Work

By Christina Endres

Upon entering The Mill, a group of stores nestled into the roadside of Minnesota CR 34 in Norwood Young America, visitors are instantly welcomed by the cozy atmosphere created by warm lighting, the smell of flowers and coffee, and a sincere greeting from a store owner or employee.  The building’s historic character and friendly ambiance immediately inspire a good look around.

The Mill is comprised of three businesses: The Mill House, a home furnishing and accessories store; The Flower Mill, a full service floral shop; and the Millstone Pantry, a coffeehouse and café that also offers specialty cakes.

The original mill building was built in 1865 as a saw mill.  Since then, the building has functioned as a grist mill, a feed mill and at one point was owned by Hamm’s brewery.  The Flower Mill sits in the original mill building, while the Mill House occupies the second story space above the Flower Mill and expands back into the warehouse behind the original mill, which also contains the Millstone Pantry.

When Sue Samuelson moved into her house across the street in 1987, the mill was still functioning as a feed mill.  It remained active until 1998 when it was sold to Mid-County CoOp.  After tat, the building sat vacant for years.  When the property was finally listed, Sue suggested to her husband that they buy it.  He told her she was crazy, but on Christmas day 2002, he walked around and checked out the property and agreed: they had to own it.   Sue sold her business and by February 2003 they had closed on the mill.

That August, Sue welcomed Karen Hallquist as her first tenant, and in September The Flower Mill opened.  Karen says she always knew she wanted to work with flowers, ever since she first worked in a flower shop at age 14.  Twenty years later, she still loves it.

“I can’t think of doing anything but this,” says Karen.  “Flowers are all about expression and emotion.  Every emotion comes through that door.”

One of Karen’s favorite things about the job is helping customers express those emotions, whether they are in anticipation for a wedding, or sympathy and sadness in honor of a lost loved one.

When roof leaks forced Sue to replace the roof and finish the space above the Flower Mill, Sue and Karen knew they didn’t want just anyone to rent the new space.  Sue decided she would open a store herself.  Pam Wartman, a longtime friend, offered to help and in November 2006 the Mill House was born.  The Mill House sells a unique mixture of antiques and new items that feel one-of-a-kind.  Creative displays throughout the store incorporate the new with the old for an eclectic yet cozy style.

Just last year, the Millstone Pantry opened, adding a new element to the store’s appeal.  Joni Swanson had operated a specialty cake business part-time from home for about 10 years, but it had always been a dream of hers to expand her business.  When Sue, who had been one of her cake customers in the past, approached her about opening a coffeehouse at The Mill, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Having had her own baking business but no experience in coffee or food service, Joni knew she had a lot of work to do.
“I spent a lot of time doing research online and driving around to other coffee shops and talking to owners,” she says.  “It was a very long process.”

It has paid off.  With a number of coffee drinks, bakery items and gourmet sandwiches on the menu, the Millstone Pantry brings a bustling crowd in for lunch.  Joni says many customers come in and buy coffee and then wander around and shop, a logical choice considering the open nature of the building.  Although the three businesses are separate, the space is very open, making it easier to wander from one place to another.

The entire place is full of historic character, due to Sue’s spirit of reuse and restoration.  Aside from the main building, many of the parts of the original mill have been used in new ways in the store.  The banister rungs are made from the iron pieces farmers used to drive over to dump the grain.  The ceiling of the Flower Mill is made from the bins that held the grain where the Mill House is now located.  Old gears and parts are incorporated into the designs of the rooms.

Sue did not only use old parts from the mill itself to restore the space.  Her husband has taken down six barns throughout the Midwest and incorporated the parts into The Mill.  A brick barn he took down now makes up the south wall.  Wooden beams and stone are mixed in with original and new parts of The Mill.  The ceiling of the warehouse portion of the Mill House is made from the corrugated tin ceiling of a barn in Norwood.  All this history adds to the feel and atmosphere of the entire experience.

“Local Minnesota people have taken great pride in us and the work that’s gone into the building,” says Sue.

Karen says customers are noticeably astonished by the building’s transformation.

“It’s fun to listen to the old-timers, especially the men, who’ll come in and say, ‘I used to bring my feed here,’” she says.  “They’re just amazed.”

Talking with and helping customers is a highlight of the job for all four owners.

“What I love about my job is my customers,” says Sue.  “Seeing my customers every day and meeting new people and hearing their stories.”

The Mill has visitors from all over the country – even all over the world – but the sense of community at The Mill comes from local customers who keep coming back.  “The community is very supportive,” says Karen.  “We appreciate them, and they appreciate us.”

Sue and Pan have a new challenge as a new wing of the Mill House opens in October, expanding the current 8,000 square feet of retail space to 10,000 square feet.  Its contents are a surprise, but Sue is sure her customers are going to like it.

For the women who own and have built this Norwood Young America gem, all the work and challenges have been worth the relationships they’ve created and the success they’ve had at The Mill.  There’s no doubt the Mill owners have had success: the business that started with an abandoned mill has grown into a destination spot that employs 21 people and is still expanding.

“It’s a lot of trail and error and it’s difficult, but if you just keep positive, you’re going to succeed,” says Joni.

Sue has similar advice for success.  “Don’t take no for an answer, and don’t be afraid to ask for help,” she says.  “You’ll be amazed at what you can really accomplish.”