Lorelei Kraft Inducted Into Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame

Lorelei Kraft Inducted Into Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame Lorelei Kraft of Park Rapids, MN was inducted into the Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame at Cargill World Headquarters in Wayzata, MN. With no formal business training and... More

Lorelei Kraft Inducted Into Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame Lorelei Kraft of Park Rapids, MN was inducted into the Minnesota Women Business Owners Hall of Fame at Cargill World Headquarters in Wayzata, MN. With no formal business training and as a single mom, Kraft became a serial entrepreneur of two rural businesses which both achieved multi-million dollar revenues. Candle Enterprises,begun in 1970 as a hobby, sold its products internationally to 6,000 stores and to such retail giants as Walt Disney, Coldwater Creek, and JC Penney. Kraft also founded the award-winning Village of the Smoky Hills in Osage. Built from scratch in an astounding five weeks and five days in 1984, it had 100,000 visitors in its first season. The Village was created to help combat the more than 20% unemployment in her northwestern region of Minnesota by creating employment, a market for quality crafts, and a regional tourist draw. Kraft’s businesses impacted her rural region with $53 million Less