November/December 2017 by Connect Business Magazine

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Contents

About the cover: Vanyo Moody poses with a public sculpture which stands on a corner near his business on North Mankato’s Belgrade Avenue.

6 COVER STORY

THE MAGAZINE FOR GROWING BUSINESSES IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS Publisher: Concept & Design Incorporated Editor: Lisa Cownie

Renaissance Man

Art Director/Staff Photographer: Kris Kathmann

Contributing Photographers: Art Sidner

Vanyo Moody lives his life based on four simple questions. Find out what they are, where they came from, and how they’ve helped Moody in his numerous business ventures, including North Mankato’s Computer Technology Solutions.

Contributing Writers: Shane Bowyer, Erin Dorney, James Figy, Julie Rethemeier Production: Becky Wagner Circulation: Becky Wagner Printing: Corporate Graphics, N. Mankato

PROFILES

Mailing: Midwest Mailing, Mankato

Vote With Your Fork

Cover Photo: Kris Kathmann

Hungry for more information on how a cooperative business plan can work? We bring you a prime example, St. Peter Food Co-op. Where they maintain good food makes good business sense.

CIRCULATION

CORRESPONDENCE Send press releases and other correspondence: c/o Editor, Connect Business Magazine P.O. Box 176, Nicollet, MN 56074

Healing Through Harmony 44 A unique look at a unique business plan, an independent medical practice in Fairmont that touts an integrative approach to health care delivery. We bring you the story behind Dulcimer Medical Center.

E-mail: editor@connectbiz.com (please place press releases in email body) Web: www.connectbiz.com Phone: 507.232.3463

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Collaborations Key To Helping Our Business Communities 36 Special To Connect: Kato X Project

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Editor’s Letter Connect with Community A Day In The Life NEW! Bulletin Board Cownie Connection Hot Startz! Ask A Professional

9,400 for November/December 2017 Published bimonthly

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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, web design, illustration and photography. conceptanddesign.com

CONNECT Business Magazine

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Help Us, Help You As we at Connect Business Magazine continue on our mission to be a resource for YOU, we value your feedback! Our next issue in January will start another year and we welcome your ideas on what you’d like to see in a magazine in 2018! Just send me an email at editor@connectbiz.com. I look forward to hearing from you. I have a general idea of the editorial calendar and it may hold some surprising topics! The man featured on the cover THIS issue is full of surprises himself! How Vanyo Moody keeps up with his various business enterprises is beyond me. Read his story and I think you’ll come away inspired by his humbleness. Also in this issue a look at a rare enterprise in our region of the world, an independent medical practice. Fairmont’s Dulcimer Medical Center is thriving as it brings meaning to its approach to providing healthcare. The name itself holds a dear meaning. And we bring you a story on how working together can help a business and a community prosper at the same time; the St. Peter Food Co-op. Happy reading, and hopefully, learning!

Lisa Cownie Editor

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By Lisa Cownie Photo by Kris Kathmann

Vanyo Moody’s professional life has been made by embracing risk and change.

Vanyo Moody will likely take exception to this description, but he is truly a Renaissance Man. Consider this: a Renaissance Man is defined as someone who is neither an expert nor a specialist in any one area, but rather is multidimensional and has knowledge in many different areas. Indeed, Vanyo Moody fits the bill. His time and talents are spread across his myriad of business enterprises that range from cutting edge technology to antique cars, and from developing young talent to taking care of seniors. A look at his current business interests illustrates this point quite well. “I’ve been selling specialty chemicals since 1979, have owned a janitorial supply business since 1980 and an assisted living home since 1984, plus some storage units. My partners and I started Computer Technology Solutions in 2003 and I developed The Marigold Apartments in 2010,” Vanyo says. “Last year I started buying and selling collector cars. I grew up with them in my dad’s shop and to me they are a work of art. As I age, and simplify life, this is a business that can be done without employees. I like big and chrome or fast and shiny, all preferably without a roof.” As the leader of such diverse business interests, Vanyo also shares his treasures, which are his faith, his family and his friends (which, by the way, he considers to be everyone he meets.) He’ll tell you that all he has today, is a result of his upbringing and the many lessons he’s learned along the way. Born 60 miles from North Dakota and 100 miles from Canada in a small town in northern Minnesota where his dad had an auto body repair shop, Moody learned early the importance of hard work. “We were quite poor growing up,” reflects Vanyo. “We darned our socks and canned our own food. But we, my two sisters and I, had everything we needed, especially love from our parents. “I began working at age 10,” Vanyo says. “I have been a newspaper delivery boy, stocker and checkout clerk at a grocery store. I’ve sold plasma, was a janitor, a snake and reptile caretaker, a greenhouse worker, and sprayed brush with Agent Orange, but in 9th grade I decided I wanted to be a doctor.” continued > 6

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So he started putting his energy toward that goal. He attended the University of Minnesota Duluth and was conditionally accepted into medical school. “But I quit college one semester before graduation,” Moody says. “I had an epiphany one day. Was I really going to be happy as a doctor? So at the end of the semester, I took a job doing the same thing as my father: selling specialty chemicals.” And that was the beginning of Vanyo’s many risks in life. “I owned a travel agency that turned out to be a pyramid scheme,” he continues. “Worked as a radio business consultant, owned two employment agencies, was the Midwest sales manager for a Georgia specialty chemical company, was a tripe washing specialist, and food plant sanitation consultant.” One decision he made early in life that was NOT a risk though, was the decision to marry his college sweetheart, Ann. She remains by his side today. “That was the most impactful thing I have ever done in my life,” Vanyo says. “The second was having children. And now I have the best job title of all, Grandfather!” Grandfather is a role he fills from his home in the Marigold building in lower North Mankato. It’s a complex known as Marigold Apartments that he developed a few years ago. Sitting at the “gateway” into lower North at the intersection of Belgrade and Highway 169 it is also home to Computer Technology Solutions. Vanyo is CEO and co-owner of CTS. The company will celebrate 15 years in business next year. In this interview he talks about the key to CTS’ longevity in the market, how he manages to balance all his different enterprises, and the personal values that have served him well in all areas of life. I know you moved to Mankato in 1987, you have business interests in Barron, Wisconsin...what brought you to Mankato? I was working for a specialty chemical company out of Canada and they needed a sales rep to cover the Dakotas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa and I still kept the previous territory of Minnesota and western Wisconsin-so we transferred here which was centrally located.

Vanyo Moody | Computer Technology Solutions

So tell me how Computer Technology Solutions came about? In 2003, Todd Tanhoff and Tim Ray approached me about starting a technology company. They had been working for many years for other companies and wanted to start their own. We each brought different strengths. They were more technical and I had knowledge of how to run a business. We got together and it took only 19 days to launch. We began December 1, 2003 and are still working together. Tim and I are the owners now. The biggest challenge, as always, is getting good people hired and trained. What services does CTS offer? Our goal is to provide a service to companies so they can focus on their core business without spending time on supporting technologies they are not trained on. To that end, we offer full computer technology solutions which include consultation, design, sale, and installation of a company’s computer system. But we also can take care of

a customer’s servers, storage and cloud based services. One big area for us is network infrastructure, both wired and wireless. We consult, design, install and support the latest wired and wireless network technologies. Computing is no longer just a desktop. Without excellent connectivity to be able to access information, whether it is on your local network, an extended WAN or the internet, your work is affected. With this comes our service in backups, firewalls, virus protection, computers and notebooks. Telephones, or what we call unified communication systems are another area of growth. Unified Communication Systems are greatly expanded phone systems that provide more than what people expect. Our communication systems are based on the latest technologies including SIP based phone lines to provide excellent integration into a company’s network infrastructure. Reporting, calls that roll to your cell phone, conference calling, automated calling and many more features are all included with

the system. These are not just phone systems and overall they cost less than the old, traditional phone systems. We have expanded to also install and service security cameras and building security controls which include fobs, key cards and access code panels. And we offer remote managed services to cover all of their repair needs for servers, computers, printers and telephones. Our techs can do it remotely so it’s a much lower cost than having a tech come in and charge by the hour. Also, it is proactive so the customer won’t have any computer downtime. That pretty much runs the gamut! Who is your target clientele? Small to medium-sized businesses that have five to 50 computers are the majority of our customers. They do not have the time or the need to have a full time technical person on staff but they need their technology to work well. We provide the support they need at a price that is less than if they had their own technicians.

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How has the business changed over the years? When companies were first purchasing personal computers, they figured they wanted one but once they had it, they had to figure out what to do with it. Computers were cool and fun but non-essential desktop units. Many were used as a word processor with a little dabbling in a spreadsheet or a basic accounting package. Now information consumption is the key. Companies must have a solid network allowing for wired and wireless access from desk based and mobile devices like notebooks, tablets and smartphones or they are at a disadvantage. Access to this data must be fast, automatic and fully secure. We are continuously working with our suppliers to develop new and better computer technology solutions for our customers. We are partners-in-business and we take that responsibility seriously. How have you adapted to all that change? We understand Computer Technology Solutions exists to remove technology concerns from our customers so they can focus on their business. So we anticipate future technologies and how they may affect our current and potential customers. For instance, in the early 2000’s, we realized network security was going to be an issue that would affect our customers so we focused on developing an expertise in firewall and anti-virus solutions. A few years ago we saw the expansion of wireless technology as being a key issue for our customers so we dove deep into wireless solutions along with how to secure them. We maintain a strict employee training schedule for new technologies and support services. Our customers rely on us to ensure the technology in their business, or institution, does not get in the way of them running their business. Last month Seattle-based WatchGuard, one of the world’s leaders in security, was here to give a free seminar covering the latest Ransomware prevention information for anyone that wanted to attend. In September we had Alabama-based Digium, a world leader in unified communication systems, for our free seminar. By constantly training and working with leading technology manufacturers we are on the forefront in services and support. With increased competition in the market for tech services, how do you keep CTS relevant? Some companies in the business have narrowed their capabilities and specialties. We have enlarged ours. Our goal is to supply everything possible in the Computer Technology Solution field that our customers need. We even do low voltage wiring. It is so important to know what computer equipment the wiring is going to. If done improperly, it can harm and/or not achieve optimum efficiency for the customer’s equipment. We stay relevant because we are knowledgeable. Our Computer Technology Solution Consultants have been in the business for a long time: Tim Ray since 1979; Todd Tanhoff since 1989; Mark

Vanyo Moody | Computer Technology Solutions

Renaissance Man

Service Above Self Moody is a two-time president of North Mankato Rotary, now known as Greater Mankato Rotary. As the local branch of Rotary International, the service club speaks to Moody’s personal beliefs. He tries to follow the organization’s four-way test in everything he does. Here, Vanyo describes the history of the test. In the early 1930s Herbert J. Taylor set out to save the Club Aluminum Products distribution company from bankruptcy. He believed himself to be the only person in the company with 250 employees who had hope. His recovery plan started with changing the ethical climate of the company. He explained: “The first job was to set policies for the company that would reflect the high ethics and morals God would want in any business. If the people who worked for Club Aluminum were to think right, I knew they would do right. What we needed was a simple, easily remembered guide to right conduct–a sort of ethical yardstick–which all of us in the company could memorize and apply to what we thought, said and did. I searched through many books for the answer to our need, but the right phrases eluded me, so I did what I often do when I have a problem I can’t answer myself: I turn to the One who has all the answers. I leaned over my desk, rested my head in my hands and prayed. After a few moments, I looked up and reached for a white paper card. Then I wrote down the twenty-four words that had come to me: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? I called it “The Four-Way Test” of the things we think, say or do.” In the 1940s, when Taylor was an international director of Rotary, he offered the Four-Way Test to the organization, and it was adopted by Rotary for its internal and promotional use. Never changed, the twenty-four word test remains today a central part of the permanent Rotary structure throughout the world, and is held as the standard by which the club believes all behavior should be measured.

