Austin Area Chamber of Commerce - 2017 Business of the Year Nominees

2017 Business of the Year award nominees Austin Area Commission for the Arts Astrup Companies The Cedars of Austin Discover Austin, Minnesota AAUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE  BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Fox Electric Company, Inc. Hy-Vee InnoVision Eyecare Medicap Pharmacy

Midtown Auto Piggy Blues Bar-B-Que Roger & Sons, LLC Y Waste Removal AUSTIN DAILY HERALD  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

1

Austin Area Commission for the Arts Established: 1992 Executive director: Laura Helle Services: Performing arts at the Paramount Theatre, visual arts exhibition and education at the Austin ArtWorks Center, community celebration at the Austin ArtWorks Festival.

Community Service: As a nonprofit, we often seek and get contributions and in-kind support from area businesses. We also support, other nonprofits by offering discounted and/or free space to organizations like Mower Refreshed, Vision 2020, KSMQ and Austin Public Schools. We partner with Austin Public Library and Community Education.

Hy-Vee Established: 1975 Manager: Dan Goshorn Services: Groceries, pharmacy, health clinic, food service, restaurant and bar, postal substation, dry cleaning, liquor store, gas station, coffee shop.

Community Service: Our biggest community project each year is the Feed a Family program that runs in November and December. We raise anywhere from $12 to $15,000 to help families have a Christmas meal who can’t afford it. Other items include: Veterans Day Breakfast, Austin Football Pork and Corn Feed, VFW shopping spree, Paint The Town Pink, Austin Police Department National Night Out, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, Lyle Area Cancer Auction, Salvation Army Daily Food Shelf Donations, Potach Foundation. In addition to the above mentioned, the numerous amount of donation requests spanning from personal to community wide causes.

2

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018  AUSTIN DAILY HERALD

AUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE  BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Midtown Auto

Established: 1952 Owner/Manager: Peter Bartley Services: General auto repair, detailing and auto glass.

Community Service: We built a new, larger facility to help accommodate our customer needs. We are able to offer vehicle pick-up and delivery service in addition to providing shuttle service.

We have added digital vehicle health reports so customers can actually see trouble areas as compared to just “taking our word.”

Piggy Blues Bar-B-Que Established: 2000 Owner/Manager: Josh Diaz Services: Catering, dinein, take-out, mobile food vending.

Community Service: We promote chamber events in our community and try to sponsor and participate in as many ways as possible.

Y Waste Removal Established: 2009 Owner/Manager: David E. Yerhart Services: Residential, commercial waste removal and rolloffs.

Community Service: Sponsored everything from March of Dimes to Cans for Cancer and the Austin Bruins. Support all local sports, volleyball, football, basketball.

AAUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE  BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

3

The Cedars of Austin Established: 1986 Owners: Darrel Farr family Services: Independent living, assisted living, memory care and companion memory care.

Community Service: Sponsor Mower County Fair Creative Arts Building, Pacelli High School events, Austin High School after graduation and after prom, Wagon Warriors Project, Fishing for a Cure, Banfield Reading Buddy Program, Paint the Town Pink, Pay it Forward, Austin Home and Vacation Show sponsor and booth sponsors, Fourth of July sponsor [food and bathroom facilities to the public], Albert Lea Fourth of July sponsor, Mower County Senior Center event sponsor and fundraisers, Senior Advocacy Program sponsor fundraisers, ARD fundraiser and basket sponsor, Sponsor Austin Police officer fundraiser each year, Jay C. Hormel Nature Center yearly fundraising event and donor, Mower County Humane Society yearly fundraising event, Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau fall reading event, Christmas in the City, Christmas in the County, I.J.Holton Christmas fundraiser, every Sunday we bus residents to local Austin churches, Cedars Market, Open Air and Farm to Market venders.

InnoVision Eyecare Established: 1994 Owner: Gareth Hataye Services: Eye examination, treatment of eye diseases, eye glasses and contact lenses, fitting and dispensing.

Community Service: We have contributed to many local fundraising efforts like the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, AACA, Hormel Historic Home, Boy Scouts, Austin High School, Pacelli High School and many others. We have also provided eye exams through coordination with Austin Morning Lions Club and the Community Learning Center.

4

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 ďšť AUSTIN DAILY HERALD

AUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ďšť BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Discover Austin, Minnesota Established: 1984 Executive director: Nancy Schnable Services: Promoting Austin and the many events within the community.

Community Service: Among the many things Discover Austin is in charge of they are an active part of Vision 2020, Nancy Schnable is a member of Rotary and AAUW, on the board of the Hormel Historic Home and on the marketing committee of the Austin Area Commission for the Arts as well as Paint the Town Pink planning committee. Participated in the Step Up intern program and Austin Aspire’s job shadow program. Member of Southern Minnesota Tourism Association and a key partner in hosting the National Barrow Show, Spring Beef Junior Classic and the Regional Highland Cattle Show as well as playing a roll in the Minnesota High School Mountain Bike race.

AAUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE  BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

5

Fox Electric Company, Inc. Established: 1967 Owner/Manager: Scott Fox Services: Electrical power, lighting, security, fire alarm, voice/data, fiber, optics, sound, recycling, electrical parts and retail sales.

Community Service: Member of the DCA, serve on the DCA board, serve on the Riverland Community College board, youth sports, baseball, basketball, football, donate to band, donate to project graduation and donate work to the Austin ArtWorks Festival.

Astrup Companies Established: 1952 Contact: Sam Ewing Services: Retail pharmacy, retail gifts, HR payroll, longterm care pharmacy, speciality pharmacy, national independent pharmacy support.

Community Service: Our 17 retail sites are involved in multiple community activities. Our Austin store was a major contributor to Paint the Town Pink in 2016 and 2017. It also donates or provides sponsorships to multiple local organizations and events. Our corporate office had a blood drive this year as well as two major events at the Salvation Army. The Astrup Foundation also financially contributes to multiple organizations.

6

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018 ďšť AUSTIN DAILY HERALD

AUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ďšť BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

Roger and Sons of Austin, LLC Established: 1966 President: Joe Bastyr Services: Install new asphalt parking lots, driveways and small roads. Remove and replace existing asphalt parking or drives. Also repair areas of asphalt as alternate solution. Apple seal coat to maintain life of asphalt - new or existing.

Community Service: The company purchases tickets for miscellaneous chamber events including the 100 Club. Roger and Sons has sponsored employees in the annual Relay for Life as well as donating sand for luminaries for several years. It has supported Habitat for Humanity and has donated equipment used to prep at Marcusen Park. The company sponsored the Austin Bruins, Austin High School girls hockey, Jaycee’s early sandbox event, Riverland’s BOSS scholarship fundraiser, both VFW and Austin Legion receive donations and sponsorships for multiple fundraising events and this year donated a golf car to use by the Mower County Fair Board.

Medicap Pharmacy Established: 1997 Owner: Jon Engelhardt, RRH Services: Prescriptions, over-the-counter, immunizations, strep and influenza testing, compounding, free delivery, in-home compliance packaging, diabetic shoes and medication synchronizations.

Community Service: Medicap sponsored a youth baseball team. One of our pharmacists participates in monthly Drug Trask Force meetings with other community leaders. Medicap sponsors many Austin Public Schools activities in music and sports programs. Each year $1 from every flu shot is donated to community organizations. This year, area schools will receive money for drug prevention education.

AAUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE  BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

AUSTIN DAILY HERALD  WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018

7

8

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2018  AUSTIN DAILY HERALD

AUSTIN AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE  BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES