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CONTENTS

March | April 2022

10 COVER INTERVIEW

COMPANY PROFILE

Holtmeier Construction, Inc.

AmeriCare Mobility Van Inc.

Gag Sheet Metal, Inc.

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

HOT STARTZ!

Business Snapshot

Rising Star

Connecting Back

Press Releases

Rock Solid Foundation

48 53

GreenSeam Collaboration

Kato Manufacturing

Industry Insight

Giving Outside the Box

Opinion

Opinion: Daniel J Vance

The Nobility of Mobility Women in Leadership Angela Guentzel

Connecting Southern Minnesota Business People Since 1994

New Ulm

Órale Authentic Mexican Tacos & More Arlington

A-Town Tavern

Mankato

Ecumen Pathstone Latitude

Connect Business Magazine www.ConnectBiz.com

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

CIRCULATION

ADVERTISING

Publisher: Concept & Design Incorporated

Call: (507) 232-3463

Editor: Jane Laskey

12,000 for March/April 2022 Published bimonthly

Art/Photography: Jonathan Smith

CORRESPONDENCE

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Contributing Writers: Ashley Hanley, Anna Vangsness, Nancy Zallek, Daniel J Vance

Mailing Address: Connect Business Magazine P.O. Box 176 Nicollet, MN 56074

Production & Circulation: Becky Wagner

A History of Success

Copy Editor: Julianne Kroon

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March | April 2022

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ABOUT CONNECT Locally owned Connect Business Magazine has ‘connected’ southern Minnesota businesses since 1994 through features, interviews, news and advertising. Connect Business Magazine is a publication of Concept & Design Incorporated, a graphic design firm offering print design, brand design, illustration and photography. Learn more at conceptanddesign.com. Copyright 2022. Printed in U.S.A.

INTRODUCTION

Get ready for a busy spring!

Jane Laskey EDITOR

Spring is just around the corner, ushering in the busy season for many businesses in our region. Our cover story features Holtmeier Construction Inc., which is anticipating a very busy 2022 filled with road, construction and infrastructure projects. In fact, all of our business interviews this month report positive trends and full schedules. Our first company profile takes a look at Gag Sheet Metal Inc. Now in its second century with a Gag at the helm, it has broadened its offerings to include appliance sales, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal fabrication and HVAC. Our second profile highlights AmeriCare Mobility Van. Its dedicated staff and fleet of 50 vans whisk people with disabilities or mobility issues to medical appointments, making hundreds of trips each day. It recently became the first company in Minnesota to receive national Non Emergency Medical Transportation accreditation. Soon area farm fields will thaw and start producing food crops. That’s why our March Groundbreaker story is focused on Kato Manufacturing, a contract manufacturer. This young company estimates 50 percent of its output is for food processing and grain handling equipment. Our new Rising Star series on up-and-coming young professionals introduces Angela Guentzel, of Guentzel Family Farms. As always, we conclude with three new or expanding businesses in our Hot Startz! section: Ecumen’s Pathstone Latitude in Mankato, Órale Authentic Mexican Tacos & More in New Ulm and the A-Town Tavern in Arlington. Happy spring, Jane Laskey

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Maria Pinero has been with Northwestern Mutual for 14 years. She started as an associate financial representative and has since grown into a top leadership position in southern Minnesota as the Director of Training and Development and Director of Operations overseeing all new advisors, interns, and team members. She says the values of the company aligned with her beliefs, allowing her to grow and prosper. “Northwestern Mutual has done a great job over the years with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, with creating roles that weren’t previously here, making sure that women have a seat at the table.” When you think of diversity, equity and inclusion, Pinero says those are values that truly open doors to create more opportunities for financial planning with women and people from different cultures. “We have an incredible opportunity to change people’s lives for the better by educating them on what’s possible. Thinking of the different people we can serve, we want to be able to open up that funnel to educate and truly meet people with where they’re at in life.” We want to help expand

our footprint in the community and serve more people. Pinero says those experiences in diversity, equity and inclusion have helped their team create opportunities for their clients and advisors, to gain knowledge and power to help them succeed financially. “Around 70 percent of households are led by women. Frankly, women would rather be sitting across the table from another woman. It gives women a platform to have the comfort and genuine personality to help them reach another level of financial security,” Pinero says. “Right now, about 85 percent of people get to retirement age and they haven’t saved enough to last them throughout retirement. That’s a lot of people we can help serve in our communities, our state and across the country. One thing we are proud of here in Mankato is we continue to change the dynamic of the office’s culture with more female leaders, interns, and advisors.” Almost 40 percent of Northwestern Mutual’s new hires are either female or come from a diverse background. Pinero says she receives much joy in seeing her team grow personally and professionally.

“My mission is to change the trajectory of people’s lives for the better and help them see what’s possible and the potential for their future.” Pinero’s colleagues have also noticed her impact. “It’s an easy decision for us to put Maria in front of our best, whether it is our best clients or our best advisors. It’s not about your tenure, it’s about your values and caring about people, and Maria shares that same vision,” says Colby Staloch, the managing director, who started at Northwestern Mutual at the same time as Maria. Whether it is leading the way by example, dedication, or leadership, Maria Pinero and the team at Northwestern Mutual have paved the way for a more inclusive, diverse and dynamic workforce.

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CONNECT Business Magazine

By Jane Laskey •

Photos by Jonathan Smith

When Joe and Bethany Holtmeier opened Holtmeier Construction Inc. in 1998, it was a simple operation: just Joe and a backhoe. They were a young couple, just starting a family. Bethany managed the company accounts with her 9-month-old daughter balanced on her hip while Joe competed for contracts and installed underground utilities. Twenty-four years later, Holtmeier Construction has 100 employees and over 300 pieces of equipment. Its main facility is located in Mankato, where it owns several sand and gravel pits and operates a limestone quarry. Continues

CONNECT Business Magazine

Rock Solid “We have the biggest equipment, the most capability and the horsepower to do the largest underground construction projects in southern Minnesota,” Joe Holtmeier said. The Holtmeiers have recruited new talent into their leadership team, asking employees Jim Voda and Matt Schneider to join them as co-owners in 2020. They’ve also expanded their reach, partnering in the formation of two related companies, Dirt Merchant and Pentagon Materials. “Holtmeier Construction’s primary focus is quarrying activities, crushing activities, street reconstruction and utility work. Dirt Merchant focuses on private commercial grading work, but they also do utility work, too. Pentagon Materials produces aggregate,” Joe Holtmeier said. A quick tour of their offices reveals a gallery of photos highlighting important moments in company history. There’s an image of their first day in business with Joe Holtmeier and his daughter beaming at the camera from the seat of a backhoe. In another picture, a young boy wearing

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a toy tool belt and hard hat visits the Holtmeier Construction site at Fallenstein Park. A third photo shows an employee’s pajama-clad toddler staring out a window, clearly fascinated with the backhoe parked in his backyard. “These are all pictures of our workers’

children. That’s (the son of) Joe’s right-handman looking at the backhoe. Our boys were the same way. They loved the equipment. Even our daughter. This business is so entrenched in her life that ‘backhoe’ was one of her first words,” Bethany Holtmeier said. It’s a Saturday in December, so the

Holtmeier Construction Inc. | Mankato Holtmeier offices are empty. The sound of the Holtmeiers’ youngest son working on a project in the shop can occasionally be heard. As we walk by each desk, the Holtmeiers stop to praise each employee and tell me the many ways they contribute to the company’s success. Although they are experts at moving rock and soil with heavy equipment, it’s clear people are at the heart of this business. Tell me about your background. Are you both from Mankato? Joe Holtmeier: Bethany and I met in college at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Bethany Holtmeier: Joe is from Waconia, Minnesota, and he came here for the construction management program at MSU. I’m from Colorado, and I came to MSU for aviation. Those are two specialty fields at MSU that you can’t find in a lot of schools. Eventually I moved into elementary teaching. JH: On our first date I found out we had something in common.

BH: Both of our paternal grandparents had trucking companies; his were in Nebraska and mine were in Hutchinson. It’s kind of an odd coincidence. JH: That was really fun. I’ve always loved trucks — I drew pictures of trucks at recess — and here’s this young lady who’s so cute and wonderful and she’s affiliated with trucking. Wow! You didn’t stand a chance. JH: I didn’t. I was head over heels. Shortly before I graduated, I went to Papua New Guinea and built a water supply line for a hospital. It was part of my internship for construction management. And at the time, Bethany and I weren’t married yet. It was a real interesting experience, and I wanted to share it with her. So I said, “Why don’t you come over and see what it’s about?” Bethany says I was just homesick and lonely, but I say I knew she was the woman of my dreams. I like your version better, Joe. JH: It sounds like better script material

than I was just this lonely, sappy guy. Anyway, Bethany was going to school for education, but she put her life on pause to help me with my life. She came over and taught at the missionary school that was there. BH: It was just for three months, but it was so much fun. I loved it, and it just reinforced that this is what I want to do. I want to teach. JH: It was an opportunity to serve others with gifts we had been given in a meaningful way. Then we came back and got married. Bethany still had some college to finish up at MSU, and I continued working for Machtemes Construction in the metro area. That was my first taste of construction. If Chuck Machtemes wasn’t such a good boss, I don’t know if I’d be where I am today. Chuck was the type of guy who gave you opportunities, but he kept the opportunities … things that you could succeed at. He didn’t tell you to do something that you were incapable of, so you could have some success. Also, if you did something wrong, he would get after you in a way that wasn’t derogatory and point out your error. So that was encouraging. I

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Rock Solid was just putting my toe in the water in construction and having a good mentor made a difference. Eventually I wanted a local job where I could be in a foreman-type position. So I applied at local contractors that did utility construction, and I was hired by C. W. Scheurer & Sons Construction here in Mankato. What made you decide to branch off and start your own business? BH: It was kind of just by trial and error. I was a teacher, then we had our first child and I was going to stay home with her. At that time, Joe worked for a different company, and he would get laid off in the winters. So we went to Colorado, where my parents live, and Joe went to work for a contractor in Colorado for a few months to make some money while we were there. It was always his dream to try starting our own company. So we thought, when we get back to Minnesota let’s try it. JH: I, as you might have guessed, was more excited about this idea than maybe she was. She must have been thinking, “What kind of crazy path are you taking me on?” Bethany stood behind the idea and had the confidence that we could do it — and we did. BH: We had no money, so we couldn’t afford to hire accountants. My dad was an accountant, so I had a lot of phone calls with him. He taught me what I needed to do. I’d have my daughter on one hip (while) working on the computer.

