Off-The-Cuff
The Editor enjoyed the afternoon of September 15 soaking in the scenery at the Riverfront Park grand opening gala in Mankato. The Key City has begun reclaiming its historic river roots and the reclaiming was long overdue. Let’s hope Mankato does more. On that note, we hope you are enjoying reading this edition of south-central Minnesota’s only locally owned business magazine. Buckle your seatbelts and away we go….
Sure was great watching NBA basketball in early October at sold-out Taylor Center, where the Timberwolves out-hustled the Milwaukee Bucks. Two pleasant surprises: Spying out Kelvin Sampson, the ethically challenged, defamed ex-coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, who was a Bucks assistant coach; and Bill Lambeer, the original Mr. Motor City Nasty, a Timberwolves assistant. The Timberwolves organization put on quite a show. It’s a major coup for little ol’ Mankato to host an NBA exhibition game and the Editor wonders how many people realize or appreciate it. Perhaps we have begun to expect such athletic treats after 45 privileged years of hosting the Minnesota Vikings….
One interesting sidenote learned during the Business Trends interview with Greater Mankato Growth CEO Jonathan Zierdt: his grandfather, civil engineer Gordon Bodien, was the City of Minneapolis’ first engineer….
Last issue, we featured Cindy Hillesheim (Crazy Cindy), who owns NadelKunst, a New Ulm cross-stitch and knitting store. In that feature, we wrote about bestselling Minnesota author Monica Ferris interviewing Hillesheim for a knitting-related novel. Supposedly, NadelKunst was to have been written into the plot of an upcoming novel, said Ferris, but the promised mention ended up on the editing room floor. Literally a day after that issue of Connect Business Magazine published, Ferris tried calling Hillesheim to apologize. When that didn’t work, she tried contacting her in person. Said Hillesheim in a Connect Business Magazine telephone interview: “She stopped in to apologize, I wasn’t here, and my employee called me. She said Monica Ferris was here. I didn’t believe it was her and so I didn’t come in.” Two days later, Ferris called Hillesheim again to apologize, and to say her business would make the next novel…..Said Hillesheim, “I’m sure there is going to be a book signing here now. She’s a short little thing, maybe five feet tall. What a hoot.” For the record: Ferris is a Minnetonka-based, USA Today bestselling, pseudonym-using author of a number of knitting-related mystery series. It appears as if Ferris must subscribe to a service notifying her when her name is mentioned online….
Greater Mankato Business Accelerator (GMBA) is helping turn dreams into reality for a Minnesota State Maverick: Head Athletic Trainer Jeff Chambers. Nebraska native Chambers has been on the Maverick sidelines since 1999 patching up injured football and basketball players. Not long ago, he invented a unique neck collar to help prevent football injuries—and calls it the Kato Kollar. Said Chambers in a Connect Business Magazine telephone interview: “The last new collar put on the market for this purpose was in the ‘80s and ours has new wrinkles. We’re going for a patent and have narrowed down materials.”….Chambers said he likely wouldn’t have continued on with his idea had GMBA not helped in developing a business plan, being a sounding board, and offering resources. He’s hoping to have his product market-ready by spring. The market potential is huge, i.e., his product could be sold to hockey players and bull riders, too. Soon he will have to decide whether to seek investors to ramp up production or try selling the idea to a national company….Southern Minnesota has dozens of gifted people, like Chambers, who have clever ideas with great potential. If you’re one of them, hopefully this lights a fire under you….
The Editor had his new corn/wood pellet stove installed in mid-September, just in time to warm nippy weather. The most challenging aspect of “going corn” for winter heat turned out to be the necessity of purchasing a 110-bushel bulk bin from a Vernon Center farmer and moving it to my home to store a winter’s worth of corn. If not for the heroic efforts of experienced Jeremy Giefer of Giefer Towing & Service, who somehow moved the bulk bin three miles down snakelike County 10, the Editor would have been left out in the cold, literally….
While away on trips, I always try looking for evidence of southern Minnesota companies expanding outside the region. This latest trip took me near Detroit Lakes. On the way there and back, I drove right past Wells Concrete’s new plant in Albany, Minnesota….
It took a number of bizarre occurrences within a span of minutes for the Editor to learn about Waseca Enews and General Manager Deb Flemming—she, formerly of the Free Press, who quit the paper in 2005 after learning of budgetary cuts to eliminate staff positions. Waseca Enews is featured in our Hot Startz! section (p. 46) and nothing like it exists in our reading area. Its website combines local print news with live and taped video feeds, such as real-person weather forecasts and locally originated video. The Editor for about ten years has been surprised no one in Greater Mankato has taken up the idea to start something fresh and new. Similar Websites have been flourishing all over the U.S….
Lastly, I’m absolutely thrilled learning the identity of our Business Person of the Year 2010, who officially will be unveiled in January. Nominations ran through October 3 and our MSU business professor judges notified me of the winner days later. This year’s competition had an incredibly strong list of nominees. I’m glad I don’t do the judging—too many really good choices…Until next time, thanks again for reading and see you in 2010.
