CHAMBER HORIZONS
40th Business & Industrial Appreciation Day event honored
Alex Rubbish & Recycling
400 people gathered to celebrate the accomplishments of Alex Rubbish & Recycling at the Business & Industrial Appreciation Day (BIAD) luncheon on Wednesday, October 23 at Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center.
Alex Rubbish & Recycling was chosen as the 2024 BIAD honoree by the Boards of Directors of the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission and the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce based on impact on the job market, impact on the local economy, capital investment, and community contributions.
Upcoming Chamber Events
Wake Up Alexandria! Friday, November 1 from 7:30-8:30 am Windmill Ponds | 715 Victor St. Nonprofit of the Day: Santa for Seniors
Wake Up Alexandria! Friday, November 15 from 7:30-8:30 am Bursch Travel | 324 Broadway St. Nonprofit of the Day: Lakes Area Humane Society
Listen & Learn: Deck the Holidays with Hope (details on page 2) Tuesday, November 19 from 12-1 pm Alexandria Chamber of Commerce Virtual Event Visit AlexandriaMN.org to register
Don’t forget to vote!
November 5 is Election Day! If you have your ballot at home, bring it to your local election office on November 5 before 8 pm to ensure your vote is counted.
If you’ve mailed your ballot and want to make sure it arrived, go to mnvotes.gov/ trackmyballot. #HereWeVote
Members of the Alex Rubbish & Recycling team accepted the 2024 BIAD award during a celebration on October 23 at Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center.
Groundbreakings
Groundbreakings are a service offered by the Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission. To learn more, email info@alexandriamn.org or call 320-763-3161.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held for Solutions Behavioral Healthcare Professionals to celebrate the start of its new building at 2145 Nokomis St. The new facility will allow for its outpatient and Autism clinic to be located under one roof. The new facility is scheduled to be complete in June of 2025. Solutions Behavioral Healthcare Professionals is a nonprofit agency serving the mental health needs of Minnesota and North Dakota communities including Alexandria.
Welcome!
October new members
Asta Tax Services
KC Brackett
320-766-0107
Alexandria, MN KC@AstaTax.com AstaTax.com
JS Event Rental
Mike Neumann
320-391-5368
207 McKay Ave. info@JSEventRental.com JSEventRental.com
Justice Property Holdings
David Justice
320-815-0741
Alexandria, MN David.W.Justice@gmail.com
Patriot Patrol Home Watch
Ryan Janssen 320-808-9094
Alexandria, MN PatriotPatrolHomes@gmail.com
The Shores on Lake Ida Taylor Conn 320-766-8226
3791 Betsy Ross Rd. NW info@TheShores OnLakeIda.com TheShoresOnLakeIda.com
Please consider these new members for your personal and professional needs, and welcome them to our network!
Listen & Learn
Listen & Learn is a one-hour virtual event hosted by the Chamber. It offers information, education and resources on topics that impact the community. Call 320-763-3161 or email info@alexandriamn.org for details. There is no charge for the event and it is open to the public.
Deck the Holidays with Hope
Navigating the holidays amid family addiction
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 FROM 12-1 PM Virtual event: Register at alexandriamn.org.
While the holidays can be a special time full of happy, reflective moments, they can also be fraught with stress, strained family dynamics, and high social demands. If a loved one is struggling with problematic substance use, the holiday season can be an especially difficult time. Events often involve alcohol, and the season itself can trigger emotional challenges. Add in family conflicts and the usual demands of life, and it’s easy to see why the holidays can be particularly difficult for those struggling with substance use and those who love them.
This webinar is for anyone impacted by addiction, with specific emphasis on family members. It is also intended for industry providers, and friends and colleagues concerned about someone with substance use.
Laurie Healy, Family Recovery Coach & Invitational Interventionalist
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.
