Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce

Business Monthly August 2015

Thank you New Members

Conger Inn Victory Catering

QPS Employment Group

Thank you

Renewing Members

Albert Lea Select Foods

EZ Seal

STARS– Community Mentor Connection

Aurora Dental Center, PLLC

Country Inn & Suites

Sherwin Williams

Comfort Inn

Farmers State Bank, Hartland

Dras Cases, Inc.

Freeborn County Jaycees

Frontier Family Farms

Master Plumbing, LLC

Best Western/I-90

Papa Murphy’s

Commodity Marketing Co.

Sterling Drug

Tiger City Sports

Americana Insurance Group,

Inc.

Craig S. Nelson

The Albert Lea- Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce is asking the citizens of Freeborn County and, in particular our members, to nominate businesses for the Large, Medium and Small Businesses of the Year. Business of the Year is the top business award presented by the Albert Lea– Freeborn County Chamber of Com-merce. Award winners will be announced at the Chamber’s Annual meeting on Thursday, October 22, 2015. Nominees are reviewed by a committee based on the following criteria: involvement with the Chamber, community service, cus-tomer service, and commitment to employees, continued business improvement and growth. To be eligible, the business must be a current member of the Cham-ber. Not sure if a business is a member? You can find a complete membership listing on our website www.albertlea.org. Business owners and employees of any Chamber member business are encour-aged to nominate their own business. This is a perfect opportunity to shine the well deserved spotlight of public attention on your business. Many of our mem-bers easily qualify for this award but are never nominated either through an oversight or humility. Please don’t hesitate to nominate your own business. The three categories are determined by the size of the business; small business, medium business, and large business. A small business nominee employs 19 or fewer employees. Medium Business nominees employ between 20 and 49 em-ployees. Large Business nominees employ 50 or more employees. All nominees will be acknowledged at our Annual Meeting in October. Each nominee will be contacted directly by a committee member. The committee is composed of current Chamber Board members and representatives of last year’s winners – Zumbro River Brand, Inc., Freeborn Lumber Company & De-sign, and Thompson Electric, in order to obtain background information for eval-uation. Each nominee will be asked to fill out a questionnaire to assist the com-mittee in their evaluation process. The three Businesses of the Year will be recognized in the media and the ques-tionnaire will be supplied to the media. Additionally, nominees will be recog-nized through articles in the Chamber’s publication of Business Monthly and E-Biz Weekly as well as weekly radio broadcasts and at our Annual Meeting in Oc-tober. Recent past winners include Dave Syverson Auto Plaza, Country Inn & Suites, and Fisher’s Jewelers. To nominate a business, fill out the nomination form and submit it to the Cham-ber at 1725 W Main Street, Albert Lea, MN 56007 by Friday September 4, 2015. Nomination Forms are available at the Chamber Office or online at www.albertlea.org.

Join us in celebrating the outstanding

businesses in Freeborn County!

Could you be the next Could you be the next Could you be the next

Business of the Year?Business of the Year?Business of the Year?

Dear Chamber Members,

Business Monthly

The following Business have received referrals from

the Chamber Office this month:

Hy– Vee

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

Best Western/ I-90

AmericInn of Albert Lea

Americas Best Value Inn

Senior Resources

Wedgewood Cove

MarketPlace Foods

Comfort Inn

Crescendo

The Interchange

Home Depot

Kwik Trip

Freeborn County Historical

Museum

Coldwell Banker Real Estate

Snap Fitness

Copper Kitchen

Convention and Visitors Bu-

reau

Salvation Army

Certified Travel

Freeborn County Fairgrounds

ALEDA

Trail’s Travel Center

Park & Recreation

KATE/KCPI Radio

Green Lea Golf Course

Sterling Drug

Grandma’s Kitchen

Why You Need the Chamber and the Chamber Needs You

At the recent Board Retreat, the subject of the value of your membership came up for discussion. The Board continues to want to share the Chamber story, the value attached to mem-bership and why one should join. The mission to adequately define the value reminded me of this column first published in 2008.

