by Dave DeMars
news@thenewsleaders.com
Berni Halaas is not a Bears fan though her name is pronounced like the legendary coach of the Chicago Bears and she is a distant relative, but she certainly is an enthusiastic booster of the Sauk Rapids Business Council and the businesses that make up the city.
Halaas serves as membership director of the council, and owns and operates two businesses, New Century Real Estate and Interiors by Berni. She sat down April 13 with the Sauk Rapids Newsleader for a short chat about the first Sauk Rapids Business Expo and what the business council would like to accomplish in Sauk Rapids.
It’s important to make a distinction between the chamber of commerce and the business council, she explained. The business council, which has existed for about two years, bridges a gap between the businesses in Sauk Rapids and city members. The chamber seems to focus on connecting business to business, according to Halaas.
In addition to sponsoring the Sauk Rapids Business Expo, the business council is sponsoring the Sauk Rapids Farmers’ Market which will open May 14. The market has been moved to a new location in downtown Sauk Rapids in the parking lot behind the Flying Pig and Refresh Nutrition.
“We are hoping for a much bigger presence than where it was,” Halaas said.
Getting the business council up and running is a work in progress so she and the directors of the council are learning “a lot” in these opening months.
“We are getting there, but it is definitely going to take a while,” she said. “We really want to be of some help and see more businesses attracted to Sauk Rapids. That is one of our long-term goals.”
Council membership has just opened up in the last couple of months. Membership costs $50 per year.
Halaas said the goal is to grow the Sauk Rapids Business Council, and that is why keeping costs low and trying to get businesses involved is a priority.
Every third Thursday of the month, the council hosts a meeting and luncheon at the VFW with a guest speaker. The council tries to alternate the speaker between something that might relate to the financial part of owning a business, social networking or marketing strategies.
On April 21, the council hosted Cliff Robbins of Cohlab in St. Cloud
The goal in planning the SR Business Expo was basically to get initiated in the community. They didn’t know exactly what to expect and exposure to the community was largely through social media and some signage around town.
Asked about the state of the business climate in Sauk Rapids, Halaas waxed enthusiastic.
“I think it is really good,” she said. “If you are talking real estate it is awesome. It’s a seller’s market. We need more homes on the market and now is a great time to sell. There’s not a lot of homes to show buyers right now in Sauk Rapids.”
Halaas said it would be nice to attract more business, but she added it is equally important to keep and maintain the businesses already in Sauk Rapids.
“We really need to help any business to get placed in Sauk Rapids instead of going across the river,” she said.
And it’s not a matter of not having space, she added. There are lots available in the industrial park and select spots available downtown, too. She mentioned in particular the building on the corner of Benton Drive and Second Street that has been vacant for an extended period of time.
“We just want to grow Sauk Rapids and help business grow as well,” she said.
