September-October 2019

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CONTENTS

September | October 2019

COVER INTERVIEW

COMPANY PROFILE

COMPANY PROFILE

44

Tim & Tami Tupy

Double Vision AG FOCUS

Open Door Health Center

12

Focus on Agribusiness

Goals Move Us Out of Mediocrity

24

Ahlers Turns Welding Hobby into Profitable Business Minnesota a Leader in Value-Added Agriculture FEATURES

28

Collaboration Connection

Health Care Home 42

Artisan Restoration

32

DEPARTMENTS

Collaboration Connection

8 31

Super Connectors Unite

HOT STARTZ! MANKATO

Devenport Consulting

51

SLEEPY EYE

MN Comfort In-Home Care Services NEW ULM

NU Surfaces

Junior Achievement Prepares Students for Careers and Business

Connecting Southern Minnesota Business People Since 1994

Editor’s Introduction Day In The Life

Tara Onken, City of Marshall

40 43 54 56 58

1 ON 1 Connecting Back Bulletin Board Ask A Professional Connect Network

Connect Business Magazine www.ConnectBiz.com

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

CIRCULATION

ADVERTISING

Publisher: Concept & Design Incorporated

12,100 for September/October 2019

Call: (507) 232-3463

Editor: Lisa Cownie

Published bimonthly

E-mail: sales@connectbiz.com

Art/Photography: Jonathan Smith, conceptanddesign.com

CORRESPONDENCE

Contributing Writers: Kerry Hoffman, Carlienne Frisch, Jane Laskey, Tim Penny, Nathaniel Tucek, Angie Ziegler Production & Circulation: Becky Wagner Printing: Corporate Graphics, N. Mankato Mailing: Impact Mailing 4

Encore Entrepreneur

September | October 2019

Mailing Address: Connect Business Magazine P.O. Box 176 Nicollet, MN 56074 Send editorial correspondence to: editor@connectbiz.com

Information: connectbiz.com/advertising ABOUT CONNECT Locally owned Connect Business Magazine has ‘connected’ southern Minnesota businesses since 1994 through features, interviews, news and advertising.

Web: connectbiz.com

Connect Business Magazine is a publication of Concept & Design Incorporated, a graphic design firm offering print design, brand design, illustration and photography. Learn more at conceptanddesign.com.

Phone: (507) 232-3463

Copyright 2019. Printed in U.S.A.

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INTRODUCTION

Entrepreneurs with a Twist Entrepreneur is a word thrown around quite a bit these days in the business world. Fortunately, it’s a word that is alive and well in our region, with entrepreneurs laying a strong foundation for our diversified economy. But what is an entrepreneur? It is defined as someone who has the capacity and willingness to develop, organize and manage a business venture along with any of its risks in order to make a profit.

This issue we feature entrepreneurs with a twist. On the cover is Tim Tupy, twice he has started a business just when the industry it served was taking off. And boy is Mankato lucky he did! Liv Aveda Salon and Spa and Mankato Brewery are both destinations. Also featured is Open Door Health Center.

Celebrating 25 years in existence, it was definitely an entrepreneurial mindset that got it started all those years ago...and keeps it going with innovative ideas today. Then there is Mark Johnson of Kasota. He’s what’s known as an “Encore Entrepreneur” Read his story to find out why!

Happy reading, and hopefully, learning,

Lisa Cownie EDITOR

Promoting Happy + Healthy Communities

Architecture + Engineering + Environmental + Planning 8

September | October 2019

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Tami and Tim Tupy

12

September | October

2019

By Lisa Cownie Photos by Jonathan Smith

DOUBLE VISION For a lot of people, the pursuit of a healthy work/life balance seems like an impossible goal.

For anyone balancing a career and a home life, it can be quite the balancing act. Well, imagine being the owner of two vastly different, yet both successful, businesses.

Finding a balance might seem particularly hard in that situation. For Tim Tupy running his two businesses is balanced by, well, running.

Whether he is part of a team, like in the Ragnar where he runs three legs ranging in distance from 11 to 13 miles each, or in individual races, he laces up to wind down. Experts agree that running can be instrumental in maintaining a life balance.

Continues

CONNECT Business Magazine

13

Double Vision

Let’s review what the experts say is true about running: it makes you less stressed out, it energizes you, it boosts your confidence, it eases anxiety.

It may come as no surprise to those that know him that his businesses, Liv Aveda Salon and Spa and Mankato Brewery, also help people in many of the same ways running can. The salon and spa, of course, is where people can go for services to make themselves feel better, to relax and unwind.

The same can be said for the brewery. So, while at first glance, it may seem like the two don’t have a lot in common: a salon and spa...and a production brewery, when you think about it, they do.

“Both of my businesses are in the business of helping people relax.

We treat people not as customers, but as guests. We want them to feel welcome from the minute they walk through the door, whether at Liv or at the brewery. They are coming here for a reason. We want them to have that time out from life...we want them to feel like they are on vacation. We try to create that atmosphere here inside our walls.”

Liv Aveda Salon and Spa offers the full gamut of services including hair care, facial care, massages, body treatments, nail care, body waxing, even make up.

Mankato Brewery is a production brewery that makes a lager, an IPA, an amber ale, and a rhubarb sour (yes... rhubarb) year round. Plus it offers seasonal and special event beers throughout the year. In addition, the Mankato Brewery has a taproom that features 12 draught lines, bottled Craft Soda, water and views of the brew house and tanks.

“They actually are very connected as businesses,” says Tupy.

“Getting your hair done or getting fresh color or a fresh cut or getting a massage, all those things can make you feel better. Same thing with beer! You might go out to celebrate or lift your spirits if having a bad day. And I’ve found although neither is considered a ‘need’ they have been somewhat recession proof.”

Balance for Tupy also comes from his partner in life and in Liv, his wife of 21 years, Tami.

In this interview, Tim Tupy talks about having one foot in each business, while keeping both feet firmly planted on the ground, and how he strives to help the community he and his wife are happy to call home.

Let’s start from the beginning, where you grew up, your early life.

I grew up in New Prague, Minnesota on a small family farm. I have a fraternal twin brother. I went to high school in New Prague and then went to Minnesota State Mankato and graduated with a finance and computer science degree. After graduating, I looked at moving to the Metro area, but I really liked Mankato. So initially took a job at Rickway Carpet just so I could stay in Mankato and look for a job here. Then after a couple of months, I got a job as a business analyst with MCTC, which of course is now Consolidated Communications. After a while I moved from being a business analyst into product development for Midwest Wireless.

Is this about the time you met your wife, and now business partner?

I met Tami 25 years ago. At that time she worked at a small salon 14

September | October 2019

Tim & Tami Tupy | Liv Aveda Salon & Spa/Mankato Brewery

downtown called Hair Masters. One day, the owners brought them in and told the stylists they were selling the shop. At that point in her career, Tami was not wanting to start all over at a new salon.

So we started to think...’hey what if we bought it?’ So it all started under Tami’s name as a sole proprietorship. It was a real learning curve for both of us. She was knowledgeable about what to do, but we didn’t really know how to run a business. It was a crazy time.

We were young, we didn’t own a home yet so had a hard time getting a loan. We had no idea how to handle employees. But we did it. We got the loan, had five employees and ended up owning it for nine years.

You must have enjoyed being in that industry, as that led to your current salon, Liv Aveda.

Yes, 17 years ago in March, we opened Liv Aveda Salon and Spa. Whereas Hair Masters was in her name, Liv is a 50/50 ownership structure.

At that time in 2002, there weren’t any other spa type salons in the area. You could find hair salons or nail salons, places that offered one thing or another. But there were no full-service salon and spa.

We had a vision to offer not only hair and nails, but also massage, facials, waxing, all of those services under one roof.

Again, we had a learning curve to navigate. Hair Masters was a small, one dimensional shop of 850sf. When we started Liv, we had a 3,800sf space. It seemed huge to us at the time, but we quickly realized we needed more space, so in two years we doubled in size. Then in three years after that we had to expand again. Now we have 10,000sf, with 11 spa treatment rooms. It’s a far cry from when we started with 850sf and five employees at Hair Masters!

How many employees do you have now?

We have 65 employees. We really try to help them understand you can make this a career. It’s not just a job as I think is one misconception. We offer great benefits including medical and dental, paid vacation, and a retirement plan match. I think some people don’t want to go into this industry because they think they can’t make a lot of money, but that’s not the case. There is the potential to make a lot of money doing what you enjoy but more than that, you can make it a good career that allows you to have balance in your life as well.

Plus we reinvest in our employees with continuing education.

Our employees are important to what we do here so we really want them to feel valued.

Are you like everyone else...you need employees?

Yes, we are not immune to that. Right now, all of our service providers are women. Not by design of course, but that is just the way it is. That is just who we get applying. I know more and more men are entering this field and we hope they find their way to us.

But for now we are all female staff.

Staffing is a challenge, we are always looking for good service providers to join our team. We try to use Mankato as a recruiting tool. You know there used to be a massage school in town, but there’s not any more. So we have to attract from outside Mankato. We tout it, and we believe it, as a great place to live. Mankato is close to the CONNECT Business Magazine

15

Double Vision

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September | October 2019

metro area, yet far enough away to have a more relaxed feel and a more relaxed pace to life. There is nothing like a three-minute commute to work.

Have you always been Aveda?

Yes, always. At Hair Masters we carried maybe three different lines for a couple months but we found it got almost too confusing for people. Oftentimes you may have three products that do the exact same thing. So, which one do you get? So when we opened LIV we quickly decided to just offer Aveda products. We believe in the products 100-percent. Even better, Aveda is based in Blaine, Minnesota so when they have owners’ circles and meetings, we always attend! We get to continually have input in the company and the products it offers. Having the headquarters just up the road saves us on travel costs because we just have to get in the car and take a short drive. It’s empowering as a business owner to know we help provide influence and have a direct line to the corporate mothership.

Like many industries, yours is constantly changing. So having that corporate mothership nearby helps you keep your finger on the pulse of everything as well.

Certainly, the spa experience has evolved and grown over the years. We started out with a full complement of offerings from hair to nails to massage. But we have added services as we’ve seen appropriate. For instance, in this last year we added lash lifting.

I know your business plan is based on what you call the Aveda Service Wheel.

Yes, we can offer the best in services, but if the overall experience is not great, then it doesn’t matter that they like the way their hair looks when they leave. It’s everything else that goes on around that service that keep people coming back.

So that starts with venue. Is the venue nice, comfortable, clean? Does it offer our guest the feeling of ‘getting away’. Next is staff. We make sure every guest is greeted when they walk in, offered a beverage and just overall personally attended to.

Listening is a big part of that. Do we ask and then listen to what the guest wants? It’s part of our job to ask key questions, offer

Liv Aveda Salon & Spa/Mankato Brewery

solutions, perform the service and make sure they have everything they need before they walk back out of our doors, including their next appointment.

So it’s not just about recruiting new customers, it’s about retaining the ones we have.

How does your industry weather the ups and downs of the economy?

It’s been 17 years so I’m sure you’ve had to ride some waves.

During the recession of the 2008, we were somewhat insulated surprisingly.

People seem to prioritize these types of services. When economic times are good, well that’s good for us because they might try new services. But when times are bad, these servcies are something people will prioritzie. If they are job hunting, they want to look good for example. And coming here can help alleviate stress they may be feeling. There is a thing called the Lipstick Indicator.

That is an actual term used by economists. Basically, the lipstick indicator is an economic indicator that suggests an increase in sales of small luxuries such as lipstick in times of recession or a period of diminished consumer confidence.

People may not always want to splurge on a massage for example, but they always need haircuts!

So for many reasons, we are somewhat “recession proof.” So any economic waves we ride, really have to do with increased competition in the market. We welcome competition, and again, just try to counter it with providing not only the best service, but the best experience we can.

