Innovation Pavilion, Round 2

The Clay County Fair is underway! Which means the Innovation Pavilion is a movin’ and a shakin’. This is the Corridor’s second year sponsoring this event & we couldn’t be more thrilled with the turnout thus far. The Pavilion is located about one block south of the Branding Iron, for those of you who would like to check it out (you still have time), and is the home to 11 new & innovative start-up companies.

The week started off on Saturday with an Entrepreneurial Panel featuring all Pavilion vendors. This was a chance for exhibitors to present and describe their company/product, and attendees were then able to ask questions  in order to familiarize themselves with each start-up. Sunday, September 8th, kicked-off the third annual Dream Big Grow Here competition. Entrepreneurs and business owners are asked to submit their business dreams from now through October 20th in hopes of winning $5,000 & to possibly go on to win another $10,000 at the state level. Monday night, Club E (entrepreneur networking group) met, where they were able to reconnect and mingle with one another for a few hours. Lastly, Friday, the 13th is Youth Entrepreneurship Day. Students are invited attend and sign up for a chance to win a free scholarship to the Corridor’s Middle School Academy in 2014.

I visited the Pavilion yesterday and was able to talk to some of the innovators in the building. The 11 companies included: Boji Custom Metal Works, Breezy Mills, Crown Clinics, eMotions Lighting/Simons Controls, Monsanto, Nelson Products Co., Precision Ag Systems, Precision Planting, Salmon River Innovations, Thinix and The Zone Home Entertainment.

I now have the pleasure of introducing you to some of those wonderful companies.

Boji Custom Metal Works

Wait until you scroll down and see an example (picture) of what this company has done – it’s so cool! Boji Custom Metal Works creates and manufactures custom metal fabrication, tailgate trailers and fuel boats. They also build stainless steel and aluminum products. For more information, click here.

Crown Clinics

Another awesome company with a great market is Crown Clinics; a 2013 start-up business. This RV-based mobile healthcare unit is the home to two exam rooms, an x-ray room, one room for lab testing and a waiting area for patients. The size of the RV is remarkable; I never would have guessed all that medical equipment could fit into such a mobile space. They are running some great deals at the Fair – be sure to check them out (you can even get your Blood Pressure taken).

Nelson Products Co. 

Nelson Products aka Flame Genie is a definite “must-see” at the Pavilion. These entrepreneurs really have figured it out. The product they have produced is a clean burning fire pit that burns wood pellets rather than logs. The benefits of the Flame Genie include less smoke, less mess, less work, less sparks, less space and even green heat production. A 40 pound bag of wood pellets produces just 3 ounces of ash – wow! Visit the website here.

Salmon River Innovations

These Air Filter Blasters are “must-haves” for those of you interested in energy conservation. Committed to saving millions of gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline every year, the company prides itself on product design and development, using the most advanced technology in order to save the natural resources of the planet. Using green technology to “help you protect your profits” is what makes this company tick.

The Zone Home Entertainment

This 2013 electronics store by day recently introduced a digital in-store advertising platform. It also markets consumer electronics and security & surveillance systems. Located in Storm Lake, Zone Home understands its role in our lives: taking complicated technology, understanding those complications and then making sure we understand it as consumers.  Zone Home Entertainment has prided itself on providing customers with the latest technology, extraordinary service and on-going, reliable support.

This is just a small sample of the greatness that you’ll encounter at the Pavilion. Be sure to stop by all the booths and check out every entrepreneur who is hoping to someday “make it big.”

Other innovators include: Breezy Mills, which produces wind-powered pond bubblers & aerators; eMotions Lighting/Simons Controls, a 2012 start-up, that markets quality lighting controls for homes and businesses; Precision Ag Systems, also a 2012 start-up, that focuses on precision agriculture – software, firmware & precision planting equipment; and lastly, Thinix, that has produced a thin, reliable, secure application/device that allows easy & fun access to local, cloud or virtual applications and cloud services.

There are also two existing companies that reside in the Pavilion: Monsanto and Precision Planting. Monsanto is a sustainable agricultural company, and Precision Planting creates new ideas and technology that contribute to better seed spacing, better depth control and better root systems. Don’t forget about these two either!

All of these exhibitors are extremely focused on bettering their products and latest innovations. They’re all ready and willing to discuss anything you could ever want to know about their business with you. Be sure to check out the Innovation Pavilion when you’re at the fair this year – it won’t disappoint.

Check out the rest of our blog here!

- Alexa Guessford