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Michelle Pawelski
GIVING PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT
In 1985, the Coca-Cola Company made one of the strangest business decisions in history. They changed their classic formula and launched “New Coke.” The backlash was swift and brutal. Customers hoarded old Coke, protesters gathered outside company headquarters, and one man in San Antonio even drove to a Coca-Cola bottling plant with a sign that read: “We want the old Coke back!”
The company spent millions on research and focus groups but still missed the fact that people didn’t want to see their beloved Coke, a product that was already crushing it in the market, change in any way. Within 79 days, Coca-Cola brought back the original formula as “Coca-Cola Classic.”
Welcome to this issue of Elevate, where we feature businesses in the region who have learned what Coca-Cola briefly forgot. Instead of changing what works, they’ve focused on doing what they do best, only bigger, better, and closer to the people who need it. They’ve looked at their communities and asked not “How can we rein-
PRESIDENT & CEO
Tom Johnson
SENIOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIPS
DIRECTOR
Taylor Davis
SENIOR MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DIRE CTOR
Shiloh Francis
SENIOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Lori Frederick
SENIOR PUBLIC POLICY DIRECTOR
Garth Wadsworth
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Liz Highland
ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT & PROPERTY MANAGER
Loni Reichert
vent ourselves?” but “How can we give people more of what they want?”
Monument Health didn’t change their approach to healthcare; they just brought it closer to Rapid Valley residents who were driving across town for quality care. Victoria’s Garden didn’t stop being a flower shop; they created more ways for people to experience the joy of flowers through classes and events. Jason Kingsbury didn’t reinvent craft brewing; he gave Hill City beer lovers the same quality experience that made Cohort a Rapid City southside favorite. And Parts One NAPA didn’t abandon their automotive expertise; they just made sure they could say “yes” to more customers under one massive roof.
As you read these stories, you’ll see that the best growth isn’t about becoming something you’re not. It’s about becoming more of what you already are, for more people, and in more places.
Here’s to giving people what they want, when they want it, where they want it.
Stay safe and God-Speed.
HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Laura Jones
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Kallie Ruland
BUSINESS PROSPECT MANAGER
Drew Staufer
CREATIVE SERVICES MANAGER
Bailey Sadowsky
EVENTS & MARKETING MANAGER
Kamryn Wainwright
INVESTOR SALES MANAGER
Adam Braun
EXECUTIVE
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Ashley Simonson
Tom Johnson, President & CEO
Elevate is a monthly publication produced by Elevate Rapid City. It is the premier business magazine for the Black Hills region telling the stories that make our area unique and vibrant.
PO Box 747 Rapid City, SD 57709 605.343.1744
elevaterapidcity.com
RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA \\ JUNE
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
September 1
NATIVE AMERICAN PERFORMERS AND STORYTELLERS
Crazy Horse Memorial crazyhorsememorial.org/event
September 4 – 7
FRANKENSTEIN
Performing Arts Center performingartsrc.org/events
September 5 – 7
STRATOBOWL HISTORIC HOT AIR BALLOON LAUNCH
Stratobowl Rim Trail blackhillsballoons.com
September 6
BLACK HILLS FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL
Black Hills Harley-Davidson blackhillshd.com
September 6
CRAZY DAYZ
Main Street Square visitrapidcity.com/event
September 6
STEREOTRIP
The Park thepark707.com/event
September 6
STORYBOOK ISLAND FAIRYTALE 5K
Storybook Island storybookisland.org
September 12
LIVE MUSIC WITH JOHNNY LONESOME
Firehouse Wine Cellars firehousewinecellars.com
September 13 – 20
SCARECROW CONTEST
Main Street Square visitrapidcity.com/event
September 14
AMERICAN TUNE WITH TOM GLYNN
Performing Arts Center rapidcityconcertassociation.com
September 17
WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY?
The Monument themonument.live/events
September 20
PUMPKIN PUB CRAWL
Rapid City visitrapidcity.com/event/
September 20
THE GREAT DOWNTOWN PUMPKIN FESTIVAL
Main Street Square visitrapidcity.com
September 26
HUNTLEY: HOMETOWN TOUR
The Park thepark.ticketspice.com
September 27
THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL
Performing Arts Center performingartsrc.org/events
September 27
FREE ENTRANCE DAYS IN THE NATIONAL PARKS Badlands National Park home.nps.gov/planyourvisit
Events are curated with the most accurate information available at the time of print. Please check the event website for full details or changes.
