The Business of a Summer Ballgame
What if the MoonDogs aren’t really in the baseball business? Shane Bowyer explores how sports tourism, entertainment, and local spending create an economic ripple effect that reaches far beyond the final score.
Growing the Fair Favorites
How Kelly Miller and John Gotz expanded Strawberries & Cream into Loon Lake Iced Tea—and built a business where culture matters as much as the menu.
Cody Pithan: Turning Curiosity into Craft
At 23, the Lime Valley Advertising digital marketing specialist has built a broad creative toolkit. Now he is applying it to an ambitious card game designed to become something larger.
The Business I Almost Started Out of My Car
As America marks its 250th anniversary, Wes Otto reflects on the first business he almost started and the question that has shaped his approach to entrepreneurship ever since: What else could this become?
Jen True: The Relentless Builder Behind Southern Minnesota’s Most Recognizable Real Estate Brand
What began as one broker’s leap of faith has grown into a $281 million real estate company. Jen True shares the decisions, challenges and philosophy behind True Real Estate’s remarkable rise.
Todd Benz: Writing the Next Chapter for The Free Press
As the new publisher of The Mankato Free Press, Todd Benz inherits a 144-year legacy at a pivotal moment for local journalism. His challenge isn’t simply preserving a newspaper. It’s reinventing the business while protecting the mission that has served Southern Minnesota for generations.
Jennifer Spaude: Bringing Clarity to Complexity
For nearly 30 years, Jennifer Spaude has helped organizations navigate their most important moments. Now she’s bringing that executive perspective to Connect Business Magazine as a contributing writer focused on leadership and communication.
The People Between the Projects
Shane Bowyer looks beyond the buildings, plans, and public projects to focus on the people and relationships that have shaped the Mankato area’s growth. From Fred Lutz to today’s community leaders, the column explores why connection remains one of the region’s greatest strengths.
Inside Volk Transfer’s New Headquarters, Built for the Company’s Next Chapter
Volk Transfer’s new 325,000-square-foot corporate headquarters and distribution center marks the latest chapter in a family business story that began with a single truck. The feature goes inside the company’s major Mankato expansion, with a photo tour of the renovated former True Value facility and a closer look at the growth, employee focus, and legacy behind the move.