Foundation Week 2025

Legacy Lunch Photos

From Owatonna People's Pres...

Tom and Sue Peterson named 'Spirit of the Community' to kick off Foundation Week

By ANNIE HARMAN,

1 days ago

When walking around Owatonna, one would be hard pressed not to find a corner of the community that has been touched and amplified in one way or another by the Owatonna Foundation.

With the goals of preserving the past, building the present and funding the future, the Owatonna Foundation’s mission is to inspire generosity and philanthropic commitment to the Owatonna area by promoting and supporting endeavors that better the community. And to kick off the annual Foundation Week, the organization celebrates influential Owatonnans who have truly embodied all they stand for.

On Tuesday, during the annual luncheon celebration at the Owatonna Country Club, the Owatonna Foundation named Tom and Sue Peterson — founders of Climate by Design International — as the 2025 Spirit of the Community award recipients. The Petersons were accompanied by Sue’s mother, Patsy White, to celebrate their recognition. Though only there in spirit, Sue said she believes her father, the late Vern White — who was a trustee of the Foundation — would have been “very proud” to see the two of them accepting the award.

“I think my mother shares in that pride, too,” Sue said, as her mother looked on with a nod.

With the ongoing theme of how the Foundation plants seeds today in an effort to cultivate the Owatonna of tomorrow, Sue said that has been a big part of the couple’s mindset, including lessons they learned from her father.

“He loved Owatonna very much, and he served on many, many different boards and projects that really served to enhance life in Owatonna, to make it a better place to work and a better place to live,” she said. “We talked about seeds today, and it was really his example that sowed a seed in our hearts that took root and grew and really gave us a heart for Owatonna and a heart for giving.”

Both lifelong residents of Owatonna, the Petersons were introduced to the crowd by Foundation Trustee Chad Lange. The couple met in high school, and worked together to develop their passion for business through a “strong family legacy rooted in local farming and entrepreneurship.”

The two started a business in their basement and eventually moved to the former Owatonna Business Incubator — now the Owatonna Area Business Development Center. In 1990, they co-founded Concepts and Designs Inc., which would eventually transform into Climate by Design International (CDI), a manufacturer of commercial and industrial HVAC products. The company has remained headquartered in Owatonna, employing more than 250 employees locally, and was recently acquired by Modine Manufacturing Company this summer.

“In Tom’s words, he considers the acquisition a new season,” Lange said.

Lange went on to share the principles the Petersons live by that has allowed them to start and grow a business and create community value.

“They should ring true with all of us, because they also are values and traits that we all should embrace and practice,” Lange said.

The principles, as detailed by Lange, included recognizing the value of a person and that everyone is a creative being, to practice and live your faith, to focus on one thing or markets at a time, to personalize well being — including the little things, to find your niche in life as well as in your market, to anticipate and stay one step ahead, to add value to everything you do, show you believe in a strong community by serving on committees and giving financial support, to be a fast follower, to leap over your competition, and to never waste a good downturn.

“I know Tom and Sue will continue to bring value to others, to the community and to those who may want to learn from their expertise and experiences,” Lange concluded.

“Tom and I really believe in the vision of the Owatonna Foundation, in the vision for a thriving community for all — now and in the future,” Sue said as they accept the award. “We appreciate the time, the effort and the thoughtfulness that the Foundation puts into choosing projects that don’t just serve the future, they serve the present and the future. And we are very, very pleased to be a part of that.”

After delivering a few dehumidifier-related jokes, Tom shared how he believes they are still a “work in process,” or not yet complete with their work, both at CDI and in the community.

“Yes, it is a new season, and we’re continuing in this season. For years, we have been shaped by our life experiences, by the people of this community, the examples in our lives, people that have gone before us and people in this room,” he said. “We chose God to be the builder of our lives, placing our trust in Him and His path that He leads us on and continues to lead us on. We believe that it’s His spirit that works in us and through us, and that provides the good things that we can do.

“You see, this award is not about us, it’s about you. You are the community, and this belongs to all of you and all the countless others in Owatonna. We are very grateful today to be recognized as part of this community, as part of you, and we pray that God will continue to bless Owatonna. May we all together continue to accomplish good things together for the benefit of this community.”

OTHER EVENTS

As Foundation Week continues, the Owatonna Foundation will be attending and hosting a handful of other events:

Wednesday, Oct. 1: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Minnesota open house from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at 141 E. Vine Street in Owatonna.

Thursday, Oct. 2: Triple A Happy Hour for Owatonna advisors, attorneys and agents at Grapeful Wine Bar.

Saturday, Oct. 4: Octoberfest from noon to 5 p.m. at Mineral Springs Brewery. Face painting, axe throwing competitions, live music and more for this family friendly event.