The year 1979 was pressure-packed. Iranian militants overran the U.S. Embassy and held Americans hostage in Tehran. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. At Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, a coolant accident caused a partial meltdown. The U.S. annual inflation rate was at 11 percent and rising. That summer, fears of an energy shortage caused lines to form at gas stations around the country.
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Al and Becky Thoreson became co-owners of Fairmont Raceway this February after making a successful presentation to the Race Committee at Martin County Fairground and later, the Fair Board. The Thoresons lease the raceway.
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John Elbert’s grandparents owned an eye clinic, his father a transmission business, his uncle a law practice, and now Elbert (right, in photo) has started Precision Carpet & Upholstery at 310 North State. His family hails from Dunnell, which is about as far west as anyone can go in Martin County without being in Jackson County.
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In the main hallway at no-nonsense Kahler Automation, the 53-employee business 67-year-old Wayne Kahler founded in 1989, employees over the years have thumbed in hundreds of color-coded stickpins to mark customer sites. If the company had an international map, additional stickpins would grace South Africa, Argentina, Ukraine, and Canada.
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Justin and Mary Sommer began Sommer Outdoors in Fairmont this March. Their business likely wouldn’t exist today without Justin’s love for art, a job offer for Mary, and their desire to return home.
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One summer about 30 years ago, he sang Hank Williams and other country artists’ songs and played guitar for polyester-clad Russian tourists in an Adriatic island hotel. In the Peace Corps, he imbedded himself in a sweltering Philippines revolutionary war zone and 25 years later with a group of artists worked there alongside impoverished basket weavers.
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Starting a music therapy business was Emily Labes’ answer to marrying her love for music and her yearning to help people. After growing up in a musical family, and taking piano lessons, choir, and band throughout high school, she had a tough decision to make after graduating from Fairmont High.
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Many people reading this now have let more than their fair share of incredible career opportunities slip right through their fingers. Mike Foty of Fairmont-based Foty Lock & Safe would openly admit being part of that crowd. Yet rather than resign himself to an existence of continual, lifelong regret—as perhaps most people would if having lived his lot—feisty Foty flailed away and eventually late in life carved out a successful business niche.
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Fairmont resident Wes Clerc (pronounced Clair) serves up more than French fries and Angus Deluxe burgers.
Yes, he and son Rick own and operate five thriving McDonald’s franchises in Fairmont, Blue Earth, St. James, Windom, and Marshall. And yes, 60-year-old Clerc over the last 44 years has been thoroughly batter-dipped and deep-fried in McDonald’s elbow grease, having worked his way up Ronald McDonald’s corporate ladder from being a 16-year-old crew worker to senior business consultant to franchisee.
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