30West Fitness & Rec owner Nick Gigliotti utilized a Business Energy Retrofit (BER) and a Downtown Building Rehabilitation (DBR) grant to help renovate his business on downtown Chisholm’s historic Lake Street. The BER grant assisted with energy efficiency improvements to the roof, heating and cooling systems, and lighting. The DBR grant helped replace the store front entry and the fire escape.

Gigliotti owns 30West with his wife Jen and their friends and business partners Joel and Candice Sjogren. The two young married couples purchased the 1900s building in October 2018. In order to create a modern fitness center and operate it successfully, major energy improvements were needed. With the BER and DBR grants and their own private investment, they made the needed improvements to create a 3,000-square-foot ecofriendly workout space. Features include automated keypad-entry, state-of-the-art cardio equipment, selectorized strength equipment, free weights, and a 10-foot free standing monkey bar rig. The club has about 200 members.

“The BER and DBR grants not only improved our fitness club, they improved the quality of life for me and my business partners,” said Gigliotti. “Prior to the improvements, the roof leaked, and the lack of air conditioning made the building extremely hot during the spring and summer months. Every time it rained, one of us had to go to the building to ensure we caught the leaking before it got to the main level. Each morning, May through September, I'd go to the building at 4 a.m. to open the doors for an hour, so that the cool morning air could come in, as the temperatures would get above 85 degrees inside and rarely cool down much at night without any type of air exchange system."

Time and quality of life are two assets the families treasure. Nick and Jen have three children under the age of five. They are both doctorally trained Physical Therapists with Big Stone Therapies which is headquartered in South Dakota and has locations in Hibbing and Chisholm. Joel and Candice have two children under the age of five. Joel is employed as a control room operator at Minorca, and Candice is a stay-at-home mom.

The Gigliottis and Sjogrens continue to grow their entrepreneurism that has added to Chisholm’s revitalization. Future plans for the Lake Street building include a renovation of the upstairs for added development in downtown Chisholm. They also opened a second facility earlier this month at Minnesota Discovery Center (MDC). It is a bike rental, repair and retail shop that caters to the region’s growing biking industry and the new Redhead Mountain Bike Trail system, also located at MDC.

“We would not have been able to undertake the transformation of the Lake Street building without the BER and DBR grants,” said Gigliotti. “The building was vacant and worn down, yet had so much left to give to the community.”

Watch a tour of 30West.

Learn more about 30West Fitness & Rec.

Since BER’s inception in 2013, over 450 grants have been awarded to help small businesses with energy efficiency upgrades that can result in reduced utility bills, improved building aesthetics and increased building life. The program is funded by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and administered through a partnership with Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA). To learn more email Vince Meyer at AEOA or call him at 218-735-6828.

Enterprise Minnesota is a statewide organization that provides business consulting to small and medium sized manufacturers to help them improve operations, compete and grow profitably. The organization advocates for the manufacturing industry’s value and impact to Minnesota’s economy.

Enterprise Minnesota assisted Van Technologies, Inc. through International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 certification which is centered on quality management in day-to-day processes. Van Technologies manufactures the GreenLight Coatings^® brand of environmentally friendly coatings including waterborne products and UV curable products that can be cured with ultraviolet light. The specially formulated coatings are standouts in the field for using no dangerous or environmentally harmful solvents or chemicals and for being exceptionally durable.

Founded in 1991 by Larry Van Iseghem, Van Technologies manufactures its products in northeastern Minnesota and distributes them across the United States and internationally. The business is located in the southeastern tip of the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation service area. Van employs 14 people in a 25,000-square-foot facility in the former Bomarc missile base located 10 miles northeast of Duluth. Its biggest single account is with North America’s largest window manufacturer, a company that primes and paints the interior surfaces of its products with GreenLight Coatings^®. The majority of the company’s sales are wood coatings, followed by direct-to-metal coatings, other composite surface coatings and a new emerging product line of antimicrobial coatings. Van Technologies is a privately held company and had total revenues in 2019 of between $5 million and $10 million.

After experiencing a strong 2019, Van’s sales were down by the second quarter of 2020 as a result of COVID-19. Manufacturers across the state and globe were enduring dramatic changes as a result of the pandemic. Van Iseghem seized the opportunity of downtime to pursue quality control certification, demonstrating that his business meets all the latest benchmarks of the ISO.

“There was no better time to seek ISO certification than during the slight COVID-19 downturn. We had more ability to redeploy resources, and we saw it as an opportunity to invest in our long-term gains,” said Van Iseghem. “We’ve got ambitious growth plans for Van Technologies. We aim to double the company’s revenue and profit within the next five years.”

Enterprise Minnesota Business Developer Jim Schottmuller explained that Van Iseghem’s commitment to ISO certification was a key component to accelerating the process.

“ISO is tough to do with skeptical leadership. You need to be in with both feet,” said Schottmuller “Van Technologies was able to pursue ISO certification at an almost unheard-of speed because of the company’s core strengths, culture of improvement and leadership. The certification timeline from a normal implementation of about eight to 10 months was down to about four months.”

Learn more about ISO and how businesses can benefit from services provided by Enterprise Minnesota.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported Enterprise Minnesota with a Development Partnership grant that helps pay for technical assistance to manufacturing businesses located in northeastern Minnesota. Enterprise Minnesota also receives federal funding through its affiliate, the National Institute of Standards & Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership, a nationwide network of technical experts. For more information email Whitney Ridlon or call her at 218-735-3004.

