IQ Magazine - Q1 2014 by Initiative Foundation

1ST QUARTER 2014

COMMUNITY

Boomtowns—Communities can thrive and survive with initiative and a can-do attitude. Pg. 14

PHILANTHROPY

Stock Up—Stock, asset gifts a win-win for donors and organizations alike. Pg. 18

BUSINESS

Retain & Gain—Cities win when they focus on business retention, expansion. Pg. 40

The Everywhere Economy Pg. 22

ESSENTIA HEALTH SPECIALISTS Allergy

MINTO PORTER, MD

Audiology

WHITNEA ENGELBRECHT, AuD

Cardiology

MARK JOHNSON, MD MICHAEL RICH, MD ANNE KVAMME, RN, CNP REBECCA WIRTZ, RN, CNP

Ear, Nose & Throat

MARK WITTE, MD CHRISTINA THELL, RN, CNP

Endocrinology

THOMAS MORAGHAN, MD

Gastroenterology

JOHN BERG, MD WILLIAM SACHS, MD MELONEE RUHL, RN, CNP

Neurology

JARED RUSTAD, MD

Obstetrics & Gynecology

HAL LELAND, MD ALICIA PRAHM, MD PAMELA RICE, MD STEVEN SENICA, MD JORDAN BENSON, RN, CNP LORI GUTIERREZ, RN, CNP SUE HADLAND, RN, CNP JANE SUSKA, RN, CNP

Oncology

LAURA JOQUE, MD ABY PHILIP, MD JESSICA NYBAKKEN, AOCNP

Orthopedics*

AMY LELWICA, MD CHRISTOPHER METZ, MD BENJAMIN ROBERTSON, MD PAUL RUD, MD PAUL THOMPSON, MD TAMMY MEUSING, PA

Podiatry

REBECCA DEHART, DPM DANIEL RYAN, DPM

Psychiatry

STEVEN GRANDT, MD PETER NEIFERT, MD ANDREA NELSEN, MD HEIDI SORENSON, MD LEOLA JOHNSON, RN, CNP THERESA STEELE, RN, CNP

Pulmonology

GREG DAVIS, MD

Rheumatology

FRANK VASEY, MD

Surgery

ROSS BENGTSON, MD JAMES DEHEN, MD TROY DUININCK, MD RYAN HAGINO, MD CHRISTINA THELL, RN, CNP

Urology

BRADLEY QUALEY, MD SCOTT WHEELER, MD JESSICA BRANDL, PAC

REBECCA DEHART, DPM

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Initiative Foundation Quarterly 1ST QUARTER 2014

Contents FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

The Everywhere Economy The growth of e-commerce connects central Minnesota with revenue from around the world.

Bank On It

Ready To Work

Financial literacy programs help kids plan for now - and for the future.

Workers with disabilities earn an income, gain fulfillment and add value to their communities.

Regional Highlights — Get the latest economic and community development highlights from the 14-county area.

IQ Retrospective

Read about IQ Magazine and how it has shaped, illuminated and celebrated central Minnesota during its 10 years in print.

Initiatives:

Business:

Proactive & Productive — Disengaged employees can cost companies money. Learn how to engage workers’ hearts and minds. Community:

Boomtowns — Communities can thrive and survive with initiative and a can-do attitude. Philanthropy:

Stock Up — Stocks and other assets

offer a win-win situation for donors and the organizations they support.

40 46 52

Business:

Retain & Gain — Menahga sets aside smokestack chasing to focus on the companies that already call it home. Home Made:

Ice Shanty Gear — Little Falls business has carved a unique niche in the frozen north sport of spearfishing. Where is IQ?

1ST QUARTER 2014

Dear Friends,

Enjoy the magazine.

VOLUME 12, 1ST QUARTER 2014

Initiative Foundation President | Kathy Gaalswyk Marketing & Communications Manager | Bob McClintick

Photo courtesty of Inspired Design, inspireddesignandphotography.com

Little Truman came bursting into the room in urgent need of Papa Neal’s smartphone. “I have to deal with Siri®,” my tech-savvy 3-year-old grandson declared. “The internet isn’t working.” He was right. We were in the middle of moving his family into a new house and they weren’t yet connected, but seriously? When I was his age I happily watched Captain Kangaroo on a black-and-white TV. But Truman wanted his internet, and he wanted it now. To say that technology has changed our lives would be a drastic understatement. It has become an essential tool for community building, growing hometown businesses, enriching education and delivering volumes of information (the useful and the useless!) to people when they need it and where they need it. This issue of IQ Magazine highlights the power and reach of e-commerce. Rural living no longer poses the limitations it once did. As long as you have a sturdy internet connection (a goal Minnesota is striving for in its border-to-border broadband initiative), a vision, some grit and determination, you can live wherever you want and be as successful as you want. And we’ve got some stories to prove it. In this edition we’re also celebrating a major milestone: the 10-year anniversary of IQ magazine. Flip to pages 36-39 to see what we think are the Top 10 most pivotal editions. Thanks to all of you who have contributed stories, shared resources and supported us through advertising. This award-winning magazine is about you and for you. Both the print and online versions continue to be available at no charge because we believe so deeply in the importance of sharing stories about the great things happening in central and greater Minnesota. Like my grandson Truman, we want you to stay connected. And I have to share that, even though it took a few days to get the internet hooked up, I knew Truman was going to be OK in his new home. As we prepared to leave later that weekend, I looked over and saw him playing a game on his Mom’s phone with one hand while chatting with his 3-year-old cousin Benaiah on Papa’s phone in the other hand. His chat with Siri® obviously worked.

S E

W 405 First Street SE Little Falls, MN 56345 (320) 632-9255 | ifound.org

IQ Magazine unlocks the power of central Minnesota leaders to understand and take action on regional issues.

Kathy Gaalswyk PRESIDENT

W a e t c t

L RANGEDELIVERS.COM Printed at Range, Inc. with Soy-Based Ink on Recycled Paper

w RANGEDELIVERS.COM

4 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Service. Especially for you. CASS

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IQ Initiatives

Regional Investment Highlights BENTON COUNTY

Welcome, Rick!

Rick Bauerly, Sauk Rapids, is joining the Initiative Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Bauerly is the founder and managing partner at Granite Equity Partners. He also is executive director of the Anderson Center and serves on the boards of GeoComm and DeZURIK, Inc.

CASS COUNTY

The city of Longville, a partner in the Foundation’s Thriving Communities Initiative Program, is making great strides on its new park, including the relocation of its ice skating and hockey rink. The community is making it a cozy gathering place, with a warming house equipped with dozens of pairs of skates for free public use and benches donated by the Longville Women of Today.

CHISAGO COUNTY

mikerobinsonchisago.com

Longville Park Improvements

Highway 61 Project

Chisago County Economic Development is laying the foundation for the Historic Highway 61 project that will bring communities together along the famous North Shore to New Orleans route to promote businesses and communities alike. It’s getting off to a strong start with help from an Initiative Foundation grant.

CASS

WADENA

CROW WING COUNTY

Lakes And Living Wages

The city of Crosslake is working with Crow Wing County to simplify and streamline ordinances to allow for easier compliance and enforcement of rules to protect the area’s pristine lakes while also supporting economic development and living-wage jobs. The Initiative Foundation is providing a grant to support public input and to help retain a consultant to facilitate the process.

TODD

CROW WING

MORRISON

ISANTI COUNTY

BENTON

Shelter Me, Braham!

STEARNS

The city of Braham is putting an Initiative Foundation grant to good use: It’s using the money to underwrite the design and engineering costs for a new picnic shelter on the grounds of Northwest Park. In addition to the picnic shelter, the park, a reclaimed softball field, is home to a skateboard park, walking paths and a playground.

The Master Plan

Kanabec County is moving forward with an Initiative Foundation grant to develop a master trail plan that will connect to trails in adjacent counties. The grant will be used to support public input activities and for engineering and design services to prepare a comprehensive trails plan.

MILLE LACS COUNTY

City of Milaca Turn Key Fund

The greater Milaca area now has a tool to build a local legacy: the Rum River Community Foundation, created in partnership with the Initiative Foundation. Endowed gifts from the Rum River Community Foundation will provide an annual return to support community-building projects. More than $3,000 will be available this year in the form of local grants.