March | April 2022

JH: That’s an important part of the support you need to run a business. Lots of people have this idea that they want to run a business: I want to do it because I know how to fix cars, or I know how to pound boards together, or I know how to run an excavator. But if you don’t have that business component, the accounting side, it doesn’t work. When we started the business, I wanted to do projects where I could handle the risk. Underground construction is risky by nature. But some projects are more risky than others. One of my goals was to work for people who were going to pay you. New development work might be easier to build and more profitable, but if you’re working for a developer and the developer goes broke, you’re toast. So, I wanted to work for municipalities where once you get the work done, you get paid. We were also strategic (about) selecting projects. As a subcontractor, I chose to work with general contractors that had a good reputation and projects that were fairly simple in scope, because even though the return is a little bit smaller, the rate of success is higher. What I needed to do was start a string of success. Failure wasn’t an option for the first few years because we didn’t have enough equity to sustain failure. So we had to be careful with project selection. BH: It took a lot of work. Joe was calling and calling and so many doors slammed in our faces. JH: And rightly so, because the construction projects that we do are not small-dollar items. It’s big money, and you can’t put your

Holtmeier Construction Inc. | Mankato faith in someone who hasn’t proven themselves. When we were first starting out, we hadn’t proven much. We started out taking smaller projects as a subcontractor, because I wanted to be responsible for our own problems. I didn’t want to have to worry if the concrete guy failed or the paving guy failed or the seeder failed. I just wanted to focus on what we were doing and make sure we did a good job. We did that for the first couple of years. Then we started being the general contractor on street reconstruction projects. When you’re the general contractor, you set the schedule and then you can control your schedule throughout the year with your workforces, putting your guys where you want them at the time you want them there. So that helped with profitability. Then we just kept adding crews and it grew from there. What services do you provide today? JH: I would say maybe 60 percent of our revenue is generated from public contracts for underground utility work, sewer, water and street reconstructions. Twenty percent is from aggregates, and 20 percent is private and commercial work. Where are your customers located? JH: Our goal is to work within a 60-mile radius of Mankato because that gets our guys home every night. That’s important. Some companies do quite a bit of traveling. They specifically chase this type of project because that’s where their margins are the best.

Bethany and I both feel the best thing for workers is to be home every night so they can be with their family. So we have grown our company by grabbing the work that has anything to do with heavy equipment that’s in that 60-mile radius. We’ve expanded that way instead of geographically. Did the desire to stay close to home drive your diversification into supporting industries? JH: Yes, it did. Let’s just say there’s $100 million of our type of work in the 60-mile radius from Mankato — then you have to do more of the services that are tied to that work. A big piece of what helped us grow was we started a quarry just north of the office here. We bought a piece of ground that had limestone on it, and we started crushing limestone and using that material in our own projects. That led us into the crushing business. The crusher wasn’t busy all year with making our own products, so we were able to take that crushing crew and start doing crushing projects for other people. We were also able to buy some other pieces of ground around Mankato that had sand and gravel products in them and start sand and gravel pits. So then we had three locations. Another big step was getting into recycled crushing. When we do a project on a street reconstruction, we come in and we remove all the blacktop, curb and sidewalk. With recycled crushing, instead of hauling it away to a dump and then hauling new materials in, we just find a spot to put our crusher and we recycle the old materials

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Rock Solid and reuse it for the road base. So that was a big step because it gave us a competitive advantage. One of our T-shirts has a picture of our crusher and reads, “Southern Minnesota’s Largest Recycler.” We recycled over 300,000 tons of concrete and asphalt last year. No one else does that much in southern Minnesota. In 2003 Dirt Merchant was started. As a prime contractor on a project, one of the portions that we would sub out is mass earth moving. We were hiring grading subcontractors, and they were causing delays on our projects. They just weren’t doing a very good job. So we thought, why don’t we just do this ourselves? This gave us the opportunity to be part of a business that supported what we were doing at Holtmeier. Dirt Merchant quickly became very proficient at earth moving and site work, becoming one of Holtmeier’s best aggregate customers. We have been able to learn a lot from each other. Kevin Depuydt is now the majority owner of Dirt Merchant. Then in 2018, we joined with Kevin Depuydt, Jim Voda and Marty Preusser to form Pentagon Materials. It’s an aggregate producer, and we have one pit in Prior Lake, Minnesota, and two pits in Belle Plaine, Minnesota. Holtmeier Construction has about 100 employees, Dirt Merchant has about 50 and Pentagon Materials probably has around 25. There’s a twinkle in your eye when you talk about your work. That’s rare. JH: When I leave in the morning, I’m excited about what happened yesterday and I can’t wait to engage in what’s going to happen today. I’m so excited and I have a lot of people that are like that because they call me in the morning to talk about our projects. Enthusiasm spreads, it trickles down. How do you create that level of participation and engagement in your team? JH: It takes a long time to grow that culture. It’s not just, “Oh, guys, I read this book last night and it said this is what we should do, and why don’t you go do it.” It starts at the beginning as we’re grooming these people. I share our company goals with our employees. I want them to think big picture, and I want them to be involved in bringing

March | April 2022

Traveling the U.S. When they’re not busy working on their business, the Holtmeiers make time to travel. “We travel a lot. That’s a big passion of ours,” Bethany Holtmeier said. Both of the Holtmeiers caught the travel bug when they were young. “As kids, we used to travel to see family. Joe’s grandparents were in Nebraska and Ohio, so his family trips were to one or the other. Both sides of my family were in Minnesota, but I grew up in Colorado, so we would come here or go south to visit my parents’ friends,” Bethany Holtmeier said. “We knew the experiences you have traveling were important.” The Holtmeiers set a goal to travel to all 50 states with their children before they grew up and moved away from home — a goal they achieved in 2016. “That was really fun. Our youngest son is a junior in high school, and he’s learning American history this year. So when I’m quizzing him before a test, I’ll remember when we were at this place. You’ve seen that building you’re learning about in your textbooks. It was great to have that family time with our kids,” Bethany Holtmeier said. Taking the time to relax and be a family is important to the Holtmeier family. “We try and take two trips a year. Even during the work season, I try to take off a week to 10 days,” Joe Holtmeier said. “I have my cellphone, and I used to get a lot of phone calls while we were out bumming around. The last few years, I would have to call work to find out what’s going on because they’ve gotten so self-sufficient.”

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Rock Solid good ideas and anticipating problems. It’s all part of teamwork. The first thing I want our employees to know is that we need you. We need you engaged. We need you to bring your mind to the game. We need you to bring your experience to the game. Everybody on a project sees things from a different perspective, and we need input from everybody to make it happen. When people come to you with ideas in your organization, your first job is to encourage them. You’ve got to encourage them in their idea and help them think it through. It might be, “Hey, good idea. Let’s do it.” Or it might be, “Hey, that’s a good idea, but what about X, Y and Z?” If you do that, you’re encouraging the guys to be part of the team and engaging their brains. When you get their brains involved in what you’re doing, you prevent boredom and burnout. Being a team player is so important. We try to instill in these guys that wherever you’re plugged in on the team, when it’s your time to go, you go. You do your

tasks so the next guy can do his tasks. Everybody’s job is important and we’re all counting on you to be dependable. The neat thing about construction is that at the end of the day, you can look back and see what you got done. It’s tangible. You get a sense of accomplishment that’s reinforced on an hourly and on a daily level. If you have people who know that they’re appreciated for who they are and what they can do, your team is unstoppable. You’re going to be miles ahead of the competition. How do you ensure that when you fail, you fail forward? JH: When there is a fail, you have to have a conversation with the worker and say, “What happened here?” Does the worker acknowledge that this was a fail? Does he take personal responsibility in that fail? If he does, then you’re already failing forward because he feels responsible for it. You encourage them to learn from the mistake, and we as an organization put things in place so the next worker who does this exact same

job doesn’t suffer from the same mistake. If you do that, you are failing forward. If you confront a worker on something that happened and he has a lot of excuses about why it’s not his fault, then that’s a different conversation to have. I remember one of my dad’s sayings. We were talking about my little brother, and my dad said, “I don’t know if he needs a hug or a kick in the pants.” Now he wasn’t going to kick him in the pants. That’s not how my father did things. But I think we need to encourage people through both hugs and harder conversations. You’ve got to look at where people are at today and what they need to improve their situation at work, to be better at their tasks, to work better with other people. For people to buy into what you’re saying, they also need to know you care. One of the things that I always try to impress upon our workers is how much they are needed. I need them for who they are as a person, for the skills they bring to the table, for their ideas on how to go about a project the best way. So

