Russ Bennett Receives Earl B. Olson Entrepreneurial Spirit Award

WILLMAR MN - Russ Bennett, President of Bennett Office Technologies, was the recipient of the Earl B. Olson Entrepreneurial Spirit Award at the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission annual banquet.

The Earl B. Olson Award goes out each year to business owner with the same type of entrepreneurial spirit Earl B. Olson exhibited throughout his professional career. Criteria includes the number of years in business; obstacles overcome; business recognition/awards; community service; employee retention, respect and satisfaction; company growth; and quality improvement.

Russ Bennett turned what was an office supplies store in 1981 to the areas leader in office and technology solutions today, Bennett Office Technologies. Russ and his company became a major driving force behind our region’s technology advancements, and were the first to bring electronic typewriters, ergonomic furniture, computer networking, and the Internet to West Central Minnesota. More recently, Bennett Office Technologies began offering the Willmar-area business community both electronic redundancy and physical fiber redundancy for voice, data, and internet connectivity.

Russ is an active member of the Willmar Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and is also on the board of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.