Writing Outside the Margins

For 24 years, Connect Business Magazine has brought to life the stories of business and community leaders in a nine-county region of southern Minnesota. We’ve discovered, though, the characters and stories that shape our business community don’t recognize county or city borders. Our “region” as we once knew it, now continues to expand…what happens in Mankato impacts New Ulm which can impact Redwood Falls and then on to Marshall…well, you get the drift.

Always trying to be the best resource we can be for the business community, Connect Business Magazine is embracing a now sprawling southern Minnesota and are adding to our distribution area. We are adding four more counties to the west in Minnesota and two to the south in Iowa.

So with this issue, we welcome new readers! And encourage our faithful to get to know our neighbors to the west and south, read their stories and continue learning how southern Minnesota is a region to be reckoned with. Businesses and companies in our midst have a worldwide reach.

Our cover reflects one who also understands the importance of a regional approach, Dr. James Hebl, Southwest Minnesota Regional Vice President for Mayo Clinic Health System. Also featured this issue is a regional destination, Franklin Rogers Park (The Frank) in Mankato and our region’s hometown team, The Moondogs. The team just finished its first season with new local owners and new renovations to The Frank. Also featured, LinguaOne, another local company that recognizes the need for our region to think on a global level. Owner Tessa Donato offers translation and interpretation of hundreds of languages to keep Southern Minnesota in tune with a global business world.

Happy reading, and hopefully, learning.