Rapid City Business Journal is a weekly show and a business news website produced by Elevate Rapid City and The HomeSlice Group. We strive to produce daily and weekly business news supporting Rapid City, The Black Hills, and South Dakota.
333 West Boulevard Ste. 200 Rapid City, SD 57709
605.343.6161
rapidcitybusinessjournal.com
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Mark Houston
PUBLIC SERVICE DIRECTOR
Leslie Cline
IT/ENGINEERING
Chris Jaques
PRODUCER
Amber Clement PRODUCTION
Oakley Tye
PROMOTIONS
Mitchell Stafford
WEBSITE DESIGN
Brenna Sherry
DATA MANAGEMENT
Josh Partridge OPERATIONS
Toni Kinney
THE CAST
Mark Houston
Leslie Cline
Amy Rose
Mitchell Stafford
Oakley Tye
Brandon Jones
Gary Matthews
Francie Ganje
Another HomeSlice Audio Production
EVENTS 2025 SEPTEMBER
BLOOMIN’ BEYOND FLOWERS
VICTORIA’S GARDEN FLOURISHES THROUGH EXPANSION AND COMMUNITY IN DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY
STORY BY KYLER HAGEN, DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY \\ PHOTOS BY SHILOH FRANCIS
What began as a teenage fascination with flower shops has grown into one of downtown Rapid City’s most beloved businesses. Over the past three decades, Victoria’s Garden has evolved from a tiny floral shop into a thriving creative hub, expanding its space, offerings, and influence throughout the community.
Victoria “Vicki” Bierman, who grew up in Sturgis, founded Victoria’s Garden in 1989. It began as a modest storefront known as Terry’s Floral. Vicki had originally pursued a career in healthcare but found herself drawn back to flowers after college. She spent her weekends in college taking the bus around the city to visit flower shops. She got her start at Terry’s Floral as a delivery driver and quickly immersed herself in every aspect of the business, eventually purchasing it and renaming it Victoria’s Garden.
The shop’s early years were fast-paced and full of learning curves. Vicki navigated busy holidays, limited space and logistical hurdles while slowly building the brand’s identity. From the beginning, her vision leaned botanical and artistic, favoring garden-inspired arrangements that felt hand-gathered and organic. “I wanted our arrangements to feel like someone had just gone into their garden and gathered a bouquet — wild, natural, unexpected,” Vicki said.
As the business found its rhythm, physical growth followed. Victoria’s Garden has moved locations three times, each time into a larger, more functional space. Today, the shop is housed in a beautifully restored building at 320 Seventh St., with an inviting main floor and a fully developed lower level that supports its latest wave of expansion.
That lower level has become a central part of Victoria’s Garden’s evolution. The space is now a venue for floral classes, workshops and events. One of its signature offerings is the Bloom Bar, a DIY floral station open every Friday from noon to 5:00 pm, where customers can handpick stems and create their own arrangements, offering a hands-on experience where they can engage with flowers in a creative, community-driven way.
Their first event, the Practical Magic Garden Party, was a turning point, showcasing the true potential of the new space. The themed gathering drew hundreds of visitors and featured interactive crafts, pop-up vendors and immersive décor. The success of this event inspired Vicki and her team to fully realize the vision for the lower level, which ultimately led to more intentional programming. “When people started walking through the door, I cried,” Vicki said. “It was like, yes—we did it. People felt the magic we were trying to create.” With plans to
“IT WAS LIKE, YES—WE DID IT. PEOPLE FELT THE MAGIC WE WERE TRYING TO CREATE.”
have someone who can dedicate more time to supporting the space, they are excited to expand their event offerings and continue creating memorable experiences for the community.
The business has also steadily broadened its retail footprint. Once limited to floral arrangements and plants, Victoria’s Garden now offers a curated selection of home goods, pottery, wine, greeting cards, gifts and more. This mix of products allows the shop to serve a wider customer base and enhance the overall shopping experience beyond traditional floral work.
Much of this growth has been strategic, but it’s also been rooted in relationship-building. Vicki’s long-standing ties to the community have helped
- VICKI BIERMAN
Victoria’s Garden remain both relevant and deeply local. Whether through chamber events in the early years or social media marketing today, the business continues to thrive by staying present and connected.
