Along with the welcome chirps of returning robins, spring brings an unpleasant sucking sound I hear every April 15. That’s when the government extends a vacuum hose from the treasury to my savings account to siphon off more of the nuts I’ve squirreled away. The pattern is so predictable, I give it little more than a passing thought. I simply frown and bear it.
Listening to CEO Brad Mitteness explain what Le Center-based Camas Inc. produces can be a little like reading the mathematical equations underpinning Einstein’s theory of relativity. Tired eyes gloss over as with shellac; confused, the mind shifts from neutral to park.
The company also mirrors Einstein’s theory of relativity in a more energizing, robust fashion: the possibilities seem almost endless.
A long-shot gamble paid off, and nursing home Lake Shore Inn of Waseca remained a viable enterprise because of it.
In 1987, recent Minnesota State University MBA graduate Pete Madel III gambled when accepting a position at the nonprofit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation—Minnesota chapter. Starting at the Foundation just didn’t have the panache of being a junior executive for, say, Cargill, General Mills or 3M.
There once was a little boy named Bryan, who lived with his family on a hilltop overlooking ordinary Deep Valley. Bryan enjoyed art best and boldly dreamed of drawing pictures to turn beloved Deep Valley beautiful.
Bryan got older. Bryan’s dad, a mechanic, could fix anything Bryan brought home, even a dented Radio Flyer wagon. Bryan’s mother worked at the Big Factory. His brother traveled across the ocean to a scary place called Vietnam.
In high school, Bryan’s teacher said he could be somebody and a spunky girl said it, too. After Bryan finished college, he came home to Deep Valley and married the spunky girl. Later, he started a company that drew pictures and turned beloved Deep Valley beautiful.
New Ulm: Edelweiss – What used to be Edelweiss Flower Haus, is now Edelweiss, Inc., and has a new owner, location, expanded sales floor, and scads of energy.
Vernon Center: Minnesota’s Highway 169 Antiques And Collectibles – For 23 years, Sandy Oppegard was executive director of the South Central Workforce Council, administering employment and training programs in a nine-county area. She retired last August.
Fairmont: HR Advisors – Since beginning HR Advisors in March 2007, Wes Pruett has developed accounts in Minneapolis, Mankato, Fergus Falls, Rochester, Fairmont, Slayton, and other cities.
Spring is near, and so are robins—and also hundreds of thousands of southern Minnesota and northern Iowa retail shoppers, who
I doubt there was a kid in the 1950s who didn’t believe household robots would become as commonplace as family
It’s that corner office with a view everyone purportedly wants. Linda Hachfeld has it. She’s convinced having a daily dose of natural sunshine and being able to gaze out onto trees and blue sky when looking up from her computer screen is good for her.
“This is such a nurturing, healthy environment,” says Hachfeld, a business owner, author and publisher. “I see birds, squirrels, deer and an occasional turkey. I’m a country girl at heart and nature is one of my powerful motivators.”
Wayne Kahler, founder of Kahler Automation in Fairmont, credits his father with his success. His father, Roy, taught him to “take care of the customer and everything else will be taken care of.”
“I claim my father’s statement,” Kahler says. “If I don’t think a customer is getting what they want, I’m asking questions. A business consultant said I’ve given out too many resources in satisfying customers and have not made as much profit as I could have made. We didn’t retain his services—and we’ve grown and grown.” That growth resulted in a February 2007 move to a 21,000-square foot building in Fairmont’s industrial park.