How do you know when to add a service and what services to add?

We’re always keeping up with industry trends and new service options. Many of the new trends come from following industry specific trade publications and attending industry education conferences.

It used to be where new trends and services started in the West or East Coast areas, and we in the Midwest would start to see this influence a couple years later. With social media and other media outlets we find that the trends hit the Midwest a lot sooner.

Fashion influencers are now reaching a CONNECT Business Magazine

17

Double Vision

large audience within hours of finding a new service. Lash lifting is a perfect example. We started doing lash extensions years ago, but more recently we started lash lifting to give the guest what they wanted from their lashes with what they have already and not gluing on lashes. Hair color trends are also something that is constantly changing. We are bringing in industry professionals multiple times a year to work with our team to train on new techniques and new colors.

You mentioned when you started there weren’t any other full service salons in the area. Now there are. Do you like a little healthy competition?

Competition is always great. By increasing the awareness of all the services we offer, the more likely we can get a potential guest to know who we are and what we do. We find the majority of our new guests are from referrals of existing guests. The majority of our effort goes into the current guest to make them happy and for them to refer their friends and family to us at LIV AVEDA Salon & Spa. Now let’s switch gears a bit and talk about your other business venture, Mankato Brewery.

I had been a homebrewer for years and had been encouraged by friends and family to open a brewery. I was a hobby brewer for about 10 years before I opened Mankato Brewery so it just sort of

grew from that passion. Mankato Brewery was the first production brewery in Mankato since 1967. It seems natural as my great great great grandfather opened the first Brewery in New Prague!

Oh interesting! So it runs in the family!

Yes, he, his name was Albert Minar Sr., opened Minar Brewery in 1884 in New Prague.

Just like Liv was the first full-service salon in Mankato, Mankato Brewery was the first productinon brewery in Mankato since 1967. And this was at a time before craft brewing really took off.

It wasn’t something I just jumped in to. In fact, I started my business plan for a brewery in 2010. In 2010, there were 12 brewers in the whole state. By the time I officially opened Mankato Brewery in 2012, I was number 20. And, of course, that was just the beginning, today there are nearly 200!

You are quick to point out that Mankato Brewery is a production brewery first and foremost.

So at the time we started there were two different ways to set up a brewery. We could be a brewpub, which is where they have a restaurant that also produces beer right there on-site. We didn’t want (that), and frankly it will never be in our plans to be that type

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18

September | October 2019

Tim & Tami Tupy | Liv Aveda Salon & Spa/Mankato Brewery

Tim Tupy calls his taproom the best kind of marketing there is.

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Double Vision

Breweries By The Numbers Minnesota is experiencing a dramatic growth in breweries and brewpubs opening in the state. To put it in perspective, in 2008 the state had less than 10 breweries. Now, a little more than a decade later, the state has more than 170. Twenty-nine of those coming in 2018 alone.

According to growlermag.com, roughly half of the breweries that open in 2018 are located in small towns outside of the state’s major metropolitan areas.

Here are some more numbers of interest for 2018: • Barrels of beer produced: 600,000+ • Beers released: 2,900+ • Breweries and brewpubs in operation: 170+ • New breweries and brewpubs: 29 • Brewery closings: 5 According to data from the Brewers Association, here are the states with the most craft breweries: 1. California 2. Washington 3. Colorado 4. Michigan 5. New York Minnesota comes in at number 15 on the list.

Also according to the Brewers Association, the craft beer industry adds almost $800 million into the state economy.

20

September | October 2019

Tim & Tami Tupy | Liv Aveda Salon & Spa/Mankato Brewery

of business where food is served. When you add in a restaurant it is just a whole other ballgame with Department of Health and many other agencies involved. Our location is perfect for production and a place to stop in for a beer where it’s made. So we began as a production brewery, which means we brew and package the beer and then work with distributors to sell off premise. That’s all we did to start when we opened in January of 2012.

But by May of 2012, state legislators passed the Minnesota Pint Law. That was behind the explosion of craft brewers popping up all over Minnesota.

The Minnesota Pint Law allowed breweries to sell beer on their premises if they had an on-premise license from their local municipality. The Pint Law is not about selling packaged beer, such as six packs or self distributing.

That’s when we decided to turn part of our facility into an area where people can come and try our beer. So we began operating as a small tap room. But we have a clear focus, we will never have a restaurant or offer food. Our space doesn’t support it and … we just want to focus on the beer. People can come for a drink after work, or perhaps a drink before going somewhere else for dinner.

We’ve also turned into a destination for people visiting the area.

More and more people are putting us on their list of places to visit. So just like with LIV, we try to make it a great experience for everyone. Many of our customers are stopping into the brewery and making a night or weekend in the community. It’s great when people come in and tell us they are in the Mankato area because of our brewery and staying for the weekend to experience all the city has to offer.

You are still a primarily a production brewery though.

Production is in excess of 90% of our business. We now work with 13 distributors and we are in all of Minnesota, except the Iron Range, western part of Wisconsin along the river, as well as eastern third of South and North Dakota. We just launched into Northern Iowa in the Lakes region. We just sort of grow out organically. Once we are doing well in an area, we just sort of branch out from there geographically.

How much do you produce now? How does that compare to when you started?

Today we’re producing almost six times the amount of beer from the first year we opened. Our flagship beer Mad Butcher IPA has been growing by double digits every year and is continuing at a record pace again this year. In August 2019 we’ve already produced more Mad Butcher IPA than we did in all of 2018. It’s also crazy what a new style of beer can do for production. This year we launched our first sour beer. We initially were thinking it would be a limited run with hopes of eventually making a year-round sour beer. So, in January 2019 we launched our Rhuby Sour, a sour beer made with rhubarb. It took off so fast with a lot of rebuys from fans that we quickly decided to make it a year-round beer. In our first 6 months Rhuby Sour has jumped to our #2 beer in sales for the year.

That’s just crazy when we continue to see the amazing growth of our seasonal beers and of course Mad Butcher.

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Since you work through distributors, how is marketing?

Primarily, I go to events where people can test out our beers. But really our taproom is our marketing. That’s where people can come and try different brews. Then they will know what to order when they are out and about and see it someplace.

We’re always doing nano test beers to help with the feedback. This is where our brewers can create a new beer with little risk by just serving it in our taproom. We always brew beers that the brew crew enjoys to drink themselves. Initially it was limited to just what we liked to drink as we didn’t have the taproom to lean on for our research. Today we also work with our distributors to help us with what they are missing in their portfolio and/or what they enjoy from our test nano beers. Our distributors are our partners.

Locally we partnered with Tow Distributing.

They do a great job working with the community as a partner and a solutions provider.

We went into the business to make the beer and we lean on our distributor partners to focus on the order taking and delivery. We all focus on what we do well. That’s the key to our success.

There was a learning curve, wasn’t there, in what type of beer local consumers wanted from you?

Initially we launched with a German Style Kolsch. We really liked the beer. It was light and refreshing, but that style has a strong finish that’s true to its style. The beer originated in the Cologne region of Germany. We imported all the malts, hops and even the yeast from Germany. Seven years ago we don’t think the market was ready for a beer of that style. It looked like a light domestic beer, but didn’t have that light familiar taste. That style might do better today, but we’ve been keeping so busy with all our other beers we make.

Fans are always asking, “What’s New?”. It’s a challenge to keep up with the core beers that keeps the business going, but also to stay relevant with new beers. It’s the team at the brewery that’s responsible for all new beers and everyone has the ability to provide input on new beers.

What is most popular?

Most popular is our Mad Butcher IPA.

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September | October 2019

Liv Aveda Salon & Spa/Mankato Brewery

How many employees?

We have eight full-time staff and large contingent of part-time staff or as we call them, brand ambassadors!

Another big part of your business plan for both enterprises, is community service.

We are big supporters of our community. We’re always partnering with local non-profit groups to use our space at the brewery to help raise money. Sometimes they just need a space to hold their party and we partner with a local catering restaurant to offer food choices for the supporters of the non-profit. We’ve also made special beers for local groups to help bring awareness to their special cause and use beer to give the supporters something fun to talk about, and maybe take some home with them. We also do a Barks and Brews event every Wednesday in June. We partner with a brewery superfan that does all the planning to help raise money for local animal shelters. We offer the space for the event that brings dogs, beer and music together. It’s always nice to see what we do to help others in our community.

THE ESSENTIALS

Liv Aveda Salon & Spa 1839 Adams Street Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: (507) 388-1559 Web: livsalonspa.com

Mankato Brewery 1119 Center Street North Mankato, MN 56003 Phone: (507) 386-2337 Web: mankatobrewery.com

Matt has 21 years of banking experience in Southern Minnesota and his expertise, along with Frandsen’s local decision making approach to banking will help area businesses meet their financial needs and grow.

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It’s a beer that we’re really known for. It’s so great to be all over the region and telling people that we’re from Mankato Brewery and they tell us, “Mad Butcher IPA is my favorite beer of all time!”. I believe this will be a big sour year for us. Rhuby is a big seller. It has real rhubarb in it and even has the red hue to it. Also, we’ll have Caked Up at the Minnesota State Fair this year again.

It is super popular and production can barely keep up with the demand.

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AG FOCUS

Goals Move Us Out of Mediocrity Goals. We all need them.

Sometimes I wish I would have realized how important goals are to have when I was a teenager. Oh, I am sure someone crossed my path, at some point, and tried to explain to me the importance of having a plan of how to get from Point A to Point B. As I moved into adult hood, I mean adulthood, and met the love of my life, he was such a positive influence on me that I started to turn into the princess I am today.

And, I actually started to set goals.

One of those goals was as a business owner with Hubs. We both wanted to have a profitable herd of cows. It didn’t take us long to achieve that goal as we worked side-by-side in the dairy business.

Our cows increased in production and we improved the quality of the milk by

leaps and bounds.

Another goal we penciled out as we continued to dairy, was to increase the interest of commodity production, in general, among our employees. We wanted to show them there are many options of continuing in agriculture. We also promised to do what we could to help them get started in agricultural production.

Our herdsman, and another employee, house some of their own animals on our farm, as they don’t have farms of their own.

Several employees earned degrees in dairy production. One is living with us, and she is not one of our sons, obviously.

Her name is Molly. The other one, Brandon, is working at a dairy near Owatonna after attending four years of college at South Dakota State University, Brookings. Go Jacks!

Kerry Hoffman AG CONTRIBUTOR

Our two sons attended college in Brookings as well and are involved in agriculture. Our oldest, milks cows with us on our farm and wants to expand his beef cow/calf operation.

He pastures them all year round, rents two bulls, gets a ton of calves and then sells them in the fall. He loves his beef cows!

Our other son works for Weiss Farms near Flandreau, SD as an agronomist. He loves crop farming and wants to eventually return to run our land. Weiss’ treat him like their own son. That makes a momma happy.

We have met that particular goal more than a few times.

So those are our business goals. But you know, it’s also important to have personal goals.

The one goal I am currently working very hard at is to finish an open-water swim.

No, I don’t care if I place and get a ribbon, I just want to finish.

I practice five days a week, two-miles every day, in about 80 minutes. Some days are really tough. Believe me, if I didn’t have to get my sleepy body to the pool at 5:30 a.m., I wouldn’t.

I have tried one swim so far this summer.

I couldn’t do it. I had a panic attack and had to paddle myself back to shore doing the backstroke. Even then I couldn’t catch my breath. I think that was the first time ever for me to hyper-ventilate.

And I am an excellent swimmer. Go figure.

I haven’t given up on my goal. I have another one coming up soon.

I am even more determined to swim 2-miles across Lake Superior.

Most people look at me like I am nuts and ask me, “Why? Isn’t the water cold?”

I say, “Because I can and the water will be between 60 and 70 degrees.”