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Holtmeier Construction Inc. | Mankato it starts with people knowing they’re needed. The next step is to encourage them when they do things that are good and helpful. That puts you in a position where you can criticize them in a constructive way to have improvement the next time. One of the things Holtmeier Construction brings to the table is experience. How does that pay off for your clients? JH: Typically an engineer designs the project for a city, and then the city is the owner. We want engineers to be happy working with our company because they know they’re going to have quality work. They don’t have to spend a lot of time keeping an eye on what’s going on, because they know when we’re there, we’re going to do a quality job for them. It’s not going to be a hassle for them because our staff brings good ideas and anticipates problems. Working in these old towns with old infrastructure, there’s all kinds of surprises. You never know how things were put together

and patched together. Before we even start a project, we know what we can expect and a good way to work through any issues. We can anticipate problems, so before we get

to that section of the job where what’s on paper is not going to work out, we can point that out and offer the best way forward to solve the problem. That creates a great

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Rock Solid working relationship. Experience is important, but it isn’t everything. I’ve had knowledgeable workers like Jim Voda, who came to our company with all kinds of knowledge, experience and ideas. But he also gets the big picture. He understands where people are at and what their capabilities are. That’s fantastic. On the other hand, I’ve hired experienced equipment operators who come in and talk about how good they are, then they complain about the other guys. Even though they’re really good at running the machine, it destroys everyone around them. Their coworkers go home stressed out. You need to be proficient at your trade, but we can train you. We can make you a better backhoe operator. We can make you a better pipe layer. And while you’re learning, we’re going to have you running that excavator in places where your lack of experience isn’t going to be glaring. We’ll work with you until you’re ready to move to a more delicate and complicated spot. We’ve had so much luck with training from within, starting with very little experience and moving you along in your career. Does that strategy help you in your employee recruitment? JH: Yes, I think it does, and it’s critical right now. Years ago you had all these smaller farms, especially in southern Minnesota; their kids grew up driving tractors, backing trailers up and fixing things with their hands. Those were the kind of boys that just naturally rolled into our type of construction work. Now that’s gone away. Farms are 4,500 acres and fewer kids are growing up on family farms, so there isn’t that pool of people to recruit from. Young kids now grow up playing with cellphones. That’s not the skill set that’s

Divine Inspiration BH: God is the foundation of everything for us. We came from humble beginnings. We know our own weaknesses, there’s no way we could have done this by ourselves. We know God’s hand has been in this. We see what He has given and provided and we know we’re supposed to share that. JH: We have a biblical worldview. What I mean by that is, (what) you have is a gift from God and you’re a steward of what He’s put before you. How can we be good stewards of what He has given us? Our workers come to Holtmeier Construction with a certain set of gifts, talents and abilities. We want to encourage them, be supportive of their career and help them to use their gifts to their maximum ability so they can have the maximum enjoyment in life. They can be the best spouse, the best father and the best community person. Because if you’re using your gifts and being successful at what you’re doing, you feel really good about yourself. It puts you in a position to help others. So that’s important for us.

March | April 2022

going to help them in our industry. They’re coming to us with the same potential, but they just don’t have the experience. So we’re having to teach them. That takes more patience. Your contracts are with large municipalities and private developers, but your end customers are ultimately the people they serve. How do you keep the end user in mind? JH: I think it starts by making sure that workers understand that while you’re there, you’re a representative of us. When we go in and do these reconstruction projects, it’s not a nice thing for the people who are living there. It’s messy. It’s an inconvenience. When we rip up your street, it’s a disruption. So we want to get to the finished product as quickly as possible, minimizing disruptions. BH: We want to behave courteously and respectfully to the homeowner. We get a lot of letters from homeowners complimenting the crew. It means so much when someone takes the time to write a letter thanking us and saying the guys really hustled, or they were so polite, or they helped carry someone’s groceries from their car to their house. There’s just been so many examples over the years. That’s huge. JH: The work that we do, it’s all competitive, low-bid work. We really like that system because it drives us to be as efficient as possible and to bring ideas to the table. If we’re there because we’re the lowest bidder, it means that the homeowners are paying a lower assessment. We’re saving them money, which means they have dollars that they can use for other things that are more important to their life than how much they paid for the curb in front of their house. The city has many needs and only so many dollars they can spend on infrastructure. We don’t want to consume more of their

BH: That’s what you model. It’s not just for yourself. It ripples through the organization. JH: As an entrepreneur, you’re put in a spot where you can help people grow. And while they’re growing, they’re helping others. Let’s just pick on Matt Schneider because he’s such a good mentor. How many people have become better people because of him? That’s really special. It all goes back to using the gifts God has given you and making the most of them, because then you impact the most people at the highest level and it changes lives. You have to constantly remind yourself about what’s most important. It’s not making every dollar. It’s not making every deal. I tell the guys here’s how I would like you to make your decisions throughout the year. First, I want you to put God first. I want you to put your family second. The next is work. That doesn’t mean work is not important, but as you make decisions, that’s how I’d like to see you prioritize things. Entrepreneurship is a gift. I’ve just really enjoyed it and been excited about it. Bethany and I want to help other people create that, too.

Holtmeier Construction Inc. | Mankato

Good Shepherds The Holtmeiers helped found Concordia Classical Academy, a Lutheran school serving grades K-8 that is affiliated with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in North Mankato. “Christian education is so important,” Joe Holtmeier said. “Christian faith is something that has to be nurtured. … We want to be a part of that, assisting families, and training students for Christian lives on Earth and through eternity.” The Holtmeiers’ daughter was in Concordia’s first eighth grade graduating class; now all of their children have gone to school there. Bethany Holtmeier volunteered in Concordia’s classrooms for 14 years and served on the school board as well. Joe Holtmeier currently serves on the school board and has for several years. He recently called all the students’ parents to see how they liked the school. “All the people that I talked to love it. They were so happy to have their children enrolled in our school,” Joe Holtmeier said. “... It’s been exciting that this ministry has just exploded in the last couple of years.”

The chapel at Concordia Classical Academy

Principal Ben Holten with students at lunchtime

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Rock Solid budget than what’s necessary to get the project done. We don’t want to just be a provider because we’re a local guy or a local company. We want to be a provider because we’re going to deliver these projects at the lowest possible price and the highest possible quality. What are the latest and greatest construction techniques that are impacting your business? JH: GPS technology came on the scene roughly 20 years ago. It helps with grading operations and improves productivity and quality so much. The operator has a map right in the dozer or the excavator. So they know exactly where they are on the site and exactly what they have to do. We live in the information age. The GPS screen in the equipment gives the operator all the information he needs to do his job perfectly. Are you grappling with supply chain issues? JH: We heard the rumblings that this

March | April 2022

would be a problem. So we are working with our suppliers early on, just thinking ahead. Once we know we’re going to be doing the work on a project, we’re doing whatever we have to do to secure the materials that are critical to completing it. That might mean taking delivery early so that when materials are needed they are in our control. BH: In a good year, we have our jobs lined up for the year ahead in the winter or in the spring. So we know by spring what we are going to need through November, and we are able to get it before it’s too late. JH: We’re fortunate. We just need concrete, PVC and some metal fittings. A million-dollar project might require $200,000 of materials and $100,000 of that is our own aggregates that we produce internally. So we can control that. It appears that 2022 will bring the same supply issues. It’s a bit concerning. The government is going to pump all these additional funds into infrastructure, which is great because we’ll get some of those

projects. But if the supply chain couldn’t keep up before all this additional funding was allocated, how is it going to keep up now? Speaking of 2022, what are you projecting for the year ahead? JH: All of our projects are designed by an engineering company. Bolton & Menk, ISG and SEH typically design most of the projects in our area. A year ahead of the work season, they’re designing our projects. What they’re telling us is they have a lot of projects, and they’re busy as can be designing stuff. This infrastructure bill is also going to impact us. So it’s looking like it will be a very big year.

THE ESSENTIALS Holtmeier Construction, Inc. 3301 Third Ave. Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: (507) 389-9112 Web: holtmeierinc.com

Joint Replacement Surgery

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Sharing the stories of the next generation, and exploring the dreams that motivate them.

By Ashley Hanley

What is your current position? I am self-employed and work on our family farm. I moved back to the Mankato area in 2014 to work on our family corn and soybean farm. There I keep the books, (manage) the payroll/human resources department and run the farm equipment. My husband, Andy, and I also started Mankato Valley Seed, where we sell corn and soybean seed. It wasn’t long until we expanded Mankato Valley to sell microbial products, or soil health products. (We also) formulate some of our own products. ... in the off-seasons, Andy and I have Mankato Valley Remodeling, where we do anything from tile work to landscape work. What steps did you take to get there? Growing up on the farm meant that I was walking beans and picking rock as early as I was physically able. Farm work was always something different and taught me a lot about a strong work ethic, multitasking and having passion for what you do. I don’t know why, but growing up I never considered agriculture as a career for myself. I graduated with a degree in sociology and had a Spanish minor. I happily worked in the human services world for several years until my brother asked if I would like to come back to the farm to help out. Realizing that I was (already) taking off of work to help farm, especially during planting and harvesting, I took him up on his offer. Why did you choose this career path? Farming is hard work. It is one of the most challenging roles I have ever taken but that is one of the reasons I love it. My brother and I would be considered the sixth generation on our farm, it’s in my blood and I have a passion for it.

