Three well-known DIY International Falls’ businesspeople have been nominated for the prestigious Joel Labovitz Entrepreneurial Success Awards, which will be given out April 24 at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center.
A “Labo” prize is considered be one of Minnesota’s most prestigious business honors. The awards have a bevy of corporate sponsors and are hosted by the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Center Economic Development (CED) with partners that include the Small Business Development Center for Northeast Minnesota and a host of corporate sponsors.
The Borderland, for it’s size in comparison to competing regions such as the Twin Ports, Iron Range, North Shore and Carlton County appeared to perform extraordinarily well this year, if a compilation of past winners is any indicator.
The local nominees in this year’s categories are RaeAnne Conat, Dennis Wagner and Larry Keep, according to a UMD CED news release. Efforts by The Journal to reach some of the busy nominees were not immediately successful.
According to list of past winners, a few Falls businesses have been recognized by the Labos over all its 20 previous years. It’s unclear how many have been nominated at once though before.
Conat founded and owns the nationally recognized Swanky Sweet Pea, 344 Third St., a bathing soap and beauty shop that received its nomination under the Emerging Entrepreneur category (The categories often change from year to year just as the business climate does, organizers have said.).
In just a few years, Swanky Sweet Pea has gained recognition for being a homegrown, family business that makes, sells and ships naturally based bath products that look almost identical to cupcakes, popsicles and other treats on a national and international stage.
According to her website and other media reports, www.swankysweetpea.com, has grown to have sales across the world and some 850 U.S. distributors, mostly in the Upper Midwest. Her handmade, “fresh-to-order” products, which many say must be seen in person to be believed, have even been featured in the national press and made their way into the hands of celebrities via Hollywood’s ubiquitous gift baskets.
This will be the 21st annual installment of the awards that share the name of the hotelier, apparel magnate and philanthropist whose name also adorns the University of Minnesota-Duluth’s business school.
Meanwhile, the Falls has two men vying for the Mature Entrepreneur award.
Nominee Dennis Wagner built his Wagner Construction Inc. almost 30 years ago into a company with national and regional projects of his own, except on a bit of a larger scale.
Wagner has dozens of employees and oversees construction and related holdings as varied as underground utilities, forestry, transportation and developments to quarries, demolition and landfills, according to his website, www.wagnerconstructioninc.com.
In the same category, is Larry Keep, owner of Keep Enterprises Inc., 3120 county Highway 332 South.
For about three decades as well, Keep has worked to create and oversee natural gas, petroleum and other fuel and trucking and more transportation-related distribution and small businesses. His better-recognized operations locally include Rainy Lake Oil, 516 Seventh Ave., and Forestland Sales & Service, 1111 Third St.
The Labo’s have five categories and 30 total nominees this year. The other three divisions are Micro Entrepreneur, Established Entrepreneur and a new one, Environmentally Engaged Entrepreneur. Each of the categories has several other contenders who all were nominated by the public and selected by experts.
The Labo’s coincide with Northeast Minnesota’s celebration of U.S. Small Business Week, according to the news release.
The event costs $25 each and is held in the DECC’s Harborside Ballroom starting at 11 a.m. with check-in and “networking,” according to the release, with lunch and the ceremony starting at noon.
Tickets as well as the winners and their biographies will be made available after the event at www.umdced.com/labo/. Past winners also are listed on the website.
