Being able to work and live in their favorite vacation destination led the Nerland Family to “Get Hooked for Life” in Lake of the Woods.

Eric and Lindsey Nerland commute to their jobs every morning. But no longer are they fighting traffic while driving to a downtown office, now they simply log on to the internet from their home office and they are ready to work. From there, thanks to their Internet connection, they telecommute to their jobs in the Twin Cities and California.

Eric, Lindsay, and their children Owen (3), and Nels (1) Nerland moved to Graceton in May 2017. Eric, who is from Moorhead originally, spent his childhood as a visitor to the Lake of the Woods region and after meeting Lindsay at college, he introduced her to the area. Both grew to love the area through their shared experiences at Lake of the Woods.

Before moving to Lake of the Woods, the Nerlands professional lives took them to East Lansing Michigan, Minneapolis and Moorhead. While both of their jobs allowed them to work where there was appropriate cell/internet coverage, the real catalyst for moving here was finding the ideal setting in which to raise a family.

“Honestly, our jobs allowed us to live wherever, but what drew us here was the idyllic setting to raise a family. We love that we get to be involved in a comfortable and quaint small town…”

After moving to Lake of the Woods County, the Nerland’s discovered that Lake of the Woods isn’t just a great place to enjoy the great outdoors, it’s an excellent place to do business. Seeing a need in the area, the Nerland’s opened Lake of the Woods Kennel Co, a dog kennel/grooming business at their farm in Graceton.

“The Lake of the Woods Kennel Co. business has allowed us to get to know a broader base of people and connect with individuals throughout the community. Most importantly though is the opportunity it has brought us to get to work with a smart and driven group of people, we have an awesome team!”

With businesses at the Kennel Co. thriving, the Nerland’s are now onto their next project a local microbrewery! The Nerland’s farm already has appropriate buildings on-site for a proper microbrewery and Eric saw a great opportunity to provide the region with handmade local craft beer. The brewery is planning on opening in the winter of 2018. By years end look for a pint of Lake of the Woods Brewing Co. beer at your favorite Lake of the Woods restaurant and bar.

The Nerland’s advice for anyone considering starting a business in Lake of the Woods:

“Take a good look at key statistics and start having conversations with locals about your ideas. It doesn’t take long to understand that there is a lot of room and support for the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive here.”

Lake of the Woods Kennel Co. is located at 983, 50th Ave NW, Baudette, MN 56623. Find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lotwkennelco/

Stay tuned for more information about Lake of the Woods Brewing Company!

 

Article credit: Twin Cities Business
Photo credit: Mike Hovde, Northern Light Region

“Baudette-based ANI Pharmaceuticals Inc. posted strong growth in 2017 with its annual revenues climbing to $176.8 million – a 37 percent increase over its prior fiscal year.

ANI develops, manufactures and sells generic and branded pharmaceuticals. Its revenues have increased 488 percent since 2013 when it posted sales of $30.1 million.

Generic drugs account for 67 percent of ANI’s sales. Sales of generic pharmaceuticals climbed to $118.4 million for 2017, a 24 percent increase from the previous year. But ANI’s sales of branded pharmaceuticals nearly doubled, reaching $50.9 million – a 93 percent increase compared to 2016. The company’s contract manufacturing business grew to $7 million, a 27 percent uptick.

However, the new federal tax law took a bite out of the company’s bottom line.

ANI reported a net loss of $1.1 million for 2017 compared to a net profit of $3.9 million in 2016. According to the company’s statement: “The net loss was primarily due to a $13.4 million charge recorded as a result of the re-measurement of our net deferred tax assets in relation to the tax rate decrease established in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was enacted on December 22, 2017.”

ANI went public through a reverse merger in 2013. On Monday, the company’s stock closed at $57.55 per share, down 2.6 percent from a year ago. In the wake of its earnings announcement, ANI’s stock was up more than 6 percent in early afternoon trading.

ANI is based in the small northern Minnesota city of Baudette, which borders Canada and has just over 1,000 people living within its city limits. Although it’s publicly traded, the company often flies under the radar and does not draw much attention in its home state. But ANI is now larger than some better-known Minnesota companies such as Famous Dave’s of America Inc.; the Minnetonka-based barbecue restaurant chain had revenue of $99.2 million in 2016.

Twin Cities Business took an in-depth look at ANI in 2015.

ANI is forecasting revenue in the range of $212 million to $228 million for 2018.”