Introducing the 32nd Leadership Alexandria cohort!
The Alexandria Chamber has trained existing or emerging leaders through the Leadership Alexandria program for 31 years. This nine-month program provides opportunities for participants to develop leadership skills and learn about the community they live and/or work in. We are pleased to introduce this year’s class!
Scott Goebel Force America
Ashley Hanson Alomere Health
Hanna Kettelhut Bell Bank/ Bell Investments
Kayla Heffron Amy ChristophersonState Farm Insurance
Jessie Hjelle Alexandria Public Schools
Maggie Lysfjord Randy Fischer Real Estate
James Kracht Marcus Construction
Dave Mergens Alexandria Covenant Chruch
Emmitt Messer Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Company
Allyson Radach Geneva Capital
Cayla Olson Knute Nelson
Mike Pederson WiDSETH
Kyle Samuelson Carrs Tree Service
Jason Ahrens Ellingson Plumbing, Heating, A/C, & Electrical
Staci Bennett Explore Alexandria Tourism
Kim Carlson Runestone Heating & Air Conditioning
Caryn Schutz Trumm Drug Rosalyn Shelstad Hilltop Lumber
Quentin Warrey Alexandria Fire Department
Kaley Thoennes Viking Bank
Nick Wacholz ORB Management
Joshua Whiting Alexandria Police Department
Michelle Wencl Karrow Jewelers
Andrew Rickers Bremer Bank
Chamber News
Ribbon Cuttings & Groundbreakings
Ribbon Cuttings and Groundbreakings are a service offered by the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce. To learn more, email info@alexandriamn.org or call 320-763-3161.
Habitat for Humanity of Douglas County held a ground blessing ceremony on Tuesday, July 9 for Summer Meadows. Summer Meadows will be Alexandria’s first affordable housing development since 2002, serving homeowners earning 80% or below the area median income for Douglas County. The development will allow 42 affordable homes to be built over the next 10 years.
Douglas County and the Rotary Club of Alexandria held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, July 16 during the first concert of the 2024 Summer Sounds by Brophy concert series. The ceremony celebrated a new playground shelter made possible by a donation from Rotary raised from these concerts and other efforts within the community.
Aflac - Legacy of the Lakes Benefits Advisors held a ribbon cutting on Thursday, July 25 to celebrate a new office location at 700 Cedar St., Ste. 185 and a rebranding. With the rebrand comes additional insurance carriers and products, including health insurance. While Aflac still makes up the majority of the company’s offerings, the additional carriers allow the team to offer more options for businesses of all sizes.
Massman Companies held a ribbon cutting on Thursday, July 25 to celebrate a new building and new location at 2800 Nevada St. in Alexandria. This 73,000-square-foot campus is used for machine design, assembly, machine testing, and customer demonstrations. The company is continuing its operations in Villard in addition to this new location.
Wake Up Alexandria
Wake Up Alexandria is a networking event held the first and third Friday of each month from 7:30 to 8:30 am at a Chamber member location. A dollar gets you in the door, with all proceeds donated to a 501(c)3 nonprofit Chamber member.
July Host
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association
800 Central Ave. N, Brandon
Nonprofit of the Day: United Way of Douglas & Pope Counties
Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association is the first and only local telecommunications provider in the Alexandria area. It provides world-class fiber optic and offers internet, stream TV, voice, and business services. It is headquartered in Brandon but also has an office in Alexandria.
Get your BIAD tickets!
Upcoming Chamber Events
Wake Up Alexandria!
Friday, August 2 from 7:30-8:30 am
Car Care Program | 4353 County Rd. 82 SE
Nonprofit of the Day: Safe Families for Children
Ribbon Cutting: KT Humble Hearts
Tuesday, August 6 at 11:30 am
KT Humble Hearts | 700 Cedar St., Ste. 44
Ribbon Cutting: J.A. Wedum Foundation Hall
Wednesday, August 7 at 3 pm
J.A. Wedum Foundtion Hall | 1509 Jefferson St.
Open House to follow until 4:30 pm
Hello Neighbor: Bean Bag Frenzy
Tuesday, August 13 at 5 pm
Crooked Willow Weddings & Events
11181 County Rd. 82 SE, Osakis
Wake Up Alexandria!
