Business development advisor Kari Rusing has joined Enterprise Minnesota and is doubling the organization’s support of manufacturers in Hennepin County, a key area of manufacturing in the state.
Rusing describes Enterprise Minnesota’s services as relationship development, helping clients achieve positive outcomes. For Rusing, it’s about becoming a partner with manufacturers and helping them do great things — which sets Enterprise Minnesota apart from a regular service provider.
“We have one goal,” Rusing says. “We want to help manufacturers improve and reach their goals.”
Rusing graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. She has an MBA from ASU’s Thunderbird School of Global Management. She has worked in sales since 1996, first with Ernst & Young in Texas and later as a partner at O’Brien-Sexton Associates in the Twin Cities.
“Six years ago, I left a company because it became too sales focused,” she says. “The companies I worked with needed more. They needed support, and they weren’t always getting that. That’s one thing Enterprise Minnesota provides clients.”
“We care about improving manufacturing, helping companies increase revenue and helping them grow positively,” she adds.
Rusing joins Joel Scalzo in Hennepin County, doubling the support available for local manufacturers in the metro area.
Rusing’s experience is a vital asset in an important area
There are over 4,000 manufacturers providing almost 175,000 jobs in the Twin Cities, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) 2019 Census of Employment and Wages.
According to DEED, manufacturing in the Twin Cities accounts for almost 10% of employment in Minnesota. The agency also reports that over half of all manufacturing jobs in Minnesota are in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Her focus is on helping manufacturers improve, reach their goals, and increase their profits.
Rusing has worked in the Twin Cities metro area for more than two decades. Her past clients included Target, Best Buy, and Menards. She consistently helped those companies and others reach annual sales of up to $23 million. The strategic plans for those companies increased sales and improved product innovations and brand creation.
“We are delighted to have Kari join us,” says Bob Kill, Enterprise Minnesota’s president and CEO. “In the short time she has been with us she has already proven to be a great addition to our team.”
“Manufacturing is important to Minnesota,” Rusing says, “and many manufacturers are doing well. Sometimes they can do better though, and their improvements can help everyone.”
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Featured story in the Winter 2021 issue of Enterprise Minnesota magazine.
