1. art and entertainment
2. shows and events
3. classical concert

Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce
Business Monthly
October 2014
Thank you New
Members
Thank you Renewing
Members
Albert Lea Steel
Mona’s Style Salon & Spa, LLC
Crescendo Fine Dining
Albert Lea Civic Music Association
China Restaurant
Czech Inn Bed & Breakfast and
Retreat
MarketPlace Foods
Complete Realty
Hanson Tires Service
Jim & Dude’s & Plumbing & Heating
Zogg Dermatology
Ace Auto Sales
Brick Brothers Furniture
Dave Syverson Auto Plaza
Freeborn County Agricultural
Society
Krieger Beverage Company
Dr. Steve Schwartz
United Employees Credit Union
Wells Federal Bank
ALEDA
ALMCO
Bayview/Freeborn Funeral Home
Hammer, Dieser & Mangskau,
P.L.L.P.
Security Bank Minnesota
Alliance Benefit Group
Arrow Printing
Bergdale Harley-Davidson
Bonnerup Funeral Service
City of Alden
EZ Seal
Edward Jones
Karl’s CARQUEST Auto Parts
Minnesota Freezer Warehouse
St. John’s Lutheran Community
Ag Power Enterprises, Inc.
Martin’s Cycle & Fitness
State Farm-Nancy VanderWaerdt
Streater, Inc.
Albert Lea Family Y
Thank You Members continuous
on page 4
Annual Meeting
Just a friendly reminder!
The 132nd Annual Meeting and Membership Celebration of the Albert Lea –
Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce is set for Thursday, October 23, 2014. This
year’s event will be held at Wedgewood Cove Golf Club in Albert Lea. The evening begins with a social hour and Silent Auction at 5:30 pm with Dinner at 6:15 pm.
We will be presenting our Annual Awards. Our awards include the Volunteer of the
Year, Ambassador of the Year, and, of course, the Small, Medium and Large Businesses
of the Year. Additionally, we will acknowledge the contributions the Board of Directors
including retiring Directors and those newly elected to serve.
During the evening, the Chairperson’s gavel will be passed from our current Board Chair,
Stephanie Haedt, Peterson, Savelkoul, Kolker, Haedt & Benda, Ltd. to Randy Cirksena
of State Farm at The Barn.
The Chamber will also be presenting our Worksite Wellness Awards to member businesses. The awards recognize employers who have invested in and are excelling at offering varying levels of worksite wellness services. The awards provide a framework for
businesses to benchmark and improve wellness efforts. There are three levels of the
award. The bronze, silver, and gold award criteria can be found on the Chamber’s website for those who might be interested in submitting an application in 2014.
Mark Lanterman, Chief Technology Officer, Computer Forensic Services is our speaker
for the evening.
We hope that you will join us for this very special evening. We appreciate all of our
members and are pleased to be able to recognize some of them for their outstanding
contributions to the Chamber and to Freeborn County. Make your reservations by calling
the Chamber office at 373-3938 or emailing us at member@albertlea.org. The invitation
is available on the website at www.albertlea.org.
Table Sponsorship’s Available
Showcase your Business at the Chamber's Annual Meeting
Invest in a table sponsorship and provide
information along with giveaway items to eight people
attending this fabulous evening.
**Business must be a current Chamber member in good standing**
Deadline to sign up is Friday, October 10, 2014
Reserve Now, Space is Limited!
Business Monthly
Referrals
The following Business have
received referrals from he
Chamber Office this month:
Holiday Inn Express & Suites
Best Western/ I-90
AmericInn of Albert Lea
Americas Best Value Inn
Big Island Grille & Bar
Wedgewood Cove
Green Mill
Comfort Inn
Freeborn County Historical
Museum
Applebee's Neighborhood
Grill & Bar
Cuban Island
Home Depot
Kwik Trip
Albert Lea Family Y
Anytime Fitness
Fleet Farm Supply
The Unbridled Boutique
Hy-Vee
Freeborn County Fair
Simplified Technology
Solutions LLC
Mona’s Style Salon & Spa
Senior Resources
Czech Inn Bed & Breakfast
and Retreat
Myre-Big Island State Park
Home Solutions
Larson Contracting
Membership Drops
The following members
chose not to renew their
Chamber Membership.
This information is made
available to assist members
in updating their directory.
