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Progress 2021

Still All in the Family: Next generation of Martis stepping up to run August Schell brewery

NEW ULM — The August Schell’s Brewing Company celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2020 and has seen many shifts in the industry. As Schell’s reaches this latest milestone, the company made the shift to the next generation. Last fall, Schell’s Brewery — the second oldest family-run brewery in the United States — saw President/CEO Ted Marti transition leadership over to his three sons, Kyle, Jace and Franz. There was no official retirement date, but as Ted reached 70 years of age, he began to step back, with Kyle taking over the day-to-day administrative business. When ...

AMPI faced challenges in year of COVID-19

NEW ULM — Despite facing a challenging 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI) continued meeting its consumers’ demands and finished its fiscal year with strong sales and earnings. AMPI, incorporated in 1969, finished the challenging year of 2020 with sales of $1.8 billion and earnings of $19.2 million. “AMPI navigated market and demand highs and lows due to the global COVID-19 pandemic to finish its fiscal year with sales of $1.8 billion and earnings of $19.2 million,” AMPI Co-President and CEO Donn DeVelder said. “Cheese represented 66% ...

GSM – a lot more than sheet metal

NEW ULM — For 117 years GSM has been doing business in New Ulm, under the ownership of four generations of the Gag family. The company name and just what that business has been has been subject to change over the years, however. GSM is short for Gag Sheet Metal, and working with sheet metal has always been a constant with the company, said current president John Gag. It was originally, the Gag/Ranweiler Tin Shop. The original owner was George Gag, great-grandfather of John and Steve Gag, who carry on the tradition today. The business was located at 315 N. Minnesota St., in what ...

Nuvera pushing to spread fiber connections in area

When it was founded in 1905, New Ulm Telecom’s purpose was to get the copper telephone wire to the homes and businesses throughout New Ulm. Providing reliable telephone service was its stock in trade for more than 80 years. Today’s the name has changed — it’s now Nuvera— and so has the mission. While it still push provides voice service for telephone customers, it has adapted to the new age of telecommunications and internet services. Instead of hooking everyone up to phone lines, Nuvera is pushing to connect each of its customer’s homes to fiberoptic cable, all the better ...

Alliance Bank ready for grand opening

NEW ULM — Alliance Bank moved into its brand new building on Sept. 11, 2020, bringing all of its New Ulm employees together under one roof. All that is left now is to be able to hold its grand opening and show it off to all the customers. But the COVID-19 restrictions have forced Alliance to keep its lobby closed to customers, Bank President Bob Reuter said. “We hope to do a grand opening some day,” said Reuter, “but we need to get through this pandemic first.” For 50 years, Alliance Bank, formerly known as the Farmers & Merchants bank, was housed in the building next ...

Oak Hills weather the COVID storm

NEW ULM — Oak Hills received the Business of the Year award from the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce and few were more deserving. Oak Hill has been a part of New Ulm since 1958, but this past year was likely the most challenging. As long-term care, short-term rehab and assisted living facility, many residents were among those most at risk from the COVID-19 virus. When the virus began to spread through the country in March 2020, Oak Hills went into lockdown to protect its 126 residents. For months, only staff were allowed inside the building. “It’s been quite the roller ...