6 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

SHERBURNE

WRIGHT IsantiCountyNews.com

KANABEC COUNTY

MILLE LACS

MORRISON COUNTY

A New, Energetic Crew

The Morrison County Area Foundation is getting an infusion of new leadership on its advisory board. Comprised of members of the area’s Young Professionals Organization, the new board is preparing an ambitious fund-raising campaign and planning its first round of 2014 grants. A permanent endowment of the Initiative Foundation, the Morrison County Area Foundation works to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and organizations in Morrison County and the surrounding area.

PINE COUNTY

Cunningham Group Architects

High-Tech Incubator

Pine Technical College will be home to the new Pine Entrepreneurial Center and Technology Business Incubator. The incubator will support hi-tech and light manufacturing entrepreneurs in the community while giving students access to internships and practical experience. The Initiative Foundation frequently partners with Pine Tech to help develop, retain and attract skilled workers to central Minnesota.

SHERBURNE COUNTY

$3 Million Endowment Goal

The Three Rivers Community Foundation based in Elk River has set a goal of $3 million for its endowment. The foundation was started in 1990 and exists to improve the quality of life for its service area within Independent School District 728 and the areas surrounding Elk River, Otsego, Rogers and Zimmerman. In bittersweet news, TRCF lost a long-time supporter when Chuck Christian succumbed to illness in November 2013.

STEARNS COUNTY

Great For St. Cloud

CHISAGO

ISANTI

wadenaapj.com

PINE

KANABEC

MILLE

An estimated 300 people turned out on Feb. 20 at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud for the Fourth Annual Greater St. Cloud Community Priorities Forum. Event sponsors, including the Initiative Foundation, provided residents with a recap of the past year’s achievements and invited community members to help select new priorities for the coming year. For more, visit ifound.org/community/ st-cloud-priorities.

TODD COUNTY

Classroom CEOs

The Staples Motley School District is championing a Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) program that offers class credit for high school students who are interested in learning about entrepreneurial skills. The program is a partnership between the local school district and area business leaders and is funded through an Initiative Foundation grant.

WADENA COUNTY

Manufacturing in Menahga

A business loan in conjunction with the ownership transition of Salo Manufacturing is resulting in a business expansion project and the retention of quality jobs in Menahga. Collaborative financing is being provided by First National Bank of Menahga & Sebeka, Twin Cities Metro Certified Development Corp., Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative and West Central Telephone Association in addition to the Initiative Foundation.

WRIGHT COUNTY

Chamber Connection

The city of Howard Lake will use a $10,000 grant supported by a gift from the Xcel Energy Foundation to organize a new Chamber of Commerce, train Chamber leadership, market its industrial park and complete a detailed retail area analysis.

1ST QUARTER 2014

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business

Workforce Wonders: Ken Barros, owner of Sebekabased National Precision Machining & Engineering, and Angie Koep, the company’s operations manager.

Proactive & Productive

Disengaged employees can cost companies money. Here’s how to engage workers’ hearts and minds.

By Gene Rebeck | Photography by John Linn

When Ken Barros bought the company he would eventually rename National Precision Machining & Engineering (NPME) in June 2011, the Sebeka-based manufacturer of components for the defense and aviation industry faced several daunting challenges: The company flirted with bankruptcy before Barros purchased it, and morale was low. Its 12 employees would be hard to keep. Barros knew his people needed to be happy and fulfilled in their work. He also needed them to be engaged enough to learn new skills, particularly as his company, a recipient of two Initiative Foundation loans, took on the types of products that would put them on more solid economic footing. NPME is not alone. Early in 2013, Gallup released the results of a three-year survey of 350,000 people and found that 70 percent of American workers are actively disengaged or emotionally disconnected from their workplaces. Gallup estimated these

disengaged employees—who often have higher absentee rates than their engaged coworkers—cost the U.S. economy between $450 billion to $550 billion each year in lost productivity. And that’s not all: Disengaged employees are also more likely to steal from their companies, negatively influence coworkers, miss workdays and ultimately drive customers away. That’s not good for any business or its employees. But uninspired workers are especially a problem in areas where competition for skilled, reliable workers is tight. “Not a day goes by that we don’t hear from employers about their struggle to find, retain and develop a skilled workforce,” said Kathy Gaalswyk, president of the Initiative Foundation. “Companies want to grow, and they need a solid workforce to make it happen. Certainly, engaging employees in all aspects of company operations is a solid strategy.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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business, continued

Here are some approaches that central Minnesota businesses and consultants use and recommend to keep and develop employees. Use performance reviews constructively. Many see annual performance reviews as burdensome and unproductive. Bruce Miles, owner and chief executive officer of St. Cloud-based Big River Group, prefers to have short, quarterly meetings. Focus the conversation on what the employee is doing for the company rather than on relatively mushy discussion points such as “stretch goals.”

The Lottery and Levels of

ENGAGED Workers

Survey your staff and take what you hear to heart.

Share. Internal communications is often looked at as a side activity, but experts say sharing information—from new hire announcements to production numbers—can help employees stay more connected with their employer.

If you won $10 million in the lottery, would you continue to work? If you’d continue to work, would you continue in the same job or would you take a different job?

Strengths. At the Initiative Foundation, President Kathy Gaalswyk has turned to StrengthsFinder, created by Gallup, to tap into what motivates her staff. According to Gallup, people who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged on the job. “Employees are relieved when the focus shifts from trying to ‘fix them’ to focusing on how we can build on their gifts to align goals and create positive results,” she said.

Matching Desires and Goals Implementing morale-improving strategies worked for NPME, which today has 21 employees, and revenues that grew 75 percent in 2013 as it expanded its offerings to include transmission products for telecommunications customers. But Barros thinks his ability to understand his employees is also a part of the company’s success. “I lived in the white collar world and the blue collar world,” he said, noting his experience as both a machinist and a chief executive officer. “So I know what the blue-collar person’s desires and goals are. I have a better grasp of being able to communicate with people at that level.”

12 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

ENGAGED

Miles noted that “we’re in a thrifty part of the world.” That’s often a good thing. But that can also mean that employee training and development—a key element of retention—is one of the first items to get trimmed from the budget, if it gets put in at all. “You don’t throw money after ineffective programs,” Miles said. “But [good programs] are huge levers to increase productivity and market share.”

NOT ENGAGED

Spend wisely.

Gallup research shows that when employees are engaged they are less likely to leave their employer. Even when provided with a hypothetical scenario that would provide financial security for life, those who are engaged at work are much more likely than less engaged workers to say they would continue in the same job.

ACTIVELY DISENGAGED

That’s what Holly Hoglund Klein, president of Monticello-based Hoglund Bus & Truck, does with her firm’s twice-a-year surveys of its 90 employees. Many questions are open-ended, giving staff the chance to tell their managers in detail what they need in terms of equipment and training to do their jobs better. “People feel comfortable telling me or their managers any concerns they have,” Hoglund Klein said, adding that “this gives them something they can give to us and that we can take action on.”

Continue in current job

20%

42% 63%

Take a different job

41%

25% 12%

Stop working

40%

33% 25%

Source: Gallup August 7-11, 2013

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1ST QUARTER 2014

community

Asset Management: Sandstone’s frozen ice cliffs attract climbers and curious onlookers from across Minnesota.

