Since the early 1700s, when John Peter Zenger was tried for seditious libel (and exonerated), American journalists have been willing to go to jail to uphold the principles of a free press. Jerry Groebner, the editor and publisher of the Lake Region Times, has taken the journalistic tradition to a new level.
Since the early ‘80s, NadelKunst has served the knitting, hardanger, embroidery, lacemaking, needlepunch, and tatting needs of hundreds of southern Minnesota and national customers. It’s the distinctive way 58-year-old Hillesheim operates that makes NadelKunst—roughly translated “needle-art cabin” in German—so interesting to its customers.
Le Sueur: KOSA, Inc. – Sandra and Jorge Brenes have turned love into a full-time business teaching Spanish.
Mankato: Office Space Design – “I found there wasn’t really anyone competing here in office furniture and design, so I developed my own business plan.”
St. Peter: Pheasant’s Ridge Memory Care Center – “We realized there was a need for assisted living for seniors in St. Peter. From there, we opened a building with 16 assisted-living units three years ago.”
Although not knowing it, movie producer George Lucas is responsible for the creation and growth of a video production company in Mankato. Rob Petersen, co-owner of All Pro Media LLC, saw his first Star Wars movie in 1977 and said, “I want to do that.
You can get a feel for Arabian Horse Times from reading a recent feature article: “Da Vinci is the quintessential Classic Arabian—both in phenotype and genotype. His head is exquisitely short and from the front perfectly triangular; the eyes, set low on a wide forehead, are large and dark, surrounded by pronounced and chiseled occipital and cheekbones.”
An Historical Special
Imagine a businessperson from southern Minnesota with a legacy far greater than Bill Bresnan, Glen Taylor, Lowell Andreas, and the Rosen brothers’—combined. One such person existed, and yet his cherished name has been nearly forgotten around here, save for a few dusty books hidden in an abandoned Garden City building and the plastic lettering on two local schools.
Fairmont: AdMfg. – Owner Ruth Theobald founded AdMfg Inc. on January 1. Her career path has taken many twists and turns, yet seems a perfect background for her current venture.
Le Center: ABC Office Supplies – 37-year-old Brad Arndt was homegrown, graduated from Le Center High, and majored in multi-housing management at college.
St. Peter: Bendura – When starting injection molding company Rolco in 1980, Vern Olson also had a “rep company” called Olson Sales LLC.
Mankato: Between The Bridges Healing Center – Earlier this year, Dr. Jeff Kotulski began Between the Bridges Healing Center in the former ProGrowth Bank building at 45 Teton Lane.
St. Peter: Cooks & Company – Veteran retailer Carol Hayes moved Cooks & Company last October to 316 S. Minnesota.
Mankato: ISJ Regional Women’s Imaging Center – Chief Radiologist Dr. Michael Wolf helped open the ISJ Regional Women’s Imaging Center in January 2009.
17-employee Fairmont business excels in little-known industry. Photo by Jeff Silker The business partnership represented by a windmill logo may be one