Goals keep us moving forward. They help us forge a path to success and continue to improve ourselves.

I have never heard anyone say, “I think I shall be mediocre today.”

Kerry and her husband, Steve, own and operate a dairy production business in rural New Ulm. Currently, they are milking 140 cows with the help of one full-time employee and several part-time helpers.

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September | October 2019

Got an agriculture-related story idea? Email our correspondent Kerry Hoffman at kahoffman@newulmtel.net

Ahlers Turns Welding Hobby into Profitable Business As the old adage goes, “When one door closes, another door opens.”

If you ask Dan Alhlers about whether or not that statement is true, more than likely he will answer, that it is accurate.

Ahlers, the owner of Dan’s Custom Welding and Tables in rural Gibbon was a dairy farmer for more than 35 years. Along with his wife Jennifer, working hard every single day was a priority to make sure their cows were healthy and happy.

Several years ago, when the dairy markets started to take a downturn, it was time for the Ahlers to use their incredible work ethic in different areas. Jennifer chose to take a job working in town and now does in-home care and manages the food system for GFW schools.

Dan chose to go into a career that he has been doing for almost as long as he was milking the cows on the family’s home farm.

Welding.

“When we had cows, we fixed things,” Ahlers said. “Dad had a stick welder and we fixed all the farm equipment. I was 10-years old when I started.”

For Ahlers, welding was more of a hobby.

The transition from dairy farming to professional welding started with a small project.

His first big project was for himself. He constructed a table he could use when he was welding.

That table is now-cluttered with items that belong on a welding table. Previously, he had to use saw horses to hold the projects he was working on for neighbors and friends.

Kerry Hoffman AG CONTRIBUTOR

It was an ironic start for Ahlers. He found his first supply of steel tubing while dropping of some recycling at a center in New Ulm. “I saw a pile of steel tubing on the lot. I asked about it and ended up purchasing the entire pile from New Ulm Steel and Recycling for pennies on the dollar and came home to build myself a welding table,” Ahlers said.

“You can see all the welds on this table.”

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AG FOCUS

Ahlers said as he pointed to the welds in that first structure. “Naturally, all the tubing was not exactly the same size, so I had to piece it together.”

It’s kind of an icon in the shop. Although Ahlers was a bit embarrassed by the pile of welding supplies that were on that first table, which showed it is fulfilling its purpose.

Sure enough, the neighbors and customers would come into his small shop and see that table and ask if he could construct one for their shops.

It’s been exponential growth for Ahlers ever since.

“Every year I have doubled my work,” Ahlers expressed, as he stood in the newest building addition to his welding shop, which more than doubled the original size of the building.

Ahlers fine-tunes his welding tables with each order. Of course he has moved up from using just a stick welder to a wire-feed welder, TIG welder or MIG welder. (MIG welding is using metal inert gas and TIG welding involves tungsten inert gas. TIG welding has to make the objects being welded hot enough to form a bond, while MIG welding can join objects by using the melting electrode as a filler material.)

“I pretty much taught myself how to use the wire-feed welder (MIG),” Ahlers said

with a smile.

The last idea Ahlers added to his tables include drilling holes in the top to hold the clamps, which hold the metal that is being welded.

Most of Ahlers’ business comes from referrals, social media and spending time at farm shows. And he doesn’t just build tables for welding shops. One table, which included doors and drawers, was constructed for a retired nurse that was going to take up welding as her very own hobby. He has repaired wood-stoves, ditch mowers and many other items.

“I recently sent two semi-loads to the University of Alaska,” Ahlers said. “They are starting a new welding school up there and they found me online.”

Ahlers has also built a catering lift for Sun Country Airlines, which was shipped to their facilities in Arizona.

Large, steel trash containers that can be used on forklifts are a favorite for construction companies.

“They can lift the container up to the level they need, throw in all the construction remnants and not have to deal with a lot of mess,” Ahlers said.

While Dan constructs the tables and other pieces, he sends them down the road to have D & K Powder Coating in Mankato to give them a variety of color.

Ahlers is very proud of the work he creates.

“I work just as many hours as I did when I was a dairy farmer,” Ahlers quipped.

“But now I am in my new expanded shop with air conditioning, great lighting and no bugs.”

Even though Ahlers closed the door on dairy farming, he still does a bit of farming on the side.

“I still crop farm and have about 20 steers to take care of,” Ahlers said as he closed the door on his welding shop. “Right now I need to go mow the ditches to make grass hay for feed.”

Go to danscustomweldingtables.com to take a look at Ahlers’ work.

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September | October 2019

CIRCULATION NOW 12,000+

Minnesota a Leader in Value-Added Agriculture If you take a drive around southern Minnesota, it is hard to miss that agriculture dominates our economy and will continue to be a leading force at the local, state, and national level. Minnesota hosts an incredibly diverse and intricate network of food production and supporting industries to make the sector operate in unison.

Together, the related agriculture industries generate an economic impact to the tune of over 55 billion dollars. This economic role also includes over 367,000 jobs by latest figures (2014).

In order to aid this negative cash outflow, more emerging, valueadded operations could be the answer -- creating businesses to capture higher profit margins by further processing or creating specialty markets for their products.

Minnesota stakes claim to over 8,000 farms and agriculture-related businesses, but as industries and supply chains have modernized, issues have arisen. One of these is the economic factor of extensive negative cash flow from the region. By a recent analysis, this is due to the lack of services that can be provided locally throughout agriculture and supporting industries. The latest figures indicate that the negative cash flow totals as much as $800 million each year and can be expected to grow if barriers of entry for these various supporting industries continue to become more significant. In order to aid this negative cash outflow, more emerging, value-added operations could be the answer -- creating businesses to

capture higher profit margins by further processing or creating specialty markets for their products.

According to AURI (Agricultural Utilization Research Institute), Midwest states with significant agricultural industries have recognized the role value-added agriculture plays in keeping a state economy strong.

Advancing new opportunities for producers and opening new markets for commodities is a key to economic sustainability.

Value-added activities are when farms and businesses add greater value to agricultural commodities through additional processing, thus keeping these otherwise exported services local. Examples of adding greater value include honey, maple syrup, processing berries into jam, meat into sausage, wheat into flour, grapes into wine, milk into cheese and corn into ethanol, as well as organic production.

These activities also position our region as a leader in the burgeoning local food movement.

In addition, the value-added sector includes companies producing equipment and vehicles for use in food processing and manufacturing, as well as businesses that facilitate the movement of raw materials and finished products.

But while value-added agriculture has the potential to increase an operation’s revenue, these options come with a significant amount of extra work and risk. Where are you going to find financing to expand your operation? If you decide to produce an end product like cheese, clothing or alcohol, how comfortable are you with marketing and meeting state and federal regulations?

Where do you start?

One of value-added operations’ biggest struggles is access to capital as many businesses within the agriculture sector operate with little free-flowing cash. This obstacle may be intensified by lack of confidence from lenders due to lack of equity, non-traditional businesses models,

Nathaniel Tucek STUDENT ASSISTANT SBDC

and lack of track record/experience in business. On top of this, many modern agriculture operations and businesses find capital least available when needed most.

Loan programs through farm service agencies are generally tailored for commodity crop farmers, making them very difficult to navigate for the alternative crop farmer. With these numerous barriers, many ag businesses feel lost and do not know where to turn.

Another challenge for emerging, value-added operations is regulatory issues.

There is general agreement from both businesses and regulators that regulations are developed with an eye to the large players in the food system. The fallout of this “one size fits all” approach is that small businesses have difficulty implementing new requirements in a cost effective manner.

Though the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is not seen as a traditional provider of services to agriculture businesses, the SBDC can provide technical assistance to agribusinesses that qualify as value-added. By working with the SBDC, these businesses have access to a network of partners and providers of capital. One of SBDC’s partners is USDA Rural Development and their Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG). The VAPG program is specifically aimed at assisting agricultural producers in entering value-added activities related to the processing and marketing of new products.

As world food demands will continue to rise as population growth shows no signs of slowing, agricultural centers such as Minnesota will be relied upon heavily to fulfill these needs. Leaders across the country are recognizing the potential for value-added agriculture as a vibrant economic driver. What does this mean for southern Minnesota? With the right support, it could mean more profitable family farms, robust value-added food businesses, and increased tax bases for small towns, cities, and counties.

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27

FEATURE Collaboration Connection

Junior Achievement Prepares Students for Careers and Business

by Carlienne Frisch Students in kindergarten through high school have the opportunity to prepare for success in a global economy through participation in Junior Achievement.

The worldwide organization’s goal is to prepare and inspire students by educating them about work and career readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

This is accomplished through experiential, hands-on programs of five sessions, or lessons, in each grade of elementary school and real-life opportunities in high school.

Financial support comes from donors, grants and fundraising events. Program volunteers are an integral part of the organization. Junior Achievement volunteers

are provided with a training session and all materials. Volunteers who teach the Junior Achievement curriculum bring it into a classroom in cooperation with, and often at the request of, the classroom teacher.

Each grade’s curriculum builds on what the students have learned the previous year. For example, every kindergarten student receives a piggy bank and learns the meaning of the word “save.” Second graders learn that everyone in the community has a job or role. They learn about community businesses, volunteers, local government and elections. The fifth-grade curriculum includes information on how the free market system serves as an economic engine for businesses and careers. High school programs provide students with opportu-

nities to form a start-up business with the goal of filling a community need or solving a problem in their community. In grades 11 and 12, the Junior Achievement Economics curriculum reinforces the concepts of micro- and macro-economics by having students explore the basic characteristics of the U.S. economic system and how economic principles influence business decisions. It introduces students to consumer issues such as saving, investing and taxation.

Junior Achievement classroom volunteers often are made aware of the opportunity by their employer. That was the case with Brown County Verizon employee Cait Henning, who responded to the invitation by teaching the fifth grade Junior Achievement curriculum. This year, she also joined two other

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September | October 2019

Verizon employees in holding mock job interviews with sixth grade students after their classroom teacher had prepared them by using Junior Achievement materials.

Like Henning, Garrett Bunge volunteered in New Ulm schools until moving recently to St. Paul. Having experienced Junior Achievement as an elementary and high school student in Waterloo, Iowa, Bunge taught Junior Achievement in several grades.

He said he most enjoyed teaching the ninth grade curriculum, because “it includes both the soft skills and the technical skills needed in marketing oneself to an employer.” He added, “I’ve also enjoyed working with fifth and sixth graders because they are very engaged.”

Anne Fitch, Waseca County Chamber of Commerce executive director, said “This is my fourth year as a Junior Achievement volunteer. I’ve taught about entrepreneurship in fourth grade the entire time. The students learn all of the things that go into starting a small business. We talk about supply chains, using natural resources

and the other resources around you. We discuss how different businesses can thrive in different parts of the United States.”

Fitch added, “My favorite part is hearing the kids’ ideas of businesses they could start right now, at their age. They have very doable ideas--babysitting, dog-walking, lawn mowing. They don’t see limitations.

Some want to be YouTube stars.

“I didn’t expect some critical thinkers when we talked about developing a business in one of four regions,” Fitch continued.

“The classroom teacher and I were both impressed when some students said they would start an employment agency in a mining or manufacturing region.”

Fitch said she appreciates getting to know students in her community, adding, “I absolutely love being a Junior Achievement volunteer--and beyond the curriculum, knowing they have gained another trusted adult in their life. Even after only five weeks, they remember me and come up to me in a store.”

Tyler Schafer, a V-Tek employee, vol-

unteered to teach Junior Achievement curriculum in the school from which he graduated eight years ago--Cleveland Public School in Le Sueur County.

“I taught Junior Achievement in fifth grade, with Mr. Skinner’s class,” Schafer said. “I had been Mr. Skinner’s student, and he had been one of my favorite teachers.” Skinner taught all five lessons on the same day--an introduction to the free market system and how it supports businesses and careers.