Boomtowns

A can-do attitude helps communities thrive and survive. By Elizabeth Foy Larsen | Photography by Lisa Meyers McClintick

Rural economic development expert Jack Schultz, the author of Boomtown USA: The 7 ½ Keys to Big Success in Small Towns, visited St. Cloud last June to talk about what small communities can do to be more successful. The event drew almost 200 guests and was co-sponsored by the Initiative Foundation, the Southwest Initiative Foundation and the West Central Initiative. Schultz’s work has helped towns throughout Minnesota—and across the country—reach their potential. In fact, the Initiative Foundation weaves the principles of Schultz’s economic and community development advice into its Thriving Communities Initiative program. More than 50 central Minnesota communities— from Sandstone to Crosslake to Milaca and points in between—have participated in one of the Foundation’s community development programs in just the last decade. For most communities, that involves leadership training, strategic planning and community engagement, technical assistance and grant support. Projects have ranged from community gardens and farmers’ markets to downtown

revitalization programs and business succession planning. We talked to Schultz about how our region’s small communities can survive and thrive. IQ: Why do some communities succeed at revitalization while others get stuck? Schultz: A can-do attitude separates the communities that succeed vs. the also-rans. When an interstate was built in the early 1960s between the sister cities of LaSalle and Peru, Ill., La Salle just kind of laid back to see what would happen. Peru proactively took the water and sewer lines out to the interstate. They built it and people came. Likewise, when the population of Leavenworth, Wash., fell from 5,000 to 1,000 and lost its industry and railroad, a woman’s club with 11 members decided that their position in the mountains gave the town the look of a Bavarian village. One woman turned her hotel into the Hotel Edelweiss. Others changed their businesses to have Bavarian themes. Now the town has more than 1.5 million tourists each year and 40 families have moved there from Bavaria.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

14 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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community, continued

IQ: What are the characteristics of a community that embraces a “Boomtown” philosophy? Is it leadership, geography, economic base? Or just the fact that they’ve hit bottom and are ready to change past practices? Schultz: It’s not geography. And it’s not having an economic base. The secret is leadership and a willingness of all players to go in the same direction. You only have so many resources in a small town, so you can’t take on a lot of different initiatives when you are getting started. You have to try for small successes to help build momentum. Even something as small as putting together a community newsletter can be a place to start. Wimbeldon, N.D., is a town of 200 people, and it was dying on the vine. Their first step was to start a newsletter to keep people informed. That communication helped the town prevent the grocery store from closing. IQ: Having a “can do” attitude is one thing, but how does a community differentiate between innovation and a wacko idea? Schultz: I would not be so quick to judge something as crazy before I threw it out. Some of the wacko ideas can become some of the greatest successes. Remember, Branson, Mo., was a town of 2,000 people with one theater that declared it was going to become the live music capital of the United States.

Schultz’s keys to

IQ: Do you see successful reinvention campaigns originating more from the public or private sector, or a hybrid? Schultz: It has to be a hybrid because a broad base of support makes it so much easier to make changes. But there has to be give and take. People have to leave their egos at the door and realize it’s not my project: it’s our project. IQ: It seems like technology is a common theme in many economic success stories in recent years, and rural communities are often at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to skilled technology workers and/or businesses. Do you have advice to a non-metropolitan area when it comes to competing in this arena? Schultz: I actually think technology is a major plus for rural areas. With technology, you don’t have to be located in a Minneapolis/St. Paul because it’s much easier for people to live where the quality of life is better. In Central Minnesota, some of the lakes and natural resources could become a beacon of where people want to live and raise a family. Plus, ecommerce means you can have a market of seven billion people all over the world. From an economic development standpoint, it’s also less expensive to promote your community on a cost-effective basis today by using Facebook, Twitter and Google.

BIG SUCCESS

Civic leaders adopt a can-do attitude that promotes change.

Leaders clearly articulate a vision for growth.

Infrastructure resources of the community are leveraged to encourage new and expanding industries.

The community raises strong leaders.

Leadership encourages an entrepreneurial approach to growth and development.

Planners retain local control over industrial growth policies.

Marketers build and leverage the community’s brand identity.

small towns

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1ST QUARTER 2014

philanthropy

Gene Waldorf: “I still have quite a few shares of stock left to reduce, and it works well for the charities.”

Stock Up

Stocks and other appreciable assets can offer a win-win situation for donors and the organizations they support. By Lawrence Schumacher | Photography by John Linn

When Gene Waldorf retired from 3M, he left the company with a large number of its stock shares in his 401k retirement plan. The Grey Eagle resident’s broker advised him to right-size his portfolio by shedding some of the stock he accrued over a 26-year career, and a thought occurred to him: Donate it to charity. A former president of the Big Birch Lake Association in Todd and Stearns Counties, Waldorf served three terms as a trustee at the Initiative Foundation. He credits that experience with exposing him to the benefits of philanthropy to support the issues he champions. Stocks and other appreciable assets donated to charity can offer a win-win situation for both donor and recipient, according to Michael Craig, a certified financial planner with Ameriprise Financial in Wadena. “Gifting securities has the same positive effect 18 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

on the charity as gifting cash,” he said. “But the donor doesn’t have to sell the stock and take the capital gains hit, which otherwise might be substantial and negate the value of the donation.” (Nonprofits typically sell the stock immediately and report the capital gain, but are exempt from paying taxes on it.) The two most popular non-cash charitable donations are gifts of appreciated assets such as stocks, mutual funds or real estate, and gifts of retirement assets, such as withdrawals from Individual Retirement Accounts. As coordinator of fundraising efforts for the Maslowski Wellness and Research Center under construction in Wadena, Craig has dealt with both kinds of non-cash donations. That effort has raised more than $4.5 million in private donations that are cared for in a fund managed by the Initiative Foundation. If you have assets that are in stocks, you might want to gift some of them to support your favorite charitable organizations.

“Gifting securities has the same positive effect on the charity as gifting cash.” But before you take a look at your portfolio, there are some issues you need to consider. The amount of the deduction is subject to limitation—generally, you can only donate up to 50 percent of your adjusted gross income this way—and if the asset has not been held for long or if it’s hard to establish fair market value, it may not be a good choice for a charitable donation. Generally, the asset must have been held by the donor for longer than 12 months. It is also essential that the stock be directly transferred to a charity to capitalize on tax benefits, according to Lynn Bushinger, chief financial officer and treasurer of the Initiative Foundation. “If the stock is sold, and proceeds remitted to the charity, the sale will have occurred while the donor is still considered owner of the stock,” she said. “Therefore, the capital gains tax is attributed to the donor.” Bushinger also cautions that shares that have gone down in value since the date of purchase generally should not be donated. If shares have devalued, a donor may get the most benefit from selling the stock prior to making a charitable donation. Selling a devalued stock enables the donor to take a deduction for the losses while also

claiming a charitable deduction. That said, there are advantages beyond tax benefits to gifts of stock. “For people on fixed incomes, a stock donation doesn’t upset your cash flow if you’re not using it to draw income,” said Craig. A federal tax provision due for renewal this year allows individuals 70 ½ years or older to gift up to $100,000 a year from their IRAs to qualified charities income tax-free, which can be a great move for some retired individuals because they are required to withdraw a certain amount of their IRA each year. If that money is not needed for income, then donating it to charities counts toward the annual minimum distribution and is also tax-free, while simultaneously reducing an individual’s adjusted gross income and freeing up space for more deductions and tax credits. “It also may mean less Social Security may be taxed,” Craig said. “It’s as if the income never existed.” The Initiative Foundation accepts gifts of stock and other appreciable assets. Donations may be made to support the Foundation’s general endowment, program efforts, or a number of community or designated funds managed by the Foundation. “The number of stock gifts increases each year,” said Bushinger. “It is more relevant now than ever, and a great planned-giving option for donors. And it’s so easy!” For Waldorf, this was the right solution. The annual gifts to charities (including the Initiative Foundation) were easy to set up, and Waldorf said he plans to continue the practice. “I still have quite a few shares of stock left to reduce, and it seems to work well for the charities,” he said. “I don’t see any reason why I wouldn’t continue.”

How it Works

Gifting

- You transfer appreciated stocks, bonds or mutual fund shares you have owned for more than one year to your favorite charitable organization. The Initiative Foundation has an endowment fund that benefits the entire 14-county area, or you can give to a designated Turn Key Fund hosted by the Foundation.

SECURITIES Gift of securities

- The Initiative Foundation sells your securities and uses the proceeds for its programs or its endowment funds.