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Renaissance Man

You always credit your great team of individuals. Can you talk about the importance of your team? Teamwork makes the dream work! On December 1 we will begin our 15th year. In the last few years our service department has been rejuvenated. Credit goes to our Chief Operating Officer & Service Manager Xac Dinsmore, Assistant Service Manager Jim Kline, Architect Aaron Hartwell and all of our Computer Technology Solutions Technicians, Consultants and Support Staff. This begins and ends with all of us that work here. We aspire to be more proactive and focused on who we are and what we do. We try to hire people with better attitudes, are more dedicated, more customer focused and better team players. We are blessed, and it took a lot of work to now have the most qualified, humble, teamwork oriented force that we have ever had. Reedstrom since 1984, Jason Fast since 1995 and Chris Bauer since 2006. We are blessed to have such knowledgeable, and more importantly, good people as representatives of Computer Technology Solutions. The continuing education that all of our staff has to take to meet our supplier’s demands (HP, Apple, WatchGuard, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Microsoft, Digium, Axis, Aruba and so many others) means we have to be committed individuals and a supportive company to keep significant in the marketplace. One of our slogans is: “At Your Service, Today and Tomorrow”. We plan on fulfilling that promise.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

How do you make sure you hire to fit the culture of CTS, or really any of your other business ventures? What I value most about an employee is if they can follow the 4-Way Test. I learned this from my involvement in Rotary. Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? This mentality is the culture of any company I lead. (Please see pg 11 for more on Rotary and the Four-Way Test.)

Vanyo Moody | Computer Technology Solutions

The location of CTS in the Marigold building on Belgrade Avenue in North Mankato. The dinosaur sculpture pictured on the cover of this magazine is shown on the right.

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Renaissance Man

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“Spending time together/ getting to know each other well, and truly listening to each other, helps employee retention.” - Vanyo Moody Once you attract these type of employees, how do you keep them? We have competitive wages, flexible scheduling and a good PTO and retirement package with a relaxed and considerate atmosphere. We have companywide meals together, Happy Hours, fantasy football leagues, paid training opportunities, March Madness brackets, company outings (we like bowling), free golf any time at a local course, Annual Employee Parties, dart tournaments and bean bags! Our job is very exciting and cutting edge including continuously learning but sometimes work can be very demanding and stressful. Spending time together/getting to know each other well, and truly listening to each other, helps employee retention. Of course we’ve said, CTS is locally owned. Talk about the importance and the culture in Mankato of folks supporting each other locally. We support local businesses. We still work with all of the contractors that built our building. Towns fold up because there is not enough business being done there. We believe that most of us Greater Mankatoans do support each other. Neighbor to neighbor, we will stand together. Let’s talk about the location. How did CTS land here and what do you like about it? What advantages are there? We had been in the Meyer and Sons location, which worked out very well, but we needed something larger. The empty lot where The Marigold Dairy had been was vacant so we bought it from the City of North Mankato. We opened The Marigold Building on December 2, 2010. We are in

Vanyo Moody | CTS

downtown North Mankato and being right across the river from downtown Mankato with such easy access to Highways 169 and 14 is a great asset for us as we cover businesses mainly in southern Minnesota. We have a post office, bank, restaurants and gas station-all within one block. Great amenities for all of us employees! Vanyo, I know family is important to you. My Family, capitalized, is who I think of, and pray for, many times every day. Ann and I are in our 39th year of marriage. She is the star in my world. Our sons, Grant, Ross and John have enhanced our love and life and now Grant’s family of wife Shaila and children Isaiah, Augustine and Julia are such an additional blessing! Grant and Shaila own Express Employment Professionals in North Mankato and we were in business together for 4 years there. That time together with our son was the most enjoyable, stimulating and where I learned the most that I ever have, over a few short years. Ross is a sales rep for GE in the exciting medical imaging field and living in Bloomington so we are happy he is close. And John is a mortician managing a very interesting cremation business in beautiful Seattle. What are your interests outside of work? Any hobbies? I enjoy communicating and spending time with people. With family and friends there are a lot of activities where we gather: annual family reunions, fishing trips, cruising in old cars, meals out and traveling with Ann or friends. Cooking and working with plants are two hobbies. I am also an amateur photographer. I try to exercise almost every day at the YMCA. I like walking, biking, praying, reading, and sports-especially Minnesota teams. (he smiles) We’ll win it all next year! I try to go to church every day, usually by walking, to beg for help because I need it. Is that a hobby and/or an exercise? Is that faith one of the “keys” to balancing work and family/life for you? Three things: faith, family, friends-which is everyone on earth.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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Vanyo Moody | Computer Technology Solutions

Renaissance Man

“Delegation is also important. I have been blessed to work with outstanding individuals and companies that have helped us along in life.” - Vanyo Moody I did not know if there was a Supreme Being until December 28, 1987. For 6 months I mentally asked “It” if “It” was there. Ask and you will receive does work. The Creator has, is and will continue to help because I will only ask more often because I need the help!

I have no real “key”. I work 6 days a week, although not 14+ hours a day, every day or anything like that anymore. I do take 24 hours off for the Good Lord, usually noon Saturday to noon Sunday. I answer my phone, texts and emails at all times, including during vacation. What other people are doing is very important and I am here on earth to help as many as possible. The balance is to stay away from the 7 Bad Human traits: anger, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, pride and sloth. Productively keeping busy helps to stay away from those. Being responsible for employees and their families is a huge responsibility. We have as many as 82 Assisted Living Residents whose very lives depend on our Nursing and Care Staff of over 70 employees. I try to work hard and pray hard! Delegation is also important. I have been blessed to work with outstanding individuals and companies that have helped us along in life.

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Computer Technology Solutions Phone: (507) 388-3880 Address: 200 Belgrade Avenue North Mankato, Minnesota Web: yourcts.net

Any final words? Lisa, your stories are excellent but sometimes it seems like the people interviewed are superhuman, perfect, unnatural. I understand why, but will you portray me as just an ordinary, simple human, with faults, please? The number one goal for me is to be a better person so I won’t hurt people in the future like I have in the past. So I try to make sure every thought, word and deed of mine is good. Lisa Cownie writes from Mankato.

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With 2,500 owners and a multitude of devoted customers, the St. Peter Food Co-op is a long-running example of how a local business can thrive when run democratically.

Margo O’Brien in the St. Peter Food Co-op’s popular deli, which features freshly made sandwiches, salads and a hot food bar with a constantly changing menu.

When Margo O’Brien first relocated to St. Peter, Minnesota from Boulder, Colorado, she was taken aback by rows and rows of peanut butter… in buckets. At the original St. Peter Food Co-op, founded in 1979, peanut butter buckets made up most of the bulk food department. The store was around 1,000 square feet and functioned with an all-volunteer crew. “There was no person in charge,” said O’Brien. “People would just show up with produce to sell. I remember a granny driving up saying, “I have zucchini,” and I went out to her car and it was in the trunk. It was probably a 15 pound zucchini. That’s how we started out—local. It was very, very on-the fly.” Today, O’Brien is in her 36th year as the St. Peter Food Co-op’s General Manager. The Co-op is in its third location in downtown St. Peter and growing by the minute. In 2017, over 200,000 customers passed through the now 10,000 square foot store, contributing to sales topping several million dollars. The full-service grocery store offers all major departments, including meat, produce, bulk, pantry, cheese, dairy, wellness and personal care items, many from local producers and family farms. Those buckets full of peanut butter? Nowhere to be found. continued > NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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Vote With Your Fork

“Like any other Co-op we are owned by our owners,” said O’Brien. “Some people call them members, but they really are owners—people invest money and they become an owner of this business. I have over 2,500 bosses.”

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Open to Everyone, Every Day The concept of a cooperatively owned business is not new to the majority of Minnesotans. The state has been home to many agricultural, banking, and electrical co-ops over the years, and is currently the country’s most cooperatively organized state. Co-ops like the grocery store in St. Peter are owned by individual community members (owners) and operated by a democratically-elected Board of Directors. “Like any other Co-op we are owned by our owners,” said O’Brien. “Some people call them members, but they really are owners—people invest money and they become an owner of this business. I have over 2,500 bosses.” Since 2,500 people can’t realistically govern a business, a Board of Directors is elected out of the pool of owners. Then, the Board of Directors hires a General Manager. “It’s a very interesting economic alternative, because you aren’t going to have to worry about someone moving your business elsewhere. The focus—the hope and the vision

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St. Peter Food Co-op | St. Peter

of running this business—is to espouse values that our owners want to see manifest in their community,” added O’Brien. Kyle Chambers, a professor in the Department of Psychological Science and co-director of the Center for Developmental Science at Gustavus Adolphus College, was elected by the Co-op’s owners to serve as President of the Board in 2014. He described the roles of the Board and the General Manager as well-defined, distinct, and, in some cases, limited. “With input from the Co-op’s owners, the Board develops the Co-op’s Ends Statement that provides the longterm direction for all of the Co-op’s operations and activities,” said Chambers. “The Board then establishes by what means these goals can be pursued. This is accomplished not by telling our GM [O’Brien] what she should do but by specifying what she should not do.” For example, policy statements such as “The GM will not allow an unsafe shopping experience for our customers” or “The GM will not cause or allow personnel policies to be inconsistently applied” allow O’Brien to accomplish these goals however she sees fit, based on her knowledge of the food industry, Co-op history, and local community. However, unlike some other industry co-ops, such as electrical cooperatives where you must be a member in order to partake in co-op services, everyone is welcome to shop at the St. Peter Food Co-op. O’Brien says this is one of the biggest myths the organization faces in terms of public relations and community outreach. “Anyone can shop here from any town. They don’t have to be a member, an owner, or even a Minnesotan,” she said.

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Owning Part of a Local Business Community members who choose to join the Co-op as owners benefit from additional perks that can make shopping even more

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Gobble, Gobble, Gobble Every year for Thanksgiving, the St. Peter Food Co-op sells local, pasture-raised turkeys from Ferndale Farms. Family owned and operated for three generations, Ferndale Farm was established in 1939. Ferndale turkeys are raised without antibiotics or artificial growth promotants; fed a natural diet of grains, vitamins, and minerals from a local feed mill; and processed naturally without additives. Co-op customers can pre-order a certain sized turkey or pick one up at the store in the days before Thanksgiving.

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affordable and convenient. A one-time stock purchase costs $200.00 (payable in a lump sum or quarterly installments). In return, owners receive access to exclusive weekly sales and discounts; quarterly

Owner Appreciation days with an additional discount structure; a 10% discount on special orders; patronage refunds when available; a vote in Co-op governance and opportunities to serve on the Board; discounts at other Minnesota co-ops; and more. Current students can also become Co-op owners, at a discounted rate of $25/year. The St. Peter Food Co-op has seen an average growth of about 200 new owners per year for the past six years. Less tangibly, owners contribute to Minnesota’s economic democracy by supporting the local economy, a small business in their community, local producers, and sustainable and organic practices. O’Brien reflected on her observations of the store during a recent Owner Appreciation week. “I really think that creating that sense of community is so important… that connection of person-to-person is in our DNA. It’s vital to having a thriving and healthy community. To be able to create that community space here, and support it by becoming an owner, has nothing to do with money, and discounts, and pricing, and all that,” she said. Chambers agrees. “Co-operatives like the St. Peter Food Co-op are businesses that are owned and run by the customers, employees, and residents in the community. The Co-op has over 2,500 owners, and each of these owners regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or socioeconomic status has an equal voice in the policies and future direction of the Co-op,” he said. “In addition, Co-ops like ours are not driven by just profit. They provide a salient example

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that businesses can demonstrate concern for the well-being of all people, foster a welcoming community, and be good stewards of the environment while remaining financially sustainable. These objectives are not mutually exclusive.” Good, Local Food Co-op shoppers can find virtually any item they’d expect to find in a typical grocery store, with low priced everyday staples as well as more high-end options for extra-special occasions. The store offers weekly Fresh Deals (new every Wednesday) as well as a bimonthly Co+op Deals flyer offering additional sales and discounts. Customers can access these sales through the Co-op website, weekly email newsletter, or pick up a printed flyer at the store. Sales often highlight local products—items that come from Minnesota or four surrounding states—Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota. This definition of local was agreed upon by the Twin Cities Co-ops, in order to provide more clarity around the concept of “local,” a selling point that many traditional grocery stores now highlight. Shoppers can identify local items in the Co-op by a round, green

