Destination Downtown Plants New Growth For Brainerd With Purple Fern Bath Co.

The Purple Fern Bath Company is officially open for business.

“It has been such an amazing process, and this truly has been my dream to own my own business, and to see it come to fruition is just amazing,” said Brenda Billman-Arndt, owner of the Purple Fern.

Billman-Arndt was the winner of Brainerd’s Destination Downtown competition and won a community prize package worth more than $50,000 to get her business up and running.

“I wouldn’t be here right now if it hadn’t been for the Destination Downtown contest,” Billman-Arndt said.

The Purple Fern is hoping to that their handmade products will scoop up a new clientele in downtown Brainerd.

“It’s something that is going to add to the community, add to the downtown, is exciting,” said Nate Grotzke, Destination Downtown Committee Chair. “I know people are really starting to enjoy downtown Brainerd again.”

It’s an exciting time for the city.

“The Purple Fern Bath Company is really part of an epic comeback story for downtown Brainerd,” said Matt Kilian, Brainerd Lakes Chamber President.

And it’s a dream come true for Billman-Arndt.

“I’ve really wanted to be here for a very long time and be a part of this downtown community and watch it flourish and grow,” Billman-Arndt said.

It’s vision come to life thanks to the Destination Downtown contest.

“You never really know what the eventual outcome is going to be, so when we went through the steps we were excited as we went, and now to be standing inside the Purple Fern is awesome,” Grotzke said.

After months of hard work and preparation, the space has been transformed into the newest downtown business.

“To see it come full circle and Brenda to be able to open a fabulous retail business downtown is really inspiring,” Kilian said.

But this new store is just the beginning of the Destination Downtown legacy.

“We are going to do the whole thing again, so we hope to find another Purple Fern and maybe more so we can fill more of these storefronts and even take downtown to a whole new level,” Kilian said.