DONOR

2 Tax deduction

We sell securities No capital gains tax

STOCK MARKET

Benefits

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The Everywhere Economy By Laura Billings Coleman Illustration by Chris McAllister Photography by John Linn

The growth of e-commerce connects Central Minnesota with revenue from around the world. When Tom Smude registered the internet domain name for the start-up sunflower oil operation he and his wife launched in 2010, the Pierz farmer knew far more about tractor engine tuning than search engine optimization. “Computers weren’t really my thing,” said Smude, a life-long family farmer, cattle rancher and John Deere dealer. “Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest—I didn’t know much about any of that.” But with the first batch of his family’s bottled cold-pressed sunflower oil about to go to market, Smude knew they needed an online calling card where potential customers could learn more and see that the company was legitimate. “These days, if you don’t have a website, you’re kind of nobody,” said Smude, who set up a simple site and taught himself how to create pages and product descriptions “every night at 10 o’clock, after the chores were done.” The strategy soon paid off. Smude’s Sunflower Oil (smudeoil.com) soon found its way onto grocery shelves and into high-end restaurant kitchens in St. Cloud and the Twin Cities, more than doubling sales within the company’s first two years. As preparation for this success, Smude’s received an Initiative Foundation loan along with technical assistance to apply for a United States Department of Agriculture ValueAdded Producer Grant. 1ST QUARTER 2014

Tom Smude (pictured with his family): “The internet has opened up opportunities we didn’t even know about when we got started.”

“When we set up the site, you could see three people visited one day, then 10, and then 50,” Smude said. “Then you’d go to a farmer’s market or a trade show in Minneapolis and all of a sudden you had 400 or 500 people coming to check you out.” The potential for online sales proved so promising that when Smude’s earned the USDA grant in 2012, a responsive website that could be navigated easily on a computer, tablet or smartphone, was one of the first investments they made. Designed by Little Falls-based Firefly Designs Smude’s revamped website helps keep the central Minnesota business popping up among the top results for “sunflower oil” on internet search engines, connecting the family farm to customers as far away as California and Hong Kong. Today, Smude estimates that e-commerce 24 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

now accounts for 25 to 30 percent of the company’s annual sales. “If you told me four years ago we’d be where we are today, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he said. “But the internet has opened up opportunities we didn’t even know about when we got started.” Smude’s is just one of a growing number of small businesses in central Minnesota finding new customers through the internet. From local artisans with Etsy sites to traditional retailers with outlets on Amazon, eBay, Shopify and other apps, online shopping is connecting Minnesotamade products and services with an increasingly global audience. “As access to high-speed internet improves in rural communities, the e-commerce playing field is getting a little more level for small businesses in central Minnesota,” said Dan Bullert, business finance manager at

the Initiative Foundation. “Anyone with a tangible product or specialty service with a little bit of a niche is finding that e-commerce can really expand their target market of potential customers.”

Going Global That’s how a Google search for vintage tractor collectibles led customers from Ireland, England and Australia to the gravel road in Menahga where metalsmith Steve Peterson crafts custom orders at Kettle River Iron Works (kettleriverironworks. com). “Once I figured out how to get this stuff going on the internet, we had success right away,” he said. “We ship all over now.” Battery Wholesale, Inc., a St. Josephbased wholesaler and Initiative Foundation loan client with six brick-and-mortar outlets across the state, has been dispatching 10 to

Tips from top sellers “When we set up the site, you could see three people visited one day, then 10, and then 50. Then you’d go to a farmer’s market or a trade show in Minneapolis and all of a sudden you had 400 or 500 people coming to check you out.”

Before you set up your virtual storefront, here are a few tips from central Minnesota e-commerce experts.

You can’t build a site overnight Setting up a website is simple, but building one that connects you to the right customers can take time. With the success of its Amazon sales, Batteries Wholesale Inc. planned to have its own website fully loaded at the start of the 2014. But with more than 2,000 stocked parts, the project grew larger than co-owner Grant Brastad originally planned. “Using the keywords has been important to us, so it can take up to an hour to create a page for some of these products,” he said. Hiring a web consultant to take charge of search engine optimization, streamline navigation or build your visibility on social media sites may be worth the added expense.

Know your numbers The high cost of shipping your products to far-away customers or sharing a percentage of the cut with sellers such as Amazon, eBay or Etsy can eat into your bottom line if you don’t have a business plan that adds up. For instance, Final Frontier Toys only sells its premium priced items on eBay, because anything with a retail price lower than $25 won’t generate enough profit. When free shipping emerged as the dealmaker for many online shoppers, Mann Lake Ltd. created a free shipping program, offsetting some costs with a “Bee Bucks” loyalty program that keeps customers coming back.

123

Know your audience

15 packages from its warehouse every day since October, when the company became a certified vendor on Amazon.com. “There are a lot bigger players out there, and we’ve got a lot of competition,” said Grant Brastad, the company’s vice president and co-owner. “But if you can deliver a quality product in a decent amount of time, we’ve found you don’t have to be the cheapest and you don’t need to be the most expensive—you just need to be in the game.” More Minnesota businesses are jumping into the game every quarter, as jobs driven by electronic shopping have grown by double digits annually since 2010. Between 2009 and 2012, Minnesota saw an 82.4 percent increase in the number of electronic shopping jobs, which now number nearly 1,100 workers, and account for more than $39 million in annual compensation.

Kettle River Iron Works’ owner Steve Peterson credits his e-commerce success on the more than 1,000 business cards he and his wife hand out at arts and crafts fairs and farm tractors collectibles shows throughout the summer. “We’re on Etsy and everything, but those business cards go to just the right audience, which helps with word of mouth,” he said. Frank Bray, owner of Final Frontier Toys, says that 20 years of trade shows catering to a niche audience of science fiction and fantasy toy fans has been far more valuable than any online advertising he could do. Good word of mouth among the “geeknerds” in Final Frontier’s target demographic accounts for about 500 web visits every day.

Keep customers coming back Nothing turns away a potential buyer like a badly designed website where customers can’t search for what they want, or even find the home page. “You’ve just got to make it easy for people to find their way around,” said Jack Thomas of Mann Lake, whose website closely mirrors the company’s catalog. While responsive design that allows customers to buy items from smart phones and tablets is a growing trend, Bray says a phone number prominently displayed on the homepage is even more critical. “People want to know that you’re real, so a phone number is the most reassuring thing you can give your customers.”

1ST QUARTER 2014

Frank Bray: “As long as you have a good internet connection and reliable pick up from FedEx or UPS, you can do what we do anywhere.”

Nationwide, e-commerce transactions make up about 8 percent of total retail sales, but as customers become increasingly comfortable with shopping from their smartphones, tablets and laptops, e-commerce is expected to outpace sales growth at traditional retailers over the next five years, reaching $370 billion in sales by 2017. With a record 66 million Americans making a purchase online on Black Friday 2013, technology and market research firm Forrester is predicting e-commerce to rise by 13 percent in 2014 alone. Central Minnesota stands to gain from this trend. “The internet is a gateway to doing so much more than people realize, especially in a region like this where the overhead and cost of living are relatively low,” said Frank Bray, owner of Final Frontier Toys (finalfrontiertoys.com). His high-end collectible toy shop got its start 26 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

in a storefront in Gilroy, Calif., in 1994 and signed on as an eBay seller in 1997. “We saw right away that the internet was going to change our business completely,” Bray said. “A storefront is incredibly labor intensive, and the overhead in California is outrageous.” By 2005, as the real estate market began reaching “ridiculous heights,” Bray and his wife decided to cash out their California house, close the storefront and concentrate on e-commerce exclusively. “As long as you have a good internet connection and reliable pick up from FedEx or UPS, you can do what we do anywhere, and anywhere ended up being Menahga,” where Bray’s wife has family. In the seven years since his business moved to a building on the property of his home in Minnesota’s north woods, Bray admits he’s still not accustomed to winter, and he’s had some challenges finding

local hires with the “geek-nerd” skill set needed to answer customer questions about “Return of the Jedi” Chewbacca figurines (asking price: $350), or vintage G.I. Joe “Cobra Terror Drome” playsets ($7,995). Even so, he’s been happy with the excellent high-speed internet service he receives from West Central Telephone in Sebeka, and delighted by Final Frontier’s steady growth, which started in 2009 and has grown every year since. “We have customers all over the blessed globe, in 67 countries, so for us globalization has been helpful—not a curse.”

social Savvy An increasingly global economy has also been a boon to Little Falls’ Atomic Learning, which provides on-demand technology training and support for educators around

Border-to-Border

Broadband “The internet is a gateway to doing so much more than people realize, especially in a region like this where the overhead and cost of living are relatively low.”

