Business notes Dec. 30

■ Hanson is Little Falls employee
of the month

LITTLE FALLS - Timothy Hanson, Little Falls Hardware Hank, is the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce January Employee of the Month.

Hanson has been doing floor sales and working as the rental manager at Little Falls Hardware Hank for eight years. Hanson’s employer credits Hanson as being helpful, knowledgeable, friendly and personable with an ability to find a way to fix things.

■ Family and sports medicine physician joins CRMC

CROSBY - Dr. Janna Vilen recently joined Cuyuna Regional Medical Center (CRMC) in Crosby.

Vilen is a family and sports medicine physician with advanced training in caring for athletes of all ages and treating athletic injuries.

Vilen attended the University of St. Thomas and received a bachelor’s degree majoring in health promotion science and a minor in chemistry. She then went on to attend the University of Minnesota Medical School in Duluth and Minneapolis.

From 2007-2010 she completed her residency through University of Minnesota Family Medicine Residency, Methodist and in 2011 received a fellowship in sports medicine from Montana Family Medicine Residency. Prior to joining CRMC, she provided care at Holy Rosary Healthcare and Riverstone Health in Montana. Vilen’s work has been published in “The Journal of Family Practice” and she has provided numerous presentations on sports medicine. She is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American Medical Association, and the American Academy of Family Practice Physicians.

Vilen joins the medical campus in Crosby with her husband Dr. Erik Vilen who is a new physician addition to the Emergency Medicine Department at CRMC.

■ MDA urges livestock farmers
not to delay applications

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is urging Minnesota livestock farmers and ranchers to apply now for the Livestock Investment Grant Program.

The program has $1 million available to promote long-term development in the state’s $7 billion livestock sector.

Qualifying producers would be reimbursed ten percent of the first $500,000 of investment, with a minimum investment of $4,000. Qualifying expenditures include the purchase, construction, or improvement of buildings or facilities for the production of livestock, and the purchase of fencing as well as feeding and waste management equipment. Producers who suffered a loss due to a natural disaster or unintended consequence may also apply. The grant will not pay for livestock or land purchases or for the cost of debt refinancing.

Minnesota livestock producers who applied for but did not receive a grant in past years will need to reapply to be considered for the 2012 program.

The deadline to apply for the grant program is Jan. 14, 2013. More information on the Minnesota Livestock Investment Grant Program can be found on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/livestockinvestmentgrant .

■ Breezy Point Resort

earns RCI designation

BREEZY POINT - Breezy Point Resort, Breezy Point, announced it was awarded the prestigious RCI Gold Crown Resort property designation by RCI, a worldwide leader in vacation exchange.

A select number of RCI affiliated resorts meet RCI’s requirements for recognition and have earned the RCI Gold Crown Resort award. These resorts have attained high levels of excellence in resort accommodations, hospitality and member experience as measured by RCI.

In a news release, Gordon Gurnik, president of RCI, said the resort recognition program helps ensure RCI affiliated resorts adhere to RCI’s standards for accommodations, hospitality and member experience. The resort’s parent company, Whitebirch Inc., recently acquired the Breezy Point North Stars NAHL franchise and Deacon’s Lodge Golf Course.

■ Power Lodge overhauls
business model

With more than 30 years of industry experience, owner Tom Dehn became sole owner in January 2012.

His staff includes Paul “Hootis” Noskowiak as general manager, Kirk Loge as sales manager and Todd Harmes as service technician. All three new hires have a collective 52 years of industry expertise. Power Lodge employs 20 staff and reports it provides extensive training for employees.

Dehn said he was overhauling his business model.

■ Northland Smiles has
new name, owner

DEERWOOD - Kendall Dammeier, dentist, became the new owner of the former Smile Center in Deerwood and renamed the business on Archibald Road as Northland Smiles.

The office still concentrates on a general dental practice and an in-house dental lab and employs 32 people. The Smile Center was previously owned by dentist Edward Silker, who retired and sold the practice to Dammeier.