The city of Ely developed a pocket park on a vacant lot previously occupied by Pamida. The project entailed upgrading lighting, seating, landscaping, ADA sidewalks, a small stage for music events, a playground climbing feature and public WiFi. The lot is owned by the Ott Family, who partnered with the city to develop the new public community space on Ely’s main street. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a $50,000 Downtown Streetscapes grant. Total project investment was $146,000. Other project partners included Alley A Realty/The Ott Family, Incredible Ely, Ely Rotary and Ely Utilities Commission.

“The Downtown Streetscapes grant is part of our agency’s commitment to the livelihood and stability of our rural communities,” said Commissioner Mark Phillips. “Business corridors and main streets with attractive public spaces and amenities can play a significant role in attracting private sector investment, new residents and patrons.”

The pocket park is part of a larger downtown beautification initiative that began in 2016 to complement ongoing storefront and building investments being made by Ely’s business owners. The streetscape improvements have included LED decorative lighting, banners, hanging baskets and planters for flowers, new trash receptacles, sidewalk renovations, bike racks, information kiosks and benches.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation’s grants are funded through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry. For Downtown Streetscapes grant information email Whitney Ridlon or call her at 218-735-3004.

The Arrowhead Intelligent Region (AIR) initiative is a broadband partnership facilitated by Blandin Foundation and Iron Range Resources &
Rehabilitation with assistance from the Northland Foundation. A grant pool was created to support a broadband-fueled economy in northeastern Minnesota. Seven projects received grants:

1. Range Association of Municipalities and Schools: $8,000 to map a wireless broadband network for highest coverage for students within the district including Nett Lake, North Woods, Tower, Babbitt, Cherry and South Ridge.
2. Itasca Economic Development Corporation: $50,000 to extend the impact of Itasca County’s participation in Launch MN, a program dedicated to growing the state’s ecosystem for business startups.
3. 100 Rural Women: $15,000 to support a research project for Minnesota Children’s Press which is a nonprofit charity based in Grand Marais that mentors entrepreneurial writing and illustration to help rural children ages 5-15 create and sell their own books, newspapers, websites and other print and digital publishing.
4. Minnesota Children’s Press: $35,000 to deliver broadband education services throughout the Arrowhead region.
5. Northspan Group, Inc.: $50,000 to create a Welcoming Community program.
6. Smart North: $50,000 to implement the smart streetlights pilot project in Itasca County.
7. Iron Range Tourism Bureau: $16,950 for internet upgrades and networking events to attract and welcome new residents to the city of Virginia.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported this broadband initiative with a $50,000 Development Partnership grant. Learn more about the Arrowhead Intelligent Region initiative.

Minnesota Discovery Center (MDC) in Chisholm will celebrate the official grand opening of the new world class Redhead Mountain Bike Park with a ribbon cutting and slate of activities at the trailhead on Saturday, June 26.

“We are excited to invite the public behind the fences of the mines that built America, to explore their hidden canyons and ethereal blue waters in a way they have never imagined. Redhead is a must see for every Minnesotan,” said Jordan Metsa, fund development and marketing coordinator at MDC. 

Redhead Mountain Bike Park made its initial debut in 2020 with a soft opening of 15 miles of trails. This year, an additional 10 miles of trails were added with The Rim, The Zen and Tough Mama trails, marking the completion of the phase one build out of Redhead.

To mark the milestone, MDC, city of Chisholm, Chisholm Chamber of Commerce and Iron Range Off-Road Cyclists are hosting a daylong event at the trailhead from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Visitors will have access to over 40 local and statewide vendors, Voyageurs Saunas, food trucks, a beer garden, music, giveaways, a short Redhead documentary release entitled RECLAIMED, the new 30West Bike Shop, free MDC museum access and more.

The celebration will culminate with a free concert featuring The Suburbs in the MDC outdoor amphitheater at 7 p.m. Founded in 1977, The Suburbs are recognized worldwide as among the original heroes of the Minneapolis Sound, a historic music era that saw the emergence of other bands like The Suicide Commandos, Prince, The Replacements and Husker Du.    

View the complete schedule of events.

The Redhead grand opening event was made possible by a sponsorship from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. The Redhead Mountain Bike Park project was made possible through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry.

United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN) will host a diversity and inclusion training on Tuesday, June 22 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm. The public is welcome to participate in this free training opportunity.

Author and speaker Jodi Pfarr will present her newest book, The Urgency of Awareness. Illustrated with powerful life stories from the late Allison Boisvert, The Urgency of Awareness brings clarity to how our unique individual experiences cause us to see and navigate the world differently. Together they identify the various identities that are placed upon us by ourselves or others (male, female, people with and without disabilities, different skin colors, etc.) and examine how these categorizations within the societal system impact our life experiences. 

Pfarr is the author of Bridges Out of Poverty. UWNEMN brought her to the region in 2017 to present that book and again in 2018 due to the popularity of the first event. 

Learn more about the author.

All attendees will take home a free copy of The Urgency of Awareness, and breakfast, snacks and lunch will be provided. Minnesota educators who attend this event will receive one Continuing Education Credit. 

Register for the event.

This presentation is sponsored by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation, Family Services Collaborative and Chisholm Community Foundation.