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What personal strengths help you excel in your chosen career? Multitasking skills, drive, and going in with the attitude that I’m never too good for the menial parts of the job and never not good enough for the challenging parts of the job. What is your favorite part of your job? I get a lot of opportunities to promote something I love. The best part about my job is that I get to work with the community that I grew up in. I get to host preschool groups in the pumpkin patch, (have) Young Professionals touring the farm and help organize Breakfast on the Farm for thousands of community members to experience modern agriculture. I love being an advocate for agriculture. When in doubt, ask a farmer! What advice would you give to other young professionals? Get involved in your community. Serve on a board, join a club and make time to give back. Everyone is busy, but I promise you have the time. Are there any trainings or events that have had a big impact on your career? I am a graduate of the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership program. I would highly recommend participating in MARL if you are at all connected to agriculture. It helped me develop personally and professionally; (I) learned so much about rural Minnesota (and) really honed my leadership skills, not to mention the fantastic networking opportunities. Greater Mankato Growth’s Young Professionals also had a big impact. I grew up in the Mankato area but learned so much more about my community. I was

able to meet and connect with peers. I served on various committees and was YP chair. What books, podcasts or videos have helped you? If I don’t know how to do something, I can figure it out on YouTube! What app can’t you live without? Agriculture has turned into a “techy” career. There are so many to choose from but I would have to say the climate field app would be my top choice. What inspires/drives you? Taking and creating opportunities as they come. Also the need for more young talent in agriculture. Looking back on the beginning of your career, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then? I really don’t know why I never considered a career in agriculture as I was growing up. I wish I would have understood the potential for careers in agriculture and how diverse they can be. It would have benefitted my career to pay closer attention to the ins and outs of our farm and to have had an ag-related degree. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? One of the things I am most proud of is our company Mankato Valley Soil Solutions. Using biology to promote soil health and enhance plants can benefit the farmer and the earth in so many ways. In 10 years I hope to see significant growth there.

Angela Guentzel works tirelessly on her family’s farm, aptly named Guentzel Family Farms, which is located in Kasota. The operation is a sixth generation farm, with Angela one of the jack-of-all-trades.

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ST R ATEGI C PARTN ERS HI PS S ERI ES

Collaborating to Support Food and Agriculture Businesses in South-Central Minnesota

outhern Minnesota has long been a dynamic and vibrant region for entrepreneurship and innovation, specifically in the food and agriculture industry. Through a unique, collaborative approach to small business recovery and resiliency, Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Strategic Partnership Center has collaborated with five regional partners in the food, agriculture, small business, and economic development space to provide resources for south-central Minnesota’s underserved small businesses. The Mainstreet Businesses Focused on Food and Agriculture (MBFFA) initiative was derived from the Small Business Administration’s Community Navigator Pilot Program as defined by the new American Rescue Plan Initiative. Out of 700 applications, 51 grantees were selected nationwide, with the Strategic Partnership Center being awarded $942,796 to serve as one of two Hubs in the state of Minnesota. The MBFFA aims to enhance sustainability and growth in the agriculture and food-related sector in south-central Minnesotaspecifically for its underserved populations. The MBFFA service area emphasizes Region 9, including the counties of Sibley, Nicollet, Brown, LeSueur, Blue Earth, Watonwan, Waseca, Martin, and Faribault. Three counties in Region 9 are designated as social and economically disadvantaged, with several experiencing lower wages, higher unemployment, increase in median age, and lower educational attainment. While the Strategic Partnership Center serves as the coordinating Hub, they will work internally with university experts alongside five community partners to collaborate in providing critical support for regional food and agriculture businesses during these especially challenging times. Through an innovative Hub and Spoke model, organizations that qualify will receive direct support services from

the following organizations: GreenSeam, Agriculture Utilization Research Institute at Waseca (AURI), Southern Agriculture Center of Excellence at South Central College, Region Nine Development Commission, and Mogwai Collaborative at the Hubbard Building. The Hub and Spokes will provide counseling, training, technical assistance, and overall access to resources based on individual need. Priority services will be given to businesses owned by women, veterans, and individuals socially and economically disadvantaged. Sam Ziegler, Director of GreenSeam, emphasized the importance of this initiative in south-central Minnesota, and how the unique approach to MBFFA works to the region’s advantage. “GreenSeam is proud to partner with 5 other organizations coming together to find ways to support our food and agriculture innovators and entrepreneurs throughout the region. Each of our organizations are different, bringing to the table their own set of unique skills- which I believe strengthens our initiative.” Ziegler continued in sharing, “Many people would ask, ‘How can you support both Mainstreet and Agriculture?’. I would argue, how can you not? You cannot have one without the other- they are the backbone of our region.” Reducing barriers to support, sustain, and grow our regional businesses is vital for the economic prosperity of the state, especially in challenging times. “To see Minnesota State University, Mankato as the Hub of this grant is a big win for our region. It shows the commitment they have made, not just by saying they want to be involved, but that they want to be a leader in the space. I’m looking forward to working closely with all the partners over the next two years.” shared Ziegler. If you are interested in learning more about the MBFFA initiative, applying for services, or getting involved, please visit our website https://link.mnsu.edu/mbffa.

LEARN MORE: https://link.mnsu.edu/maverickacademy 26

March | April 2022

UPCOMING TRAINING EVENTS

Start-Up Smart Is entrepreneurship right for you? In this in-person workshop, you will gain a basic understanding of the essential steps to getting your business off the ground and the many local and online resources available to help you.

DATE: March 21st, 4:30pm-6:30pm COST: FREE

Mental Health is Health: the 2022 Biomedical Sciences Summit Individuals across their lifespan have experienced a range of mental health challenges that were exacerbated by the pandemic. The purpose of this Summit is to recognize the need for greater supports for mental health and provide educators and practitioners with the tools needed to improve the mental health of our communities.

DATE: March 30th, 8:30am-4:30pm COST: $150

Clinical Supervisor Training Join Minnesota State University, Mankato faculty as they lead a training on providing clinical supervision. Completion of this two-phased customized training allows you to provide board approved supervision within your licensure for the boards of Social Work (LSW and LICSW), Behavioral Health and Therapy (LPCC and LADC), Marriage and family Therapy (LMFT), and Psychology (LP).

DATE: June 9th-10th, Mankato OR June 30th-July 1st, Edina COST: Please visit registration site for details

DEVELOPING LEADERS | MEETING INDUSTRY NEEDS

TO SIGN UP, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION: https://link.mnsu.edu/courses-and-programs Sessions are offered in virtual and in-person settings. Please visit our registration site for details on a specific program. 424 North Riverfront Drive, Mankato, MN Phone: 507-389-1094

By Ashley Hanley Photos by Jonathan Smith

AmeriCare Mobility Vans: Providing dependable medical transportation for those in need. You may have seen the countless AmeriCare Mobility Van vehicles driving to and fro throughout southern Minnesota. Behind those vans is the story of a company built from the ground up and based on a foundation of passion, caring and the founder’s experience with people with disabilities. Leading the way for the company is Mike Pinske, who started the company with just one vehicle 29 years ago. “As a young boy, I always knew I wanted to run my own business and work on my own as an independent-minded person,” Pinske said. “My inspiration (for AMV) came from my uncle. Growing up, I had a disabled uncle who really taught me a lot. He taught me that just because you look different on the outside, that doesn’t mean you can’t be genuine and caring on the inside.” AMV is a nonemergency medical transportation provider based in Mankato. Its mission is to provide safe, dependable and dignified transportation services to the southern Minnesota community. Continues

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The Nobility of Mobility “I grew up in North Mankato. I had one friend in particular who was disabled,” Pinske said. “You know how kids often play games together and pick teams? My disabled friend was always picked first, because he was a little bit bigger and stronger, and if you’re playing football or basketball that’s what you want. Again, I realized that just because you have a disability, it doesn’t mean you don’t have strengths in other areas.” Pinske’s strength may be his commitment to serving others. He gained firsthand knowledge of working with people with disabilities while watching his wife work in a group home. It gave him the opportunity to get to know the residents. “I just felt I wanted to do something in that area,” Pinske said. Little did he know that his education and passion for helping others would eventually lead him down the path to mobility services. After high school, Pinske enrolled at the University of Minnesota Duluth to pursue a degree in the health care field. But he soon switched to a business degree so he could pursue what he calls his independent work style. It’s a strategy that has served him for more than three decades. “Some 35 years later, I do kind of work in the health care field, but now I have a business background that I can combine with it. … so I’m kind of in the perfect place, in my opinion,” Pinske said. AMV serves counties across south-central Minnesota, including Blue Earth, Waseca, Rice, Steele, Freeborn and Faribault. It also serves parts of Nicollet, Le Sueur and Mower counties. After starting AMV in 1993, Pinske quickly grew the business. In 1998, he purchased the other NEMT business in town and business boomed. In 2009, he acquired a more regional business in southwest Minnesota. Then in 2013, he purchased another company that was serving the Owatonna, Austin and Faribault areas. “All of our growth didn’t come from acquisitions. A lot of it came from (addressing) the growing need for nonemergency medical transportation and the aging population in the area,” Pinske said. “We do 300 to 350 trips per day, or 80,000 trips on an annual basis. Those numbers are actually down because of the COVID pandemic. It used to be around 110,000 trips per year. So we still have a little ways to go to get back to where we were (before COVID).” AMV has a certified fleet of over 50 vehicles conveniently stationed throughout its service area to meet its clients’ needs. “Our vehicles are certified, licensed and inspected annually by the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s State Patrol. All our vehicles are built to conform with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as all other applicable federal and state statutes,” Pinske said. “In addition, all of our drivers have passed Defensive Driving and Passenger Assistance courses. They are certified and licensed for the vehicles they drive and must pass annual motor vehicle record checks.” Pinske says each driver goes through 40 hours of training before they can drive a van, although the state only requires 16. This is just one of the many ways AMV sets itself apart. “We want to go above and beyond to make sure everyone is safe. They are driving our trucks. They are representing our company. So we want them to be equipped to make that ride as smooth and as safe as possible. We tell our drivers the most important customer is the one they’re with,” Pinske said. AMV provides people who have physical or cognitive disabilities 30

