September/October 2018 by St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

Joan Schatz

ENGINEERING

HOME

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SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2018

6 16

CONTENTS

GROW | NETWORK | PROFIT

President’s Letter

Top Hats

8 20

Editor’s Note

Network Central

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C E L E B R AT I N G 1 8 Y E A R S I N B U S I N E S S

GROW

30 Cover Story SELLING FUN

Big risks have led to big rewards for Dan Pearson, owner of PleasureLand RV Center. PROFIT

36 Feature

GIVING SCIENCE WINGS

STEM education may be critical for economic growth, but more and more studies show that the arts foster the creativity needed to give science its wings.

41 Special Focus HELP WANTED

Central Minnesota manufacturers not only have ample job opportunities, they pay well, too.

Special Section 48 CENTRAL MINNESOTA GROWTH GUIDE

30 10 UPFRONT Valuable information designed to guide and educate

Only Online // BusinessCentralMagazine.com • Boosting Event Attendance • Effective Videos

• Improving Online Success • Analyze Your Failures

22 BUSINESS TOOLS

Marketplace intelligence and useful tips on how to continue to grow your business

50 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Perry Pierce, Vacuum Center and Sewing Room

Business Central is published six times a year

by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, 1411 West St. Germain Street, Suite 101, P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487

Phone (320) 251-2940 • Fax (320) 251-0081 Subscription rate: $18 for 1 year.

Celebrating 20 Years of Employee Giving

Since 1998, CentraCare Health employees have contributed $9.7 million to enhance the care provided to our patients and residents. Please join our employees in improving health and health care in Central Minnesota. Contact CentraCare Health Foundation at 320-240-2810 or visit www.centracare.com/foundation.

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President’s Letter

The Power of Investment

our Chamber’s new fiscal year began on Sept. 1. Budgets are complete, new leadership has taken the helm and we are plowing ahead into another five-star year for our members and volunteers. About half of our dues revenue comes in the first quarter of our fiscal year and dues account for about half of our total Chamber revenue. The rest of the revenue comes from special events, programming and all the other “stuff” we do. Why am I sharing this scintillating information? Because many of you recently received a dues invoice. In fact, you may be considering renewal right now. It’s a great time to talk about the power of investment. So, what have we done for you lately? SUPERIOR NETWORKING 46 Chamber Connection meetings with attendance topping 150 people 13 Business After Hours socials hosted by our members 9 Special events with cumulative attendance of over 6,000 people

120 Top Hat visits and 11 special ribbon cuttings TIMELY, AFFORDABLE TRAINING 31 Graduates of the St. Cloud Area Chamber’s Leadership Program

12 Sessions of NEXT-Chamber’s Emerging Leaders, networking and professional development for the next generation of leaders

336 Business representatives trained at 10 Lunchtime Learning programs

42 Participants in our Supervisor Development Certificate Program

58 Leaders met monthly in five Executive Dialogue Groups

REGIONAL ACCESS 12 Meetings each with the Sauk Rapids and Waite Park Chambers of Commerce averaging 80 participants per meeting 4 Business After Hours hosted by the Sauk Rapids and Waite Park Chambers

BUILDING INFLUENCE 120 People attended St. Cloud Area Evening at the Capital in St. Paul 25 Members traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with all 10 Congressional offices to discuss local business issues

180 Members attended our Legislative Connections Preview and Wrap-up events, connecting with area legislators

1 Amphitheater in Waite Park, funded with state bonding money due in-part to the great advocacy partnership between the City of Waite Park and our Chamber

VISIT GREATER ST. CLOUD! 50 Conventions, events, tournaments and group tours booked by our CVB for future years $2.3 MILLION Spent and 16,435 room nights associated with those conventions

