Today, Dustin VanHale has a thriving business with numerous employees. He’s come a long way from where he started, which was in his garage in Madelia mowing lawns part time as a high school student back in 2007. What started out as a part-time job to earn extra money, slowly grew and today Total Lawn Care and Landscape, with Dustin in the driver’s seat, brings attention to detail to everything that the company and its crews touches
There is a growing belief in the health care community that by 2020, one in three hospitals will close or reorganize into an entirely different type of health care service provider. Becker’s Hospital Review reports that hospitals and health systems in the United States are undergoing a dramatic shift in their business models due to a number of forces that are expected to eventually turn the industry on its head.
Just a quick glance at the outside of the Madelia Lumber Company shows what values drive owner Matt Gunderson’s personal life and business philosophy. Placed right underneath the store’s name is a giant Marine Corps emblem, a testament to Gunderson’s four years in the Marines—as well as the military service of many of his employees.
You won’t find many people outworking 23-year-old Krystal Spinler, who purchased the Mexican restaurant in Madelia in January and renamed it La Plaza F!esta.
In an era of big-box stores and impersonal service, Dr. Viktoria L. Davis enjoys providing individualized eye care to patients who recognize her as a fellow resident of Madelia, population about 2,200. Her patients see her with her family in the grocery store or at Madelia Public Library. In addition to her professional website, there’s a personal website loaded with family photos and only one picture of the optometry office. Her patients are eager for this glimpse into the life of Viktoria Davis, wife and mother. It’s obvious, too, which website she values more.
There have been offers—several in fact, including offers from big companies with big budgets. And although each offer has been seriously contemplated by the board of directors, the Madelia Community Hospital has resolutely remained independent.
