Drotning to receive chamber award
Karl Drotning
Karl Drotning, founder and president CEO of Lakeville-based Crystal Lake Automotive Inc., will be recognized as the Lakeville Chamber Business Person of the Year during a Monday, Jan. 28, Chamber Membership Meeting and Holiday Dinner at Crystal Lake Golf Club and Banquet Facility.
Crystal Lake Automotive is a mechanical and collision repair facility that opened in 1986 and now occupies 25,000 square feet. The company employs 26 full-time workers including several family members.
Drotning and co-owner Jim Siegfried have an impressive 75 years of automotive experience between them. Drotning believes his role is to set the tone for the business, make major decisions, lead and create the vision. “My business partner and I believe in helping people through people.”
Drotning is active in both business associations and the community. He has served as past president and board member of the Automotive Service Association Minnesota, and as training auditor and state president of Inter Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, a national automotive training association.
With 15 years of service on the Lakeville Planning Commission, Drotning is now senior member and has been past chair and vice chair. He has served as District 16 representative for the Metropolitan Council Land Use Advisory Committee.
In 1992 and again in 1998, Drotning participated in the Lakeville Strategic Growth Task Force. He was involved in the 2000 and 2010 Lakeville comprehensive plan updates. He has been involved in the County Road 42 Task Force study group and the I-35 Solutions Alliance. In 2011 he became the District 16 citizen representative to the Metropolitan Council Transportation Advisory Board.
Drotning is an active member of the Lakeville Chamber of Commerce, and his company supports the work of the B. Robert Lewis House and 360 Communities.
Annually, Crystal Lake Automotive Inc. co-sponsors a Kids Against Hunger food packaging program with friends, employees and their families.
The chamber event will have a social hour that begins at 6 p.m. and dinner and program from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person and can be reserved by calling the Lakeville Chamber office at (952) 469-2020 or www.LakevilleChamber.org. People do need not be chamber members to attend.