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Co-op Principles The Seven Co-op Principles, created by the International Cooperative Alliance: 1. Open and voluntary membership (open to all persons, without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination)

Since 1883 Nicollet County Bank

2. Democratic member control (one member = one vote) 3. Member economic participation (members democratically control the capital of the co-operative) 4. Autonomy and independence (members maintain their co-operative autonomy) 5. Education, training and information (co-ops inform their members, elected representatives, staff, and the public) 6. Cooperation among co-operatives (co-ops collaborate—locally, nationally, regionally & internationally) 7. Concern for the community (co-ops work for the sustainable development of their communities)

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When the Co-op was getting started in the late seventies, volunteers began selling simple sandwiches. When those proved to be popular, they added homemade soups, cooked on a two-burner stove. Jay Weir

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“local” sign. Other store signs indicate Fair Trade, USDA Certified Organic, and sale items. “I truly appreciate that the Co-op supports new local business owners,” said Chambers. “Our store has a humble physical footprint and yet the Co-op has an admirable track record of making space for products by local individuals who grow and mill their own wheat, pour their own candles, or design their own greeting cards. As an owner, I’m very proud that our Co-op plays a prominent role in lifting up our local economy.” In 2017, 27.75 percent of sales were to local producers. “Besides ownership, this is another one of those examples of economic sustainability—working with local producers to keep money in our community,” said O’Brien. Another unique feature is the Co-op’s popular in-store deli. When the Co-op was getting started in the late seventies, volunteers began selling simple sandwiches. When those proved to be popular, they added homemade soups, cooked on a two-burner stove. These days, the deli offers a bakery; hot and cold made-to-order sandwiches; a self-serve hot bar with hearty, homemade entrees; a fresh salad bar; a build-your-own-burrito bar; and three daily soup options. In 2017, the deli brought in almost 30% of store sales, which is rare among co-ops. The weekly lunch menu is available online and shoppers frequently plan their trips according to when their favorite dishes are being served. With seating indoors and out, the Co-op has quickly become a popular locale for St. Peter business people and students looking for a place to meet for coffee or grab a quick lunch. A Staple in the Community The Co-op hosts a number of events, classes, and outreach activities every season. During the month of November, donations are collected for the St. Peter Children’s Weekend Food Program, helping to provide weekend food packs to students in need. Each March, an annual food campaign brings in thousands of items for the St. Peter Area Food Shelf. Through the St. Peter Community Education program, classes are offered on cooking, healthy living, and seasonal fare. 2017 also saw the pilot of a brand new program in conjunction with Lutheran Social Services—“Friends in the Kitchen.” These free monthly classes highlight budget meals and target older, low-income individuals. Class size grows each month and there has been interest from other parts of the state in replicating the “Friends in the Kitchen” model. The Co-op also donates to (or sponsors) a variety of local groups, including the River Ramble, Minnesota Valley Scenic Byway Association, Southern Minnesota Initiative, Moses Sustainable Organic Farming Conference, Habitat for Humanity, Ney Nature Center, Diversity Education Exploration Project, Mankato Youth Symphony, and Benches-Mankato Humane

St. Peter Food Co-op | St. Peter

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Society, among others. 2017 marked the launch of the Co-op’s new website, the first redesign in approximately 15 years. The store contracted with Minneapolisbased Big Ocean Creative to build a mobile-responsive site highlighting the daily lunch menu, weekly sales, and upcoming events. The site also serves as a communication tool between the Co-op and owners, as well as a recruitment tool for potential owners. Weekly blog posts featuring recipes, local producer spotlights, food trend articles, interviews, and Board announcements keep visitors in the know. Since the site launch in May, website traffic has nearly doubled. Looking forward, the Co-op is gearing up for the next phase. Their

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Ends Statement The St. Peter Food Co-op exists so that we have a healthy, sustainable, and just community locally and beyond. As a Member-Owned Co-operative Business, these Ends will be accomplished while advancing the Cooperative Principles & Values and maintaining the Co-op’s long-term financial viability.

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current location (228 West Mulberry Street) is the Co-op’s third location, which opened in 2011. “We had a brand new building, brand new everything,” said O’Brien. “It seemed so enormous from our little postage-stamp down the street, but we are getting close to capacity.” Anticipated for 2018, the store refresh will focus on food service and creating a better experience for deli visitors. “We’re looking at more take-out options, more convenience, some new programs—overall some more room for everybody,” O’Brien added. Food Holiday of the Year Thanksgiving—one of the Co-op’s largest food holidays of the year—is also on everyone’s mind. Each year the Co-op hosts a Holiday Open House leading up to the fourth Thursday of November, featuring samples and visits from local producers, holiday sales, and giveaways. In addition to pre-sales of local turkeys, the store offers a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-

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St. Peter Food Co-op Address: 228 West Mulberry Street St. Peter, Minnesota Web: stpeterfood.coop Facebook: St. Peter Food Co-op & Deli

free options. Although the holidays can be stressful, Co-op staff try hard to keep things fun. “Last year we had a Team Butter versus Team Gravy competition,” said Co-op Brand Manager Kris Higginbotham. “We understand the basics when it comes to Thanksgiving. We stock the traditional stuff. It’s stuffing, it’s turkey, it’s potatoes, it’s gravy, it’s sides, it’s green beans. We try to make it easy.” Last year, the Produce department featured a “cranberry bog” inside the store, where shoppers could scoop up their own fresh berries for the holidays. There’s one thing you won’t find at the St. Peter Food Co-op, and that’s pressure to eat a certain type of way. “We have this little saying,” said O’Brien. “You vote with your fork. We have always tried to provide the community first and foremost with a grocery store. We provide education on protecting the planet—we explain organics, sustainability, GMOs, all of those trigger points relating to agriculture. But we give people a choice. That’s been a successful route for us.” O’Brien explained that the Co-op has not one, but three bottom lines: financial, environmental, and community. “We watch those, and measure those, and plan for those,” she said. Competition in the natural food world is fierce these days, with almost all traditional grocery stores advertising healthy, clean, and sustainable options. “In a certain way, as part of this revolutionary movement of natural foods for 35+ years, we kind of won the war,” said O’Brien. “It’s really wonderful that these kinds of foods are available to anyone, anywhere. Now it’s a matter of going back to telling the story of our values—of why we’re here, what we’ve done, and what we’re planning on doing in the future.” Erin Dorney writes from Mankato.

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The two then teamed up with Mankato native and area developer Tony Frentz to form Neutral Path. The importance of Minnesota State Mankato to the business community here is not lost on them.

“I would not have moved back to Mankato if the University was not here. Having that pool of talent is appealing to business. And on the community development side its beneficial too. Having those 15,000 people in this town is so important. We (Neutral Path) wouldn’t be here, and lot of other businesses too. Minnesota State Mankato is just a godsend as a source for well-qualified employees.” - Tony Frentz, Co-Founder/CSO

“I would not have moved back to Mankato if the University was not here,” says Frentz. “Having that pool of talent is appealing to business. And on the community development side its beneficial too. Having those 15,000 people in this town is so important. We (Neutral Path) wouldn’t be here, and lot of other businesses too. Minnesota State Mankato is just a godsend as a source for well-qualified employees.” Throughout its five-year history, Neutral Path has remained committed to its roots of “making the Internet work better.” It’s also going back to its roots at Minnesota State Mankato, completing the journey. “It’s a wonderful cycle,” says Dean of the College of Business at Minnesota State Mankato, Brenda Flannery. “Students become alumni then become local business leaders and then connect back to the University as mentors or guest speakers. The University is unique in that not all business schools have business people at the ready in the community to bring in the classroom. It truly broadens the experience and broadens opportunities for our students.” Dean Flannery says the school appreciates the alums contributions to the programs. “All are really strong leaders in our community,” says Flannery. “We tap into them a lot. To be able to engage them to help develop students, and beyond that, to have students

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develop relationships with the speakers in class so they can mentor outside of class, well, it just evolves and gives students extra opportunities.” Bergs says Neutral Path is thankful for the partnership it’s formed with the University. “Thus far we have partnered with the University to hire folks,” he says. “And in the past we have been part of the College of Business e-mentor program and I have spoken at Mike Nolan’s MBA program classes for several years.” Bergs also has served as an adjunct in the College of Business. “Every time I mentor a College of Business student I learn an awful lot from them,” Bergs says. “It is valuable for me as it gives me the opportunity to interact with them. It’s great because they’ll challenge you on stuff like customer delivery or how to best use social media. In that public-private partnership they are proactive in reaching out to the community to get us involved.” Frentz, who is also active in speaking to classes and mentoring students at the University, echoes Bergs thoughts.

“It’s a wonderful cycle. Students become alumni then become local business leaders and then connect back to the University as mentors or guest speakers. The University is unique in that not all business schools have business people at the ready in the community to bring in the classroom. It truly broadens the experience and broadens opportunities for our students.” - Brenda Flannery, Dean, Minnesota State Mankato College of Business

“The University does very well at not only preparing these students but empowering them, particularly through entrepreneurial classes,” Frentz says. “In one entrepreneur class I helped with, I talked with students and gave them a project to do and it was great to see their progress. It was very ‘connecting’. Student feedback lets us know that having us in the classroom and telling our experience is very valuable to them. We just tell them what it is really like, they get the chance to ask questions, they learn the real world situations that they can’t learn from a book.”

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Blue Earth The Huisman Family Donor Advised Fund, a fund of the Blue Earth Community Foundation, announces the availability of grants and loans to support economic development efforts in Faribault County and the adjoining areas. The Huisman Family Donor Advised Fund, created by John and his son Quinn Huisman, was launched to support the overall economic efforts in the place they call home. It is the hope of the Huismans that this fund will augment efforts to expand and reinforce the vitality of Blue Earth and the surrounding communities. To discuss lending opportunities or to submit a loan application please contact Marcia Haley at 507-214-7021 or Marciah@smifoundation.org and for grant inquiries or to submit an application, please contact Jennifer Heien at 507-214-7040 or jenniferh@smifoundation.org at Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. You can also find additional information on the web at www.smifoundation.org/huismanfund.

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The Mankato Sports Commission, an initiative of Visit Mankato, announces its new Commissioners.They are Holly Ahlbrecht (Feeding Our Community Partners), Jeff Annis (retired athletic director/coach), Lori Benike (Scheels), Bobby Fleischman (Minnesota State University, Mankato), Ashley Steevens (City of Mankato), and Jadon Witte (River Valley Hearing). Outgoing commissioners are Brett Skillbred, Chad Surprenant, Larissa Egli, Greg Weis and Bukata Hayes. The Nominating Committee for GreenSeam is currently seeking applicants for its Board of Governors. The committee is seeking 20 individuals for the inaugural board. The GreenSeam Board of Governors

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will meet less than monthly with dates and times to be determined. The board will be split into classes and terms will be staggered, but all will begin on January 1, 2018. The board’s role will be to serve as the leadership body of GreenSeam, providing strategic direction, as well as acquisition and deployment of resources. GreenSeam is redefining agribusiness with a vision for southern Minnesota and northern Iowa to be known as the agribusiness epicenter of the country. Ideal candidates will need to serve as champions for creating strategies and serving as liaison’s to GreenSeam and its members and staff. They will be expected to assist with identifying and securing members, volunteers and resources for designated initiatives. Candidates will need to be fiscally responsible, accept and engage on action teams or within the general work of the board of governors and contribute to the implementation of the strategic plan. “We’re looking to continue the current momentum by asking for people to invest in further development of agribusiness by applying to our board of governors and/ or signing up to be an investor,” said Sam Ziegler, Director of GreenSeam. Nominations are due by Wednesday, October 11, 2017. The online application and more information, including eligibility requirements, investor models and the inaugural stakeholders report are available at: http://greenseam.org/about/investorsboard-directors/. For more information or questions call please Susan Jameson at 507-385-6646. VINE Faith in Action is seeking volunteer drivers to help provide individual rides to area residents needing to get to medical appointments. Most rides come to Mankato/North Mankato from neighboring towns in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties. For more information visit www. vinevolunteers.com or contact VINE at 507-387-1666.