Friday, August 16 from 7:30-8:30 am
United Way of Douglas & Pope Counties
503 Hawthorne St. Nonprofit of the Day: Cardboard Cares
Act Out Productions Kami Schefers kami.schefers@ actoutproductions.org ActOutProductions.org
Alexandria Community Chrisitan School
KT Humble Hearts Deb Hadley 700 Cedar St., Ste. 44 320-219-7144 kthumblehearts@gmail.com KTHumbleHearts.org
Tickets to the 2024 Business & Industrial Appreciation Day (BIAD) luncheon honoring Alex Rubbish & Recycling as the BIAD award recipient are $30 per person or $350 for a reserved table of 10. A publication focusing on the accomplishments of Alex Rubbish & Recycling will be distributed through the Echo Press prior to the event. If you would like to advertise and offer your congratulations to the honoree in the publication or purchase tickets to the event, visit EventCreate.com/e/BIAD. Ad sales end Friday, August 23. Ticket sales end Friday, October 4.
Wednesday, October 23 from 11:30 am to 1 pm Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center.
Stephanie Erickson 2505 Hwy. 29 N 320-763-4050 serickson@accsmn.org ACCSMN.org
D. Mikes Resort Bar & Grill
Kellie & Mike Daniels 3015 Hwy. 29 S, Ste. 120 320-808-1495 dmikes.alexandria@gmail.com DMikesResortBarAndGrill.com
Lakes Area Humane Society Christin Klimek 320-759-2260
3811 Nevada St. SW lahs@gctel.net LakesAreaHumaneSociety.org
Natural North Kevin Behrens 218-297-0110 natural.northmn@gmail.com NaturalNorthLLC.com
Please consider these new members for your personal and professional needs, and welcome them to our network!
In january, we opened the doors of the region’s most comprehensive rehabiliation services clinic. With 16,000 square feet of space specially designed for therapy, patients can get all of their physical, occupational, and speech therapy right here at home. One more reason why it’s better here.
Membership Team
Volunteers on the Membership Team visit new member businesses to welcome them to the Chamber. They also serve as liaisons, supporting new members with introductions, information, and education on membership benefits.
July Visits
(Back row) Clayton Rehm, Director of Operations; Nick Wittenburg, Director of Sales; Nick Almich, Sales. (Front row) Sarah Almich, Sales; Carl Wittenburg, President; Jeff Stauffenecker, Chief Operating Officer; Chelsie Roering, Office Administrator
ArtisTree Café, 2020 Fillmore St., is a café and a communal space for artists of all levels. The café offers a variety of options such as waffle bowls, coffees, teas, and custom-flavored soda. Private spaces are available for classes, meetings, and parties.
Laurie Healy Consulting focuses on educating people who have others in their life who are struggling with substance use and related mental health disorders through coaching, educational sessions, and advocacy.
Protein Alliance, Powered by Trade Café USA, is a global meat brokerage and trading company in Alexandria. It provides a diverse product line of proteins, and services include turkey genetics, farm production, processing plant management, and domestic and international sales.
The Laundry Basket is a local laundromat that includes numerous washers and dryers of various sizes. All machines accept coins along with Visa, Mastercard, and Discover.
Home health care, where your progress is our priority.
“Before
I started recovering, I couldn’t do anything. Knute Nelson changed my life .”
- Jay Walter, Former Home Health Care Client
Is home health care right for me?
Laurie Healy Consulting
Laurie Healy, Founder & Family Recovery Coach
Protein Alliance, Powered by Trade Café USA
The Laundry Basket
Marie Vatnsdal, Owner
ArtisTree Café
Charlie Tanksley, Owner; Tammy Justin, President; Jeanne Tanksley, Owner
Ambassadors
The Ambassadors are volunteers who extend the public relations arm of the Chamber. They attend business open houses, groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings; welcome new businesses to the area; and commemorate relocations and major remodels. They are out making business visits the second Wednesday of every month.
July Visits
Rendezvous Farm is an all-inclusive wedding venue located on a private lake just outside of Alexandria at 12839 County Rd. 7 SW, Farwell. It is owned by Deanna Alvord, who has a passion for making wedding visions and other events come to life.
