that was an easy task, especially during World War II. A “can-do” attitude is the foundation of rural cooperatives, it’s exciting to work with the talented and dedicated people involved with the Millerville Creamery, and I’m glad to be part of their next chapter. How has your work beyond this area, on state boards and as a spokesman for the industry, strengthened Gardonville’s position in an ultra-competitive field? We operate in a regulated environment. Cooperatives like Gardonville need to have a voice and cooperative members need an advocate for rural issues. To be heard, you must be involved with our legislators and the governmental agencies that develop and enforce policies. I’ve made many trips to St. Paul over the past few years to be that voice. It’s an important part of the job, and it cultivates plenty of benefit for Gardonville. You have spoken of the importance in establishing broadband connections in rural areas. Just how critical is that, and how close are we in closing the gaps? In rural America today, broadband is as important as voice service was in 1943. You can work, get educated, receive health care, communicate and buy and sell over today’s internet connections from anywhere in Gardonville’s service area. Being able to live and make a living from your rural home is becoming a vital part of our growing economy. Every year we get closer to completing our system-wide fiber optic overbuild. What gives you the most satisfaction when you think of all of the services Gardonville provides? We tend to hire talented people who are light on experience. Creating career opportunities for graduates of Alexandria Technical & Community College has been very rewarding. It’s been satisfying seeing members of the Gardonville team gain experience, develop their talents and deliver amazing technical solutions for the cooperative members. Our employees have been the architects of our growth. Some members of our team leave us to pursue their career elsewhere, but each have left us in a better place. We continue to find emerging talent graduating from ATCC. It’s a tremendous resource that has played a role in Gardonville’s success story.
Meet me at the Lake. TM
GOLF CLUB 001780611r1
IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 57
TRAVEL AGENCY
brings world to its customers
Y
ou can find the Bursch Travel Agency in 18 cities over five states, and owner Fred Bursch says it has grown to be the largest travel company between the Twin Cities and Seattle. Not bad for a business that he says got its start more or less as a fluke. His father, M.W. “Pete” Bursch, was selling bus tickets and serving meals out of the Bus Depot Cafe in Alexandria when customers began asking him about traveling by air. Pete, who had flown a lot for business and knew more than most in the area about it, would volunteer advice and help people book their flights. “Out of the goodness of his heart it grew into the travel business,” said Fred, who recalls the time someone
asked his father about Timbuktu. His dad figured out how to get someone to that remote city, and only a couple weeks went by and someone else wanted to go there. One thing actually did lead to another, and in 1956 a burgeoning travel business was born. Gradually, Bursch Travel went from just another small-town business to one that has become quite a force in the travel industry, with offices in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Minnesota. But it was only the original office in Alexandria and one in St. Cloud when Fred Bursch was brought on board in 1977. “I realized there were opportunities in other communities, and people wanted to visit with someone locally,” he said. Toward that end, the company’s growth has allowed it to standardize
procedures and centralize marketing and accounting, freeing up the local offices to spend more time helping customers. “It’s only taken me 40 years to get to this size,” joked Bursch. The travel business has seen more than its share of changes in recent years, and has been disrupted by 9/11, recessions and the internet. But
Bursch says his agency offers something that customers don’t get by trying to do it by themselves. “We’re with them to help them plan the trip, with them when they’re traveling if they encounter anything, and we’re with them when they get back,” he said. “We stand behind what we sell. We want to maintain our local integrity with our customers.”
