WILLMAR - Fourteen young people recently started their own businesses, the culmination of their participation in the Kandiyohi County CEO program, which includes students from Willmar, New London-Spicer and Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City school districts. The businesses were showcased in a trade show at MinnWest Technology Campus last week.
The students are listed here along with contact information for their businesses:
- Jacob Albrecht, Gator’s Woodworking, 320-583-9822, jacobalbrecht96@gmail.com . He makes custom furniture, shelves and wine racks from old wood pallets, so no two pieces look alike.
- Bailey Buss, ACGC junior, Bailey’s Interior Paint, 320-434-0265, bussbailey@gmail.com . He enjoys doing interior painting and he also knows lots of people don’t. He has had experience painting with his grandmother.
- Brett Busskohl, ACGC senior, Outback Warehouse, 320-894-4331, outbackwarehouse@hotmail.com , www.outbackwarehouse.biz . His online business sells equipment for waterfowl and turkey hunting.
- Emily Chermak, Willmar senior, Emily Jane Photography, 320-979-0330, emilyjanephotographs@gmail.com . She’s been interested in photography since her cousin, a photographer, took pictures of her when she was a child. She’ll head to Grand Canyon University in Arizona in the fall and take her business with her.
- Draike DeSchepper, NLS junior, DL-I Services, 320-444-9100, ddeschepper97@gmail.com . If you have an older car and would like to play music from your phone through its speakers, he can install the wiring or Bluetooth to do that.
- Alex Freiberg, Willmar senior, Alex Elizabeth Boutique, 320-212-0561, Alexandrafreiberg15@yahoo.com , Alex Elizabeth Boutique, LLC on Facebook. She offers trunk show clothing and jewelry parties in people’s homes, focusing on young women. When she attends St. Cloud State next year, she intends to continue her business there.
- Evan Groff, NLS junior, Math Tutoring, 320-894-0576, evangroff22@gmail.com . He will tutor kids in grades 2-11, but his focus is on grades 4-9. He developed a math game using a small basketball hoop and uses other teaching aids, including computer programs.
- Drake Johnson, NLS junior, DJ’s Lawn Care, 320-212-2041, drake@djlawncare.net , www.djlawncare.net . He started the business a year ago. He already has a dozen full-time customers for the summer, but he could handle more.
- Lucas Lilleberg, ACGC senior, CAM Photography, 320-979-3227, camphotography@gmail.com , C.A.M._Photography on Instagram. Photography has long been a passion, and he’s twice been 4-H grand champion at the Minnesota State Fair.
- Josiah Olson, Willmar senior, Delta Organizers, 320-979-5446, deltaorganizers@gmail.com , www.DeltaOrganizer.Webstarts.com . He offers tutoring in several subjects and a reminder and personal organizing business. Moving numerous times in his life has taught him to be organized, and he has enjoyed tutoring at an after-school program at school.
- Jase Peterson, ACGC senior, Peterson Farms and Ranch. He is building a herd of pure bred Simmental beef cattle and plans to sell freezer meat as the herd grows. He is raising the herd on his parents’ crop farm and plans to study farm operations and management at Ridgewater College.
- Jesus Pizarro, Willmar senior, Kentaro Apparel, 320-828-0700, JCisneros97@live.com . He and friend Ricky Gomez are building an apparel business featuring original screen-printed designs for street-wear for skateboarders.
- Sheldon Rasmussen, ACGC senior, Screen Solutions, 320-894-0759, screenresolutionsllc@gmail.com . His business started when he began replacing iPad screens for his school district. He said he is able to provide the service cheaper and faster. He plans to expand to other devices.
- Austin Swanson, NLS junior, Swanson Detailing, 320-444-1487. He plans to specialize in cleaning and detailing construction vehicles. He has experience doing the work for a relative’s construction company.
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