Ecowater wins awards

for sales

Rhoades meets

Bill Gates

By KEVIN SWEENEY

Journal Editor

NEW ULM -- Ecowater Systems of New Ulm earned top sales honors, and owner Dan Rhoades earned a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hobnob with the world's richest man during the Ecowater International Convention in Blain, Wash., in June.

At the convention June 14-17, Ecowater recognized the New Ulm firm first in sales in its Ruby Division (for communities with small populations) in sales of commercial units, and second for sales of all types of water treatment units.

Ecowater divides its companies according to the population of the communities they occupy, and they compete against each other, Rhoades said. There are about 400 companies in the Ruby Division.

"We do a lot of commercial business because of our livestock water treatment business, and we do a lot of commercial business in a five-state area," said Rhoades.

Rhoades also gets contacts through his work as a speaker for companies such as Monsanto, Land O'Lakes and AMPI, he said.

"We couldn't have done it without the work of our dedicated staff," said Rhoades, citing, for example, Carol Netzke, who has 35 years of service with the company.

Rhoades received plaques and a watch from Ecowater for his company's accomplishments during the convention, but his biggest thrill came Saturday morning at a session at a country club near Blain. Organizers promised a surprise guest, and it turned out to be Microsoft, Inc. founder and chairman Bill Gates, recently recognized by Forbes Magazine as the world's wealthiest man.

Gates spoke for a bit about the importance of trying things, and not letting people tell you you can't accomplish your dreams, said Rhoades. Gates also spoke lightly of his legal problems with the government order to split Microsoft. "He said, 'I plan to keep stalling them. Pretty soon the government's going to run out of money,'" said Rhoades.

Eventually, Gates hosted a version of "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire," asking questions of participants from the audience who could earn prizes for correct answers.

The first two contestants bombed out early, said Rhoades, then he heard Gates call his name to come up. "I said, 'There's no way I'm going up there,'" Rhoades said, but he found himself on stage seated next to Gates.

Gates' first question was, "How many times do you have to click to open a document?"

Rhoades, whose staff forbids him from touching the computers at work, asked, "Bill, what's a document?"

Gates said, "You're kidding!"

Rhoades said, "No. As far as I know, a document is something a lawyer hands you."

Gates said, "Don't you have Windows in Minnesota?" referring to the ubiquitous computer software his company makes.

"Yeah, we even have doors and indoor plumbing, too," Rhoades responded, cracking up the billionaire.

Rhoades burned his lifelines getting through the first three questions, then cleaned up on the rest of them, earning a lot of shop credit at the club.

His impression of the world's richest man?

"He's a pretty nice guy, once you get him laughing," said Rhoades.