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I DON’T LIKE TO FOCUS ON WHERE I’VE BEEN, BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY PLACES I STILL WANT TO GET TO. FRED BURSCH
OWNER, BURSCH TRAVEL AGENCY
Approximately 15 percent of its business is group travel, and someone from the company goes along as an escort to see that all of the details are handled correctly. Occasionally those groups include Fred and his wife, Terri. “It’s really great. One of the joys I have is traveling with a group and seeing the world open up in front of them. They’re just amazed at the kind of experiences, and the excitement of visiting someplace new,” he said. Although travel has become so much more common in people’s lives than it was when the agency was formed in the 1950s, there are still people who walk into the travel offices who have never been on an airplane. “We kind of take it for granted that everyone has been to Disney World or Las Vegas, for example,”
Bursch said. “I remember once taking a group to Europe and we ended up in London, and went to a musical on London’s West End in the theatre district. We took them via the Tube and popped up in the West End, and I remember one elderly gentleman, a farmer from northern Minnesota, said that traveling on the subway was the neatest experience on the trip.” After all these years, the thrill of going someplace new still excites Bursch, too. Does he have a favorite trip? “I don’t like to focus on where I’ve been, because there’s so many places I still want to get to,” he replied. “An African safari is so high on the list. It’s so different than anything we experience here.” It was something Bursch almost didn’t get to experience. His career path was already determined when
he realized that he was better off making a career in the family business, rather than what he had studied to be – a lawyer. “After I got out of law school I worked for a judge for a year. One night my father and I were having dinner and he said, ‘I really need help,’” Bursch recalls. It was then that his father shared perhaps the wisest piece of advice he got from anyone. “He told me, in the legal business, you’re working at keeping people out of trouble. In the travel business, we’re making people’s dreams come true,” said Bursch, who has been fortunate to witness that many times. “It’s been a fun job, and no two days are the same. We get to live vicariously, in sending people to all parts of the globe.”
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IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 59
AREA BANKING
Facts
INSTITUTION American National Bank of MN Bell Bank BlackRidge Bank Bremer Bank NA First Security Bank of Evansville Gate City Bank Glenwood State Bank Hometown Community Bank Kensington Bank Neighborhood National Bank
2016 Deposits $13,089,000
2017 Deposits $14,199,000
2018 Deposits ‘17-’18 Difference $13,125,000 -8%
$96,505,000 $89,457,000 $249,860,000 $16,264,000
$103,585,000 $87,203,000 $267,145,000 $16,868,000
$120,972,000 $86,840,000 $300,869,000 $15,565,000
14% 0% 11% -8%
$10,574,000 $79,589,000 $13,022,000
$12,024,000 $77,180,000 $12,485,000
$11,956,000 $87,525,000 $12,532,000
-1% 12% 0%
$40,815,000 $39,402,000
$42,545,000 $39,265,000
$44,940,000 $41,267,000
5% 5%
SIMONSON IS READY TO DO YOUR HEAVY LIFTING We look forward to building with you!
Bountiful Beer Bread® 16,914,128 units sold since 1995 right here out of Alexandria
Alexandria Yard 1802 Fillmore St. PAGE 60 | IMPACT 2018
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AREA BANKING
Facts
INSTITUTION 2016 Deposits First National Bank $52,961,000 of Osakis US Bank NA $65,491,000 Vantage Bank $8,176,000 Viking Bank $134,321,000 Wells Fargo Bank NA $107,148,000 COUNTY Douglas County Grant County Ottertail County Pope County Stearns County Todd County
2016 Deposits $1,016,674,000 $154,965,000 $1,246,447,000 $284,290,000 $4,391,334,000 $294,650,000
2017 Deposits $50,775,000 $63,513,000 $8,754,000 $128,498,000 $116,136,000
2017 Deposits $1,040,175,000 $165,523,000 $1,277,677,000 $302,397,000 $4,711,495,000 $312,597,000
2018 Deposits ‘17-’18 Difference $53,015,000 4% $61,893,000 $11,094,000 $124,499,000 $113,055,000
-3% 21% -3% -3%
2018 Deposits ‘17-’18 Difference $1,099,147,000 5% $172,058,000 4% $1,275,805,000 0% $314,846,000 4% $4,805,025,000 2% $328,317,000 5%
Get Your Shine On!