March | April 2022

AmeriCare Mobility Van Inc. | Mankato

SPRING INTO RETIREMENT WITH HELP FROM OUR FINANCIAL PLANNING TEAM AT WEALTH MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

Pat Pinske is the lead mechanic and maintains 48 AMV vehicles in a ccordance with MNDOT regulations.

with rides to and from medical services or facilities, including special transportation for people using wheelchairs or those who need assistance walking. “We also do a lot of work for the school district,” Pinske said. “We provide some services for people who are enrolled in the Medicaid program that have a disability, too.” AMV services are accessed through contracts with large payers, such as Blue Cross, UCare, South Country Health Alliance and Medica. It also works with local counties. “Most times, you have to have prior authorization or approval through your payer, and then the member or the payer would reach out to us and schedule the ride,” Pinske said. Filling out paperwork and determining eligibility requirements can be a daunting task. Pinske credits his strong and dedicated staff as the driving force in keeping things running as smoothly as possible. “We have an office full of fantastic staff that help to make this happen. There’s a lot to it,” Pinske said. Services include a wide range of options for a wide range of clients. AMV provides a lot of wheelchair transportation, Pinske says, but it also does ambulatory service, which is just a small fraction of the services it provides on a day-to-day basis. Like most businesses during the COVID pandemic, AMV took a big hit from the declining number of clients served, which impacted the financial side of the business. Pinske says, “COVID’s been a learning experience for all of us, and we’re not immune to it at our business. In early March of 2020, when the pandemic started, the demand for our services went down as the governor ordered a shutdown of all elective procedures. That impacted a lot of what we do and the people we serve. If someone needed a hip replacement, we would normally take them to (that procedure) and then possibly (transport them) to physical therapy for the next few weeks or however long it takes. So obviously we couldn’t do that.” The drop in the number of clients AMV was able to serve also impacted staff members. “We had to furlough the vast majority of our staff. At one point, trips and revenue were down nearly 90 percent, and that persisted throughout that first summer.”

(507) 625 - 9050 1930 Premier Drive Mankato, MN 56001 Ameriprise Financial and the financial institution are not affiliated. Investment products, including shares of mutual funds, are not federally or FDIC/NCUA insured, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. Investment advisory services and products are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., a registered investment adviser. 4214275ACMR0122

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The Nobility of Mobility

Kirsten Lamont is the lead dispatcher and dispatches over 400 rides per day.

But AMV found ways to stay afloat and stay resilient, with Pinske adopting a new blueprint for success for AMV: “We focused on critical transports. That would be things like dialysis, oncology, wound care and things of that nature. We made sure that people got connected to those lifesaving treatments.” While business has improved over time, it isn’t quite back to pre-pandemic levels. “We had 57 trucks on the road before COVID and we’re at 45 right now,” Pinske said. “So that’s about 20 percent or more trucks that we’re down, and our revenue is at about 80 percent of where we were before the pandemic.” As daunting as that might be for a business owner, Pinske says his confidence in AMV’s success is increasing day by day. “I feel a little bit more comfortable that the business is at least sustainable now. From a business perspective, I’ve built it to that level in the past, and I’m doing everything in my power to get it back to that again,” Pinske said. “It is taking longer than what I anticipated, but I think it is taking longer than what anybody anticipated. But we’re in it for the long haul. I’ve been doing this for 29 years, and to be honest, I’m not sure I know how to do anything else.” Even with the challenges, Pinske says the best part of the job is the people he gets to work with and for. “I drove for the company for 16 years. I took myself out of that role in 2009 when we made that second acquisition, because I needed to focus on a more managerial role,” Pinske said. “I thoroughly enjoyed working with and interacting with all of the people that I encountered over the years, the clients I saw on a daily basis. I had the pleasure of working with and transporting old teachers, friends of my parents, parents of my friends, friends of mine, hockey coaches, neighbors and landlords. For me, it feels like we have come full circle in that we are able to give back to the community. So my favorite part of the job without question is the people that I get to work with.” Though his role in the company has changed, Pinske’s dedication and commitment to service remains as strong as ever. “I don’t get to see the people as much as I used to when I was driving, but I still maintain the same commitment and philosophy of treating everyone with the respect and care they deserve and treating them like they’re the most important client we have,” Pinske said. Pinske knows AMV couldn’t be successful without its dedicated staff of 59 employees. He has worked alongside them for decades. “I absolutely love my fantastic staff. A couple have been here 25 32

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AmeriCare Mobility Van Inc. | Mankato years, others have been here five, seven or 10 years. We’re all in this together to get people from point A to point B,” Pinske said. “COVID, of course, has really created a more cohesive group, as we value the jobs that we have here. We want to make sure that they’re sustainable and that we can get the company back to where it was. We do that through the collective services that we offer to the people.” Pinske used the pandemic downturn to improve his business by starting the nonemergency medical transportation accreditation process, a monumental task with monumental rewards. “During COVID, you saw your business start to fail and you had no control over how to stop it. It was a real time of self-reflection,” Pinske said. “I had been doing this for 29 years. It was a challenge, trying to figure out what to do next. Especially when you have no control over how to preserve it. I kept thinking that I am too old to start over, I need to maintain this.” As he has done throughout his career, Pinske looked for ways to take his business to the next level. “I was looking to deliver more value to the communities that we serve, and I thought accreditation was a good way to do that,” Pinske said. On Nov. 12, 2021, AMV became the first company in Minnesota to receive national NEMT accreditation from the Non Emergency Medical Transportation Accreditation Commission. “We were the first company in the state to receive that accreditation, the only company in the state to receive that accreditation,” Pinske said. “It was a rather rigorous and robust process to make sure that we dotted our I’s and crossed our T’s. It took us about six months to make sure that we had everything in order. I think it is a huge accomplishment.” Pinske says this means AMV is now certified to say it offers topnotch services, maintains high training standards and has excellent credentials. “We’re more than just a fly-by-night taxi company,” Pinske said. “We’re a good, solid business that’s run well, is compliant with our regulators and maintains a safe fleet, and a good fleet operation and call center.” For Pinske, the accreditation also signifies a triumph over the challenges that came with adapting to the pandemic, especially when you factor in all the hard work and dedication that took place behind the scenes. “It’s really a great honor. Watching your business kind of fail right in front of your eyes and then being able to survive through that and then turn around and accomplish something like this was a big success,” Pinske said. With the new accreditation and increasing demand for service, the company is experiencing a strong rebound. With a dedicated leader at the wheel, an experienced staff and a large fleet at the ready, AMV is poised to continue driving success throughout southern Minnesota.

THE ESSENTIALS

AmeriCare Mobility Van, Inc. 307 Pine St. Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: (507) 625-1336 Web: amvan.com CONNECT Business Magazine

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, an estimated 2.4 million workers sustained work-related injuries that resulted in a trip to the ER in 2019. The Customized Workforce Education department at South Central College (SCC) works hard to improve statistics like this with a one-of-a-kind team of certified Workplace Safety professionals who provide training for organizations in all areas of safety to ensure workplace injuries are minimized and safety standards are being met. When asked what makes them stand out from the competition, Terry Weston – one of four full-time credentialed safety professionals at SCC – explains, “Our team is unique in that our initial consultation, creation of the customized offering and the delivery of that product is done by the same person, often times right at the company site. And we can collectively offer training sessions that others can’t.” After 20 years at SCC, Terry is just as passionate – if not more – about workplace safety training than the day he started in 2002. In fact, his passion led him to introduce his brother, Robert Weston, to the world of safety training a few years later. Terry recalls, “I remember overhearing my colleagues discussing the potential hire of an OSHA investigator, and I knew my brother [Robert] would be the best person for the job. I did my best to sell him on the positive aspects of the job, explaining that he could impact vast numbers of people this way. He ended up getting the job and he’s still here 18 years later.”

Certified Workplace Safety professionals (from left): Cory, Terry, and Robert Weston.

