Success Stories

COVID-19 brought many challenges to people and businesses alike during the past few months. While some stores have been forced to permanently close their doors, many are able to survive, and even thrive, in the face of this adversity. A&W Furniture is one store that remains stronger than ever.  

A&W Furniture and Laney Lu’s Boutique

A&W Furniture of Redwood Falls is a family owned and operated 2nd generation store that is continually evolving to meet the ever changing furniture needs of the community. The store was opened over 30 years ago by husband and wife team, Bob Wetmore and Mary Ahrens-Wetmore. It is now owned and operated by their daughter Emily Davis and son-in-law Mike.

A&W Furniture started as a one room showroom and grew into a 100,000 square foot retail space that serves the five state area with a variety of furniture options, professional design consultations and a newly added women’s fashion boutique, Laney Lu’s Boutique. 

COVID-19 Changes

Despite recent COVID-19 challenges, business is strong. Owner Emily Davis and her team were able to carefully execute changes to better serve the community during the pandemic.   

Initially the store was mandated to close in March along with many other retailers, but Davis quickly found other ways to serve her customers.

“A&W Furniture recently invested time and dollars into both the furniture store’s website and the boutique’s website making online transactions more feasible,” she says.

The store was able to carry on with business online until they were permitted to resume face-to-face operations. In addition to performing online sales, A&W Furniture and Laney Lu’s Boutique were able to open for customers by appointment.

“Because A&W Furniture is 100,000 square feet, social distancing was possible from the start and a small staff operated by appointment only until the go ahead was given to resume a more normal form of business operations,” explains Davis. 

Community Support During COVID-19

In the midst of COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, Redwood Area Development Corporation has provided assistance to member businesses such as A&W Furniture in the form of supplying them with information on COVID related issues and on any type of loans or grants that could benefit the store while normal business was prohibited.

The entire community has joined together to support one another during the COVID-19 hardships. 

“Our community, customers and fellow business owners have done their best to provide support and share via social media any promotions that would generate revenue for one another,” says Davis. 

Thanks to the tremendous local support, A&W Furniture and Laney Lu’s Boutique have been able to invest in the store’s operations despite the diminished retail presence during the pandemic. 

“We continue to market to draw people from the neighboring communities to discover what our store and Redwood Falls is all about,” says Davis. “We believe that we need to spend money in order to earn money, and we have done this by enhancing our storefront, by marketing within a 90 mile radius and by continuing to push ahead despite challenging economic times,” she continues.

Until all operations return to normal for businesses in the area, A&W Furniture plans to continue perfecting the online store. 

COVID-19 has brought uncertainty to all business owners, and retail sales have become increasingly difficult for most businesses, especially in small towns. A&W Furniture, Laney Lu’s Boutique and other businesses in the community are working hard to keep their doors open. 

“Our motto has always been, ‘If you build it, they will come.’ We continue to operate with that mentality,” says Davis. 

Davis considers it a privilege and an honor when she hears that someone has driven from miles away just to visit her store. Supporting local businesses is vital, especially during challenging times, and it does not go unnoticed. 

To learn more about local businesses finding success in spite of COVID-19, click here. To support A&W Furniture and Laney Lu’s Boutique, easily shop online at www.awfurniture.com and www.laneylus.com

The Lower Sioux Indian Community has seen stellar improvements in tribal health in recent years with the addition of a health care center that offers a large scope of medical services. The Lower Sioux, part of the Mdewakanton Band of Dakota, is a federally-recognized tribe located in Redwood County. In seeking to maintain whole health, safety, and happiness for the community while also staying true to traditional values of the Dakota, the idea for the Lower Sioux Health Care Center was born. The center serves the tribe’s population of nearly 1,000 people.

A Simple Idea Becomes All-Inclusive Care

Darin Prescott, Clinic CEO, explains how the idea became a reality.

“Though it was discussed over the past 20 years by different tribal councils, the idea did not come to fruition until 2013 when a grant was finally written,” he says. “We decided to pursue a large health center, not just a medical clinic.”