Dear Chamber Members,
Chamber Works to Inform Its Members
By Randy Kehr
With the election fast approaching, the Albert Lea – Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Governmental Affairs Committee will once again be hosting a number of forums. While the Chamber does not endorse candidates for
elective office, we do believe that it is our obligation to see that our members
are as fully informed as possible.
The race for the right to represent District 27A in the Minnesota House is between Representative
Shannon Savick, Peggy Bennett and Tom Price. Citizens will have two opportunities to hear these
candidates offer opinions and answer questions. The first opportunity is actually sponsored by the
Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities and the City of Albert Lea and will be held in the City Council
Chambers on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. It will begin at 6:30 PM. During the forum, each candidate
will be given three minutes for introductory comments and two minutes for closing comments. The
moderator will ask the questions and give each candidate two minutes to respond. The order of candidate responses will be rotated with each new question. Follow-up questions/discussion will be at
the discretion of the moderator. The questions asked will be limited to the following issues: local government aid (LGA) and property taxes, economic development, transportation, and environmental
regulation. Representative Savick and Ms. Bennett will be in attendance. At this time, Mr. Price has
been invited but not responded.
The second opportunity will be Tuesday, October 28th in the lecture hall at Riverland Community
College and is sponsored by the Chamber. Beginning at 7:00 it will feature all three candidates answering written questions from the audience. Tim Engstrom of the Albert Lea Tribune will serve as
moderator for each District 27A forum.
The City of Albert Lea has three contested races. Mayor Vern Rasmussen is running for election to
the City’s first ever four year term. He is opposed by former City Councilmember John Severtson. In
the 2nd Ward, Councilor Larry Baker is challenged by Robert Hoffman. Finally, in the 6 th Ward,
Councilmember Al “Minnow” Brooks is opposed by Matt Maras. The forum for all three contested
races will be held in the City Council Chambers on Wednesday, October 15, 2014. Beginning at 6:30
PM, each race will have 45 minutes for the two candidates to express their opinions and to answer
written questions from the audience as we have done in the past. At this time, the order of the evening has not been determined. It is anticipated that all candidates will be in attendance.
Freeborn County has only two competitive races. Sheriff Bob Kindler is challenged by Deputy Kurt
Frietag. The forum for their race will be held on Tuesday, October 14 th in the lecture hall at Riverland
Community College. Beginning at 7:00 PM, this forum will also feature our usual format for questioning the candidates. Due to the nature of the race, we anticipate allowing an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes for this forum. Arrangements for the Commissioner’s race for District Four between
Commissioner Christopher Shoff and his challenger, Randy Erdman, are pending. We are hopeful
that we can schedule that for immediately following the Sheriff forum.
At this time, we are still making arrangements for a forum for the District 241 School Board candidates. Please watch your E-Biz Weekly and our Facebook page for an update on this forum. There
are five candidates for the three positions including incumbents Jill Marin and Doctor Mark Ciota.
The other candidates are Heather Sadowski, David Klatt and Kendall Langseth.
While we can endeavor to educate our membership and the public, we cannot cast your vote for you.
It is important that each and every eligible citizen exercise their constitutional right and VOTE on
November 4th.
Page 2
Business Monthly
Ambassador Visits
Chamber Board of Directors
Stephanie Haedt
Chair
Peterson, Savelkoul, Kolker, Haedt & Benda, Ltd.
373-6491
Randy Cirksena
Vice Chair
State Farm at the Barn
373-7717
Dave Vanderploeg
Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen
373-6384
Healing Focus Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine LLC
Cierra Anderson
Amy Davis
Cargill Value Added Meats
377-2526
Kade Vershay
Dave Syverson Auto Mall
373-1438
Jeff Woodside
Albert Lea Select Foods
379-9265
Julia Thompson
Freeborn County Shopper
373-1310
Justin Oman
Security Bank
373-1481
The Horace Mann Companies
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
The Homecoming Window Decorating Contest is officially
in the books for 2014! If you want to see the 2 foot tall trophy you can view it for the next year at HY-VEE GROCERY! Congratulations HY-VEE for a spectacular window
display!
Page 3
Jim Krueger
Past Chair
Freeborn Mower Cooperative Services
373-6421
Business Monthly
Small Street Journal
Renewing Members Continued
Albert Lea Radiator & Cooling System, LLC
Jamie Kyllo
Rofshus Precision Machines, Inc.