Modeling the successful “Corporate Cups” held both in San Antonio, TX and Fargo, ND, Greater Mankato Growth announces it is exploring the feasibility of launching a similar event during its sesquicentennial celebrations next year. This exploratory approach is one GMG has utilized before, for example recently with the Kato eXperience Virtual Tour project and when launching the first Inter-City Leadership Visit in 2005. With a similar look and feel to The Olympic Games, this new event will foster business energy, pride and opportunity. GMG is constantly seeking fresh and innovative offerings to build connections and stimulate growth. Over the next few months, GMG will convene a task force to focus on design, promotions, logistics, and other details relating to successful execution and final approval. Any Greater Mankato Growth member that has questions or is interested in participating on the task force should contact Liz Sharp at lsharp@greatermankato.com or 507-385-6640. True Real Estate welcomes Lauren Swantko and Tyler Weise as realtors for their Mankato location. The Mankato Marathon, presented by Mayo Clinic Health System, announces the 2017 keynote speaker for the Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic Speaker Series is Heather Kampf, the University of Minnesota’s most decorated women’s track athlete. Kampf will provide running inspiration at two sessions during the

MANKATO

Abdo, Eick & Meyers Jana Cinnamon has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of Abdo, Eick & Meyers, LLP. In this newly created role, Jana will be responsible for operations of both the Edina and Mankato locations.

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Gislason & Hunter LLP Gislason & Hunter LLP announces the addition of attorney Christopher Kamath to the law firm’s estate planning practice group. Kamath will be located in the Mankato office.

OFC Speaker Series October 21. One will be geared to kids at 1:30 p.m. prior to the KidsK races. During the second session at 2:30 p.m., she will present “Getting Back Up After You Fall Down” to adult audiences. The OFC Speaker Series includes the following tentative schedule of additional speakers: 12:30 to 1 p.m.: Mayo Clinic Health System’s Anne Harguth, RDN; 1:30 to 2 p.m.: Heather Kampf ’s children’s session; 2 to 2:30 p.m.: Dr. Scott Stevens, Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Specialist at the Orthopaedic & Fracture Clinic; 2:30 to 3:15 p.m.: Heather Kampf ’s “Getting Back Up After You Fall Down” YWCA Mankato will host the 6th annual Women’s Leadership Conference on November 1 and 2, at Verizon Center Grand Hall downtown. The theme of the conference is Our Time is Now, and includes local talent and nationally renowned speakers. New Ulm-based Thriveon is the sponsor for the Manufacturers Alliance seminar on October 12th, “Engaging Every Individual in Safety.” At the seminar, three speakers will be presenting tactics they have used at their manufacturing companies to keep safety top of mind with their employees. Mankato-based Matthew Michaletz of Kato Insurance Agency has been recognized in Insurance Business America magazine’s Young Guns list, naming the up-and-coming professionals aged 35 and below, who are on track to becoming tomorrow’s industry leaders. To learn more about this year’s Young Guns, see issue 5.08 of Insurance Business America,

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out now or view the list online at www. insurancebusinessmag.com/us/rankings/ young-guns-2017/. Abdo, Eick & Meyers announces the hiring of Steve Isakson, CPA, CGMA, as a Senior Tax Manager in our Mankato office. Steve’s areas of expertise include new entity formations, S corporation matters, multistate income and sales tax issues, internal management matters, GAAP accounting issues, business merger and acquisition issues and related due diligence matters. Eric Boelter & Robert Beadell were awarded a diploma during the 73rd annual session of the prestigious Graduate School of Banking at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Eric & Robert, both work at Community Bank Mankato. Eric is Vice President of Commercial Lending/Branch Manager and Robert is AVP of Commercial Lending and Assistant Branch Manager. The Jonathan Zierdt Cancer Fund (JZCF) of the Mankato Area Foundation (MAF) announces that Tami Paulsen has

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Swanson Hinsch & Co. Chartered, CPA’s announces the addition of Jennifer A. Thompson, CPA, CGMA (Chartered Global Management Accountant). After a four month search, YWCA Mankato officially welcomed Tiffnie Jackson into the role of Director of Racial Justice. The new position will oversee the Racial Justice department’s strategic planning to ensure the provision of quality diversity, equity and inclusive programming offered by YWCA Mankato. Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato was named the 12th best hospital in Minnesota and recognized as among the best hospitals in southern Minnesota by U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of top hospitals. Also announced in the rankings, Mayo Clinic in Rochester, was named the best hospital in the country. The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota’s annual campaign is underway. This year’s goal is to raise $273,000. The annual fundraising is a vital part of the organization’s work because 100% of every dollar given goes directly to support the museum and its concentration of providing meaningful experiences for children and families focusing on arts and cultural heritage, agriculture, science, technology, engineering, math, and health and wellness. The Museum was founded by a group of community members who worked diligently to bring a children’s museum to southern Minnesota. Motivated by their knowledge of the long-term impact of early childhood experience and inspired by the promise and excitement of young children; the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota contributes not only to children and their families but also the future prosperity for the region as a destination attraction within our community. Over 90,000 visitors, including residents of 78 Minnesota counties visited the Children’s Museum in the last twelve months.

The Legal Professionals™ has a new business location in Mankato. They can be found at Somsen, Mueller & Franta, 500 South Broad Street, Suite 101. They also announce a new employee, Aaron Quinby, Associate Attorney. For more, visit thelegalprofessionals.com.

New Ulm Pizza Ranch has reopened under new ownership on South Broadway in New Ulm. The new franchisees are Adrie Groeneweg, Jeff Van Schepen, and Scott Groeneweg. The restuarant is also operating under new management, General Manager Kevin Siefkes. The City of New Ulm, “the most German city in America” celebrated Oktoberfest in early October. Now in its 36th year, New Ulm’s Oktoberfest is modeled after one of the world’s largest celebrations held for several centuries in Munich, Germany, and features music, beer, and German heritage. New Ulm’s version takes place during the first two full weekends in October with festivities happening at various locations throughout town. The main events are held in the historic downtown, Best Western Plus, Morgan Creek Vineyards, and Schell’s Brewery.

St. Peter The St. Peter Chamber of Commerrce welcomes new members 2 Green Owls, 4 the Team, and Vet Rx. I CAN Prevent Diabetes®, a diabetes prevention program held at River’s Edge Hospital and Clinic, has received reaccreditation from the Centers for Disease Control.

St. James S.E. Olson Associates, LTD has been purchased by Kelsey Osborne LLC, an accounting and financial services firm in Madelia.

Waseca The Waseca Chamber of Commerce announces a new member, Mis Tres FloresAuthentic Mexican Restaurant. The Chamber also welcomes a new employee, Lynn Dotseth as Administrative Assistant. The Waseca Chamber Ambassadors presented Progress awards to Waseca County News, news editor Dana Melius, and to Courtney Benavidez new owner of Sharri’s School of Dance. Roots award was presented to Thrivent Financial, a long standing business in Waseca. Roots is an award given to a business that has been in business for 30 years or more in the community. Waseca Area Chamber has a new MN Job Match portal, this tool is designed to bring employers and job seekers together in a more efficient manner, this tool revolutionizes the recruiting process connecting businesses with qualified candidates. Check out www.wasecachamber.com/ job-match-portal.

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New Ulm Economic Development Corporation

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Winnebago Heartland Senior Living, a local nonprofit consisting of board members from Winnebago, Wells and Truman, has secured funding from the USDA to buy the assisted living/nursing homes in these cities from a private party. Purchase of these properties by a local board will retain local ownership and job opportunities for all three communities. In addition to the purchase of the properties, the money will be used for repairs and remodeling of the existing facilities as well as new construction.

WINNEBAGO

Dollar General Dollar General built and opened a new store on Main Street in Winnebago. Grand Opening was September 1st.

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COLLABORATION CONNECTION — SPECIAL REPORT

Collaborations Key To Helping Our Business Communities In this issue, I would like to highlight a trio of collaborations from throughout our region. These three stories highlight the importance of different groups coming together to solve a common problem and along the way enriching our communities. Schools and Business Community Collaborate in Fairmont For the last few years, fewer than a dozen high school seniors from Martin County applied to receive two $4,200 scholarships for agriculture-related degrees. Businesses who sponsor the program that is facilitated by the Agri-business Committee of Fairmont Area Chamber were frustrated by such little

response. Spreading the word by contacting administrators, counselors and teachers year after year brought little response. The beginnings of a publication to be inserted into school event programs started shaping up last spring. “Joe Brown, Superintendent of Fairmont Schools and I committed to work together to create an easy-to-read insert with messages directed to parents for this school year”, said Fairmont Chamber President Margaret Dillard. “More conversation led to an idea that we weren’t reaching the right people. It is parents who are challenged by the increasing financial demands of secondary education for their children. Parents may not attend another

By Lisa Cownie

demand on their time, so the idea of meetings was discarded, but they readily turn out to watch school events.” So a publication encouraging youth to consider local careers and educational options was founded. The inaugural edition was circulated at football, soccer and volleyball games beginning in September. Information about the Martin County Internship Program, scholarships, job openings, college tuition rates and more were featured. “The chief concern of local businesses is a lack of qualified workforce so they enthusiastically support this effort,” said Dillard. “It’s a work in progress that will be steered by feedback from parents

Catch the Hometown Business Connection on KEYC News 12! KEYC News 12 and Connect Business Magazine editor Lisa Cownie will bring you the stories of area local businesses and how they impact Southern Minnesota. • First Wednesday of the month on KEYC News 12 at 6 • Repeats Thursday on KEYC News 12 Midday • See all previous episodes on keyc.com

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

and business people.” It’s not the first time the school and the business community have collaborated. Recently, the school board moved to expand the technology wing that spawned a 17-week Saturday welding course open to students at no charge and available to anyone else for only $250. Zierke Built Manufacturing, that recently moved to Fairmont from Winnebago, reached out to the school for welders and was able to employ a half-dozen former students. This effort is possible as part of the Fairmont Area Life (Brain Gain) project funded by Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation and the City of Fairmont in collaboration with Fairmont Chamber. Two Institutions of Higher Education Come Together to Forge New Path for Students This fall South Central College (SCC) and Minnesota State University, Mankato will begin offering a Business Transfer Pathway

between the two schools. The new option gives students the opportunity to earn their two-year Associate of Science degree from SCC and then seamlessly transfer their credits toward their four-year Bachelor of Science degree in business at Minnesota State Mankato. Students transferring with the Business Transfer Pathway AS degree from SCC may choose to pursue a degree in Finance, International Business, Management or Marketing at Minnesota State Mankato. Complete information on the transfer pathway is available at www. southcentral.edu/businesspathway. “This Business Transfer Pathway enables those students who may be more comfortable in a community college setting to take the first two years of their Bachelor of Science in business here at SCC and then transfer as a junior into Minnesota State Mankato to complete the last two years,” said Barb Embacher, SCC dean of Workforce Education and Training. “An added benefit is that they will also earn

their Associate of Science degree from SCC before transferring to Minnesota State Mankato.” “This partnership with South Central College, our close and valued academic neighbor, is extremely exciting as it expands our options to better serve learners interested in business bachelors programs and therefore our regional and business partners too” said Brenda Flannery, dean of the College of Business at Minnesota State Mankato. This and other transfer agreements between SCC and Minnesota State Mankato complement the Future Maverick Program, which was established in 2015 to provide a smooth transition for all students wishing to continue their studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato after graduating from South Central College. SCC students participating in the Future Maverick program meet with a transfer liaison from Minnesota State Mankato on South Central College’s campuses. Both Minnesota State University, Mankato

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COLLABORATION CONNECTION — SPECIAL REPORT

and South Central College are part of the Minnesota system, which comprises seven universities and 30 community and technical colleges. Two Area Business Leaders Combine Talents in Commercial Condo Venture Dan Hawkes, an agent for Connect Real Estate on South Victory Drive in Mankato, would pull into his office each morning and see the large, vacant building standing tall on the lot next to his building. “Originally that one building was for sale for $470,000 and I thought, ‘that’s a big pile of money for one investor’ then I got to thinking, what if I divided it up into bite size chunks. Those might be easier to sell,” says Hawkes. He thought he might be on to something, so he stopped in to see his friend of more than 30 years...Bill Frietag of Wilcon Construction. He immediately said, “Let’s go for it!” And a collaboration of two friends and