What was originally discussed as a simple medical clinic became a thriving, one-stop comprehensive health center that served its first medical patient in 2016. The departments the health care center offers include Medical, Pharmacy, Optical, Dental, Behavioral, Community Health, Nutrition and Social Services. Out of 11 tribes in Minnesota, the Lower Sioux Indian Community is the 10th tribe able to offer extensive medical services.

Improvements in Cultural Competency and Tribal Health Take Place

“The Lower Sioux Health Care Center answers the vital need for improved cultural competency,” Prescott explains.

Through the health care center, more medical data concerning the most prominent health needs of the tribe and community is gained. With this new data, more accessible treatments are made available to improve the overall health and wellness of the area. The Community Health Department, also located in the building, is devoted to the public health side of things, focusing on the prevention of chronic disease and how to counter current prominent illnesses.

“Community Health Surveys are at an all time high of an 80 percent response rate from community members,” adds Stacy Hammer, Director of Community Health. 

Because all of the healthcare providers are located in one building, real-time conversations concerning diabetes management and other significant medical problems take place more often, keeping these topics and the development of solutions to them a priority. There are more opportunities than ever before to talk to patients about their state of health and find ways to improve it. Trust in medical providers has grown, and patients are able to visit a provider quickly without waiting months for treatment. 

In addition to the expansive services located inside the building, an indigenous garden has been put into place outside. Elders will be able to walk the paths and harvest the plants, and members of the community can be educated on some of the original plants used as medicine. One of the main goals of the health care center is to join the national effort and decrease opioid dependence by training the community in Mind Body Medicine. Learning the traditions of the Dakota is one step toward achieving this goal.

“Signs of a decrease in prescribed medication and individual tapering of doses has already been seen,” reports Prescott. 

The health care center even sponsors four different walk/runs at the Powwow grounds every year to encourage community movement and hosts events promoting healthy foods.

More Local Jobs Become a Reality

Not only has the health care center been an important solution to the medical needs of the people, it also fills an employment void. 50 percent of the Lower Sioux Health Care Center employees are tribal members, from entry level up to professional.

“Now many of the tribe’s youth are able to go off to college, knowing they can return and find jobs in the healthcare field right here in the community,” adds Hammer proudly.

To learn more about The Lower Sioux Health Care Center and what they are doing for our community, visit  http://lowersiouxhhs.org/. The health care center is located on the northeast corner of County Hwy 2 and 24, just east of Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel.

Redwood County’s Minnwest Bank is one of Minnesota's largest banks. Despite its widespread growth, it keeps its small-town spirit and willingness to listen to and support patrons. The family-owned bank has grown to 33 locations and more than $1.9 billion in assets. It is now considered the second largest Ag lender in Minnesota. Minnwest knows that the support of the local community is the reason it thrives, and it aims to give back. 

Minnwest Bank Builds Relationships and Gives Back to the Community

Building relationships has always been a key component of Minnwest Bank’s business platform. They strive to build long term commitments to customers in order to better support the dreams and goals of the local farm and business community. 

Sherri Schueller, Sr. Commercial Banker of Minnwest Bank and Treasurer of Redwood Area Development Corporation, spoke to us about the positive impact Minnwest Bank has had on the community. 

“Minnwest Bank’s support of the community comes in a variety of forms, including volunteer work hours, philanthropic giving, corporate programs and educational events with a focus on the underserved and underprivileged, including contributing to child welfare and child education,”  says Schueller.  

She continues, “In 2018 alone, $313,077 was contributed in corporate giving, 738 volunteer hours were performed under our employee program and 150 organizations were served.” 

Minnwest Bank Grew From a Desire to Help the Community Thrive

Minnwest Bank was established in 1987 by M. D. “Pete” McVay. It was founded during the Farm Crisis, a period of economic decline in Minnesota that bankrupted many farms from 1979-1987. As the McVay family recognized how important a community bank is for a region to thrive, they developed a better, more community-oriented bank. The family-owned business is still lead by a family member, Todd McVay, Chairman and CEO. The current Bank President is Doug Karsky who is based out of Redwood Falls. 

