NAEIR in the News

Paul Swanson, Calvary Christian
administration, poses at NAEIR's
Grab Bag

Check out a story that prominently 

mentions NAEIR in The Pantagraph, 

a paper based out of Bloomington, IL. 

The story came about from a blog 

piece that I wrote on Calvary Christian 

Academy and Grab Bag. I showed the 

blog piece to Phyllis Coulter, 

Pantagraph reporter, and she 

decided to write her own piece 

about NAEIR and Calvary. 

Read it here. 

Mystery Tour, Part II: "Too Good to be True"

Tim Randall, VP of Distribution
showing members of the tour NAEIR's
warehouse. 

On the tour of NAEIR the group from R&J "mystery" tours seemed eager and engaged as Tim Randall (VP of Distribution at NAEIR) walked and talked his way through the warehouse. They asked a multitude of questions about the different kinds of products NAEIR solicits from companies throughout the country.  They also asked who some of the organization’s donor companies are and also had questions about the size (13,000) of NAEIR’s membership as well as the types of member organizations NAEIR serves.

I had the opportunity to speak with a few of the individuals on the tour about their experience with the tour company and their thoughts about NAEIR.  

Janice Kammermeier, from central Minnesota, was on the tour with her husband and commented afterward that organizations like NAEIR made her “feel good about the world.” Janice had been on a few mystery tours before this one, but none had been to a place like NAEIR.

Tim Randall shows tour members
one of the items NAEIR has in
its warehouse: scissors. 

Harold Mattke, a retired insurance underwriter from St. Louis Park, MN, toted his digital camera on the tour, snapping photos of a variety of products, the group itself, and the warehouse.  He confided to me that he was awestruck at how big the NAEIR warehouse was.  He was surprised that he had never heard of an organization like NAEIR before.

As we finished the tour I talked with Cheryl Lommel and Marlys Hopke, - both from St. Cloud, MN, about their overall impressions of NAEIR. Cheryl’s comment -  “It’s seems too good to be true” really encapsulates the group mentality.

The collective gasp when Tim announced that there was about $178 million dollars worth of product in the warehouse, the genuine interest in how organizations can become a part of NAEIR, and the unabashed curiosity on the part of the group - emphasize the impact that NAEIR has – not only with respect to its members, but on just about anyone that’s given the opportunity to take a walk through NAEIR’s warehouse.

NAEIR is First Stop on Mystery Tour

Bob Clark talks to the tour
group in NAEIR's break room

Operating out of Willmar, MN, R&J Tours, organizes and hosts “mystery” tours for senior citizens. Last week’s mystery tour landed the group in Galesburg, IL where they were able to spend some time at the NAEIR facility as well as the Galesburg Railroad Museum. I met up with the group and interacted with them as they toured NAEIR’s warehouse.

I’m told that this particular group made up the largest tour that has ever gone through NAEIR. There were about 40 individuals from all over Minnesota and Wisconsin. They drove to Rock Island, IL the day before, arriving in Galesburg the next day. Except the tour guide, no one else in the group knew where they were headed until they actually got to NAEIR that morning.

The NAEIR building

The group made their way into the lobby, through the reception area down the corridor past NAEIR’s IT and Member Advocate offices and into the office area Break Room where Bob Clark NAEIR’s Director of Human Resources related the history and mission of the organization. Cruz Ramos, VP of Public Affairs, briefly talked about legislation on the federal level that NAEIR is working with legislators to try and get passed. Tim Randall, VP of Distribution, led us on a tour of the warehouse. 

I did my best to bring up the rear while the group proceeded through NAEIR’s 450,000 square foot warehouse.  While following the tour group, I spoke briefly with Linda Weitsberg, the tour guide, about R&J Tours. Linda told me that they had chosen to come to NAEIR on the recommendation of the Galesburg Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Stay tuned for part two of story in which I talk to some of the people on the tour.