Talking Business - The Hidden Gems of Cloquet

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of Warming House.  We had the opportunity to sit down with Sever Lundquist, a third-generation owner, to unveil his secrets of business success. The Warming House, located at 411 Sunnyside Drive right next to Gordy’s Hi-Hat, offers a year-round family-friendly venue and relaxing, cozy coffee shop with wireless internet, an onsite playground, and a dog park. It is a great place to stop for specialty drinks, sandwiches, soups, ice cream, and baked goods. In 2004, Dan & Kelly remodeled the building, which is actually the old Lundquist homestead. They moved the smaller ice cream parlor from Gordy’s Hi-Hat (right next door) to the remodeled building, expanded to 32 flavors, and added a full gourmet coffee house with a menu including soups, sandwiches, and more!

The business was opened to serve as a gathering place for the local communities of Cloquet, Esko, and Carlton area. Unlike our seasonal restaurant (Gordy’s Hi-Hat), the Warming House is open year-round to provide an easy stop for travelers passing through any time of the year.

The Warming House features specialty roasts created especially for them from small-batch roasters in Minnesota (Bootstrap Roasters and Alakef). They have 23 employees, and these are the draw that makes this place unique. These people and kids want to work and prioritize working hard.

In early 2022 they launched a new point of sale system for online ordering.  Check out the Warming House menu: https://www.warming-house.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Warming-House-Menu-White.pdf

Warming house Coffee: https://warming-house.com/our-coffee/

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of DNR. The Cloquet DNR Office houses the Divisions of Forestry and Wildlife.

Located at their new office in the Cloquet Business Park at 305 Business Park Drive East, we had a great visit with Melissa, Craig, and Laura and are here to share their mission with you. The Cloquet Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Office houses two divisions – Forestry and Wildlife. The Forestry Division is responsible for over 220,000 acres of land extending over Carlton and South St. Louis counties and has seven permanent staff plus two seasonal staff, all of whom are trained in fire suppression and work cooperatively with surrounding agencies and jurisdictions. The DNR conducts outreach and education on fire prevention. Last year they were in the Fourth of July parade in Cloquet, expanding their visibility and presence in the community. Burning permits are essential and provide safety information; 95% of fires are human-caused where fires have not had a permit. DNR burning permits can be obtained online and are suitable for the whole year; there are also free permits from local fire agencies in many cases.

Forestry Division staff work to manage state lands for forestry and logging under sustainable forest management practices and permitting. Staff actively is involved in forestry replanting as well.

State lands are managed for many uses, including habitat, recreation, trails, and more. The DNR also works with private land owners with 40 or more acres and is available for consultation working with them. They also work with schools on forestry education and work cooperatively with cities on tree planting guidance.

The Wildlife Division has three staff and covers the area of Carlton, Pine, and South St. Louis counties. They conduct various activities such as habitat improvement projects and partnering with conservation groups such as Pheasants Forever. The Division is active utilizing prescribed burns to maintain landscapes. They also conduct facilities work for walking trail access and parking. In wildlife management areas, the Division also surveys wildlife populations examining disease and health factors for wildlife management. They also provide wildlife education, and if you contact their office to schedule an appointment, as the staff is often out in the field working, they can set up a call or in-person meeting to discuss your concerns. They often meet with residents about nuisance wildlife. They also hold public input sessions on local wildlife issues such as deer management, registration for trapping, etc.

With their move into the Cloquet Business Park in June 2021, they hope that the facility will provide more conducive space for training, heated facility storage, an opportunity to grow their facility campus, and a more recognizable land spot for the public than their South Hwy 33 office did.

To contact the Cloquet DNR Office, call Cloquet DNR Wildlife at (218) 878-5661 or Cloquet DNR Forestry at (218) 878-5641.

They find that sometimes the public will stop into their office assuming that they sell licenses and state park passes, which is not the case, gaming licenses are sold, and outdoor retailers in town and state park passes and ATV/Boat registration can be done online. For the mission and structure of Minnesota’s natural resources, DNR facilities, services, and programs visit www.mndnr.gov. To locate a DNR Office near you by Division, use the DNR Office Locator: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/contact/locator.html. For general DNR questions, folks can call the DNR Info line at 888-MINNDNR or (651) 296-6157.

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of WKLK.  Many trends have come and gone, but radio is still the most listened to media. Known as the "Northwoods Radio Group," WKLK/WMOZ Radio currently has three stations inside its building, WKLK 96.5 FM "Legends Rock" (25,000 watts) and WKLK-AM 1230 "America's Best Music" (1,000 watts) and WMOZ 106.9 FM "The Moose." When local businesses want to get their message out, they turn to the radio as they know their neighbors are listening. Unlike some forms of media, there is no lag time with radio, and it's immediate. The radio was invented as a forum to announce vital community information that serves the public interest, which still holds true today. The station provides news, and sports tips, shares press releases, and offers general programming. They have a line for closings and cancellations, provide information on community events, and host a community calendar.  

