By Jerry Loud
Aaniin, my name is Jerry Loud the President of Red Lake Incorporated. I would like to inform our shareholders, the Red Lake Nation Citizens, who Red Lake Incorporated really is and give you a brief update.
Red Lake Inc. was created on September 13th 2011 by the Tribal Council with a vote of 9-0, Resolution 150-11, which demonstrates the Council understood that government and business is not a good business model. Red Lake Inc. is operated by Red Lake Nation Citizens who have business education and experience. The board of directors are 100% Red Lake Nation Citizens with a wide variety of business experience.
Throughout Indian Country tribal governments have been struggling with a false perception that government needs to handle everything on tribal lands, which is known as the “Standard model” of running tribal governments. This is a common tactic the federal government has embedded in the minds of all tribal leaders since the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Healthy tribal governments know that when tribal citizens with experience and education come home to help their communities it has a higher impact on all aspects of the future than trying to let Non-Citizens influence business.
The Red Lake Nation Tribal Council chose a model that has proven successful and is becoming the leading model throughout Indian Country. It is the model the Ho-Chunk Nation used when it created “Ho-Chunk Inc.” back in 1994, which is known as the “Total Approach.” Today, Ho-Chunk Inc. operates over 30 subsidiaries in a wide range of industries in 10 states and 4 foreign countries with over 1400 employees and they grossed 259 million dollars last year. Their biggest business is dealing with the federal government. The second largest is housing and their third is selling Native American products. Ho-chunk Inc. does business with 50 different Tribal Nations.
Red Lake Inc. was directed to manage all Enterprises owned by the Red Lake Nation which include: Red Lake Builders, Red Lake Foods, Red Lake Farms, Red Lake Trading Post, Ponemah Market, Red Lake Nation Propane, Red Lake Fuels and the Red Lake Nation Fishery.
The mission and goal of Red Lake Inc. is to make all of our enterprises profitable, promote economic development and protect the cultural values of the Nation.
Today, Red Lake Inc. has accomplished milestones never seen in our tribally owned businesses such as: most all Red Lake Inc. enterprises have business plans, and all have operational plans and over half of Red Lake Inc. enterprises are showing a profit. The other enterprises Red Lake Inc. inherited that are not as productive now have business plans in place to see a profit in the coming year. Currently, Red Lake enterprises employ 241 Red Lake Nation Citizens and Red Lake Inc. is planning to open a Subway Sandwich Franchise in the fall of 2014.
The major advantage with this business model is that these corporations help diversify the Nation’s assets to not be so dependent on gaming monies and federal dollars to develop their economies. This model also promotes an entrepreneurial environment within the community.More importantly everyone must realize that the success or failure of our businesses depend on the “buy-in” from everyone starting from the citizens, employees, enterprise general managers and the tribal council. This is a proven model – period. The Ho-Chunk Nation invested 8 million dollars as startup capital and a five year period to show success. Red Lake Inc. did not have the same startup conditions but we are showing improvement in 3 years – debt is being paid down and struggling business we inherited are turning around. The “Old Model” did not work and will never work – as Red Lake Nation Citizens we should all be proud of the accomplishments these Red Lake Nation Citizens have made – Mi’iw
By Jerry Loud
Aaniin, my name is Jerry Loud the President of Red Lake Incorporated. I would like to inform our shareholders, the Red Lake Nation Citizens, who Red Lake Incorporated really is and give you a brief update.
Red Lake Inc. was created on September 13th 2011 by the Tribal Council with a vote of 9-0, Resolution 150-11, which demonstrates the Council understood that government and business is not a good business model. Red Lake Inc. is operated by Red Lake Nation Citizens who have business education and experience. The board of directors are 100% Red Lake Nation Citizens with a wide variety of business experience.
Throughout Indian Country tribal governments have been struggling with a false perception that government needs to handle everything on tribal lands, which is known as the “Standard model” of running tribal governments. This is a common tactic the federal government has embedded in the minds of all tribal leaders since the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. Healthy tribal governments know that when tribal citizens with experience and education come home to help their communities it has a higher impact on all aspects of the future than trying to let Non-Citizens influence business.
The Red Lake Nation Tribal Council chose a model that has proven successful and is becoming the leading model throughout Indian Country. It is the model the Ho-Chunk Nation used when it created “Ho-Chunk Inc.” back in 1994, which is known as the “Total Approach.” Today, Ho-Chunk Inc. operates over 30 subsidiaries in a wide range of industries in 10 states and 4 foreign countries with over 1400 employees and they grossed 259 million dollars last year. Their biggest business is dealing with the federal government. The second largest is housing and their third is selling Native American products. Ho-chunk Inc. does business with 50 different Tribal Nations.
Red Lake Inc. was directed to manage all Enterprises owned by the Red Lake Nation which include: Red Lake Builders, Red Lake Foods, Red Lake Farms, Red Lake Trading Post, Ponemah Market, Red Lake Nation Propane, Red Lake Fuels and the Red Lake Nation Fishery.
The mission and goal of Red Lake Inc. is to make all of our enterprises profitable, promote economic development and protect the cultural values of the Nation.
Today, Red Lake Inc. has accomplished milestones never seen in our tribally owned businesses such as: most all Red Lake Inc. enterprises have business plans, and all have operational plans and over half of Red Lake Inc. enterprises are showing a profit. The other enterprises Red Lake Inc. inherited that are not as productive now have business plans in place to see a profit in the coming year. Currently, Red Lake enterprises employ 241 Red Lake Nation Citizens and Red Lake Inc. is planning to open a Subway Sandwich Franchise in the fall of 2014.
The major advantage with this business model is that these corporations help diversify the Nation’s assets to not be so dependent on gaming monies and federal dollars to develop their economies. This model also promotes an entrepreneurial environment within the community.More importantly everyone must realize that the success or failure of our businesses depend on the “buy-in” from everyone starting from the citizens, employees, enterprise general managers and the tribal council. This is a proven model – period. The Ho-Chunk Nation invested 8 million dollars as startup capital and a five year period to show success. Red Lake Inc. did not have the same startup conditions but we are showing improvement in 3 years – debt is being paid down and struggling business we inherited are turning around. The “Old Model” did not work and will never work – as Red Lake Nation Citizens we should all be proud of the accomplishments these Red Lake Nation Citizens have made – Mi’iw