Staffing has also grown in step with the shop’s ambitions. From a one-woman operation with a single designer, Victoria’s Garden now employs more than a dozen team members. That includes floral designers, delivery drivers, retail specialists, and behind-the-scenes support. Each contributes to the warm, welcoming atmosphere that defines the brand.
The expansion hasn’t come without challenges. Vicki acknowledges the learning curve of scaling up, from
managing inventory to documenting internal processes. But the evolution has also made room for her to step into more visionary leadership. With an assistant now onboard and more defined roles among her team, she’s focused on what’s next: expanding community events, educational experiences, and fostering deeper connections with customers.
Even after 36 years in business, Vicki’s passion hasn’t wavered. “People keep asking when I’ll retire,” she said. “I tell them, I still have things I want to do here. I’m not done.” She’s energized by the creativity of her team, the inspiration she draws from other florists, and the joy that flowers continue to bring to people’s lives.
Victoria’s Garden today is far more than a flower shop. It’s a place to gather, to create, to celebrate and to feel something beautiful. And as the business continues to grow, it’s doing so with the same intention it began with: leading with heart, creativity, and a deep commitment to its community. *
Photo submitted of the Bloom Bar.
CO
IT TAKES A HORT
JASON KINGSBURY’S BEER-LOVING CREW HELPS HIM LAUNCH
SECOND BREWERY LOCATION
STORY BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI \\ PHOTOS BY SHILOH FRANCIS
Launching a brewery is no small task; building, planning, staffing, marketing, fermenting—it’s a lot. Opening a second location in under five years? That might sound a little crazy.
Jason Kingsbury would agree.
But with a deep passion for craft beer, a commitment to guest experience, and unwavering support from his beer-loving community of family and friends, Jason dove headfirst into his next venture.
In July, he expanded Cohort Craft Brewery, an established favorite on Rapid City’s southside since 2021, by acquiring the former Miner Brewing Company in Hill City.
It wasn’t part of the plan, but it was an opportunity Jason couldn’t pass up.
“There was really never any true plan to grow beyond Fifth Street. We just wanted to focus on making an excellent product and providing quality
customer service, but then this property became available, and my wife said, “‘You need to do this.’”
If his wife was on board, Jason figured they might as well make the leap.
He grew up in La Crosse, Wisc., during what he calls the “OG craft beer scene” with Midwest heavyweights Surly and New Glarus.
“It was always in the back of my mind to get a brewery rolling, but my career was successful, and I was on a good path,” he said.
At the time, Jason was a clinical dietitian, and Kristin was a nurse anesthetist. In 2009, he was working in La Crosse and she was at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., when they decided they needed a change.
“We wanted something a little more rural,” said Jason, an avid outdoorsman. Rapid City was the final stop on a tour that included Boulder, Colo.,
Bend, Ore., and Flagstaff, Ariz. “We came here, and Rapid City had all the amenities but not all the people. I could go mountain biking on fantastic trails. We thought ‘this is it.’”
They both landed jobs at the hospital and began their next chapter.
Jason enjoyed his work but always had a dream of brewing. “But brewing isn’t easy,” he said. “And I didn’t have the time to fully commit to homebrewing.”
That changed in 2010 when Kristin bought him a homebrew kit.
“It turned out far more than a hobby. Once I started, I knew it was something I had to do.”
He transformed their southside home just blocks from where their first fullscale brewery would open in April 2021 into a mini production setup with pumps, chillers and small-scale equipment.
Ten years later, Jason transformed his homebrewing passion into Cohort Brewery starting from bare studs in October 2020 and building it into a beloved southside hangout that added energy to a growing neighborhood.
“We’ve had nice, slow organic growth,” Jason said of their Fifth Street location. “We weren’t pushing anything. As we saw a need to get more fermenters, we got more.”
For him, the focus is on the taprooms. “I want to meet the people drinking the beer. I want to answer their questions.”
He’s brought that same sense of community to Cohort-Black Hills, which opened July 1. Less than a month in, the outdoor area next to the taproom was packed for one of its first events; the Black Hills Yoga Festival.
“This is what it is all about,” Jason said, pointing toward the crowd.
WE CAME HERE, & RAPID CITY HAD ALL THE AMENITIES BUT NOT ALL THE PEOPLE. I COULD GO MOUNTAIN BIKING ON FANTASTIC TRAILS.
WE THOUGHT ‘THIS IS IT.’”
- JASON KINGSBURY “
With the second location, Jason not only grew the Cohort beer community but also expanded his capacity for innovation, especially his distinctive carbonated mead.