In answer to the question, “why should I join the Chamber?”, I have the con-ventional answers (the networking possibilities, the exposure generated by joining, and access to information that the Chamber compiles), but the ques-tion prompted me to try and find three or four concise reasons why one should be a Chamber member –especially in these challenging economic times. I came upon another Chamber’s list and found that I couldn’t improve on it, so I will share these reasons with you. In Unity there is Strength: All of us heard the example of the twig that is easy to break when snapped individually but nearly impossible to break when bun-dled together with other twigs. That is the simple beauty of the Chamber. By uniting businesses in our community, we are stronger and can accomplish more. Whether it is dealing with government issues, working to improve the retail market, or improving the general climate for business, your Chamber works diligently on your behalf and has the strength of our 450 members behind us as we do so. In addition, we have access to additional resources on a state and national level through our affiliation with other Chambers and our relationships with likeminded organizations. It is the best medium for serving our area as a whole: No single organization covers Albert Lea and Freeborn County in the way that the Chamber does. Our impact reaches beyond city borders and crosses township lines. Mem-bers from all over the county are able to interact, share resources, and devel-op relationships. Through these relationships, our members are able to see the bigger picture. Belief in the future growth of our community: By being a member of the Chamber, members show their continued commitment to the community. The Chamber partners with other organizations that are constantly working to improve the growth potential of Albert Lea and Freeborn County. By partic-ipating in the Chamber, members share in the knowledge that they are work-ing to promote the economic vitality of the area while enhancing the quality of life that makes this a special place to live and work. It shows the region and the state that we care about progress and growth. Under today’s economic pressures, the Chamber is even more valuable than ever. Your investment in membership includes you in with the other 450 businesses that have shown their commitment to the future of Albert Lea and Freeborn County. We are proud of our members and proud to serve you. Thank you for being a part of the “voice for business.”

Ambassador Visits

Business Monthly

Chamber Board of Directors

Randy Cirksena Chair

State Farm at the Barn 373-7717

Jeff Woodside

Vice Chair Albert Lea Select Foods

379-9265

Catherine Buboltz 2nd Vice Chair

Albert Lea Tribune 379-3427

Amy Davis Cargill Value Added Meats

377-2526

George Gonzalez Dave Syverson Auto Mall

373-1438

Julia Thompson Freeborn County Shopper

373-1310

Justin Oman Security Bank

373-1481

Kathy Sabinish Dave's Phone Booth/Frames-R-Us

377-0848

Jeff Eaton Eaton Sport and Spine

377-1570

Patricia Dahl Mayo Clinic Health

System Albert Lea and Austin 373-2384

Dr. Adenuga Atewologun Riverland Community College

433-0607

Kim Nelson

The Children’s Center

373-7979

Angie Kolker

Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services

373-6421

Stephanie Haedt Past Chair

Peterson, Kolker, Haedt & Benda, Ltd. 373-6491

Geneva Bar & Grill– new owners, Chelsea and Greg Hanson

Gravie—Mike Oothoudt, new sales representative

August Ambassador Visits...

First Lutheran Church, Albert Lea—new member

Essence of Yoga—new member

Conger Inn Victory Catering—new member

Small Street Journal

Business Monthly

City of Albert Lea to host

Neighborhood Picnics

The City of Albert Lea will be hosting three neighbor-hood picnics this year. The picnics will be held from 5:30-7:30pm at the following parks: August 11—Fountain Lake Park August 12—Eastgate Park August 13— Memorial Park These informal gatherings are intended as a way for city staff and the community to share ideas and learn about city services. Come and check out fire and po-lice vehicles and talk to City Officials. There will also be games for kids. Hot dogs, chips, watermelon and a beverage will be provided. Bring lawn chairs or a blan-ket. The picnics are sponsored by the City of Albert Lea and the National Vitality Center Leadership Team. Thank you to food sponsors Cargill, Kwik Trip, Hy-Vee, MarketPlace Foods, WSB & Associates and United Employees Credit Union.

Ambassador Golf Outing Big Success

The 52nd Annual Chamber Ambassador Scholarship Golf Out-ing was held on July 21st. The weather this year was nearly per-fect. The rain showers of the early morning set the stage for a sunny day with mild summer temperatures and a strong breeze. Twenty four teams participated and by all accounts had a great time. Following golf, the golfers enjoyed a pork chop dinner pre-pared by the Freeborn County Pork Producers. The Ambassa-dors extend their sincere thanks to their hosts Green Lea Golf Course including Jeff Elseth and his fine staff who had the course in terrific shape and went out of their way to accommo-date to everyone’s needs and helped to make this years golf outing a success. They also wish to thank all those who partici-pated in or donated to the event. Proceeds from this event al-lows the Ambassadors to award six $1,000 scholarships annual-ly.

Congratulations to the winners of the event, Slumberland Furniture (above) along with second place winners Cargill Cooked Turkey and Meats (below).

