Jon Anderson has dreamed of being a business owner ever since he was a kid. But September 11th, 2001, detoured his dreams. Luckily on his detours through Iraq and Kuwait, Jon discovered grit in faraway deserts, brought it back to Minnesota, and has put it to work for us.
Jon spent most of the first two years of his marriage to his wife, Christina, on the other side of the globe. He missed the pregnancy and birth of their second child and describes returning to civilian life as something akin to dying and coming back to life. “The world has moved on without you, so you and your family must figure out how you fit back together.” And that takes time and grit.
“It takes grit to succeed,” and Jon has put the grit he learned to work. He started his adventure into moving and mobile storage in a Kuwait desert, making calls to coordinate and determine how he could open a Mi-Box in Minnesota. Overcoming hurdle after hurdle, five years later, he opened Mi-Box in Norwood Young America. They serve Carver County, the whole metro area, and much of greater Minnesota. People have come to expect things to be brought to their door. The convenience works for Mi-Box’s customers, and it pays off in saving them time.
“Entrepreneurship works really well for military people. You got to be willing to take risks. You got to be willing to fail,” and Jon says, “as a veteran, you are used to taking risks.” Jon puts his Army experiences to work every day in his business and uses his company to serve veterans. As a way to support and show gratitude for their service, his business offers discounts to veterans. He has also stored all of the flags for “Flags for Fort Snelling,” a non-profit dedicated to restoring the annual tradition of remembrance in honor of our fallen. His continued service as part of the Minnesota National Guard honors and protects veterans and all Minnesotans.
In fulfilling his childhood dream of owning a business, Jon attributes much of his success to the things he learned while serving his country. In all of his travels and studies abroad, and there have been many, Jon has learned one thing about people the world over, “I can’t stress this enough, the common folk, no matter where you go, they want a job, they want a family, they just want to live.” Thankfully for us, he has settled here in Carver County, using his grit to create jobs, build a family, and help us all live a better life together.
We’re reminded in this month of Thanksgiving and Veteran’s Day of our gratitude for those who have served to protect our freedoms. Thank you Jon, for the sacrifices you’ve made and dedication to our country and communities.