“The cool part about it is that it’s a good way for students to learn how the world works,” Skinner said. “You may fail several times, but failure is just a part of the road to success. It’s okay to make mistakes.”

Mike Mulvihill, a business development director at Taylor Corporation in North Mankato, became a Junior Achievement volunteer when his older daughter entered kindergarten two years ago. It’s the grade in which he continues to volunteer. He’s quick to point out, “You do not need to be a parent. What I like best about it is that we’re

CONNECT Business Magazine

29

FEATURE Collaboration Connection What I like best about it is that we’re teaching young people the importance of financial literacy, not only saving and managing funds, but also the philanthropy. teaching young people the importance of financial literacy, not only saving and managing funds, but also the philanthropy.

What does ‘save’ mean? What does ‘buy’ mean? What does ‘donate’ mean? It can be about time, not only about money.”

In Lyon County, the Junior Achievement program is strong not only in Marshall, but also in the nearby community of Lynd (pop. about 500). Kris Carrow, an employee of Great America Financial Services in Marshall, has been teaching Junior Achievement’s second and fourth grade curriculum for seven years at Holy Redeemer parochial school in Marshall. She began because her employer encouraged volunteerism, especially Junior Achievement because of its financial aspects.

“I’ve always been interested in finance,”

Carrow said, “and I felt I could have learned more about it in grade school and high school.” So she took on the role of helping students learn the things she missed.

Carrow has not limited her Junior Achievement involvement to classroom teaching.

Two years ago, she was asked to join the Lyon County Junior Achievement Advisory Board, and this year she participated in practice job interviews with high school juniors.

“We have found that there’s a great need in southwest Minnesota for college-bound students to be job ready after high school,” she said. “Junior Achievement teaches financial skills and also teaches how to be a productive member of the community.

It’s fun to see the light bulbs go off, to see students make the connections.”

Mary Swanson, a nursing home admin-

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istrator, volunteers with Junior Achievement at the public school in Lynd, where her daughter is in eighth grade and her son in sixth grade. Both have been in Junior Achievement since kindergarten.

“I’ve taught Junior Achievement in kindergarten and in fifth grade,” Swanson said. “My boss asked me to do this, and I enjoyed it, so I stayed. It’s not a huge time commitment, and it’s great when you can bring in business professionals to interact with the kids and to tell them how the real world is. It’s good exposure for everybody, and I learn things too. I’ve learned to appreciate teachers, and it’s rewarding to see kids’ responses to the curriculum. It’s fun to see how excited the students get about some of the concepts they learned and how they apply what they learned.”

Junior Achievement has been a commitment of more than two decades for Jennifer Spaude, Vice President of Corporate Communications at Consolidated Communications in Mankato. Like many Junior Achievement volunteers, she became involved at the suggestion of her employer.

“Junior Achievement is one of the things I’m most passionate about,” Spaude said.

“I started teaching it in the classroom in 1998. Then, when we had our own children, I taught kindergarten through upper elementary.” Spaude joined the Junior Achievement marketing committee and then the board, becoming the board chair and serving several three-year terms. Now she’s involved not only in the classroom, but also with Junior Achievement BizTown, the experiential learning lab in St. Paul.

Junior Achievement Biz Town is a program for students in fourth through sixth grades.

It combines in-class learning with a day-long visit to a simulated town. The program allows students to operate banks, manage a cafe, write checks and vote for mayor.

She said, “A Junior Achievement volunteer shares knowledge from their perspective.

And every curriculum is so age-appropriate and interactive, such as ‘wants and needs.’ Students quickly absorb the lesson and connect it to what’s going on around them. It experiential learning, with the curriculum always being improved.”

For more information, contact Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest at jaum.org, Junior Achievement of Central Iowa at jacentraliowa.org or Junior Achievement for Greater Mankato at Katie@jaum.org.

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September | October 2019

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Tara Onken

Lisa Cownie EDITOR

Economic Development Director, City of Marshall to support our economy, whether it be workforce, housing, etc. there’s no doubt we are stronger together. I am proud to be leading that charge and working for the success of the region.”

Is there a certain way you like to start your day?

“I am cognizant of the impact our own personal thoughts have on our day to day lives, so I aim to start my day out with a positive thought. It helps get the day started on a positive note. I also create a to-do list, and start with the ‘easy stuff ’ so I can cross it off and get the momentum going.”

PHOTO: SUBMITTED

From a farm field to a conference room, Tara Onken is proud that her journey in life has never veered far from where she grew up in southwestern Minnesota.

“I’ve always had a passion for the area in which I grew up, a farm near Balaton, so unlike many of my peers, I knew I never wanted to leave the area,” she explains.

“Some people know exactly what they go to school for, doctor, nurse, lawyer, et cetera, but I didn’t have a clue – all I knew was that I wanted to stay in the area where I grew up, and I wanted to work to make it better – and this career sort of just fit.”

Onken is now the Economic Development Director for Marshall, Minnesota, a role she has held for two years now and a role she relishes. As the region grows, so does her workload. So how does she manage it all?

What appealed to you about the role you have now?

“Even though I am from a small town, I know the importance of the regional hubs such as Marshall that provide for educational opportunities, quality healthcare within close proximity, and a wealth of resources that small towns just don’t have. So, when Marshall succeeds, so do the small towns, and vice-versa. We all need each other

What is one thing you couldn’t live without in your professional life?

“Flexibility with this position is key to success. In Economic Development, often times it is imperative to be available outside the normal office hours – whether it is meetings outside of normal office hours or phone calls, or a quick response to an e-mail to keep things moving, I couldn’t do my job without having flexibility. Especially when the job requires business visits and out of office meetings. One thing that helps with that is my mobile device, so I can do most of my job from anywhere I am.”

You have to work with a variety of different agencies. How would you describe your leadership style?

“I try to be the affiliative force that keeps groups together – whether it is a project team, an internal development team, or people within the business community. By

nature, I strive to build personal connections with people – whether it is employees, fellow colleagues, business owners, developers or entrepreneurs, it doesn’t matter.

I strongly believe genuine, authentic relationships are imperative to continued success in all arenas of life. I would describe myself as a coach, and I look at the long term implications of decisions, vs the short term immediate results. I am adamant and passionate about living a life with purpose and I enjoy helping others do the same.

“In general, here is another thought of mine: Acknowledging others is important to me – whether it is a personalized e-mail follow up, sharing an article that may be of interest to someone, or writing a handwritten thank you note, I believe a little time and thoughtfulness means a lot to others, and I personally find it very rewarding.”

Is there a certain way you end your day to make sure you are ready for the next one?

“I make a short list of things that are still outstanding – by writing things down, I am able to let it go and not think about it, because I know I will remember the next morning when I see my sticky note.”

Your favorite thing about Marshall?

“There are so many great things, but I would have to say our downtown is one of the things that stands out. There are so many great places downtown with lots of restaurant and retail options – and the owners are always friendly and inviting.

You don’t always get that in a big city.”

Onken Out of the Office “I am 100% a Minnesota farm girl, born and raised. My dad, grandpas and great grandpas all farmed, and I am so thankful to have grown up on the farm. It has taught me a work ethic, and great things take time. It has taught me to finish whatever you start, to stay grounded, to have gratitude, to pay it forward, and also that you can work hard and have fun at the same time! Hobbies include mowing the lawn, shooting guns, and spending time up at the lake with family and friends.”

CONNECT Business Magazine

31

HEALTH CARE HOME

By Jane Laskey

Photos by Jonathan Smith

Open Door Celebrates 25 Years of Breaking Down Barriers in Health Care For All It’s a big, beautiful dream: affordable, safe health care for everyone. Since 1994, Open Door Health Center has been bringing that dream to life for the people of the Greater Mankato area.

Based in Mankato, the clinic provides quality, affordable health care on a sliding fee scale to the uninsured and underinsured. In 2018 it served 11,480 patients from 55 counties in Southern Minnesota. It also treated 866 elementary school children through its school-based dental outreach program.

CEO Doug Jaeger has been at the helm of Open Door since 2015. He said the organization is constantly evolving to address the changing needs of the community.

“Open Door is for everybody and anybody,” Jaeger says.

“We’re constantly looking at how we can partner with individuals, counties, and other organizations to facilitate and take care of the health care needs in the area.”

Jaeger and his team strive to uncover any obstacles that are preventing people from getting the medical and dental care they need. They start with the question: What is keeping people from coming in? Then they do whatever they can to eliminate those barriers.

"We are all about overcoming barriers to health care," Marketing & Development Director Mandy Houk says. “A healthy community is a prosperous community. Everyone needs access to health care.”

This year marks the center’s 25th anniversary. As it looks back on the accomplishments of a quarter century, ODHC continues to evolve to serve the needs of all Minnesotans.

A Community Effort

Open Door was founded in response to a Region Nine Development Commission survey. The survey found that Continues

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September | October 2019

Annette McBeth, Doug Jaeger, and Mandy Houk

CONNECT Business Magazine

33

Health Care Home the Mankato area had a large number of underinsured and uninsured people. Many people were unable to pay for prescriptions, emergency care and dental care.

“People without insurance were not being served by primary care clinics and dental clinics,” Annette McBeth says. “That was a wake-up call.”

McBeth, one of ODHC’s founders, was vice president at Immanuel-St. Joseph Hospital at that time. She notes that with no access to affordable primary care, the uninsured frequently ended up in the hospital emergency room.

“On a national basis the data demonstrated that taking care of people who were underinsured or uninsured in the ER was not cost-effective,” McBeth says. “It didn’t prevent anything. It was just an intervention. There was a tremendous opportunity here.”

McBeth says the Mankato community pulled together to find a solution for the problem. With input from city officials, educators, health care providers, and community members, the decision was made to form a nonprofit clinic.

In 1994, Open Door Health Center opened its doors for the very first time. It was based on a simple premise: health is a basic right and all people should have access to health care services.

“No one person did this. It’s been a team effort right from the beginning,” says McBeth. “I am privileged to be part of the team that created this clinic.”

The clinic was initially located in downtown Mankato. In those early days, it was only open three hours a day, three days a week.

ODHC’s first patients were women and children, and its staff was primarily composed of volunteers. Its services were limited to medical and dental treatments.

By 2001, Open Door had expanded to 24 hours a week and moved to a larger facility. Thanks to a variety of grants, it was able to expand its staff to 25 paid employees and add new services.

Health Care Home

In 2002, a generous donation paved the way for a flood of changes.

The Orthopedic & Fracture Clinic donated its 10,000-square-foot building to Open Door. Located at 309 Holly Lane in Mankato, the building became ODHC’s new and final home. At last the organization had room to grow.

According to Jaeger, at this point in its history the organization was poised for growth but still operating on a small scale. The clinic was serving about 1,000 patients a year and only using a portion of its new facility.

“We were still very small, very grassroots in doing things,” Jaeger says.

Everything changed in 2009 when Open Door was granted Federally Qualified Health Center status.

“2009 was our defining moment,” Jaeger says. “That’s when we

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“Our area has 10,000 to 11,000 people that fall below the poverty line, so we’re serving about a third of that population at this time,” Jaeger says.

“Unfortunately, there is still a growing number of individuals and families with an unmet health care need.” became FQHC. It really catapulted what Open Door could do.”

The FQHC designation allowed Open Door to receive additional funding. Grants provided funding for needed equipment, facilities, and additional staff and services.

In 2012, a $4.8 million capital development grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services paid for the renovation and expansion of the facility for improved patient care.

“This grant made the building what it is today,” Jaeger says. “It propelled us to innovate with our care suites. We also doubled our capacity in dental and started our behavioral health services.”

