Hall of Famers

Carl Pohlad , buyer and builder of soft-drink bottlers, banks, and companies engaged in investment management and broadcasting—and owner of the two-time world champion Minnesota Twins, which he kept from leaving the state in 1980.

Gerald Rauenhorst , founder of the Opus Corporation, which in the past 50 years has built more than 2,000 commercial buildings throughout the United States, and changed the skylines of the Twin Cities.

Thomas Rosen , who joined his family’s feed, fertilizer, and farm-chemical business in 1972, became CEO of Rosen’s Diversified, Inc., in 1991, and expanded its revenues from $550 million in 1998 to $2 billion in 2005. Five of its beef plants process 7,000 head of cattle per day, and its chemical and fertilizer business spans 17 states.

Alan “Buddy” Ruvelson , who opened the nation’s first Small Business Investment Company and helped build Minnesota’s venture-capital industry.

Richard Schulze , founder and chairman of Best Buy. Schulze opened his first store in 1966. By the time of his induction, Best Buy had become an international $36 billion, 1,120-store retailer of electronics equipment, appliances, and recorded music and movies.

Robert Sparboe , who moved to Litchfield, Minnesota, in 1954 to establish the Sparboe Chick Company with his life savings of $5,500. By the time of his death in November 2005, he had developed a $260 million operation that annually sold 2.4 billion eggs laid by more than 10 million hens.

Glen Taylor , who in 1967 bought a company with 30 employees and expanded Taylor Corporation to more than 14,000 employees, including the members of the Minnesota Timberwolves, which he bought in 1994. Taylor served for more than 10 years in the Minnesota Senate and started the state’s first company-owned daycare center.

Daryl “Sid” Verdoorn , who in 25 years running C. H. Robinson, from 1977 to 2002, transformed it from a $150 million seller of fruits and vegetables to a $3 billion, 3,900-employee, international shipping and logistics company.

Manny Villafana , a “serial entrepreneur” who founded Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. (CPI), which developed pacemakers now worn by 2.3 million patients, and St. Jude Medical, which developed mechanical heart valves worn by 1.5 million patients.

Win Wallin , chairman and CEO of Medtronic from 1985 to 1991, who continued to serve as chairman until 1996. During his tenure as CEO, Medtronic’s revenues rose from $370 million to $1 billion, and employee numbers nearly doubled to 8,500.

Wheelock Whitney , former star investment banker, CEO of Dain & Company, candidate for governor, teacher of management at the University of Minnesota, and part-owner of the Minnesota Vikings.

With your guidance, next year’s inductees will be every bit as impressive as these. E-mail your nominations to me any time in the next eight months at jnovak@tcbmag.com, call me at 612-336-9299, or write to me at Twin Cities Business, 220 South Sixth Street, Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55402.