???What about YOUR WORKPLACE CULTURE WE ASKED, AND YOU ANSWERED

Progress EditionB R A I N E R D L A K E S A R E A

B R A I N E R D D I S P A T C H L A B O R D A Y S P E C I A L

www.brainerddispatch.com SERVING THE BRAINERD LAKES AREA AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA SINCE 1881 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

Reader submitted workplace culture comments

When the Brainerd Dispatch was purchased by

Forum Communications Company nearly two

years ago, I had never considered what culture

in the workplace really meant, at least not in the

way FCC CEO and President Bill Marcil Jr. intend-

ed it.

Culture, an engaging, fun and respectful envi-

ronment a company hopes to create for its em-

ployees, is “the most important factor for a suc-

cessful business today,” according to Marcil Jr.

“The world we live in is fast paced and dynamic.

But none of it could be accomplished without a

dynamic culture. Our culture is top priority to our

success. Every of�ce has a culture team, run by

the culture team,” said Marcil Jr. He wants FCC

to become one of the best places to work in the

country.

How lucky we are here at the Dispatch and

Echo Journal to be part of this cul-

ture-driven company. I am one

of the co-chairs for our culture

committee and the work environ-

ment has improved by leaps and

bounds. We were given funding

and it’s up to the culture com-

mittee how it’s spent. We start-

ed out with a few free employ-

ee lunches, encouraged participation in potlucks,

began monthly birthday recognition with cake or

cupcakes and implemented a “Thank you, Thank

you” program where employees can recognize

each other for going above and beyond their job

duties and then receive a $10 gift card to a local

gas station, grocery store or retail store.

Last Christmas, we were able to go out into

the community and pay it forward and purchase

random people’s groceries. Our employees were

treated to grocery store gift cards at Thanksgiving.

We remodeled our employee breakroom with

fresh and fun paint colors, a couch and l o v e -

seat, custom cabinets and a stove. Before summer

is over, we’ll also have added an outdoor patio

seating area with picnic tables.

It’s amazing what these things have done for

our employees. I’m so lucky to be part of it. And

in doing this article for the Progress Edition, I’m

happy to hear how many other area businesses

are focusing on culture as well. Thanks to all who

took time to submit their examples of what their

company is doing to improve culture.

By DELYNN HOWARDStaff Writer

???WORKPLACE CULTURE ? MINNESOTA SINCE 1881 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

Echo Journal to be part of this culEcho Journal to be part of this cul-

ture-driven company. I am one

of the co-chairs for our culture

committee and the work environ-

ment has improved by leaps and

bounds. We were given funding

-

-

-

ee lunches, encouraged participation in potlucks,

began monthly birthday recognition with cake or fresh and fun paint colors, a couch and l o v e

When the Brainerd Dispatch was purchased by

Forum Communications Company nearly two

years ago, I had never considered what culture

in the workplace really meant, at least not in the

way FCC CEO and President Bill Marcil Jr. intend

Reader submitted workplace culture comments

Like any family, the Atomic Learning famALy shares a unique set of values, one of which is being em-ployee-centered, with a special focus on respect, teamwork and fun. Wearing orange on Unity Day in recognition of Bullying Prevention, picking over 250 lbs. of garbage on Earth Day, and team-building activities are just a few examples.

• Submitted

Like any family, the Atomic Learning famALy shares a unique set of values, one of which is being employee-centered, with a special focus on respect, teamwork and fun. Wearing orange on Unity Day in

� RASINSKI CREATES FEEL OF FAMILY AT FOOD SHELF

This is one of those vocations or av-ocations that draw forth real and true “culture” potential for doing good. It is in managing a food shelf. Such a person is called to treat all folks with an abun-dance of levity, dignity, respect and em-pathy, while at the same time making sure that each client follows the guidelines for qualifying for this outreach. This food shelf endeavor is without a doubt her mission. The manager deserving of this recognition is Carey Rasinski, who runs the Pequot Lakes Food Shelf.

Carey has managed the growth of this facility and program extremely well over the past 16 years. As members of her vol-unteer tribe, Carey keeps us informed of all upcoming changes. She also wel-comes and incorporates our suggestions. She creates for us volunteers the same presentation as with her clients. She makes it fun and rewarding. You feel like a “team.”

Any given Tuesday or Thursday morn-ing, you’d often hear one of Carey’s goofy quips like, “Holy moly!” Maybe she had just witnessed extraordinary efforts of work or playful discussion of her volun-teers. And then again, shared her joy in receiving a gracious check to support the operation. Recently, Carey and her food shelf board hosted a picnic lunch for all of us volunteers as a “thank you.” Carey has created “family” among all who have and continue to volunteer in making this a valued experience.Peter Mann and Mary TylerVolunteers, Pequot Lakes Food Shelf

� WE CALL OURSELVES FAMALYAtomic Learning, based in Little Falls,

has an exceptional work culture. It’s a large part of the reason why we have been named a Top Workplace by the Star Tribune the past �ve years.

Our company values shape our com-pany culture. We live by our values and hold each other accountable to living up to them. We strive to be customer-fo-cused, provide quality to our customers, encourage innovation through collabora-tion and learning; we act with integrity, are employee-centered — treating others with respect, encouraging teamwork and fun.

Our casual dress code and �exible work environment help employees feel comfortable and encourage a work-life balance that many employees appreciate

in the busy world we live in. Alterations to the dress code in summer have been en-couraged (i.e. wearing tank tops, shorts, or �ip �ops are allowed if a donation is made to charity). We also provide dona-tions to charitable organizations made on each employee’s behalf each year.

At Atomic Learning, we work hard, but we also like to play hard. We have an appointed group of rotating team mem-bers called the Fun Rangers (appropri-ately named as “committee” sounds way too boring!) The Fun Rangers offer differ-ent activities to keep our work environ-ment light and fun. Some activities this team has coordinated include wellness challenges with prizes, potlucks, chili cook-offs complete with trophies for the winners, 4-square tournaments, bean bag tournaments, the employee garden, Mar-di Gras chair parades, pumpkin carving contests, Halloween costume contests, Poker walks (draw cards for each walk taken, best hand wins), �tness challeng-es, happy hours, minute-to-win-it games, dress-up days, water balloon �ghts, and more.

Atomic Learning employees truly have passion for the company’s purpose — to guide learners from awkward to awesome. Our employees regularly tell us they love our family atmosphere. We spend more of our lives with our co-workers than our own families. Therefore, we take care of each other. So much so, in fact, we call ourselves “famALy.”Jenny Castle, Senior Director of Human ResourcesAtomic Learning

� ‘NOT JUST A NUMBER’I am currently employed by Anderson

Brothers Construction Co. and am cur-rently on my 32nd season with the com-pany. What once was to be a temporary job has turned into a long and wonderful career.

I don’t know how to put into words what Anderson Brothers culture means to me and each and every employee that works here. Anderson Brothers just re-cently celebrated its 75th anniversary for being in business and had a celebration party for all the employees and their fam-ilies and also held a celebration with all of the contractors we have worked with over the years. At the party, �ve employ-ees were called up on stage and between them, there was over 200 years of service and, proudly, they are all still working.

See CULTURE Page S42

WORKPLACE CULTURE www.brainerddispatch.comS42 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

001291604r1

Deerwood Bank, locally owned for 105 years,

grows to 14 o� ces

Advertorial

For 105 years, Deerwood Bank has been the locally owned and operated bank that people trust. The majority of customers are referred to the bank by family and friends, and many bank employees have worked there for so long that customers have become friends.

On June 15, Deer-wood Bank announced its acquisition of Ameri-can Bank of St. Paul, adding six new offi ces to the bank, which now has 14 offi ces and more than 150 employees. Deer-wood Bank has grown to more than $560 mil-lion in assets, with full service locations in Bax-ter, Bemidji, Brainerd, Blackduck, Deerwood, Garrison, Grand Rapids, Northome, Mendota Heights, St. Paul, Inver Grove Heights, Apple Valley, Albert Lea and Al-den.

The integration of American Bank of St. Paul now allows Twin Cities residents who may have a cabin or seasonal home in the Brainerd lakes area to con-tinue to have access and the support of Deerwood Bank.

Greg Breen recently joined Deerwood Bank as Chief Credit Offi cer. Breen said through its lengthy history and its em-ployees’ dedication to customer service, Deerwood Bank has fostered strong rela-tionships with its customers.

“The people here are a great group who take their jobs seriously, and they really take care of their customers,” Breen ex-plained. “There are some very deep con-nections here that you don’t fi nd in other banks. You don’t see a lot of turnover here. People seem to come and they stay.”

Not only are their customers loyal, but so is Deerwood Bank. Whenever they need to hire outside vendors, for even something as simple as a staff lunch, they fi rst look to the businesses that do busi-ness with them, said Rachel Carpenter, Retail Banking Manager.

“We specialize in catering to small busi-ness customers,” explained Carpenter. “We have no checking account or analy-sis fees, which is very different from many banks. We not only cater to small busi-ness customers, we also provide unique

and engaging consumer savings and checking ac-counts.”

Deerwood Bank offers free checking and savings accounts, which allow customers to choose from customized options that really allow the accounts to be unique to them. It’s a way to streamline the banking process, making it simple and transparent, with no hidden fees.

Deerwood Bank also offers a Yes Club with benefi ts for custom-ers over the age of 50, providing them with additional customized options, as well as par-ticipation in activities, seminars and discounted group trips held through-out the year. The Bucka-roo’s Savings Clubhouse

is an account for children up to age 16, providing them with their own perks and fi nancial incentives to save, including their own Buckaroo Club tackle box bank.

Deerwood Bank implements many cre-ative approaches for marketing and do-nations that they participate in. Several times last year, Deerwood Bank hosted a Samples From the Vault money hunt, hid-ing almost $4,000 within the local com-munities they serve where clues were given out on their Facebook page to help participants fi nd the hidden money, Car-penter said.

Breen said it’s an exciting time at Deer-wood Bank with the integration of six new offi ces in the metro area, which doubled the bank’s assets and employees.

Deerwood Bank was incorporated in 1910 in Deerwood, and has remained a private, locally owned bank for over 105 years.

By JODIE TWEED

Now that says something for culture and for what Jim Anderson has instilled in his company and employees over the years.

As a safety director, I get out to all the crews and you can see the admiration amongst the workers and see the pride they take in their work. At our Christmas parties, we acknowledge years of service for every �ve year increments and write up a pro�le on the employee and read it to all employ-ees and families. If you could read our pro-�les the one question that is asked is, “What has kept you at Anderson Brothers for all of these years?” The typical response: “It’s be-cause of the people and that we just aren’t a number, we are family.”

At the Christmas party Anderson Broth-ers also recognizes our employees, past and present, who have served in the military and gives each of them a bronze military wing plaque.

I just can’t say enough about the generos-ity of Jim Anderson and Anderson Brothers in helping the Brainerd lakes and surround-ing communities with all of the donations for those in need. As you drive around the Brainerd lakes area, the surrounding com-munities or throughout the state, you prob-ably have seen quite a few of our trucks and crews working. Take a look at the crews and I bet you will always see someone smiling. It has been a true pleasure for me working for Anderson Brothers for all of these years and I can’t say enough positive things about this company! Thank you, Jim and Linnea Ander-son.Kim Kirk, Safety DirectorAnderson Brothers

� WELLNESS EFFORTS AFFECT CULTURE AT CWC

Below are some of the things that happen at Crow Wing County when it comes to well-ness efforts for employees:

1. CWC has been looking at healthy vend-ing options for the past two-plus years work-ing with the vending companies to provide healthy food in all vending machines such as granola bars, �ber bars and crackers/meat/cheese packs.

2. CWC has a wellness committee in place that works to offer special challeng-es throughout the year for employees. One such challenge that was offered three dif-ferent times over the spring and summer was a cardio challenge. Teams of four em-ployees each would log and record their cardio minutes for each week and turn those results in. Teams would win prizes for �nishing in �rst, second or third place. Around 120 employees took part in this over three months in time logging more

than 4,000 cardio hours. A lot of employ-ees would take their lunch break to walk with a co-worker logging in time for the cardio challenge and building good team relationships.

3. In the late winter and early spring of 2015, around 25 CWC employees took part in one hour yoga classes once a week for eight weeks. This was created to help employees understand how to build physi-cal and mental endurance along with relax-ation techniques to help with stress. These yoga sessions will also be brought back in the fall.

