Biwabik natives Mark and Kandi Sutich are entrepreneurs and Iron Rangers at heart--and that has proven to be a winning combination.

The couple started their first business in 1976 and went on to successfully operate businesses in Indiana, Chicago and Minnesota. When the opportunity arose in 2005, they returned home to the Iron Range. In 2011, they formed Laurentian Monument Granite & Stone (LMGS), a company which provides quality granite and stone in a myriad of options for both interior and exterior use. Last year, the Sutichs were recognized for their efforts, receiving a Joel Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Award in the category of “Emerging Entrepreneur” from the University of Minnesota Duluth Center for Economic Development. 

The couple’s latest venture is the Biwabik Mary Ellen Stone Company, a stone cutting and processing plant on the former Austin Powder site that produces products for residential, commercial and industrial applications. With this new company, the Sutichs are expanding into other areas of natural stone use, such as structural, architectural, decorative and landscaping. The stones, which are found on former mining sites, include Mary Ellen Jasper, Minnesota Greenolite, animikian, erie banded taconite, precambrian rose, slate and others. The Sutichs have experienced great demand for these high quality and uniquely-colored stones. 

According to Mark Sutich, the best part of owning a business on the Iron Range is having the opportunity to live in northeastern Minnesota. He said, “For those who love the outdoors, it is a true paradise. The distinct changing of seasons offers unique recreational opportunities for our enjoyment. Whether one enjoys fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, four-wheeling, skiing or golf, there is a season for it all. Knowing that the woods, the lakes and the great outdoors are at our front doors makes the tasks and efforts of business more rewarding.”

IRRRB supported the Biwabik Mary Ellen Stone project with a $340,000 loan to the city of Biwabik in 2014 to purchase the former Austin Powder site. Earlier this year, IRRRB also provided a $500,000 loan to the company to renovate the former mining buildings.

Sutich said that working with IRRRB staff has been a wonderful experience. “Every person we met or dealt with from this organization was extremely helpful and professional and took great interest in what we were trying to accomplish. The eagerness and interest shown to us by the IRRRB was often the inspiration needed to keep looking forward when the direction of our project was challenged. We have made great friends and learned so much from our experience working with the IRRRB.”

Learn more about the companies.

The 88th Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Section of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME) Conference will be held at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center April 13 through 15. 

Highlights of this year's conference include:

• a wide variety of technical sessions and short courses
• an exhibition hall of over 200 vendors
• new products and services showcased by top industry companies
• networking opportunities with students, professionals and leading industry executives
• field trips to U.S. Steel Minntac, Magnetation Plant 4 and Port of Duluth/Superior

Minnesota will be hosting the National SME Meeting February 22 through March 2, 2018 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

View the conference brochure. 

Nearly 400 10th through 12th grade students from 11 schools across northeastern Minnesota learned about health care careers at a Friday, March 27 Health Care Fair at Hibbing Community College.

Health care organizations such as clinics, hospitals, long-term health care, physical and occupational rehabilitation, fire departments, air ambulance, veterinary, dental, eye care facilities, and law enforcement volunteered staff and time to host a variety of hands-on activities at the fair. Health care programs at Northeast Higher Education District (NHED) colleges also conducted activities during the fair’s two sessions and talked with students individually about NHED health care programs.

The goal of the fair was to help make students more aware of the growing demand for health care workers, the wide variety of health care jobs, and the heath care programs available at NHED colleges. Feedback from fair partners and teachers was extremely positive.

IRRRB organized the fair in partnership with Hibbing Community College and other NHED colleges. St Luke’s sponsored lunch for event workers.

The University of Minnesota Duluth Center for Economic Development recently announced the nominees for the 23rd Annual Joel Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Awards Program, recognizing entrepreneurs and business owners from throughout the Twin Ports and northeastern Minnesota. Award categories include Micro Entrepreneur, Emerging Entrepreneur, Established Entrepreneur, Mature Entrepreneur and Environmentally Engaged Entrepreneur. Forty-four entrepreneurial businesses have been nominated for these awards. 

Complete listing of nominees.

The recipients will be announced at a luncheon on Wednesday, April 22 at 11:30 a.m. at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center in Duluth. 

Major event sponsors are maurices, WestmorelandFlint, Flint Interactive, IRRRB, Park State Bank, Minnesota Business Finance Corporation, Entrepreneur Fund, KBJR, Greenfield Communications, Cutting Edge Metal LLC, U.S. Small Business Administration, and the Minnesota Small Business Development Centers Network.

Giants Ridge Recreation Area held a food shelf drive on four consecutive Sunday evenings through February and March to collect donations for the area food shelf. The drive was in partnership with East Range Rotary and Minnesota Food Share.

Customers were asked to bring a donation of two non-perishable food items and then received reduced lift ticket and ski/snowboard rental pricing for night skiing. “We collected 460 pounds of food for the Aurora Food Shelf,” said Linda Johnson, Giants Ridge managing director. “The drive is such an enormous success that we make this an annual event.”

Along with the food collected at Giants Ridge, a $500 match was presented to the Aurora Food Shelf by Rotary President Michelle Cramer. Minnesota Food Share also will contribute a dollar-for-dollar match.

Ski Area Closed for the Season

In other news, the ski area at Giants Ridge is closed for the season. The Legend and Quarry golf courses will open soon. 

For more information on Giants Ridge, please contact 218-865-8000 or friend Giants Ridge on Facebook for additional updates and savings.

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