1 Hockey Day Minnesota!, hosted in St. Cloud.

11 Monthly Government Affairs meetings to educate members on issues of importance to their businesses

StCloudAreaChamber.com ST. CLOUD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STAFF President: Teresa Bohnen, ext. 104 Vice President: Gail Ivers, ext. 109 Director of Administration: Judy Zetterlund, ext. 106 Communications & Workforce Development Coordinator: Kelti Lorence, ext. 130 Special Events Coordinator: Sheri Wegner, ext. 131 Membership Sales Specialist: Antoinette Valenzuela, ext. 134 Administrative Assistant: Kellie Libert, ext. 124 Administrative Assistant: Vicki Lenneman, ext. 122 Administrative Assistant: Shelly Imdieke, ext. 100 2017-18 BOARD MEMBERS Marilyn Birkland, Times Media David Borgert, CentraCare Health Ron Brandenberg, Quinlivan & Hughes Christy Gilleland, Gilleland Chevrolet Cadillac Jim Gruenke, Traut Companies Jason Hallonquist, AIS Planning, Board Vice Chair Patrick Hollermann, Park Industries Dennis Host, Coborn’s, Inc. Willie Jett, St. Cloud School District Kevin Johnson, K. Johnson Construction Bernie Omann, St. Cloud State University Mark Osendorf, Xcel Energy Bernie Perryman, Batteries Plus Bulbs Roger Schleper, Premier Real Estate Services, Past Board Chair Allison Waggoner, DCI, Inc. Chriss Wohlleber, Courtyard by Marriott-St.Cloud, Board Chair

Executive Director: Julie Lunning, ext. 111

Teresa Bohnen Publisher Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

Program Hotline: 320-656-3825 information@StCloudAreaChamber.com

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU STAFF Main Phone: 320-251-4170

That’s just a sample of the things your membership investment in the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce delivers. It’s a super power we provide every day of the year. If you’re currently a member, please renew today. If you haven’t tried membership in the Chamber recently, let’s talk!

Main Phone: 320-251-2940 Automated Reservation Line: 320-656-3826

Director of Sports & Special Events: Dana Randt, ext. 110 Sales Manager: Nikki Fisher, ext. 112 Sales Manager: Rachel Thompson, ext. 128 Social Media & Marketing Specialist: Emily Bertram, ext. 129 Sales and Services Coordinator: Erin Statz, ext. 113 Administrative Assistant - Information Specialist: Jennifer Schroeder, ext. 170

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Editor’s Note

13,000 Foot View

Publisher Teresa Bohnen Managing Editor Gail Ivers Associate Editor Dawn Zimmerman

hen I turned 50, my husband gave me a gift that I had wanted for years: an opportunity to go skydiving. The scariest part of the whole experience was the paperwork. It was about 12 pages long and said, multiple times, and in every conceivable pattern of words, that you would very possibly die and if you did, your family could not sue. Then you watched a video that told you the same thing. Finally, they strapped you in the gear and took you out to the tiniest plane I have ever seen. There were three of us planning to jump out of this plane, along with our experienced jumpers and the pilot. We sat on the floor (all the seats had been removed) with our legs drawn up to our chins as the plane took off and started making circles, climbing the necessary 13,000 feet. It was a perfect day. Blue sky, a few puffy clouds, a light breeze. As we approached our desired altitude, my tandem jumper began giving me last minute instructions. “Arch your back. Spread your feet and lift them up to the sky as far as you can. Spread your arms. Lean forward as far as you can.” By the time I had repeated and worried about all of that, we were out the door in a freefall. Ok, that was a little scary. It was hard to breath and the sense of movement was incredibly intense. And then it was over. The parachute deployed, and we were floating in total silence. Exhilarating doesn’t begin to describe it. I said to my instructor, “I see why you like this. It’s so peaceful.” “Actually,” he said, “I do it for the freefall.” Not me. I could have floated above the world for hours watching the dots of people and cars. Looking down, not up, at the birds. Drinking in the silence and the glory of a perfect day. It was another near-perfect day when we shot the cover for this issue of Business Central. Dan Pearson, the owner of PleasureLand RV Center (see the story on page 30) was a good sport when we asked him to climb on the roof of his St. Cloud building. He never complained once when photographer Joel Butkowski said, “Take another step back. Take another step back. You’re still a few feet from the edge, take another step back.” I’d go skydiving again anytime. I’m looking for an opportunity to try hang gliding. But I’m guessing Dan doesn’t have either of those experiences on his bucket list. As we stood on the roof, ever closer to the edge, all he said was, “I’m glad this is a photograph so you can’t see my knees shaking.” It turns out, Dan’s afraid of heights. Until next issue,