the world. Launched in 2000 by a team of tech-minded teaching professionals, Atomic Learning soon found a major client in Australia—a development their marketing plan hadn’t anticipated. “But once you launch something on the Internet, it knows no boundaries,” said Dan Meyer, an Atomic Learning co-founder and a member of the Initiative Foundation’s board of trustees. “You can’t put up walls and say we’re not ready to do business with you yet.” Today, the company’s 60,000 how-to videos and tech curriculum tutorials are accessed every day by an audience of more than 7 million users in Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Qatar and 25 other countries. Having a mailing address in Central Minnesota is no limitation to the markets Atomic Learning can reach, according to director of marketing Kathy Sell, who says social media helps the company’s 70

High-speed Internet access is considered a key economic development tool, much like good roads, a reliable electrical grid and sewer and water services. Increasingly, businesses and corporations expect broadband services to be available in communities where they are considering expansion projects. That’s why the Minnesota Legislature has set an aggressive goal to get broadband service to every corner of the state by 2015 so that all state residents and businesses have access to high-speed Internet that provides minimum download speeds of 10 to 20 megabits per second and minimum upload speeds of five to 10 megabits per second. Today 74.5 percent of Minnesotans can access broadband, up from 61.5 percent one year ago. That leaves 25 percent of households still unserved at the lowest broadband service level set in state law in 2010.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 44 1ST QUARTER 2014

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$$$ $$$ $ $ $ $

BANK on it

By Elizabeth Foy Larsen | Photography by John Linn

Financial literacy programs help kids plan for now— and the future.

Last fall, 14-year-old Brooke Hunstad had the opportunity to imagine her life as a physician’s assistant earning a salary of $50,000 a year.

Direct Deposit: Pillager High School business teacher Ann Hutchinson (left) teaches students like freshman Brooke Hunstad the real-world financial basics they’ll need when they graduate.

$$ $ $ $ In this made-up scenario, Hunstad was married and had no kids. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t financial realities she had to contend with, including the fact that her office was 20 miles from home. “I was really surprised how much transportation, life insurance and dental services cost,” said the Pillager High School freshman. “I realized that to stay within my budget I’d have to cut back on food and clothes and learn to fix my car myself.” Hunstad got this peek into her financial future through JA Finance Park, an online tool developed by Junior Achievement to help middle and high school students learn the kinds of money management skills they need today for their daily lives while preparing them for the financial decisions they’ll have to make when they become adults. It’s part of a 13-lesson

1ST QUARTER 2014

$ $ $$$ $ $ $ $ Money Mentors: Jill Carlson, the director of learning and development at Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union, and Brainerd High School social studies teacher David Borash.

financial literacy unit taught by Ann Hutchinson, Pillager High School’s business teacher. “Our students will be out of here in three years and on to college and work,” she said. “In a time when so many people have financial challenges and bad credit, the more we can expose kids to budgeting and other financial literacy skills, the better off we’ll all be.” Pillager High School is not alone. Schools, financial institutions, nonprofit organizations and businesses throughout central Minnesota are partnering to teach kids the kinds of practical knowledge they’ll need to make critical financial decisions, including how to manage money, use credit wisely, build wealth and save for retirement. “In a competitive global economy, our students need to go beyond the classroom to learn real-world skills that will help them succeed in school and life,” said Sandy Voigt, a development officer for the Initiative Foundation. “The recession highlighted the need for everyone—from business and community leaders to ordinary citizens—to have a solid understanding of the basics of money management.” Financial literacy initiatives also bolster the region’s economy 30 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

“In a competitive global economy, our students need to go beyond the

classroom to learn real-world skills that

will help them succeed in school and life.”

$ $

How parents can BOOST their child’s financial literacy.

)

MAKE IT REAL.

Money is abstract to young children, especially in a culture where we use credit and debit cards to pay for so many of our purchases. When you are at the grocery store with your child, explain that the money you are using to pay for your food has been earned. Try to use cash for smaller purchases (such as snacks at the convenience store) and let your child make these transactions.

TIE ALLOWANCE TO CHORES.

It’s important to teach children that money doesn’t just appear magically, according to Neale Godfrey, the founder of Children’s Financial Network Inc., a company that promotes financial literacy. Pegging allowance to chores reinforces the fact that for the vast majority of people, the only way to make money is to work for it.

by building the kind of business skills that lead to more stable communities. “It’s impossible to become an entrepreneur if you don’t understand your credit score or how to properly calculate the revenue you’ll need every month,” said Voigt. “Having a strong grounding in how to manage your finances sets you on the right path to being able to go into business.”

Savings & Loans

Research shows that when it comes to teaching money management, there’s a deep need for nuts and bolts information. A study by the financial literacy website DoughMain reports that 81 percent of parents feel it’s their responsibility to teach their kids about money and savings. But a separate study conducted in 2012 on behalf of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling shows that two in five adults give themselves a C, D, or F on their understanding of personal finance. “We live in the everyday stress of finances and we don’t want to give that stress to our kids,” said Jill Carlson, the director of learning and development at MidMinnesota Federal Credit Union (MMFCU), an Initiative Foundation supporter of youth and community programs and creator of financial literacy programs for

SAVE.

$$ $$$ $$ $

Make sure your child saves at least 10 percent of her allowance and earnings. “We need to continue to coach children towards developing a habit of always putting a portion of their earnings into savings,” said Yvette M. Campbell, the vice president and retail banking manager of Bremer Bank in Baxter.

AND GIVE.

Likewise, encourage your child to always put aside a portion of his money for charity and encourage him to support organizations that have meaning to him—charities that help animals are often good places for kids to start their philanthropic life. Some families use jars labeled “Spend,” “Save” aand nd “Give” to keep the ffunds unds separate.

schools across central Minnesota. “But by not talking about it, we are making it harder for them in the long run.” That’s a life lesson Brainerd High School social studies teacher David Borash, who helped develop the 14-week financial literacy component of the economics class that students take in their senior year, didn’t want to hand down to the next generation. “I graduated from high school in the mid 1980s and went off into the world blindfolded,” he said. “I want our students to know not only how to create a budget but also how to read a rental agreement and apply for a loan.” With help from MMFCU and members of the local business community, Brainerd High School’s class also teaches students basics that include financing college, the importance of compound interest in retirement savings and the difference between a savings and loan, bank and credit union. Don Griggs, a sales and leasing consultant with Mills Motors in Baxter, volunteers his time to lead a class on buying a car. In addition to walking students through the ins and outs of reading a vehicle history report, Griggs brings a used car to the school so that students can learn how to spot potential warning signs, from worn-out tires to burn marks on the dipstick. CONTINUED ON PAGE 48 1ST QUARTER 2014

By Maria Surma Manka | Photography by John Linn

READY TO WORK 32 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Team Effort: Paradise Theater manager Eric Carlisle with a cleaning crew hired through Industries, Inc.

hen Eric Carlisle, manager of the Paradise Theater in Mora, needed to hire crews to regularly clean the popular cinema, he knew where to turn: Industries, Inc., where workers with a range of disabilities receive job training and the opportunity to participate in the local workforce. “Hiring a cleaning crew from Industries, Inc. was the perfect fit for our theater,” said Carlisle, who has employed up to six workers on a regular basis for the past four years. “They are dependable, they do a great job and Industries, Inc. provides a supervisor to work with them and ensure all of the tasks are completed. Frankly, I think the organization is an overlooked resource for providing services to local businesses while helping to integrate people with disabilities into society.” The work crews from Industries Inc. aren’t alone. Across central Minnesota, workers with disabilities are earning an income, gaining personal fulfillment and adding value to their communities. In fact, the fulltime or part-time employment rate of working-age people with disabilities in Minnesota is nearly 48 percent, and the median annual earnings of working-age people with disabilities working full-time throughout the year is $40,700, according to a 2011 Cornell University study.

Employees with disabilities earn an income, gain personal fulfillment and add value to their communities. 1ST QUARTER 2014

To foster this potential, several regional organizations provide training and job assistance to workers with disabilities. Many have been supported by the Initiative Foundation, which shares their goal to develop, retain and attract skilled workers and families to central Minnesota. “As more and more Baby Boomers continue to retire, we’re going to face a worker shortage,” said Don Hickman, the Initiative Foundation’s vice president for community and economic development. “We can’t afford to have people with skills left out of the marketplace because an idle person with marketable skills creates a burden on society. We are fortunate to have many organizations in this area that provide opportunities for self-sufficiency and independence. It’s real work, not a hand out.”

