Critical Fuel Technology, Mankato Clinic Infusion Center, North Central International
Terry Treanor (left), Angie Johnson (right)
Photo: Art Sidner
Madison Lake: Critical Fuel Technology
When leaving in 2008 as vice president of manufacturing, Terry Treanor had 14 years in at Winland Electronics in Mankato. Before that, he had worked as a quality engineer for Cummins Engine for 14 years. He was a South Central College electronics graduate. So he brought quite a resume to his new start-up, Critical Fuel Technology, which he runs with Angie Johnson.
“I’m the general manager, doing the sales and technical work,” said Treanor in a Connect Business Magazine telephone interview. “Angie does administrative and accounting.” Angie is the wife of an acquaintance that introduced him to Algae-X. They began Critical Fuel Technology in September 2009 after winning the Algae-X dealership for a five-state area.
Their customers are “anyone buying, storing, and burning diesel fuel,” said Treanor. “Our product (Algae-X) takes out the water, sludge, and particulates from diesel fuel so customers don’t have problems when their diesel-run generators are called on to supply power.” Minnesota will soon be a 10 percent bio-mandate state. Stored biodiesel breaks down after about four months of storage, which can lead to severe back-up generator issues—unless, of course, customers use Critical Fuel Technology’s Algae-X filtration solution that can range from $1,500-$25,000. One very new customer is a hospital using it for a standby power generator that keeps critical life support and data functions running smoothly amid power outages.
Said Treanor: “We think our timing is almost stunningly right on the money. The systems we sell have been in Europe for years.”
The potential benefit to businesses? “I was at one casino, and they said every hour down without power costs them $1 million in revenue. For hospitals, what does it cost in litigation alone when someone dies on the operating table because a back-up system failed? What we are supplying, people need to manage biofuel properly.”
Contact: criticalfueltech.com
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Photo: Art Sidner
Mankato: Mankato Clinic Infusion Center
On April 20, 2009, Mankato Clinic’s Oncology, Hematology, and Infusion Center opened in the lower level of Mankato Clinic at 1230 Main Street in Mankato. The new Center doubled the department’s prior size, doubled its infusion chairs from six to twelve, added one private bay, and added a patient financial counselor.
Its manager is 37-year-old Jennifer Jindra. While still at St. Catherine University as a nursing student, she began an internship-like experience at Abbott Northwestern, and upon graduation eventually became the bone marrow coordinator at Abbott Northwestern and Virginia Piper Cancer Institute. About six years ago, she began working at ISJ-Mayo after marrying a farmer from Montgomery.
“What we do here is infuse (administer intravenously) immune globulin for immune deficient patients, remicade for Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis patients, and we do chemotherapy for oncology patients. About half our patients are here for oncology. We also do reclast or biphosphates to help decrease bone loss for people with osteoporosis.”
She said the worlds of oncology and hematology are rapidly changing. For patients with multiple myeloma (a cancer of the white blood cells), for example, patients living only two to five years upon diagnosis just five years ago now have the potential to live ten to fifteen.
The new Center has a “much more warm, open atmosphere,” said Jindra, “including the colors, the decorating, even the floor. It has the feel of a home.” It has 14 employees, including two physicians, infusion and other nurses, an admixture technician, a patient financial counselor, and a department specialist greeting arriving patients.
What does she enjoy about her job? “I really like dealing with and being able to help people,” said Jindra. “And I love educating patients and staff to make sure everyone has the information they need in order to make an informed decision.”
Location: 1230 East Main. Web: mankatoclinic.com
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(L) Andy Hatlestad, (C) Colleen Firchau, Parts Manager, (R) Nate Meier, Service Manager
Photo: Art Sidner
New Ulm: North Central International
At one time, Tom and Dave Fox were the sole owners of Fox Brothers of Sanborn, retailing and servicing medium and heavy trucks in Sanborn, Minnesota. In 1996 and 2004, respectively, Steve Hatlestad and his son Andy joined as partners. It wasn’t until late 2007 when the company created North Central International and expanded into the Connect Business Magazine reading area.
“During the ‘90s, Steve, Dave, and Tom started our locations in Marshall and Spencer, Iowa,” said 33-year-old Andy Hatlestad in a telephone interview. “Purchasing the International franchise rights in Glencoe, New Ulm, and Mankato was difficult because there was no Mankato facility, only a rented facility in New Ulm, and a Glencoe facility requiring immediate remodel.”
The company immediately broke ground on a North Mankato location at 1955 Howard Drive West, near Highway 14. “Mankato was a regional hub and a logical place to put a new facility,” he said. “Our goal was to get it up and running fast as we could. We needed to purchase land and become approved by International to site there. We opened in July 2008. Since we moved in, a trailer dealer and a heavy equipment dealer have moved nearby.”
The company then replaced its New Ulm facility. Said Hatlestad, “Our new facility at 3 Somsen Street near Wal-Mart has drive-thru service bays, and a bright, clean workspace and adequate parts storage.”
Andy Hatlestad attended Concordia College (Moorhead) and afterwards worked for a mailing consolidation firm. “But I always knew I’d someday end up in southern or western Minnesota selling trucks or managing a dealership,” he said. Today, he lives and works in Mankato, and helps manage the parts, service, and truck sales efforts in six locations. His partners have more than 120 combined years with International.
Said Hatlestad: “The International brand has been around a long time. Sticking behind it and building customer relationships is a key element of our success.” North Central International sells and services International trucks, from medium-duty delivery trucks to construction and over-the-highway units.
Location: 3 Somsen Street. Contact: northcentralintl.com
