Four Seasons Athletics

Photo: Art Sidner

Waseca: Four Seasons Athletics

Jeremiah and Jaala Miller met through working in Waseca at ELM Homes, married, and in August together purchased Four Seasons Athletics at 124 North State. Jaala today manages the business while husband Jeremiah will likely join her years from now after ending his full-time Minnesota National Guard career as a human resource warrant officer.

“I grew up in Waseca and graduated from high school in 1996, and my wife went to Owatonna, and we met through an old employer of ours, ELM Homes,” said 36-year-old Jeremiah in a telephone interview. Jeremiah had always wanted to own a business: Uncle Eugene Miller owns ELM Homes and Uncle Andy Miller owns American Family Insurance (Waseca).

Said Jeremiah, “Jaala was involved in sports growing up. She played hockey and some track. We also had four children who were into just about every sports activity. I told my wife one day that I’d like to buy a business. Four Seasons Athletics had been in Waseca 36 years. We knew the owners were getting toward retirement age and I had graduated from high school with one of their daughters.”

Jeremiah has been in the Minnesota National Guard 19 years and has had tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. The intensity of a war zone likely prepared him for owning a small business. His wife worked at ELM Homes 15 years. Jeremiah has a two-year business administration degree from Rasmussen College, and Jaala a two-year community social services degree.

Jeremiah said, “My wife likes interacting with people and being involved in the community. She has taken on the role of running the business. Every day is different. We custom order hats and shirts, and people are always asking her for tee-shirt design ideas.”

The business sells sporting apparel and equipment, and promotional items to local businesses—everything from water bottles to shirts. The Millers also enjoy running half-marathons. Jaala is a fitness coach.

Four Seasons Athletics
Open: Monday­–Saturday
Address: 124 North State Street
Web: fourseasonathletics.com