Both Terry and Robert are Certified Safety Professionals (CSP) and Certified Instructional Trainers (CIT) credentialed through the Bureau of Certified Safety Professionals. They are also Certified Mine Safety Professionals (CMSP) credentialed through the international Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, and both carry US Department of Labor surface (IS) and underground (IU) trainer designations. In addition to these credentials, they’re also subject matter experts, having worked in industry for several years prior to becoming safety trainers. Terry worked in manufacturing for nine years, but it wasn’t until he attended a train the trainer session while working for a rental company in Mankato that he discovered his true passion for training. This led him to SCC where he was initially hired as a forklift and aerial lift trainer, of which he says, “It was the beginning of the rest of my career. Honestly, if I didn’t enjoy it, I’d be doing something else.” Terry continues to provide forklift and aerial lift training at

SCC as well as being qualified to teach various safety-related topics in general industry and the construction materials industry. He is also certified in specialty trainings like Safety DNA and PowerLift. Robert, on the other hand, is a military veteran who worked on complex electrical systems in the Navy for six years before going on to work in industry as a maintenance technician, electrician, and facilities manager. Naturally, one of Robert’s areas of training expertise at SCC is electrical safety including NFPA70E and arc flash. He is also qualified to teach safety topics in general industry and the construction materials industry. A few years after the Weston brothers were hired onto the SCC Workplace Safety team, Terry Meschke – often referred to as “Meschke” or “T2” by colleagues – joined the crew. He came from the construction industry and also works as a firefighter in Morristown, so his areas of expertise include construction and fire/rescue related trainings, including fall protection,

confined space, HAZWOPER, and excavation/trench safety. He has also been instrumental in SCC’s partnership with the University of Cincinnati which enables him and the team to train upper level OSHA classes (500, 501, 510, 511) from the OSHA Training Institute, as one of the few OTI trainers in Minnesota. The fourth member of the SCC Workplace Safety team was recently hired in Fall 2021 to increase the training capacity of the team and provide more client outreach and management. After an extensive search, Cory Weston – Terry Weston’s son and Robert’s nephew – was hired to fill this role. Cory is a previous SCC employee and has served as an adjunct instructor of first aid and CPR/AED since 2018. His background in training, manufacturing, and business management made him the perfect addition to the team. Cory will soon be certified to conduct the same trainings as the rest of the team, and he’s already developing new programs like CDL and yard truck training to fulfill the needs of area workforce.

One of SCC’s mobile units, the Trench Simulator, used for non-credit safety trainings throughout the region.

Aside from the “Weston connection”, there are many other unique features that set the SCC Safety team apart from other training providers. For example, their state-of-the-art mobile training units that provide hands-on education and real-world simulations anywhere

training is needed. The Trench Simulator is a “trench on wheels” used in trench training for construction companies to get their employees into the trench safely and prevent collapse of the soil. It also helps train local fire departments for trench rescue. Then there’s the Confined Space Safety and Rescue Simulator which is used to teach the knowledge and skills needed in confined space rescue through participation in team-based scenarios. As with the training simulator units, the SCC Workplace Safety team is also mobile, providing training not only in the Midwest region, but nationwide. “When people request our services, we’re willing to travel as far as they need us to,” says Terry Weston. In addition to delivering training at the clients’ site, South Central College has a state-of-the-art facility at each campus – North Mankato and Faribault – that can be used for training sessions. And, as Robert points out, “If there’s an element of safety training that doesn’t have a hands-on component, we can and do offer it virtually.” Another feature unique to the SCC Safety Team is the use of an audience response system during training to get instantaneous feedback on students’ retention and understanding of the material. Not only does this keep students engaged, but it also enables the instructor to change the flow of the training to adjust to the level of learning. The response system also captures data for reporting to provide companies with proof of training and engagement. “If you’re not measuring and quantifying, then you’re just guessing,” Terry explains, “Ultimately, we don’t have to just hope the training was effective – with these results, we can prove it.” Lastly, in addition to their credentials and partnerships with national organizations like the Partnership for

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Environmental Technology Education and OSHA Training Institute, the SCC Workplace Safety team has also been nationally recognized for their training efforts. They received two Grand Prize awards for their development of digital training modules in 2015 and 2017. And in 2019, Robert Weston was named the Holmes Safety Association Man of the Year at the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association conference. Robert sums up the SCC Workplace Safety team best by saying, “With our varied work experience and broad education base, we can provide comprehensive workplace solutions to our clients that they may not be able to find all in one place anywhere else.” And, as Cory adds, “We’re not a corporate America training program; We offer personalized safety training services for businesses large and small.” If your organization is looking for high-quality safety training, look no further than SCC’s world-class team of safety professionals in Customized Workforce Education.

Learn more:

southcentral.edu/workforce South Central College Workplace Safety Offerings • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Right to Know Lockout/Tagout Confined Space Electrical/NFPA70E Forklift & Aerial Lift Fall Protection HAZWOPER Basic First Aid & CPR Rigging/Slings Fire Extinguisher Site Audits Learn More: Program Review And more!

GREENSEAM REGION: Strong Work Ethic, Strong Family Values, Abundant Resources How is the GreenSeam region becoming a world-class food and agribusiness epicenter? The ag stakeholders in the region, such as communities, educational institutions, and private businesses, all have an increasing awareness that their individual success is based, in large part, on regional success. The effort to get the stakeholders out of silos and to have them look at opportunities to collaborate plays a key role. In taking a holistic view of what the region has to offer, ag-related partners can leverage their respective skills and financial strength to make this region a destination for people to work, live, and succeed in whichever individual areas of interest or expertise they might be.

What does it mean to be a part of the GreenSeam? Being a part of the GreenSeam means being a part of a community where people shared a common goal of achieving excellence in agriculture. This in turn makes our communities vibrant and exciting places to live, work, and raise a family.

What is unique about the GreenSeam region? Strong work ethic, strong family values, abundant resources, and welcoming communities that offer opportunities for a diverse and skilled workforce.

How does GreenSeam, the organization, shape the future of agriculture, businesses, and communities in the region? GreenSeam unifies the region’s voice. It acts as a thought leader, organizer, and advocate for the region and its needs, as well as those of its stakeholders.

What brings you, as well as your business to the GreenSeam table? Our company was founded here, we have become successful here, and we want to drive that success into greater opportunity and achievement in the dynamic global community in which we now live. This aspiration is bigger than any one individual or institution. For any of us to be successful, we all need to be working towards this common goal. GreenSeam is the platform to drive that further success.

Gary Koch

Christensen Farms GreenSeam Board of Governors Chair Gary Koch serves as Vice President and General Counsel at Christensen Farms, overseeing the business development and legal matters. After graduating from law school in 1979 and moving to Minnesota a few years later, Koch found the focus of his professional life to revolve around helping and supporting ag in the Midwest. He serves as the Chair of GreenSeam Board of Governors, where he works with like-minded individuals in an effort to enhance the environment for agribusiness in the region.

2022 State of Ag Report

Release date: National Ag Day, Tuesday, March 22 The State of Ag Report, the result of a comprehensive survey and focus groups, provides a deeper insight into the future of agriculture in Minnesota. Follow the link below or scan the QR code to find out how to participate and be one of the first to view the data! THE S TAT E OF

AGRICULTURE

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GROUNDBREAKER

Highlighting our region’s Ag and Food Production Industries

Equipped For Growth Tapping into a growing need in southern Minnesota When Tyler Wenner opened Kato Manufacturing in 2018, he started at zero. “I started Kato Manufacturing from scratch. I had a little bit of equipment, and this building was available. I talked to a few different customers, and they said they were busy and they’d shoot us work. So I bought five welders and a saw and rented this place,” Wenner said. “It was me and five other guys. We started building stuff and just kept growing from there. It’s turned into something substantially bigger than I thought it would be.” In its contract manufacturing capacity, Kato Manufacturing serves a wide range of industries, including commercial construction, agriculture and mining. Its customers are located primarily in the

Midwest, but it also ships throughout the U.S. and Canada. “We do so many different things, but we do that on purpose. Now we’re in all these sectors,” Wenner said. “We’re not just shooting from the hip. They’re sectors that we think we can be good at. The theory is when one industry gets a little slow, hopefully another one will carry us through.” In the commercial construction sector, it provides products such as staircases, mezzanines, industrial duct work, hoppers, generator bases, concrete inserts and high-end residential, commercial and industrial hand railings. “Say a contractor needs to put up a steel building and it’s got multiple levels. We’ll fabricate all the structural steel, the staircases, the railings, everything. Then we’ll go out and erect it, too. We do all the field welding,” Wenner said. The ag sector makes up a substantial portion of Kato Manufacturing’s customer base, keeping it busy building food processing and grain handling equipment. “Fifty percent of our work is directly related to ag,” Wenner said.

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GROUNDBREAKER

Highlighting our region’s Ag and Food Production Industries

A processing platform being constructed by Kato Manufacturing for a food production company.