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Crystal Barnett, Insperity Teresa Bohnen, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Dr. Fred E. Hill, St. Cloud State University Vicki Ikeogu, Area Planning Organization Gail Ivers, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Kellie Libert, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Kelti Lorence, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Mary MacDonell Belisle, mary macdonell belisle - wordingforyou Luke Greiner, Department of Employment and Economic Development Ryan McCormack, Great River Regional Library Dawn Zimmerman, The Write Advantage ADVERTISING Associate Publisher/Sales Wendy Hendricks, Hendricks Marketing Ad Traffic & Circulation Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media ART Design & Production Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media Cover Photo Joel Butkowski, BDI Photography ACCOUNTING Judy Zetterlund WEBSITE Vicki Lenneman ADVERTISING PARTNERS

1411 West St. Germain Street, Suite 101, P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487 Phone (320) 251-2940 • Fax (320) 251-0081 BusinessCentralMagazine.com For advertising information contact Wendy Hendricks, (320)656-3808 Editorial suggestions can be made in writing to: Editor, Business Central, P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487. Submission of materials does not guarantee publication. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

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UPFRONT GROW | NETWORK | PROFIT

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: People to Know •

Your Voice in Government •

Top Hat Photos • Regional Roundup

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NEWS & PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP THE CHAMBER NETWORK

BOOK REVIEW

High-Stake Issues

NEWS REEL

At the heart of almost all chronic problems lie crucial conversations. Reviewed by Dr. Fred Hill

Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, 2nd Edition; Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler; McGraw-Hill; New York, 2012; ISBN 978-0-07177132-0

hat is a crucial conversation and who cares? There are three situations that can make a conversation crucial: opinions vary, stakes are high, and emotions run strong. According to the authors of Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High: When we published Crucial Conversations in 2002, we made a bold claim. We argued that the root cause of many – if not most – human problems lies in how people behave when others disagree

with them about high-stakes, emotional issues. We suggested that dramatic improvements in organizational performance were possible if people learned the skills routinely practiced by those who have found a way to master these high-stakes, ‘crucial’ moments. How do we typically handle crucial conversations? We can do one of three things: we can avoid them, we can face them and handle them poorly, or we can face them and handle them well. Some would suggest that when conversations matter the most – that is, when conversations move from casual to crucial – we’re generally on our worst behavior. That’s where Crucial Conversations can help. This book consists of 11 chapters:

Chapter 1: What’s a Crucial Conversation – and who cares? Chapter 2: Mastering Crucial Conversations – the power of dialogue. Chapter 3: Start with Heart – how to stay focused on what you really want. Chapter 4: Learn to Look – how to notice when safety is at risk. Chapter 5: Make it Safe – how to make it safe to talk about almost anything.

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

Chapter 6: Master My Stories – how to stay in dialogue when you’re angry, scared, or hurt. Chapter 7: State My Path – how to speak persuasively, not abrasively. Chapter 8: Explore Others’ Paths – how to listen when others blow up or clam up. Chapter 9: Move to Action – how to turn crucial conversations into action and results. Chapter 10: Yeah, But – advice for tough cases. Chapter 11: Putting It All Together – tools for preparing and learning.

Now in its second printing, this edition also includes new research, case studies, and additional resources. At the heart of almost all chronic problems in organizations, teams, and relationships lie crucial conversations – ones that we’re not holding or not holding well. We must be able to develop the capacity to skillfully address emotionally and politically risky issues if we are to reach our full potential. Dr. Fred E. Hill is an emeritus professor at St. Cloud State University

BREMER PROMOTES MAGNUSON

Bremer Bank promoted Kimberly Magnuson from credit analyst supervisor to business banker.

CARLSON ADVISORS ADDS, PROMOTES STAFF

Carlson Advisors hired Mandy Jensen as senior accountant and promoted Jacque Bistodeau to manager.