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local professionals started to build. The duo formed Commercial Condos LLC. “It’s not a new concept by any means, you’ll find this type of thing in the cities and Sioux Falls,” says Frietag. “But it is new in this area and our goal is to make it affordable for start-up businesses. We really need an incubator space that’s more than just office space. This region needs a place where people can get out of their homes and garages and get into their own space.” So, they divided the building into smaller “commercial condos.” Spaces that offer a white steel roof, tall walls, a big overhead door and a walk-through door. It serves as sort of an incubator/maker space. “These will be ideal for contractors, cleaning companies, electricians, plumbers, any home based business that does assembly, even hobbyists like stained glass artists or car restorers can find this space desirable,” notes Frietag. By dividing the larger building up into ten units, it makes it more affordable at an

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asking price of $82,500. “If you want 5,000sf or more in Mankato, there’s a selection, but if you want anything less than that you are out of luck,” says Hawkes. Frietag adds, “You can’t buy the land to put a building on for what we are charging for that space. It just gives smaller businesses a good starting point and they can grow from there.” The two are so optimistic, they bought the land next to it and will start building another similar building with commercial condos in late October. In the end, there will be 14 units in all. “For some type of businesses, trying to work out of the home is a mess. It’s a mess for home life with stuff all over and stacked...and a mess professionally because you don’t have your own space,” says Hawkes. “That makes for personal chaos and business chaos.” The units can be combined and every unit has a gas meter, sewer, water, electrical, data, cable TV and Internet.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

A Day In The Life There are self-help books, motivational blogs and leadership symposiums to help the business and entrepreneurial-minded make the most of each day to maximize productivity. Connect Business Magazine, though, recognizes we have great resources right in our own communities. So we are going right to local business leaders to give all of you a glimpse into how they manage their days. The goal is that readers may be able to take away little tidbits to incorporate into their own lives to be at their best in and out of the office!

Nicole Griensewic Mickelson Executive Director, Region Nine Development Commission

Social Services of Minnesota. Just reading that made me tired. Here’s a glimpse into how she does it all. Is there any routine, or special way you start your day? I always check my Outlook calendar before I go to bed so I can ensure I am prepared for the next day. The first thing I do when I wake up is check my work emails so I have a good idea of what is in store for the day. What is the first thing you do when you get in the office? My team would say that I need to grab coffee first–and then I check in with my coworkers. I try to ‘stop and chat’ with each of them asking, “need anything from me?”.

Nicole is one busy lady. She has held her position with Region Nine since 2012. Her passion for public service is reflected in Region Nine’s accomplishments, including national innovation awards for transportation projects, communication and marketing, and flood mitigation. She was recently elected to serve as president of the Greater Minnesota Partnership (GMNP). As president, she will help direct efforts to inform state legislators on issues that are important to economic development in Greater Minnesota, such as workforce housing, job skills training, broadband expansion, infrastructure needs and environmental regulations. In addition to her work with Region Nine, Griensewic Mickelson is an executive committee member of the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota, an executive committee member of the Minnesota Medical Manufacturing Partnership, and the secretary for the governing Board of Directors for Lutheran

Do you have a method to help you stay organized? In my position, I meet new people constantly. However, remembering names and titles has never been that difficult for me. My challenge is staying on top of where I need to be and when. The simplest way I stay organized is by utilizing my Outlook calendar for all my appointments. I started adding in travel time for each appointment, as I am always running late. Having my computer or iPhone make the dinging sound is a good reminder to quit talking and to get moving. I also have a wall in my office that has a white board painted on it. I use that a lot for ‘To Dos’ and when trying to work through a problem or project. Coworkers will come in my office for a question and then see what is scribbled on the wall. It works to my advantage because I’ll then think to get their input on an issue I’m trying to figure out. Also, being Type-A, I love to have the wall nice and clean with no scribbles. Erasing all the “To Dos” feels that much more rewarding.

What have you found is the “key” to managing people? I do my best to be down to earth and approachable. I also have an open-door policy with my team. I recognize that everyone has different needs and I try and treat them as individuals. I aim to lead by example and create a fun working environment. I use humor whenever possible. Last year, I did interviews on Halloween and I was dressed as Frida Kahlo, with the full unibrow and all. It seemed like a good test for the candidates to see if they would fit in with our office environment. I am happy to report that the individual we selected later stated that me being dressed up helped her realize that our organization would be a fun place to work. I like getting the team out of the office every now and then so we can get to know each other better. I don’t want staff to just do great work–I want them to also enjoy their job and have fun doing it. I am very strategic when hiring a new employee. I want to ensure our team is wellbalanced and we are filling in any gaps that may exist. I also always use the “layover test” when considering a candidate-meaning is this someone that other staff wouldn’t mind having a layover with? It is imperative that coworkers have the right attitude. Skills can always be taught, the right attitude cannot. What do you like to do outside the office? I love supporting live music and traveling to see my favorite bands as well as discovering new ones with my friends. I also have a horse that I ride in my free time. Being out at the farm with her is a great contrast to my day job. Also, I kayak, ski, fish and now fly. My Instagram is filled with the hashtag: #poniesandplanes. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

How do you balance work and life? I am not a role model for balancing work and life by any means. I caught myself a few years ago, talking about work way too much to my friends. This was a good wake up call for me to find a new challenge outside of work. I made the goal of getting my private pilot’s license in 2016. I was proud of myself for following through on attaining that goal. But it was also a struggle to pull myself away and dedicate time towards achieving that goal. My friends and family now enjoy flying with me versus hearing

about my current projects at work.

Mark Ballman

We have a great group of people here and I like to stay in touch or listen to any issues that may be going on in their personal life. Many times a little financial help is needed – if possible, I help them out. After that I meet with the office people and go over daily schedules and anything else that needs attention.

Owner, Ballman Roofing and Coating – Kasota

Mark Ballman started Ballman Roofing out of his home back in 2008. He quickly outgrew his home office! Now he manages dozens of employees, has expanded his service beyond just roofs and is now located at 45668 Highway 22 in Kasota. Humble and hard working, here’s a look at what a day might bring for this busy business owner, granddad, and community leader. How does your day begin? When I started I worked out of my home and would typically start around 3:30-4:00 A.M. I now have some great help and make it in to the office between 6:00 and 6:30. I like getting out early enough before the men leave the yard. I enjoy meeting some as they show up and just mixing around talking with the guys. It means a lot to me to see their effort each day and I think they enjoy conversations we have, even if it is just a “good morning or how are you today”. 40

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Goals you have for the next year or two? I am always analyzing whether the organization can be nimble and responsive. Change is constant. I am very mindful of the organization responding to new regional needs and issues. I want to ensure as a leader–as well as my organization can continue to be relevant. Retaining a high level of talent is one of my top goals. I am very proud of the team that I have built. And of course, I have a lot of personal goals,

Your work crew grew quickly since you started almost a decade ago. Do you have a specific management style? I explain to the people that if I take care of them and treat them with their due respect, that only then will they take care of each customer! And that goes along with caring and respect. There still are issues, like any company, then I get involved and make it right with the situation. It is important that anyone we deal with is happy by the end. Also, I preach that you need morals and ethics to be successful and everything will follow. This means no lying, no cheating and no stealing. It is all teamwork! What do you do outside of the office? I like traveling and meeting people. I also like fishing, hunting and like everyone else getting annoyed by the game of golf – when I find time. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve found in starting and maintaining your small business? The biggest challenge in small business is collecting money. There are some that feel they can take advantage or outright lie in order to get a break on the contract. My biggest fault is I cannot pick some of the

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

but those are for me–to constantly ensure I’m pushing myself forward to achieve more. I always want to be better than yesterday.

BIZ BRIEF ●● Region Nine Development Commission ●● 10 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 3 Mankato, MN 56001 ●● (507) 387-5643 ●● rndc.org

people out to not get trapped. I just deal with it and move on, there are always some type of bumps in the road – I guess that is a part of business!! Fun Fun!! That’s the challenge, what is your favorite part? My favorite part of business is three items. One is when we make a purchase of vehicles, equipment or the office expansion we did this past winter. I can see the excitement and gratification in the employees eyes and attitudes, that they were a large part of making that happen. And they should, we couldn’t do this without them! Another part is when someone needs a donation. If it is craning a scoreboard, doing some roof repairs – no charge or for youth activities, Firemen, Veterans, the Sheriffs Association etc. Many of these organizations I feel are underfunded and deserve local help. The most gratifying is referrals. Whether it be for the residential or the commercial divisions. Makes me proud that our people did a great job for someone and they recommend we help out someone they know! Besides customer service, any other key to making this a success? “It helps to have an understanding wife to go along with starting the business and listening when needed.”

BIZ BRIEF ●● Ballman Roofing and Coating ●● (507) 201-4150 ●● ballmanroofingandcoating.com

BULLETIN BOARD

Local Chamber & Economic Development News

Any chamber of commerce, convention and visitors bureau, or economic development organization in our reading area—large or small, from Amboy to Winnebago—can post on our free bulletin board. For details, email editor@connectbiz.com.

Blue Earth Cindy Lyon, Blue Earth Chamber The Minnesota State House and Senate Legacy Committees awarded a $300,000 grant for the Giant Memorabilia Museum. Within the Museum will be the Chamber and CVB Offices. We are grateful to all who have contributed to reach $200,000. We continue to write for grants, we also receive support from the City of Blue Earth and a loan from the EDA. Ground breaking is set for April 2018 with a target of Grand Opening in the fall of 2018.

Fairmont Margaret Dillard, Fairmont Area Chamber Fairmont kicks off the holiday season with our annual Glows Festival on November 17! Come greet Santa as he lands at the Fairmont Airport around 4 pm. Experience our extraordinary downtown parade of lights and music, complete with pre- and post-parade activities. With over 70 annual entries and thousands of lights, this impressive display of holiday cheer is one celebration you won’t want to miss! Contact the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce for more information at (507) 235-5547.

Madelia Karla Angus, Madelia Area Chamber

Join us in Madelia for our Magical, Razzle Dazzle Celebration on Friday, November 17 and Saturday, November 18. With the Parade of Lights, Santa, live reindeer, Winter Pallet Painting Class, Business Holiday Open Houses, Holiday Expo and Sister Productions Holiday Concert. Mark your calendars for the “Next Wine Down Wednesday”on December 6. For a full schedule of events go to visitmadelia.com or visit us on Facebook (Shop Madelia & Madelia Chamber) or call 888-941-7283.

Fairmont Stephanie Busiahn, Fairmont CVB Venture into arts and culture at Fairmont’s historic venues! The Red Rock Center welcomes the rich vocal harmonies of Dusty Heart on November 10 and a holiday performance by Glenn Henriksen on December 8. The Fairmont Opera House explores tales of armed forces with “Letters Home” on November 17 and “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914” on December 15. For tickets, contact the Fairmont Opera House at 507-238-4900 or the Red Rock Center at (507) 235-9262.

businesses in our region. Nominees must have received services from the SBDC in the last three years, 2015-2017. Businesses may self-nominate. Award recipients in six categories will be recognized at a special event during National Small Business Week. In addition, they will automatically advance as nominees to the 2018 SBAMinnesota National Small Business Week Awards. For details and to download the nomination package, go to myminnesotabusiness. com/small-business-awards.

Le Sueur Linda Endres, Le Sueur Chamber

Region Nine Nicole Griensewic Mickelson, Dev Com

The 8th Annual Le Sueur Night Out in the Town will be on Thursday, November 16, from 4-8 pm. Enjoy a night of shopping in Le Sueur and take advantage of many discounts and specials. There will also be food samplings, wine tasting, gifts and drawings. The Annual Holiday Lights Parade is set for Friday, December 1 at 6. Everyone is invited to view fireworks at River Park after the parade.