Open Door continues to expand its services. A new dental clinic was opened in Clarkfield in 2016. A second dental clinic was opened in Jordan in 2017.

Perhaps the biggest change 25 years of operation has brought, is growth in the number of clients served. Jaeger says in 2009 about 2,000 people were seen by Open Door. By 2016, that number had risen to 7,500 people. Last year that number swelled to 11,500 people a year. That’s a 48% increase from 2016.

In Mankato alone, Open Door is serving about 4,500 people a year. But there are segments of the population that are still slipping through the cracks.

“Our area has 10,000 to 11,000 people that fall below the poverty line, so we’re serving about a third of that population at this time,” Jaeger says. “Unfortunately, there is still a growing number of individuals and families with an unmet health care need.”

State of the Art

Today Open Door Health Center is a state-of-the-art medical facility. It strives to provide a health care home for its clients by housing medical, dental, behavioral health, and other related services all under one roof. There are also on-site legal services, interpreter services, insurance enrollment services, and a pharmacy.

“We’re trying to look at every avenue of need,” Jaeger says. “We’re trying to create an environment where they feel safe, secure, and know that they can come to one location and get everything taken care of.”

The clinic on Holly Lane is a beautiful, modern building that was fully renovated in 2013. A two-story entry and floor-to-ceiling

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Health Care Home windows flood the building with natural light. Earth toned furniture and a center fireplace invite clients into the spacious waiting area. Glass panels etched with falling ginko leaves separate the reception area from the waiting area.

Beyond the waiting area, a dental clinic with 17 dental treatment areas anchors the east side of the building. Down another hall, a series of Behavioral Health offices appear. In the medical area, care suites with a separate consulting room and exam room provide room for families and translators to join the conversation while also providing privacy for medical treatments and evaluations.

“We’ve evolved in the services we offer and we’ve evolved in how we meet our patients’ needs,” Houk says.

As the facility has expanded, so has the staff, which now includes 105 medical professionals. Open Door is now also a training facility for aspiring medical and

www.schwickerts.com | 507-387-3101 | 330 Poplar St. Mankato, MN

Three Things You Should Know About Open Door ODHC offers more than just medical care. ODHC provides quality affordable dental and behavioral health services, too.

ODHC is dedicated to overcoming any barriers to health care: language, transportation, legal issues, or the need for insurance coverage.

Everyone is welcome at Open Door. Whether you have standard health insurance, high deductible health coverage, state aid, or no insurance at all you are welcome at Open Door.

36

September | October 2019

dental professionals. Participants include students from the residency programs at Mayo and the University of Minnesota, and nursing students from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

“We’re training the future health care professionals of the area,” Jaeger says. “We have students training with our providers from all facets of our organization. The most recent addition is dentists.”

Affiliate Partners

ODHC has always had a strong partnership with area health care providers and community organizations. Many were involved from the outset, playing a critical role in opening the clinic in 1994. Through the years they have remained supporters of the center.

Jaeger stresses that there is no competition between Open Door and other community health care providers.

“Mayo and the Mankato Clinic were both founders of Open Door and they continue to be partners with us. They have representatives on the board,” Jaeger says.

“We are partnering together to take care of the needs of the community.”

There have been many other community partners through the years. The Orthopedic & Fracture Clinic donated the building that now houses the clinic. The United Way contributed funds for expanding hours of operation.

These partnerships persist to this day.

Many community leaders have served on the organization’s board and provided guidance. They also provide supplemental services when patients require treatments that ODHC does not offer.

“We are very fortunate to be supported by partners that include our board members and affiliates such as Mayo and Mankato Clinic,” Houk says. “We couldn’t treat some of the diseases we treat here if these organizations weren’t assisting us with specialty tests and providers.”

ODHC clients also benefit from the organization’s partnership with affiliates such as the Genoa Pharmacy, which provides on-site prescriptions, and Southern Minnesota Regional Legal Services, which provides free legal help at the clinic.

“Our model is integrated medicine,” McBeth says. “Everything is under one roof.”

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Health Care Home Rising Demand

While ODHC has grown exponentially, the need for affordable health care in the community continues to outpace growth.

Some of this is due to population increases.

But McBeth believes the need for assistance has also increased due to the changing insurance landscape.

“We’re the richest country in the world and yet insurance companies and being able to pay your bills continue to get in the way,” McBeth says. “We haven’t resolved it yet today.”

The trend toward higher deductible insurance plans has had an impact on ODHC. The clinic is seeing more and more clients who have insurance but can’t afford to pay the deductibles.

“We’re seeing patients that have jobs, that have insurance, but their insurance doesn’t cover them until they’ve hit a deductible of $5,000, $6,000, $9,000 even as a family,” Houk says. “Let’s say you make $40,000, but your insurance doesn’t pay a cent until you’ve paid $7,000 out of pocket. So what

38

September | October

2019

“We’re seeing patients that have jobs, that have insurance, but their insurance doesn’t cover them until they’ve hit a deductible of $5,000, $6,000, $9,000 even as a family,” Houk says. “Let’s say you make $40,000, but your insurance doesn’t pay a cent until you’ve paid $7,000 out of pocket. So what do you do as a family?” do you do as a family?”

Many families are coming to Open Door to take advantage of its sliding scale fees to bridge the gap until its insurance kicks in.

Open Door is also trying to keep pace with the increasing demand for behavioral health services. With six therapists and two nurse practitioners in psychiatry on staff, the center is struggling to meet the community’s needs.

“Right now we are bursting at the seams,” Jaeger says. “We’ve run out of room.”

Jaeger says the demand for behavioral health care has been heightened by the

opioid crisis. To respond to the growing need in this area, the center has begun providing medication-assisted therapy for addiction as part of its office-based therapy.

Houk also sees clients being drawn to the center because they’re attracted to the quality and variety of services it offers.

“We have great translation services.

We have community health workers. We have great practitioners and nurses. Our behavioral therapy is awesome,” Houk says.

“People are choosing Open Door. It feels like a health care home.”

Open Door Health Center | Mankato

Dental Needs Surge

Demand is also high at Open Door’s three dental clinics. At the Mankato location, the dental waitlist is currently at about 300 people. Jaeger says ODHC is growing as fast as it can, but its efforts have been hampered by a shortage of available dental assistants.

“Right now our only holdup is the number of providers that we have,” Jaeger says. “The more providers I can hire, the more people we can serve.”

ODHC is finding new ways to expand its reach and respond to dental needs. Its School-Based Dental Outreach program treated 866 children last year. Working with 13 area elementary schools, including all of those in ISD 77, the program provides a dental exam, fluoride treatment, and sealants to prevent decay.

“A lot of these kids have a lot of decay.

They’re in second, third, fourth, and fifth grade and it’s the first time they’ve seen a dentist. It blows my mind,” Houk says.

“We have a desperate desire to serve those children that nobody else is serving.”

After their assessment, the children are sent home with educational materials on proper dental care. They are also given information on any problem areas that need to be watched and a referral to a dentist.

Looking Ahead

On Nov. 19, 2019, Open Door will host its first gala. It will be an opportunity for the many individuals, organizations, and businesses that have supported the clinic over the years to come together and celebrate the accomplishments of 25 years.

But even as the nonprofit looks back through the years to acknowledge the strides it’s made, its leaders always keep an eye to the future.

“We are always asking ourselves, ‘Where are the needs in the region and what can Open Door do to keep health care local?’”

Jaeger says.

Houk outlined Open Door’s top four goals for the year ahead. First is reducing the population using the emergency room for primary care. Open Door has been addressing this issue since the beginning, but it continues to see a need in this area.

“That’s one of the biggest costs in health care, the overuse of the emergency room for things that should be done in a medical

office,” Jaeger says. “We will continue to work with the other health care organizations in town to identify how we can get to these populations and educate them on the benefits of clinic-based health care. If we can keep them from overutilizing the ER, then they can better treat those that truly need the emergency room when they walk in.”

The second goal is to find ways to better penetrate unserved populations. These are people that are either unaware ODHC exists or have fears or misperceptions that prevent them from using the facility.

“We have immediate plans to reach the segments of the populations in and around (Blue Earth) County that are underserved, that do not know about Open Door,” Houk says. “Our goal is to increase awareness.”

Houk said ODHC has changed its outreach strategy. The outreach coordinator has been asked to get out into the community where he can connect with underserved populations.

“His job is to get to know them,” Houk says. “For example, he can meet with Somali families or Latino college students or the elderly people of St. James to make sure they understand our services.”

Open Door’s third goal is to increase its capacity for treating dental patients who have no other options. Houk says they are finding creative ways to reduce the dental waitlist at the Mankato clinic so children can be seen more quickly.

“We just hired a dental therapist to increase our capacity. We will begin pulling children off of the waiting list in August,” Houk says.

“This will leave more room for adults on the waitlist and it will get the children seen more quickly.”

The organization’s final goal is to get the word out that ODHC is open to anybody and everybody, whether they have insurance or not. It’s working hard to increase visibility with public events and outreach. These three organizations are partnering with Open Door to increase awareness in 2019: Mayo Clinic Health Systems, Community Bank, and Genoa Pharmacy. This spring, it held a “Friendraising,” a community health care street fair that paired free health screenings with a mariachi band and a visit from the Mankato MoonDogs mascot.

This summer ODHC joined parades in St. Peter and North Mankato, distributing toothbrushes to thousands along the way.

“We want the general population of Mankato and Blue Earth County to know that Open Door is an option for everyone,” Houk says.

With each new initiative, Open Door Health Center moves closer to its ultimate goal: health care for all. Someday, McBeth hopes the center will help her realize her dream.

“As I reflect on my life, this is my legacy, this is part of why I am here on Earth,” McBeth says. “In my lifetime, I hope to see everyone with health care.”

THE ESSENTIALS Open Door Health Center 309 Holly Lane Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: 507-388-2120 Web: odhc.org

CONNECT Business Magazine

39

1 on 1 Each issue we dive into how the One Million Cups initiative thrives on the 1-on-1 relationships.

Darla Makela Owner, Darla Makela Coaching Website: darlamakela.com Phone: 507-995-7923

1 on 1 tells the stories of entrepreneurs and mentors working together to achieve success in our community.

Jennifer Wanderscheid Area Manager, Regus Mankato Website: regus.com Phone: 507-519-2271

By Lisa Cownie, Editor

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September | October 2019

To other businesses, new and more seasoned, Makela highly encourages presenting or being a part of 1Million Cups.

“Do It!” she says. “If you are not confident in speaking, it’s a great place to start. My coach was great in helping me tweak my presentation as well as the audience is so kind. It’s a great way to get support in moving forward with your business. I had a great coach as I was preparing my presentation and I am very grateful for her support!”

H

er mentor for 1Million Cups was Jennifer Wanderscheid, manager for Regus Mankato and an entrepreneur herself.

Wanderscheid is eager to help others and has been attending 1Million Cups from the beginning.

“I love anything to do with business, networking and entrepreneurs so it was an easy choice to start attending. After attending for several sessions, I was asked to become more involved and immediately said yes. I love giving back and helping others,” she says.

When helping Makela put together presentations on her business, Wanderscheid had one piece of advice: be yourself.

“My best advice I always give is relax and tell your story. No one knows your story quite like you. 1MC is not about selling or anything like that. We want to know how you came up with your idea, what you’ve done so far, what you want to do next and most importantly, what can we as a community do to help you,” says Wanderscheid.

A seasoned business woman, Wanderscheid says all can benefit from having the 1Million Cups initiative here.

“I know 1MC is a national organization, but it just seems so very ‘Mankato’ to me. Every month you see people there that are young, old, new to business, business vets, entrepreneurs, business owners – just a melting pot of Mankato all coming together to help people. It’s a very friendly group and I always walk away feeling energized and like our town is doing good things,” she says.