Volunteer Opportunities—Rocking the

Block 2015

United Way of Freeborn County announces Rocking the Block volunteer opportunities! The United Way of Freeborn County, in collaboration with Shinefest, Habitat for Humanity and The Albert Lea Housing & Redevelopment Authority, is gearing up for the fourth year of Rocking the Block! During the week of August 15th - 22nd, volunteers are need-ed to help rehab income-eligible homes in Albert Lea. With seven homes this year there are opportuni-ties for people of all skill levels to get involved and help out! Whether you’d like to put together a team from your workplace, serve as a family or as an indi-vidual, Rocking the Block wants to hear from you. Volunteer forms and project information can be found online at www.unitedwayfc.org, or you can call the United Way office for more details 507-373-8670

Business After Hours

Business Monthly

Thank you St. John’s Lutheran Community

for sponsoring July Business After Hours

Quote of the Month

“ I can’t change the direction of the

wind, but I can adjust my sails to

always reach my destination.”

–Jimmy Dean

2015 Business After Hours Schedule

January 2015 - Pantheon Computer Systems

February 2015 - Green Mill

March 2015– Albert Lea Chiropractic

April 2015 - Vern Eide

May 2015 - Accentra Credit Union

June 2015 - Blue Zones Project

July 2015 - St. John’s

August 2015 - American Legion Post #56

September 2015– Conger Inn Victory

Catering & Conger Meats

October 2015 - MarketPlace Foods

November 2015- Hy-Vee

December 2015 - Albert Lea Tribune

If you are interested in hosting a

Business After Hours Event please call the

Chamber Office at: 507-373-3938

The 2015 Big Island Bar-B-Que will be back again

on August 28th and 29th. The Big Island Bar-B-

Que is a KCBS sanctioned State Championship.

They draw some of the top teams in the United

States that are a part of Kansas City Barbeque So-

ciety to compete annually in Albert Lea Minnesota.

The winner of the Big Island Bar-B-Que receives a

cash payout as well as an invitation to the Ameri-

can Royal/KC Masterpiece Invitational in Kansas

City MO. Also back this year is the Kid's Que. For

more information and for sign up forms go

towww.bigislandfestivalandbbq.org or contact Per-

ry Vining at pvining@smig.net or 507-402-6371.

Proceeds from this event are used for Education

Days at the Big Island Rendezvous.

This is a free event and is open to public spectators

so come on out and check out everything going on!

Business Monthly

Chamber Offers Job Board The Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce has a webpage dedicated to job openings in our area. To view the job openings, go to www.albertlea.org. If you have positions that you would like posted, please send your available positions to chamberoffice@albertlea.org or call the Chamber for more information.

Interested in having an Ambassadors Visit at your Office? Has your business experienced a change – such as management changes, relocation or remodel? If your business has experienced any of these changes, please contact Geri at the Chamber Office – 507-373-3938 to schedule an Ambassador visit.

Special Chamber Member Offer

The Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber in partnership with Coggno.com, are now offering our member businesses the op-portunity to purchase, through our website, a carefully selected assortment of online training courses that are relevant to your needs. For a limited time, we are offering a coupon code for a 20% discount per class for a month. The code is: alfccoc1 and should be entered at checkout. Go to www.albertlea.org and click on Online Trainings to redeem your coupon and register today!

Video Tours Are Available! Check out the community video tours on our website www.albertlea.org.

These videos make great tools for businesses to use for employee recruitment!

Member Referral Know someone who isn’t a Chamber Member but who should be? Now there is a reason for you to actively recruit those non-members. Any member who actively recruits and refers a current non-member to our office and that non-member subsequently joins the chamber is eligible for a special prize drawing. Drawings will be held once per quarter from those new members. Prize will be $50 dollars of Chamber Bucks for both the new member AND the referring member. The Quarterly drawing will take place at Business after Hours.

Become a Fan!

Go to our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/alfcchamber and “like” us for news and special offers from the Cham-ber and it’s member businesses. You can also follow us on Twitter! @alfccoc or www.twitter.com/ALFCCOC

Business Monthly

The Chamber Green Committee: The Green Committee met on July 15th. The final versions of the Thompson Electric vid-

eos were viewed. All agreed that they worked well. It was suggested that we add bullet points to the website so that the videos

would stand out. A lengthy discussion took place about our next video which will be on the topic of business recycling. The

Alliant Energy/Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services changeover will take place July 31st. This will be Rebecca Gisel’s last

meeting. The committee thanked her for all that she has contributed.