Are you ready for the ultimate farmer’s market experience? Attend the Feast! Festival on December 2 at the Rochester Civic Center. Come taste a variety of foods that are made throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa, including local vendors from the Region Nine service area. Stock up on your favorites to get you through the long winter. For more information about the Feast! Festival visit localfeast.org. Region Nine is a proud sponsor of this event.

Mankato Rosi Back, Greater Mankato Growth Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. will be celebrating 150 Years of Service to our area business community in September 2018. We want to build an accurate account of the local business history and need your help to do so. We encourage you to fill out a brief survey by visiting greatermankato.com/150 and be entered for a chance to WIN one of four prizes, by December 1.

Mankato Julie Nelson, Small Business Dev. Center The SBDC is honored to launch the first annual South Central Minnesota Small Business Awards to recognize outstanding small

New Ulm Sarah Warmka, New Ulm Chamber/CVB The New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that the New Ulm Medical Center has been chosen as the 2017 Business of the Year. The shopping season kicks off with the Holiday Shopping Opener, November 3 to 5, including craft sales and the GnomeMade Market, holiday open houses, and extended shopping hours for many New Ulm retailers. The annual Parade of Lights will take place in historic downtown on Friday, November 24. #ShopNewUlm on Small Business Saturday, November 25. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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BULLETIN BOARD

Nicollet Alesia Slater, Nicollet Chamber

St. Peter Emily Peck, St. Peter Chamber

As another year comes to an end we are wrapping up with our Hometown Holiday Event on Sunday, December 3 at the Nicollet Conservation Club. Lots of great family activities and a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus! Membership drive will begin December 1. If you are interested in becoming a member of the chamber, please email chamber@nicollet.org.

St. Peter Chamber Diplomats held a ribbon cutting September 12 at CCFBank to celebrate their merger with Wells Federal Bank. The annual Snowflake Celebration is planned for 12-4 pm on Saturday, November 18 in downtown St. Peter including free horse drawn trolley rides.

St. James Joe McCabe, St. James CVB & Chamber

The Green Isle Economic Development Authority (EDA) has been awarded a $10,000 Rural Business Development Grant from the USDA. The grant will be used to start a revolving loan fund within the Green Isle EDA. Along with the $10,000 grant monies, the City of Green Isle agreed to allocate $5,100 toward the revolving loan fund. The Green Isle EDA did not have a revolving loan fund prior to this grant and sees this as an additional incentive to attract businesses to their community.

Pioneer Bank completed an outside renovation of their bank building in St. James. Traffic is now open on 1st Avenue South. St. James School students are enjoying the new additions to the schools as the $23,955,000 projects have been completed. The Art Walk committee has installed the train in Downtown Park and has historical wraps on three utility boxes. The Winter Carnival Committee is in the planning stage for activities planned for December 1 and 2.

St. James Jamie Scheffer, St. James EDA The St. James EDA is building a 20,000 square foot spec building in the St. James Industrial Park. Contact Jamie with any inquiries at 507-375-1289. The EDA would like to congratulate School District 840 on the completion of their 24 million dollar improvement project! Go Saints! Visit our new website at discoverstjamesmn.com to learn all about our community!

Sibley County Amy Newson, Community Development

Sleepy Eye Kurk Kramer, Sleepy Eye EDA The brand new Sleepy Event Center has is open for business. It can accommodate small groups, or larger groups up to 550, for wedding receptions, business meetings, community events, family gatherings, business meetings and/or parties, conferences, and more! If you are looking for a state of the art facility for these types of activities, call 507-794-4691. The Event Center is connected directly to the newly renovated AmericInn Hotel so lodging is available and there are numerous eating facilities nearby.

CELEBRATING OUR MANY BLESSINGS Wishing you a happy Thanksgiving! I count our clients among our greatest blessings.

Ruthann C. Kragh

FIC, CLTC® Financial Associate 110 South Broad Street Mankato, MN 56001

507-388-3555

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Local Chamber & Economic Development News

Waseca

Kim Foels, Waseca Area Chamber

The Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce proudly announces we are “Keeping it Local” by partnering with video production services of Mediacom. You can view the chamber’s Business and Community video at wasecachamber.com. ‘Like’ the Waseca Area Chamber on Facebook to stay up to date with event happenings with the chamber’s event calendar. You’ll find the scrolling calendar on the home page of our website. December is a great month to discover Waseca’s local activities.

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Waseca

Gary Sandholm, Waseca EDA

The Waseca Community Visioning Project has completed the public input sessions. The results and recommendations of the project are being released at the BEST of Waseca County Fall Business Summit on November 1. The Business Summit will be at the Southern Research & Outreach Center. Integrating economic development into the community vision will be a prime objective of the Summit.

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Waseca

Gary Sandholm, Waseca Tourism

Many of the Waseca Specialty Shops will be holding open houses on November 4 and 5 and November 11 and 12. It’s a great time and place for preholiday shopping. The Canadian Pacific’s Holiday Train may be stopping in Waseca sometime in December. The announcement has not been made in time for publication. Preparations for Sleigh & Cutter are progressing well for the February event. There may be some new additions as well. Stay tuned.

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City of Winnebago Jane Anderson, City Council

Bing and Lila Crosby were nominated to the Winnebago Hall of Fame for their significant contributions toward the welfare and the betterment of the Winnebago community. Over the past several years, they have consistently demonstrated excellence in professional and civic leadership and have given freely of their time and energy contributing to positive economic growth and stability for Winnebago. A celebration was held at City Hall in their honor.

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CONNECT Business Magazine

by James Figy Photo by Kris Kathmann

Dr. Steven Parnell created Fairmont’s independent Dulcimer Medical Center to give patients an integrative healthcare approach lacking in existing options. Dr. Steven Parnell shows off Dulcimer Medical Center like a proud homeowner giving a tour to a guest. Each room at the Fairmont, Minn., clinic has a title and distinct theme. This, he explains, keeps the clinic from seeming too, well, clinical. The Sports room features athletic equipment and memorabilia from local teams, including assorted red and white Fairmont homecoming buttons dating back to 1951 that a patient gave to Parnell. The Game room has board games hanging on the wall, including Operation and a Scrabble board with letter tiles spelling “Dulcimer” and “Health.” The Space room contains a mural of the solar system that patients can contemplate during IV infusions. Parnell stops to greet a patient leaving the Space room. He listens to her, silent and attentive, as she describes a health problem. Then he reassures with his calm, even voice that they’ll look into it to help her body balance out, to get its systems working in harmony. Since Dulcimer Medical Center opened in 2007, harmony has been the clinic’s guiding principle. The 35 employees see each other as family, and it helps that some of them are. Parnell’s wife, Donna, two of their four daughters and one son-in-law all work there. They aim for accord between the physicians, nurses, office staff, patients and treatments prescribed. Going beyond traditional allopathic medicine, Dulcimer uses a holistic-integrative approach to consider the patient’s emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing on top of physical health. Each dimension of wellness affects the others, Parnell says. So stopping to pray for a patient’s emotional peace, whenever asked, sometimes has a greater effect than their prescription. “It’s almost like a spiderweb. If I push over here, there’s going to be something happening over there,” he says. “Much of traditional medicine is pretty siloed, and there isn’t really anybody who’s standing back and looking at the whole picture.” continued > NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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Healing Through Harmony

The clinic treats many residents in the Fairmont area, but it also has a regional draw with patients coming from Iowa, Illinois and the Dakotas. Parnell says he has seen patients who traveled from as far away as Georgia and Colorado. This was part of what inspired Parnell to open Dulcimer. The clinic started with just one patient but now sees around 100 each day. It has collected just over 20,000 patient charts in the past 10 years, according to Business Office Manager Jill Irmiter. The clinic treats many residents in the Fairmont area, but it also has a regional draw with patients coming from Iowa, Illinois and the Dakotas. Parnell says he has seen patients who traveled from as far away as Georgia and Colorado. While Dulcimer is known for using an integrative approach, it does many other — and more traditional — procedures as well. Standing in one of the two minor procedure rooms, Parnell says

the physicians do vasectomies and other small operations on site. He points out the crash cart in the corner, a large red toolbox with drawers full of medicine and devices to revive a patient who’s coding. “Hopefully, we don’t have to use that,” he says. Dulcimer performs electrocardiograms, ultrasounds, X-rays and pulse magnetic field therapy, a treatment the Vikings use on the sidelines to heal soft tissue injuries. The clinic offers a range of women’s health services, oftentimes in the Beach room (because if someone has to get a Pap smear, Parnell says, wouldn’t it be more relaxing on the beach?). The physicians screen patients for allergies and dementia, run blood work in the on-site lab to get faster results,

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Dulcimer Medical Center | Fairmont

and look at a patient’s genetics to understand how each body works. Above all, the staff strives to catch and treat problems early. “Our goal is to keep people healthy and keep them out of the hospital because not only is it very expensive, but it’s also not a good thing,” Parnell says. “Statistically, it [being hospitalized] shortens your life expectancy, whether it’s for heart disease or even a woman with a couple of bladder infections a year.” However, it’s not easy for many elderly patients to visit health professionals for preventive care, so Dulcimer makes house calls. This is unusual in bigger systems, which expect patients to come to them, Parnell notes. But he has always done them, and he thinks it’s important to meet the patients where they are, whether for throat swabs, blood draws or simple checkups. “One of my nurse practitioners spends four of her days a week just going out to assisted living homes and doing house calls and seeing people in the place where they live,” he says. “You can get a better picture of the struggles they have when you see someone in their own environment and understand what their needs are.” The clinic also brings in a cardiologist, podiatrist and urologist, among other specialists, once a week. Parnell’s daughter Rebekah Boer, a nurse practitioner, drives from Lakeville, Minn., a few times each week to administer trigger-point injections for patients suffering musculoskeletal pain.

Healing Through Harmony

Ill to the Pill Acid reflux commercials make it seem like everyone should take a pill to rid their stomachs of acid. But one pharmaceutical’s side effects often lead to another, making people “ill to the pill,” Dr. Parnell says. Stomach acid is crucial for digestion. It kills off bad bacteria, so an acid deficit creates a risk for illness. It also breaks down protein into amino acids, one of which produces the mood-controlling chemical serotonin. “So you go on a stomach pill. Now you’re not digesting your proteins well. You drop your serotonin levels. Now you get depressed, so you get put on an antidepressant,” he says. Sometimes the problem is not having enough acid, especially in older people. So Parnell prescribes supplements, such as betaine hydrochloride, to adjust the pH level of some patients’ stomach acids. “Suddenly, you get better muscle strength, better cognitive function, and that sort of thing,” he says.

Dr. Parnell with wife Donna, daughter Stephanie Schafer and son-in-law Nate Reyelts, P.A..

In Parnell’s office hangs a picture frame with several portraits of his family — on the beach, at one daughter’s wedding, having fun with grandkids. His four daughters and one son grew up in Fairmont, a much different experience from his. Parnell’s father was in the Air Force and then became a professor of broadcast journalism, so his family moved around, landing temporarily in Wisconsin and Colorado. They settled in Marshall, Minn., where Parnell went to high school and college — and where he fell in love. While harmony in healthcare was at the start of Dulcimer, harmony in music was at the start of Steven and Donna Parnell’s relationship. They both attended Southwest State University in Marshall and played in the band. “I was in percussion, and I looked across and saw this cute bass clarinet player,” Parnell says. “And I said, ‘I’ve got to meet her.’” The romance blossomed, but his plans for the future remained unclear. Parnell studied chemistry and minored in music, but he didn’t know exactly what he wanted to do after graduation. He decided to become a doctor mainly because he wanted to put his science background to work helping people face to face, not be stuck in a lab by himself. However, he also chose medicine because his mother was a nurse, so he had an appreciation for medical professionals. His appreciation deepened after a car accident his freshman year of college. “I was hit by a drunk driver and sustained some injuries,” Parnell says. “I just got to see up close and very personal how the medical system interacts with people in a time of need.” The Parnells were married in April 1978, and the newlyweds started life together in Rochester. Donna worked as a medical technologist specializing in mycology at Mayo Clinic and Steven studied to become a doctor at Mayo Medical School. After finishing at Mayo, the couple moved to Duluth for Parnell’s residency. When they went north, he remembers how the hill crested as the highway neared the city, and then at the top, a view of Lake Superior spread wide ahead. “I looked at my wife and said, ‘You will never get me back to flat southern Minnesota,’” he says. “One piece of advice: Never say never. It always comes back to bite you in the butt.” NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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Healing Through Harmony

Each exam room features a different theme to put patients at ease, such as local sports team memorabilia for adolescent patients.