Simplified Technology Solutions LLC
Thompson Electric of Albert Lea
Ventura Foods
Adams & Winter, PA
Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services
Hill, Larson, Walth & Benda, P.A.
Lou-Rich, Inc.
Mayo Clinic Health System Albert Lea & Austin
Royal Lawn/Royal Sports
ALAMCO Wood Products, LLc
Albert Lea Convention & Visitor Bureau
Herberger’s
Interstate Packaging Corp
Ranch & Pet Supply
Vogt Distributing
Albert Lea Electric
Eagles
United Way of Freeborn County, Inc.
Bookkeeping Cents
Cedar Valley Services, Inc-Albert Lea Div.
Clothing Care Center
Etcetera Tanning & Clothing
Freeborn Lumber Company
Security Insurance Agency
The Children’s Center
Erbert & Gerberts
Fairway Outdoor Advertising
Freeborn County Shopper
Godfather’s Pizza
Interstate Motor Trucks
Jones, Haugh & Smith, Engineers and Land Surveyors
KAAL Television
Kelley Plumbing & Heating
Palleton Pallets, LLC
Reim Roofing & Metal Construction Inc.
Schewe Time Services
Ulland Brothers, Inc.
Zenk, Read, Trygstad & Associates
KSMQ-TV WINS EMMY AWARD FOR “THE TYPIST”
AUSTIN, Minn.—KSMQ Public Television, the PBS television
station serving southeastern Minnesota
and northeastern Iowa, is the winner of an Upper Midwest Emmy®Award for its program chronicling the
life of a Minnesota World War II veteran.
At the annual Emmy Awards ceremony last Saturday night in
Minneapolis, the KSMQ documentary “The Typist” was the
winner in the outstanding history program category. Program
producers Chuck Czech and David Klassen joined KSMQ Managing Editor Stephanie Passingham in accepting the award on
behalf of the station. It is the fifth Emmy Award for KSMQ-TV
in the last two years.
"The Typist" followed the life and work of Larry Tillemans, the
last living clerk-typist from the Nuremberg Trials. As a sergeant
in the U.S. 3rd Army, it was Larry's duty to document the testimony of victims and perpetrators of the Holocaust – information
that deeply affected the young Minnesotan. After years of carrying this emotional burden, Larry decided to share his experiences with as many people as possible, a tireless effort that brought
one man's voice to a world that sometimes struggles to remember the lessons of the past.
Anyone interested in viewing the program can locate it at
www.ksmq.org.
Click Here to Join us Nov. 5 to Celebrate Blue Zones
Project!
The event will feature Dan Buettner, National Geographic
explorer and best-selling author of The Blue Zones and
Thrive. This will be your chance to explore opportunities
for our community, sign up to get involved, and provide
input on priorities in Albert Lea.
Wednesday, November 5th
Albert Lea high School Auditorium
Doors Open—5:00 p.m.
Program— 5:30p.m.
Clifford visits “Celebrate Albert Lea”
Clifford the Big Red Dog entertained children on
Broadway on September 13th. Clifford appearance
Page 4
courtesy of KSMQ-TV.
Free and open to the public
Arrive early for giveaways including a FREE t-shirt. Then,
plan to join Dan Buettner in the High School cafeteria
following the event for a special opportunity to join
a Potluck Moai. Questions? Email BlueZonesProjectAlbertLea@Healthways.com or call 507-402-7330.
