and maybe you as the owner bring 10 percent to the table. But there is still a gap in there of 15 percent. That’s the piece that we can provide, and by doing so we can help to make a deal happen that might not otherwise occur. Mulford: I have always been very impressed that your staff are aware of what’s happening regionally, but also locally. Every county and every community is a little different. Varilek: We do try to be connected and accessible to the community. You and I talked about the fact that as young leaders, we have been fortunate to get a lot of good advice as we transitioned into our upper leadership roles. One key piece of advice was, “don’t spend too much time in your office. Be out in the community.” And then beyond that we also have a staff that comes from across our region. We are based here in Little Falls, which is pretty central to the 14-county region that we serve and yet we don’t all live here. We are scattered across those fourteen counties and come here to do our work every day. But that means that we are all friends and neighbors within a variety of communities around our counties. Mulford: We work closely with around 14 close high schools, each of which has its own culture, challenges and opportunities. Our average student age is 28, so it’s not just high school age kids that are coming to us—and that’s where our organizations overlap and why we are talking partnerships. As newer leaders in our organizations in central Minnesota. We both have a lot of ground to cover, but we recognize that a lot of solutions are going to be very micro as they apply to community x, y or z. Varilek: There is a lot of ground for us to collaborate on. One thing we do here at the foundation is host scholarship funds that help make it possible for young people to afford higher ed, whatever that looks like. Some of those young people end up going to your institution, or others like it, around the region. We also host funds that help to provide grant funding for things like the CEO program—creating entrepreneurial opportunities—in Staples, Motley
usbank.com/smallbusiness
Visit us today for all your business banking needs. Craig Veurink Region Business Banking Manager 952.927.1277 craig.veurink@usbank.com
Credit Products offered by U.S. Bank National Association. Deposit Products offered by U.S. Bank National Association. Member FDIC. 171245c 12/16
CUT DOWN COSTS WITH MOTOR REBATES. Electric motors are the workhorses of any manufacturing facility. But if they’re not energy efficient, they may be driving up your operating costs. Make the upgrade to energy-saving permanent magnet alternating current (PMAC) motors today and earn rebates from $30–$13,500 per motor* , which will not only lower your up-front costs but also increase the return on your investment. For more information, contact an energy efficiency specialist at 855.839.8862 or visit xcelenergy.com/MotorEfficiency.
*Depending on horsepower.
4.7x4.75_MN-MotorsEntpriseMag_P01.indd 1
© 2017 Xcel Energy Inc.
3/31/17 8:56 AM
SPRING 2018 ENTERPRISE MINNESOTA /
25