When Parnell received a call about an opening at then Fairmont Medical Center, he and Donna moved south and started a family. He has been practicing in Fairmont for more than 30 years and is now delivering babies for women he delivered as babies. His and Donna’s daughters — Boer, Kellie Reyelts, Megan Christenson and Stephanie Schafer — have graduated from college and started careers and families of their own. For all of the Parnells’ joy, they’ve had their share of loss. In 2003, their son Tim Parnell died at the age of 22 while at college in Colorado. “He died in his sleep, probably of a heart arrhythmia,” Parnell says. Tim was a fan of Christian musician Rich Mullins, who played

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the hammered dulcimer. “We’d gone to a concert together, and Tim fell in love with the hammered dulcimer,” Parnell recalls. So they bought a dulcimer kit and together built the trapezoidal stringed instrument. The Parnells enjoyed hearing Tim practice and perform, swinging the small wooden mallets at the dulcimer strings. They never guessed the music would stop so soon. Tim had been interested in integrative medicine and encouraged his father to research it. So that’s what Parnell did when he decided to leave the local hospital a few years after Tim’s death. Mayo Clinic had taken over Fairmont Medical Center, and over time Parnell was ready to move on. Because of a non-compete agreement, he could not practice medicine in Fairmont for one year. But he couldn’t move away either. He had roots and patients and a son who was buried there. So he used that year to travel to integrative practices and learn new treatments. Parnell knew what kind of clinic he wanted to open but didn’t know what to name it. “We really wanted something that would symbolize our core value of harmony and would be enduring,” he says. A friend who remembered hearing Tim play the hammered dulcimer suggested naming it after the instrument, and it just seemed to fit. Dulcimer Medical Center rented an office, then quickly outgrew it. “We were practically at the point of having to see people in the restroom because we were running out of space,” Parnell says. He’d see patients all day, then pour over blueprints all night. The new facility needed

Healing Through Harmony

Private Practice in Decline Physicians across the U.S. who either own or are partners at a practice fell from nearly half of all physicians in 2012 to just 33 percent in 2016, according to the The Physicians Foundation’s “2016 Survey of America’s Physicians: Practice Patterns and Perspectives.” The number of physicians employed by hospitals or large medical groups rose from about 44 to 58 percent over the same period. “Many physicians are transitioning from private practice to employed settings with hospitals or other facilities in order to find a safe harbor … at a time when physician reimbursement models are in flux and private practice physicians are unsure of how they will be paid or whether they can cover private practice expenses,” the survey reports.

Dulcimer Medical Center | Fairmont

“We are very upfront with patients regarding what may and may not be covered by their insurance and what the out-of-pocket expense may be to them,” she says. “Many of them have first tried every option conventional medicine has to offer prior to seeking integrative options.” to be environmentally friendly, but it also needed to be safe, not built with construction materials that would off-gas toxic chemicals. Banks considered it “a leap of faith” to finance the building. After all, there had never been a Dulcimer Medical Center before, and the clinic would have to compete for patients against the area’s Mayo-run hospital. Here in the land of Mayo, operating an independent primary care practice is uncommon. Minnesota ranks 42nd in the nation for the number of private providers, with just 23 percent of physicians identifying as independent, according to a 2015 article from the American Academy of Family Physicians. Independent physicians in Minnesota have also felt the effects of MNsure policy changes, Parnell says. For self-insured customers who purchase insurance through the state’s exchange, all independent providers outside the Mayo, Allina and Fairview systems are now “out of network.” However, Dulcimer’s patients regularly paid out of pocket because many insurance companies wouldn’t cover integrative treatments.

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Healing Through Harmony

Focus On Genetics Testing patients’ genetics has become much easier and less expensive in recent years. For a small fee, many web-based companies, such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com, will send out a test kit that users return to get the results of their 23 pairs of chromosomes. These websites provide users with interesting information, such as where their forebears came from, but Parnell goes beneath the summary. He downloads the raw data to see how a patient’s body works. His personal results show a high caffeine metabolization rate and an aversion to dairy. “We process thousands of different genes and look at the ones that process your methylation and that sort of thing,” he says. “It’s something we never could’ve done before.” NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

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Healing Through Harmony

THE ESSENTIALS

Dulcimer Medical Center Address: 1950 Center Creek Drive Fairmont, Minnesota Phone: (507) 238-4968 Web: dulcimermedicalcenter.org Facebook: Dulcimer Medical Clinic

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Payments from insurance companies account for about 60 percent of the clinic’s revenue, and patients pay the other 40 percent, Irmiter says “We are very upfront with patients regarding what may and may not be covered by their insurance and what the out-of-pocket expense may be to them,” she says. “Many of them have first tried every option conventional medicine has to offer prior to seeking integrative options.” Because paying for holistic treatment has always been tricky, it ended up shielding the clinic from the worst effects of the MNsure change. “We were very concerned this would have a greater impact than it has,” Irmiter says. Going forward, Parnell plans to grow Dulcimer’s practice while keeping the focus on the individual patients. He constantly researches new treatments that promise even better results, prescribing them based on each person’s unique situation and genetic makeup. “There are no two patients that are exactly alike — even identical twins, believe it or not. Although they share DNA, they can be very different in how they respond to things,” he says. His office, with its large, full bookshelves and stacks of paper atop the file cabinet, resembles an academic’s. He searches for a diagram of the methylation cycle, then uses it to give examples of how one small mutation can throw a body into discord. The research is always changing, he says, which creates new ways to restore harmony. “That’s part of what makes it so much fun. It’s always a challenge in medicine to learn that we’re ‘fearfully and wonderfully made,’” he says, quoting from Psalm 139. “That’s why I think it will be difficult to ever say, ‘I’m done.’ It’s so exciting to make these connections and understand how to help.” James Figy writes from Mankato.

CONNECTING BACK

Read the entire articles at connectbiz.com

5 YEARS AGO

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 Five years ago a very dynamic couple graced our cover: Mike and Cathy Brennan, co-owners of Brennan Companies. These two visionaries continue to run a successful development and construction company out of offices in downtown Mankato. Also featured were Diane Norland’s WholeLifeLeadership and Corporate Graphics Commercial, a new arm of Taylor Corp. 10 YEARS AGO

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 In November 2007, our cover story featured a prominent business woman in our community, Sarah Person of Exclusively Diamonds. Profile stories were the familyowned custom staircase manufacturer Linder Enterprises, as well as Hermie’s Bait, Bar & Grill in St. Peter. 15 YEARS AGO

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2002 A car accident that left him wheelchair bound, did not stop our November 2002 cover guest from climbing the corporate ladder. This issue featured a very insightful interview with Al Fallenstein, vice president of Taylor Corp. The magazine also had profiles on The Whittler’s Lady Bed and Breakfast in Truman and Resource Connections owned by Kathie Davis, formerly with Region 9.

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20 YEARS AGO

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1997 Twenty years ago Kentucky Fried Chicken franchisee Gary Hopfenspirger was our cover story. He credited good old fashioned hard work for his success. We also featured 3M in New Ulm and Hilltop Florist and Greenhouse on Madison Avenue in Mankato.

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COWNIE CONNECTION

How One New Ulm Business Opened Its Eyes, Gave One Young Man’s Life New Meaning I know it seems there is a month and day for everything....from “National Ice Cream Month” to “Hug A Dog” day. Some months or days, though, may be worth taking a closer look. In my opinion, October is one of those months, National Disability Employment month. Having an inclusive work culture may not be as hard as you think. Lisa Cownie I recently had the opportunity to meet a Editor young man named Justin. Justin was born with Crouzon Syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by the premature fusion of certain skull bones. This early fusion prevents the skull from growing normally and affects the shape of the head and face. That can affect brain function as well as vision and hearing loss. Justin says he feels lucky; he was born with a mild form of the syndrome so growing up he looked different to others but it didn’t affect him internally. He had full brain function. That is until the seizures started. “As I grew I did have partial obstruction of my airway which led to sleep apnea which led to seizures,” Justin explains. “Until age 12 when neurologists finally found meds that would control the seizures. “I went two or three years without them. But when I turned 17 I made up for lost time and had what they call a breakthrough seizure; a seizure that had been building up inside me but no one knew because the meds controlled the symptoms.” The seizure was so intense it led to a total collapse of his airway and Justin went into cardiac arrest. For 32 minutes his heart stopped. A machine kept his blood pumping, but oxygen was not getting to his brain during that time. When he awoke two weeks later from a medically induced coma, he had an anostic brain injury one result of which was blindness. What it didn’t affect, was Justin’s desire to live life to the fullest and to him, that meant working. He wanted to be around people and earn as they do. After graduating high school at St. Francis in East Bethel, he spent time at the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind in Faribault and then the Minneapolis Vision Loss Resources Center in Minneapolis while he lived with his dad. It wasn’t until he moved in with his mom and her fiancé in Sleepy Eye that he was able to make a giant leap forward in his life. “I got a counselor with State Services for the Blind,” says Justin. “And she introduced me to the MRCI Track To Success program.” 52

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Track To Success is a program that focuses on skill development training for individuals with a variety of disabilities. Part of the day is spent in a classroom working on job-related and soft skills. The rest is spent at a community work site learning hands-on skills in a real-life work setting. The plans are individualized, and a majority of Justin’s group found work at several locations around New Ulm as part of the class. But they just had to find a good fit for Justin. So one afternoon, Program Director Tom Rivers and Justin hopped in a car in search of a job opportunity. It was the end of a long day visiting many businesses...they decided to make one last stop: United Commercial Upholstery. UCU designs beautiful upholstered seats for golf carts and boats. Products you have to see to appreciate. “When Tom Rivers walked in here and asked if we had interest in hiring a blind individual, I just didn’t really see how it could work in our business. I just didn’t see how the young man he mentioned could help us with sewing and upholstery without having visual feedback,” says Phil. But he hated to close the door without first discussing it with his wife, so over lunch they talked about it. “As we talked about it, I thought ’well, it really is pretty low risk. If it didn’t work out, it didn’t work out. It really wouldn’t cost us anything.’ So it was something we were inclined to do if we could find a job for him to do.” The Vorwerk’s told Tom they could add one more to their 40-employee company. And when they met Justin, they knew right away he would be embraced by the others. Justin says proudly, “They said I made a good first impression and were thrilled to try me out.”

Chris says, “I could tell right away Justin was personable and would fit right in with us here. We just needed to find a job that he could do with his disability.” And the rest, as they say, is history. Chris says, “I could tell right away Justin was personable and would fit right in with us here. We just needed to find a job that he could do with his disability.” And the rest, as they say, is history. The Vorwerks found a job Justin could do. For instance, seat covers are sewn inside out, Justin’s job is to turn them right side out. He did it so efficiently, UCU offered him a job after the Track To Success program ended. “He is so driven, proud to be here, and wants to be independent. His personality is a great fit, the people that work with him care a lot about him and are willing to help,” says his work supervisor Marie Hort. Now Justin does other duties as well…folders that need filled with fliers, he counts zip ties and nuts and bolts. “I asked them to let me drive the forklift,” he laughs. “Or maybe start using the staple gun. I’ve used power tools before!” Justin credits the skills and confidence he has built to the Track To Success program. “I was happy we did mock interviews in class so I could feel ready when I interviewed with Marie. In Track they prepared us for like

L to R: Phil Vorwerk, UCU; Tom Rivers, MRCI; Justin; Chris Vorwerk and Marie Hort, UCU.

