Country Acres Newspaper on Monumate! check it out....

With Memorial Day on the horizon people are looking for ways to beautify the monuments of their loved ones who have passed on. That’s where Katie Determan and her business, Monumate, come in. Monumate, located north of Sauk Centre, manufactures and sells unique flower holders for ground monuments and headstones at cemeteries. But Monumate's flower holders are different than the garden-variety kind you see at most cemeteries. Monumate’s memorial products are unique because they can attach directly to a headstone or can be staked into the ground and out of the way of groundskeepers. Often people who set flower pots on top of headstones come back to see the pot has been knocked over by the wind or moved by the caretaker. Some cemeteries are restrictive on what kind of memorials can be placed near gravesites, but Monumate products allow loved ones to place flowers that are off the ground and out of harm’s way.  “Our product keeps the flowers safely off the ground so caretakers don’t have to remove them for mowing,” said Determan. “They really enhance the beauty of memorials and are very durable so they last a long time and can withstand inclement weather.” With Monumate’s ground mounts, flowers are planted in a variety of pots placed inside a metal ring. The ring is attached to a heavy-duty metal stake that sticks into the ground. The metal is powder-coated to give it an attractive finish. A 90-degree bend in the metal allows the flowers to extend over ground monuments at various heights. The mounts and pots come in several different sizes and colors, including one that holds two pots. They also offer self-watering pots, so customers don’t have to make special trips to keep plants and flowers alive during dry weather.  “We have a variety of options for people to choose from,” Determan said. “And we are always developing more innovative products.” The mounts that attach to standing headstones are installed by tightening the two stainless steel bolts, so they will not damage the stone. The process takes less than 30 seconds to install.  “It’s very simple,” Determan said. “Our products can easily be installed by an 8-year-old or an 80-year-old.” The company was founded in 1993 by Alexandria native Jim Korkowski, who after visiting a cemetery noticed a need for a product that could beautify a memorial without covering up the name of the headstone or getting in the way of groundskeepers. Determan purchased the company last May after Korkowski retired and has since extended the product line to include residential products as well. The new products have given a boost to her business. “We have several landscaping items that are great for residential and commercial properties,” she said. “They are great for sidewalks, patios, walkways, churches and special occasions like outdoor weddings. It gets your flowers off the ground where they can have more of a visual impact.” Determan has always had business in her blood. She was born in Benson, moved to St. Cloud when she was two and moved to Bemidji when she was three. Her parents, Phil and Vicki Bahl, had owned a couple different businesses, including ownership of Auto Parts Stores. That is where she cut her teeth in the business world. “I learned the ins and outs working for my parents,” she said. “I did everything from stocking shelves, to delivering parts, to filling out paperwork. And if they ever left, it was up to me to run things.” She graduated from Bemidji High School in 2002 and attended college at both St. Cloud State and Bemidji State. But she decided to forgo college to pursue other ventures. She worked at the VA as a pharmacy tech for 10 years before putting her business background and her strong work ethic to the test.  These days she is basically a one-woman company. Much of her workday is spent on the computer processing orders that come through her website www.monumate.com. She divides her work between the home she has on Sauk Lake with her husband, Chris (he is a pharmacist at the Sauk Centre Coborns) and their 4-year-old daughter, and her shop north of Sauk Centre where she holds most of her inventory. When orders come in she packages and ships the products herself. Due to the popularity of her unique products, she makes plenty of trips to the post office.  “May is a very busy time of year for me, but we have been pretty steady all year long,” she said. All of Monumate’s products are hand-crafted and manufactured in central Minnesota. In all, there are 30 different varieties to choose from. Determan is in the process of pitching her products to retail stores. Monumate products are currently available at various cemeteries and garden centers, including Anderson Floral in Alexandria. And because of www.monumate.com, Determan is shipping her products all over the country.  “My goal is to market it, promote it and get it into large retailers,” she said. With a year under her belt, an enhanced product line, and an increase in sales, Determan appears to be on a path to success. And for those who are looking to beautify the memorial of their loved one’s gravesite this Memorial Day, they need not look any further than central Minnesota, where Monumate offers products that are unique, affordable, and perfect for enhancing any type of monument.