With 74 area businesses taking part, the estimated 2,000 attendees at the 2015 Becker Business Expo had a perfect chance to visit with vendors, catch up with old friends, pick up a free gadget, play games and enter for a host of prizes available at the annual event, which was again sponsored by the Becker Area Chamber of Commerce.

 

The perfect winter weather and the expanded parking facilities at Becker High School made for a smoothly executed event as area residents roamed the exhibits, visited the ever-popular food court and stuffed their Liberty Paper-provided shopping bags with vendor literature, prizes and candy treats throughout the day. Vendors offered information on just about every service available in the area, including health care, beauty products, home remodeling, real estate, politics and industry.  Food court vendors included:  Ellis Bakery, Diamond Bread, Café Pawz, A Taste 4 Crafts Kettle Corn, McDonald’s Meats, and McDonalds of Becker.

 

Entertainment was provided by several charming groups of performers from Starz Dance in Becker, as well as demonstrations by the Becker High School robotics team, which is gearing up for the 2015 competition season.

 

Members of the 2015 Expo Committee included:  Michelle Peacock, Becker Community Ed; Pastor Rob Olsen, Becker Baptist Church; Stan Herkenhoff, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate; Dick Behm, Citizen Newspaper; Alyssa Braaten, Sherburne State Bank and Audrey Orton, Mary Kay Cosmetics.  Volunteers included Veronica and Richelle Peacock, Rob Olsen, Carol Van Heel, Bill Morgan, Tanya Danielson (and family), Stan and Wanda Herkenhoff, Steve and Kathy Johnson, and Melissa Johnson.

 

Becker Chamber of Commerce Office Mgr. Lynette Brannan also thanked the school janitorial staff, A & N Convention Services, the “Citizen” newspaper, Thank Food Court Vendors for Food Samples:  Ellis Bakery, Diamond Bread, Café Pawz, A Taste 4 Crafts Kettle Corn, McDonald’s Meats, and McDonalds Golden Arches; Thank Entertainment: Starz Dance Studio and Becker High School Robotics; Thank Liberty Paper for the Bags; Thank Attendees; List of Door Prize Winners.

 

“On behalf of the Becker Chamber of Commerce, I would say we had another great business expo,” Brannan said. She also stated that a survey given to vendors will give the Chamber a chance to review comments, questions, ideas, and suggestions.  The Chamber is “always open to new ideas” for making the event even better with each passing year, she said.

 

Chamber Grand Prizes: Fire HD Kids Edition, Anna Krebs; Fit Bit, Michael Cremer; $100 Coborn’s Card, Tonya Schmidt.

Other prize winners/donors included: Keurig Brewer from Sherburne State Bank, Linda Stole; $250 Bed Certificate, Custom Comfort Beds, Andy Prose; $25 Coborn’s Cards from Xcel Energy, Steve Popplewell and Paula Pruszinske, (2) 18 Hole Golf Passes from Pebble Creek Golf Club, Jean Lenz and Suzie Brown; Anytime Fitness 1 month single Memberships w/tanning, Abigail Spindler, Tom Ring and Larry Angell; Valentine’s Day dinner for two, Becker Baptist Youth Ministries, Blake Soenneker; Food Basket from Jamie Thielman-Tastefully Simple, Rich Kimmerle; Wild rice from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Kevin Drehmel and Richelle Peacock; Kitchen gadgets from Shepherd of Grace Senior Community, Patrick Koepke; Kettle corn from A Taste for Crafts, Veronica Peacock, Backpacks with goodies from the Sherburne national Wildlife refuge, Rich Kimmerle and Richelle Peacock; Cloth logo bag from McDonald’s of Becker, Marvin Kruchten; Cooler bag from All Star Embroidery, Peggy Green; Wine glasses, Becker Area Chamber of Commerce, Kim Dodds-Thompson; Two-pound box of chocolates from the St. Benedict Senior Community –Monticello, Darlene Hayes; Canvas tool bag, Country Lumber, Char Langoski; Hooded Country Lumber logo sweatshirts, Cindy Welinski, Carol Brunn and Shirley Lound; Long-sleeved Country Lumber logo shirts, Lon Fluck, Paula Pruszinske and Steve Kampa; Basketball pattern blanket, Becker Area Senior Center, Darlene Hayes; Homemade quilt from Pieceful Hearts Quilt Club-Monticello, Veronica Peacock; Homemade quilt from Becker Hearts & Hands Quilt Guild, Shawn Sarazan; Tool kit from Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, Carol Van Heel and Mary Kay Hand Cream from Audrey Orton, Duwane Snyder.

 

The complete list of Participants in the 2015 Becker Business Expo included the following:  ABC Seamless; Abba Pregnancy Resource; American Family Insurance; A Taste 4 Crafts, Inc.; Angell’s Construction Services; Anytime Fitness; Becker Area Chamber of Commerce; Becker Area Senior Center; Becker Baptist Church; Becker Baptist Student Ministries; Becker Blast Softball Team; Becker Community Center; Becker Hearts and Hands Quilt Guild; Becker Robotics Team; Becker Schools and Community Education; Becker Youth Soccer; Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate; Bill Morgan Caricatures; Café Pawz/Becker Furniture World; CentraCare Health; CentraCare Becker Pharmacy; CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital Adult Rehabilitation; CentraCare St. Cloud Hospital Bone and Joint; Central Minnesota Law PLLC; City of Becker; Coborn’s Pharmacy - Clearwater; Country Lumber, Inc.; Crossings Inn by Grandstay; Custom Remodelers Inc.; Diamond Bread; Edina Realty; Edward Jones; Ellis Bakery; Farmer’s Insurance; Friends of the Sherburne National Wildlife Reserve; Great River Faith in Action; Guardian Angels of Elk River, Inc.; Heritage of Foley; Hubbard Studio; Huse Orthodontics; Insight Eye Care; Kremer’s Toy and Hobby; Liberty paper, Inc.; McDonald’s of Becker; McDonald’s Meats; Mary Kay Cosmetics; Majestic Creations; Minnesota Learning Solutions; Pebble Creek Golf Course; Rep. Jim Newberger and Sen. Dave Brown; Oak Realty; Pace Fitness; Palmer Wireless; Pieceful Hearts Quilt Club; Sam’s Club; St. Benedict Senior Community; Shepherd of Grace Senior Community; Sherburne County BRIDGES; Sherburne County Master Gardners; Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office; Sherburne County Veterans Service; Sherburne County Citizen; Sherburne History Center; Sherburne State bank; South Santiago Lutheran Church; SNAP Fitness; StarCor Credit Union; Starz Dance; TST Travel Agency; Tastefully Simple; Thrivent Financial of Elk River; Williams-Dingmann Funeral Home; Workhorse Construction, Inc.; Wruck Excavating/Sewer/Portable Rentals and Xcel Energy.