Hall of Famers

Ken Melrose, who became CEO of the Toro Company in 1983 amid doubts that it could survive, refashioning its product portfolio and helping achieve a 25-fold increase in its stock price in the next 22 years.

John Mooty, partner for more than 50 years at the law firm now known as Gray Plant Mooty and 24-year chairman of International Dairy Queen, which he and partners rescued and refocused in 1970, after performing a similar turnaround at National Car Rental.

Mahendra Nath, who arrived in the U.S. with $800 and an engineering degree and became an employer of 3,500 people at 130 fast-food restaurants, two hotels, and nine commercial and residential properties.

Marilyn Carlson Nelson, a longtime businesswoman and community activist who became CEO of the $7 billion Carlson Companies in 1998 and promptly implemented plans to expand. As the company’s vice chair in 1994, she arranged a merger of Carlson Travel and Wagonlit Travel, expanding the company’s reach to 140 countries.

Ron Offutt, one of the world’s premier farm operators. At the time of his induction, his operation included more than 200,000 acres of potatoes and other vegetables, a 21,000-cow dairy, three potato processing plants, and RDO Equipment, which was operating a nine-state array of dealerships selling $535 million in John Deere equipment and Volvo and Mack trucks.

Jeno Paulucci, founder of Chun King, Inc., Jeno’s, Inc., and Luigeno’s, the maker of Michelina’s and Yu Sing foods. He later became the second-largest land-owner (after the Walt Disney Company) in Florida.

John Pellegrene, marketing paragon and retailing innovator who transformed Target’s bull’s-eye into an icon of branding, invented the Dayton’s Santabear, created the first computerized bridal registry, and promoted the Target-funded restoration of the Washington Monument.

Carl Pohlad, buyer and builder of soft-drink bottlers, banks, and companies engaged in investment management and broadcasting—and owner of the Twins, which he kept from leaving Minnesota in 1980. The team went on to win two World Series championships.

Gerald Rauenhorst, founder of the Opus Corporation, which in the past 50 years has built more than 2,000 commercial buildings throughout the U.S.—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 in 1991; and expanded its revenues from $550 million in 1998 to $2 billion in 2005. Its beef plants butcher and process 7,000 head of cattle per day; 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, the founder and chairman of Best Buy, the $36 billion, 1,120-store retailer of electronics equipment, appliances, and recorded music and movies. Schulze opened his first store in 1966 and showed a remarkable ability to adapt to changes in consumer demand.

Robert Sparboe, who moved to Litchfield, Minnesota, in 1954 to establish the Sparboe Chick Company with his life savings of $5,500. At 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 now employs more than 14,000, including the members of the Minnesota Timberwolves, which he bought in 1994. Taylor served for more than 10 years in the Minnesota Senate.

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, multi-modal international shipping company.

Manny Villafaña, a “serial entrepreneur” who founded Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc., which developed pacemakers for 2.3 million patients; and St. Jude Medical, whose mechanical heart valve is worn by 1.5 million patients.

Win Wallin, who was chairman and CEO of Medtronic from 1985 to 1991 and continued to serve as chairman until 1996. During his tenure as CEO, Medtronic’s revenues rose from $370 million to $1 billion, and the number of its employees 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 Vikings.

With your guidance, next year’s inductees will be every bit as impressive. Feel free to e-mail me your nominations any time during the next eight months at jnovak@ tcbmag.com.