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Joann Weets and Jonathan Benge will staff the new Pipestone office of Preferred Resource Group, a financial planning firm based in the Twin Cities area. The local office is located in the city of Pipestone’s municipal building. Photo by Kyle Kuphal
A new business called Preferred Resource Group (PRG) will open soon in Suite 2 at the city of Pipestone’s municipal building at 119 Second Ave. SW.
The company’s website at www.prgfinancial.com indicates that it integrates retirement, tax and estate planning. Jonathan Benge, a managing partner of PRG, said most of the company’s clients are 55 and older and are in retirement or close to it, but it also works with people in any stage of life. The Blaine resident said the name of the company came from the fact that it works together with a variety of other professionals to provide services to its clients.
“We are a resource for those,” Benge said. “We have attorneys that we work with and CPAs [certified public accountants] that we work with and long-term care specialists, so different financial professionals that we have connections with.”
He and two other North Dakota State University graduates started the business in 1999 in Fargo, N.D. Two of the three were from the Twin Cities area and they decided to move the company there. It now has offices in Maple Grove, Golden Valley and Shoreview.
The Pipestone connection was made through Benge’s fiance, Kelly Wittman, daughter of Steve and Joann Weets, of Pipestone. He said he and Kelly had been discussing opening a PRG office in Pipestone for about a year.
“Then when we ran across the business incubation space that the city of Pipestone has, that was really the catalyst,” Benge said.
The Pipestone Economic Development Authority (EDA) and Pipestone City Council, which are composed of the same members, decided to use open offices at the municipal building for business incubator space last year after the previous tenants moved out. The rent starts out low to help businesses get started and then increases over time. There was one office left after PRG claimed one and EDA Director Justin Schroyer plans to move into that office.
A grand opening is planned for PRG’s Pipestone location on Thursday, May 1 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Benge said there would be refreshments, cupcakes, and door prizes.
Benge said Joann will staff the local office and he plans to be in the office one full week every month, typically the third week of the month. He said people will be able to meet with him when he’s in the Pipestone office or by Zoom or conference calls.
For more information, visit the Pipestone office or PRG’s website.