October Hosts
Runestone Electric Association | October 4 6839 Power Ln. SW
Nonprofit of the Day: West Central MN Communities Action
Runestone Electric Association (REA) provides electricity and related products and services to portions of Douglas, Pope, Grant, Stevens, Ottertail, Stearns and Todd counties. REA is owned by its members and all profits are returned to members as capital credits.
Mid-Minnesota EMS Education | October 18
Nonprofit of the Day: Community AED Project
Mid-Minnesota EMS Education is a provider of First Aid, CPR and Emergency Medical Services training for individuals, corporations, and government entities. The organization specializes in offering quality training that meets client needs and sells and maintains Automated External Defibrillators.
Welcome Sadie!
The Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the addition of Sadie Riedel to its staff. She will serve as the Chamber’s Program & Events Coordinator.
Sadie graduated from Alexandria Technical & Community College with an Associates in Business Administration. She has experience in banking, office management, and human resources.
She and her husband, Chandler, live in Miltona with their two dogs Charlie and Winston, and son Holden. Sadie is most excited to be part of a close-knit team, engage with menbers in the community, and have a great work/life balance.
2025 Alexandria Chamber Board slate approved
The Chamber Board of Directors approved its final slate of candidates. These board members will begin their three year terms in January 2025.
SERVING TERM #2
Lynn Arnquist, Alexandria Technical & Community College, Representing Education
SERVING TERM #1
Sharlo Meyer, Aagard Representing Manufacturing/Wholesale/Distributors
Kent Kopp, Pike & Pint Grill Representing Lodging/Tourism/Hospitality
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.
October Visits
The Church in the Pines is a non-denominational church located at 3992 Hwy. 27 W in Alexandria. Small groups, youth ministries, nursery, children’s ministries, and men and women’s ministries are all available.
Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge has a new facility at 525 Willow Dr. in Alexandria. Its mission is to assist men, women, and teens in gaining freedom from chemical addictions and other life controlling problems by addressing their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
Periwinkle Marketplace
Stephanie Ellingson, Owner; Kathy Traen, Marketing Director
Periwinkle Marketplace, located at 1001 State Hwy. 29 N, is owned and operated by Stephanie Ellingson. It recently opened an Alexandria location and offers women’s clothing, jewelry, childrens items, home décor, and lake decor.
Membership Directory
The annual Alexandria Chamber print directory will be distributed in January 2025 with all current Chamber member information. We need your help to ensure your information is accurate!
Each member was sent an email to review information and submit changes through the online portal. If you are unable to submit changes online, contact the Chamber to receive a form.
Additional paid advertising opportunities are also available in the print directory!
Contact the Chamber staff at 320-763-3161 or info@ alexandriamn.org with questions.
in Alexandria & Parkers Prairie
No matter your health needs, at Sanford Health we’re committed to providing you with the care you deserve. We o er a full range of services right here.
762-0399
Minnesota Adult & Teen Challenge
Sam Anderson, Regional Director
The Chruch in the Pines
Jeremy Lanctot, Executive Director
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.
October Visits
Massmann Companies opened a new location in Alexandria at 2800 Nevada St. The company’s brands provide automated equipment for a variety of industries and an even broader array of applications, spanning beginning to end of the production line.
A & A Towing was purchased from Shutters Towing in 2023 by David Ebnet. A & A stands for ‘Always Available’. Located at 424 Geneva Rd. NE, the towing and storage facility runs towing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Megan Chisholm, Marketing; Travis Seidel, Executive Pastor; Samuel Herzog, Leadership Team; Amy Herzog, Youth Pastor; Patrick Herzog, Lead Pastor
Vie Church opened a new building at 2671 S McKay Ave., just behind its previous location. Vie holds a plethora of opportunities for all ages and walks of life. Services are Sunday mornings at 9:30 am.
The Oaks Childcare & Preschool is a faith-based childcare center located inside Vie Church. It is open to anyone in the community. Weekly contracted care as well as drop-in care is available for ages 6 weeks to preschool.