1MC meets the first Wednesday of every month at 8:30am at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship on N Riverfront Drive.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

A

fter spending 27 years in the corporate world, Darla Makela needed a change. She knew others probably did too. And she thought she knew how she could help them.

“I started coaching ‘officially’ in August of 2017,” she explains. “I knew this was the perfect transition for me as I had spent many of the past 25 years loving and serving women in a variety of areas.”

Makela is a Certified Health, Life and Mindset Coach operating as Darla Makela Coaching.

“I am passionate about helping people live a more confident and empowered life and I do that with a variety of coaching tools and a strong emphasis on mindset coaching. Our belief system started when we were very young so it’s important to learn to transform those beliefs that are not serving us today and develop healthy beliefs that focus on truth of who we are today.

“My clients learn to believe in themselves again and many go on to do things they never thought possible before. Some thrive as they go through major life transitions and others have learned to be more confident leaders and business owners,” she says.

But as she tried to grow her business, she recognized she herself could use some coaching. She knew how to help others, but running a business proved to be a different set of skills. That’s when she discovered the 1Million Cups initiative in Mankato.

From day one I loved the environment of 1 Million Cups,” Makela says. “Everything felt genuine - like people truly believed in you as a business owner and there were no ulterior motives. They just want to see people thrive and grow in their careers. I also love that there are people in all different phases of success, from new business owners to retired successful business people.”

To see a room full of business and community leaders, mentors, was truly a special experience for Makela.

“This was a great way for me to be able to connect with people in my community and I wanted to get feedback on how I might be able to serve my community better as a Coach,” she reflects. “I made a couple of great connections - people I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to connect with.”

ENTREPRENEURIAL INSIGHT

Responding to the Needs of Entrepreneurs At Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), one of the three program areas that we focus on is economic development. Since our founding in 1986, we have worked to catalyze entrepreneurial activity in our 20-county region by providing early-stage investments, traditional loans, micro loans, technical assistance and mentoring of entrepreneurs. Each year we invest around $1.8 million in economic development initiatives.

Just within the past few months we closed loans with a food truck called Peppered Cow in Albert Lea, Jessica’s Daycare in Austin, Fiddlehead Coffee Company in Rochester, and a vegetable farm called Pearson Organics in Oronoco. We also recently awarded SEED investments to Easy Living Solutions in Rochester and Busy Baby in Oronoco, two start-up businesses that need capital to develop their products.

It’s always exciting to see entrepreneurs turning their innovative ideas into reality.

We also know that entrepreneurs need support in other ways besides financing, which is why we fund organizations and communities through our Economic Development Grant Program. Last summer, Faribault Diversity Coalition received a grant to promote economic growth in downtown Faribault by providing a co-working space for start-up entrepreneurs and small businesses. A few weeks ago, they had a grand opening to showcase the space, and they already have quite a few desks being rented by local entrepreneurs. Another organization, The Garage Cowork Space in Winona, received a grant to provide a series of training sessions and resources for current and aspiring entrepreneurs.

More recently, a grant was awarded to the City of Spring Grove to develop an “entrepreneurial toolkit.” They are using the toolkit to equip local entrepreneurs with resources that will help them address common business challenges. This dovetails nicely with the fact that Spring Grove is one of our Rural Entrepreneurial Venture (REV) communities that we have been working with over the past year and a half. REV is another economic devel-

opment initiative that currently supports six small towns in our region by focusing on developing processes and systems for sustainable economic growth.

Youth entrepreneurs have also been supported through these economic development grants. Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA) is using their grant to engage youth in an exploration of entrepreneurial career opportunities in Houston, Fillmore and Winona Counties. MSU-Mankato is using their grant for a design workshop to equip college students to develop solutions to real-world problems. If we can encourage our youngest entrepreneurs to put their ideas to practice, they might just want to stay and open their businesses here in southern Minnesota.

Economic development happens in many forms – a co-working space or trainings for entrepreneurs might be the right answer for

Tim Penny PRESIDENT/CEO SMIF

some communities. Economic development also happens through the arts and tourism initiatives, among many other things.

SMIF’s grants are designed to support the dynamic needs of this region.

We are currently seeking applications for this grant program, now called Economic Impact Grants. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Pam Bishop, Vice President of Economic Development, at pamb@ smifoundation.org or 507-214-7013.

Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF), a donor-supported foundation, invests for economic growth in the 20 counties of south central and southeastern Minnesota. The Foundation has provided more than $111 million in grants, loans and programming within the region during the past 33 years. SMIF’s key interests include early childhood, community and economic development. To learn more about our work and mission, visit smifoundation.org.

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Christina Meyer CONNECT Business Magazine

41

FEATURE Collaboration Connection

Super Connectors Unite Greater Mankato Growth launches a new program to introduce and onboard new community members.

While not technically super heroes, they may just be saving our region from talent depletion. Known as Super Connectors, some community leaders are stepping up to take part in a new Greater Mankato Growth initiative known as the Community Navigator program.

“The Greater Mankato Growth Community Navigator program is a great addition to the resources provided to new employees as they integrate into our community. We believe it is important that our employees become connected and engaged in the community as soon as possible. Greater Mankato has a lot to offer and we are excited to get our employees connected as they begin their journey as an employee and new community member,” says Dr. James Hebl of Mayo Clinic Health System.

Designed by a member-based task force, Greater Mankato Community Navigators is one of the actions being undertaken by Greater Mankato Growth to support our businesses by helping them better recruit and retain the talent they need.

While businesses onboard their new employees, GMG discovered the community was missing a comprehensive program to onboard new residents. GMG heard from members that if a new professional is not able to build a social network for themselves and their family within two years, our community is likely to lose them.

“We pulled together a group of businesspeople that all had the same desire, to make new residents and their families feel welcome in this community so they would want to build a life here. Once we started talking about our own personal experiences moving here or hiring people from other communities, we realized that the need went far beyond us and decided we had to work to create this program,” said Melissa Bradley of Snell Motors and Chair of the Greater Mankato Community Navigators Committee.

Greater Mankato Community Navigators seeks to address this by intentionally and 42

September | October 2019

“We believe this will translate to people being comfortable here more quickly, and thus more likely to stay,” says Julia Ketcham Corbett, Blethen Berens law firm. quickly ‘rooting’ new residents in our community.

“Recruitment and retention of employees is critical to the success of the businesses in our region, and thus to our region’s success as a whole. When an employee or family relocates to our community, it can be difficult to get connected initially. The faster a person feels at home here, the more likely that person is to stay. The Greater Mankato Community Navigator program will help newcomers get plugged into our community, personally and professionally, more quickly. The program will help them connect to the goods and services they need as well as helping them to make meaningful personal connections as they make their home in our community. We believe this will translate to people being comfortable here more quickly, and thus more likely to stay,” says Julia Ketcham Corbett, Blethen Berens law firm.

Greater Mankato Growth encourages individuals and businesses alike to consider applying to become a Community Navigator and to enroll new employees in the program.

A Community Navigator is a super connector with a robust knowledge of the community.

Newcomers can connect with these navigators online and Greater Mankato Growth will assist in matching them with a personal guide. People will be matched with similar interests in hopes of making the transition of moving here a smooth process.

GMG would not be able to offer this program without the generous support and valuable input of our member task force, our 2019 sponsor Snell Motors and the entire community. This program is available to Greater Mankato Growth members and non-members. More information can be found at greatermankato.com/ navigators.

CONNECTING BACK

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2014 Five years ago, Roger Keinholz of Crystal Valley in Lake Crystal graced our cover.

Also highlighted were Berry Pallets in Waseca and Mathiowetz Construction of Sleepy Eye. Mathiowetz was highly involved at the time in the roundabout construction in Mankato.

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2009 Two well known brothers and community leaders were on the cover a decade ago. Kent and Kim Schwickert were growing their family’s business, Schwickert’s, into a national entity, with 300 employees at that time.

Also featured were Jerry Groebner, editor and publisher of the Lake Region Times out of Madison Lake and Connie Hillesheim of Nadelkunst, a New Ulm specialty shop that had become a mainstay in downtown New Ulm for more than 25 years.

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2004 We were honored to have then-governor Tim Pawlenty on our cover in September 2004. Governor Pawlenty shared with us his vision for the state and how he planned to lead change.

Also featured were Gene Miller of Elm Homes in Waseca and Pat Beemer of Beemer Well Drilling in Fairmont.

1999 Two decades ago, Tom Rosen of Rosen’s Diversified, Inc. (RDI) was on our cover. At the time, the Fairmont business was grossing $550 million, making it a major player in the state.

Also featured were Dr. Wynn Kearney, Jr. Of the Orthopaedic and Fracture Clinic P.A. and Bill Thomas of T Productions was another profile this issue. T Productions supplied t-shirts and sweatshirts to a national market out of New Ulm. CONNECT Business Magazine

43

A Kasota Man Reinvents Himself by Going Back to a True Original

By Lisa Cownie • Photos by Jonathan Smith

B

ack in 2011, at age 59, Mark Johnson may not have looked like your typical entrepreneur, being older than most willing to take the risk at the time. But after losing the business he had owned for 22 years, he mustered up the courage to start all over again. An encore entrepreneur, if you will, giving it a go a second time around.

“I didn’t have a lot of other options,” he reflects. “I had to start over. I wasn’t ready to ride off into the sunset or crawl under a rock. I owned my company, Terrasol, for 22 years. Then in 2008 the economy, and my general manager, both turned against me at the same time.”

Terrasol, a combination of the Latin words for earth and sun, built energy efficient homes.

“The collapse of the housing market forced many people to put their plans on hold except for a few that had the means to stay on the course. One of those people had just sold several Panera Bread franchises and had come to our office to help design a large vacation/rental home on Lake Superior. I didn't have a very good employee contract with my GM and he took the client and started his own business doing the exact same thing as Terrasol. To make sure I didn't come after him with a lawsuit he got me involved in a lawsuit with one of the projects he was managing that took all my resources to defend and eventually cost me my business when I was forced to file bankruptcy in 2009.”

While it’s still painful to talk about, Johnson is proud of the company he had built.

“At that time we had just gotten through the oil embargoes and we as a nation were in an energy crisis, so my goal was to build more energy efficient homes to reduce our energy needs,” says Johnson.

Terrasol was Johnson’s livelihood for more than two decades. So he was left wondering, “What now?”

“At first I tried to change careers and thought I could make good use of my experience and become an insurance adjuster, so I flew to Texas and took classes to become a licensed adjuster. I soon learned that the only way to break into that business at age 59 was to chase tornadoes, live in my vehicle sometimes and crank out as many claims as possible to the benefit of some large insurance company.

Needless to say, that didn't last long because I felt the poor homeowners weren't getting treated fairly and that went against my core values. So I went back to what I knew best and enjoyed the most: contracting.”

But this time around his contracting business would look a little different. In 2011, he formed Artisan Restoration. Artisan Restoration restores, designs and creates new homes using reclaimed historic log cabins and barns. It specializes in green construction techniques, reclaimed materials and energy conservation. His interest in log cabins started way before this new business venture.

Continues

44

September | October 2019

Mark Johnson and faithful companion, Buddy Number Two.

45

Encore Entrepreneur “In 1994, I was looking for a home to move to some property I had subdivided when someone called to offer me a log cabin on their farm near Le Sueur. Even though it wasn’t what I was looking for ... I went to look at it and couldn’t stop thinking about the opportunity for days. I decided to do some test marketing by putting a small classified ad in the Star Tribune to see if there was anyone who would be interested in buying it. Mind you, this was in 1994 when people still read the paper and the internet hadn’t taken over our lives but my phone rang all weekend and I just knew that I could find a buyer, so I bought it. I kept up my ad campaign but I soon realized that the internet would be a big help in selling such a unique item that we started working on our first website.

