Hall of Famers

Ronald Fagen , Granite Falls–based builder of flour mills, power plants—and more than 70 percent of the nation’s ethanol production plants. At the time Fagen was inducted in 2005, his Fagen, Inc., had grown to $500 million in annual revenues and employed 1,400 construction workers in 37 states. In 2007, it had $2 billion in revenues and employed more than 3,500.

Tom Gegax , cofounder of Tires Plus, which improved the experience of tire buying with professional assistance and waiting-room amenities. When he sold it in 2000, it had 1,600 employees, 150 stores in nine states, and $200 million in annual sales.

Don Helgeson , president and chairman of Gold’n Plump, a $250 million integrated breeder, feeder, processor, and marketer of chickens. The company, which has 1,500 employees, three production plants, and two hatcheries, was among the first to brand fresh processed chickens.

Donald Kotula , an Iron Range–bred former bulldozer salesman, responded to rising energy costs in the early 1980s by selling parts for log-splitters to owners of wood-burning stoves. That led to the sale of tarps, tools, and other equipment—and to the creation of Northern Tool & Equipment, which at the time of his induction had $700 million in annual sales and 62 stores.

Edgar Hetteen , the “grandfather of snowmobiling” and founder of the companies that became Polaris and Arctic Cat, and all-season-vehicle maker ASV.

Ebba Hoffman , who in 1955 was a newly widowed homemaker with two small children, an eighth-grade education, and a debt-hobbled company. At the time of her death in 2000, she had expanded Smead into a 2,000-employee, $300 million office-products powerhouse.

Stanley Hubbard , known for transforming “unworkable” ideas into successful enterprises, the biggest of which has been United States Satellite Broadcasting, which was founded in 1982, when few homes had satellite dishes. Equally innovative was CONUS Communications, which allowed local U.S. stations to gather news reports from around the world.

Irwin Jacobs , who built Genmar into the world’s largest maker of recreational watercraft, with $1.1 billion in sales and 5,000 employees when he was inducted. He is best known as an investor in underperforming public companies who awakened management groups to their obligation to deliver value to shareholders.

Robert Kierlin , Minnesota state senator and cofounder of Fastenal, Inc., in a tiny Winona storefront in 1967. He had built it, by the time of his induction, into a 7,000-employee company operating 1,600 stores, 12 distribution centers, and a fleet of 3,500 vehicles.

Harvey Mackay , author of six business books, including Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive. He turned modest Mackay Envelope Corporation into a 500-employee, $100 million business, and exercised community leadership that helped keep the Twins in Minnesota and build the Metrodome.

Whitney MacMillan , who in 18 years as CEO of Cargill, when it was the world’s largest privately held company, led it to a threefold increase in employees and a fivefold increase in earnings.