“We do processing equipment for canning factories, popcorn plants, flour mills and pea protein plants. Each plant has different technology, but they are doing essentially the same thing: they’re bringing something raw in and processing it into something else. It’s got to get lifted, carried, pushed, shoved, canned, moved or boxed, and all that requires equipment. A lot of that equipment is customized to the plant, so it has to be custom fabricated. That’s where we come in.” The company’s 15 employees are busy, logging about 34,000 man-hours per year. Located at 480 N. Industrial Road in Mankato, Kato Manufacturing currently occupies a 35,000-square-foot space, which it is rapidly outgrowing. “We need to expand the building. We’re out of room and we have been for six months. Then we added a machine shop, too, and that’s just cramped. So we’re working on options right now,” Wenner said. Wenner appears to have tapped into a need in the greater Mankato area. According to Wenner, contract manufacturing is an industry that is essential but sometimes flies under the radar. “This industry is huge, but it’s a back door industry. Nobody talks about it. Nobody sees it. I’ve never heard anyone talk about how a soybean processing plant is built. It’s not a Facebook or Snapchat business. It’s kind of a dirty, dark industry and I love it,” Wenner said. Kato Manufacturing also fills the need 38

March | April 2022

for a custom fabrication provider that can take a project from start to finish. “We’re a full-service provider,” Wenner said. “We can go from working with someone that’s just got an idea on a napkin or wants to take us out in the field and say, ‘Hey, I need a stair right here.’ We’ll work with them to get the dimensions we need and get a drawing put together to make sure we’re all on the same page. Then we’ll build it from the raw materials, send it out for finishing and go install it. When we’re done, we’ll service it. Not a lot of companies do what we do.” A Business Natural Working, building and creating have been a part of Wenner’s life from a young age. “My uncle owned a John Deere dealership, and I grew up working there since I was,

The Kato Manufacturing crew.

like, 12. We were always building stuff — duck boats, fish houses.” Entrepreneurship is another thing that seems to come naturally to Wenner. He was still in high school when he started his first business venture. “I was always doing deals,” Wenner said. “I used to flip lawnmowers. I’d buy trailer loads of lawnmowers from John Deere dealerships in the fall when it doesn’t pay for them to sit in inventory. So I’d haul them home, wash them up and sit on them until spring. Then I’d sell them and made a profit. I didn’t spend it. I either bought tools that I could use to make the next step quicker or I just squirreled it away.” A sharp eye for opportunities and the willingness to hustle soon led Wenner to bigger projects. He was 19 when he

co-founded his first company, Ag Storm, with his cousin Ben Wenner. It opened in 2012 and was based in St. Peter. Its first product was a rock picking product the pair designed. “We started it when we were in college. We perfected that first rock picker for Ag Storm and it just grew from there. We’d

Message for Next Gen Entrepreneurs Wenner wishes more young people would rise to the challenge and live out their own dreams. “When you’re young, throw the darts at the wall. See what happens. Shake it up,” Wenner said. “If you got a dream, it ain’t going to chase you back. You need to go out and do it. Even if you fumble, who cares? When I was a kid, I remember thinking, ‘Jesus, if we lose $500 we’re damn near done. That’s the end of life.’ Now I know it’s just a game. In the U.S., you get unlimited tries. You can go bankrupt. You can try again. There’s no limit. Some of the people that are multibillionaires were bankrupt when they were 30. You got to go for it. You got to try. There are so many people that have lost their dreams. They just live with regret and then they die. What an awful way to live.” The road is not easy. But according to Wenner, it’s worthwhile. “People paint this picture of being a business owner as this glorious, easy thing where you get to make all this money,” Wenner said. “Real business is when you’re driving down a 200-mile road and in every corner there’s a speed bump and every one of them looks like a catastrophe. You’ve just got figure it out.”

develop equipment for crop production, patent it and sell it. We built all that ourselves. It was a two-man band and it worked.” Wenner said. If Wenner makes it sound easy, he’ll be the first to tell you it wasn’t. “It sounds heroic, but it wasn’t. I mean, it wasn’t like we had some master plan. We didn’t have a clue. We were afraid. But the fear of not trying became greater than the fear of failing,” Wenner said. Ag Storm was only one of several irons Wenner had in the fire at that time. He was also farming and investing in real estate. Despite his many projects, he found it just wasn’t enough to scratch his entrepreneurial itch. In 2017, he decided to set Ag Storm aside and try something new. “We wanted to go down two different paths,” Wenner said. “I wanted to take a different route than Ben did. So, I sold my half of the company to him.” Ready for his next business adventure, Wenner opened Kato Manufacturing in

Jane Laskey EDITOR

2018. He said he’s in it for the long haul, enjoying growing the company and the challenges it provides. “I’m looking at it as a 30-year game. You’re going to have ups and downs. You’re going to have good years and bad years. Sometimes the tide’s with us and sometimes it’s against us, but we just keep swimming,” Wenner said. THE ESSENTIALS

Kato Manufacturing 480 N. Industrial Road Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: (507) 508-0314 Website: katomanufacturing.com Facebook: @katomanufacturing

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By Anna Vangsness

A History of Success

John Gag steers GSM into its 2nd century A company rich in family history continues to leave its mark on southern Minnesota. Its current president and owner, John Gag, said he’s nowhere near finished. John Gag has been at the helm of Gag Sheet Metal since 1999, though his tenure with the company began in the 1970s. GSM is the oldest roofing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning business in southern Minnesota. Over the years the company has branched into appliances, plumbing and drain cleaning. GSM was founded by John Gag’s great-grandfather George Gag in 1904. He and his partner named the company, which was originally located on Minnesota Street in New Ulm, the Gag/Ranweiler Tin Shop. During its early years, it focused on roofing and dabbled in fixing bicycles, selling lawnmowers and sharpening lawnmower blades. Continues

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A History of Success The business, which has changed names a few times since its inception, was eventually turned over to George Gag’s sons, Melvin Gag and Elmer Gag. Continuing the tradition of being led by a Gag, Melvin Gag’s son, Mike Gag, worked for the company for 61 years. Mike Gag’s brother, Loren Gag, joined the company in the late 1950s and continued to work at GSM until 1985. It was in the 1980s that Mike Gag and Loren Gag opted to forgo bicycle repairs and focus on growing the contract side of the business. “It didn’t take the business long to flourish from there,” John Gag said. Since 1904, the Gag family business has found success doing roofing and sheet metal work. As the years progressed, creating heating system ducts led to putting metal roofs on buildings and barns, which led to working with heating systems, furnaces and, eventually, HVAC systems. Now in its the fourth generation of ownership under a Gag, John Gag has been leading the business since he became sole owner in 2012. “When my dad, Mike, retired in 1999 with some health issues, I was already part owner with my brother Steve,” John Gag said. “In 2012, Steve came to me and said, ‘Why don’t you buy me out? This (ownership) is more your thing.’” Steve Gag didn’t go far, though. He is the HVAC manager for GSM. “I’m the first sheet metal guy in the family who said, ‘I’m going to work in the office,’” John Gag said with a laugh. “It’s interesting … my father, grandfather and great-grandfather would all take on jobs with other guys and physically do the jobs themselves, but I prefer the business side of things.” John Gag’s career began in the family business during his middle school years when he would fix bicycles that came into the shop. “I started in the ’70s,” John Gag said. “I guess you could say that fixing bikes was my first real job after corn detasseling.” After graduating from New Ulm Public School in 1982, John Gag attended St. John’s University in Collegeville, where he received his bachelor’s degree in business management with a minor in English. “I feel fortunate because I was never one of those people who changed their major

GSM | New Ulm a bunch of times,” he said. “I knew from the beginning that business was what I wanted to learn. However, I was an English minor because I wasn’t good at the subject. I knew that if I wanted to be in business that I needed to learn to communicate, especially in writing.” Though John Gag is the fourth generation in a line of successful business owners, he said he didn’t always see himself joining

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Opportunity To Give Back Over the years, John Gag has made it a priority to give back to the community he has called home his entire life. He is a reserve police officer and sits on boards for the District 88 CTE Center, a New Ulm organization that provides high school students with exposure and access to technical careers available in the region, and NUMAS Haus, a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter and support services to homeless women and their children in Brown County. “I didn’t volunteer a lot in my first 20 years at GSM because I was really busy,” he said. “I was just beginning to work as an owner, and I also had three young kids. But then we had a little financial success and I thought, ‘You really need to give back if you can.’” He credits his team at GSM for the flexibility to volunteer around the New Ulm area. “You end up getting a good team around you that allows you some freedom to volunteer and that’s where I’m at right now,” he said. “It’s hard for these civic groups to get new members and I think if there’s some way for everyone to volunteer, they should. You have to give back more than you get.”

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A History of Success

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the family business. It wasn’t until he was a senior in college that he began to consider the possibility. “When I graduated from high school, it was my dad’s intention that I (become) a plumber,” John Gag said. “But I went to St. John’s instead. When I was a senior in college and ready to graduate, my dad approached me about a job at GSM. And I tell everyone this: his offer was the lowest, but I took it.” Mike Gag’s dream of branching into plumbing has come to fruition, even though John Gag didn’t become the plumber his dad once dreamed of. GSM expanded its services in 2013 and acquired Schanus Plumbing & Heating in New Ulm and Isaacson Plumbing in Gibbon. GSM also added an appliance showroom in New Ulm in 2019. “We got into plumbing because plumbing and HVAC typically go together,” John Gag said. “So, we partnered up with a plumber who had contracts and already sustained relationships with their clients.” Branching into another area of expertise turned out to be a smart decision for the Gags. Acquiring established plumbing businesses has given GSM the opportunity to bid on larger projects in its service area, which is anywhere employees can drive to within the day. “If it’s within driving distance, we’ll go,” John Gag said. “We work in Tennessee, Michigan … if we can drive there today in 12 hours, we’ll hop in our trucks and we’ll go.” The ability to offer sheet metal fabrication and HVAC has opened the door for more opportunity, John Gag said. GSM recently worked on the New Ulm Recreation Center, New Ulm school buildings, Marshall Middle School and New Ulm’s Bank Midwest. When a large manufacturing company in Minnesota opened a plant in Tennessee and needed a contractor, the company suggested GSM do the work because it had firsthand experience with GSM’s quality craftsmanship. “Our growth has always been about going back to existing clientele,” John Gag said. “If you want to grow your business you have to have customers come back. You know, your roof lasts for 20 years or so. There are all kinds of people that we put roofs on their businesses during my first two to

GSM | New Ulm

It’s All About Family John Gag is the proud father of five children and said he enjoys spending as much time together as a family as possible. While they were growing up, his older children played sports in the spring and fall, which opened the winter months for the family to take ski trips. To this day, the entire family takes a ski trip to northern Minnesota and Montana each year. “It’s such good family time,” he said of the annual ski trips. “Now the three older kids all have significant others so there’s 10 of us! We rent one big house out there, and it’s just a lot of fun that we have together.”