Dammeier is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry.

WORKSHOPS

■ Extension offers certification classes for food managers

LITTLE FALLS - University of Minnesota Extension is offering two courses to help food service establishments meet the educational requirements for certified food managers.

The initial food manager certification course, called ServSafe, will be offered on Jan. 17 at the Morrison County Government Center in Little Falls. The class are planned from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with the test following at 4:30 p.m. Participants must attend all day to be eligible to take the certification exam. This course includes information about safe food preparation, handling, sanitation and prevention of food borne illnesses. Registration is required by Jan. 3.

Serve It Up Safely is a four-hour renewal course for certified managers. Certified food managers need four hours of continuing education credits within three years of becoming certified. University of Minnesota Extension educators and University specialists developed this renewal course that meets these criteria.

The Serve It Up Safely course will also be at Morrison County Government Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 17. Registration is due by Jan. 3. Pre-registration is required. For more information, call 507-337-2819 or contact Connie Schwartau at schwa047@umn.edu .

The Food Manager Certification Course and Serve It Up Safely renewal course are also available online. For more information about all of these classes go to www.extension.umn.edu/foodsafety or contact Schwartau.

■ Session looks at being a
successful entrepreneur

The 2013 Advantage series includes four short 1.5 sessions designed to help participants be better prepared if they are looking to start a business or help those already in business.

This series will be repeated each month for the spring 2013. Follow-up counseling is available from the Small Business Development Center’s team of consultants at no charge.

• Accounting Tools, 6-7:30 p.m. Jan. 15. Accounting is the business function of recording, reporting and analyzing financial information. Accounting can help owners make smart decisions through the careful analysis of financial information relating to current operations and new business opportunities. This session will review the most popular accounting tools used today. Participants will also learn what types of information they should expect to get out of their accounting system to run a small business.

• Forms of Business Structure and Marketing Your Small Business.

Cost is $30/per person, per session or $100/person for all four sessions at Central Lakes College in Brainerd in Room No. E151. Instructor is Jay Bock. Deadline to register is seven days prior to the class date.

To register and to read session descriptions of other classes in the series go online to http://clcmn.augusoft.net/ .

Watch for the other upcoming sessions in the series: business planning, forms of business structure, and marketing a small business.

For more information, contact Julie Platta at 218-855-8140 or jplatta@clcmn.edu .

■ CLC offers QuickBooks Pro
basic accounting class

The Business and Industry Center of Central Lakes College scheduled QuickBooks Pro Accounting: Basic on the Brainerd campus for computerized accounting.

QuickBooks Pro Accounting for Windows is scheduled from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 15 and 22 in Room C221 of the Brainerd campus.

The student will learn the basics of system set-up, chart of account customization, item detailing, invoicing (accounts receivable), cash receipts, deposits and bill paying (accounts payable).

The instructor is Jay Bock. The fee is $99.

Deadline to register is Jan. 8.

For more information, call 800-933-0346 ext. 8142 or 855-8142 or email bberg@clcmn.edu or register online at http://clcmn.augusoft.net

■ CLC offers ‘Power

Limited’ course

The Business and Industry Center at Central Lakes College, Brainerd, will host a continuing education course for holders of the Minnesota Power-Limited Technician License 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 17 and Jan. 18.

The course consists of 16 hours of instruction covering applicable articles and sections of the 2008 National Electrical Code, Minnesota statutes and rules governing electrical work, and a review of the basic elements of electricity and electrical calculations.

This course has been approved by the Minnesota State Board of Electricity.

Students must have a calculator and the 2005 or 2008 NEC Code Book. Code books are available in class for $89.

Tuition is $320 and includes lunch. Deadline to register is Jan. 10. For more information, call 800-933-0346 ext. 8142 or 855-8142. Online registration: http://clcmn.augusoft.net and click on courses. Information is available from bberg@clcmn.edu .