BUSINESS NOTES
CAREER
Bremer announces new employees
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Three employees joined Bremer Bank in the Brainerd lakes area - Tim Spitzley, Heidi Brown and Leslie Rudrud.
Spitzley is the community business banker in the Baxter office. Spitzley joins Bremer from Midwest Bank in Baxter where he served as the vice president of commercial lending. He is a graduate of St. John's University in Collegeville and has continued his education through the Minnesota Bankers Association.
Brown is a personal banker in the Brainerd office. Brown joined Bremer from Atlas Abstract and Title where she worked as a closing agent. Brown received her accounting diploma from Brainerd Technical College and is a Crosby-Ironton graduate.
Tim Spitzley
Rudrud is a personal banker in the Brainerd office. Rudrud previously worked for Integra Telecom in Brainerd and 21st Century Bank in Blaine. She is a Wadena-Deer Creek High School graduate who attended Central Lakes College.
Nangle attends Disney conference
BAXTER - Jennifer Nangle from Bursch Travel was among the more than 375 top-producing travel agents who recently gathered at the Disneyland Resort for the 2008 Disney's EarMarked Conference - a program especially designed for authorized Disney vacation planners.
Travel counselors at Bursch Travel have received training on Disney theme parks, resorts, cruises, vacations packages and more.
Dorr named entrepreneur of the year
The 2008 Small Business Development Program Entrepreneur of the Year award was presented to Robert Dorr, owner of DECO Inc., at the Corporate Commission of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians hosted its inaugural Native American Business Fair Sept. 15 at Casino Hinckley.
Dorr established his company, formerly Dorr Electric, in Baxter in 1986 as an electrical contractor. Dorr worked by himself for nine years to complete small electrical projects throughout the Brainerd-Baxter area. In 1994, Dorr, a Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe tribal member, had the opportunity to provide electrical maintenance and secure facilities operations at the Grand Casino Mille Lacs. The company expanded to five workers.
During the past six years, Dorr has grown his business and expanded into general contracting, become 8(a) and HubZone certified, added security services, and became a national multi-million dollar success, the corporate commission reported.
Heidi Brown
About 50 people attended the event, which showcased existing American Indian entrepreneurs and introduced up-and-coming American Indian business owners.
Participants heard from business development experts on various topics, including marketing, business financing, and cash management.
Carole's Grand Salon, Inc. owner and Mille Lacs Band member Carole Higgins and Ken Bellanger, White Earth Band member and Northland Native American Products owner, shared their business experiences.
Russell Herder partners with HCMC
The Russell Herder agency, with offices in Brainerd, and Hennepin County Medical Center partnered with a community awareness campaign on brain injuries on prevention, recognition and treatment and launched in August of 2008.
Gray receives regional nursing excellence award
The North Central Region of the Wound Ostomy and Continence Nursing Society presented the 2008 NCR Excellence Award to Cathy Gray of St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
Gray's nominations included letters and comments from nurses, WOC nurse colleagues, surgeons, a vice president of the organization and the mother and wife of two of her patients.
Gray was described as instrumental in establishing and maintaining an excellent program, a noteworthy colleague and a quality caregiver and support person for patients and their families.
St. Onge is Little Falls employee of the month
LITTLE FALLS - Jeddy St. Onge is the Chamber of Commerce of Little Falls employee of the month for October.
Leslie Rudrud
St. Onge is director of buildings and grounds at Little Falls Community Schools, where he has worked for 38 years. In his employer's comments, St. Onge was described as a conscientious and dedicated employee with a hard working attitude, considerable knowledge and thoroughness.
Federation elects Wisneski national chairman
FORT RIPLEY - Herman Wisneski, Fort Ripley, was recently elected national chairman of the Federation of Tax Administrators, Motor Fuel Tax Section for a one year term at the organization's annual meeting in Hartford, Conn.
The federation is an organization of all 50 states, Canadian government, four Canadian provinces, the Internal Revenue Service, all major oil companies and motor fuel tax software providers.
The organization provides an opportunity for government and industry to partner for the efficient and effective reporting and remittance of fuel taxes, to minimize fuel tax evasion and to act as an information resource to stakeholders.
Wisneski is a 39-year employee of the Minnesota Department of Revenue, petroleum section and is based in Fort Ripley. He is the fourth Minnesota Revenue Department employee to be elected national chairman in the organization's 83 year history. The last Minnesota employee elected was in 1973.
Allord earns top honors
BAXTER - Jill Allord, Baxter, earned top honors for lia sophia's Excellent Beginners Program Achievers for outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism.
Allord earned the accomplishment in her first 15 weeks by attaining certain sales levels and sharing lia sophia with other new advisers.
OFF THE WIRE
Disasters and your stock
Associated Press
A major crash usually weighs heavily on an airline's stock, but the impact is felt less heavily in the share price of the plane's manufacturer, according to a recent study.
Airlines typically suffer for up to three months after a major catastrophe, compared with only a week and a half for manufacturing companies, according to San Diego State University researchers.
They also found that disasters have little or no effect on the long-term pricing of any stock, according to Kuntara Pukthuanthong-Le, an SDSU finance professor who led the study.
"We were surprised that stock was impacted as much as it was in the short-term, especially in instances where the market should have recognized that it was an accident that had occurred," she said.
The declines are a result of investors' anticipation of legal liability claims, which the airlines are more likely to see than the manufacturers - even if the accident was the result of equipment failure, she said.
The study looked at a sample of 174 aviation accidents around the world between 1950 and 2004.
HURRICANE SEASON: Think you dodged the bullet because you don't live on the coasts of Florida or Texas? Hurricane season runs through November.
Some tips from the National Hurricane Center and Chubb Corp. to protect yourself from severe storms and flooding:
Plan ahead. Discuss an evacuation plan with your family, stock up on nonperishable food and emergency supplies, and make a plan for what to do with your pets.
When entering your home or a room with water damage, be careful if doors stick - it could mean the ceiling is sagging.
Turn off electrical and gas sources, even if service is out in the area.
Secure a storage area in a cool, dry room with good air circulation for wet valuables, photos, birth certificates and deeds. Stand damp books with their spines facing up, and fan the pages every few hours.
Document structural damage and inventory your possessions as best as possible with video or photographs. Save samples of unique structural features and discarded items for the insurance claims process.