Inside Track briefs: Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame adds 8

Rhoda Olsen, CEO of Great Clips, the world's largest hair salon business, and the late "Fritzi" Haskell, the first person to bring foreign wines into the U.S. after Prohibition, are among eight Minnesotans who will be inducted into the Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame in May.

"These are trailblazers whose business achievements and philanthropic contributions are worthy of historic acknowledgment," said Mary Quist-Newins, president of the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO-MN).

This year's honorees include:

• CEO Kari Rihm of St. Paul, who took over one of the oldest Kenworth truck dealers in the U.S. in 2010 after her husband died unexpectedly. Rihm has flourished as one of only three female Kenworth dealers. The company upgraded technology, opened additional locations and increased revenue. In 2017, Rihm Kenworth celebrated its 85th anniversary by acquiring a multistate truck leasing company and plans to build two new facilities.

• Karen Desnick of Metropolitan Picture Framing, a family-owned business started by Desnick's parents. The business has grown from a single retail store in Minneapolis to a manufacturer of molding and frames that sells nationally to museums, artists, photographers, galleries and picture framers

• Nancy JP Anderson of Midwest Sign and Screen Printing Supply, St. Paul, one of the largest female-owned businesses in the Twin Cities. In 2014, the company opened its 10th store, in Indianapolis.

• Kay Kuba, retired leader of GSS Infotech, built a $60 million-plus technology manager known for developing employees through advanced training and tuition reimbursement. It has been recognized for excellence by MEDA, the Minnesota and the National Minority Supplier Development Councils.

Working in the Betty Crocker kitchens of General Mills for 20 years helped Davis to develop as a cook and marketer. She also created a cooking show on radio and gives back through a mentoring program at North High School, and through service to nonprofit organizations.

• Olsen, of Great Clips, joined the executive team of the regional chain of 180 salons in 1987. Today, Great Clips boasts 4,100 locations in 185 markets across North America, and sales that topped $1.3 billion in 2016. Olsen plans to step down as CEO in 2018 and remain on the Great Clips board.

Neal St. Anthony

Dennis McGrath, one of the local deans of the communications business, has retired after more than 50 years at several posts, and running his own business. McGrath witnessed a lot of Twin Cities business history and he can tell more than a few slightly embellished stories.

McGrath, who turns 80 this month, was a founder of Mona, Meyer, McGrath & Gavin about 35 years ago. It eventually was acquired by Shandwick, the London-based global communications firm.

McGrath worked with the late Wheelock Whitney when Whitney ran the former Dain Bosworth in the 1960s. He counseled Norwest Corp. executives as well as the late Bud Grossman, CEO of the former Gelco Corp., where McGrath led investor relations and corporate communications. He also worked with Elmer Andersen, the late governor and leader of H.B. Fuller; CEOs George Dixon and Pete Ankeny at what is now U.S. Bancorp.; Bill McGuire at UnitedHealth Group; and retired Archbishop Harry Flynn of the Twin Cities archdiocese. McGrath really respected the late Walter Rasmussen, plain-talk builder of Northeast State Bank and Guaranty State Bank, and a commercial-community lion.

"It was a hell of a run," said McGrath, also a freelance magazine writer. "I worked with some exceptional people over those decades."

Neal St. Anthony

Sally Mainquist and Teresa Daly, veteran businesswomen, have done well on their own in recent years.

Mainquist, veteran CPA and financial professional-placement executive, said recently that her Veritae Group has won the Business Journal's "Best Places to Work" sweepstakes in a small-biz category, grew revenue 50 percent last year to $5.5 million and shared more than a third of 2016 profits with employees and favorite charities.