If you were connected to any media source in March – you would have learned about the Suez Canal 2021 crisis. It’s a story that caught my immediate attention.
Egypt's Suez Canal is located 75 miles east of Cairo and it links the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, allowing for direct shipping from Europe to Asia. It has been identified as one of the world's most important waterways.
Roughly 12% of the world's shipping traffic and a portion of its oil supply goes through this man-made canal, which has become particularly vital following pandemic-related disruptions to shipping.
On Tuesday, March 23, just before 8 a.m. Egypt time, strong gusts of wind knocked the Ever Green cargo ship off its course and ultimately blocked the canal. The 220,000-ton vessel that spanned a quarter mile was holding around 20,000 shipping containers of cargo.
To give you an idea of the impact this caused, each day, around 50 vessels (10% of global trade) typically sail through that same waterway each day. Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a company that provides tracking data to keep global trade moving safely and efficiently, estimated that this mishap was blocking $9.6 billion in maritime traffic each day. $9.6 BILLION!
Everything from consumer electronics to food, chemicals, ore, and petroleum was impacted.
When the ship was lodged sideways in the canal, closing off the main oceangoing highway, much of that cargo sat idle, either waiting to transit or stuck in port while owners and shippers tried to decide what to do.
Then, on March 29, tugboats worked in coordination with dredgers to return the Ever Green to the water. This has been called one of the most intense salvage operations in modern history.
There are a few lessons (in business and in life) that I took from this global crisis:
It’s important to have as many alternative courses of action for dealing with an emergent situation – something we’ve all learned during this pandemic.
Having options is one thing. But knowing how to choose the right and best alternative is another.
Agility is paramount and the key to success.
Build a strong team – so when real-time issues arise that require fast thinking and a quick solution – you can utilize the strong players around you.
On Deck
Aside from running our five lanes of business, we have some really great projects on deck at Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures.
Hotel Remodel: We are proposing a remodel of both Grand Casino hotels, and the Grand Casino Hinckley Inn to Band Assembly. Our rooms are outdated and in order to remain competitive, a complete refresh of each room is needed. We believe we've brought a strong solution to the officials for consideration.
Each room, if approved, will be updated with the following:
Modern, clean look. Up North. Woodsy. Ojibwe Influence.
Open concept layout. More spacious.
Designed for quick and easy turnover and easier to clean.
New technologies: automated check-in/out, use of mobile devices.
This project also includes a redesign of each lobby, corridors throughout each hotel, and elevator bays.
Whatever decision is made on this project, this was a fun exercise for us to put together.
Broadband: On March 11, 2021, the Blandin Foundation announced that the Mille Lacs Tribal Economy (MLTE) had been selected to participate in the Community Broadband Resources (CBR): Accelerate Program.
This is exciting for us because the ultimate vision is for all residents of the Mille Lacs Tribal Economy to be able to use convenient, affordable, world-class broadband networks that enable them to thrive in our communities.
It’s a 15-week program consisting of three parts 1) Leadership Education, 2) Information Gathering, and 3) Analysis and Next Steps. It is anticipated a final report from the team will be available by July 2021.
Red Willow Estates: The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA) awarded Housing Tax Credits to finance our project – Red Willow Estates in Onamia.
Red Willow Estates is a 30-unit townhome community that will offer 22 two-bedroom, one-bath units and eight three-bedroom, two-bath units.
The goal is to finalize investor commitments along with design plans by this summer, then begin sitework and construction later this year. Units should be tenant-ready by Winter 2022.
My Uncle Elmer
Golf is a slow, methodical, emotional, and highly analytical game. It’s the kind of game that you dedicate time to learning and loving. My dad and Uncle Elmer taught me the game of golf and it is the most cherished gift I’ve received.
Together with my brothers, we have spent hundreds of hours together on the course. Elmer’s enthusiasm for the game showed up every time. He played a consistent game that was easily repeatable.
He reflected that lesson not only in his golf game, but in his life as well.
Elmer kept his lessons simple and his instruction succinct. He always believed the most important attribute a player can have as a foundation is a love for being on the golf course. The rest would fall into place. His lessons are the foundation of my golf game, and I will always feel connected to him when I’m out on the course with a club in hand.
We lost Uncle Elmer on Saturday, March 27, 2021. This was a tough loss for our family. Over the past few days, we’ve all had a chance to laugh, cry, and reminisce on all things Elmer. One of my favorite stories I heard was about this fun, football-centric, “you-had-to-be-there” type of friendship with an Associate of ours named Betty. He would bring her Packer gear every time he would return from Wisconsin – and not always the Packer gear you would find in a store either – sometimes it was a random sign from the side of the road! Betty always got a kick out of Elmer’s antics and it was a wonderful reminder about how our work is ever-so-important.
We don’t just work in the Mille Lacs Band community, we work FOR the Mille Lacs Band community, and you just never know when you’re making an impact.
Much like his beliefs on golf, Elmer saw family as the key to a well-lived life. In addition to the gifts he has given me throughout our favorite game, the greatest gift of them all is connecting with family.
Reach out to your loved ones. Check-in on your family. Hug everyone a little tighter. Mi’iw.