Russ Panek
2013 ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR
Timing, Professional and Volunteer Involvement Keys to His Success By Kirsten V. Freeman • Photography by Jess Wittrock Jussila
E
ven as a very young man, St. Anna
he said, “I found out that no one would even
new revenue generating projects was officially
native Russ Panek knew he had a
fix worn or damaged bathtubs. But they would
on.
future running a business of his own,
replace them at a cost range of $5,000 to
At the time, his wife Chris Panek, who is also
but he struggled to pinpoint exactly what it
$15,000!” He found out that if he went to school
his business partner, was actively involved with
would be and how he would get there. Now
to be a refinisher, he could repair those worn
the St. Cloud Chamber Connection. “Chris is
only two decades later, he is a successful
and damaged bathtubs for $400 to $500 per
50 percent owner of All Surface Professionals,”
entrepreneur with a thriving unique niche
bathtub, a fraction of the replacement cost.
Russ said, “She is so smart when it comes to
business and is being honored as the Central
Plus, he would also learn how to re-color
business and lucky for me I get all of her great
Minnesota Builders’ Associations Associate of
bathroom and kitchen tile, sinks and
advice for free! She’s so creative and she’s got a
the Year.
countertops. “It was so interesting to me and
lot of great ideas so when she told me I needed
After graduating from Holdingford High
no one else in town was doing it,” Russ said, “I
to check out Chamber Connection and meet
School, Russ worked at Nova Fabricating, a
thought there has got to be a business
potential leads, of course I listened to her and
stainless steel cargo tank manufacturer based
opportunity here for a service like that.” So,
started going to the meetings.” At his very first
in Avon, for over eight years. “I was the all-
following his intuition, he began refinishing
meeting he met Greg Theis from Greg Theis
around guy,” Russ said, “I did a lot of welding
training in Florida and by 2000 All Surface
Remodeling. Greg invited Russ to come to a
and learned to operate a variety of equipment.
Professionals was officially a new and growing
Central Minnesota Builders Association meeting
It was a great training ground but definitely
resurfacing, re-coloring and repair business.
where he could focus on construction leads.
convinced me that I wanted to work for myself.”
“I was able to start this business out of my
“Within my first few meetings I had already
Russ did some investigative work to deter-
own garage for just a few thousand dollars and
begun to get some really solid business leads,”
mine if there would be a need for a surface
some time invested in training,” Russ said. His
Russ said. “It turned out to be the greatest pos-
refinishing business in the St. Cloud area.
first project was to refinish an old chocolate
sible networking opportunity I could ever hope
“I called a handful of contractors and asked
brown refrigerator of his own, bringing it up to
for. CMBA relationships have been the key to
them about the cost of repairing a bathtub,”
date by painting it almond. Then the hunt for
growing my business,” he said.
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2013 Spring HomeShowSM & Tour of HomesSM
CMBA