Back to energy efficiency

Two years ago we tried LED holiday lights and we were very disappointed. The white lights had an odd blue-ish hue and the lights really did not have very much 'throw'.

Last year we went back to traditional incandescent lamps and the building looked terrific. But, because the lamps are not energy efficient, we had to minimize the amount of time they were illuminated.

This year we went back to LED lights. The lights need to be replaced every year because the squirrels like to chew through the insulation. We opted for a longer icecicles and we are very pleased with the advances of LED technology.

Fall is our favorite time of year

Downtown Red Wing looks spectacular in the fall. The colors absolutely pop and the well preserved buildings look fantastic.

Wetter than water

Wow. It has rained nearly every day for the past two months.

We had a very heavy and wet snowstorm in early May and it has been raining almost every day in June.

But this is farm country and this is the growing season, so nobody is complaining.

The Red Wing Innovation Incubator

Red Wing Innovation Incubator: Supporting New Businesses

As mentioned previously, much of the year has been taken up with the generation of the Red Wing Creative Economy report.

Related, and even more of a time sink, has been the initiation of the Red Wing Innovation Incubator.

This is a physical space dedicated to helping grow and mentor new businesses in the Red Wing Community.

This activity is being driven by Red Wing Downtown Main Street, and our involvement is because of a firm belief that the stronger the local economy is, the stronger our business can become.

Visit the website and see what the hubbub is all about: Red Wing Innovation Incubator.

Catch-up/ketchup

Reinventing and Expanding Our Horizons

We've been very busy reinventing ourselves here at the shop. To start, we've been focused on unveiling Red Wing Digital. This print-on-demand product offers unique large-format presentation options, including the Panel Print and the Acrylic Print. While the Acrylic Print has taken longer to get ready for production, we're excited about its potential.

Additionally, we have a new business partner, Fine Art Prints on Demand, a UK-based company. We've been quietly working and growing this side of the business (printing and framing fulfillment) for several years. FAPoD is our third customer in this area.

These developments have driven our third initiative: moving our production to a larger facility. We've narrowed down our options and expect to make some final decisions soon.

Our customers are rock stars!

A Business Built on Great Customers

This business is only as good as its customers, and we have the best customers.

Case in point: the busier we get, the less attention web administration seems to receive. But it's too important to ignore for very long. This morning, I was determined to bring the Video/News section of our website up to date. This involves the painstaking task of writing press releases, proofing them, and then re-writing them. I know it isn't as bad as breaking rocks for a living, but it is still a job that I do not look forward to.

At some point, you need to include testimonials to add credibility to the releases. And this is when I am reminded how good our customers are.

Thank you, Jeff Marcus. You have been a steadfast supporter for many years, and we appreciate it. Now go support Jeff. This is good stuff.

The 1st Half of 2011

Reflecting on the First Half of the Year

The end of June marks the conclusion of the first half of the year. Last year was a good one, and so far, this year is ahead of last year. The business mix has evolved over the years, and we've been fortunate to be well-positioned to leverage these changes.

Red Wing Digital has been a significant time and financial investment. While there are still a few issues to resolve, the product inventory is now in place, and the product design details have been finalized. Orders have been increasing at a steady and realistic rate. We are currently addressing packaging and shipping issues and continuously seeking more production space.

This year marks our 10th year in business, and we've been tracking business patterns since the very beginning. Typically, the second half of the year is much busier than the first, for several reasons.

We owe our success to our loyal customers. Thank you for your continued support.