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2017 Quintin Kluver, Chase Faber, Chris Wittkamp (Woody), Lori Wittkamp, Tyler Wittkamp, Steve DeMuth.
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Address: 1223 Broadway Street, Alexandria, MN Phone: 320-763-5473 Hours: Office: Monday-Saturday 6am-9pm Sunday 7am-8pm Carwash: Monday-Saturday 7am-8pm Sunday 8am-6pm
IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 61
RECREATION
ALLEN LEGO
Park Manager, Lake Carlos State Park Lake Carlos State Park is the only state park in Douglas County. Do people realize what a jewel they have here? There are still many people living here in Alexandria and around the area that have never been out to the park, hiked a trail, toured the visitor center, attended an interpretive program or camped. Every year I talk to people who have lived in the area for many years who visit for the first time and are amazed at what we have to offer just down the road from them. There are also some great opportunities in the winter with snowshoe or ice fishing rentals (flip over house, hand auger, poles, etc.) that you may not find many other places around the area. Winter is a great time to get out and venture into new places in the park via snowshoes. The park was dedicated in 1937. What was special about this land that led Minnesota to purchase it and turn it into a state park? Lake Carlos had its beginnings during the Great Depression along with many other state parks. Local citizens knew that this was a special place and had an interest in preserving this area for the present and future generations. What made Lake Carlos so special was the original 404-acre parcel contained stands of old-growth hardwood forest, a half-mile of undeveloped lakeshore and Hidden Lake, which was used for the propagation of fish. During the 1960s, more land was added to the park forming what we see in the present day. What are the most popular uses of the park? Lake Carlos State Park is known for its water-based recreation due to the fact that it is located on Lake Carlos, which is part of the chain of lakes. Camping is a very popular activity at the park and campers can pull their boat up along shore if there is room and leave it in the water during their stay, which allows easy access to the lake. Lake PAGE 62 | IMPACT 2018
Carlos is popular for the trails in the park because of the variety of difficulty and terrain. You can be walking up a hill in the old growth forest and five minutes later you can be walking through the prairie in full bloom during the summer. Lake Carlos is also popular for the interpretive activities at the park. The park has year-round programming for all ages focusing on education, recreation, and the environment. How does the park make use of Lake Carlos? Our interpretive program does a good job of promoting the water activities available at the park. Lake Carlos is a great place to get an introduction to paddling. Canoe, kayak, and paddleboat rentals are priced to get people out to try these activities. Paddling is a good way to get the user to the park and onto the lake. There are fishing kits that can be checked out for free at the park office that include poles and small tackle boxes. You provide your own live bait if you wish and the best part is that you do not need a fishing license when fishing in a state park. You can even keep your fish and clean them right here in our fish cleaning building. Our naturalist also offers “Fishing Frenzy Friday” programs each week during June, July and August for those wanting to learn more about fishing. These programs are designed for all ages and are free. What animals are visitors most likely to see, and what should they be on the lookout for? Park visitors are most likely to see deer, squirrels, fox, mink, muskrats, fishers and birds. Those camping or in the park around dawn and dusk will also potentially hear coyotes “yipping” in the western parts of the park. The park’s habitat diversity attracts a wide variety of birds throughout the year. During spring and fall migration, the park offers some of the best birding in the area. Warblers, vireos, tanagers, cuckoos, bald eagles, loons, waterfowl and other water birds are the draw for many birders.
Are there plans for park improvements? A few of the bigger items on the wish list would be to upgrade all the electric sites to 50-amp service, replacement sanitation building in the upper and lower campgrounds, and pave the roads and loops in the upper campground. One of the bigger projects on the horizon is to provide an ADA walkway to a platform in a small prairie restoration overlooking a pond in the area we refer to as the shop triangle. This would provide prairie, pollinator, aquatic and interpretive opportunities, either self-guided or naturalist-led. Another project we hope to complete in the next several years is the rehabilitation of the Long Prairie River Dam. Taking out the existing dam and replacing it with a more natural spillway would allow fish passage and hopefully increase fishing opportunities, while maintaining water levels. Do you have a favorite spot in the park? If so, where is it and why? The dam area on the south end of the park is one of my favorite places in the park. It is the beginning of the Long Prairie River State Water Trail and offers an opportunity to launch a canoe/kayak, catch a fish or have a picnic. In the morning you can go down and view the wildlife and sit at a picnic table and listen to the sound of the water going over the dam. In the winter, the area near the dam is also home to hundreds of swans and other waterfowl, making this a great spot year-round.
IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 63
SPEEDWAY
pulls in drivers, fans each summer
S
ome traditions eventually fall by the wayside. Others continue to be embraced. Racing at the Viking Speedway falls into the latter category.
For more than a half-century, when summer rolls around it has meant weekend races in Alexandria. During those four months every summer – the season kicks off in May and runs through Labor Day weekend – people make their way to Alexandria from all over, not only to watch, but to participate in the races. Approximately 110 cars were featured during each of the two race days this past Labor Day weekend, and while a number of drivers came from the region, many also hailed from much father locales, from greater Minnesota to Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and three Canadian provinces – Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. The same goes for the spectators, as the hundreds who pile into the stands of the Douglas County Fairgrounds on Saturday nights are a mix of area race fans and those who have logged plenty of miles for the opportunity to witness a night of racing. A REGIONAL DRAW Stock car racing in the area actually dates back to the 1950s when Alexandria was part of the West Central Racing Association. PAGE 64 | IMPACT 2018
By the early 1960s, the only racing around was found on the ice, on Lake Jessie. With the organization of several of those drivers, a stock car race was held at the speedway on June 13, 1965. Ten cars, all with Alexandria competitors behind the wheel, took part, and 275 fans showed up for that first dirttrack race at the Viking Speedway. From those humble beginnings – the original layout was a flat 5/8-mile horse track consisting of sand – the track’s reputation quickly grew as it went through several changes. Races moved from Sunday after-
noons to Saturday nights. A requirement that cars be at least 10 years old was dropped, and the newer cars and bigger engines spurred increased interest among both fans and participants. Before long Viking Speedway was considered one of the finest racing tracks in the five-state region. By the mid- to late-’70s, the speedway was averaging more than a couple thousand fans a night. More changes have followed. A 17year period of NASCAR racing ended in 2002, giving way to WISSOTA, the
dominant sanctioning body in the Upper Midwest. In 2005, Viking Speedway was named Track of the Year. Most nights now, the fairgrounds track – a half-mile semi-banked clay oval – hosts a handful of WISSOTA-sanctioned classes: late models; modifieds; Midwest modifieds; super stocks; and street stocks. There’s also a class of unsanctioned pure stocks. And behind the wheel at Alexandria are often the best drivers on the WISSOTA circuit, including leaders in the national standings and even national champions.
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RUNESTONE RACEWAY
filled with drivers of the future You don’t have to look far to see where the potential drivers of the future will come from. Several of the drivers who compete at the Viking Speedway on Saturday nights got their start just a short ways away, on a go-kart track on the southwest edge of the fairgrounds. The Runestone Go-Kart Association welcomes kids as young as 5 years old for its weekly races. Once they get a taste of racing, and after a few years of getting a handle on what it is all about, they are ready for bigger, faster and more competitive races. Eventually, some are ready to trade in their go-karts for stock cars, and make the move across the parking lot to the main track that sits in front of the grandstands. Brady Gerdes of Villard, who won the points title in the WISSOTA modifieds this season at Viking Speedway 803 Central Avenue North Brandon, MN 56315 800-980-4940 www.voyager-industries.com/careers
with four victories and 13 top-five finishes, is one of those who developed his taste for racing by participating in the Runestone Go-Kart Association. He started at age 8, and competed in Alexandria and Glenwood for seven years. Gerdes spent a year racing stock cars at Cedar Lake Speedway in Wisconsin, and by age 15 he was driving a Midwest modified at the Viking Speedway, and was in position to race competitively almost from the outset. “It just gets you comfortable driving, it makes you a smoother driver,” Gerdes told the Echo Press of how his go-kart days prepared him to make the jump. “There was good competition in the go-karts,” he said, adding that there was only so much you could do to make the go-kart go faster, and the rest was up to the driver. For up-and-coming drivers, that is exactly how it should be.
