Gullview Technologies, Baxter, provided city, state and federal officials with a view of its growing enterprise Friday morning.
It was one of the stops on a busy schedule for U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development officials, including USDA Rural Development Under Secretary Lisa Mensah and Minnesota State Director Colleen Landkamer.
Gullview Technologies CEO Bill Wolff and Ross Graba, Gullview Technologies president,
provided a background on the company and the vision to bring technology jobs to outstate Minnesota. Gullview Technologies is leasing an entire building in the Johnson Centre in Baxter, renovated the office space with a focus on creating a space to appeal to employees who spend so much of their time in the workplace. Wolff said they didn't go on the low-end for the work environment because they want to be the place to work in central Minnesota.
Both Wolff and Graba had the dream of bringing high-paying jobs to rural and outstate communities. Graba grew up on a dairy farm on the Crow Wing River near Nimrod and said when he was a young man he had to leave the area for a technology job.
ADVERTISEMENT
"That's part of my motivation as a farm kid," Graba said.
Now both men said they want to provide those jobs in the lakes area. Wolff said the lifestyle brings people to the lakes area and they want to be one of the reasons people either return or stay. One of their clients is ProtoLabs in Maple Plain. Graba and Wolff said their customers are growing companies that need people for software development and maintenance, technical and network support. They currently employ 17 and have job openings for about five people. Wolff said their vision is to develop talent locally.
"Our goal is to get this facility filled up as quickly as we can," Wolff said. "I believe we can make an impact on our community."
A collaborative effort went into helping Gullview Technologies move quickly into a position to start creating jobs from local, state and federal private and public entities. Many were on hand Friday from Region Five, the Initiative Foundation, USDA Rural Development, the city of Baxter and Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Corporation.
"It shows the importance of partnerships," Landkamer said.
Mensah said one of her jobs is to explain to Congress what is the hope for rural America and if they can bring jobs back to rural areas and diversify the economies.
"I like to say sometimes government gets it right," Mensah said, adding it's nice to see federal funding support efforts like those at Gullview Technologies.
Sheila Haverkamp, executive director of BLAEDC, said it was important to note the efforts of local leaders like the Baxter City Council who supported this effort and broadband. Baxter Mayor Darrel Olson said his adult children living and working in the Twin Cities are some of the young people who would love to be back here.
ADVERTISEMENT
Andrea Goedderz, organizational development specialist with the Initiative Foundation, noted it was also the role of the larger Brainerd, Baxter and Crosby-Ironton areas, which provide amenities from breweries to world-class mountain biking to make the area attractive to workers.
"I think it's really nice when a community comes together," Goedderz said.
The group toured the facilities, including new office space and employee relaxation areas, which include a stocked cafeteria along with a recreation room with a pool table.
Locally owned Takedown Gym announced an expansion.
Stage one of the expansion plans is expected to be completed for use by Wednesday. The state-of-the-art facility, already known regionally for Sport Specific Training and the Takedown Wrestling Club, is expanding its focus to traditional health and wellness programming with a new focus on adult fitness programs, Takedown Gym reported.
"Phase one of the transition will feature over $150,000 of facility improvements and new equipment designed to serve traditional gymgoers. Treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals and a full circuit of Cybex strength training machines will be added to the menu of offerings already popular with athletes and group training enthusiasts."
"Our focus is and always will be the community. This first stage of expansion paves the way for the addition of other exciting expanded facilities we plan to announce later this year," owner Sean Kramer stated.
No changes are planned in the leadership team led by Joe Ciardelli, director of strength and conditioning, who has trained professional and Olympic athletes who compete in the NHL, NBA and MLB. The team includes Kasey Gilliss, director of wrestling is a former Division 1 All-American and a state and national team champion wrestler, who is in charge of a growing wrestling program, and Michelle McMahon, director of Health & Wellness, who Takedown Gym describes as a passionate leader in the health and fitness field who has already made a significant impact in a variety of volunteer projects in the area.
ADVERTISEMENT
On April 9, Takedown Gym reports it is hosting a Battle of the Schools-Combine of Excellence with more 200 athletes from Brainerd and Pequot Lakes High Schools and Middle Schools competing in a wide variety of athletic themed, physical tests, for bragging rights throughout the year.
The Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Corporation is co-hosting the April 12 Business After Hours from 4:30-6 p.m. along with five other organizations in the Tyrol Hills Shopping Center in Brainerd.
On the menu for the event: grilled food under the shopping center's new facade. Tours of businesses will also be available along with dessert. The event is free. Registration is requested through the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce. Go to explorebrainerdlakes.com or call 218-829-2838 for more information.
RENEE RICHARDSON, associate editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Dispatchbizbuzz .
