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 LOC Auto & Weld

Luke used to work at Ziegler Caterpillar of Duluth, where he gained welding and heavy equipment experience. At a young age, he was exposed to automotive repair services and loved the work. He wanted to begin owning his business and provide a positive customer experience.

LOC Auto and Weld offers all automotive services from bumper to bumper, except for alignments and air conditioning, and can order tires (they don’t stock them). They aim to provide quality, affordable, trustworthy services explaining customer options.

“Welding is a big opportunity and service that we uniquely provide,” said Carlson. While we were onsite, they had the dunk tank from the Third Base in Carlton, which needed welding repairs. Elora Carlson shared, “It was a lot of detailed work for us to start and launch our business. We worked closely with the Small Business Development Center in Duluth, our bank, and are here and open to offering you services now.”

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 All Service Providers (ASP).

All Service Providers (ASP) plumbing and Summit Mechanical (heating and cooling) were in the same building, owned by brothers – they consistently referred customers to each other when they decided to combine as a company. ASP provides the services of:

ASP is expanding across the region; they have purchased several small businesses, building their footprint and outreach into Northern Minnesota. In 2021, ASP purchased Tollerud’s Heating and Cooling Inc., located at 1017 Cloquet Avenue. 

Mark Tollerud stayed for two years as part of the purchase transition, and all employees were retained – trained as part of the ASP program—with extensive customer service training involving client-worker role-playing.   

On September 22, 2023, ASP’s Hermantown headquarters facility held its grand opening planned by Natalie Gustafson, Marketing Director, who has been with ASP for three years. We interviewed Natalie and Matt Latola (15 years at ASP and Cloquet resident). They shared with us that small towns are very loyal places, and as such, in Cloquet, they plan to expand their local presence. 

Last year, they served cider as part of Santa’s Home for the Holidays celebration downtown and will continue to look for opportunities to get involved.

ASP uses workers in the area to work in their service area. The Cloquet satellite office is a place where they bring parts and serve local people. 

Their staff provides sales estimates for repairs or new replacements on existing appliances and mechanicals; they are not involved in new construction. Their phone is always answered during operations Monday through Friday, and they are on call 24 hours a day for plumbing/heating emergencies (Monday through Saturday). They have a solid social media presence, which they leverage for education, especially on their YouTube channel.  

They offer programs such as Advantage Club Program, an annual maintenance plan that is membership-based. ASP contacts you as a reminder for service. You can choose to tune up two appliances plus 15% off, plus a reduced dispatch fee. In winter, when emergency calls are received, they provide owners with a checklist of things to check for before they come out (e.g., thermostat batteries, change filters, etc.). Give them a call today!

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 SKB Environmental of Cloquet.

SKB Shamrock Environmental Industrial Landfill in Cloquet began accepting construction demolition and industrial waste streams in 2012. 

They have been operating in the Cloquet Area for over a decade and have 17 employees. Waste Connection purchased SKB in 2015, a company with over 30,000 employees. If you’ve recently reroofed your garage, remodeled your kitchen, resided in your house, or demolished your old garage, chances are that your contractor has hauled this debris to the SKB Shamrock Environmental Landfill in Cloquet. 

The facility accepts construction demolition and industrial waste as its service niche and provides a culture of trust and environmental care for these waste streams. The facility provides a regional need for industrial demolition waste from projects such as the Duluth office of MnDOT’s Can of Worms project, which is deconstructing a 1960s highway era of roadways, or the Munger Landing project, or dredge material (referred to as “impacted soils”) from Erie Pier in Duluth. 

SKB Shamrock is a designated federal CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act) facility, a difficult certification to obtain.

They are engaged in the community and region, donating to numerous organizations. They have developed and grown business relationships, providing services and reducing waste haul costs. They also offer local industry and business services, working closely with Cloquet facilities such as Sappi and USG.      

“In general, most people lack awareness of where their waste goes after it hits the curb. Our Industrial Landfill serves a purpose and stores waste in the correct environmentally approved manner,” said Site Manager Kyle Backstrom.

SKB Environmental of Cloquet is located on the west side of MN State Hwy 45, approximately ½ mile south of the I-35/Hwy 45 junction (Exit 239). To learn more:

SKB Environmental of Cloquet

 761 MN Highway 45

 Cloquet, MN 55720

Phone: (218) 878-0112

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the

The backbone of community programming in Cloquet is managed by Community Ed & Recreation. If you have had your middle schooler signed up for babysitting classes, or rented the Chalet at Pine Valley, or are signed up to learn to sew in an education course through the Lumberlog, chances are you’re a user of services provided by Cloquet Community Ed & Recreation.