Long story short, it took me almost three years to find a buyer and since their land was in a government set-aside program we had to wait an entire year before we could start the project. With that

Green Before It Was Cool

“I live in a 100-year-old barn I took down, moved 20 miles and converted into a home in 1976, so switching to log cabins was just a sidestep away. FYI — I designed that home while I was in a drafting class at MSU and got a poor grade because it was small compared to the homes my classmates were drawing. I explained this to my instructor but it didn’t change his mind or my grade. I often wonder if anyone but me ever built the home they designed because I not only recycled that barn but windows from Bethany College, flooring from a church, steel roofing and many other things when green building just meant the color was green.”

The Best Part of the Job

“The best part of the job is finding the right cabin or barn for each customer and seeing that more-than-100-year-old dilapidated old cabin or barn transformed into a beautiful new structure. There are many more problems and pitfalls with this type of work, so navigating through them is very rewarding to me. But the icing on the cake is getting a testimonial from the customer that confirms they feel the same satisfaction as I do,” says Johnson.

46

September | October 2019

Artisan Restoration | Kasota

much lead time I often tell people it’s the first job I started and finished on time,” he muses.

So when Terrasol dissolved, he harkened back to his passion for making old things new, recalling his love of the old log cabins.

“I seem to gravitate toward the extreme with most everything I do, so maybe that’s what led me getting involved with log cabins since they are the oldest homes we have,” Johnson says.

For Johnson, they are more than just a type of construction – they conjure an emotional reaction and nostalgia for a simpler time in a way that no other form of housing can.

“It’s the passion I have for recycling all things old. All my vehicles and most of my equipment (are) at least 20 years old, so I have learned to repair things when they break and if I can’t, it’s really broke and I recycle it. I live in a home that was built using reclaimed materials and it just proves my commitment toward what we do.

Some folks endorse a product they use but for me it’s a lifestyle and I live it every day.”

Building green has long been a passion for Johnson.

“In 1976 I designed and built my first home out of a timber frame barn when green building just meant the color scheme. I used reclaimed flooring from a church; doors and windows from a college; and material from several barns to create that home. Since then I have done many different types of construction until I returned to restoration in 1998 when I bought a pioneer log cabin, and the rest is history — no pun intended. I have worked on projects from Coeur d’ Alene to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I have donated my time and skills to local historical societies as a designer, supplier and builder. Today I operate Artisan Restoration out of that first home and it stands as a testament to my dedication to restoration

We Help You Make the Right Financial Decisions for You and Your Business Eric Thronson BFA®,

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Before and after photos of one of Johnson’s restoration projects.

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47

Encore Entrepreneur and saving our natural and historic resources.”

Artisan Restoration primarily covers Southern Minnesota, Northern Iowa and Western Wisconsin. However, at times he does get out of the Midwest.

“Last year we shipped a large log cabin package to Prescott, Arizona, and three weeks ago my wife and I delivered the last few logs that would have overloaded the semi for what I call my first paid vacation. On our way home we stopped in Breckenridge, Colorado, to visit a fellow who just bought an old gold mine for a tourist attraction and has plans to put up some guest cabins and a barn home. I am also working with a client who wants to build on Washington Island off the Door County Peninsula if they can find a general contractor to finish the job.

“I am doing more and more consulting work and last year was hired by (a) pilot that flew up from South Dakota and picked me and my wife up at the Mankato airport so I could inspect his log home. He was also a flight instructor … he asked me if I’d like to learn to fly on the way home, so when I said yes we switched to his training plane and I took off, white knuckles and all. In a few weeks we are headed to Virginia to look at a cabin that dates back to the 1750s for my second paid vacation this year – and (I) don’t have to fly the plane this time.”

Just as the geographic area is hard to nail down, so too is the clientele.

“Even though we are a small company in a small niche market,

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Johnson lives his passion restoring log homes.

Artisan Restoration | Kasota

we have a wide range of clients due to the unique services we offer.

For example, last year we did a tiny house/cabin package for one client and sold our biggest cabin to a builder in Arizona. We also did barn repairs for a small farmer and a large barn home package for a doctor, so it varies a lot and that’s what I like about the business. I used to think about things like my target market and the competition, but those days are over, thank goodness, and all I need to worry about today is finding the right customers and the right help to make it all happen. I must say thanks to shows like Barnwood Builders and a few others that have raised awareness about these old structures and helped my business to grow. I have been called by several production companies in regards to being involved in a show like that but I like what I do and taking on a role like that might take the fun out of it for me.”

As Johnson eyes retirement, he is expanding the number of Artisan Restoration employees; he is now up to six. Like so many other employers in our region, he has had to think outside the box to fill slots.

“Finding new employees has always been difficult because of the

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A Family Effort

“I grew up in Denmark, Wisconsin, and came to Mankato to attend Bethany Lutheran College in 1970. It was here that I met my wife, Sandy, and got married in 1974. She has been my bookkeeper and partner throughout my entire career, as we celebrated our 45th anniversary this year. We have a son, Lance, who is married and teaches special needs kids here in Mankato. Our daughter lives in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with her husband and teaches yoga, health and wellness while helping raise our two beautiful granddaughters. It would have been nice if they had taken an interest in my business but they chose careers that help restore people instead of old buildings, which is just as important, if not more so, in today’s world.”

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Encore Entrepreneur

Artisan Restoration | Kasota

“After being self-employed for most of my life this will not be as simple as it sounds because people like me are workaholics but there isn’t a 12-Step program for us to follow.” travel aspect. So this year I took a different approach to cut down on travel and find people that not only wanted a job but a career opportunity. Let’s face it, I’m going to be 68 this year and I really should be thinking about retiring someday, so I decided to share that with everyone and focus on hiring at least a few people that could appreciate the opportunity here at Artisan Restoration. As for employees in general, I used to consider them a necessary evil, but as I got older I knew I had to have more help. So this year I decided to change my role from crew leader to mentor and let go of the reins a lot more.

This is a lot easier for someone who sells tires or makes widgets because for the most part it’s just a matter of delegating work to others, but it is not an easy task for someone like me

who has all the experience and is really the lifeblood of the business.”

But that, he says, is not the most challenging part of his owning this business.

“The most challenging part of my job is yet to come this year as I will be letting go of the reins and handing them off to others as I take part in a program called Half-Retire, or something like that. It was created for people like me with a small business who will be lucky to sell it for what it’s worth and retire in comfort. In a nutshell it simply means changing my old habits and mindset, wanting to do other things and taking the steps that will allow it to happen.

“After being self-employed for most of my life this will not be as simple as it sounds because people like me are workaholics but

there isn’t a 12-Step program for us to follow.

I haven’t bought into the Half-Retire program yet but I’m doing the research and taking the first steps to make sure I’m ready to enroll in the program full time and be successful at it.

My real hope is that I will find someone who will take this opportunity and I will work for them in whatever role they choose, as mentor or sensei. Finding that person will be my next biggest challenge so if you know of anyone that is looking to own their own a business doing challenging work and preserving historic buildings have them call me. I would love to meet someone that fits that role and shares some of the same goals as I do.”

THE ESSENTIALS Artisan Restoration 1102 Terrasol Lane Kasota, MN 56050 Phone: 507-243-4123 Web: artisanrestorationmn.com

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

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September | October 2019

HOT STARTZ! MANKATO

Devenport Consulting, LLC It is about as “niche-y” as a niche market can get, but Dan Devenport believes his experience and reputation will be a great foundation on which to build his new business.

Devenport Consulting offers food safety and quality assurance support to companies looking for regulatory or best practices support. Typical services range from executing a gap analysis of current practices versus best practices, creating programs/policy/ procedure, training employees, internal auditing, as well as maintenance of their suppliers and programs. It’s an industry Devenport knows well, having worked for a well-known company.

“During my 11 years at Angie’s Boomchickapop I was able to see firsthand how much of an impact was made by getting input from people who had been there before, and how much it helped our business grow while wading through the risks associated with the product,” says Devenport. “My goal is to assist those with dreams of their own to get where they want to be with as few bumps in the road as possible. It doesn’t hurt that the entrepreneurial, small business energy is great to be around!”

It’s that passion for people and business that prompted Devenport to create the business in February of 2019.

“The energy and passion that these owners and entrepreneurs have for what they are doing is a little more powerful than even I expected,” he says. “Coming from an entrepreneurial company myself I was expecting some of that, of course, but these people pour their hearts and souls into their businesses and it is quite flattering that they entrust me to help them get there.”

Aside from the challenge of spelling his name...he stresses it’s NOT spelled with an “a”...Devenport says the other big challenge is that it’s not always obvious who could

benefit from his expertise.

“Luckily for me the reputation of my prior company opened many doors and created many opportunities for me, however, you don’t find potential clients the way you do in many businesses. Advertising and marketing are difficult when you are dealing with a focused group of people needing your services. Therefore, finding the right way to get the company’s name and reputation to prospective clients is certainly the biggest challenge,” says Devenport.

Devenport Consulting, LLC Phone: 507-420-4653 Web: devenportconsulting.com

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51

HOT STARTZ! SLEEPY EYE

MN Comfort In-Home Care Services Jeremy Domeier and LeAnn Domeier have made a life, and their careers, out of helping others. Both long time LPNs, they began to see a need not being fully met in their community: home care services to help people dealing with medical issues to be able to stay in their homes.

So the two Domeiers (who not married to each other, LeAnn’s husband and Jeremy are cousins), decided to turn their combined experience and compassion for others into a business plan.

“We always talked about starting home care,” explains LeAnn. “I was an LPN for many years, then recently went back to school to become an RN. Throughout the course of more college the home care idea became more appealing to us and we decided to take that challenge up earlier this year.

We have been busy marketing MN Comfort In-Home Care Services since February.”

MN Comfort In-Home Care is licensed

by Minnesota Dept of Health with a comprehensive home care license for Brown, Nicollet, Renville, Redwood and Watonwan

counties. With this licensure they are able to provide anything from medication management, wound care, IV therapy, help with ADLs (bathing, transfers, etc) shopping, laundry, doctor appointments and more.

“As with any start up business, cost has been the biggest challenge so far,” she says.

“The license alone is $4,200. Also, when starting a new business it takes time to gain clientele so just having patience to get it going from the ground up.”

So far, she says the company is gaining traction in the communities they serve.

“We have been received well, it has been slow going,” LeAnn says. “But we are

here for the long haul and committed to providing excellent care for our patients and their families. We are excited! Our goals for the next year or two are to fill up our calendars and help our clients to be healthy and happy in their own homes, while keeping their independence. That is truly what it is all about.”

MN Comfort In-Home Care Services 713 Maple Street Southwest Phone: 507-766-9783 or 507-227-2798 Web: mncomfortcare.com

Catch the Hometown Business Connection on KEYC News 12!

KEYC News 12 and Connect Business Magazine 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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September | October 2019

To be considered for Hot Startz, tell us about a new business or new professional in the area by emailing editor@connectbiz.com.

NEW ULM

NU Surface Benjamin Schoo has counseled in the field of addiction for 12 years. It’s been a rewarding career which he enjoyed, but recently he discovered another passion.

“When my wife and I purchased our home in 2013, we began remodeling what we were able to on our own. The expensive upgrades were not in our budget like replacing our countertops and bathtub so when I was introduced to the idea of surface restoration, I was immediately intrigued,” says Schoo.

The idea to make a career change began last year in September while Schoo visited the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa.

“I met a gentleman who was tabling a booth providing a similar service as NU Surface. I talked with him for about an hour, inquiring heavily about the refinishing process at which time he informed me there were no refinishers in the New Ulm area.

Later that afternoon, I told my wife I was going to start a resurfacing business and it has been her encouragement and support that has been the driving force behind this business getting started,” he says.