FALCON BANK MERGES, HIRES

Falcon National Bank, Community Pride Bank, and the State Bank of Richmond have merged, and all are now known as Falcon National Bank. The merger, which occurred in June, allows customers to gain access to an expanded range of new and improved products and services. Rebecca Kempenich is the new vice president of marketing at Falcon National Bank. A lifelong resident of St. Cloud, she spent the last seven years working for national and international organizations.

HANSEN INVITED TO STEM SUMMIT AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Kelly Hansen, Park Industries, was invited to attend the first-of-its-kind StateFederal Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education Summit hosted by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).

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Employers that have outdated employee handbooks are at even greater risk than those who don’t have one at all. Ensure your policies and practices reflect recent changes and position you for success.

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Established more than 90 years ago, Quinlivan & Hughes, P.A. ranks among the oldest and largest law practices in Central Minnesota. The firm’s legal teams are known as leaders in both their industries and the community. QUINLIVAN.COM (320) 251-1414 1740 WEST ST. GERMAIN STREET, ST. CLOUD, MN 56301

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UpFront YOUR VOICE IN GOVERNMENT

NEWS REEL

YMCA CELEBRATES GROWTH

The St. Cloud Area Family YMCA recently celebrated its one-year anniversary in its new location. This move has helped grow membership by 98 percent.

PARK INDUSTRIES COMPLETES EXPANSION Park Industries recently completed a 42,460-square-foot expansion, part of their 65th anniversary celebration.

LOFFLER COMPANIES EXPANDS

Loffler Companies have acquired Optimum Communications Corporation (OCC), expanding their IT solutions to central Minnesota.

STEARNS BANK NAMED TOP PERFORMING BANK Stearns Bank has been named the top performing bank in the nation by American Banker magazine.

NYSTROM JOINS IIW MINNESOTA TEAM

Mitchel Nystrom joined IIW Minnesota on the architectural team.

BRENNY SPECIALIZED RECEIVES RECOGNITION

Clay Nixon, Brenny Specialized, a division of Brenny Transportation, was named the May 2018 Technician of the Month by the Minnesota Trucking Association. Brenny Specialized received their second Great West Platinum National Safety Award.

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

Access and Education Candidate debates help business owners make informed decisions at election time. By Teresa Bohnen, president, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

he St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce is committed to providing governmental access, education, information and advocacy for our members. During election season, access and information are key ingredients to help determine which candidates best meet your business and personal philosophies. We provide access and information in a variety of ways. Meet and Greets are available for candidates of all parties. If candidates want to address their business agenda, they may book an hour in our conference room and we will send an email to our Board and Government Affairs members informing them when the candidates are available. We do not guarantee an audience. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had as many as 50 and at times no people attend individual candidate meet and greets. We also organize and present Candidate Debates

for high profile races. This year we are working with the St. Cloud Rotary Club to conduct debates for governor, U.S. Congress, and the Minnesota Legislature. Our Waite Park and Sauk Rapids Chambers historically hold candidate debates with races relevant in their communities. Debates are free and open to the public. A fee may be charged if lunch is available, but audience members are welcome to sit in for free if they choose not to eat lunch. All candidate debates focus on business issues.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to note that some candidates choose to become members of our Chamber. If a candidate becomes a Chamber member and wins, we transfer the membership to the elected office. The only candidates who are welcome to refer to their candidacy during introductions at Chamber networking events are those who have chosen membership for their campaigns. Membership definitely has its advantages and privileges.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

A complete list of candidate debates hosted by the Chamber of Commerce can be found at StCloudAreaChamber.com.

IN THE NEWS

Award of Merit Chris Wayne, Laraway Financial Advisors, received the Boy Scouts of America Central Minnesota Council District Award of Merit.

“

POINT OF VIEW // BUSINESS CENTRAL ASKS READERS:

What is one experience you have had in your life that shaped your professional development?

“

I participated in an internship in a bank my freshman year of college. Having that real-world experience developed a new interest for me, and I ended up changing my major to finance.”

Cole Gauldin, Waddell & Reed

“

I worked through college to help pay for tuition. Balancing class, homework, work, friends and sleep helped me become more organized and taught me to prioritize; both skills I use daily in my career.”

