This past July, I stopped by the Minnesota Sisters shop in Ulen. I remembered reading a newspaper article a few years back about Ulen’s newest business, so I was curious: how were they doing?
Minnesota Sisters owner Becky Bentley greeted me at the door, showed me around and talked about being an entrepreneur, its challenges, opportunities and dreams.
But this is what really stuck: she said “This is where we grew up. We want to see our community do well.”
Powerful! You see, Becky works to make her hometown of Ulen better. She grew up there, graduated from Ulen-Hitterdal school, and raises her family there.
She NEEDS to have her community do well.
Start with downtown. Becky loves history and old buildings so when such a structure on Ulen’s main drag was looking run-down, Becky bought it. Now that business, Minnesota Sisters, is a stand-out corner brick building in downtown Ulen.
It may stand out more in the future if Becky Bentley has her way.
“This used to be a grocery store,” she says. I take in the high, metal-clad ceiling, and boarded-up windows, which will soon once again be windows to the outdoors. Becky’s plan is to restore the building close to its original architecture. In fact, replacements for those covered windows sit waiting in storage.
“People love small towns. They don’t want to leave their town, but they do like to do more. So we hope to get more things going in this town.”
Minnesota Sisters is a collaborative venture. Becky runs it with help from husband Jeff, other family members, and a free-lance designer who does her work virtually. Most business comes via the internet/social media and, of course, local customers.
Funny story: the business was purchased from an acquaintance during a weekend. That’s right. Becky said they heard that this business was for sale, she called about it on a Friday, went and saw the equipment and inventory on Saturday and by the end of Sunday, everything was moved into their garage. Talk about a quick transaction!
So she probably had experience with printing, silk-screening and all that involves, right? Nope. She smiles and admits that much of her learning came courtesy of “YouTube training.”
Becky is excited about the possibilities for Ulen. Prior to the pandemic, she helped organize a small business Saturday event that brought hundreds of people into town. She and her husband bought the “old museum” building this past spring and will give that building a new life (see the accompanying photo – it’s September and the museum has been remodeled!) She dreams of what could happen; a coffee house? Remote working office? Boutiques? A place for the community to gather? What about a local farmer’s market, she says.
Why not? Gather together others who want to see their community thrive and anything can happen.
And in Ulen, it could start at a corner store.