Though John Gag is the fourth generation of the Gag family to own GSM, he has never put pressure on his children to get involved with the family business. “It just has to be how you’re built,” he said. “It has to be their passion. Of course, I ask them if they’re interested, but it’s because I want them to know it’s an opportunity if they want it. It’s hard as a parent. You just want to have happy and successful kids on their own terms.”

under the coaching leadership of Hall of Fame head football coach John Gagliardi, who has the most wins of any coach in college football history. “Boy, was it a lot of fun to play for John,” John Gag said. Once he began to work at GSM, he became interested in the martial arts. He holds a sixth-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and started training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a few years ago. He has also completed duathlons, and still enjoys running and biking. “I really enjoy physical activity — I always have,” he said. “I really hope to remain active. My twin sons keep me active, and I never wanted to be one of those dads or grandpas that just sat and watched. I want to be there playing with them.”

The Importance of Being Physically Active John Gag, a multisport athlete while attending New Ulm Public High School, continued his athletic career at St. John’s University on the football team. There he started as a defensive end for three years

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A History of Success

Using a SARNAFIL roofing application, pictured here are two commercial roofing projects recently completed by GSM totaling almost 700,000 square feet of roof located in Michigan.

five years at the company, and now we’re going back and putting new roofs on for them again.” John Gag keeps a filing cabinet in his office that is filled with customer information. When the company gets calls from existing clients, he pulls their file from the cabinet so he can look at what type of work was done 10, 20 or 30 years ago. “When I got here in 1986, my dad had just two drawers of files for the first 82 years of business,” John Gag said. “In one of our other

facilities in town, I have a room of just filing cabinets filled with customers I’ve worked with in the past 36 years.” After more than 100 years in business and four generations of owners, different business strategies have taken shape. “We started out very small,” John Gag said. “My grandfather didn’t go past Courtland with his work. Literally. Back then everything was so territorial, and you just didn’t go into someone else’s area. Now if you’re a good-sized contractor and offer commercial work, eventually you have to branch out into other communities because there’s not enough work in your town. The approach John Gag has taken has turned out to be a smart business move. When he joined the company in 1986, it brought in $300,000 worth of work per year. Now that is roughly what GSM does in a week. “When I started at the company, the business was old, but it was still raw and young,” John Gag said. “Now it’s just a difference in operation. It doesn’t mean one way is better than the other. It’s certainly been an adventure.” Though it has locations in Gibbon, Hutchinson, Mankato and St. Peter, New Ulm remains GSM’s main office and showroom. Last year GSM moved to 1500 North Front St., just down the road from its old office. “More than 100 years later and we’re still migrating locations,” John Gag said with a laugh. “We never thought we would outgrow our previous location on Front Street, which was about a half city

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Financial Advisor offers Investment Advisory Services through Eide Bailly Advisors LLC, a Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through United Planners Financial Services, Member of FINRA and SIPC. Eide Bailly Financial Services, LLC is the holding company for Eide Bailly Advisors, LLC. Eide Bailly Financial Services and its subsidiaries are not affiliated with United Planners. 46

March | April 2022

GSM | New Ulm block wide. But this opportunity came along, and my goal was to get everything for the business all in one place.” John Gag said he’s proud that the company remains in New Ulm and said his staff of about 75 is a great group of people to work with. “We have a very good workforce in our community,” he said. “We are in a pretty happy place.” Though John Gag said the company is in a good place right now, it hasn’t come without tribulations during the pandemic. Like many other companies, GSM has run into supply chain issues. “Our business is you basically have the mechanical side of heating, cooling and plumbing, and then you’ve got a roofing side,” he said. “The problem is that now the roofing side is getting hit harder than some of the other industries. The lead time on supplies is longer and it’s tough because you just don’t know what job you’re going to sell right now. You have to wait until the job comes to order materials, but we can’t get the materials right away. We’re just thankful for people’s patience.” GSM is fortunate to have a skilled labor force; some GSM staff have worked for the company for 20 to 30 years and are showing their flexibility by working on the roofing side of the operation, as well as the HVAC side. “We’ve never had any trouble getting business, which we’re thankful for,” he said. “We’ve had a little bump in the road, but so has everyone. This challenge is big. The biggest hurdle right now is people. Frankly, getting craftsmen and people to work is our biggest priority. And keeping them happy. We’re doing all we can.” With the supply shortages, John Gag said now more than ever he’s fortunate the mechanical side of the business has grown over the past 10 years. “We just don’t know what it will look like in a few months,” he said. “All throughout the COVID-19 pandemic it was fine, but now suppliers are telling us that if we place orders now, we may not get products until 2023. Hopefully they’ll solve the problems in the next six months. We have hundreds of thousands of screws that come from overseas. It’s really the perfect storm. We can’t even get raw materials. But everyone in this industry is in the same position.” No matter what challenges the industry is facing, and no matter what season it is, the work never slows down. John Gag said that is how he prefers it. With more than 100 years of service under the company’s belt, he is eager for the future and is ready to face whatever comes. “When I started working for my dad in 1986, I promised him one year,” he said. “And, well, here I am. I wasn’t done and I’m still not. I don’t care what business you run. You’re never done — there’s always a place for improvement. If you’re passionate about your work, there’s always something to do.”

THE ESSENTIALS

GSM

1500 N. Front St. New Ulm, MN 56073 Phone: (507) 354-3813 Web: gsm1904.com

CONNECTING BACK

5 YEARS AGO

MARCH/APRIL 2017 David Schooff was Connect Business Magazine’s cover story five years ago. We learned how Schooff helps shape the community through his wide-angle view of the region’s commercial real estate market as president of Coldwell Banker Commercial, Fisher Group. Also featured was New Ulm’s Design Home Center and Ag Storm in St. Peter.

10 YEARS AGO

MARCH/APRIL 2012 Ten years ago AgStar Financial Services CEO Paul DeBriyn was on the cover. DeBriyn talked about how he executed one of southern Minnesota’s greatest business turnarounds with the reorganization from a rural cooperative to AgStar Financial Services. DLC Manufacturing, of New Ulm, and Waseca Music Company were also featured.

15 YEARS AGO

MARCH/APRIL 2007 Jerry Bambery, of BAMCO, was our cover story fifteen years ago. Also featured were Soderlund Village Drug, of St. Peter, and Dr. Gary Jernberg of Mankato.

20 YEARS AGO

MARCH/APRIL 2002 Republican Rep. Bob Gunther from Fairmont graced the cover of our magazine in March 2002. Mankato Oil and Tire and New Ulm-based Ground Zero Services were also profiled. CONNECT Business Magazine

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Giving Outside the Box When it comes to thinking outside the box to meet the community’s needs, the Mankato Area Foundation (MAF) has experience. Through their partnership with the Greater Mankato Area United

Way (GMAUW) in 2020 in creating the Community Response Fund, another opportunity emerged to creatively support the local nonprofit sector. After conversations with several groups, MAF President and CEO Nancy Zallek put her head together with Sarah Beiswanger, MAF’s Community Grants and Nonprofits Specialist, and the two came up with a unique solution. “We thought, what if we used money from the Community Response Fund to pay for a nonprofit consultant? It could help organizations reimagine how to meet the needs of the community in such difficult times,’” Zallek said. After receiving enthusiastic support from GMAUW, Beiswanger and Zallek created a pilot project to see if their concept had merit. Both understood that local organizations serving individuals with disabilities were facing significant issues regarding their service delivery model - in response to COVID and enormous cuts in funding.

So, they met with the leaders of MRCI, Leisure Education for Exceptional People (LEEP), Southern Minnesota Independent Living Enterprises & Services (SMILES), and the Miracle League of North Mankato to determine if these organizations would be interested in such an idea. “Everyone we talked to was excited about this approach,” Beiswanger said. “It’s not often they are provided an opportunity to work with a nonprofit strategist, and this benefit is rarely in an organization’s budget.” Zallek had worked with Kim Snyder, nonprofit consultant and founder of Excelsior Bay Group, for over ten years on various projects with MAF, so Zallek knew she would be an excellent fit for their first project. According to Snyder, the idea was instantly intriguing. Snyder, who has a background in fundraising and strategic planning, met with the group of nonprofit leaders in November 2020 to determine their shared needs and goals.

Children’s Books, Coffee Table Books, Brochures, Annual Reports, Catalogs, Magazines, Posters, Yearbooks, and MORE!

1750 Northway Drive North Mankato, MN 56003

800-729-7575 www.corpgraph.com 48

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