RLF Business Spotlight
Heritage Event Center | Taunton, MN
The Heritage Event Center in Taunton has been making history since before it even opened. Dale Fier’s farm has been in his family since 1885. His promise to his father when he retired was that he would restore the farm, and his vision was to create a nice spot for people to get married. Opening Heritage Event Center at the start of 2017, the center has grown into a successful event venue that showcases the historical and cultural aspects of the area. Fier’s main goal is to serve his community and bring people together.
The COVID-19 pandemic created intense challenges for event venues like Heritage Event Center. Despite these complications, Fier knew the community would always need a place to come together, and the success of the Heritage Event Center pushed him to stay open. The Center acquired a COVID-19 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) from Southwest Regional Development Commission, which helped bring more historical and cultural improvements and items to the center and the grounds. The funds also helped not only maintain, but also increase event staffing.
Between the COVID-19 RLF fund and the support of the local community, the Heritage Event Center has continued to grow and increase in popularity. The improvements Fier made with the COVID-19 RLF funds has resulted in an increase of businesses and an increase in event reservations. Fier’s next plans for the Center include building a new bridal room, adding a corn maze and pumpkin patch, and hosting concerts. He also wants to expand and add more buildings so that guests can stay overnight on the property. Fier believes in utilizing local talent and catering to help support the community that has helped his business grow.
When it comes to success, Fier offers this piece of advice,
“Engage the community. Without community support, you will fail.”
He notes that SRDC’s COVID-19 RLF was key to keeping his business going through hard times and enabled him to maintain employees. Fier plans to keep growing Heritage Event Center, sharing Minnesota’s heritage, and continuing to make history.