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www.YettiOutdoors.com
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(800) 246-7630 • www.wcsanitation.com www.TitanDeck.net PAGE 66 | IMPACT 2018
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“Local Family Owned for over 39 Years!”
THERE WAS GOOD COMPETITION IN THE GO-KARTS BRADY GERDES
FORMER RUNESTONE RACEWAY DRIVER
IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 67
AREA BUSINESS
Facts
WEEKLY WAGES BY INDUSTRY $1,338 Information $1,203 Manufacturing $1,084 Financial services $1,002 Public administration $904 Construction $860 Education & health services $761 Professional services $712 Transportation
$576 $404 $303
Natural resources Other Hospitality
HOUSEHOLD INCOME $56,347 Douglas County median $73,795 Douglas County average $44,140 City of Alexandria median
Average commute time for workers in Douglas County: 18 minutes Average commute time for workers in Minnesota: 23 minutes 18,785 from region work within Douglas County 67.8% of workforce are Douglas County residents 5,843 come from surrounding counties
FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORY
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IMPACT 2018 | PAGE 69
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Here because we love it. One of the best parts of my job is getting to talk about Alomere Health—and the entire Alexandria area—to talented physicians who are considering joining our team. People are consistently amazed by what we have going here. Medical professionals come from all over to see our worldclass, nationally acclaimed hospital—and they leave feeling blown away by everything this community has to offer. Many end up moving here to stay. They are thrilled that, here, they can build a career they’re proud of, with the lifestyle they want, in a place they love. The best of the best “How the heck are all these great things happening in Alexandria?” This is a question I hear all the time. And I know it’s a question our business community, our school district and community nonprofits hear too. Hospitals around the state and country have asked us how we’ve built such a thriving, successful healthcare organization in our size market. How do we have full-time neurosurgery, a growing number of highly skilled providers, a nationally acclaimed surgical team and the latest 3D mammography equipment in the world, with full-time dermatology coming in 2019?
A match made in heaven The relationship between our hospital and our community is a powerful one. If Alexandria is the birthplace of America, Alomere Health is the birthplace of Alexandria—and the surrounding communities for miles around! Over 650 babies are born here every year. Thousands of lives are changed within our walls. More people work here than any other place in the county. And many of the most beautiful, sacred, meaningful, and difficult moments of life happen here. We are here for the health of our neighbors, friends and family—and we’re also here for the health of our community. This home is our home As part of that, we have the privilege of supporting many important things happening around here, as individuals and as an organization. From coaching football and leading Girl Scout troupes, to helping with the basketball boosters and the Annual Band Festival, to supporting the Jaycees and Kiwanis clubs, Habitat for Humanity, Someplace Safe and so much more.
One of our closest partnerships is with the Alexandria Area High School. Every semester our physicians, nurses and advanced practice providers teach medical procedures like intubation, applying casts and suturing. It’s a rare opportunity for high school students to gain early experiences in healthcare.
Sincerely,
Eddie Reif, Alomere Health Director of Community Relations and Development
We support this community because we live here, we love it and we want it to be great— just like you. Great things to come We have so many great things in store for our hospital and clinics—and every one is focused on helping this community become even better, and healthier, than ever. It’s not one thing that draws people here—it’s everything. And we’re proud to be a part of it.
My answer is simple: It’s our commitment. And our community.
Here for Life
Alomere Health • Alexandria Clinic • Osakis Clinic • Heartland Orthopedic Specialists