Fine Line bash marks
GeigerBevolo’s 10th
year in business
By Beth Ewen
GeigerBevolo celebrated its 10th anniversary with a swanky party at the Fine Line Music Café in downtown Minneapolis this summer. Scott Geiger and Chris Bevolo founded the marketing firm in 1995.
After the private party earlier in the evening, there were a few who stayed for karaoke open to the public. Geiger said he stayed to listen but not to sing. The office manager’s husband took the stage, for one. “He was really good,” Geiger said when reached after the fact.
The firm, which provides marketing, branding and design services, generated a “burst of new business” in the health care sector in 2005.
“We’ve come a long ways, from being a generalist to the last few years focusing on health care,” Geiger said.
Geiger said he resisted the move to specialization when the firm was young. “Being a creative person, you fear being stuck doing the same thing over and over. But we tell our clients all the time to focus on one strong message,” he said.
About three years ago, the two co-founders discussed whether to focus on one type of work, such as annual reports, or on one market. They chose the latter, figuring that route would lead to more variety in work, and “health care really popped out” as the market where they should focus.
This year the focus is paying off with referrals from existing clients, he said. “We’ve picked up five or six new clients just since March, all in health care. We’re really seeing the windfall in the past year. It’s a snowball rolling downhill.”
Disclosure: The Informer did not personally make this party, so cannot vouch for the quality of the office manager’s husband’s voice.
Try to make it to: Check out the firm’s white papers at www.geigerbevolo.com; Scott Geiger; 612.672.9842; scott@geigerbevolo.com.
‘Working for the Man,’
despite apropos title,
fails to work at Fringe
The Informer zeroed in quickly on one of many shows to attend at this year’s Minnesota Fringe festival, the annual August event that features more than 150 original productions over 10 days in a dozen Twin Cities venues.
“Working for the Man,” it was called, and because entrepreneurs everywhere say they start businesses so they don’t have to, the Informer went.
The show was awful, belying the festival’s premise that anything can be endured for one hour, the festival’s time limit on productions. The Informer almost left early, but then spotted local radio personality Anne Nicolai also in attendance and figured she didn’t want to attract attention.
Other shows were standouts, including a piece at the Jungle Theater about growing up Jewish in Wisconsin, and one at Intermedia Arts about growing up gay in small-town USA.
The festival is a great place for small-business owners to learn who’s who among local artists, see some really weird concepts, and wave at fellow festival-goers wearing their required Minnesota Fringe buttons.
Fringe organizers keep the momentum going by offering Fringe button discounts at other shows throughout the year.
Try to make it to: Next year’s Minnesota Fringe festival will be in August. Sign up for biweekly e-mails at www.fringefestival.org
Courage Center gala
honors entrepreneurs,
employees with disabilities
“I am the Central Park Jogger” is the attention-getting title of Trisha Meili’s book.
She was the young woman who went for a run in New York’s Central Park on April 19, 1989. Hours later, two men wandering the park found her near death from a brutal beating and rape. The story seized headlines around the world.
She shared her story of recovery while accepting the National Courage Award, given annually by the Courage Center in Golden Valley, this year at its gala in August.
“The Courage Center lives the belief that there is no limit to what is possible,” Meili said in her remarks. “My message is about hope and possibility. My recovery is a gift.
“Every one of us at some point in our life faces challenges,” she said. “We are all faced with challenges that we think are gonna knock us down. But please know that we all can do more than we think.”
She detailed three areas important to recovery: First, the importance of support. Second, being proud of what you can do, not angry about what you can’t. Third, the power of the present moment.
Darren Kiser, owner and manager of Kiser Construction in St. Michael, received one of five 2005 Phillips Awards also given at the gala. He started the company after a spinal cord injury in 1997, and the company now employs 31 people.
“I don’t see that I do anything out of the ordinary,” Kiser said.
The Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation has given the awards each year since 1964, to honor people with disabilities who have achieved success in their chosen careers. “The goal of these awards is to highlight the benefits of hiring people with disabilities,” the program said.
Try to make it to: the next Connect with Courage Tour is Nov. 15, 10-11 a.m., at Courage Center, to learn about the institution. Contact Mary Crottier: 763.520.0255; mary.crottier@courage.org; www.courage.org
Open house for
El-Hy-Mec is a
first for family firm
The owners of El-Hy-Mec set out to host their first open house this year as part of a concerted effort to beef up their marketing plan. On September 22, they did it.
The celebration in their new Maple Grove facility featured a tour, the showing of safety videos, and an introduction to the company’s new preventative maintenance program. The company services and repairs industrial machinery.
“We had a good turnout,” said Becky Lawrence, reached after the party, although a big rainstorm the night before kept some people away. She’s vice president of the firm started by her father in 1966 and now owned by her brother, Mike DeJarlais. The company’s parent is called DeJarlais Enterprises Inc.
Her best advice: “Have a game plan, a goal, so we can say did we reach it?” Her goal was to reach as many customers, prospects, employees and associates as possible with this event, to be followed by mini events for select groups.
She spent about $8,000 on the event, and plans to track all business generated from it so she can report back to DeJarlais. “My brother wants to know,” she said with a laugh.
Try to make it to: The firm’s Web site answers frequently asked questions about the safe operation of machinery. Contact Becky Lawrence, El-Hy-Mec: 763.533.0606; blawrence@el-hy-mec.com; www.el-hy-mec.com