4. Discussions are taking place with the wellness committee to see what else can be done to help our employees maintain a happy and healthy workplace environ-ment. There are possibilities of creating a couple small exercise rooms in a couple of the buildings to help employees who wish to work out on campus. Different ideas besides yoga are also being looked at for additional wellness plans for the winter months.Bryan Pederson, Human Resource GeneralistHuman Resource Department, Crow Wing County

� FOCUSED ON WORKPLACE WELLNESS

As our of�ce at KLJ is a bit more dynamic than some in the Brainerd lakes area I am on the KLJ Thrive Wellness Committee for the company and have had a wellness program in place for three years. We exercise healthy eating by supplying staff with healthy snacks weekly, fresh vegetables and fruits, no dips or extras but apples, oranges, bananas and fruits in season, along with fresh, �ltered hot/cold water. We also, through Blue Cross Blue Shield North Dakota, provide HealthyBlueND, which is a wellness online app that allows staff to remain active with trackers such as food, exercise and weight along with mini online seminars, water intake schedules and so much more. KLJ for the Brainerd of�ce is utilizing our grant money for a bike rack for staff to securely ride their bikes to work and have a safe, secure spot to store them while working. Our staff also takes daily walks and encourages movement every 20 minutes to reduce eye strain at computers during the work day. We’re very focused as a company on work-place wellness and strive monthly for staff to practice healthy habits.Kelly KruizeKL J

� WORK HARD, LAUGH OFTENMy place of employment (Atomic Learn-

ing in Little Falls) has a genuine family atmo-sphere. We work hard, but also laugh often. We have various chat rooms that enable both, so those not in the same vicinity are always in the loop. There is a genuine caring about your well-being and health that I hav-en’t seen before.

Leadership is encouraging and employees are empowered. Motivators, abilities and in-terests of the employees are leveraged.

In my area, we have personal develop-ment time allotted to pursue interests or gain a deeper understanding.

If you take a look at the careers section of the website you will get a glimpse inside the culture.

The bene�ts are great, the dress code is great and there is some personalization avail-able.

We have achieved Star Tribune Top work-place awards from 2011-2015.

We have also achieved the American Heart Association Fit Friendly Worksite Gold Achievement from 2012-2014.

CULTURE, From Page S41

Now that says something for culture and for what Jim Anderson has instilled in his

As a safety director, I get out to all the crews and you can see the admiration amongst the workers and see the pride they take in their work. At our Christmas parties, we acknowledge years of service for every �ve year increments and write up a pro�le on the employee and read it to all employ-ees and families. If you could read our pro-�les the one question that is asked is, “What has kept you at Anderson Brothers for all of these years?” The typical response: “It’s be-cause of the people and that we just aren’t a

At the Christmas party Anderson Broth-ers also recognizes our employees, past and present, who have served in the military and gives each of them a bronze military wing

I just can’t say enough about the generos-ity of Jim Anderson and Anderson Brothers in helping the Brainerd lakes and surround-ing communities with all of the donations for those in need. As you drive around the Brainerd lakes area, the surrounding com-munities or throughout the state, you prob-ably have seen quite a few of our trucks and crews working. Take a look at the crews and

Anderson Brothers celebrated its 75th anniversary in business. The photo, taken at the Northern Paci�c Event Center, includes board members, man-agers and employees with 25 years of service or more. There were 15 employees not pictured that couldn’t make it to the photo shoot.

• Submitted

Anderson Brothers celebrated its 75th anniversary in business. The photo, taken at the Northern Paci�c Event Center, includes board members, managers and employees with 25 years of service or more. There were 15 employees not pictured that couldn’t make it to the photo shoot.

See CULTURE Page S43

WORKPLACE CULTURE www.brainerddispatch.com September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015 S43

Our Mission CTC is committed to providing advanced communication solutions, with the highest quality of service,for our customers. CTC’s employees inspire one another to support and strengthen the communities we serve.

As a Cooperative, our Board of Directors and employees all take responsibility to follow our mission and be a part of our community. We thank our employees for theirdedication and support to the charitable organizations that give back to those in need.

CTC employees work, live and give back to our community!

Connect with CTC | 800-753-9104 | www.ConnectCTC.com

001292230r1

CTC: A local company that cares – and connects – the community

Advertorial

In spring of 1950, seven farmers held their fi rst offi cial meeting of the Crow Wing Cooperative Rural Telephone Company, later Consolidated Tele-phone Company (CTC). For more than fi fty years, CTC has been committed to bringing technology and connectiv-ity to the Brainerd Lakes area.

Today, CTC has evolved into a full service technology company offer-ing Digital TV, High Speed Internet, Phone, and SmartHome Service over our fi ber-to-the-home network. CTC also offers business class TV, Internet, and Phone Service, including Hosted PBX Phone Systems and IT support services. Just recently, CTC rolled out its 1 Gigabit Internet service – the fast-est Internet available.

In addition, each year they continue to expand their service areas, bring-ing fi ber optics to new rural customers with the help of Rural Utilities Service (RUS) loans. Their fi rst RUS loan fi ber project was expected to take several

years to complete, but the dedicated staff at CTC worked tirelessly to com-plete the project in less than 5 years. This $49 million project was not only a huge endeavor for CTC to take on, but it was also one that they felt was very necessary for their members. Internet usage and the need for ad-vanced technology are rising at an unprecedented pace; their members are now future-proofed for in-home bandwidth needs. In 2015, they began con-struction in the Freed-hem, Leader, and Rural Randall exchanges – a project which should be complete in 2016.

“With fi ber internet, we’re the fastest in the area, faster than many Metropolitan areas,” said Kelly Burns, who works in marketing at CTC. “I don’t think

we’d be able to make any of this pos-sible for our community without our employees.”

CTC has fewer than 60 employees and also hires many area contractors for installations. During construction seasons, they can bring up to 140 employees to the Brainerd lakes area, where they shop and stay with local customers.

Many of their employees volunteer their time within the community, and CTC has invested more than $22 mil-lion in infrastructure in Brainerd, Bax-ter and Nisswa, with more than $49 million in infrastructure in Crosby, Mission, Leader, Pillager, Motley, Lin-coln, Randall, Little Falls, Freedhem, Sullivan Lake, Nokay Lake, and Out-ing city limits. They’ve also contrib-uted $90,000 in donations to the local community during the past fi ve years.

“CTC is a great place to work with-in the Brainerd lakes area, which is a great place to live,” Burns said. “We want to thank all of our employees. We’re just a little company, doing big things for the community that we love.”

By JODIE TWEED

001292232r1

There is exercise equipment available and there are healthy choice contests organized by the Fun Rangers team.

We listen to our customers, respond and enjoy their suc-cess. We have weekly celebrations of accomplishment.

I always say “never underestimate a happy, motivated em-ployee.”Paul Wempen, Quality Assurance SpecialistAtomic Learning

� FAMILY FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT AT PRODUCTIVE ALTERNATIVES

Productive Alternatives is a nonpro�t agency that assists individuals with disabilities in securing and maintaining em-ployment. I have been happily employed at Productive Al-ternatives for almost 20 years and cannot imagine working anywhere else. Where else could you dig in the sand for a toy crab during a scavenger hunt around the city of Brainerd while increasing your team building skills?

Productive Alternatives ensures a great working environ-ment by encouraging its employees to have fun every day they are at work. If you come to visit you may hear laugh-ter over lunchtime where meals are shared and games like Apples to Apples are played. Practical jokes are abounding. Who doesn’t love �nding a fake spider on their keyboard or a rubber mouse on their chair?

This is what Productive Alternatives employees stated about their working environment:

“Productive Alternatives has a very family friendly working environment. There have been numerous occasions where I have had the joy of bringing my dog to work to reduce travel time for me. Children are also always welcome to visit their parents or may come to work with them if daycare is not open.” Amy, Case Manager.

“Birthday lunch from the restaurant of my choice, paid for by the company.” Nancy, Production worker.

“Encourages creativity: reminded to think outside the box and try new ideas.” Peggy, Production worker.

“Recognized as an individual and accepted.” Jaime, Job coach.

“Productive Alternatives encourages me to be the best I can be. That attitude and mindset is passed on to the individuals we serve. Flexible hours enable me to volunteer in my chil-dren’s classrooms and attend �eld trips.” Colleen, Senior Case Manager.

“Free to give ideas and opinions knowing that they will be considered and respected. Freedom to try new approach-es with the individuals we serve. Good communication from the president on down. Uses �nancial resources responsibly.” Shawn, Case Manager.

“Working at PA has allowed me both professional and personal growth. We’re valued as individuals who can work independently but can also count on each other for support when needed. Most recently I’ve enjoyed the �exibility PA has allowed me to be able to spend more time with my baby.” Arianna, Case Manager.

“Food and laughter at staff meetings. Open door policy from our branch manager. You can hear laughter and feel friendships. Exercise and healthy ways encouraged and fos-tered. Doing lunges down the hall is not frowned upon. Per-sonal inside jokes! Punking people. Our business is to max-imize people’s working potential in life. Our culture here maximizes employees talents and skills. We are recognized for our birthdays, length of service and doing something right in sometimes a contradicting world. I look forward to going to work and seeing the faces of the people that create who I am.” Jan, Community Site Coordinator.Colleen Schommer, Senior Case ManagerProductive Alternatives Inc.

� PROMOTES A CULTURE OF WELLNESS AND HEALTHY LIVING

Cuyuna Regional Medical Center’s Leadership Team works diligently to provide a variety of options for employees to en-gage, learn and grow in throughout the year. Through their efforts and employee support, CRMC has grown substantially to offer the full spectrum of health care from birth to death.

In addition to competitive wages and generous bene�ts, CRMC offers tuition reimbursement, scholarships, training programs, free wellness screenings and �u shots, a summer picnic with families, holiday party, Healthcare Week activities and various other celebrations to recognize the contributions of its employees. There are numerous long-term employees (35 to 40 years), and all of those with �ve-year increment years of service are honored annually with awards and a gift. Colleagues and patients recognize staff through Fishing for Excellence and Notable Moments programs in which staff performing exemplary customer service are highlighted in meetings, on bulletin boards and in a newsletter. CRMC also provides employees with eye clinic and cellphone discounts, a massage therapist on-site and discounts at its gift shop and to area health and golf clubs, movie tickets and other regional entertainment. CRMC’s mission and values were developed by a group of employees to emulate the organization’s convic-tion about how people should be treated.

In recent years, through its Project Can-do community health initiative, CRMC has embarked on a journey to pro-mote a culture of wellness and healthy living for employees and in the community. In 2013, the campus became 100 per-cent tobacco free for all employees, patients, visitors and ven-dors. In addition, CRMC provides healthy food at all of�cial campus-sponsored activities. This was implemented in Febru-ary 2014 and includes employee recognition events,

CULTURE, From Page S42

www.brainerddispatch.com September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

Cuyuna Regional Medical Center employees and their families recently gathered for a picnic.

The Snack Shack is run by Productive Alternatives Inc. employees and sells over 40 healthy snack choices including juices, nuts and dried fruit. Employees love to stop by the Snack Shack on their way to a work site where they may not have food options.

• Submitted

• SubmittedThe Snack Shack is run by Productive Alternatives Inc. employees and sells over 40 healthy snack choices including juices, nuts and dried fruit. Employees love to stop by the Snack Shack on their way to a work site where they may not have food options. Cuyuna Regional Medical Center employees and their families recently gathered for a picnic.

See CULTURE Page S46

www.brainerddispatch.comS44 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

In 1922 Stewart C. Mills Sr. established the Mills Companies. In 1955 he went on to found Fleet Wholesale Supply stores, known today as Mills Fleet Farm® stores. The strength of these businesses were built on Stewart C. Mills Sr.’s lifelong dedication to hard work, loyalty and family values.

As a teenager in 1905, Stewart C. Mills Sr., in partnership with his father, operated a steamboat passenger/freight business on the Gull Lake Chain in MN. During the winter, Stewart Sr. worked at Carlson Clothing Store while attending school.

Stewart C. Mills Sr. was raised in Brainerd, MN and graduated from Washington High School in 1911. Following his graduation, he attended the University of Minnesota where he studied Law and Business Administration. During World War I, Stewart Sr. served in the U.S. Army completing his service as a captain.

