Our second place finisher for Business Person of the Year, Julie Schmillen, executive director of Habitat for Humanity South Central Minnesota, grew up in St. James, Minnesota, and spent her early years learning to work and serving others. Her father and uncle owned Schmidt’s Bakery, a special stop for serious sugarphiles pining for deep-fried doughnuts, delicious desserts, and doughy breads. She began working for the family small business about age 11.
Brian Benshoof, CEO of Mankato Rehabilitation Center, Inc., has been employed by the nonprofit organization for half of its 60-year history. His goal is to make MRCI the program of choice for clients and families seeking services and to educate the public about the variety and depth of MRCI’s programs and services.
Jeremiah and Jaala Miller met through working in Waseca at ELM Homes, married, and in August together purchased Four Seasons Athletics at 124 North State.
Lightly run fingertips over the adjective-laden menu at swank Number 4 American Bar & Kitchen inside downtown Mankato’s art deco Landkamer Building and you might first discover the creative “Nicoise” salad, which features pan seared Yellowfin tuna, herbed fingerling potatoes, haricot verts, hard cooked eggs, kalamata olives, mixed greens, and lemon thyme vinaigrette.
General manager Preston Lougheed began his hotel industry career at age 15 as a bellman and doorman at the Minneapolis Hyatt Regency. After graduating from Robbinsdale Cooper Senior High, he went to a Hyatt hotel in Chicago. He had an “in” with Hyatt.
Some people believe your junior high school dream career is your true destiny, that if your job history results in the fulfillment of that dream, you have achieved true success. Many of us happily settle for a related career, perhaps becoming a nurse instead of a veterinarian. For mortician Sue Nasinec, who owns Bruss-Heitner Funeral Homes in Wells and Bricelyn, there were no alternative career choices, not after she researched mortuary science for a seventh grade English class assignment.
Joe Steck opened the community news website MankatoTimes.com on January 1, but in many respects the genesis for his business began six years ago. He was a steel salesman for Hutchinson Manufacturing when one day his world was turned upside down.
The year 1979 was pressure-packed. Iranian militants overran the U.S. Embassy and held Americans hostage in Tehran. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. At Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, a coolant accident caused a partial meltdown. The U.S. annual inflation rate was at 11 percent and rising. That summer, fears of an energy shortage caused lines to form at gas stations around the country.
Of all the cities in the U.S., food industry veteran Jeff Dahms chose New Ulm to launch the prototype of his neighborhood café, Stone Soup, located at 512 1st North.