Business Monthly
Small Street Journal
CHAMBER 4-H LIVESTOCK SALE BUYERS
2014
3rd Grade Farm Tours
THANK YOU
A L Community Food Clinic
A L Dental Care-Dr Steven
Schwartz
A L Electric
A L Seed House
A L Select Foods
A-Best Sewing
Alamco Wood Products
Alden Oil Company
Alliance Benefit Group
Ameriprise Financial-Greg
Koch
Bauer Built
Bent Tree Wind Farm
Cafourek & Associates
Car Clinic, The
Christian & Peterson
Church Offset
Clifton Larson Allen LLP
CPS – Mansfield
Culligan
Dale Phillips – Hartland
Dave Syverson Auto Center
Donna Nelson Insurance
Edward Jones-Joe/Alex Johnston
Edwards Manufacturing
Elbow Room, The
Farmers Mutual Insurance
Fleet Farm Supply
Freeborn Construction
Freeborn County Co-op Oil
Freeborn Lumber Company
Freeborn Mower Cooperative
Freeborn Pride Builders
Frontier Family Farms
George’s of Geneva
Godfathers Pizza
Goldman Sturtz Halvorsen
Hammer Dieser Mangskau
Hanson Tire Service
Hanson Truck Lines
Hayward Co-op
Hemmingsen’s Transfer
Hill Larson Walth & Benda
Interstate Motor Trucks
ISC Financial Advisors
ITC Midwest A L
Jensales
Jones Haugh Smith
L & D Ag
M & S Outdoor
Market Place Foods A L
Midwest IT Systems Blue Earth
MinneSoyTa Nice/Soap Wizards
Morreim Drainage
Morris Furniture
Morrison Well Drilling
Mrs Gerry’s Kitchen
Nick’s Meat & Grocery
POET
Raleigh’s Ace Hardware
South Central Pet Care
State Farm Insurance-Nancy
VanderWaerdt
TB 3 Bar & Grill
Thompson Electric of A L
Titan Machinery
Total Glass
Trophy Showcase
Trumbles
Ulland Brothers
United Employees Credit Union
US Bank
Potato Farm—Pete VanErkel
Dairy Farm– Miller Family Farm
Hog Farm– Gary Braaten Farm
Page 5
Buisness Montlhy
Business After Hours
Quote of the Moth
Outstanding leaders go out of their way to
boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If
people believe in themselves, it's amazing
what they can accomplish.
Sam Walton
Albert Lea Community Theatre to perform The
Haunting of Hill House Oct. 9–18
Thank you Thorne Crest Retirement Community
for sponsoring the September Business After Hours
2014 Business After Hours Schedule
January 2014 - Chamber of Commerce
February 2014 - Innovance, Inc.
March 2014- Riverland Community College
April 2014 - The Children's Center/United Way of Freeborn
County, Inc.
May 2014 - Country Inn & Suites/ Green Mill Restaurant & Bar
June 2014 - Americas Best Value Inn
July 2014 - American Legion
August 2014 - Vern Eide
September 2014 - Thorne Crest Retirement Community
October 2014 - MarketPlace Foods
November 2014 - Hy-Vee
December 2014 - Albert Lea Tribune
If you are interested in hosting a Business After Hours Event
please call the Chamber Office at: 507-373-3938
Albert Lea, Minnesota – Albert Lea Community Theatre (ACT) will open its 50th season with The Haunting
of Hill House at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center, Oct. 9 through Oct. 18. To commemorate ACT’s
anniversary, the 2014–2015 season will feature shows
that were performed by ACT over the past five decades.
Originally performed by ACT in 1967, The Haunting of
Hill House is a spooky drama just in time for Halloween. The play is a chilling and mystifying study in
mounting terror in which a small group of psychically
receptive people are brought together to Hill House by
the learned Dr. Montague, an investigator of supernatural phenomena. The play is written by F. Andrew Leslie
and based on the novel of the same name by Shirley
Jackson.
The Haunting of Hill House, directed by Rory Mattson,
will be performed at the Marion Ross Performing Arts
Center in downtown Albert Lea on Oct. 9, 10, 11, 12,
15, 16, 17 and 18. Shows start at 7:30 p.m., with the
Sunday, Oct. 12 matinee at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets
may be purchased over the phone by calling the ACT
Call Center 1-877-730-3144 (toll-free, 24/7 automated
service); logging on to www.actonbroadway.com or at
the box office, which opens Monday the week of the
show’s opening and is also open every Thursday from 4
–6 p.m. Tickets are also available at the Albert Lea
Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. ACT season tickets
can also be purchased until Oct. 19.
Patrons can call the box office at 507-377-4371 or visit
the box office at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center to purchase tickets. Box office hours during show
weeks are Monday through Friday, 3:30–6 p.m., and 6–
7:30 p.m., on performance nights. On Saturday evenings, the box office is open 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Page 6
Business Monthly
Chamber Offers Job Bank
The Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce has initiated 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.
Chamber Continues to Connect with Membership
The Albert Lea/Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce in an attempt to keep up with the times and in an effort to better communicate with our membership, encourages you to like us on Facebook.
Interested in having an Ambassadors Visit 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 opportunity 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!
Coming Soon!
The Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce a partnership with CGI Communications, Inc.
to bring an exciting, multifaceted promotional campaign to our members. Through our Chamber's partnership with CGI, we will
be working to produce a series of short videos highlighting aspects of our community that will be available on our website
www.albertlea.org and on www.relocate.org. As a program participant, your business will have a myriad of opportunities to expand your outreach as well. We encourage you to consider participating in this program as it provides an exciting new opportunity to showcase your business and our community. If you have questions about this advertising opportunity, please contact
Randy at 507-373-3938 or director@albertlea.org .
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 a one night stay in the Country Inn and Suites and a $50 Gift card from Green Mill for both
the new member AND the referring member. The Quarterly drawing will take place at Business after Hours.
Page 7
Business Monthly
Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce Information
Committee Updates
Chamber Green Committee:
The Green Committee met on September 17th. They reviewed the link on our website to the Alliant Powerhouse videos and TV
show. It was suggested that the Chamber could pick a timely topic and do a monthly promotion of Chamber members who deal
with that topic. Randy said that we could drop it into E-Biz and direct readers to a specific video. It was also suggested that we
add the Touchstone Energy website www.togetherwesave.com to our links. Discussions are still ongoing with local businesses
about their willingness to do You Tube videos on timely subjects.
The Chamber Worksite Wellness Committee:
met on September 19th. It was reported that the Freeborn Room has been reserved for the day of November 18 th for the Blue
Zones by Healthways Worksite Summit. This summit will be for “Tier B” worksites and others that we think would be good to
include. The committee agreed and the summit time was set for a breakfast meeting from 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. The committee
then walked through how to register a worksite on the Blue Zones Project website. Alice Englin gave a SHIP Update and is sending mini-grant applications to businesses that will be due December 15 th. Alice also put together a list of Blue Zones pledge items
for businesses for which SHIP will offer funding.
The Chamber Governmental Affairs Committee:
met on September 23rd. Chad Adams reported for the city that they continue to work with Mrs. Gerry’s on their expansion. Along
with the modified TIF district, they are also negotiating for land acquisition for a storm water retention pond that will also serve
other businesses in the area. Chad said that this might be difficult. The St. John’s project has been re-bid and St. John’s is evaluating their options. It appears that the assisted and independent living portions of the expansion could move forward. The city continues to work with two developers on market rate housing. The one that is the most serious at this time is located by 9th Street
and Highway 69. The completed Housing Study indicates the need for this kind of housing. The city is working with MNDOT on
Phase II South Broadway reconstruction. The Entrepreneur Program is working with ALEDA and applying for grants. They plan
to kick-off at the first of the year. They are looking for an incubator, preferable downtown. Chad stated that there is one private
entity that has expresses interest in working with them. As part of the Facilities Master Plan, the city has been working on ideas
for the Blazing Star landing. One proposal that will be presented to the public in October is the “Blazing Star Center” which will
include multiple entities such as the Albert Lea Family Y and Senior Resources. There would still be a lot of private development
available on the site.
John Kluever reported for the county that the County Commission is looking at setting at 3.9% levy increase to cover the bonding
and health insurance increases. It could be lower, depending on health care enrollment. The County has been forced to better fund
the health insurance due to the Affordable Care Act - 35% of their employees participate in their health care and the number
needs to be higher. Union negotiations will begin next week and include dispatch, which the County takes over in January. Chris
Shoff is slated to become President of the Association of MN Counties if he is re-elected.
A lengthy discussion of possible venues, dates, and times took place for the upcoming forums. There will be a District 27A forum
in the City Council Chambers on October 21st sponsored by the Coalition of Greater MN Cities. The Chamber will sponsor a
forum for District 27A on October 28th at Riverland. Hopefully, KATE will cover this live and Dan Borland will tape it for the
Government Channel and You Tube. Other forums will need to be scheduled.
Business/Education Committee:
Meeting was held on September 5th
Child Care Survey: Kim N will talk to Gary Schindler and get something started now that all campuses are back to school. She
will also look at inviting businesses with alternative or extended shift work to participate. Mrs. Gerry’s, ZRB, etc. And work to
include those who are not employed, to find out if their needs are being met.
New Members: Val and Mary had discussed the committee with Rich Murray at a recent LPEP event. Val will contact him
again to invite him to the next meeting.
Page 8
Business Montly
YE class: Val has talked with Patrick Bell, Wells Fargo, about the class. He works with small businesses and is interested in
learning more.