“This really gave us an opportunity to expand our mead program, which is something that makes us very unique.”
The Cohort mead is lighter than traditional mead with a lower ABV, gentle carbonation, and local honey from 3 Queens Honey out of New Underwood. “Our mead really sets us apart,” Jason said, adding that the next closest place to find a similar style is Michigan.
While Cohort-Black Hills continues the well-established brand of Fifth Street, it brings its own vibe. Food will be provided at the brewery by Your Mom’s Deli,
and many familiar faces from the former brewery remain.
“With the prior business, the staff is really what made the place,” said Jason, a longtime guest of Miner. “I am lucky that they see Cohort’s vision and want to be a part of it. That means a lot to me.”
Cohort – the name of both locations – is a nod to the crew who helped make his dream happen… twice. “Cohort means a group of like-minded people, and it is my community that helped me open the doors.”
Backed by his steadfast cohort of supporters, Jason turned a shared dream into two thriving businesses, proof that great beer and great community go hand in hand. *
COHORT BREWING
4905 5TH ST, RAPID CITY
23845 US-385, HILL CITY
605.718.4283
COHORTBREWERY.COM
GROWTH
STORY BY KORY LANPHEAR \\ PHOTOS BY SHILOH FRANCIS
It has happened to all of us: maybe it was that favorite pair of pants as a kid; maybe it was an expanding family’s first home; maybe as an aging adult, it was the favorite pants again, but we have all outgrown much-loved things. For Parts One NAPA in Rapid City, it was their old building on East Omaha Street.
“We ran out of room,” said Zach Kreun, Director of Store Development. “We had roughly 20,000 square feet and we maxed out the space.”
It’s a good problem to have, though. And the Parts One NAPA team found the solution in a vacant building previously occupied by a ShopKo store, just off Interstate 90 on Haines Avenue. The building is a major upgrade: the new footprint is about 47,000 square feet devoted to retail and parts storage, with another section altogether functioning as warehouse space. The upper floor, roughly 25,000 square feet, houses overstock inventory and offices. The remaining third of the building will be leased to another business in the future.
The new location makes the business one of the largest automotive parts stores in the region. “Three of our old buildings could fit inside this new one,” said Zach, who started as a delivery driver, worked his way up, and has been with the business for 26 years, over half of its existence.
In its 50 year history, Parts One NAPA has had only four owners. The current owner, Doug Leitzke, acquired it about three years ago with a grand vision to build a better customer experience. Plans to expand became reality in November of 2024.
Construction to refit the new building to Parts One NAPA’s needs began in early 2025. The team started shifting product between stores in late June and completed the move around August 1, just in time for the 85th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The expansion, though, is about more than mere space, as Parts One NAPA is now able to offer services it didn’t have before. A new section of semitruck parts and a larger hydraulic building area and paint department
will help attract—and keep—new clientele.
“We get the customers that are doing a car rebuild, and they come and buy parts. But a lot of times, when people come here, they’re not having a good day. Something broke, so they don’t necessarily want to be here,” says Zach. “We want to build an atmosphere that makes that experience fun and different, yet still small-town. Something people look forward to, not dread.”
That effort is reflected in the grand opening of the store. Held in late-July, the celebration featured a food truck and giveaways from one of their supporters, Gearwrench, among numerous other specials. “It went great. We had a lot of people through the door. But it wasn’t about selling, it was more about people seeing what we’ve done with the place and how far it’s come,” said Zach.
The new facility also allows the team to roll out innovative features like a
forthcoming warranty center for Milwaukee Tools and Gearwrench. The idea is that the customer can bring in a broken tool and the staff will help fulfill the warranty with a replacement, or repair the tool, as the case may allow. With a goal for the program to be up and running in early 2026, Parts One NAPA would be one of only a handful of such service centers in the entire country.
In its new home, the Parts One NAPA team hopes that they can be a one-stop destination for everyone from the customer seeking a single wiper blade to the professional mechanic sourcing parts for a large shop.
“The whole point is to be able to offer the customer more tools,” General Manager Ron Hendricks said. “When you come in for a part, you leave with that part, rather than having to wait for the next day. Time is money for shops, and we want to help them be more successful.”
