Businesses expand, grow over past year
by Theresa Andrus
The expansion of M&M Express Sales & Service facilities allows more room for display of products.

The move of Airlift Doors to Maple Lake was the big business news of the past year, but other local businesses are expanding and making changes to improve both sales and service to customers.

M&M expansion In April of 2011, M&M

Express Sales and Service celebrated the expansion of its Maple Lake facilities with an open house. About 1,200 square feet of space was added to the shop on the west side of the M&M building at the west end of Division Street in Maple Lake. Half of that space was allocated for the shop, with the other half used to expand the M&M showroom. The result was more room for the high quality outdoor power equipment that draws customers to the M&M locations in Maple Lake and Buffalo.

Additional benefits of the expansion included the creation of a parts room for speedy service to customers instead of having parts stored in the shop. The larger showroom features more hand-held equipment such as chain saws, garden tillers and brush cutters from Husqvarna, Jonsered, Stihl and Echo. The lines of large equipment include Toro mowers and Kioti compact tractors.

Security State Agency is now Lake Central Insurance Services

Security State Agency of Maple Lake will now be known as Lake Central Insurance Services. The name change was effective as of January 1, 2012, and includes Annandale State Agency and Clearwater State Agency.

General Manager Paul Manuel said the name change serves to unify the organization which has three insurance offices in Maple Lake, Annandale and Clearwater.

In addition to the name change, the company has created a new logo and updated its website at www.mylakecentral.com.

Manuel said the name change will end the confusion over having three offices with different names in the three communities. “Don’t worry,” Manuel said, “the same great people will be assisting you for all your insurance needs at each individual office and our phone numbers will remain the same.”

The Lake Central Insurance Services office in Maple Lake is located at 10 Birch Ave. S. The company provides insurance for home, auto, life, health, farm, business and long-term care and can be contacted in Maple Lake at 320-963-3163 or through www.mylakecentral.com.

Bernatello’s Pizza acquires Five Star Frozen

Foods In mid-February,

Bernatello’s Pizza of Maple Lake announced the acquisition of Five Star Frozen Foods, headquartered in Kaukauna, WI. The company said the acquisition will continue to grow and expand Bernatello’s frozen pizza manufacturing capabilities and strengthen their distribution channels.

Bernatello’s, a manufacturer of frozen pizzas and distributor of frozen pizza, snacks and appetizers, moved to Maple Lake in 1985 to its current site in the Jude Industrial Park. It

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