“We are fortunate to have many organizations in this area that provide opportunities for self-sufficiency and independence.

Set for success

It’s real work, not a hand out.”

At the Occupational Skills Program (OSP) at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, students with mild to moderate disabilities from around Minnesota and the Upper Midwest get to enjoy a college experience and learn skills that will allow them to participate in competitive, entry-level employment, including resume writing, interviewing techniques and how to advocate for themselves in the workplace. “Many students with disabilities don’t believe that college is for them,” said Brian Miner, coordinator of the OSP. “We provide students with an opportunity to attend college and participate in a program that is designed to increase their ability to provide for themselves and live as independently as possible.” That’s why, in addition to workplace savvy, OSP places an emphasis on the kinds of practical, real-life skills that are essential to living successfully within the community, including personal finance, the importance of healthy relationships and consumer skills. Students who complete the nine-month program most commonly work in the retail, custodial and food service industries. Many also become dietary or activity aides in elder care. While many Minnesota school districts offer transition programs for recent high school graduates with disabilities, OSP is the only program offered on a MnSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities) campus specifically for students with disabilities. In addition to coursework, all students spend 12 hours a week at a local business to practice and demonstrate the skills they learned in their classes before they are allowed to apply for permanent jobs in the workforce. The program requires hard work and dedication.

For many students, the OSP experience is their first time away from home, and so staff are available to advise and counsel students to make sure they are connected to the proper support services.

Paycheck pride In Mora and Cambridge, individuals with a wide range of disabilities have the opportunity to receive job training, placement assistance and participate in work performed for outside companies at the Industries, Inc. headquarters. The nonprofit organization helps meet the needs of local employers by providing work and locations that are flexible to meet the various abilities of the employee—from someone who cannot communicate but can do manual labor to an individual who eventually becomes a permanent employee in the competitive marketplace. Industries, Inc. workers do anything from packing and assembling for Cambridge Metals & Plastics at the Industries, Inc. facility to cleaning at off-site locations, including the Paradise Theater. Other workers have been placed in competitive employment at local retailers, government and manufacturing facilities. CONTINUED ON PAGE 50

34 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Workers in Action Kelsey Brodmarkle Culver’s, Baxter

Muscular myopathy—a disease in which the muscle fibers do not function correctly and lead to muscular weakness—has not stopped Kelsey Brodmarkle from a successful career as a runner at the Culver’s in Baxter. She participated in several training and occupational skills programs throughout high school, and after graduation she attended the Paul Bunyan Transition Plus program where she developed employment and home-living skills, including resume writing, interview techniques and work habits such as time management. The program also provides a skills assessment and career matching services, along with the opportunity for paid and unpaid work with employers around the Brainerd area. “I love working there,” said Brodmarkle, who has been at Culver’s for seven years. “I love my coworkers, my friends there and the customers.” 1ST QUARTER 2014

10 YEARS

It was 2003 and Matt Kilian had a challenge he needed to solve. As the director of communications at the Initiative Foundation, he knew communities across the 14-county region that the Foundation serves in central Minnesota were creatively dealing with important issues, from immigration to aquatic invasive species to the toll that methamphetamine were taking on small towns. The problem was that local news outlets covered these issues—and their solutions—mostly from the vantage point of how they impacted each particular town or city. “One person had an idea in Pine City that wouldn’t have been known to someone who could have benefitted from it in Wadena,” said Kilian, who is now the CEO of the Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Initiative Foundation wanted to change that. The question was: How? Kilian’s solution was to create a magazine that would become an information-sharing resource throughout the region and beyond. It was a fairly audacious idea, given that print magazines and newspapers across the country were starting to feel the tremors that would eventually strike a severe blow to their industry. So when

36 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

A reflection of pride and positive changes in our communities.

he presented his idea to Initiative Foundation President Kathy Gaalswyk, he expected he’d have a tough sell ahead of him. Instead, Gaalswyk asked Kilian to write a business plan to present to the board. “Given the direction from our Board of Trustees, particularly the chair Dorothy Simpson, to advance our communications and marketing efforts, a magazine was a natural next step,” she said. The Foundation has never looked back. “IQ put the Initiative Foundation on the map,” said Gaalswyk. “It has been far more successful than I could ever have imagined.” During the 10 years we’ve been publishing IQ, the magazine has strived to inform and inspire readers with stories that have helped Greater Minnesota businesses through the ups and downs of the economy. It’s turned its gaze toward tough topics, including childhood poverty and mental health. But most of all, it has celebrated the efforts of local people to manage the region’s amazing resources and revitalize their communities.

To celebrate, we’re highlighting 10 of our favorite issues.

Til Meth Do Us Part Fall 2005 Between 1999 and 2003, more than 750 clandestine methamphetamine labs were busted in rural Minnesota. Our inaugural issue of IQ took an in-depth look at this horrific trend and profiled the central Minnesotans who were fighting back.

“IQ has served an important function in collecting and presenting the stories of local communities and the issues of

True Blue Fall 2006

central Minnesota

Central Minnesota is known across the country for its lakes. Keeping those lakes clean is important not only for our region’s water lovers but also our economy. With this issue, the Initiative Foundation became a leading voice in water quality management practices—including buffer zones, wastewater management and aquatic vegetation preservation.

10-year history.

throughout its It’s an attractive publication with high quality information and resources for not only residents of the

Silent Storm Winter 2008 IQ was on the cutting edge of an issue that almost no one was covering in 2008—the emotional health of our youngest kids. Stressed family lifestyles, media experiences, traumatic events and depressed, deployed or incarcerated parents were creating a perfect storm for Minnesota’s surge in early childhood mental health issues. Since so many kids suffered in silence, we told these stories and offered solutions.

region but also of the state and our elected officials. The magazine has brought attention to tough issues and presents them in a way that has garnered attention from government,

Broke Summer 2008 Poverty is insidious. It’s rife with assumptions, riddled with stereotypes and viewed as a social scourge. Yet it can happen to almost anyone. In the summer 2008 edition, IQ joined with the Northwest Area Foundation to take an in-depth look at poverty in Minnesota, shining a light on the truths and delivering stories of hope while shattering some of poverty’s myths.

philanthropy and

”

community leaders. —BILL KING Past president of the Minnesota Council on Foundations

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Adrift Fall 2009

Wadena Summer 2011

Mighty Fall 2011

The recession claimed roughly 38,000 jobs in central Minnesota. What did the path to prosperity look like? Who was hiring? Which jobs, education and skills were in demand? IQ joined forces with the Stearns-Benton Workforce Council to relay inspiring stories and practical advice for displaced workers and employers who were dealing with life after the recession. We also spotlighted three emerging industries—healthcare/bioscience, technology and renewable energy—which held the promise of future growth.

A year after an EF4 tornado devastated Wadena and Otter Tail counties, we dedicated an entire issues to showcase the town of Wadena’s resilience and dedication to rebuilding their community. We told the stories of survivors and what they’d learned. We offered nuts and bolts information and resources for communities, including the importance of disaster planning for businesses and how nonprofits can best harness the energies of volunteers when disaster strikes.

People around the world can identify the Mississippi River on a map. Many of us drive past or over it every day. So, if the Mighty Mississippi starts right here in Minnesota, why doesn’t it float on our minds more often? This issue examined the past, present and future of the Mississippi River and its tributaries. This special statewide issue was published by members of the River Partnership, a national collaboration of community foundations connected by America’s waterways and their philanthropic missions. Funding for this project was provided by a grant from the Funders’ Network via the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

“Without IQ, the past 10 years would have just been recorded in annual reports and line items in budgets that wouldn’t do justice to the significant, positive changes in the region. IQ tells the stories of the talented, hard-working people of the region and how, with the support of the Initiative Foundation, they are producing some exciting, incredible results. Such success stories are certainly a source of pride and community spirit which often goes on to produce more positive change and more community spirit.” —DOROTHY SIMPSON past Initiative Foundation board chair

38 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Art of Attraction Summer-Fall 2012

Vivid 1st Quarter, 2013

Heroes for Hire 2nd Quarter 2013

To emphasize the Initiative Foundation’s priority of supporting initiatives that boost economic development across central Minnesota, IQ switched its editorial focus from covering a single topic each issue to becoming a general interest magazine about the three main factors— philanthropy, economy, community—that create and sustain thriving cities and towns. Our first cover story in this new format made the case for the necessity of air travel in and out of St. Cloud Regional Airport.

