Retail Entrepreneur and 36 Lyn Refuel Station Owner Lonnie McQuirter Selected As 2018 Minnesota Retailers Association Board Chair

Lonnie McQuirter has been elected chair of the Minnesota Retailers Association (MnRA). In late January the Board of Directors gathered and selected McQuirter to lead the organization representing 1,200 retail stores. The volunteer leadership role is for one year and encompasses leading a group of 28 Board members from across the state and a staff focused on growing Minnesota’s retail economy and jobs.

McQuirter operates 36 Lyn Refuel Station, a convenience store based in south Minneapolis. 36 Lyn is focused on providing customers with local and better-for-you-items delivered in a convenience setting. Last year 36 Lyn was honored with Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Fast50 award as and Inc. magazine's Inc. 5000 as a top Minnesota company.

McQuirter is optimistic about the overall retail environment, saying “Broadly speaking, as retailers we know what headwinds we’re facing, and we are adapting to the shifts taking place in the economy. 2018 is more about reminding people of the importance of our growing industry and all the opportunities involved.”

McQuirter succeeds Grand Jeté small business owner Ruthena Fink. “We are excited to have Lonnie and his love of community help guide the Association in a time when retailers are revitalizing their in-store and online experiences,” said MnRA staff president Bruce Nustad. “And we thank Ruthena for her inspired leadership throughout 2017.”

The Minnesota Retailers Association supports retailers to the benefit of their customers, their communities, their employees, and our state economy. Retail impacts one in five Minnesota jobs. Learn more at www.mnretail.org.

The Minnesota Retailers Association (MnRA) proud to announce the winners of the 2017 Minnesota’s Retail Champion Awards.

Winners will accept their awards in person during the inaugural Retail Rally event on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2017 at the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas (1000 Lasalle Ave,, Minneapolis) beginning at 5:15 p.m.

“We are proud to recognize 12 innovative retailers and partners that rose to the top following a robust process to identify Minnesota’s Retail Champions,” says Bruce Nustad, Minnesota Retailers Association president. “The retail industry has a deep impact on Minnesota communities, and these award recipients are truly representative of what’s great about retail across the state.”

The 2017 Minnesota’s Retail Champion Award recipients are:

Academic Partner of the Year
University of St. Thomas

Best Place to Work
Thrifty White Pharmacy

Customer Experience
Uffda Shop

Elected Official of the Year
Minneapolis City Councilmember Blong Yang

Advocate of the Year
Steven Rush, Holiday Companies

Outstanding Achievement
Maureen Bausch, Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee

Retail Community of the Year
Hopkins Business & Civic Association

Retail Employee of the Year
Brooke Borg, 36 Lyn Refuel Station

Retail Innovation
Duluth Pack

Retailer of the Year
Norby’s

Social Responsibility
Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Vendor Partner of the Year
Master Technology Group

The Minnesota Retailers Association started the award process by putting out a statewide call for nominations in the 12 categories.  A panel of peer judges reviewed nearly six dozen nominations and selected the top nominee in each category.

Tickets to the reception and awards are available online at RetailRally.com.

The Minnesota Retailers Association (MnRA) is pleased to welcome Ruthena Fink, owner of Grand Jeté on St. Paul’s Grand Avenue, as its 2017 Board chair. In her leadership role, Fink leads 27 Board members representing retailers across the state and a staff dedicated to contributing to the growth of Minnesota’s economy.
Fink, a long-time resident of St. Paul, opened her dancewear store in 1983. Dancing since she was just seven years old, her love of dance and people found a great home in retail ownership following a career as the Student Financial Aid Director at Macalester College.

Having operated in the same location since opening, Fink has remained a constant in the Midwest dance scene. Despite changes in how retail businesses operate and the ways customers shop, Fink’s passion for personal service has not changed since the first day she opened her doors.

As a one-store, local retailer, Fink has worked closely with her neighborhood and city throughout her years, but notes that today local government has a deeper interest in businesses than ever before.

“In my over three decades of retail store ownership, I have never seen local government more interested in being involved in my business and in my relationship with my employees. Minneapolis and St. Paul have already passed ordinances impacting employers--whether they be national retailers, regional retailers, or one or two person shops. One of the challenges for our industry is telling our story at the local level, and MnRA is poised to help retailers across the state do just that. We need a strong voice to help our public partners understand how their decisions impact customers, careers, and communities,” says Fink when discussing her leadership focus for the year.

Fink’s MnRA priorities include adding retail voices to the organization, working with the State Legislature on issues that strengthen retailer contributions to communities, and establishing a framework for local engagement on issues.

Fink succeeds Glen Thompson who served as Board Chair in 2016 representing JC Penney out of the Ridgedale, Minnetonka location. Thompson recently retired after a 40-plus year retail career and resides in Plymouth.

“Glen was an outstanding leader and ambassador of Minnesota’s retail community. He brought a depth of understanding of retail and Minnesota’s workforce to the Association. Glen made sure we strengthened our policy presence at the State Capitol and reacted to local workplace initiatives,” said association president Bruce Nustad. “Ruthena carries on a tradition of strong volunteer leadership at MnRA including 12 years on the Board of Directors, and you would be challenged to find a kinder, more customer-connected retailer in Minnesota.”

Fink received national honors in 2014 when she was named an America’s Retail Champion finalist by the National Retail Federation, recognizing her connection to community and commitment to telling retail’s story.

Grand Jeté has been a MnRA member since the store opened nearly 34 years ago. Fink was elected chair of the Board in January with a term that runs through December 31, 2017.

For more information on Grand Jete and Ruthena Fink, visit www.grandjete.com.