In 1922 Stewart C. Mills Sr. sat at a table at the 1st National Bank in Brainerd, MN, and with a handshake, purchased the Lively Auto Company, marking the beginning of the Mills Companies. Stewart Sr. later purchased this symbolic table, and today all major Mills Companies decisions are made there. The Lively building is still used as corporate headquarters.

The Lively Auto Company dealt successfully in auto sales, auto repair and auto storage. As Stewart Sr. put it, the business was started “on the strength of little money and a lot of faith and hard work.” The Mills Companies went on to establish additional automotive dealerships as well as the Crow Wing Oil Company in 1923 and the Standard Parts Service Company in 1946.

In 1955 Stewart C. Mills Sr. opened the �rst Fleet Wholesale Supply in Marsh�eld, WI. Fleet Wholesale Supply sold merchandise directly to farmers and offered a “Fleet Owners Discount Card” with a discount of 25% or more. In 1965 the stores adopted the Mills Fleet Farm® name and logo, and the stores as they are known today began. With continued success, additional stores were opened throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North Dakota.

Today Mills Fleet Farm® has grown to 35 stores and counting, as well as online shopping at �eetfarm.com. For the past 60 years of family business, Mills Fleet Farm® has carried on the values instilled by Stewart C. Mills Sr. and continuously strives to give customers the best overall prices, products and service.

STEWART C. MILLS SR.Founder of Mills Fleet Farm®

& The Mills Companies

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Wholesale Supply The �rst Fleet WI – 1955in Marsh�eld,

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y BuildingAuto CompanThe Lively The table where the ngaMills Companies be

the �rst car sold The Hupmobile,y in 1922Auto Companat the Lively

1955-2015

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www.brainerddispatch.com September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015 S45

1955-2015

60TH

35 Stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota & Iowa and Growing!

�eetfarm.com

STORE HOURS: MON-FRI 8am-9pm • SAT 8am-8pmSUN 8am-6pm • Fargo: SUN Noon-6pm

AUTO CENTER HOURS: MON-FRI 8am-7pm • SAT-SUN 8am-6pm Fargo: SUN Noon-6pm

OPEN Labor Day: 8am-5pm

WISCONSIN STORESANTIGO (715) 623-20632511 Neva Rd.

APPLETON/GRAND CHUTE (920) 734-82313035 W. Wisconsin Ave.

BEAVER DAM (920) 885-97871815 N. Spring St.

CLINTONVILLE (715) 823-6571500 S. Main St.

FOND DU LAC (920) 922-7540629 Rogersville Rd.

GERMANTOWN (262) 255-1420N96 W18200 County Line Rd.

GREEN BAY EAST (920) 468-49132460 Main St.

GREEN BAY WEST (920) 494-8975213 N. Taylor St.

HUDSON (715) 386-32811001 Industrial St.

MANITOWOC (920) 682-44031235 S. Rapids Rd.

MARSHFIELD (715) 387-37681101 W. Upham Rd.

MENOMONIE (715) 235-68542003 US Highway 12W

OSHKOSH (920) 231-5738177 N. Washburn St.

PLYMOUTH (920) 893-51153110 Eastern Ave.

STEVENS POINT (715) 341-51005590 Highway 10 E

WAUPACA (715) 258-38512016 Farm Dr.

WAUSAU (715) 675-23121811 Badger Ave.

WEST BEND (262) 334-77221637 W. Washington St.

MINNESOTA STORESALEXANDRIA (320) 763-4277310 50th Ave. W.

BLAINE (763) 785-464710250 Lexington Ave. NE

BRAINERD/BAXTER (218) 829-156514114 Dellwood Dr.

BROOKLYN PARK (763) 424-96688400 Lakeland Ave. N.

CAMBRIDGE (763) 691-14092324 3rd Ave. NE

CARVER (952) 361-09861935 Levi Grif�n Rd.

FERGUS FALLS (218) 736-01712002 W. Lincoln Ave.

LAKEVILLE (952) 435-383217070 Kenrick Ave.

MANKATO (507) 345-64011850 Premier Dr.

OAKDALE (651) 779-77255635 Hadley Ave. N.

OWATONNA (507) 455-10882121 W. Bridge St.ROCHESTER (507) 281-11304891 Maine Ave. SE

ST. CLOUD/WAITE PARK (320) 253-88892630 Division St.

WINONA (507) 454-5124920 E. Highway 61

NORTH DAKOTA STOREFARGO (701) 298-77003730 36th St. SW

IOWA STORESANKENY (515) 964-31503875 SE Delaware Ave.

MASON CITY (641) 423-44743200 4th St. SW

THANK YOUfor 60 ye�s!

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WORKPLACE CULTURE www.brainerddispatch.comS46 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

Dr. Jeanni R. Foss, DDS Dr. Wendy Tanner, DDS Dr. Victoria Severson, DDS

DENTALFOSS.COM2188280565

15167 EDGEWOOD DRIVE, STE 240BAXTER, MINNESOTA

HAPPY LABOR DAYfrom EDGEWOOD DENTAL

Edgewood Dental has provided exceptional care for the Brainerd Lakes Area since December, 2004 and is actively involved in

community programs and services.

We want to give you a beautiful, confident smile that will enhance your everyday life! To make an appointment, call our friendly staff or

visit us online today!

Have a safe and happy Labor Day fromeveryone at Edgewood Dental!

Edgewood Dental gives back to the

Lakes community

Advertorial

For the past 10 years, Edgewood Den-tal in Baxter has grown to meet the needs of their patients, by adding staff, addi-tional services and advanced technology, while also making an effort to give back to the community and help children and adults who can’t afford dental services.

Edgewood Dental is owned by Dr. Jeanni Foss, who provides dentistry services to her patients, along with Dr. Wendy Tanner, an associate dentist since 2011, and Dr. Victoria Severson, an associ-ate dentist since 2014. Severson also works one day a week at the Community Dental Clinic at Central Lakes College.

The dental offi ce also has about 15 em-ployees, providing two assistants per dentist so patients receive their own assistant dur-ing a dental visit.

Community volunteerism is important for everyone at Edgewood Dental. All three dentists and their staff participate in several charitable organizations, includ-ing the Brighter Days Foundation, which benefi ts children fi ghting cancer and oth-er serious illnesses. Each February, Edge-wood Dental hosts a Give Kids a Smile event where more than $25,000 in free dental care is performed for low-income children in their offi ce. They donate equipment, supplies and the facilities for the event, as well as volunteer. They also invite other dentists into the offi ce to also see young patients for the day. They’ve also helped with Mission of Mercy and Operation Grace events, which provide free dental care to the community.

At Edgewood Dental they are invested in patient care. Their friendly staff will help you with your questions on insur-ance, treatment options, appointment comfort, and at home care. They see all ages of patients. Foss said they see infants as young as one year old. The parent holds the child as a dentist checks out new and budding teeth to make sure

they are growing in correctly with no problems.

Foss said her staff prides itself on having the most advanced technology that is reasonable and helpful for their patients. Children and adults can watch movies while they are in the dental chair, which allows them to relax. All x-rays and photographs are digital, and patients are given a digital tour of their mouth, before

and after procedures, so they can see their completed dental work.

In 2014 they started their own in-house dental laboratory, which gives them the ability to create custom-made crowns for patients. Not only is the quality of the crown better, but they’re able to get a better match in tooth color for patients. They

also make custom-made mouth guards and will do denture repairs and implants.

Foss said this past year she invested in a Dental Cone Beam CT scan that provides dentists with a 3D view of a patient’s jaw. This allows dental implants to be more exact during surgery, and they can diagnose conditions that they may not have known before.

“It helps us to differentiate between si-nus pain and tooth pain,” Foss explained of the new scan. “We can sometimes avoid dental work if we can see that it is not tooth pain causing their pain. We would have had to send them to St. Cloud before.”

Dr. Jeanni Foss and her dedicated staff are always welcoming new patients and would love to meet you. They have en-joyed being a part of the lakes communi-ty over the past 10 years and are excited about what the future holds. Happy Labor Day from Edgewood Dental!

To learn more about Edgewood Dental, visit their website, www.dentalfoss.com.

Photo: Victoria Severson DDS and Samantha Kloss LDA Give Kids a Smile 2015

By JODIE TWEED

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community celebrations and events held throughout the year. Lunch and Learns with a healthy meal are held monthly on various topics, gardens are available on-site, discounts available at the local community center, com-plimentary entry fees into the local community 5K/10K fun run, on-site free �tness classes and educational programs for women, youth and seniors.Jennifer Holmvig, Wellness & Foundation CoordinatorCuyuna Regional Medical Center

� FAMILY FIRST AT MARCOMarco has created a strong corporate cul-

ture. We are 100 percent employee-owned and invested in the success of our business. Our culture also re�ects our core values of family �rst and giving back to the community. Marco encourages employees to attend import-ant events in their personal lives, promoting a strong work-life balance. We have the �exibili-ty to adjust our schedules, work from home or take paid time off when needed. We also care very much about the communities we serve, as a company and on an individual level. Marco donates up to 5 percent of our annual pro�ts and encourages employees to volunteer on or off company time. We feel good about our company because we know we are “doing good” in our communities. We receive an em-ployee survey each year and changes are made based on results and employee feedback. Mar-co values its people and their performance and has created a great place to work.Angela Anderson, Renewals leadMarco

� CULTURE AT CLIFTONLARSONALLEN

At CLA, we continually invest in an inten-

tional culture and believe an organization is de-�ned by the actions of its people. Our �rm has laid out a dynamic foundation, The CLA Prom-ise, which exists for one simple reason: to help people (whether it be an employee, community member or client) reach their dreams and build the better world that they envision. Our promise impacts our culture which is de�ned by:

• Leadership: We understand that true leadership is marked by in�uence rather than power, in�uence to inspire others and to be willing to stretch our own comfort zone in order to increase our effectiveness.

• Ownership: Each of us behaves as though our own name was “on the door.” We own the outcome together and so we’re free to utilize the strengths of others and contrib-ute our strengths to others. We assume posi-tive intent in all of our interactions.

• Entrepreneurship: We ask questions, we’re curious, resourceful and have passion for what we do and what we’re trying to de-liver for a client. We have permission to take calculated risks and dare to ask why not and what if. When an employee prepares for and participates in a client meeting, works on a project or evaluates their performance, they ask themselves, how can I make an impact and did I make an impact.

When we combine all three of these words (Leadership, Ownership and Entrepre-neurship) and all of the positive attitudes and behaviors they represent, into one expres-sion, and then use that expression as the driv-ing force to deliver on a promise – a promise to help a person achieve success as de�ned by their goals and dreams, we can achieve amazing things. Working for CLA offers each employee the ability to dream and work to achieve those dreams with the help of others. What a spectacular work environment.

Some of our staff have shared:• Our culture motivates employees to be

leaders, to stretch their comfort zones and to

inspire this in others. We are encouraged to think like owners of the business, sharing in the responsibility of its success and to show passion for serving our clients and our com-munities … to make a difference.

• Our CLA culture gives me the freedom to do what is right for our clients and our communities. I have grown both profession-ally and personally from the leadership op-portunities our culture creates.

• Our culture: creates impactful interac-tions for success.

• Our culture gives us the ability to stretch our own comfort zone in order to increase our effectiveness.

As you can see, working for CLA offers each employee the ability to dream and work to achieve those dreams with the help of those we work with which in turn forms a unique, strong bond and pride in creating something better for others, today, tomorrow and beyond. All rolled up, it’s impactful interactions for success.Submitted by employees of CliftonLarsonAllen

� NO WALLS, NO BOUNDARIESOur workplace has no walls and knows

no boundaries.I, and my nearly 1,300 co-workers, have

the best work environment ever.There are no cubicles, walls or �le cabi-

nets. There are no lights, other than that radi-ant glow of a caring heart, and no heat, other than the warmth generated by a helping hand and a warm smile.

Our workplace stretches to the utmost cor-ners of Crow Wing County and most likely impacts, in some way or another, the lives of nearly everyone in between. We have been charged by our employer (Crow Wing Coun-ty Commissioners and its citizens) with one mission — and one mission only — to each

day get up and impact and improve the life of another through the power of volunteerism.