Starting with the publication of our Summer 2007 issue on “The Changing Face of Central Minnesota,” IQ and the Initiative Foundation have been passionate about the opportunities that immigration and our new neighbors bring to our region. This cover story examined the many ways that immigrants improve life in central Minnesota not only with their entrepreneurial spirit and tireless work ethic but also as customers in an exploding market opportunity.

For many central Minnesotans, the military has provided a path to education and both military and civilian careers. For employers, hiring veterans can not only be an act of patriotism, but also a sound business practice. The military provides leadership training that can take decades to learn in the civilian world, including the ability to be team-oriented, work well under pressure and think outside the box. Still, reentering the workforce isn’t always easy. This IQ cover story took a deep look at how our region can support and employ our returning soldiers.

“I think the power and impact of IQ comes from delivering high quality content, consistently, framed in a smart way, in a vehicle that makes the most sense for the audience. So in essence, doing what a good magazine is capable of doing. And when a good magazine hits its marks, it can have profound impacts on a variety of lives, issues, businesses and even the sense a region has of itself.” —NEAL CUTHBERT The McKnight Foundation vice president of programs

business

Liz Olson, president of the Menahga Civic and Commerce Association, and Mayor Patrick Foss are working hard to identify barriers to business expansion and growth.

Retain & Gain

Menahga sets aside smokestack chasing to focus on the companies that already call it home.

By Lawrence Schumacher | Photography by John Linn

Patrick Foss had a vision for Menahga. When Foss became mayor of the town of 1,306 residents in Wadena County, his top priority was to attract new businesses. “I came into office asking, ‘What do we have to do to get some smokestacks in this town?’” he said. It turns out Foss was asking the wrong question. As he began talking with economic development specialists in the area, the conversation shifted beyond landing new businesses to creating a climate that encourages the retention and expansion of Menahga’s existing companies. “Existing businesses are the real key to the success of any small town,” said Dan Frank, the senior program manager for economic and community development at the Initiative Foundation. “They already are invested in and care about the community. Given an opportunity and some local encouragement and support, they’re more likely to invest in future growth. And if they are more

established business owners, they may also have a vested interest in seeing a younger entrepreneur have an opportunity to buy and run their business as they look at retirement.” In fact, up to 86 percent of new jobs are created by the companies that are already doing business in the community, according to Michael Darger, the director of the University of Minnesota Extension’s Business Retention and Expansion Strategies program. The program helps communities and community leaders work together to identify barriers local businesses face as they try to survive and grow. The Initiative Foundation has sponsored scholarships to the program since 2011. “Effective business retention doesn’t happen by accident; it requires specific activities and plans, and the University’s BR&E program helps develop those skills,” said Frank. One of the first partial scholarships the Initiative Foundation offered was to Foss and two dozen other Menahga community CONTINUED ON PAGE 42

40 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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business, continued

“Existing businesses already are invested in and care about the community. Given an opportunity and some local support, they’re more likely to invest in future growth.” leaders, who as part of their work charged volunteers to do oneon-one surveys with more than 50 area businesses. Once they gathered their information, volunteers put together a five-pronged plan for improving business conditions in Menahga, according to Mark Hanson, economic development director of the West Central Economic Development Alliance. Those improvements include: • Creating a round table that meets monthly to allow business owners to raise concerns and get to know each other. • Instituting a Menahga Music Night in the summer on Spirit Lake to raise the community profile and bring in people from out of town. • Holding a local career fair to show area youth what employment and training options are available in and around town. • Building a 16-unit senior housing complex. • Creating a business-to-business marketing program that includes social media to promote area companies.

Construction on the first senior living units begins this spring and the Music Night and career fairs, which started in 2013, will happen again in 2014. But it’s the round table discussions that have turned out to be especially rewarding. “They’re a way for anybody in the business community to come in and be heard,” said Liz Olson, president of the Menahga Civic and Commerce Association. “We’re working with the existing businesses to help them meet their objectives and foster enthusiasm for the community.” Andrea Haverinen, owner of AH Grafix, started coming to the round table meetings and has since become involved in the business-to-business marketing project.

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“There are a lot more businesses in communities like Menahga that don’t have a storefront downtown,” she said. “It’s been a great opportunity for new ideas to be heard.” The business-to-business project kicked off in January with 16 participants. With help from an Initiative Foundation grant, Hanson said he hopes to expand it to include businesses from throughout Wadena County. “People start finding things out about your area that they might not otherwise know,” he said. “I didn’t know they had a championship-level golf course. I didn’t know they have a gluten-free bakery.’ It’s word-of-mouth in the digital era.” After two years of working at it, there’s been a change in attitude about business in Menahga. “We’re still at the baby steps level,” said Foss. “But the biggest thing we’ve learned is who everybody was and how to work together.

Talk of the Town The University of Minnesota Extension’s Business Retention and Expansion Strategies program helps communities keep their businesses through long- and short-term goals, including: SHORT-TERM OBJECTIVES To demonstrate support for local businesses. To help solve immediate business concerns. LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES To increase local businesses’ ability to compete in the global economy. To establish and implement a strategic plan for economic development. To build community capacity to sustain growth and development. Learn more about the Business Retention & Expansion program at www.extension.umn.edu/community/ business-retention

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THE EVERYWHERE ECONOMY, continued from page 27

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Bee Biz: Jack and Betty Thomas credit the internet with making Mann Lake Ltd. the world’s largest supplier of beekeeping products.

employees keep close tabs on cutting edge topics in education. Before Twitter took off “a teacher who might be really passionate about technology would have no one else in the building to bounce ideas off of, and now they’re able to connect with people all over the world who are running at their same speed,” said Sell. “We use Twitter within the education spaces to watch what they’re talking about, understand what their challenges are, and even to solve customer service issues quickly.” But social media savvy is not a requirement for succeeding in the world of e-commerce. In fact, Mann Lake Ltd. CEO Jack Thomas, who started his beekeeping supply company (mannlakeltd.com) from his front porch in 1983, is proud to report that he’s never sent a text message, logged on to Twitter or ordered anything from the 44 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

internet. Even so, the Hackensack-based company has grown to become the world’s largest supplier of beekeeping products, a global reach that Thomas credits in large part to Mann Lake’s move to the internet in the 1990s. Starting with a simple site of pages numbered exactly to correspond to Mann Lake’s popular catalog, the company’s products can now be shipped through Amazon and from their own virtual storefront, where customers can “live chat” with a knowledgeable staff person. Thomas, who now employs 235 people in Minnesota, California and Pennsylvania, believes that responsiveness is a key to their success. “We’ve never had a slump year and I would say the number one reason is that we answer the telephone,” he said. “Every call to Mann Lake is answered on or before the

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third ring by a live person 24/7.” Combined with this embrace of old-school customer service, the new world of e-commerce has extended Mann Lake’s audience far beyond his expectations. “Without the internet, I’d guess we’d be about 75 percent smaller than we are.” Tom Smude says he would love for his sunflower oil business to find the kind of loyal customer base Mann Lake has created over three decades, and he’s already changed his marketing plan to make it happen. Though he and his wife began their business with the assumption that young, hipster foodies would be the target audience for their sustainably farmed and hearthealthy oils, Smude soon discovered that market doesn’t have the disposable income for such a high-end product. But when Smude’s Sunflower Oil was introduced

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to local supermarkets, it was quickly embraced by customers who’d struggled to find sunflower oil in the midwest, where vegetable oils are more popular. “Turns out that in Russia, sunflower oil is what everyone cooks with, and we heard from a co-op in St. Cloud that Russian immigrants were driving up from Minneapolis and filling up their jugs,” said Smude, who has adjusted his social media and advertising to connect with Russian-born customers on the coasts and in Missouri. Smude is confident that growing word of mouth for his product, not to mention a big headline about heart health, could be just what his sunflower oil business needs to become a major player in the market. “With our website and e-commerce, I know we’ve got the groundwork laid to handle it when it comes.”

