Liv Aveda First place — Best massage First place — Best beauty salon Liv Aveda wants to pamper you — in greenwise fashion, of course. For the Mankato salon and spa with more than 55 employees, “being ecofriendly and environmentally conscious is part of who we are as a company,” said Magen Feuchtenberger, general manager. She notes that Aveda products boast naturally derived ingredients and the salon uses only biodegradable and compostable cups for the beverages it offers to guests. Liv Aveda also uses cloth towels instead of paper towels and have parted with some spa treatments that did not use natural resources efficiently. Liv Aveda celebrated its 10th anniversary in Mankato in March 2012. The Mankato Magazine asked the Liv Aveda staff to
share some style and relaxation tips for readers. From Hilary Cowdin, salon lead and stylist: “This season texture is in. Try to find the best ways to work with any natural wave or curl you may have. There are so many products to choose from that work with different hair types. Even adding a braid to your style can add a textured look for anyone.” From April Olfert, spa lead and massage therapist: “My advice for relaxation at home is to use aromatherapy. You can use your favorite aroma and drop it into a nice warm bath or put it on your pillow when you sleep at night. Take a few deep breaths and you’ll feel the stress leave your body.”
Hilton Garden Inn First place — Best hotel/motel Everything looks a little different from the top of the Hilton Garden Inn. The slated-for-demolition Gage Towers on the Minnesota State University campus notwithstanding, the Hilton Garden Inn’s ninth floor might provide the area’s best aerial view of Mankato and North Mankato. In each corner of the floor is one of the hotel’s “four-corner” rooms, each offering a balcony with a spectacular vista of the river valley, or of downtown Mankato. Also on the ninth floor is a fully-loaded
board room for businesses and meetings that overlooks downtown. “It’s pretty all-inclusive,” said Steve Tacheny, the hotel’s general manager. The board room can expand into a second room if needed and includes all the standard audio and visual capability as well as other amenities such as a projection system. Tacheny said the room is available for groups in town, but is primarily used by out-of-towners and for wedding receptions.
Best Carpet Cleaners Winner: Shine Way Second: Vanderberg Cleaning Service Third: ServiceMaster
Best Beauty Salon Winner: Liv Aveda Salon and Spa Second: Indulge Salon and Tanning Third: JCPenney
Best Car Wash Winner: Kwik Trip Second: Gerring’s Mankato Car Wash Third: Snell Auto Wash
Best Electrical Service Winner: (tie) Ploog Electric; Steel Electric Second: (tie) Schwickert’s; Volk Electric Third: (tie) Javens Electric; Fischer and Hoehn Electric
Best Plumbing Service Winner: Jordan Plumbing and Heating Second: (tie) Paul’s Plumbing and Heating; Stuve Plumbing Third: Schwickert’s
RW Carlstrom First place — Best construction company No doubt you’ve seen RW Carlstrom’s work around town. The third-generation family construction business is the company behind such buildings as the St. Peter Community Center, Mayo Clinic Health System-Andreas Cancer Center, Bethany Lutheran College’s Honsey Hall, MinnStar Bank and the Riverside Regional Pet Center, to name a small few. The company was founded in 1945 by Robert W. Carlstrom and passed down to sons Jon and Lee Carlstrom. Grandson Ian Carlstrom and Scott Umhoefer took over 28 • July 2012 • MANKATO MAGAZINE
in 2004 and continue to work on projects both large and small. They pride themselves on the fact that 90 percent of their business comes from repeat customers. MM: Are there any projects that were particularly rewarding? How so? Scott Umhoefer: I think that the most rewarding projects are the facilities that are challenging in terms of budget, schedule or construction type. Working with the owner, architect, and subcontractors to successfully meet those challenges is very rewarding.
MM: What kind of feeling do you have when a project is finished and you take a step back to view what your team has accomplished? SU: Relief — just kidding. You always have a sense of pride. However, what you might not know, is that many times when we finish a project, it can leave you with a sense of missing the work, the people involved, and the intensity that comes from the running of a project on a daily basis. Projects become a large part of your life. M