Dec. 3—BEMIDJI — Christine Olson has joined the Bemidji Pioneer and BuyLine as general manager and advertising director, succeeding Todd Keute, who will retire at the end of the year.
In addition, Jarrod Thorson has been hired as a marketing consultant.
Olson moved to Bemidji in February 2020 to become chief financial officer at Northland Fishing Tackle. When
Northland was purchased by Texas-based GSM Outdoors last month,
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with plans to close the Bemidji facility, she was hoping to find a new leadership position in town. Keute’s plan to retire after a 42-year career in the newspaper business gave Olson that opportunity.
“I loved the entrepreneurial spirit that the Peterson family (founders of Northland) brought to our community,” Olson said. “I loved leading my team at Northland every day … and having the opportunity to look for growth and new business we could take on. I was looking for another role that’s going to offer a similar type of opportunity. I didn’t want to leave Bemidji.”
Olson said although her career has been focused on finance and accounting, she looks forward to the challenge of learning about the changing media industry and being more visible in the Bemidji community.
“I’m excited to learn something completely new and bring a fresh set of eyes to it,” she said, “and to get out into the community and continue to meet more people. The Pioneer is not just a newspaper anymore. We’re multimedia and we’re delivering news every day, not just on Wednesdays and Saturdays.”
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Olson also will oversee operations at the Blackduck American and the Park Rapids Enterprise.
Thorson joined the Pioneer and BuyLine after three years as a route sales representative at Aramark in Bemidji. The Bemidji High School graduate looks forward to continue working with local businesses, this time with marketing solutions.
“Working at Aramark really piqued my interest in sales,” Thorson said. “No matter what you’re selling, it’s all the same approach. You do research about your customer, you find a solution to a problem, and then you offer your product and your services to be that solution.”
Meanwhile, Keute reflects on a lengthy media career that began with Red Wing Publishing and included positions in International Falls, Hibbing, Virginia and Superior, Wis. He began working in Bemidji 10 years ago when he purchased the BuyLine. Since 2017 when the Pioneer and BuyLine merged, he has been the advertising director of both publications. He also served as publisher from 2019 to 2023.
“The team we have here at the Pioneer and BuyLine is just a great group to be working with,” Keute said. “It’s been a pleasure to be with all those people. It’s a fun environment and a great culture. I appreciate the support of all the advertisers. I enjoyed helping them build their businesses. Thanks to all the readers and advertisers who support our products, both on the print and digital side.”
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