WKLK/WMOZ Radio opened its doors in Cloquet in 1950, with the original studio on Highway 33 South in Cloquet, where you'll find the Dairy Queen today. The station's studio has had various locations but has been in its current location at 1104 Cloquet Avenue since the mid-1990s.   The station's first owner was Harry Newby, Sr. He later sold the station to Otto Korp out of Fergus Falls. The radio station then changed hands to Denny Stramer, who later sold it to an ownership group out of Newton, Iowa. In 1992, Al Quarnstrom became the owner. He kept ownership for 20 years before selling the station to the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in 2012. 

Jake Kachinske has been with the station for 23 years. He is the Operations Manager, Amy Welsh has been with the station for 14 years as Office Manager, and Brent Danielson has returned to the station and area recently serving as Sales Account Executive. "It's all about repetition and awareness when we advertise on the radio." Brent Danielson's dad, Robert Danielson, worked the night shift at a radio station and often listened to the broadcasts. 

"I'm here to grow advertising opportunities with WKLK," said Danielson. The station also advertises garage sales on its radio and website for a nominal $15. Also, it has the "Radio Auction" for listeners to access business discounts and for businesses to grow foot traffic.  

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of ACCT.  Asbestos Control & Consulting Team (ACCT), owned by Steve Proulx since 2009, is located at 230 North Hwy 33 in Cloquet. ACCT was founded in 1987 to assist customers with reducing the risk of asbestos, lead, and mold exposure. Their fully certified and licensed staff tackle small residential projects to preparatory work for large industrial and commercial renovations and everything in between, including power plants, schools, and municipal infrastructure projects. Their goal is to reduce or eliminate the risk of exposure to known health hazards from asbestos, lead, mold, and other airborne hazards.

The Cloquet office has five office staff and 10-20 field staff throughout the year. Their work is concentrated within a 250-mile radius of Cloquet primarily. Their staff is part of a laborer’s union.

ACCT provides the services of:

ASBESTOS ABATEMENT & CONTROL

Asbestos breaks down into small fibers up to 1,200 times thinner than a human hair and, when inhaled, can cause significant lung issues.

LEAD ABATEMENT & CONTROL

Lead can be found in paint on homes built before 1978. Layers of lead-based paint are often disturbed during renovation projects.

MOLD CONTROL & REMEDIATION

Mold and mold growth are commonly found where excess moisture or water damage is present and may also present health concerns.

INFECTION CONTROL RISK ASSESSMENT

ICRA – (Infection Control Risk Assessment) manage health risks related to old and new construction.

Common areas where you may find asbestos are: pipe/duct insulation, vermiculite in attics, tile/vinyl flooring, popcorn ceiling, and transite siding.

Lead can be found in paint and pipes. Toxic molds fall into five categories. Those categories are Penicillium, Fusarium, Stachybotrys, Aspergillus, and Cladosporium. Each category includes many species of mold, and they have a wide variety of harmful qualities. Symptoms range from allergy-type reactions to deadly illnesses. Watch out for black mold.

If you suspect asbestos, lead or mold in your home, call ACCT for a free estimate.

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of HealthStar Home Health. HealthStar Home Health emerged as a response to a community need to provide culturally-relevant healthcare services to traditionally under-served populations. What began in Minneapolis with a handful of caregivers in 2003 has grown to a team of over 1,100 caregivers, medical and administrative staff. Today, their culturally sensitive healthcare team serves clients all over the Twin Cities and Duluth area, New Mexico and Arizona. Clients benefit from the wide range of healthcare services that they provide, from Alzheimer’s and dementia care, to behavioral nursing, home health care nursing, respite care and more. Having seen he high need for in-home health care services in Carlton County and rural areas outside of Cloquet, five years ago, HealthStar Home Health opened a Cloquet Office at 807 Cloquet Avenue Suite 200, breaking off from the Duluth office to expand services. Amy Butler, Branch Manager, and Megan Erickson, Assistant Branch Manager, speak about the breadth of their services, six staff in the downtown Cloquet office, and 105 employees in the field they work to schedule and oversee. They have employment opportunities if you’re interested in in-home health assistance as an aide, skilled nurse, or unskilled nurse. They look to hire employees that align with their 24 core company values and strive to match caregiver personalities with clients.

The mission of HealthStar Home Health is to serve the financially underserved, typically on medical assistance or who have received an assessment from the County. These services are free to use and are reimbursed by state assistance waivers. This isn’t always the case; however, they also have many privately paid rate clients. So what do they do? They bring together passionate, high-quality care with staff that is licensed practical nurses, certified nurses’ aides, registered nurses, Home Health Aides, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and social workers. They provide services of:

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of Junction Tire.  If you need tires or have issues with your automobile, stop at the locally owned Junction Tire of Cloquet, located at 1502 Cloquet Avenue. Junction Tire of Cloquet was opened in 2007 and is owned by David and Marianne Pierson. Junction Tire has operated for 22 years in business, and the Cloquet shop is one of three locations in Carlton County, with other shops located in Carlton (which opened in 1999 and offers more trucking and farm service calls) and Moose Lake.   Junction Tire carries tires from industry-leading manufacturers, including best-selling Cooper and Bridgestone, Firestone, Michelin, BF Goodrich, Uniroyal, Kenda, and Goodyear. All tire sales include balancing, disposal, stems, free lifetime rotation, and road hazard.   Junction tire is a distributor for Cooper Tire and Kenda, offered in stock. They also offer warranties on their work, tires, and parts.

