Kate and Zac Walters, new owners of the Blue Earth Locker, are pictured above at this month’s EDA meeting. Left to right are EDA specialist Amy Schaefer, Kate Walters, Zac Walters and EDA president Lissia Laehn.

At a Blue Earth Economic Development Authority (EDA) meeting held on Thursday morning, Aug. 11, the EDA board welcomed the Blue Earth Locker’s new owners to town with the August Business Spotlight Award.

The Blue Earth Locker has been a fixture in Blue Earth since 1965. However, Zac and Kate Walters recently became its new owners following Scott and Kathy Lyon’s retirement from business ownership this summer.

The Walters, who live by Amboy, originally intended to build their own meat locker. However, they shifted course when Scott Lyon contacted them and inquired whether they would be interested in purchasing a meat locker instead.

The Walters took Lyon’s offer, and purchased the Blue Earth Locker on July 1 of this year.

Now, as Zac Walters informed the EDA board, “We are up and running.”

The Walters have no immediate plans to change the locker’s operations, although they may complete a few simple upgrades such as giving the building’s exterior a fresh coat of paint. They also hope to have more fresh meat available, which customers will not have to thaw when they bring it home.

Walters said, “We would like to get our name out to different people, and bring a different crowd into the locker. Blue Earth is great, but there’s a lot more outside the Blue Earth area that doesn’t come down here.” 

Kate Walters added, “We have some partnerships with businesses that have approached us.” 

The Walters noted that the Blue Earth Locker is unique in that it is about twice the size of other meat lockers in the area.

“We can bring in ten or eleven beef a week and eight to ten hogs,” Zac Walters said.

The Walters currently have nine employees at the locker, two of whom work part time.

They are keeping busy. Walters informed the EDA they are booked out to the middle of January to process meat.

EDA specialist Amy Schaefer encouraged the Walters to utilize the EDA’s various loan programs if they are looking for funding assistance.

Mayor Rick Scholtes added, “Welcome to Blue Earth.” 

In other business, the Blue Earth EDA: 

• Approved an In-Home Provider Forgiveable Loan for Joleen Nowak, owner of Joleen’s Daycare.

Nowak intends to repair a wall in her basement which is collapsing and install windows in the same room.

The project will cost a total of $7,230. The EDA will cover half of that cost, or $3,650.

“She is the first to use, or request, this program, so that’s exciting,” Schaefer observed.

• Approved a Commercial Improvement Forgivable Loan for Marc Meier, owner of the Cedar Inn.

Meier plans to install a new rubber roof on the restaurant’s car wash. The EDA will contribute $3,346 to the project’s $6,692 estimated cost.

• Approved a Commercial Improvement Forgivable Loan for R&D Anderson Rentals, who plan to repaint the exterior of the Thrivent building and replace its three exterior light fixtures.

The EDA will fund half of the project’s $2,544 cost, a total of $1,272.

• Reviewed a memo from city attorney David Frundt, who informed the EDA that the Manske family, which owns farmland adjacent to the current Golden Spike Business Park, does not wish to enter into an option agreement with the city per the EDA’s request.

The Manskes are open to negotiating with the EDA for a contract for a deed, where the city would pay $100,000 a year for a period of three to five years.

The EDA tabled further discussion at this time.

• Received an update from Schaefer regarding the city’s search for a veterinarian to take over Dr. Bob Bogan’s practice.

Schaefer discovered an opportunity to participate in a job fair which is hosted by the Iowa Veterinary Medical Association for third and fourth year Iowa State Veterinary students.

Schaefer received permission from the EDA to participate in the job fair. The EDA will also cover the $100 fee for booking a table at the event.

• Received an update from city administrator Mary Kennedy, who announced the B.E. Welcoming Project has been awarded a $10,000 grant from SMIF.

The funds will go toward a Day of the Dead Festival planned for Oct. 30, as well as establishing English and Spanish language classes and translating community documents to create bilingual materials.

• Approved a $500 donation to the South Central Small Business Development Center, a program which provides resources for small businesses.

• Approved Schaefer to attend the 2022 Entrepreneurial Bridge Event, which will be held on Sept. 27 in Albert Lea. The EDA will cover the event’s $25 cost.

• Approved Kennedy and Schaefer to attend the 2022 Connecting Entrepreneurial Communities Conference, which will be held on Sept. 8 in Red Wing. The EDA will cover the event’s $100 attendance fee for both Kennedy and Schaefer.

• Went into closed session to discuss a real estate transaction, during which the EDA took no action.

• Rescheduled next month’s EDA meeting to Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 7:15 a.m.