1ST QUARTER 2014

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Ice Shanty Gear Little Falls, Minn.

By Sarah Colburn | Photography by John Linn

Darkhouse spearfishing is a niche sport, and it’s one in which Ice Shanty Gear owner Jeff Doty has a solid foothold. Doty spent his childhood arm deep in dirt, digging up angle worms; as a teenager he and his friends speared suckers in a nearby creek. Now, almost five decades later, Doty has turned his passion for the sport into a post-retirement business. He’s handcrafting and selling decoys and other spearfishing items, including a Decoy Roll-Up for storage and a 7-tine spear. Ice Shanty Gear is best known for Doty’s Darkhouse Dipper, a tool Doty invented that clears ice and slush out of the spearing hole. He spent years engineering the product, which launched in 2005 with help from an Initiative Foundation loan. But Ice Shanty Gear is also known for its signature line of hand-carved, hand-painted decoys, which are designed to attract fish to the hole without triggering the strike reflex. From the mill that manufactures the wood used to make the decoys to the shop that powder coats the spears, Ice Shanty Gear partners with Minnesota companies to create one-of-a-kind products designed especially for the winter spearfishing season. We dropped Doty a line to learn more about his unique offerings.

46 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Spearfishing is one of the oldest and most primitive forms of fishing, predating angling. It’s referenced in the Bible and in ancient cave paintings that depict this foodgathering practice.

Doty sold more than 300 decoys in 2013. Some models have become collectors’ items.

Each decoy is “swim tested” in a water tank between being primed and painted. Using a jigging stick, Doty and his business associate, Brad Lange, pull each product through the water to simulate fishing. Some decoys are fast and jerky, while some are too slow. Doty aims for the middle, adjusting each before they’re hand-painted.

In addition to selling his products in central Minnesota shops, Doty creates products for Scheels in St. Cloud, Mankato, Fargo and Bismarck. Orders at the St. Cloud Scheels alone have increased 20 percent a year for the last four years.

DMS Machine Inc. in Little Falls shapes the rectangular wood blanks into Doty’s decoy designs. They also drill the holes for the wire loops and cut a slot for the lead.

Doty’s decoys are most often made from raw white pine, which he procures from the Paskewitz Millwork in Browerville, Minn. Doty cuts the wood into blanks himself.

1ST QUARTER 2014

BANK On It, continued from page 31

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48 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Jessica Gangl: “We want kids to understand the basics of how people contribute to the general economy.”

Needs vs. Wants

Experts say that kids can start learning basic financial literacy concepts as early as elementary school. Junior Achievement’s curriculum, which reaches more than 5,500 students in Crow Wing and Cass Counties alone, teaches kindergartners about earnings and savings. “We want kids to understand the basics of how people contribute to the general economy, whether it’s jobs their parents do in the home or roles different people play in their community,” said Jessica Gangl, the district manager of the Brainerd Lakes branch of Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest. Junior Achievement is an Initiative Foundation grant recipient. By first grade students and teachers are starting to have basic conversations about distinguishing between needs (food, shelter) and wants (a puppy, cable TV). It’s a lesson that takes on even more urgency in high school, when students get jobs and dream of buying fancy cars but don’t understand

the toll that a status symbol can take on the rest of your life. “We talk about whether or not it’s worth it to drive an Escalade if you have only $10 in the bank and are paying 16 percent in interest because you have bad credit,” said Carlson. “We help students see that what’s more important is being able to walk into a financial institution and actually be able to get a loan if you need to buy a car.” Students also study the ins and outs of buying with credit and are often shocked at how a $90 pair of shoes can end up costing $300 if you pay the minimum amount each billing cycle. They also learn about the long-term ramifications of having a bad credit rating and how to prevent that from happening.

Down Payments

Financial literacy courses also promote the importance of savings. “The greatest opportunity we have in teaching financial literacy to our youth is to teach them to ‘pay themselves,’ ” said Yvette M. Campbell,

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vice president and retail banking manager of Bremer Bank in Baxter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the banking industry we see many teenagers anxious to open their first checking account with a debit card and direct deposit so they can have immediate access to spending their paychecks.â&#x20AC;? Paying for your lifestyle is also covered in the Minnesota Business Venture, a weeklong summer camp held at both St. Cloud State University and Saint Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University. The camp is run by BestPrep, a Minnesota nonprofit whose mission is to prepare students for business careers through hands-on experiences. (The Initiative Foundation sponsors camp scholarships for high school students from all 14 counties in its service area.) Each camper is put in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;companyâ&#x20AC;? whose mission is to come up with a new type of good or service and see it through a business plan. Students also meet with financial planners from Thrivent Financial to learn money management skills. No matter the program, financial literacy classes often have a welcomeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;if unintendedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;consequence: gratitude. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It opened my eyes to how responsible people have to be, especially when your parents donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t handle it for you,â&#x20AC;? said Pillager High School student Brooke Hunstad. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It made me appreciate all that my parents do for me.â&#x20AC;?

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Workers in Action Shelly Hanscom Walmart, Princeton “It’s difficult to job search when you have a disability,” said Shelly Hanscom, who has multiple sclerosis. “I would get called in for an interview, but when the interviewer saw my cane, I would never get the job.” Hanscom’s job counselor directed her toward Industries, Inc. for assistance. The organization helped Hanscom complete a job application at Wal-Mart and earn a position at the store in Princeton. Someone from Industries, Inc. attended the orientation with her to ensure she understood the tasks and expectations. Hanscom began as a cashier during the holiday season and was asked to stay on to work in the apparel department. “I sort clothes and handle returns,” she said. “It’s kind of like working at home…picking up after people!” A representative from Industries, Inc. continues to stay in touch with Hanscom to check in about the job and ensure it is going well. “People can’t let their disability dictate their lives,” she advises. “Every day is a new day. You just have to keep trying.”

Ashley Berg | Jo-Ann Fabric, Brainerd Ashley Berg, who has a learning disability, credits a large part of her career success to the OSP in Brainerd. “The best way for me to maintain a job is to learn from a list,” said Berg, who got work experience at a pet store before her current job as general employee who “does a little bit of everything” at Jo-Ann Fabric in Brainerd. “In a few weeks at Jo-Ann Fabric, I learned their expectations of me and I got the hang of it.”

50 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

Berg also sits on the advisory board of the OSP to ensure that it continues to help others. “OSP taught me how to live on my own, which is just as important as job skills,” she said. A lot of people with disabilities graduate high school not knowing what they want to do or what they are able to do. I hope that a lot of people can find out about OSP and learn where they want to go in life.”

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continued from page 34

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lady dog Industries, Inc. provides training support to those individuals hired directly by businesses—at no cost to the company. For those who hire a team of contract workers, a job coach accompanies the workers. “Our workers fill temporary demands and are a resource to fulfill staffing needs throughout the local economy,” said Denise Johnson, co-executive director of Industries, Inc. “Disabled workers take a lot of pride in bringing home a paycheck and supporting themselves. Sometimes there’s an assumption that government dollars are always involved, and that’s not the case. Many clients are working hard toward competitive employment so they can get off assistance … they are earning their own paycheck. That’s huge.” Job training programs, courses and counseling increase the likelihood that those with disabilities earn challenging, competitive employment—and that those who cannot participate in the competitive marketplace have other opportunities to contribute to society. This local support, in turn, creates a more inclusive community and helps local economy and business to flourish. “Hiring the clients at Industries, Inc. has been a great decision,” said Carlisle of the Paradise Community Theater. “We can help provide opportunities for those with disabilities to participate in the economy, and they deliver results. But we’re not just hiring them to be nice. They do a great job!”

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THINK YOU KNOW? Send your best guess to IQ@ifound.org by April 15, 2014. Three winners will be chosen, at random, to receive a $25 GiveMN.org gift card to support the charity of their choice.

HINT: 46° 19.860’ N / 094° 38.850’ W Congratulations to everyone who correctly recognized “Francois,” the bearded, buckskin-wearing French paddler carved from a 42-foot redwood log pictured in the previous edition. Francois can be found in Voyageur Park on the west side of Main St. N. in Pine City. Bill Loew, Mark Zaruba and David Dwyer were the lucky winners of GiveMN.org gift cards.

52 Initiative Foundation Quarterly ifound.org

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