Neighborhood Library: The Blandin Group is looking at ways to make this happen. A Little library is located in SW Albert
Lea. Will research how to make this happen: Kiwanis have 1200 books to give out, looking at a Scholastic reading program, possibly using an area in the elementary schools, perhaps a small space on a teacher’s lawn or in a business break room, etc.
United Way is working with an Immigrant Entrepreneurs group… perhaps link with them?
Public Relations to raise career awareness: Suggestions include: Youth Apprenticeship and/or Young Entrepreneurs interview,
write a story and submit to ALAHASA or for a class grade Val will contact Tim Engstrom. A comment was shared that Jodi
Pfarr’s LPEP presentation had offered insight that people in poverty may not have yet developed a “Future Story” so career goals
and dreams are not a part of their mindset.
The Monthly newsletter from the committee will begin soon now that school is in session.
The school board will continue to discuss the results of the phone survey about the school district and related.
Dennis and Kim willing to help as needed about school calendar-related issues. District 241 to be congratulated for their role in
free breakfast program.
Lori Jensen has been working with Owatonna schools and area businesses, chamber and United Way about exploring ways to
reduce the skills gap. There have been meetings there to explore immediate needs, projected needs, what trainings do you provide,
what do you need. Lori would like to see an online survey made available to AL area businesses. Riverland can use this data to
develop courses, etc.
The Chamber Agriculture Committee: 23rd Annual 3rd Grade Farm Tours were September 24th and 25th. Thanks to
the Ag Committee for donating items for the bags.
The Chamber Ambassador Committee: Welcomed Healing Focus Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine and The Horace
Mann Companies to the Chamber. Three new Ambassadors were added Melissa Barr, Kathy Liedal and Sue Claybourne.
The Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber Board of Directors:
met on September 24th. Chad Adams reported for the City of Albert Lea, Kim Nelson gave the update for the Ambassadors, Kevin
LaFrance for the CVB, and Dr. Adenuga Atewologun for Riverland.
The following actions were taken by the Board: The sale of Holiday Ornaments was discontinued by unanimous vote.
There was a discussion of non-dues revenue, primarily the CGI video that was reviewed. Suggestions for changes were made. A
Leadership update was given, as well as a Blue Zones and lease update. The dues increase, membership, Annual Meeting, and Balanced Calendar hearing were discussed.
Full Board minutes will be available next month on our website.
Page 9
Business Monthly
Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau
Susie Peterson, Executive Director
We are fortunate - despite the early rains and flooding Minnesota tourism experienced a strong summer travel season – the fifth year in a row of continued growth in travel. Explore Minnesota conducted an end-ofsummer survey of tourism-related businesses and found higher occupancy and revenue for the majority of
Minnesota lodging properties.
Minnesota’s tourism industry is drawing people from both inside and outside the state and according to Jon
Edman, director of Explore Minnesota Tourism “Minnesota continues to be an affordable, close-to-home
getaway for our core target markets, and is becoming a more attractive destination for travelers from further away”.
Explore Minnesota provides an annual snapshot of travel and tourism economic impact highlights for the state of Minnesota,
tourism regions and counties. There are four regions represented – Minneapolis-St. Paul, Central Minnesota, Northwest Minnesota, Northeast Minnesota and Southern Minnesota. Southern Minnesota is third in gross sales tax collected, only behind Minneapolis – St. Paul and Central Minnesota. Freeborn County in Southern Minnesota is in the top ten out of thirty six counties in
the southern region in Gross Sales Tax collected ($42M) and continues to grow each year.
Tourism is a $12.5 billion industry in Minnesota, and a key sector of the state's economy. The leisure and hospitality industry – a
major provider of tourism services – employs more than 245,000 workers, representing 11 percent of Minnesota's private sector
employment. Leisure and hospitality also generates 17 percent of the state's sales tax revenues.
Lodging in Albert Lea has been strong this year – year to date lodging tax collected continues to exceed prior years. With over
600 rooms and five campgrounds attracting visitors and tourists to our community, along with our proximately of Interstates I-35
& I-90 we are excited to see travelers stop in Albert Lea. Our community offers many events and festivals for both tourists and
residents to enjoy that have been successful and continue to grow. This year was the third year of Wind Down Wednesdays and
the weather was absolutely fantastic for all three held in June, July and August. Other successful events include The Big Freeze,
Fountain Lake 5 & Tiger Trot 5k, A Taste of Heritage, Land Between The Lakes Dualthon, Crossroads of Destruction Demolition Derby, Open Streets / Bike Rodeo Eddie Cochran Weekend, 3rd of July Parade, 4th of July Carnival / Car Show and Fireworks, Freeborn County Fair, Albert Lea Floats Celebration, Festival of Arts & Sports, Big Island Barbeque, Celebrate Albert
Lea Festival, Celebrate Albert Lea and Street Dance, Fountain Lake Powerboat Drag races and Big Island Rendezvous.