Located in the Cloquet Middle School, the staff provides a strong work culture, and people love working for them in this small-town atmosphere. 

Community Ed & Recreation has 75 employees and manages 21 lifeguards for the Beach at Pinehurst. They have benefited from many long-term staff. A critical piece to realize for Cloquet is that the number of kids sets their funding, so they work to market and capture accurate enrollment numbers to maximize funding.

Community Ed & Recreation Director Erin Bates grew up north of Duluth, lived in various places, and then returned to the area in 1998 to work for the City of Duluth Parks and Recreation Department. She saw a position open for Community Ed & Recreation in Cloquet, took the position, and moved to the community. “I love the variety of my job. I get to bounce between several programming areas,” said Director Erin Bates.  

Community Ed & Recreation leverages partnerships and covers an array of education, including:

Mission Statement: Cloquet Community Education and Recreation promotes, provides, and facilitates learning opportunities and social activities to serve all individuals & families while bridging generations, inspiring collaboration, and building community.

Cloquet Community

2001 Washington Avenue, Cloquet, MN 55720

Website: https://www.isd94.org/domain/55

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CloquetCommEd

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the

Family owned and operated Kiminski Paving began in 1989 by Adam and Randy Kiminski’s father.  By 2008, twin brothers Adam and Randy owned

Kiminski Paving is a union business with plenty of competition in the Twin Ports area.  They maintain 15 to 20 person staff, with

During the off-season, Kiminski Paving staff operates large business snow removal contracts and recharges for the busy summer season.  Call today for free estimates:

Kiminski Paving

1441 Moorhead Road

Cloquet, MN 55720

(218) 878-0503

Email: [email protected]

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the

Body Connection has been in business in Cloquet for 24 years, operating first out of Park Avenue Fitness and then locating to the Lumberjack Mall, where they have been for over 20 years now. Certified Massage Therapists Jill Hough and sisters Marcy Bubb and Amanda Horvat trained at the Eagles Nest Institute. Body Connection provides the following massage services: relaxation, deep tissue, pregnancy, lymphatic, and senior. They also offer LaStone, neuromuscular, and cranial sacral therapy. Jill specializes in neck and head issues, Marcy focuses on the lower half of the body, and Amanda works on back problems.

Massage rates are the same for all therapists and are based on the length of the massage. They take appointments by phone.

Jill Hough has been a massage therapist since 1997, Marcy Bubb has been a massage therapist since 2000, and Amanda Horvat has been a massage therapist since 2000. All three women are certified by the American Bodyworkers and Massage Professionals (ABMP) as professional massage therapists. 

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the

Cloquet graduate Jake Richardson started working at B&B Market at the age of 16. He learned the art of customer service from former B&B Market owners John and Kim Lind and considers himself a people person. He also shared that his grandpa, former Carlton Mayor Denny Randelin, taught him to give back to his community.

Jake and Mikayla Richardson's story is similar to the " fasten your seatbelts " of the Lind family. Mikayla grew up in Hector, Minnesota, and met Jake in college at Mankato State. Her degree focused on health, while Jake's was in management and business. Jake married his wife Mikayla in May of 2021, and by August 2021, they purchased B&B Market, located at 506 Big Lake Road in Cloquet. Shortly after that, Mikayla went from working as a stenographer to owning a thriving meat market and gas station with 34 employees, including Jake's parents! Mikayla does payroll, office scheduling, and operational components of the business, while Jake focuses on ordering products and communications across the company.

Most people don't realize the components of the B&B Market. They are gas station, meat shop, catering, food truck/equipment rental, and lottery/gaming. Their catering and food truck demand remains strong; they are hyper-local in their focus, gearing up for Carlton Days, the Carlton County Fair, and more.

“Most people aren’t aware there has been a change in ownership of B&B Market because our reputation hasn’t changed,” said Jake Richardson, business owner.