Jordan Lindquist, Culver’s

My father was in real estate as well. I began working for him at 17, and watched him buy a house for $8 once. This stuck with me, and was the reason I decided to pursue the field. It showed me that real estate did not place limits on your creativity. There was no wrong answer to what you could do with a property.” Kami Fritz, Renter’s Warehouse

“

I went on a mission trip my senior year of high-school to Cambodia, Hong Kong and Vietnam. Seeing firsthand how people live and thrive in a different part of the world gave me a new perspective on my own life, and how I would handle work, life, and family in the future.”

Bridget Vee, Kensington Bank

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S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 //

www.businesscentralmagazine.com

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UpFront PEOPLE TO KNOW

I Was Asked

Chamber Board chair Chriss Wohlleber believes that sometimes, extending an invitation to someone is all you need to do.

hriss Wohlleber, general manager at Courtyard by Marriott - St. Cloud, agreed to serve as chair of the Chamber’s Board of Directors simply because she was asked. “I did have to think about it – could I fill Roger’s shoes?” she said, referring to immediate past board chair, Roger Schleper, Premier Real Estate Services. “Roger did a great job, and they’re pretty big shoes to fill. But I feel I can make a

difference. I’m a leader in my field. And I think as we get older we don’t give ourselves enough credit as mentors. I think if we have the opportunity to show what we can do, then we should do it because it helps mentor our youth. And of course, it’s an honor to be asked.” Asking is one of the things Wohlleber thinks people should do more often. “If someone asked me why they should join

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Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

the Chamber I would explain how well our Chamber of Commerce works. It’s a huge support to business. And I would invite them to a meeting so they can see for themselves what it’s all about.” For Wohlleber it’s about networking, publicizing your business, knowing who to call when you need a resource for your business or home, and personal growth. “I’ve never followed government issues

that much, but I’ve learned more about government in the last few months,” she said, referring to recent Chamber Board meetings, “than in the last five years!” Wohlleber began her volunteer engagement through the Chamber’s Convention and Visitors Bureau. “I believe in the hospitality industry and the impact it can have on the community and businesses,” she said. “I’d like to see the City of St. Cloud and the Chamber’s

CVB streamline how they work together. I have some insight in this area that I can share.” In addition to her interest in the CVB, Wohlleber is looking forward to greater participation in the Chamber’s diversity efforts, “and of course, anything I can do to help people understand and appreciate the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is the core of the business community and it is just as strong as we want to make it.” – GMI

IF YOU GO

Government Affairs

A discussion of local government issues on the second Friday of the month, 7:30 - 9 a.m. at the Chamber office, 1411 W St. Germain St., Ste 101, St. Cloud. // September 14 & October 12: general meeting

PERSONAL PROFILE // Chriss Wohlleber, General Manager Courtyard by Marriott - St. Cloud 404 W Saint Germain St St. Cloud, MN 56301-3602 (320) 654-1661 // chriss.wohlleber@marriott.com

STAR CELEBRATION

This annual celebration honors and recognizes the outstanding Chamber volunteer leaders, including the outgoing Board of Director members and committee and division chairs. This event also serves as the Chamber’s annual meeting. OCTOBER 4: 5 – 7:30 p.m. at the Gorecki Center at the College of St. Benedict.

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Sauk Rapids

1019 Industrial Drive S

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Architecture | Construction Management | Self-Performing Field Services Maintenance Services | Real Estate Brokerage + Development

Mankato

901 Summit Ave

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S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 //

www.businesscentralmagazine.com

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UpFront TOP HATS

NEWS REEL MARCO CONTINUES EXPANSION

Marco purchased the copier contracts and client base of Rudzianski’s Business Equipment, Dubuque, Iowa. They will provide service and support through Marco’s Cedar Rapids office. Marco also recently acquired the managed and infrastructure support services provided by Ticomix, a technology company headquartered in Rockford, Ill. Ticomix’s 21 employees have joined the Marco team and will serve clients from Marco’s Rockford, Ill., and Milwaukee offices.