Not a single day goes by that we don’t smile, laugh and at times even cry tears of joy and sadness together. We are RSVP volunteers who have made the conscious decision to wake up each day and carve out a portion of our time in service to others without pay and seeking only to make this county, this world, a better place. And when all is said and done, each year, we will have provided over $2.4 million dollars worth of service to individuals in Crow Wing County.

My co-workers are amazing and our work-place is rewarding, impactful and cost effec-tive. It has no walls and knows no boundaries. Simply stated: our workplace environment is the best.Mike KoechelerRSVP Volunteer Services

� MICRONET RECOGNIZES THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

MicroNet, Inc., located in Nisswa, is the mar-ket leader of member management software for chambers and associations. The company fo-cuses on providing a positive workplace.

With a diverse team all under one roof — from quiet left-brain software developers to out-going right-brain sales consultants — the orga-nization recognizes the importance of thinking a bit outside of the box when it comes to work environment, perks and team building.

The annual company picnic is a fami-ly-friendly event. This year, a catered pig roast included games for the kids as well as home-brewed craft beer provided by employees.

As a major player in the chamber of com-merce industry, it only makes sense that employ-ees are scheduled to serve as judges at Nisswa

CULTURE, From Page S43

WORKPLACE CULTURE www.brainerddispatch.com

Employees of MicroNet, Inc., often play a game of air hockey to blow off some steam. • Submitted

day get up and impact and improve the life of

Employees of MicroNet, Inc., often play a game of air hockey to blow off some steam.

S46 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

Marco employees Brady Knettel and Nick Vitale recently joined Steve Brown, Brent Mattson and Mark Ludovissie in the Tri-County Health Care Foundation Golf Tournament at Whitetail Run Golf Course in Wadena. Funding from this tournament helps to support ongoing programs such as Men’s Night, Women’s Day Out, February Festival of Health, Community Grants and Health Care Scholarships. Pictured are Steve Brown (left), Nick Vitale, Brady Knettel, Brent Mattson and Mark Ludovissie.

• Submitted

Marco employees Brady Knettel and Nick Vitale recently joined Steve Brown, Brent Mattson and Mark Ludovissie in the Tri-County Health Care Foundation Golf Tournament at Whitetail Run Golf Course in Wadena.

See CULTURE Page S47

WORKPLACE CULTURE www.brainerddispatch.com September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015 S47

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Excelsior Place caregiversdevoted to the people they serve

Advertorial

By JODIE TWEED

Excelsior Place has dedicated caregivers who truly care about the el-derly residents who live there.

“Everyone, our care providers to kitchen and maintenance staff, are very hard workers here,” said Vicki Burton, director of Excelsior Place. “The staff truly cares about the residents. They work day in and day out to ensure the residents are happy and comfortable; after all, this is their home.

Burton said staff members frequently ask their elderly residents what changes they’d like to see or new activities they’d like to do, and staff members build these changes into the schedule for them.

Excelsior Place, along with Good Samaritan Homecare/Hospice, hosted a butterfl y release Aug. 1, allowing residents, caregivers and the general public to release butterfl ies in memory of or in honor of a loved one. They try to host a special event each month. For example, they host a Western Day and they’ll grill steaks for dinner, provide cowboy hats for residents and have a country singer come in to perform.

Burton said Excelsior Place recently started a Red Hat Society, a fun so-cial group for seniors, and they have an active support group for people living with Parkinson’s disease. They frequently bring in educational speakers who address specifi c topics that affect residents, including dia-betes and hospice presentations.

They also take residents out on frequent outings, whether it be for an afternoon of fi shing on a pontoon, shopping for groceries, a trip to the farmer’s market or the Crow Wing County Fair.

“We want to keep them motivated to keep their strength up,” said Burton. “Some of our residents are very active, even at 99 and 100 years old.”

Excelsior Place has 47 residents and employees 23 staff members. They offer fi ve different styles of private one- and two-bedroom apart-ments. The senior living community embraces three key principles for residents; they offer choice, maintain dignity and promote individuality.

The focus at Excelsior Place is on the resident because they believe that seniors have a right to retain a high quality of life. They provide assisted living services for residents who need extra help so they can continue to live on their own.

Burton said anyone who wishes to take a tour at Excelsior Place may call and make an appointment, but they can also stop by anytime. Em-ployees are available to give tours and are enthusiastic about Excelsior Place and the services they provide for residents who can maintain their independence in their own apartments, but still access assisted living services as much or as little as they need.

Excelsior Place, located at 14211 Firewood Drive, was built in Baxter in 2003.

To learn more about Excelsior Place, call 218-828-4770 or visit their website at www.wtohdevelopment.com. Like them on Facebook .

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14211 Firewood Dr., Baxter • (218) 828-4770

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~ Luxury Senior Living At Affordable Prices ~

Find us on

218-828-4770 - 14211 Firewood Drive, Baxter, MN

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Have a Great Labor Day!

Chamber of Commerce Wednesday Turtle Rac-es over the summer months. MicroNet also par-ticipates in the Nisswa Fourth of July parade.

In an effort to promote physical �tness, the company proudly sponsors employee partici-pation in local running events. Additionally, bi-cycles are made available to employees to take breaks on the Paul Bunyan Trail and make trips to Nisswa for ice cream. MicroNet also subsi-dizes �tness memberships at neighboring Any-time Fitness.

Company goals are regularly celebrated with a recent major goal being recognized with limo rides around the area. Additionally, in an effort to maintain transparency, the staff gathers for quarterly updates from the CEO and depart-ment heads. A casual dress code and sched-uling �exibility is available in various depart-ments, including the option to work remotely from home.

The company allows the opportunity for employees to give back to the community by arranging various outside volunteer opportu-nities during the workweek. Additionally, the company also supports an employee �nancial wellness program.

Individual employment anniversaries and birthdays are celebrated on a monthly basis. Other fun internal activities include a chili cook-off, a March Madness competition and time blowing off steam with friendly air-hockey games in the lobby.Employees of MicroNet, Inc.

� CULTURE IS A KEY INGREDIENT FOR SUCCESS

Grand View Lodge has an annual staff survey conducted for our year-round staff. We ask the same questions each year in order to benchmark our progress. In addition to the survey and ini-tiatives we have including Chairman’s Awards, Book Club, etc., we also do the following:

1. Provide the same survey to seasonal staff at the conclusion of the summer season.

2. Conduct a “Why I Like Working at GVL” feedback poll, by department, to better under-stand why our staff chooses to stay with us.

3. I personally host small line staff breakfast gatherings to �nd out “What’s on Your Mind?”

4. The management team selects a group project each year. In 2014 it was Celebrating Staff. For 2015, it is Community Service — part of their annual bonus is earned by their success in these goals.

5. We have organized a Leadership Task Force to identify potential growth in the staff and help them achieve professional success, includ-ing mentoring and outlining career paths, both within the company and outside if need be.

6. We are in the process of testing our man-agement staff and selected line staff with a Per-sonality Pro�le tool. It identi�es characteristics of our team and enables us to look for these

same traits in key new hires. We’ve completed about 40 staff and are reviewing results. Fasci-nating to see similarities of successful GVL staff.

I’m fascinated by culture and feel that it is a key ingredient for success. Knowing who you are is essential for becoming what you want to be.Scott Siler, Chief Executive Of�cerCote Family Companies

� IMAGINATION IS CULTURE IN THE WORK PLACE

Here’s a spin on work culture for the Dis-patch’s audience.

Victor Borge understood and identi�ed this by stating, “Humor is something that thrives between man’s aspirations and his limitations. There is more logic in humor than in anything else. Because, you see, humor is truth.”

Joining humor with an overactive imagina-tion makes me smile and laugh every work day. A good imagination writes a great story and �lls any day with journeys and adventures, yet you never leave the house.

To start the imagination activity, my mind’s eye creates a �ow of countless memories bike riding in childhood, as I do start each day rid-ing two miles on an exercise bike in the garage. The time and distance speed by with a grin and a feeling of accomplishment. My imagination’s now in motion. I’m ready to stroll into creative

dreams of imaginary tales putting pencil to pa-per, at the “Parley Corner of Words” workspace. Let the day begin.

Every day I work with �ve challenging, top-drawer, computer programs that I’ve ever had the privilege to operate. They became my friends and sprouted into family over time as we grew to know each other, so therefore I named them. I always treat them with respect, talking good manners and showing thought-fulness. If I don’t, the retaliation is unbear-able. Let’s start here…

As the only human in the workspace, I’m on the bottom-rung for chain of command. Cosie Moto, the Chief Executive Of�cer, is a comput-er. He’s high strung, moody, unpredictable and up and down in his performance. He’s a bully! If he’s not fully functioning, none of us work.

On his down days, I call Ron, from “Your PC Solutions.” At long last, human contact! Poor Ron, as the star and leading man of computer repairs, he is stuck restoring what Cosie or I have unintentionally interfered with. He looks after the circuits and hard drives, too. When repro-graming is �nished, Cosie runs like a true writer. We then may achieve composed nirvana, hav-ing, “The writer’s cosmic moment when the au-thor crosses over a threshold, bringing together both strength of mind and moral �ber through the power of courage, creating a new percep-tion for a person who reads.” Ah, success!

Every morning I jump into action with Ruf-fus Google. He looks like George Carlin in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and �lls a computer screen. He guides me back through history. We discover science, music and any-thing else I want to see and hear. This is where I conjure up new storylines with twist and turns created through humor. We giggle and laugh all the way. He’s so cool!

The one who watches my back-up the most is Jonathan Livingston Seagate. He works the night shift. He goes in after hours pecking and scavenging all the information I had searched out and saved in Cosie that day. He later digests the material in an outside back-up disc. What a responsibility he has.

The one who works the front line assaults is Lil’ Bill “Ground Pounder.” He is the head of se-curity in my realm. Since he has come on board the Trojans and Viruses have met their match.

“Back doors closed, �rewall up, Security Blitz Achieved on data driven attack,” says Lil’ Bill “Ground Pounder.” “The enemy’s intrusion of malicious code has been conquered.” Then he sits back, wearing an English Bowler hat, snacking on cookies to celebrate his comman-do raids and captures.

The one dominating my work time is Ed-die Banter, editor and chief. Eddie is Micro-soft Of�ce and is the meat and bones in my computer writing. He’s named after Edward R. Murrow. Eddie’s great skill as a program is equal only to Murrow’s class quality of dis-tinction in writing the news.

Edward R. Murrow said it best with, “Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn’t mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar.” As you can see, I’m trying to hang on to a more humble side in my writing.

Oh yeah, did I mention Sir Izzy Pits, my dictation and stenographer who intimately in-teracts with Eddie Banter? Sir Izzy’s named af-ter Isaac Pittman who invented shorthand. Sir Izzy is the full activation of Dragon Natural. He does all the typing as I talk to him. Wow! Way too cool.

Last, but not least, The Scribe, and my �rst hired. She’s my lead graphite pencil I’ve used for over six years now and the point-woman for the whole operation. All good writers start with a pencil and tablet. She is totally loyal and trustworthy, always steadfast in writing only what I intend.

The positive working relationship between employees and myself helps me continue to grow. It is my true respect for all things, nam-ing them into a humored 3-D personality that allows their characters to grow in me, too. Ask Ron, he will tell you about the deviant rebel-lious side my computer has. Cosie has the dis-position of an overpowering badly behaved god in reign. He truly runs my of�ce. Andy Hotal, author and storyteller Parley Corner of Words, Brainerd

CULTURE, From Page S46

September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

Chamber of Commerce Wednesday Turtle Rac-es over the summer months. MicroNet also par-es over the summer months. MicroNet also par-es over the summer months. MicroNet also par

In an effort to promote physical �tness, the company proudly sponsors employee partici-pation in local running events. Additionally, bi-cycles are made available to employees to take breaks on the Paul Bunyan Trail and make trips to Nisswa for ice cream. MicroNet also subsi-dizes �tness memberships at neighboring Any-

Company goals are regularly celebrated with a recent major goal being recognized with limo rides around the area. Additionally, in an effort to maintain transparency, the staff gathers for quarterly updates from the CEO and depart-ment heads. A casual dress code and sched-uling �exibility is available in various depart-ments, including the option to work remotely

The company allows the opportunity for employees to give back to the community by arranging various outside volunteer opportu-nities during the workweek. Additionally, the company also supports an employee �nancial

Individual employment anniversaries and birthdays are celebrated on a monthly basis. Other fun internal activities include a chili

fus Google. He looks like George Carlin in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and �lls a computer screen. He guides me back through history. We discover science, music and anything else I want to see and hear. This is where I conjure up new storylines with twist and turns created through humor. We giggle and laugh all the way. He’s so cool!

is Jonathan Livingston Seagate. He works the night shift. He goes in after hours pecking and scavenging all the information I had searched out and saved in Cosie that day. He later digests the material in an outside back-up disc. What a responsibility he has.

