“I was always involved in sports and physical fitness,” said 31-year-old Jason Tompkins of Ignition Fitness & Sports, which opened this year. “I started playing soccer at age five and began strength training and fitness in seventh grade. I’ve always liked competition, physically challenging activities, and being on a team.”
Most Connect Business Magazine readers don’t realize New Ulm Telecom is a publicly traded company (NULM) that formerly owned 10 percent of Mankato-based Midwest Wireless, which sold in 2005-06 for more than $1 billion. Most don’t realize $40 million (2014 estimated gross revenue) New Ulm Telecom has an ownership footprint in 23 Minnesota and Iowa communities, including Sioux City, Hutchinson, Sleepy Eye, Springfield, and New Ulm.
If this May/June issue generates only half the excitement of our March/April 20th anniversary blockbuster featuring Tailwind Group co-owner Kyle Smith, we will be more than pleased as punch. It would seem no other issue in our publishing history grabbed our readers’ attention like that issue.
In September 1982, the late Dean C. Seaver, founder of Le Sueur-based Seaver Company, was driving home with a friend from a golf tournament in the Twin Cities. That friend, Frank, was the golf pro at the Le Sueur country club where Seaver was president. They had just won the golf tournament.
Mark Peterson of rural Lake Crystal opened Old World Meats within the last year. The start of this boutique pork and beef business had as much to do with Peterson’s varied life experiences as his personal tastes in meat.
Amy Borneke has lived in Waseca her entire life. At 41, in August 2013, she earned her real estate license and began with Century 21 First Choice.
For new and old readers alike, this special 20-year edition is our unique way of retelling the established story of where we have been and what we have done. But really it’s more about you. Southern Minnesota has hundreds of incredible people that have grown businesses here and our 20-year mission has been to shine a spotlight on some of them.
This issue marks our 20th anniversary profiling southern Minnesota’s most interesting business decision makers. What a perfect opportunity to give a shout-out to Enventis and Manpower, businesses that have advertised (pgs. 3 and 51, respectively) with us every issue since March 1994.
With this issue, Connect Business Magazine marks 20 years in business. In the inaugural March 1994 issue, Publisher Jeff Irish said, “If we do our job well, the information contained within the pages of this magazine will strengthen your own local business connections and provide tangible benefits to your organization.”