Odyssey Steel in Brandon offers all the supplies needed to assist with projects of any scope and size from a straightforward post frame building to a heated shop build with living quarters to a house roof. It provides metal roofing solutions, bends, and stocks the most popular trims in-house.
Ida Graves Distillery is locally owned and operated by husband-and-wife Brock Berglund and Anna Wilson. It is located at 5422 Lake Ida Way NW, Alexandria and makes single-batch spirits from organic, locally sourced ingredients. The main spirits offered are Amaro, Aquavit, Gin, and vodka, which is distilled from 100% local honey. Ida Graves recently opened its cocktail room where visitors sample the spirits as a flight or enjoy in a mixed cocktail.
Market your events!
Want to market your event? Add it to the Douglas County Community Calendar. It’s easy! Visit www. AlexMNCalendar.com and click “ADD AN EVENT.”
Qualifying Chamber member events will be included in the Events at a Glance eBlast, reaching more than 1,500 emails weekly!
For more information, contact the Chamber at 320-763-3161 or info@ alexandriamn.org.
Odyssey Steel - New Ownership
Blake Boelens and Melissa Vikesland, Owners
Ida Graves Distillery - New Business
Brock Berglund, Owner
Rendezvous Farm - New Business
Deanna Alvord, Owner and Wedding Coordinator
Legislative Corner
How did your legislators vote in the 2023-24 session?
The Minnesota Chamber tracks hundreds of bills during each legislative session to ensure that policymakers understand how their proposals impact Minnesota’s economy and the state’s ability to make Minnesota a more affordable place to live, work, grow, and expand a business.
The Chamber scores votes on bills or amendments that illustrate this impact. The voting record for the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions can be viewed and/ or downloaded here: mnchamber.com/2023-24-legislative-voting-record.
This site also features an interactive legislative scorecard to allow for easy viewing of legislators’ votes from this season.
These are great tools to utilize when educating yourself to vote this election season. It’s more important than ever to help elect pro-business candidates who want to protect and advance Minnesota’s economy.
The Minnesota Matters Coalition informs voters on early and absentee voting, key election dates, and opportunities to attend precinct caucuses and engage in what promises to be an important election for the State of Minnesota.
Every vote matters!
CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS:
Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R) District 9 (651) 296-4875 sen.jordan.rasmusson@senate.mn
Senator Torrey Westrom (R) District 12 (651) 296-3826 sen.torrey.westrom@senate.mn
Representative Mary Franson (R) District 12B (651) 296-3201 rep.mary.franson@house.mn
Representative Tom Murphy (R) District 9B (651) 296-4946 rep.tom.murphy@house.mn
Business Buzz
CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP), the eighth largest accounting firm in the U.S., announced career advancements for three Alexandria professionals: Becca Nielsen, Manager; Josh Buerkley, Manager; and Shawna Jenson, Director. With more than 9,000 employees serving thousands of clients, CLA’s mentorship programs and leadership connections provide career paths for all employees.
Prairie Business announced its 2024 Leaders & Legacies award winners, including JLG Architects’ Dan Miller, AIA ALEP, LEED AP. Miller is a Principal Architect, K12 Practice Studio Leader, a current board chair, and one of the now employee-owned firm’s original majority owners.
On July 1, Jan Zarbok sold Jan’s Place to Nate and Babe Lade of Alexandria. Nate has been in the restaurant industry since the late 1990s. The Lades plan to do some remodeling in the kitchen and have a name change planned for the beginning of next year. The hours have been extended to 6 am to 4 pm Mondays through Saturdays and 7 am to 2 pm Sundays.
Attorney Lisa Bowen of Thornton, Dolan, Bowen, Klecker and Burkhammer, P.A. was selected as a Super Lawyer for 2024. Bowen has been recognized as a Super Lawyer since 2021. Super Lawyers is a national organization founded in 1991 that recognizes top attorneys nationwide.
Edina Realty in Alexandria has a new manager, Julie Olson. Olson began her real estate career in 2017 with the Alexandria Edina team. Since then she has built a successful business working on a team with her husband, Shawn.
To include your business news in the Chamber Horizon Newsletter, email information to Lauren at marketing@alexandriamn.org.