28 questions, well, apparently there are 29 because Marie asked me one I hadn’t heard before, ‘what are you most afraid of?’ I was honest, I said street crossings.” The UCU folks offered Justin his job at the Track graduation. “My mom and grandpa cried they were so proud of me, especially when Chris announced they were going to hire me,” Justin beams. The Vorwerks are thankful, Tom Rivers walked through their door. Phil says, “To others I would say to look at it the way you would

any other business decision. Do the risk analysis, look carefully at the potential benefits. We’ve found the risks are really minimal, it is controlled and there is a job coach.” The Vorwerks would also tell employers to pull a group together to discuss options and not look through a narrow glass. “There are little things people do in a day, things being done behind the scenes that may take up time that could be done efficiently by an MRCI client,” says Chris. It’s worked out so well for UCU, they are looking for more opportunities to partner with MRCI. “It’s enlightening to allow an individual with disabilities into your workplace,” says Chris. “They just have to get past that first barrier. In fact, we have an agreement with MRCI now to do more work down the road for us. We may hire a crew to put our fabric samples on rings that we can take to trade shows. It takes visual and dexterity skills that Justin can’t do, but other clients can so we are happy to offer more opportunities to others.” And they all agree, it’s been a great opportunity for their existing employees. “The diversity has been good for morale here,” says Hort. “He motivates the others!” So as our region confronts a looming workforce crisis, I might suggest looking into this population as an answer. It may be just the untapped resource our business community is looking for. In full disclosure, I met Justin while writing a story for MRCI.

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SPECIAL TO CONNECT: KATO X PROJECT

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child The ancient proverb (and even the 1996 book) illustrates the needed support systems within a village that it takes to raise children into productive and resilient adults to overcome challenges as they mature. Most families and communities want the best for their children and work hard to provide positive opportunities for the next generation. Greater Mankato is definitely one of those communities, not only just for the children, but for the good of all and preparing the foundation for the next generation. The past six months I have had the opportunity to witness local businesses, Greater Mankato Growth and Visit Mankato work together to create a new platform to showcase the wonderful aspects of our communities. Later in November, the virtual tour

By Dr. Shane Bowyer

project (Kato X) will go live and will present to viewers across the country how our “village” has matured into a vibrant, diverse community. Kato X is a robust marketing campaign that will entice people and explore further into Greater Mankato. Kato X will showcase our great community we live in; but it has a dual purpose of talent attraction. Within the next two years Mankato and North Mankato will be nearly 3,000 people short for the anticipated job openings. In some communities, shortages may be viewed as negative because of people moving away; however, not in Greater Mankato. The Mankato-North Mankato MSA continues to lead the state in growth since 2010, holding a ranking of 43rd of the 384 MSAs nationwide (top 11%).

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The virtual tour project will support our local businesses as they need to attract talent at all levels from keeping college students in the area to the returning early-career professionals and even to top executives. A person looking to take a position in the area will be able to virtually experience our regional amenities though 360° videos, 360° photos, as well as still photos, and eye-catching photos. Brand ambassadors will highlight and walk people through an experience such as entertainment, food, recreation and the unique shopping options. The interactive platform allows the viewer to become immersed into the Greater Mankato culture. The intent is that eventually the job-seeker will say, “I can see myself living there.” The goal of attracting more talent is difficult and communities across the country are competing to fill open positions. Greater Mankato needs to continue to enhance the quality of life as well as develop professional opportunities so we can attract and retain talent. Complacency will not bode well for the future. (We are fortunate our workforce shortage is not because people are leaving due to a poor quality of life.) In order to combat the workforce shortage, I am recommending a simple call of action for the community. Once Kato X goes live, share it with others. The launch is perfect timing–right before the holiday season. Tell your family and friends. Post it. Show it. People will see why you are proud to live in Greater Mankato. Your simple actions will go a long way. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes a unified and progressive community to attract talent and retain a talented workforce. Dr. Shane Bowyer is the Talent Initiative Consultant for Greater Mankato Growth and Assistant Professor in the College of Business at Minnesota State Mankato. He can be reached at greatermankatotalent@gmail.com.

HOT STARTZ!

Very New or Re-formed Businesses or Professionals New To Our Reading Area

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J. Longs

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One thing about the fashion industry, you have to be able to adapt to change with each new season. J. Longs, a locallyowned men’s clothing in Mankato has embraced a new season in its business life and purchased its own building along one of Mankato’s main shopping corridors, Madison Avenue. The doors at the new location just opened in September of 2017 at 1640 Madison Avenue. “We had outgrown our last space and saw this as an opportunity to showcase more quality brands. By gaining space we also moved Chris’ Tailor Shop (formerly in the Belle Mar Center on Victory Drive) into the same building, allowing us to have a more streamlined operation. Great visibility is always part of the success equation, so planting roots on Madison Avenue for the foreseeable future made a lot of sense,” says Matt Long. Originally known as Knights Chamber, Jim Long started the clothing store October 5th, 1985 in the Madison East Center. The store had many locations over the next 30 years, most recently located in the strip mall known as River Place Center where it had been since August of 2010. The current owners, Aaron and Matt Long, say the store started out like many other men’s clothing stores in the 1980’s, driven by suits, shirts and ties. Over the years, the store evolved to what it is to this day. A place where men of all walks can come and get clothed in quality from top-tier casual brands to modern suits and sport coats.

“We don’t look at clothing as just body covering. To us it is a way to express oneself. It’s always enjoyable to see that look on a customer’s face when you put together that perfect outfit for their wedding or other big occasion. We take pride in being the areas first stop for their menswear needs. We also like to experiment with new ideas and concepts, giving the store a more modern feel that you don’t always get to see in smaller communities,” says Aaron Long. They have also developed an online shopping experience. J. LONGS Address: 1640 Madison Avenue Phone: 507-345-8885 Website: jlongs.com

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PrairieCare Medical Group When the name “Kate Cox” is spoken in the Greater Mankato area, one word comes to mind: passion. More specifically, passion for youth. It’s that passion that drives everything Kate does and in August it culminated with the opening of PrairieCare Medical Group in Mankato. “I have been fortunate to collaborate with all kinds of different professionals in our community including school district, mental health providers, healthcare providers, law enforcement, county, city, county attorneys, non-profits all that work with our youth. The theme is always the same…WE DON”T HAVE ENOUGH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR OUR YOUTH,” Kate emphasizes. “Before our PrairieCare Medical Group opened in Mankato, students would travel everyday back and forth to either Chaska or Rochester to receive this Intensive Outpatient Service. It puts a lot of extra stress on both the youth and families who are going through a life transition or in crisis and then to have them travel daily for 4-6 weeks to receive this level of service.” PrairieCare opened its doors in early August in its temporary home at 201 North Broad Street, Suite 200. The permanent building on East Main Street is expected to be done in August 2018. PrairieCare offers Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) services to secondary aged students 6-12 grade. This program is a middle point between an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization and regular outpatient therapy. Patients receive intensive clinical services that provide thorough psychiatric assessment and stabilization aimed at building resiliency. IOP can help children

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and adolescents who are suffering from depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, PTSD, mood disorders, and more. “Our PrairieCare Medical Group goal is to transform psychiatric care for our youth and the families we serve. Mental health is real and its treatable,” says Kate. “We are creating a healing environment for our patients and families where they feel supported and will leave with tools and skills to build resiliency so they can be successful in their homes, school, and community. The entire medical team along with our district 77 teacher works with every patient in our IOP program to reduce their mental health symptoms while implementing strategies to assist the patient to be successful in the classroom.” PRAIRIECARE MEDICAL GROUP Address: 201 North Broad Street Telephone: 507-322-5470 Website: prairie-care.com

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Very New or Re-formed Businesses or Professionals New To Our Reading Area

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The Capitol Room

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St. Peter’s historic armory building has new life, as The Capitol Room, the region’s newest event space. “We are located in the historic downtown St. Peter right on 169 with easy visibility and accessibility,” says Dan Dinsmore, owner. “The building was used historically as a gathering space and has a great layout. It was meaningful to us to restore its original purpose in the community. Dinsmore did a complete and careful renovation featuring exposed brick walls, expansive ceilings, steel beams, original hardwood floors, hanging Edison bulbs, and vintage chandeliers. The Capitol Room just opened, hosting its first event, a wedding, in late September. “I have been in the wedding industry for many years as a photographer and my wife Emily and I have always wanted to build a beautiful space. Our passion to do so led us to this space, once opportunity presented itself, and after a lot of work it is now a reality,” says Dinsmore. Dinsmore’s name is well known around the region through his other business, Daniel Dinsmore Photography. “I have been in the wedding industry for most of my career,” says Dinsmore. “In those years, I have developed a well-trained eye for special lighting and design. I figure it best to utilize what I know, this seemed like a natural next step.”

Dinsmore hopes to have a wide clientele ranging from wedding and corporate events to community and charity events. He also plans to eventually host his own regular events like movie nights. “We have a lot planned for this space in the coming years,” he says. “We hope to launch our own events in addition to making memorable events for our clients. One of the things we want to do is to incorporate a green space adjacent the building for outdoor events. This is just the beginning.” THE CAPITOL ROOM Address: 419 South Minnesota Avenue Telephone: (507) 380-0220 Website: capitolroom.com Facebook: The Capitol Room

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Julie Rethemeier Vice President– Director of Affairs, Federated Mutual Insurance Company, Owatonna

How often do you consider the far more serious consequences to unsafe driving than just getting a ticket? In most states, if you killed or injured someone because of distracted driving or road rage, you could be criminally charged. If that’s not bad enough, these risky driving behaviors also put your loved ones in harm’s way, whether or not they are even in the vehicle with you. 2,440,000 injured and 35,092 dead.¹ Those are the statistics from our nation’s highways in 2015 as a result of motor vehicle traffic crashes. So, what can you do? The majority of auto crashes can be traced back to four driving behaviors: Speed, Attention, Fatigue, and Emotion. Let’s take a look at these behaviors more closely. SPEED Do you accelerate when a traffic light turns yellow? Do you drive the normal speed even in bad driving conditions (road construction, rain, ice, or snow)? Speeding directly contributes to traffic injury severity and is estimated to be involved in about one-third of all U.S. traffic fatalities.² Speeding reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely, and increases the vehicle stopping distance. 58

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Do You “Drive S.A.F.E.”?

What speed can you safely operate a vehicle and adapt when driving conditions change? Consider: • The legal speed limit • Weather and visibility/sightline • Traffic conditions • A vehicle’s weight, center of gravity, load, and stability • The effect speed has on stopping distance • Road surface conditions and configuration (e.g., curvy, hilly, flat, etc.) ATTENTION Do you try to multi-task (use a cell phone, GPS, map) while driving? Do you closely follow the vehicle in front of you? Attentiveness is one of the most important factors separating good drivers from poor ones. In fact, inattentive or distracted drivers cause a high percentage of accidents. Driving is so much a part of everyday life that it becomes a habit, so we allow our minds to wander when we are behind the wheel. Compound a wandering mind with a cell phone, radio, food, or an item out of reach, and the situation can quickly become out of control. • Do you remain attentive when driving so you can adapt when conditions change?

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

• Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. • Pay attention to weather, road, and traffic conditions that could lead to a crash (e.g. debris, slippery surfaces, dangerous curves, traffic congestion, construction zones, emergency vehicles). • Stay aware of other motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on the road who may act erratically or recklessly, or whose actions may signal a hazard ahead. • Frequently check mirrors, particularly before changing speed or direction and remain aware of vehicles at your rear and side blind spots. • Be attentive and slow down when approaching high pedestrian traffic areas such as malls, hospitals, churches, and schools. Texting while driving is one of the fastest growing driver distractions. Sending a text while driving requires roughly five seconds. In a vehicle moving 55 MPH, the distance traveled in five seconds is the length of a football field.³ FATIGUE Do you drive when sleepy and find it hard to keep your eyes open? Do you drive and not remember changing lanes? A National Sleep Foundation poll reveals 60 percent of adult drivers say they have driven a vehicle while feeling drowsy, and more than one-third of those same drivers admitted to actually falling asleep at the wheel.⁴ Fatigue can have a significant impact on your ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. A tired driver is an unsafe driver. No one is immune to the effects of fatigue. If you notice any of the following behaviors, you may be too tired to drive safely: • Difficulty focusing, frequent blinking, or heavy eyelids • Trouble keeping your head up