•Jeff Fassett, president and owner of IEM Energy Consultants, an energy industry management consulting practice in Alexandria, has been asked to present the keynote address as well as chair an upcoming energy industry conference in Birmingham, England later this month.
His address is going to provide insight into the worldwide electricity markets with an emphasis on how renewable energy mandates might impact the generation balance.
Fassett has been active in the energy industry for almost 25 years and relocated his business to the Alexandria area in 1999.
•Marco, a leading provider of business technology, has announced strong financial results for 2008 despite economic challenges. The employee-owned company’s operating income and revenue remained strong, increasing 9.6 percent and 9 percent, respectively.
The latest fiscal results continue Marco’s positive growth over the past five years. The company’s stock value is up 17 percent over the past five years and its operating income has risen 25 percent in that period.
Marco provides expertise and technology to enable organizations to effectively manage their information. Marco specializes in data networking and security, converged voice applications, print and document management, video for training and meeting rooms, structured cabling and digital video surveillance solutions. Marco’s furniture division ? Marco Workplace Interiors ? provides a full line of office furnishings and design services.
Marco has offices in Alexandria, St. Cloud, Fargo-Moorhead, Grand Forks, Brainerd, Detroit Lakes, Bemidji, St. Paul and Mankato.
•The Good Samaritan Society of Glenwood Lakeview has received a five-star rating from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ five-star quality rating system.
The system ranks skilled nursing centers based on health inspection scores, staffing and quality measures. To earn five stars, a center must meet Medicare’s quality requirements during on-site state health inspections, provide a certain number of hours of care provided to each resident, and have high ratings on 10 different quality measures, such as residents’ mobility.
“I am happy that the compassionate and caring service provided by Glenwood Lakeview’s staff is being recognized with this excellent rating,” said Bill Brewer, the center’s administrator. “Our first priority is to provide quality care for residents.”
Glenwood Lakeview provides housing, skilled nursing services and therapy to 35 residents.
•Jessica Nelson of Alexandria recently opened Jessica Nelson Real Estate after passing the broker’s exam. Nelson’s specialties include lake properties and first-time home buyers.
Nelson is currently the Alexandria Sertoma president, teaches confirmation and Junior Achievement, serves as the program chair for Greater Alexandria Area Association of Realtors and enjoys golfing and boating.
To contact Nelson, call (320) 815-2076 or visit www.jnelsonhomes.com.
•Tastefully Simple Compensation and Benefits Manager Wendy Steidl is the West Central Minnesota Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) “Human Resources Award of Excellence” winner.
Steidl was presented the award at West Central Minnesota SHRM’s annual business meeting on December 12 in Alexandria.
To be eligible for the award, the nominee must have made significant contributions to the HR profession and their place of employment, have a profound effect on their company’s culture and possess impeccable ethical standards, among other requirements.
Tastefully Simple Vice President of Team Relations Edgar Timberlake said he nominated Steidl because she fulfills all of the requirements.
“Wendy Steidl is one of the most knowledgeable and professional human resource generalists I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” Timberlake said.
“I am truly honored to receive this award, as there are so many other deserving HR professionals within our area,” Steidl said. “It has been a pleasure to be involved with the West Central Minnesota SHRM group, which has allowed me to build both personal and professional relationships with the other members throughout my human resources career.”
Steidl has worked at Tastefully Simple since 2002 and during that time, among other accomplishments, has developed compensation and benefit strategies that are bringing about significant changes and has worked with a compensation consultant to design and implement a best-practice, market-based compensation system.
•The Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance located at 630 Atlantic Ave in Morris is now exhibiting works from Glenwood artist Sandy O’Brien. O’Brien’s work will be exhibited at PRCA through January 31. PRCA hours are Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
O’Brien will be hosting a reception at PRCA on Saturday, January 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a free event and all are invited and welcome.
O’Brien is a self-taught artist with more than 29 years painting experience. Her subject matter is influenced by the great Minnesota outdoors and her love of animals.
O’Brien is the editor and coordinator of the Glacial Ridge Artists, an art club of 50 members located in West Central Minnesota.
She is the curator of the Bremness Gallery on the grounds of the historic Ann Bickle Heritage House in Glenwood and also creates cartoon illustrations for the Horizontal Bowhunter magazine, the official publication of the American Crossbow Federation.
•Massman Automation Designs, LLC of Villard has announced the acquisition of Sabel Engineering Corporation of Sonoma, California.
Founded in 1971, Sabel Engineering Corporation is the originator of bottom-load case packing. By adding the Sabel bottom-load and robotic top-loading case packers to its growing case packaging product line, Massman significantly strengthens its position in the packaging marketplace.
“Sabel’s 38-year history of delivering high quality machines to companies throughout the world will enable Massman to offer a broader range of case packing and end of line solutions,” said Jeff Bigger, president of Massman. “Massman Automation Designs is committed to maintaining the excellent Sabel technology and the support Sabel customers have come to know.”
•Anne Major recently accepted the position of director of home care at Knute Nelson in Alexandria.
Prior to her accepting this position, she served as the home care director at Minnewaska Lutheran Home.
Major will be responsible for providing overall management to a Medicare-certified home care agency, as well as the waivered services program. She received her degree in nursing from Moorhead State University and has more than nine years of nursing experience.
Major is a member of the Minnewaska Jaycees, serves as a Sunday school teacher, and is an active member of the Glacial Hills Elementary Parent Committee.
“Anne has extensive experience in health care. In her new role as director of home care, Anne will help to grow our service offerings to clients and provide a superior level of customer service for our home care agency,” said Mark Anderson, president/CEO of Knute Nelson.
•For the second consecutive year, Donnelly Custom Manufacturing Company in Alexandria has received the Silver Supplier award from Marvin Windows and Doors, a leading manufacturer of made-to-order wood and clad wood windows and doors.
Donnelly molds short-run parts for Marvin and has been instrumental in helping them achieve excellence in employee training through its Training Within Industry (TWI) best practices.
The award recipients are selected based on the results from monthly supplier performance reports that evaluate each supplier’s standards of quality and delivery as well as technology and transaction accuracy.
•Precision Soya of Olivia has announced the appointment of two new field managers who will serve this area.
“We are excited about the addition of Brian Zwach and Jeff Boersma into our field service group,” said Darrell Petersen, general manager of the Olivia operation. “Both individuals come to us with many years of ag experience, to include the family farm as well as being associated with agricultural companies.”
Jeff Boersma attended Willmar Ridgewater Tech School and has worked for area farmers, seed research stations and as a field scout for Centrol Crop Consulting. Boersma currently lives in the Olivia area.
Brian Zwach was raised on the family farm and graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University. Zwach started working for Precision Soya in operations and has moved into field service. Zwach currently lives in the Olivia area.
Boersma and Zwach will be providing field support for soybean growers in North Dakota and South Dakota, northern Iowa, as well as all of Minnesota, to include the Willmar, Alexandria and Fergus Falls areas.
Their goal is to provide the very best in grower support by maximizing crop quality, monitor field results and acting as a liaison between each grower and Precision Soya.
Contact Boersma or Zwach for your 2009 soybean seed production at (320) 523-5965.
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