Lil’ Bill “Ground Pounder.” He is the head of security in my realm. Since he has come on board the Trojans and Viruses have met their match.

Blitz Achieved on data driven attack,” says Lil’ Bill “Ground Pounder.” “The enemy’s intrusion of malicious code has been conquered.” Then he sits back, wearing an English Bowler hat, snacking on cookies to celebrate his commando raids and captures.

die Banter, editor and chief. Eddie is Microsoft Of�ce and is the meat and bones in my computer writing. He’s named after Edward

Grand View Lodge General Manager Mark Ronnei prepares food on the grill for the housekeeping staff as Grand View Lodge celebrates its staff.

• Submitted

Grand View Lodge General Manager Mark Ronnei prepares food on the grill for the housekeeping staff as Grand View Lodge celebrates its staff.

www.brainerddispatch.comS48 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

A Legacy of Innovation by talented and

dedicated employees

A HUGE THANKS to all our employees for making this possible! Your hard

work in design, innovation and manufacturing is greatly appreciated

Have A Great Labor Day!

218-546-2100 l www.graphicpkg.com

975 3rd St. SW, Crosby, MN

001288097r1

Graphic Packaging International, Inc. expands its global reach Advertorial

CROSBY-- Graphic Packaging Interna-tional Inc. is likely one of the largest inter-national companies based in the Brainerd lakes area that most people have never heard of.

But the Crosby facility, located just be-hind Crosby-Ironton High School, produc-es all of the beverage packaging machinery used to support the company’s customers both in the United States and abroad. Their clients include the largest beverage suppliers in the world, as well as custom-ers within the smaller specialty markets, including tea, juice and craft beer.

While you’ll likely fi nd the company’s name on the cardboard box used to pack-age your favorite soft drink or beer, the Crosby facility has been busy producing machines for use around the world.

“We have machines in production right now that are going to China, United King-dom, Italy, Saudia Arabia, France, Canada

and several locations within the United States,” explained Matt Sundquist. “At the moment, 75 percent of our orders are outside the U.S.”

Graphic Packaging has about 13,000 employees worldwide and is the largest folding carton manufacturer in the U.S., and second in Europe. The Crosby facil-ity has 110 employees, a slight increase in staff from last year.

Sundquist said, “I think business is going to continue to be strong on the interna-tional front.” As the economies in other countries grow, so does their need for multi-pack beverages and the automated machines that create beverage packaging. Sundquist said that instead of going to the local store to buy a single beverage, more consumers overseas are instead seeking six-packs or other multi-pack options, which is driving their international market.

Most of their clients travel to the Crosby

plant to try out and review the equipment as it reaches the fi nal testing phase, and then later, a team from Crosby packs up the machinery and ships it to the client. Crosby employees also travel to the cus-tomer’s facility to help unpack, install, and train their client’s employees on the new equipment.

In one week in August, at least 20 visitors were in the Brainerd lakes area, international and U.S. clients, who came to Graphic Packaging to learn more about their machines. Their global business is also a boost to the local economy, as well.

Sundquist said the company is often hiring, especially machinists and assem-bly technicians, but also other staff. The Crosby plant employs a diverse workforce, including machinists, welders, electrical and mechanical assemblers, customer service representatives, engineers, accoun-tants, and employees working in shipping

and receiving, storeroom, technical pub-lishing, IT, HR and sales.

Graphic Packaging actively recruits out of the robotics and machine technol-ogy programs at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, and is working with CLC, Bridges Academies and the STEM program at Brainerd High School to make students aware of what they do and the professions available at the company. Last year the company had four interns from Central Lakes College.

Sundquist said the company is expected to continue to grow and add employees. They also retain their staff; the average tenure is 15 years of service.

“We’re fortunate. We have good people,” Sundquist said. “Our success is really about the people who work here, their commitment and dedication. We thank them for what they’ve done and for supporting our business.”

By JODIE TWEED

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RIPCORD Holsters

CUSTOM FIT FORHANDGUNS

Above: Daniel Tepper (left), Phil Seibel and Aaron Peterson are

the driving forces behind Ripcord Holsters. Far left: Phil Siebel

talks about Ripcord’s custom made holsters.

By MICHAEL JOHNSONNight Editor

While it is a right to bear arms, for a handgun

owner, it is a pleasure and need to be able to

�nd a holster that actually �ts your weapon,

holds it securely and allows for safe access.

For those who are on the frontlines �ghting for the coun-try, the need for a functional holster that can be at the ready 24 hours a day is of utmost importance. It can be a matter of life and death.

Three local entrepreneurs are providing just such hol-sters for those in need.

Tagged as an American-tailored holster, made of 100 percent American materials, Ripcord Holsters is a Pequot Lakes company fueled by the desire to provide gun users with a durable, attractive product.

The company designs and builds custom holsters of leather and Kydex. Kydex, to those unfamiliar with the name, is a thermoplastic product of varying thickness and rigidity. When heated, thermoplastic will mold to the shape of the item that needs to be holstered.

So, if a gun owner has a pistol from the 1800s that just doesn’t �t into an off-the-shelf holster, these guys can make one. Got a long slide G24 Glock — they can holster that.

If there is a need to holster it, they can holster it.

THE BEGINNINGSRipcord Holsters got its beginning out of frustration.“I was looking for a custom holster and I was having

trouble �nding one,” said Pequot Lakes resident Aaron Pe-terson.

Peterson, who works for the Mills Auto Group full time, began researching and found many people were making their own. Through various how-tos and trouble-shooting, Peterson soon found a product was attainable and would likely be popular with handgun users using the Kydex ma-terial. He made some for himself, then began making some for his friends.

“Everyone was like, ‘You need to start selling these,’” Peterson said.

And so it grew.Peterson now does much of the tailoring of the holsters

out of his shop at his residence in Pequot Lakes. But when a major order comes in, it’s all hands on deck to build these extremely customized holsters.

Phil Seibel, Baxter, is another member of the partner-ship. He, too, struggled to �nd a holster that �t his hand-gun and wasn’t satis�ed until he had a Ripcord-designed holster.

Seibel focuses on marketing the product. He built and maintains the website. He also works as the advertising di-rector for the Brainerd Dispatch full time.

Daniel Tepper, Nisswa, is the third partner and does much of the business development work for Ripcord Hol-

sters, as well as daily operations. He is always thinking about the next big thing. He recently moved from Minne-apolis where he worked in printing. He now works as a stay-at-home dad.

While they are very proud of their product, they are all looking for that next big idea.

Tepper’s past time serving in the military overseas helped him have connections with some of Ripcord’s bigger cli-ents, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“We got in contact, they asked for prototypes, we got into the bidding process,” and before long, Ripcord was sending out custom holsters that would be at the side of Americans �ghting wars on foreign soil, Tepper explained.

His military experience also helped create the Ripcord name.

“We were talking about how reliable this gear needed to be, and compared it to the ripcord of a parachute — it needs to work. Plain and simple,” Seibel said.

Having their product at the side of a Green Beret mem-ber is an honor, the partners said. It speaks to the quality they put into each holster.

“People’s lives are depending on these,” Peterson said. “We are on the frontline of the military.”

Who would have thought a military product would be coming from Pequot Lakes, Tepper said.

While those holsters were made for special forces agents, for sidearms that are not in the civilian market, people can own a holster of the same quality whether they plan to just use it at the range or wear it all day long.

“They are all based on military specs. We know that be-cause the military is using them,” Seibel said.

Peterson said about 75 percent of their work goes to the armed forces, while other custom holsters are sold locally, largely by word of mouth.

PRODUCT SPECSEach holster is made only after an interview of the user

in order to know how to build it around their needs, Peter-son said. Waist size, prefered belt size, conditions it will be used for, color preference and accessories on the gun are all important to �guring out how they will shape the holster to be comfortable, concealed and user friendly.

The .08 Kydex is a thicker grade of plastic that can with-stand a beating. Once the forms are made for the gun, the front and back are riveted together for strength, yet the hol-ster is still adjustable. An adjustable screw allows the user to tighten or loosen the front and back depending on how tight of a hold is required of the holster.

The belt clips are chosen based on how and where the wearer wishes to holster the weapon.

Peterson said while many people have an idea of what they want, they don’t always think about what will work best for them. He works with them to get outside the box of the one-size-�ts-all holster people can buy off a shelf.

One example Peterson gave, of how customized each holster is, was a pistol that had a laser sight attached to the side. The holster had magnet inserts that activated the sight upon removal from the holster. It was formed to �t the user and did exactly what he wanted it to do.

“When he left, he threw his old holster in the garbage,” Tepper said with a laugh.

Peterson said they didn’t reinvent the wheel when they started this product line, but they agree that it’s gaining at-tention as one of the best in the market.

FUTURE PLANSRipcord Holsters has designed hundreds of custom hol-

sters — no one just like the other.While they continue to seek out the next big thing, the

trio hopes to eventually make the hardware to sell to those who want to assemble their own holsters. Those builders could become part of a nation wide guild, Peterson said.

While the group is as busy as they care to be with the work, they sink most of the money back into developing the company.

“Our mission is to just push each other,” Peterson said. “My goal is to sell the best holster I can.”

MICHAEL JOHNSON may be reached at 855-5863 or michael.johnson@brainerddis-

patch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mj_upnorth.

Progress EditionB R A I N E R D L A K E S A R E A

B R A I N E R D D I S P A T C H L A B O R D A Y S P E C I A L

www.brainerddispatch.com SERVING THE BRAINERD LAKES AREA AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA SINCE 1881 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

Ripcord brand• Where did the name come from?

“We were talking about how reliable this gear needed to be, and compared it to the ripcord of a parachute — it needs to work. Plain and simple,” Phil Seibel of Rip-Cord Holsters said.

For more information about the product and how to get one for your-self, go to www.ripcordholsters.com.

FO RYO U R IN F O

SERVING THE B

While it is a right to bear arms, for a handgun

owner, it is a pleasure and need to be able to

�nd a holster that actually �ts your weapon,

holds it securely and allows for safe access.

AUTO BUSINESS AIMS FOR HONESTY, AFFORDABILITY

‘Just LITTLE guys making a living’

AUTO REPAIR www.brainerddispatch.comS50 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

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245 Barclay AvenuePine River, MN 56474

218-587-2722

804 Laurel St # 101Brainerd, MN 56401

218-829-3251

501 E Broadway Little Falls, MN 56345

320-632-6592

Advertorial

Hanneken Insurance serves clients throughout Central Minnesota

By JODIE TWEEDWhen you need insurance, whether it be for your home, cabin, farm, car, boat or your

health, it’s important to have an insurance agent who not only understands your needs, but also the rural area in which you live.

Hanneken Insurance not only specializes in insuring rural properties, from cabins to farms, but they know the families who trust them with their insurance business.

“We’ll meet you at your kitchen table, and that’s my favorite part of the business,” ex-plained Chris Hanneken. “Being an insurance agent in a rural market, you have to be a jack of all trades. We insure older mobile homes, high end lake homes and everything in

between.”

Chris Hanneken and his brother, Matt Hanneken, co-own the insurance agency, which was started by their father, Reiny Hanneken, in Little Falls in 1983. Reiny is still active with the agency, which includes offices in Little Falls, Brainerd and Pine River. Their brother, Eric

Hanneken, also works part-time for the insurance agency. The Hannekens opened the Pine River office in 1995 and the Brainerd office in 2006.

Most of their nine employees have been with the agency for over 10 years, with three em-ployees with the agency more than 20 years.

“The experience of our staff is quite extensive,” said Chris Hanneken. “They know what they are doing. They understand when a client calls in and says, ‘I want to add my red pickup back on.’ They’ve dealt with the client for so long that they know what the red

pickup means. It helps to avoid any errors in what we do.”Hanneken said in the insurance business, having knowledgeable staff is key.