The Fairgrounds hosted ninety Star Craft Campers for the 2014 rally this year and next year they will be hosting three hundred
motor coaches for the 2015 Samborie Rally. These rallies are a huge economic impact for our community and we love to show
off our beautiful lakes and new streetscape in Downtown Albert Lea.
We look forward to the many events, sports and festivals held in our community which will impact businesses, retail, restaurants, attractions and lodging properties. Thank you to all of the partnerships, organizations, collaborations that make our community a wonderful place to visit and live.
Information on the many events and festivals in our community, whether you’re looking for the calendar of events, information on attractions or lists of hotels and restaurants, can be accessed by logging on to our website at
www.albertleatourism.org to find all the latest in local tourism related information. Stop in at our new office location downtown Albert Lea at 102 W. Clark Street, email susie@albertleatourism.org or call us at 507-373-2316!
Experience Albert Lea / The Land Between the Lakes.
Page 10
Business Monthly
Minnesota Chamber Information
Jobs report puts focus on Nov. 4 elections
By Bill Blazar
Minnesota is losing the battle in growing private-sector jobs, and there’s something you can do
about it: Support pro-business candidates in the Nov. 4 elections.
A recent report by Adam Belz in the Minneapolis Star Tribune provides plenty of ammunition for
why this year’s elections matter to the livelihood of employers and employees alike. The analysis by the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows Minnesota dead last in the Midwest in growing private-sector jobs, adding fewer jobs in almost
every industry than previously thought. The analysis is considered more reliable than monthly jobs reports that often
are adjusted for accuracy.
The employment trend underscores the disturbing trend at the Capitol where the Governor and Legislature have increased the cost of doing business in Minnesota. The results of the 2014 Legislature, on top of the 2013 session, send
an overriding message: Elections matter. We must elect individuals who understand what it takes to develop and expand Minnesota’s economy.
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce with our Grassroots Action Network makes it easy for you to find out which
candidates support the priorities of you and your employees.
Register to vote. If you haven’t registered to vote yet, there’s still time.
Know the issues: Our legislative bill tracker identifies the priority pro-jobs bills that we advocated as well as the antijobs bills that we defeated at the 2014 Legislature. Many of the same issues are expected to be at the forefront in
2015.
Know your candidates: Click here to see who is seeking to represent you.
Know where your candidates stand on your concerns: Our Voting Record shows how incumbents voted on business
priorities at the 2012 Legislature. The Minnesota Chamber Leadership Fund PAC identifies and supports pro-jobs candidates, including providing their answers to an election questionnaire.
Find your polling place: You’re armed with the information. Now be certain you know where to cast your ballot.
Business leaders understand the impact state policy-makers have on their bottom lines, and they continue to believe
that Minnesota is now pointed in the wrong direction - that current policies will hurt their ability to compete with their
peers in today’s global economy. Nearly 90 percent of the respondents in this year’s Minnesota Business Barometer
Survey said the Governor and Legislature play a role – 35 percent said a very important role – in shaping the state’s
business climate.
And, it’s true. The state leaders we elect do make a difference. Let’s use our votes on November 4 to put our state
back on the path to private-sector growth.
Bill Blazar is interim president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce: www.mnchamber.com.
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Business Monthly
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Business Monthly
Chamber Staff
Randy Kehr
Executive Director
director@albertlea.org
Geri Jensen
Administrative
Assistant
member@albertlea.org
Amy Gauthier
Administrative
Assistant
chamberoffice@albertlea.org
Check out our Member to Member
Discounts Here:
www.albertlea.org/discounts.html
Sue Axsmith
Administrative
Assistant
alfccoc@albertlea.org
Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce 2580 Bridge Ave.
Northbridge Mall Albert Lea, MN 56007
Phone: 507.373.3938 Fax: 507.373.0344
Email: alfccoc@albertlea.org
2013- 2014 Mission Statement:
"Promote and develop a healthy and positive
business climate and improve
the quality of life in the Albert Lea-Freeborn County Area."