Celebrating milestones! Join us in celebrating businesses who have been chamber members for 40 or more years.

55-YEAR CHAMBER MEMBER:

40-YEAR MEMBER:

40-YEAR MEMBER: Holiday Inn

40-YEAR MEMBER:

Nahan Printing, Inc., commercial, direct mail printing, digital 4 color variable printing, 7000 Sauk View Drive, St. Cloud. Pictured: Rory Cruser, Michael Nahan, Tracy Nahan, Daniel Nahan, Tammy Buttweiler.

Granite City Roofing, Inc., commercial roofing, architectural sheet metal work, 1095 39th Ave. NE, Sauk Rapids. Pictured: Luke Cesnik, Al Scofield, Pat O’Neill, Ben Turnes, Rick Poganski.

Stearns Bank, a full-service, employee-owned bank with more than $2 billion in assets, 4191 2nd Street S, St. Cloud. Pictured: Tammy Buttweiler, Jodi Marcus, Steve Domine, Tanja Goering.

MARCO NAMED TOP 150 WORKPLACES IN MINNESOTA

Marco ranked 27th in the Star Tribune’s Top 150 Workplaces in Minnesota.

STEARNS ELECTRIC SELECTS NEW CEO

Stearns Electric Association Board of Directors selected Robin Doege to succeed Dave Gruenes as their next CEO. Doege took over the position in mid-August.

and Suites, full service 257 room hotel with conference facility for meetings and trade shows; five pools, volleyball/basketball courts, and exercise facility, 75 37th Ave. S, St. Cloud. Pictured: Roger Schleper, Andy Prose, Brian Jarl.

Lamar Advertising, outdoor advertising, 1025 Rook Road, Sauk Rapids. Pictured: Liz Kellner, Mark Ahles, Mark Devore, Bill Devins, Luke Cesnik.

Mid-State Tile Company, residential and commercial, sales and installation since 1931, family owned and operated, 402 Lincoln Ave. NE, St. Cloud. Pictured: Bernie Perryman, Mike Roden, Kim Meyer, Mark Osendorf.

RICE COMPANIES PURCHASES GOSEWISCH CONSTRUCTION Rice Companies purchased Mankato-based Gosewisch Construction.

STEARNS BANK NAMED 100 BEST COMPANIES TO WORK FOR

Stearns Bank took Best in Class for Large Companies at Minnesota Business Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For annual event.

KVAAS JOINS ARVIG MEDIA David Kvaas joined Arvig Media as a media sales consultant. Send News Reel items to Gail Ivers, givers@stcloudareachamber.com for possible inclusion. News Reel is compilied by Kelti Lorence.

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

Alltran, accounts receivable management, and debt recovery solutions. Formerly Array Services, 200 14th Ave. E, Sartell. Pictured: Diane Diego Ohmann, Lilah Stellmach, Derek Scheskie, Chad Lemke, Roberta Schultz, Liz Kellner.

Miller, Welle, Heiser and Co., certified public accountants providing complete accounting, auditing, tax, business valuations, management advisory and payroll services, 4170 Thielman Lane, suite 101, St. Cloud. Pictured: Jayne Greeney Schill, Michael Nelson, Daniel Anderson, Rodney Heiser, Chris Stalboerger, Jeffrey Gannon, Brian Jarl.

Knife River Corporation - North Central, producer and placer of asphalt, aggregates and concrete to build everything from interstate highways, to bike paths; wind farms to homes, 4787 Shadowwood Drive NE, Sauk Rapids. Pictured: Roger Schleper, Jerry Lang, Mark Magnuson, John Quade, Jackie Schaefer, Tammy Buttweiler.

40-YEAR MEMBER: MCI Carpet One Floor and Home, carpets, wood,

laminates, ceramic tile, sheet vinyl, area rugs, wall coverings, window treatments, lighting fixtures, home accessories and design services for all your residential and commercial needs, 26 1st Ave. N, Waite Park. Pictured: Sheri Moran, Pat Lemke, Ryan Corrigan, Harold Loch, Peg Fuller, Amanda Groethe.