“Employees are truly the base of your business. Insurance is all about trust,” Hanneken explained. “If people don’t trust the people they’re dealing with, they’re not going to deal

with our agency for their insurance.”

Hanneken said he’s noticing a trend in more new construction in the Brainerd lakes area, as more people are coming to Hanneken Insurance to insure their new homes.

“There’s been a quiet resurgence in the housing market,” Hanneken said. The Hannekens and their staff have also been busy helping their clients navigate MNsure

and the health insurance exchanges, providing a service to help them find affordable healthcare options.

Hanneken Insurance is an independent insurance agency that represents many insurance companies, which provides their customers with the best results during the insurance buy-ing process. They understand the insurance industry, after 32 years in business, and know how to tailor coverages, combining programs and companies to make sure their customers

are paying the lowest rate and getting every discount they are eligible for.

To learn more about Hanneken Insurance, or discover how they may help you with all your insurance needs, visit their website at www.hannekeninsurance.com

AUTO • HOME • FARM • COMMERCIAL

001283

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245 Barclay AvenuePine River, MN 56474

218-587-2722

804 Laurel St # 101Brainerd, MN 56401

218-829-3251

501 E Broadway Little Falls, MN 56345

320-632-6592

thank you

Our employees make us who we are and we are grateful

for their service!

A Successful Business Is Truly A Refl ection Of Its Employees

With 198 years of combined experience, Hanneken Insurance and our dedicated employees have provided the best quality service

for our clients for over 30 years.

Thank you to our employees and thank you to our clients for their patronage.

AUTO • HOME • FARM • COMMERCIAL

MERRIFIELD — Auto repair businesses seem

to often be the subject of television news in-

vestigations revealing scams or other indiscre-

tions.

When Karl Eckardt opened Affordable Auto Repair in Merri�eld two years ago, he sought to change consum-er perception and offer what the name of his business promised.

“People are satis�ed with our work. We don’t lie to them,” Eckardt said. “We actually show people their own parts when we’re done with the job. … Not too many places do that anymore. That’s what people are looking for nowadays.”

Although a relatively new addition to the Merri�eld business community, the repair shop has existed in Eck-

ardt’s and �ancee Amy Sullivan’s minds for much longer, a seemingly distant dream discussed around camp�res for years. After working for others most of his life, Eck-ardt, 50, said owning his own business is a lifelong desire realized.

“I’ve been working for ‘the man’ for 30-some years now. I’ve had enough,” Eckardt said. “I’ve always wanted to do this, have my own shop and make money and help people.”

Although owning his own business is new to Eckardt, the automotive industry is not. For 20 years, he worked at Holden Electric Company, where he was in charge of all automotive and mechanical maintenance. Before that, Eckardt spent a decade at Auto Import Inc. in Brainerd working on Volkswagen vehicles and has previous small engine repair experience.

The backyard �re talk moved closer to reality when Eckardt, fed up with what he perceived as diminishing returns in his career, began taking night business classes.

By CHELSEY PERKINSStaff Writer

Affordable Auto Repair• Location: Merri�eld.

• Number of employees: 2.

• Fun fact: The of�ce features a variety of automotive-related antiques and trinkets, many of which were given to the business by customers.

FO RYO U R IN F O

See AFFORDABLE REPAIR Page S51

MMMERRIFIELD — Auto repair businesses seem MMERRIFIELD — Auto repair businesses seem

to often be the subject of television news inMto often be the subject of television news in

vestigations revealing scams or other indiscreMvestigations revealing scams or other indiscrevestigations revealing scams or other indiscreMvestigations revealing scams or other indiscre

tions.Mtions.

When Karl Eckardt opened Affordable Auto Repair in MWhen Karl Eckardt opened Affordable Auto Repair in Merri�eld two years ago, he sought to change consumM

Merri�eld two years ago, he sought to change consum

AUTO REPAIR www.brainerddispatch.com September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015 S51

www.goldleafpartners.com14221 Golf Course Dr, Suite 200 | Baxter, MN 56425

Goldleaf thanks our clients, partners,

and employees who have made

our progress possible!

Happy Labor Day!

001296184r1

Baxter Company Achieves National Success,

CEO Credits Employees

Advertorial

Goldleaf Partners, a company that started 12 years ago in Brainerd with just 3 employees, has grown into one of the nation’s leading independent employee benefi ts consulting fi rms. With over 90 employees in 11 states and plans to con-tinue expansion nationwide, Goldleaf now administers and integrates thousands of retirement, Fiduciary Assistant® 3(16), employee benefi ts, payroll, HR services, and time and attendance plans across the country.

While there are many factors that lead to success in the business world, Goldleaf President and CEO, Michael King, CPA, MBT, defers a large portion of the credit to the employees. “We have an environ-ment that celebrates contributions and re-wards those who go ‘above and beyond’ what is expected. We do an awful lot of rewarding because we have a great team of people who consistently go the extra mile for our customers as well as for their coworkers,” King said.

Goldleaf Partners believes their em-ployees are the best in the business and they also realize that employees have commitments outside of the workplace. As a result, they have intentionally built an environment that not only values, but encourages work/life balance. In addition to supporting employees’ career develop-ment by assisting with career path plan-ning, Goldleaf empowers employees to get involved in company and community projects that interest them.

Across all of their locations nationwide, Goldleaf employees are encouraged to volunteer. In their two Minnesota offi ces in Baxter (pictured above) and Minneapolis, employees volunteer for dozens of orga-nizations, including Junior Achievement, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Meals on Wheels, Rotary Club, MS Society, and many more. Goldleaf’s employee focus has led to high levels of employee satisfac-tion and retention, which not only ben-efi ts their employees, but also translates into better service for their customers.

King explained, “We want every client and partner who works with us to ‘Experi-ence the Gold Standard’ – that means we strive to be the best. To execute on that, we hire the best team, people who are not only experts in their fi eld, but who will also create an exceptional experience for our clients.”

Because of that “Gold Standard” service, Goldleaf Partners is the fi rm of choice for many businesses who want an integrated approach to their employer services. Their unique approach to administrative service capabilities allows them to streamline the process and become a single service pro-vider for the companies they serve. Clients receive a dedicated relationship manager who is an ongoing resource, providing high-touch service and proactive commu-nication with each client.

To learn more about Goldleaf Partners, visit goldleafpartners.com.

By JODIE TWEED

001296190r1

September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

It was there he was told to expect an initial two-year struggle as a �rst-time busi-ness owner, a risk he was willing to take.

“My goal when we started this was just to be able to make enough to survive,” Eckardt said. “We’re struggling right now, but we’re surviving. We’re getting better every year. This year got a little better, and next year is going to be a little better.”

Meanwhile, Sullivan maintained her career as a psychiatric nurse for the �rst eight months of the business, but quit to help Eckardt full time once it became clear the business was taking off.

“He couldn’t even handle what he was having at that time,” Sullivan said. “You can’t �x cars and answer the phone and deal with people.”

Both lifelong residents and graduates of area high schools, Eckardt and Sulli-van said they’ve felt welcomed by the community members who’ve shown their appreciation through baked goods, dog treats for pet Sydney and antique toy cars for the decorated of�ce.

“They’ll stop here, Amy (Sullivan) will give them a ride home, and then they’ll send cupcakes back,” Eckardt said.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie here,” Sullivan said. “We’ll have a customer here that we’re taking care of, and then we’ll have two more customers show up and say, ‘Hey Bob, how are you doing?’”

Their penchant for treating customers like family has led to an expanded reach, Eckardt said, as children and grandchil-dren visiting the area have begun to bring their own cars in for repair in lieu of pay-ing metro-area prices.

“We’re not like some of the other com-petitors,” Eckardt said. “We’re honest and we take our time with them. They’re not a number here. They’re part of the family, pretty much.”

Eckardt attributes his success at satis-fying customers to his willingness to do whatever it takes to make the repair pain-less, including offering free diagnostics and a �exible schedule.

“The biggest thing for us is to try to help somebody out,” Eckardt said. “We come

in on weekends, we come in whenever somebody needs something done. We’ll stay open until 10 o’clock. … People real-ly appreciate it. We appreciate them, too. It works both ways.”

Eckardt and Sullivan said they’re al-ready plotting expansion of the business, but don’t intend to grow to the point of hiring additional employees.

“We’ve already outgrown the place,” Sullivan said.

They also said they have no plans of moving the business away from its cur-rent County Highway 3 location, where they’ve become a part of the community. They eat in Merri�eld, drink in Merri�eld and donate to area organizations and lo-cal celebrations.

“We feel we’re making a big impact. We help out of the community around here,” Eckardt said. “If I survive another 15 years, we’ve got it made.”

CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 218-855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerd-dispatch.com. Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey.

Karl Eckardt (left) and Amy Sullivan discuss their business Affordable Auto Repair

in Merri�eld in front of a Volkswagen van in for repair. Eckardt is a certi�ed

Volkswagen technician and he said he is willing to work on any

foreign or domestic vehicle.

Photos by Kelly Humphrey • kelly.humphrey@brainerddispatch.com

Karl Eckardt (left) and Amy Sullivan discuss their business Affordable Auto Repair Karl Eckardt (left) and Amy Sullivan discuss their business Affordable Auto Repair

in Merri�eld in front of a Volkswagen van in for repair. Eckardt is a certi�ed in Merri�eld in front of a Volkswagen van in for repair. Eckardt is a certi�ed

Volkswagen technician and he said he is willing to work on any Volkswagen technician and he said he is willing to work on any

kelly.humphrey@brainerddispatch.com

People are satis�ed with our

work. We don’t lie to them,”

Eckardt said. “We actually show peo-

ple their own parts when we’re done

with the job. … Not too many places

do that anymore. That’s what people

are looking for nowadays.KARL ECKARDT

AFFORDABLE REPAIR, From Page S50

Photos by Kelly Humphrey • kelly.humphrey@brainerddispatch.com

Wedding �orist Kate Kuepers takes �owers

to be used for her business Bloom Designs

out of the cooler she has in her basement.

BAXTER — Kate Kuepers was do-

ing interior design work, before

going back to school to get a mas-

ter’s in education.

She began a wedding �oral business to make money on the side — never realiz-ing how far her �owers would take her.

“That was four years ago, and by the time I �nished my master’s, the business had grown so much that there was no way I could think about going into teaching,” she said. “That was really kind of a tough thing for me.”

She now works full time in running Bloom Designs from her home in Bax-ter. The secret to her business’s success is the trend of couples planning destination weddings at lakes area resorts.

“Ninety-�ve percent of my brides are from the Cities,” she said. “They’re look-ing for someone who can kind of take over and take care of it, get it done.”

Alliances with local resorts mean Kue-pers is on their preferred list of vendors to handle weddings at their venues. The July 12 supercell storm that temporarily shut down many area resorts moved a few weddings for Kuepers, but nobody can-celed, she said.

The storm did disrupt the Bloom De-signs itself, however. Kuepers’ house lost power, and having received a shipment of �owers the morning after the storm, her husband had to leap into action and get a generator in order to run the �ower cool-ers to keep Kuepers’ blooms from wilting.

See PETALS Page S53

FLORAL DESIGN www.brainerddispatch.comS52 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

00129683

4r1

Hirsh� eld’s in Baxter seesgrowth in new construction,

remodels

Advertorial

If a local contractor needs paint or stain, they often turn to Hirshfi eld’s in Baxter, and that’s why store manager Jeff Lewis is optimistic about the economy.

“The last couple of years we’ve defi nitely seen an increase in new home construction, as well as remodels,” Lewis explained. “It seems that people have more faith in the economy and are will-ing to spend money again, which is good. It looks like it will continue into the next year, we’re optimistic about that.”

Hirshfi eld’s had been in its Baxter location since 2000. The Min-nesota-based company is a fourth generation, family-owned business that has been in the decorating business for more than 100 years.

Frank Hirshfi eld opened his fi rst store in 1894.

Hirshfi eld’s is a wholesale and retail store. While paint is what they are best known for, Hirshfi eld’s also carries custom window treatments and furnishings, wallcovering, and more. The Baxter store has two full-time em-ployees dedicated to providing in-home consultations and installations of custom window treatments for homes and busi-nesses. Lewis said they also get customers in the store every day who come in for custom stain matching.