The store is known for its large selection of meats, beef sticks, and cheeses and its specialty of over 25 different types of brats. They sell homemade salads, vegetables, fruit, baked goods, chips, canned goods, lottery tickets, gas, and seasonal items - pumpkins and Christmas trees. It is your one-stop specialty store. You can order a wide variety of meat bundles. They also provide catering for any event by providing a large variety of food options, beverages, desserts, and paper products at affordable prices. One of their most extensive services is their cookout trailers that can cook hotdogs, brats, burgers, steaks, and anything in between. They also have a B&B wagon outside the store during the summer to offer customers hotdogs, brats, and burgers all day. It's an excellent option for a quality lunch when you may be pressed for time or want to spend some time with the family.

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the

Next time you need to relax or warm up on a cool day, head to Northern Minnesota’s ONLY Himalayan salt room offers unique halotherapy in this fantastic Cloquet shake shop called Epic Nutrition located at 10 N. 12th Street! Epic Nutrition is under the new ownership of Syna Robinson who purchased the business this spring. A Proctor High School graduate who returned to the area after living in other states, is a new mom. Syna is fueled by the passion to promote wellness. Her academic degree is in health and wellness from UW-Superior where she played soccer. She is also a certified personal trainer and coach specializing in post-partum and prenatal fitness. All of these skills will leverage and help her grow this Epic Nutrition wellness business where she plans to incorporate challenges and coaching support.

Epic Nutrition offers a full menu of protein shakes in various and specialty flavors such as Chunky Monkey, herbal teas (hot or cold), juice bar, and iced coffees! The products boost energy and metabolism. Epic Nutrition also offers beauty products by Nu Skin ranging from anti-aging skincare, body butter, firming cream, sole solutions, tanner, and toothpaste.

​Halotherapy has been around for hundreds of years in Europe. Thousands of salt rooms and caves are operating to provide salt therapy experiences. Halotherapy, or salt therapy, is a drug free and all natural, non-invasive treatment used to alleviate a multitude of health conditions.

Salt therapy appointments are taken on the hour and will last 45 minutes. The salt room is open Monday - Friday from 7 am - 3 pm and Saturday from 9 am - 1 pm. You can purchase single sessions or purchase a package of 3, 6, or 12 sessions for a discounted package price. They even offer a "Salt Room Spa Package." You can come to the salt room by yourself or come with a group. The salt room is a must-have experience.

Stop by and have a shake and tea, grab some whitening toothpaste and firming cream, and schedule an appointment in the salt room.

10 152th Street

Cloquet MN 55720

(218) 879-0971

Facebook: Click Here

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Website: Click Here

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the

Locally owned and operated, offering various products and services to suit every style for men, women, and children. The salon is owned by Bree Morton, a stylist who married a Cloquet native and has a full life with four kids. Her team at Nu Luxe includes Dray, Hanna, Sam, and Meagan. They offer hair services, including Balayage coloring, are certified for Brazilian Blowouts, and Lahbee eyelash extensions and full body waxing. What you probably don’t know is that they are known for providing bridal updo hair services and makeup onsite and offsite, as well as reduced-price haircuts for military and public safety staff.

Perhaps most importantly if you’re wondering how to pronounce the business name, just say “new looks.”  Nu Luxe is open six days a week, with Sundays off. 

Nu Luxe Salon Cloquet

901 Stanley Avenue

Cloquet, MN 55720

Phone: (218) 878-1941

Website: https://www.nuluxesalon.com/             

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nuluxesalon/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nuluxesaloncloquet/

In this episode of Talking Business, Shelly Peterson - Founder and CEO of Promoting Me, LLC. and Holly Hansen - Community Development Director for the

Hubbard, a talented graphic artist, sews, paints, makes hats, designs print letterhead and business cards, and sublimation design.  She grew up on the Iron Range in Aurora, Minnesota and has been in Cloquet for over sixteen years.  For the past five years, she has been an event planner coordinating craft shows at the Cloquet Armory and Pine Tree Plaza.

Shop on the Corner hosts over 75 vendors and is selective with artists they chose from, ensuring a good selection for men, women, and children. 

“I’ve always dreamed of owning a shop like this! There isn’t another art shop like this around for miles.  The dream of Shop on the Corner came together so quickly and naturally. Everything really fell into place like it was divine intervention. I feel so very blessed and a little lucky that I have great connections. I’ve always been a networker and I’m not afraid to talk to people, ask for help or put myself out there. I think I got that from my dad,” said owner Pam Hubbard.

Products from featured artists are ever changing so stop by today and follow the classes offered at the store online!

Shop on the Corner

612 Cloquet Avenue

Cloquet, MN 55720

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.allhandmadecraftshow.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShopontheCorner.MN/