In addition to making “giving back” to the community a priority, the Minnwest Bank, headquartered in our own Redwood Falls, employs 390 people. It is a vital employer for the region.  

While Minnwest Bank is always looking for more ways to support the community monetarily and through volunteer programs, the company also strives to make loans more accessible.

“Minnwest Bank responds to community requests with flexibility, creativity, and a commitment to serve their needs, and by extension, to serve our communities,” Schueller remarks.

She continues, “The bank is a family-owned business operation that’s big enough to get large deals done and small enough to truly listen to and work with customers to help them achieve their individual goals.”

Minnwest Bank is one of the many businesses in Redwood County working to improve the community by building lasting relationships. To learn more about the bank, visit www.minnwestbank.com or find it in our business directory. 

All businesses have been forced to make changes due to COVID-19, but Redwood Area Development Corporation Member Business Parkview Senior Living is one of many senior homes that has taken an especially big hit. Administrator, Megan Zetah, shares with us the necessary changes that were made amidst the pandemic and how it has affected the residents and their family members. 

Parkview Senior Living, located in Belview, MN, provides various levels of quality care to its patrons, including outpatient therapy, adult day services, independent and assisted living apartments, short-term rehabilitation and skilled nursing services. The 30 bed skilled nursing facility and apartments are certified by Medicare and Medicaid. 

Facilities like hospitals, doctor offices and senior homes have seen a whirlwind of change during the last few months. As vital resources, vast precautions in the facilities must now be taken to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 and to protect the elderly and ill.

Parkview Senior Living Takes Precautions to Ensure Resident Health and Wellness

“Parkview Senior Living, as a campus, has had to make a lot of changes to preserve the health of its residents. Upon direction of the MN Department of Health, we’ve had to restrict visitors and cancel communal dining and group activities. Daily, all staff are screened for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 along with wearing the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Residents are also screened twice a day and asked to wear masks when outside their rooms and in their rooms while in close proximity with staff,” says Zetah.

Many residents of senior homes need these daily interactions to stay positive and healthy, which is why the staff has encouraged families to continue to visit with their loved ones virtually. Virtual interactions provide the necessary safety measures to ensure no residents are exposed to COVID-19, but they allow the warm family support residents crave.  

“Throughout this entire process, we’ve encouraged families to utilize Skype and FaceTime to stay virtually connected to their loved one. We also encourage telephone calls, window visits and sending messages through the mail,” says Zetah.

“Since the MN Department of Health released the guidance for allowing outdoor visits, which still have some restrictions, we’ve had quite a few family members utilize the outdoor visits,” she continues.  

The Parkview Senior Living Staff Maintains a Positive Atmosphere

The Parkview Senior Living staff is also working hard to maintain a positive atmosphere. The Activities Department is finding creative ways to keep residents engaged despite limited interaction. The Dietary and Nursing Departments have also had to make changes, but remain diligent in order to provide the best possible care to residents. 

Resident safety takes priority. While there is no way to tell how long the spread of COVID-19 will threaten the United States, in order to take extra precautionary measures moving forward, PPE and social distancing will be part of the new normal at Parkview Senior Living for quite some time.

“I’d like to reassure the community that Parkview Senior Living is doing our very best to protect its residents and staff from COVID-19. I’d also like to publicly thank our staff for the amazing work they do and for their understanding while we navigate through these challenges. Also thank you to the families of our residents for their understanding as well. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ll get through it!” Zetah assures readers. 

Parkview Senior Living is an important Member Business. The organization takes great care of our geriatric residents. For more information about how Parkview Senior Living is remaining positive and successfully navigating the COVID-19 challenges, visit www.parkviewseniorliving.org. To learn more about our other Member Businesses, click here.