A & A Towing - New Ownership
CJ Jahnke; Employee; David Ebnet, Owner; Ethan Karlgaard, Employee
Vie Church - New Facility & Location
The Oaks Childcare & Preschool - New Business
Tana Ziesmer, Executive Director
Massman CompaniesNew/Additional Facility
Mike Ardito, Vice President/General Manager; Tavia Pavel, HR Business Partner
Legislative Corner
Oversimplified views on MN economy are misleading
by Doug Loon, President/CEO, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
Our state’s economy matters to each of us, from families grappling with increasing costs to businesses trying to attract workers and grow. While a robust, diverse economy can’t be truncated to “good” or “bad,” there are factors that define our relative strength.
Rankings are a popular way to try to make sense of these factors. One oft-quoted ranking is CBNC’s “Top States for Business,” which lists MN as sixth in the nation this year. It’s popular because it’s simple and seemingly positive for our state. But it’s also misleading.
CNBC prioritizes certain quality of life measures - including social policies - over fundamental measurements of economic strength. Oversimplified data doesn’t account for contradictions. CNBC gave MN a “C+” for business-friendliness. How can MN be the sixth best state for business but also be near the bottom for GDP growth (45th), job growth (39th), and net domestic migration (43rd)? A more accurate interpretation must focus on performance and growth. A good business climate grows businesses, fosters innovation, builds a pipeline of talent and keeps tax, cost and regulatory burdens in check. MN has a strong legacy of innovation, but it’s slow-growing. This is cause for concern.
In the second half of the 20th century, MN transformed from an agricultural-based economy to a diversified economy with leading Fortune 500 companies, advanced industry clusters, high innovation rates and one of the nation’s most educated and skilled workforces. Manufacturing and natural resource-based industries successfully navigated globalization.
This decades long process left MN with a combination of strengths in the overall quality and assets of its economy. Rankings like CNBC rely heavily on these factors, but they tell us what we’ve built, not what we’re building. Instead, we should ask: Is our economy growing? Is it attracting talent? Is our state’s economic competitiveness improving or eroding?
Here’s what is true about Minnesota’s economy today:
• MN economy has grown at a slower pace than the U.S. economy for two decades. Since the start of the decade, MN has ranked in the bottom 15 states for GDP growth, job growth, labor force growth and net domestic migration. We rank 33rd for starting a business and 35th for small businesses, considering cost of doing business, cost of living and workforce.
• In 2013 MN had the 17th-largest economy. A decade later we’re #20.
• MN has maintained historically low unemployment rates and remained resilient in the face of substantial challenges.
• MN is 43rd for bringing people into our state, 19th in workforce, and fell from third to 17th in education, putting at risk our ability to sustain a highly skilled workforce for the future.
MN boasts a stable economy and growth opportunities. But elected officials and others cannot quote one study to define our economy as “good enough”. Our state is not reaching its economic potential. It requires stewardship and renewed growth.
Business Buzz
The Alexandria Area Community Foundation presented awards during its Annual Celebration of Philanthropy Social at Carlos Creek Winery in October. Josh Tatge of Ameriprise Financial Services received the Professional Award in Philanthropy. Ed and Kay Rooney, along with Bruce and the late Kathleen Pohlig, were recognized with the Ruth McDonald Award in Philanthropy.
To include your business news in the Chamber Horizon Newsletter, email information to Lauren at marketing@alexandriamn.org.
Changes coming for Chamber newsletter!
Starting 2025, the Alexandria Chamber’s monthly newsletter is moving from a hybrid printed/digital newsletter to a weekly fully digital newsletter.
The newsletter will come out every Monday morning and feature all the same great things you find in our monthly newsletter but in a more condensed version with the option to click and learn more or download a flyer for your business.
If you are not currently receiving our newsletter digitally but would like to, email Lauren at marketing@alexandriamn.org. If you are currently receiving the newsletter via email, no action is needed.