Lewis said they’ve seen a growth in consumer interest in environmentally friendly paint products that are water-based and contain no VOCs. More paint suppliers are choosing to go away from solvent-based products and switch to green products because customers are requesting the changes.

“That’s been huge in the last few years. Everybody is going green,” said Lewis. “We offer a product in every category that would fi ll that need.”

The Baxter store has four full-time and four part-time employees. They are open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Lewis said the Baxter store is always looking to add more talent to its staff.

“We’re always ac-tively looking, and as a company, we’re going to get more aggressive in seeking out new tal-ent, whether they stay in this store or move on to different positions at other Hirshfi eld’s loca-tions,” Lewis explained.

Customers who are interested in selecting paint to freshen up the look of their home can drop in at the Baxter store, located at 7447 Clearwater Road, and speak to an employee. Or they may visit the

company’s website, www.hirshfi elds.com . The website offers a downloadable mobile app that allows mobile users to experiment with Hirshfi eld’s paint colors, using photographs of their own home or offi ce.

By JODIE TWEED

We offer aproduct in

every category that would fi ll

that need.

001296837r1

By ZACH KAYSERStaff Writer

BLOOM DESIGNS TURNS UNIQUE NICHE INTO BUDDING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

PETAL to the metalBAXTER — Kate Kuepers was do

ing interior design work, before

going back to school to get a mas

ter’s in education. ter’s in education. ter’s in education. ter’s in education.

She began a wedding �oral business to

Wedding �orist Kate Kuepers takes �owers Wedding �orist Kate Kuepers takes �owers Wedding �orist Kate Kuepers takes �owers Wedding �orist Kate Kuepers takes �owers

to be used for her business Bloom Designs to be used for her business Bloom Designs to be used for her business Bloom Designs to be used for her business Bloom Designs

out of the cooler she has in her basement. out of the cooler she has in her basement. out of the cooler she has in her basement. out of the cooler she has in her basement.

ers to keep Kuepers’ blooms from wilting. ers to keep Kuepers’ blooms from wilting. ers to keep Kuepers’ blooms from wilting.

Page S53 Page S53 Page S53 Page S53

FLORAL DESIGN www.brainerddispatch.com September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015 S53

001294861r1

Jack Pine Brewery discovers high demand for locally brewed

beer in Brainerd lakes area

Advertorial

Patrick Sundberg has always enjoyed a good, home-brewed beer, and he had big hopes that others would too. But when he opened Jack Pine Brewery in Baxter 2-1/2 years ago, he greatly underesti-mated the demand for his cold brews.

“I was home brewing for 12 years before I started Jack Pine Brewery, but I didn’t know there were this many people interested in really good, lo-cally produced beer,” Sundberg ex-plained.

Since Jack Pine Brewery opened three summers ago, Sundberg has doubled his pro-duction capacity – twice. Each batch of beer requires three to four weeks inside a fermentation tank as part of the brewing process. When the brewery fi rst opened, they had four fermentation tanks, allowing them to brew once or twice a week. Half-way through the fi rst summer, four more tanks were added. The second summer they maxed out their production capacity for their eight fermenters and began plan-ning the next expansion. That expansion was completed in July.

There are 31 gallons of beer per barrel. Their fi rst year in business, they produced 234 barrels of beer. The second year, they produced 377 barrels. This summer they are on target to produce about 500 barrels.

“Since Day One, it’s been a matter of trying to make more beer and add more equipment to keep up with demand,” said Sundberg. “It’s all thanks to the support of the community.”

Starting last Memorial Day, they began to offer their beer in retail liquor stores in Brainerd, Baxter and Nisswa. Eight liquor stores carry their label, and more stores are being added all the time. They also have 28 tap accounts at bars and restaurants throughout the Brainerd lakes area, where their locally brewed beer is served by the

glass. Jack Pine Brewery was only open for

limited hours on Fridays and Saturdays its fi rst year, but is now open from 4-9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 2-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sun-day.

They started out with a couple vol-unteer servers at the taproom, but were able to expand and hire employees. Sundberg said they now have 11 peo-ple on the payroll, including two full-time employees.

Their tap selec-tion has grown from four varieties to 10-11 beers on tap all the time, along with three sodas they

make in-house, including root beer, a tap-room favorite. Their year round beers in-clude Fenceline Pale Ale, Duck Pond Nut Brown Ale, and Dead Branch Cream Ale.

“Sometimes we brew up something spe-cial just for the taproom, and that’s been really fun to play with different things,” said Sundberg. “We’ve got a good variety, I feel, with what we have on tap.”

Sundberg said just as farmer’s markets are popular, so is locally brewed beer. Peo-ple like to support local businesses, and they’re interested in meeting their brewer and knowing where their beverages come from.

“And it doesn’t hurt that it tastes good, too,” Sundberg added.

Sundberg thanked his employees for the hard work that they do, and the communi-ty for helping him grow his dream business.

“I’ve met a lot of wonderful people who are willing to get excited about the brew-ery and make it their own. It’s been a real blessing to have really awesome people working behind this, too,” said Sundberg.

Jack Pine Brewery is located at 7942 Col-lege Road, Suite No. 115, Baxter. To learn more about Jack Pine Brewery, visit their website at www.jackpinebrewery.com.

By JODIE TWEED

0012948

62r1

Bloom Designs• Location: Baxter.• Number of employees: 1. • Fun fact: Owner Kate Kuepers worked in

a �oral shop in high school and college. She got the idea to start her business after helping her sister’s wedding on Chesa-peake Bay.

FO RYO U R IN F O

“We didn’t worry about our food in our fridge or any-thing like that, we were worried about keeping the �ow-ers cold,” Kuepers said.

Kuepers gets her �owers from a warehouse in Min-neapolis featuring both Minnesota growers and exotic blooms from places like Holland and South America. She also incorporates unconventional “�owers” in her designs — she opened her cooler to reveal a hops plant she plans on using for a wedding of two people who love craft beer.

Kuepers said her personal artistic style for weddings involves the use of textiles, and uncommon items like vintage and fabrics.

“I have tons of ideas that �ow around in my head,” she said.

However, Kuepers is careful not to let her artistic vi-sion cloud what the couple wants in their wedding style.

“I want it to be something that’s re�ective of the cou-ple, not re�ective of me,” she said. “I think that’s a hard thing to do when you’re in this business.”

Encouraged by the �ourishing of Bloom Designs, Kue-pers plans to branch out into wedding styling — a ser-vice common in the Twin Cities but not around Brainerd. A wedding stylist is similar to the conventional wedding planner, except they focus the overall aesthetic of the wedding rather than practical organization and sched-uling that a wedding planner would handle. Clients al-ready ask her advice on things like what kind of napkins to use and how to get custom-made signs — so why not make it part of her business of�cially?

She also wants to expand by hiring workers, so she’s not Bloom Designs’ sole permanent employee anymore.

“All my help goes back to college the �rst weekend in August,” she said.

There aren’t many set parameters for the ideal candi-date besides being reliable with a good attitude, Kuepers said.

She doesn’t mind the hours she works right now, but it can be tricky balancing business with caring for her kids.

“I’m getting up at 4 a.m. to answer emails, and when they get up at 7 I’m doing the mom thing,” she said. “Then we get them to bed, and I’m back to work.”

Still, Kuepers’ move away from the daily grind has paid off.

ZACH KAYSER may be reached at 218-855-5860 or Zach.Kayser@brainerddispatch.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ZWKayser.

PETALS, From Page S52

“We didn’t worry about our food in our fridge or any-thing like that, we were worried about keeping the �ow-

Kuepers gets her �owers from a warehouse in Min-neapolis featuring both Minnesota growers and exotic blooms from places like Holland and South America. She also incorporates unconventional “�owers” in her designs — she opened her cooler to reveal a hops plant she plans on using for a wedding of two people who

Kuepers said her personal artistic style for weddings involves the use of textiles, and uncommon items like

“I have tons of ideas that �ow around in my head,”

However, Kuepers is careful not to let her artistic vi-sion cloud what the couple wants in their wedding style.

“I want it to be something that’s re�ective of the cou-ple, not re�ective of me,” she said. “I think that’s a hard

Encouraged by the �ourishing of Bloom Designs, Kue-pers plans to branch out into wedding styling — a ser-pers plans to branch out into wedding styling — a ser-pers plans to branch out into wedding styling — a service common in the Twin Cities but not around Brainerd. A wedding stylist is similar to the conventional wedding planner, except they focus the overall aesthetic of the wedding rather than practical organization and sched-uling that a wedding planner would handle. Clients al-ready ask her advice on things like what kind of napkins to use and how to get custom-made signs — so why not

I have tons of

ideas that �ow

around in my head. . . .

I want it to be some-

thing that’s re�ective

of the couple, not re-

�ective of me. I think

that’s a hard thing to

do when you’re in this

business.KATE KUEPERS

Photos by Kelly Humphrey • kelly.humphrey@brainerddispatch.com

From CORPORATE to PERSONAL

RETAIL GIFTS & FASHION www.brainerddispatch.comS54 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

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19r1

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JN Tree Service assistshomeowners with storm

cleanup, tree removal

Advertorial

When high winds from a powerful storm caused devastating property dam-age and downed trees throughout the Brainerd lakes area on July 12, many area homeowners turned to locally owned and operated JN Tree Service for help in the cleanup efforts.

While the storm may have been a couple months ago, many homeowners continue to deal with downed trees and brush clean-up. Joe Nelson, owner of JN Tree Service in Fort Ripley, said that he and his crew of three employees are still helping customers removing downed trees after the storm. They remain available and fl exible to help other homeowners grappling with the storm’s aftermath.

If you have trees that pose a safety hazard, even if they are located in the woods adjacent to your home, now is the time to have them removed. A tree that is hanging across other trees could not only become a safety issue, but it could turn into a signifi cant liability for the property owner.

Angie and Joe Nelson, owners of JN Tree Service, are certifi ed arborists through the International Society of Ar-boriculture. An arborist is a tree specialist who is trained and equipped to properly care for and remove trees. Tree work should only be done by those who are trained and equipped to work safely in trees, especially large trees. The company has a 60-foot bucket truck that they can use to carefully remove large branches.

Downed trees are not only unsafe, but

they can spread tree diseases and create a fi re hazard if not properly taken care of.

When the storm hit in July, many tree companies from around the state and outside Minnesota quickly arrived in the Brainerd lakes area, seeking fi nancial op-portunities from vulnerable homeowners who suddenly found themselves without power and facing massive property dam-age.

“It’s important to hire an ISA-certifi ed arborist, and we are professional arborists,” Nelson explained. “We’re not just a pickup truck and a ladder.”

JN Tree Service of-fers:

Lot clearingWoods clearingTree removal and

tree trimmingStorm cleanupBrush clearing and

chippingStump grindingWhy not better

utilize the storm dam-aged areas of your wooded property? JN Tree Service will create trail systems through your property using fast

and effi cient machinery that will mulch up most trees, branches and other debris. The mulch will eventually become rich topsoil for your forest, allowing new trees and vegetation to grow.

To learn more about JN Tree Service, visit their website at www.jntreeservice-landscaping.com or call them at (800) 630-2960.

By JODIE TWEED

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Getting To The Root Of Your Tree And Landscaping Needs!

By JENNIFER STOCKINGERStaff Writer

Jennifer Carnahan — a Brainerd lakes area girl at heart

— spent her childhood weekends at her family’s cabin

on Round Lake north of Brainerd.

Carnahan attended the traditional turtle races and other popular Niss-wa events, ate at Rafferty’s Pizza and, as she got older, she shopped at the specialty gift shops to buy presents for her family and friends.

Today, Carnahan is a proud owner of a gift shop in Nisswa. She opened Primrose Park on June 12. It is her second boutique — her �rst shop opened in October of 2014 in Minneapolis. Primrose Park is a contemporary, specialty women’s clothing boutique, which also offers accessories and gifts. She carries a variety of clothing lines such as Color Block and See U Soon from France; Lavand from Spain; and Lumiere, Everly and Skies are Blue from Los Angeles.

“I sell great styles for an affordable price,” Carnahan said. “Most ev-erything in the store is $50 and under for quality merchandise.”

Carnahan added, “I aspire to bring stylish, sophisticated and on-trend clothing to the Brainerd lakes area and Twin Cities markets, giving wom-en more options for great clothing, without having to shop online or jump on a plane and travel to have access to great fashion.