Junction Tire also performs all types of mechanical work, including oil changes, brakes, rotors, batteries, wheel alignments, front end work, engine and repair and replacement, transmission services, heating/cooling service, tire repair, suspension repair, and tune-ups. They also offer wheel balancing, lube, and filter changes. They offer state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment and the latest tire machines to ensure customers receive the best service possible.  

Their mechanics have over 40 years of experience doing the job right the first time with great attention to detail. Junction Tire is proud of its staff, especially the four employed females who have excellent customer service and knowledge, organizational skills, and the ability to put our female customers at ease regarding any issues that bring them into the shop. They are known for their quality, affordable work, and on-the-job training to develop skilled mechanics staff.   

Walk-ins are always welcome. They take all major credit cards, work with all insurance companies, have a nationwide warranty program on all tires (with 24-hour commercial and residential roadside assistance), and provide shuttle service. 

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of Best Service. Best Service, owned by Chris Chartier, is located at 202 Cloquet Avenue in the historic Frank Lloyd Wright gas station, built-in 1956 for the Lindholm Service Station.  Best Service is home to three hard-working mechanics, Chris, Chad, and Kelvin.  Best Service has been located here since 1982.  They are your locally owned full-service gas station that sells propane and provides a spectrum of all general repair services.  Best Service offers diagnostics, tires, brakes, tire balancing, lubrication, batteries, electrical, oil changes, wheel alignments, and coolant flushes.  

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of Crowned Salon. Sarah Faust opened Crowned Salon two years ago, located at 114 Avenue C in the historic West End Business District. Prior she had worked in Duluth and Hermantown at various salon locations over the past fifteen years but wanted to be located closer to her home and three young children. Friends told her about a salon for sale in the West End District in Cloquet. Sarah says she was meant to be here, this is my home, and I’m happy to be here. She found that 95% of her Duluth area clients have followed her to Cloquet. She and stylist Mandy hope to grow the salon further to expand and serve more clients. She is actively looking to hire an assistant and then a stylist who is newly out of school to train them in the salon business. Her mission is to provide the best hair blow out, and she can be found teaching hair blowouts in beauty schools. Sarah and Mandy offer an array of services for women, men, and children by appointment. Services include haircut/clipper cut/kids cut, color/retouch, foil/partial, foil and color, specialized color, extra bowls of color, extensive round brush/iron, formal style, brow wax/lip/chin, and brow color. All salon prices are starting points dependent on hair length, density, porosity, and general need.

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of Northern Lights Community Action.  Heather Wright opened Northern Lights Community Action at 901 Cloquet Avenue, a new nonprofit Thrift Store, and community action agency, in July 2021. The retail store is far-reaching beyond the storefront. It is about making connections and helping those in need get what they need at a low cost.

They are a secondhand retail store offering goods donated by the community and various handmade crafted items. Heather felt compelled to open this store with the closures of both Goodwill and Salvation Army in Cloquet, leaving a hole locally in the retail industry for this niche.

Items in the store are labeled by colored dots that correlate to a simple pricing guide, and community agencies also support a store voucher program. Thus far, the store has also hosted several sponsorship drives for school supplies, warm clothing drives, and adopt a family for the holidays.

Heather also owns NorthStar Community Services, which provides services for people with disabilities, and this new thrift store offers an employment opportunity for several clients with disabilities. Other employees also volunteer their time.

Community donations have been significant, with a donation barn at the rear of the building.

Kim Randa has recently been hired as the store’s new executive director, and she is excited about creating opportunities for the store.

Thank you, Heather,  for investing your time, energy, and passion in our Cloquet downtown.

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the City of Cloquet  are talking about the Hidden Gem of Community Memorial Hospital.  Community Memorial Hospital (CMH), a regional hospital, opened in Cloquet in 1958 and was constructed upon land donated by Northwest Paper Company (which today is Sappi). CMH is independently owned and operated with over 500 employees across its campus facilities: the Hospital, the Raiter Family Clinic, and Sunnyside Health Care Center. CMH stands out in personalized care and offers exceptional patient experience in a state-of-the-art setting. Take a tour via their photo gallery here: https://cloquethospital.com/about/ or watch a video on their history.

Ninety percent of the care you need can be delivered locally. Community Memorial Hospital offers a full range of medical services, including general and orthopedic surgery, birthing suites, women's health services, an outpatient specialty clinic with visiting specialists, and an extensive educational program for individuals with specific health conditions. Recently, Blue Cross Blue Shield funded a grant for CMH on "Cecilia Models," providing hands-on experience with various types of birthing issues during delivery so that staff is well trained. These Cecilia Models will also allow CMH to host trainings.