The Chamber Worksite Wellness Committee- met on July 17th. Ellen Kehr reported that the site visit by the national Blue

Zones team went very well. Visits with designated worksites also went well. Moving forward, this group should figure out how

to have a “best practices” get together within the next year and invite other businesses. It would be a great way to reach the

smaller businesses. Lana Howe made a presentation to the group about the THRIVE initiative. Children’s mental health and

youth drug prevention are the focuses of THRIVE this year. They would like to reach parents through worksites. Another

THRIVE initiative is literacy and the committee discussed ways to get books into worksites for families. The Business/Education Committee- The Business Education Committee did not meet in July.

The Chamber Governmental Affairs Committee met on June 12th. Chad Adams reported that MnDOT is progressing on

South Broadway. They are beginning with the curbs and gutters. At this time, the City is also replacing the sewer in front of the

old K&K Bakery. The City’s work on Virginia Place will include some changes to try to mitigate some of the storm water

flooding. The market rate housing development is moving at a quick pace. The developer hopes to have 30 units open by the

end of September. They will be taking applications once they have a definite completion date. Construction on Lakeview is

moving quickly. The sidewalks will be the last reconstruction. Chad also reported that the City has been working with ALEDA

on enticing a data center to our area. They are looking at an area in Habben Industrial Park. Chad said that it is between Albert

Lea and Oronoco. Workforce is an issue. We do have all of the high speed infrastructure needed. Chad stated that they are hop-

ing to hear from the company in the next ten days. Over the next few months, the City will be working on an application for a

Small Cities Development grant. Chad is hopeful that we could receive a $1.4 million grant that would be used as grants/

forgivable loans for downtown commercial and housing improvements. There would need to be a percentage of private equity

tied to the grant. The monies could be used for anything; however Chad is hopeful that it would be used for building owners to

develop second floor housing.

The committee then reviewed the Greater Minnesota Partnership legislative summary. There was no tax bill and no extra mon-

ies for LGA or workforce housing. Chad stated that the legislative decision on environmental regulation was not quite where

the City wanted it. The regulations set by the legislature are only going forward, not back, therefore it is probable that there will

need to be a $20 million upgrade to the wastewater treatment plant within the next five years. This change would not benefit

Albert Lea. It would benefit those downstream from us. It was pointed out that the impact on businesses and residences could

be huge. Chad informed those present that there is a group in Greater Minnesota that may challenge the requirements.

The County is holding a public hearing on the 21st regarding their ability to charge a half cent sales tax for county roads. It

would take effect January 1, 2016. The Watershed will also be looking for a half cent renewal for 2016.

The Chamber Agriculture Committee– Did not meet in July, and are continuing to gather sponsors for the 4-H Livestock

Auction, Saturday August, 8th.

The Chamber Ambassador Committee– Did not meet in July. The ambassador’s held the 52nd Annual Scholarship Golf

Outing and visited Geneva Bar & Grill and met with Mike Oothoudt from Gravie. Next month’s visits are First Lutheran

Church, Essence of Yoga, and Conger Inn Victory Catering.

The Albert Lea-Freeborn County Board of Directors- met on July 22nd. John Kluever reported for the County, Jon Murray

for the Ambassadors, Brett Behnke for the Shell Rock River Watershed and Susie Petersen for the CVB.

Action Items: The Board voted to adopt a new Social Media Policy.

The Board was updated on our move to Skyline Plaza. The Board was also given an update on the new Leadership class. We

need to order signage for the outside of the building. The success of the Ambassador Golf Outing was discussed as well as the

national Blue Zones team visit.

The meeting adjourned at 9:00 for the Board Retreat.

Full Board minutes will be available next month on our website.

Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Information Committee Updates

The “Six Best Days of Summer”, Freeborn County Fair is August 4-9 - take some time

out of your busy schedules and enjoy this wonderful annual event. The fairgrounds

are just beautiful and we are proud to have one of the top ten fairs in the state in our

community!

Outstanding grandstand shows include: Tuesday – Josh Turner, Wednesday- Frankie

Ballard, Thursday -Tyler Farr, Friday – John Michael Montgomery, Saturday – Joe

Nichols, Sunday – Demolition Derby.

Don’t miss Entertainment Square talent: Geoff Elvee, Dan Neal & Lisa Wright; Echo Messenger; Lehto &

Wright; Sandra Lee & The Velvets; Everett Smithson Band; Ross Kleiner & the Thrill.

Wee Wednesday and Wednesdays on the Water will be held Wednesday, August 12th 4-5:30pm at Foun-

tain Lake Park and Bruno’s will be there!

Albert Lea Floats Celebration will be held Saturday, August 15 at Frank Hall Park 12-6pm. Enjoy free ca-

noes, kayaks, paddleboards on beautiful Albert Lea Lake, free pickle ball, kiddie train and kids activities!