“I envision my store as a place where women can shop in a wel-coming and unpretentious environment by making women feel pos-itive and con�dent about the way they look every day. My vision is a combination of contemporary comfort that’s in�nitely feminine and

JENNIFERCARNAHAN

LAKES AREA NATIVE HASBOUTIQUES IN NISSWA AND MINNEAPOLIS

See BOUTIQUES Page S55

Jennifer Carnahan — a Brainerd lakes area girl at heart

— spent her childhood weekends at her family’s cabin

on Round Lake north of Brainerd.

Carnahan attended the traditional turtle races and other popular Nisswa events, ate at Rafferty’s Pizza and, as she got older, she shopped at the specialty gift shops to buy presents for her family and friends.

Today, Carnahan is a proud owner of a gift shop in Nisswa. She opened Primrose Park on June 12. It is her second boutique — her �rst

I want everyone who walks in

this door to feel comfortable

and welcomed. I want to provide a

unique style that will make everyone

feel special and good about herself.JENNIFER CARNAHAN

BOUTIQUES, From Page S54

through the product in my shop, you will see that the collection resonates across boundaries and cultures.”

Carnahan also promotes several Minnesota artists and sells their products. Primrose Park carries Sota clothing, which cre-ates and designs Minnesota T-shirts, mugs and more. It also has Kiyi Kiyi, a business in Willmar that makes handmade soaps; and Baubles and Bobbies, a business in Mankato that makes jewelry.

“I have gone through hundreds of Minnesota T-shirts,” Car-nahan said. “I’ve sold out of the Minnesota necklaces and the homemade soaps go fast. I had 64 of the Sota mugs and I need to get more as they are almost gone.”

‘DREAM BIG AND GO FOR IT’Carnahan said opening a business was not something she

planned to do right after college. Her education includes being a graduate of the Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in the broadcast journalism program and she earned her master’s of business degree from the Univer-sity of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

Carnahan was a strategic general manager and brand mar-keter for 15 years before opening a business. She said she had a track record of driving marketplace success for some of the top Fortune 500 companies, including McDonald’s Corporation, General Mills and Ecolab.

Carnahan said her job started to not be ful�lling to her any-more and it began to be more about managing people and navi-gating politics. She was ready for a change.

“I decided to take the leap in 2012 from the safety net of cor-porate America and into the realm of entrepreneurship,” Carnah-an said. “Owning a store was something I always wanted to do.”

Carnahan said the idea for the name of her store, Primrose Park, came from Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill in London. Car-nahan said she �rst visited the sites in London in 2002 and has been there four times since. She said she loves the quaint neigh-borhood of Primrose Hill and it has great boutiques.

“London is one of my favorite cities and I wanted to bring that piece of me to life in my shop,” Carnahan said. “The decor is soft and sophisticated, charming and quaint. I want everyone who walks in this door to feel comfortable and welcomed. I want to

provide a unique style that will make everyone feel special and good about herself.”

Carnahan opened her �rst boutique in Minneapolis in Oc-tober of 2014, then Nisswa in June of this year and her strategic

plan for the future is to grow Primrose Park into a multi-unit chain extending beyond Minnesota’s borders.

Carnahan said her Minneapolis boutique has a staff of three and herself. The store hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and by appointment Monday through Wednes-day. The Nisswa boutique is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. where she, her mother and another staff member work. Carnah-an travels every Thursday night to work at her Nisswa boutique.

Carnahan’s parents, John and Cindra Carnahan, live full time in Maple Grove and have their cabin on Round Lake, where they plan to move permanently. Carnahan’s parents met when they were in college. They were both camp counselors at Camp Lin-coln/Camp Hubert at the time. John proposed to Cindra on Pine Beach Road, north of Brainerd, over a hill and marsh, Carnahan said.

Carnahan, who has traveled to �ve continents, 37 countries and 43 states, is proud to have her boutique open in her home-town of Nisswa.

“It’s nice to be a part of the community,” Carnahan said.Carnahan, who still stays at the Nisswa cabin on the week-

ends, enjoys paddle boarding and biking on the Paul Bunyan State Trail.

In business, Carnahan has a motto, “Dream big and go for it.”“I’ve never been scared to push myself outside my comfort

zone to grow both personally and professionally,” said Carna-han. “I hope that my life experiences have inspired and will continue to inspire others along the way. My 6-year-old niece, Melaina Sophaphanh has already told me that she wants to go to Syracuse and be just like her ‘Aunt Jenn’ when she grows up.”

Carnahan stays busy with her two boutiques. She also cur-rently serves as the president of the Syracuse University Alumni Club of Minnesota, a board member of the National Association of Asian MBAs and a member of the Northeast Business Associ-ation, Nisswa Chamber of Commerce and the Junior League of Minneapolis.JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.

RETAIL GIFTS & FASHION www.brainerddispatch.com September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015 S55

Toll Free 844 7 Blinds // www.budgtblinds.com/brainerd

25% OFF FREE CORDLESS ON SELECT PRODUCTS

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0012938

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Budget Blinds in Brainerd celebrates a successful � rst year

Advertorial

Last year Michael and Jane Larsen took a leap of faith, selling their home and business in Park Rapids to open, along with their son, Jordan Larsen, their own business franchise, Budget Blinds, which serves the Brainerd lakes area.

The Larsens discovered the Brainerd lakes area was the perfect market for Budget Blinds, one of the largest window treatment specialty companies in the country. So far, more than a year later, the business is busy providing window covering services for homes and busi-nesses.

Jane Larsen recently returned from Budget Blinds’ design school in Califor-nia, where she became certifi ed as a style consultant. She received training on picking out draperies, cornices, bedding – and all kinds of drapery treatments. She can help clients design their custom drapery, selecting trendy or traditional window dressings to give their homes a one-of-a-kind look.

Larsen said she enjoys helping clients choose a look that suits their style and home. They’ve done many jobs for residential homes, including seasonal and permanent homes, and they’ve seen a lot of growth in their commercial work for both small and large businesses.

“It’s been a great year, we’re very ex-cited,” Larsen said.

Budget Blinds offers a unique business model. The Larsens will come to your home, bring window treatment samples, measure your windows and help you select window treatments that suit both your style and needs.

“When you put your new blinds up, that’s like putting on your outfi t. Add drapery and cornice, and it’s like putting on your jewelry,” Larsen said. “It’s fun, but you also need everything to fi t well, too. We help from start-to-fi nish. We go to the consultation, show fabrics, look around your home to look at your style and try to incorporate that into a style for you that will be integrated nicely. We

later come and install everything and dress the drapes. When we leave, you have a beautiful piece of art.”

While some customers may want new window treatments for decorative purposes only, others may need them to help control natural lighting or to provide insulation for both the cold and winter months.

Since Budget Blinds is a large company with over 1,000 franchises, they can offer the best prices in the businesses, along with a fi ve-year, no questions asked war-ranty. If your window treatments become ruined for whatever reason, whether it is by a pet, child or even yourself, the company will replace them for free, one time for each window. This, combined with the manufacturer’s limited lifetime warranty, means you are covered.

It usually takes about two weeks from the time you order your window treat-ments until they are installed. Budget Blinds also can do custom draperies with their clients’ own fabrics. If you have upholstery you love and want a match-ing cornice or pillows, Budget Blinds can do that for you, said Larsen. They will remove and discard your own window treatments, leaving no mess behind.

They’ve been in business since June 2014, and it has been going better than they even anticipated. They serve a large region including the communities of Brainerd, St. Cloud, Little Falls, Aitkin, Crosby, Walker, Nisswa, Pine River, Pe-quot Lakes, and Crosslake.

Budget Blinds can be found on Face-book and Pinterest and on its own web-site, budgetblinds.com/Brainerd. Larsen has pinned on the Budget Blinds Pinter-est page many beautiful window treat-ments for her clients to use as inspiration and as a starting point as they begin to work together.

If you’re in the market for new window treatments, call the Larsens at Budget Blinds at 844-7-BLINDS.

By JODIE TWEED

0012938

78r1

tober of 2014, then Nisswa in June of this year and her strategic

Primrose Park•Address: 25354 South Main Street,

Nisswa; 20 University Avenue NE, Minneapolis.

•Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in Nisswa. Minneapolis store hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and by appointment Monday through Wednesday.

•Something personal about Carnahan: “My favorite travel experiences include hang gliding off Pedra Bonita Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, indulging in street food throughout Indochina and exploring the art and archi-tecture of Northern Italy. My personal goal is to visit all 193 United Nations-recognized countries before my time passes. I also am an avid triathlete, half-marathon runner and yogi. To date, I’ve completed �ve triathlons, six half-marathons and am a certi�ed Yoga Sculpt teacher at Corepower Yoga and Spa in Minnesota.”

FO RYO U R IN F O

Primrose Park sells several Minnesota artists’ products such as handmade soaps.

Photos by Kelly Humphrey • kelly.humphrey@brainerddispatch.com

www.brainerddispatch.comS56 September 3, 2015 • September 7, 2015

0012927

60r1

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Tyke’s Carpet celebrates 50 years of businessAdvertorial

Take a step inside Tyke’s Carpet Castle on Highway 371 North and you’ll quickly be greeted by one of the company’s fa-vorite carpet salesmen – Brandy, a cocker spaniel who has long become the store mascot.

Brandy is owned by Shirley and Tyke Bassett, owners of Tyke’s Carpet. While Brandy hasn’t been selling carpet and other fl ooring as long as his owner, he has a nose for the carpet business.

“He’s our little door greeter,” Tyke explains of Brandy. “He greets everybody. Sometimes customers come in and they don’t want to look at carpet until they’re all done being greeted by Brandy.”

But when it’s time to look at carpet, they turn to Tyke himself. Tyke has been selling carpet in the Brainerd lakes area since 1965. His father was in the carpet business for 50 years himself, as was his grandfather, who both sold carpet for about 20 years in Minneapolis/St. Paul. When Tyke moved

his carpet business to the Brainerd lakes area 50 years ago, he employed about 52 people at his store.

Tyke’s son, J.B. Bassett, is the fourth generation to work in carpet sales. He and Travis Luedtke are both employed at Tyke’s. The company also works with many independent contractors.

While his competitors have come and gone, Tyke’s Carpet continues to bring in loyal customers. Many of them aren’t just customers, but have become friends.

“I enjoy all my friends who keep coming back and buying from me,” Tyke ex-plained.

Tyke said he’s never had a bad year in his 50 years of business in carpet sales in the Brainerd lakes area. He attributes his success to his customers, who often refer family and friends to his company.

Tyke’s Carpet sells all types of fl ooring, and has more than 400 rolls of carpet in stock, including more than 500 rem-

nants to choose from in the castle-shaped building on the highway. The castle is 300 feet long, long enough to house an entire football fi eld.

Pick out a carpet remnant for your home or offi ce, and Tyke and his staff will put the binding around the carpet remnant to make it look nice and wear longer at no charge. They also provide the same carpet edging service for remnants and rugs pur-chased elsewhere at a minimal fee.

This is a service no one else local pro-vides, he said.

Tyke said Tyke’s Carpet doesn’t have a complaint department for a reason.

“We don’t sell stuff you’d want to com-plain about,” he said with a smile. “So we don’t need a complaint department.”

At 78, Tyke still remains actively involved in the business, but he and his wife spend their winters in Florida. So if you want to stop in and see Brandy, it’s best to come before the snow falls.

He said while other companies may be slow in the winter months, they have man-aged to stay busy.

“We can be busy 12 months out of the year here,” he said. “Our sales are never slow here. My devoted customers are why I’ve had a great year every year since 1965.”

Tyke said store competitors aren’t going to ever put him out of business, but fed-eral, state and local taxes would probably be the culprit if he was forced to close down his shop.

If you’re in the market for new fl ooring, or simply would like to buy a new carpet remnant as a decorative yet functional covering for your wood fl oors, stop in at Tyke’s Carpet Sales, Highway 371 North, Brainerd.

By JODIE TWEED

TYKESCARPET CASTLECARPET CASTLEHWY 371 NORTH, BRAINERD

218-829-3878MONDAY-SATURDAY 9 TO 5

OR CALL WE CAN BE OPEN BY APPOINTMENT0012927

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