In January he completed a refinishing certification course in Chicago and began practicing his newly learned trade on his

own tubs and countertops, as well as those of friends and family. Soon he was booking jobs. By April, he made the decision to pursue the business full time, leaving his profession as counselor.

“I understand that many people, myself included, are limited both in finances and abilities when it comes to DIY home improvement projects. Replacement is not always an option and can leave a room seeming unfinished, no matter what the upgrades were. Bathtubs and countertop replacements are large expenses, not to mention the amount of time you are left unable to use the space. I wanted to provide people in similar situations as I was in with the ability

to modify their home,” says Schoo.

“We offer a much less expensive and much less time-consuming alternative to replacing worn, damaged, outdated or unsightly bathtubs, shower surrounds, vanities, sinks, tile, cabinets and countertops. We are able to repair chips, cracks, holes, separated seams or any other damaged problem needing to be fixed on surfaces. We have 27 different faux- granite options for countertops, sinks and tile and are able to match any color for bathtub and shower surrounds.”

NU Surface Phone: 507-217-7406 Web: nusurfacemn.com

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Bolton-Menk.com CONNECT Business Magazine

53

BULLETIN BOARD Local Chamber and Economic Development News

Marshall EDA

Mountain Lake

Marcia Loeslie: The Marshall EDA is thrilled to announce that Marshall’s Commerce Industrial Park is officially DEED Shovel Ready Certified. Commerce Park’s Shovel Ready certified designation will increase our online presence to site selectors and play a significant role in our community’s economic future. As a thriving regional hub with a reputation for regional economic vitality, Marshall is a forward thinking, business-friendly community with retail, commercial and industrial development opportunities available. It’s also a wonderful place to call home.

Rob Anderson: The city recently completed construction of a 40-acre commercial park adjacent to US Highway 60 and Third Avenue in Mountain Lake. The eight-lot commercial park is “shovel ready” and has great access and visibility to US Highway 60. Casey’s General Store is the park’s first occupant, construction will be complete in the fall of 2019. Mountain Lake Public School is undergoing a $13,000,000 building renovation project. Work began in June and is expected to be complete in the fall of 2020.

Fairmont Area Chamber

Henderson Chamber

Ned Koppen: The Business Education Committee of the Fairmont Area Chamber is preparing to host their annual Teacher Recognition Banquet, welcoming our new teachers and honoring twenty-five year veterans of our district. The event, held in late October, is an opportunity for residents and businesses to meet area educators and thank them for their service to our community.

The committee is also seeking donations and volunteers to assist with the Junior Achievement program in our schools.

Jeff Steinborn: The Henderson Classic Car Roll-In continues each Tuesday through September 17. A special Sunday Roll-In will be held on September 29th 1:00-4:00 pm. Chamber meetings are the last Wednesday at Noon, alternating at the Henderson Roadhaus and Toody’s Sweet Treats. Henderson is a great place to stop while checking out the fall colors along the Minnesota River Valley Scenic Byway.

Visit Fairmont Stephanie Busiahn: Get to the core of what autumn is for at the Center Creek Orchard Fall Festival in Fairmont! Experience seasonal classics like hayrides, apple pies, scarecrow building and a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. Let curiosity grow with the scavenger hunt, super slide, giant maze, barrel rides, haunted forest and more! Harvest new memories and hours of family fun this year at the Fall Festival, open every weekend in September and October. Find out more at VisitFairmontMN.com!

Greater Mankato Growth Bridget Norland: This year’s Greater Mankato Business Awards & Hall of Fame ceremony, presented by Mayo Clinic Health System, will be held Tuesday, November 12 at the Mankato Civic Center. This is a time where we honor the outstanding businesses, professionals and organizations who generously contribute to the ongoing success and vibrancy of the Greater Mankato community. Nominations accepted through September 16 at greatermankato.com/awards.

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September | October 2019

Le Sueur Chamber Julie Boyland: Le Sueur would like to welcome a new Mexican restaurant El Tenampa. The 9th Annual Le Sueur County Senior Expo will be held Thursday, October 17 at Le Sueur-Henderson Middle/High School Commons Area. Join us for local vendors, health screenings and plenty of fun! Parent caregivers are encouraged to attend. Sponsored by Le Sueur Parks & Recreation, Le Sueur Henderson Community Education, and the Le Sueur Chamber of Commerce. Call for more information: 507-665-2501.

Lake Crystal Area Chamber Julie Reed: The Chamber wishes to welcome two new members: Healing Hands Massage and the American Lung Association.

Cruz ‘IN Lake Crystal continues our third year of beautiful cars, awesome wheels and LOTS of food and goodies. Classic cars and motorcycles from all over the state of Minnesota join us every other Thursday evening from 5 to 8 pm through September 19.

Our finale night is the ROCKIN AND ROLL ‘IN raffle. Join us in and around Marston Park - downtown Lake Crystal.

Submit your chamber news to editor@connectbiz.com

Waseca Chamber

City of Winnebago

Ann Fitch: We are still taking applications for our bi-annual Waseca Leadership Academy starting on September 25th. We can accept applications up until August 30th. This is a brilliant way to have your employees immerse themselves into our Community. Each session is an interactive day of learning and leadership.

This Academy is for anyone regardless of their level of leadership in the community. Previous participants include, Ben O’Brien, Megan Lynch, Joel Pfeifer, Tammy Olmanson, Heather Harms, Jed Kalbow, and Tom Lee.

Jean Anderson: The City of Winnebago is pleased to announce the appointment of our new City Administrator, Jacob Skluzacek. He hails from the City of Lonsdale and brings new ideas and excitement to our city. He joined the City on July 10. The Winnebago Community Club, in conjunction with Winnebago businesses and churches, will once again be hosting a Halloween Parade from 5:30 to 7:00. Please stop by either West City Park or Whiting Park to see the new playground equipment recently installed.

New Ulm Area Chamber

St. James EDA

Sarah Warmka: The New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce welcomes Axis Chiropractic, The Lyric 3–Phoenix Theatres, and B&J Laundromat as new members! Network New Ulm begins in September with a full class. September and October events include HermannFest, Modenschau Downtown Boutique & Pub Crawl, Newcomers Event, New Ulm Area Wedding Show and Oktoberfest. For dates and more information, please visit newulm.com.

Jamie Scheffer: The Lewis Family Drug building is well underway and we are excited to celebrate their new location this fall. The City also approved a special use permit for a hemp facility in a vacant building near downtown. The EDA has been actively involved in a county-wide child care shortage grant that was awarded from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation. The school board in St. James announced in July that they are expanding their Community Child Care program by 35 slots.

Small Business Development Center Julie Nelson: Need quick business advice? Have a cup of coffee with SBDC consultants at our Saturday morning Consulting Cafés.

Get quick guidance in areas such as finance, marketing, business planning, bookkeeping, and start-up. Upcoming dates: September 14, October 12 and November 9. All sessions are 9:00 to 11:00 am at the MSU Strategic Partnership Center, 424 N Riverfront Dr, Mankato. Co-sponsored by SBDC, SCORE and BankVista. Register at myminnesotabusiness.com, click on Training.

St. James Area Chamber Joe McCabe: On September 28, the Chamber, in conjunction with Healthy Families Healthy Futures, will be hosting a Bike Fest at Memorial Park! This is a free event featuring Bike Safety and biking on the Watonwan County Trail System. October 28 is the annual Halloween Parade in the business district at 5 p.m. Historically over 200 children in costume parade down the business district and collect candy from the merchants. This is followed by the Community Education Early Childhood program at Armstrong School.

St. Peter Chamber Ed Lee: We welcome new member Shady Ridge Cabinetry to the St. Peter Chamber family. We join St. Peter Food Co-op and the Arts Center of St. Peter in celebrating 40-year anniversaries. Everyone is invited on September 7 and 8 to the annual free Rock Bend Folk Festival, where the community’s grand new $1.6 million pavilion will be the centerpiece. The St. Peter Chamber hosts the annual free Girls Night Out on October 3, and everyone is encouraged to participate.

Region Nine Dev. Commission Need a business loan? Region Nine administers a Revolving Loan Fund program to assist existing businesses, as well as new entrepreneurs, in securing financing they are otherwise unable to secure through traditional channels. The primary goal of the program is to create new jobs, or retain existing jobs, in the region. Make Region Nine your regional partner for progress this year! Learn more at rndc.org/what-we-do/revolving-loan-fund/.

CONNECT Business Magazine

55

ASK A PROFESSIONAL

Sponsored Content

The Five Things All Entrepreneurs Should Know When It Comes to Their Payroll Congratulations! You have just made the big leap into becoming a business owner and are ready to have your own employees.

This is a very exciting time, and everything is moving so fast. You might be learning as you go and asking questions along the way, like, “When it comes to actually paying my employees, how to I do it right?” Allow me to help by explaining five things all entrepreneurs should know when it comes to payroll.

1) Registering with the Federal and State Government

Once you become a business owner, you have to register for your tax ID numbers for both federal and state. When filling out those applications, did you tell them you would have employees? If not, that needs to be set up. And once you hit certain requirements, you will need to apply for state unemployment ID numbers.

2) New Hire Paperwork

To start paying your employees, you need to have the accurate information to get them all registered in the proper places. The W-4 form helps with providing the legal name, address, social security number and the number of allowances they are claiming to determine how much to withhold for Federal and state withholding. Employees should also fill out the required I-9 form.

This helps determine if an employee is eligible to work in the United States.

3) New Hire Reporting and Social Security Verification

Have you reported your new hire to the state yet? This is a requirement of the state for the purpose of locating parents who owe child support. Each state has a different requirement of what you are to report, so make sure you look into the state you are filing these in before you submit them.

Have you verified that the social security number your employee gave you is valid?

With the social security administration beginning to send out “no-match letters,” verifying is a good idea. If the W-2 you provide to the social security administration does not match the employee’s social security card, you will receive a SSA “no-match letter,” which will require further inquiry and correction steps. Starting in 2019 penalties will be accessed if you send in a W2 that does not match the social security card.

4) Payroll Processing and Withholding

Processing payroll is not as easy as some believe. Most think it just involves taking rate of pay times hours worked. But it’s not as simple as it sounds; employers are required by the government to withhold certain taxes each payroll period, such as: Federal withholding, Social Security, Medicare and state withholding. If you are in certain states, you will also need to withhold local taxes, unemployment tax,

Angie Ziegler, CPP EIDE BAILLY, NATIONAL BOS SENIOR MANAGER

disability tax … and the list keeps growing!

To stay compliant, you have to make sure that you are aware of the changing rules that are being passed in each state.

Another thing to consider as a business owner is how to correctly set up benefits that you may offer to your employees. This helps to determine if the benefits will be withheld pre-tax or post-tax from your employees.

5) Payroll Taxes and Form Reporting

You have finally jumped through all these hurdles, and now it’s time for your employees to get paid. But now, what do you do with the taxes and deductions you have withheld from their payroll? There are rules on how often you are required to pay into the IRS and the Department of Revenue, and you don’t want to be late!

Payroll has some of the highest penalties for late payments. The next step is to report wages and taxes withheld and paid. This can be done on a quarterly or annual basis through forms that are set up online for your government agencies.

Starting a business as an entrepreneur is an exciting yet challenging time. With these five things under your belt that all entrepreneurs should know, you’ll have the very basic knowledge to start off on the right foot.

At Eide Bailly, what inspires you, inspires us, and we will be here for you every step of the way. If you have payroll questions, contact us today!

Angie Ziegler has 17 years of accounting experience for large and small businesses in a variety of industries.

Services include payroll processing and compliance reporting services, preparation of financial statements and files sales and use tax returns, prepares and files payroll tax returns in almost all 50 states and guidance for businesses on day-to-day payroll activities, federal and state notices, garnishments and tax updates.

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September | October 2019

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September | October 2019

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