The Pelican Breeze will have two special cruises at a special rate of $5.00. The 112 on Broadway, Merrill’s

Popcorn & Green Mill will be serving food & beverages.

The Freeborn County Historical Museum will host “Echoes From the Past” a journey into history, August 19.

A very special guest, “Happy Days Favorite Mom”, Marion Ross will be part of this fun event!

Wind Down Wednesday, August 19, promises to be a great day! The Albert Lea Fire Department’s porta-

ble splash pad is back! Great entertainment, food and beverage and talented craft vendors!

The Annual Big Island Barbeque, a Kansas City sanctioned barbeque contest on August 28-29. Cooks

throughout the Midwest and as far away as Texas will be competing for the best overall cook as well as

categories of ribs, pork shoulder or butt, and chicken or beef brisket! Come out and taste and meet some

of the best barbeque cooks in the country! New this year is a steak competition on Friday night!

August events include: Cruise to the Cove, Everly Brothers Tribute, Girl Singers of the Hit Parade, 2015

Nation of Patriots Tour, Shinefest Community Worship, Free Movies in the Park and Smithsonian Traveling

Museum of Music. Check out our CVB google calendar for times and details at www.albertleatourism.org.

Experience Albert Lea /The Land Between the Lakes

Business Monthly

Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau, Susie Peterson, Executive Director

Business Monthly

Work begins now on 2016 legislative agenda By Bill Blazar Minnesota is in its full summer glory. The 2015 Legislature is history, and the 2016 session won’t convene until next March. The frenzied and often heated debates over important public policies at the Legislature are the last thing on most people’s minds.

It’s the perfect opportunity to connect with your legislators and explain firsthand the impact of their votes on the abil-ity of businesses to start, change and grow in today’s global economy. You have their full-time attention and the chance to connect with them at your worksites. But, first, be armed with ammunition so you can have an informed conversation. The Minnesota Chamber of Com-merce 2015 Voting Record is a guide to help you evaluate how your lawmakers represented your priorities at the 2015 Legislature. Highlighted are votes on key business concerns taken during both the regular and special legislative sessions. The votes reflect the priorities of our 2,300 members of all sizes and types across the state, and have a daily impact on business operations. The priorities are identified through an exhaustive grassroots process with our local chamber of commerce partners. Most major bills passed the Legislature with bipartisan support – clear evidence that divided government can work. We advanced many of the statewide business community’s priorities, but work remains to strengthen our business climate, especially so on business tax relief and transportation. We have a strong start on these priorities as we look ahead to 2016. Legislators began the session with a nearly $2 billion projected surplus in the general fund. They adjourned, leaving more than $865 million on the bottom line for the 2016 session. To date, tax collections are higher than projected. Assuming the surplus continues, it will provide a solid foundation for passing tax relief and a long-term transportation funding bill. Minnesota continues to rank favorably among its peers in terms of economic performance. Much of the credit goes to our great employers and employees. Their hard work and ingenuity helps to make up for the fact that those business expenses driven by public policy are not competitive. That matters. Our policy-makers can fix this. Make that known to your legislators. Be sure they know that we expect significant progress in 2016. It’s more important than ever to deliver our message early and often. The 2016 session will be short and fast paced. Major issues like business tax relief and long-term transportation funding will be teed up and ready for action when lawmakers convene March 8. After reviewing the Voting Record, please take time to thank those policy-makers who voted with the business com-munity on our priorities. For those who did not, reach out to them and start a conversation about the impact their actions will have on your business. Help them understand why – had they voted with the business community – our state would be stronger for the benefit of all Minnesotans.

The link to the 2015 Voting Record can be found here: http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/172912/

VotingRecord_2015.pdf?utm_campaign=Voting%20Record%202015&utm_source=HP%20Slider Bill Blazar is interim president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce – www.mnchamber.com.

Minnesota Chamber Information

Business Monthly

Page 11

Business Monthly

Business Monthly

Chamber Staff

Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce

1725 West Main Street Skyline Plaza, Albert Lea, MN 56007

Phone: 507.373.3938 Fax: 507.373.0344 Email: alfccoc@albertlea.org

Mission Statement:

"Promote and develop a healthy and positive business climate and improve

the quality of life in the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Area."

Randy Kehr Executive Director director@albertlea.org Sue Axsmith Exec. Administrative Assistant alfccoc@albertlea.org Geri Jensen Sr. Administrative Assistant member@albertlea.org

Noelle Hagen Administrative Assistant chamberoffice@albertlea.org Check out our Member to Member Discounts Here: http://www.albertlea.org/Discounts.php