If time is indeed money, another 50 years for Parts One NAPA would certainly make for substantial profit and growth. With this expansion, they have the room for it. *
RON HENDRICKS
RAISING THE
MONUMENT HEALTH EXPANDS CARE TO ACCOMMODATE REGION’S GROWTH
|
B AR
STORY BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI \\ PHOTOS SUBMITTED |
with the region’s rapid growth, especially along the Interstate 90 corridor, Monument Health is reshaping how it delivers care, expanding both its urgent and emergency department facilities to better serve the community.
The $36 million investment is all part of the community-based healthcare system’s vision of providing better service to the people it serves.
“The addition of two new urgent cares and a free-standing emergency department is all part of the vision of saying, as we continue to grow, how do we serve the patients and those who live in the region with what they deserve – the highest quality of health care anywhere in the country. That’s what we strive to deliver,” said Dr. Brook Eide, Monument Health medical director of emergency medicine.
DR. THANE GALE
In July, Monument Health opened its 8,000-square-foot Box Elder urgent care and family medicine facility. Located near the YMCA’s Liberty Center, the new clinic is equipped with five urgent care exam rooms and six family medicine exam rooms, along with X-ray and laboratory capabilities.
This month, the Rapid Valley Clinic, with a similar footprint as Box Elder,
will open, adding a fourth urgent care facility to the region. Monument Health also operates urgent care clinics on Jackson Boulevard and Lacrosse Street.
“The biggest thing that made us realize that an expansion of our urgent care facilities was necessary was how busy our other sites are,” said Dr. Thane Gale, medical director of Monument Health Urgent Cares.
DR. BROOK EIDE
A decade ago, Gale said he would work an eight-hour shift with one nurse and see a dozen patients.
That has changed dramatically.
“Now we are many times seeing 60-100 patients in a day in one clinic, and that growth is just in 10 years,” he said. “There has just been a huge need. One of the main goals of these clinics is to try to maintain the culture and quality of care that we’ve already established at the first two clinics.”
With nearly 30 percent of visits to the Jackson Boulevard and Lacrosse Street clinics coming from Rapid Valley and Box Elder residents, the new locations are meeting a high-demand need, bringing care closer to the community.
“This will also improve the experiences people have at our other locations,” Gale said. “One of the biggest complaints we have at those two clinics is wait times.”
The two new urgent care facilities will not only serve current Rapid Valley and Box Elder residents but also the growing population expected with the arrival of Ellsworth Air Force Base’s B-21 bombers.
“We won’t just be taking better care of the people who are already here;
there will be more people who need more care,” he said.
In addition to urgent care, each new site will offer primary care, creating a hybrid model to better serve patients’ needs.
“People can have their physician visits, child welfare visits, newborn care, and medication management – anything you can get in Rapid City at our Florman Street clinic, you will be able to get at our new facilities,” Gale said.
Last year, Gale, a father of two daughters, had three visits for separate acute care at the urgent care clinics. “Once you have access to convenience and quality care, it is something you return to. I trust these people who are practicing in these clinics to take care of my family.”
In addition to expanding its urgent care services, Monument Health will open a one-story, nearly 17,000-square-foot free-standing emergency department next summer.
“As Rapid City has grown, we’ve recognized the need for both urgent care for unscheduled visits and the emergency-level care that comes with more serious situations,” said Eide, now in his 18th year with Monument Health, formerly Rapid City Regional. “We’ve been evolving as a true tertiary center at Monument Health.
“WE WON’T JUST BE TAKING BETTER CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY HERE; THERE WILL BE MORE PEOPLE WHO NEED MORE CARE.”
- DR. THANE GALE
Common goals Uncommon good
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We have patients coming not only from South Dakota, but also from Nebraska, Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota.”
Located off Mall Drive, the new facility will feature laboratory and X-ray services, a CT scanner, a covered ambulance garage, a trauma room, eight emergency rooms, and two inpatient rooms. The only feature it won’t replicate from the main ER on Fairmont Boulevard is the full trauma center.
The Mall Drive location also provides enough land for future expansion, along with designed infrastructure for additional stories to be added.
“Our vision is big, and we are embracing that vision on how we best serve Rapid City and the surrounding area. We are thinking outside the box and coming to your neighborhood instead of making you come here,” Eide said. *
MONUMENT HEALTH NORTH RAPID CITY
For children and families
Children’s Home Society of South Dakota is healing trauma, raising hope and growing resilience for the children, families and communities we serve. We offer everything from residential treatment and schools to outpatient mental health services, forensic interviewing and more. And now we’re expanding services at our new location on Mount Rushmore Road in Rapid City.