IF YOU GO

SAUK RAPIDS CHAMBER 40-YEAR MEMBER: Best Western

Kelly Inn/ Green Mill, convention and business hotel, 100 4th Ave. S, St. Cloud. Pictured: Beth Putz, Mark Laughlin, Mitch Brutger, Rick Poganski.

For businesses interested in Sauk Rapids community issues. Meetings are held at the Sauk Rapids Government Center, 250 Summit Ave. N // 11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m. Lunch is provided by the host when you register at least two days in advance. September 27: Hosted by Cook Counseling Services. The meeting includes a presentation on “Mental Health in the Workplace,” presented by Marc Van Herr, Edina Realty.

October 25: Hosted by CentraCare Health. The meeting includes a candidate forum that is open to the public.

NEXT – Chamber’s Emerging Leaders

Offers professional development, leadership and networking opportunities for

emerging leaders in Central Minnesota. Meets the second Tuesday of every month,

40-YEAR MEMBER:

SCR, commercial HVAC, refrigeration, building automation, and sheet metal, sales and service, 604 Lincoln Ave. NE, St. Cloud. Pictured: Tammy Buttweiler, Pat Welty, Vicky Welty, Mike Fitch, Mark Fitch, Scott Fitch, Roger Schleper.

noon-1 p.m. Cost is $195 for an annual membership. Register to Kelti, klorence@ StCloudAreaChamber.com.

September 11: Pesented by non-profit NEXT members.

October 9: Presented by Tammy Biery, Career Solutions.

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UpFront REGIONAL ROUNDUP

State of the City

Sound financial footing and wise investments make the City of Sauk Rapids a good place to live and do business.

f you ask Sauk Rapids Mayor Kurt Hunstiger about the city’s biggest accomplishment, he’ll point to a solid financial picture. If you ask the same questions of the audience at the Sauk Rapids State of the City Address, more than one person will point to the city’s new airboat. “Expenditures in 2017 were about $197,000 under budget,” Hunstiger said. “We’ve been very aggressive in paying down our debt and operating on more of a cash basis with capital improvements. We’re on track to pay off most of our current bonds early and we don’t plan to issue much more debt.” Hunstiger pointed out that maintaining a low level of debt gives the city financial flexibility during difficult economic times.

Perhaps the best news of all, according to Hunstiger, is that Sauk Rapids has become a more competitive place to live and do business. Currently the city has the second lowest tax rate in the area at 46.61 percent, behind Sartell’s 40.81 percent and well ahead of St. Cloud at 57.90 percent. That doesn’t mean the city will avoid debt completely, Hunstiger said. He anticipates that bonds will be issued in order to develop Lions and Southside Parks and for the city’s share of the expenses for the wastewater treatment plant improvements done in cooperation with the City of St. Cloud. But what about that airboat? The city took possession of a rescue airboat in late spring. The money to pay for the

DID YOU KNOW

The City of Sauk Rapids has gone from a total debt of $26.5 million in 2007 to $13.9 million in 2018.

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

airboat came primarily through donations, with some funds provided by the municipal liquor store profits. “The airboat will be used for rescues on the Mississippi River, in dangerous ice situations, and in pond and marshy areas,” according to City Administrator Ross Olson. “These can be very dangerous situations for our firefighters. The daughter of one of our firefighters wanted to do something to help protect her dad. She found out about the airboats and she led the fundraising.” Because of joint powers agreements with area cities, the airboat will be a tool for the entire region, Olson said. 2017 Accomplishments • Hired two police officers • Placed three ballistic shields into squad cars for high-risk searches • Trained five officers in crisis intervention • Purchased 30 particulate hoods for the fire department

to help with cancer prevention • Completed the fundraising for the rescue airboat • Completed the city’s water supply plan • Added a new basketball court at Edgewood Park and a parking lot at Island View Park • Experienced a 6.3 percent increase in municipal liquor store sales resulting in $2.5 million in revenue for the city Transferred $110,000 of the 2017 profits from the liquor store to pay for police, fire and other city equipment • Cleaned up 10 nuisance properties • Helped facilitate a second solar garden 2018 Goals • Continue streamlining the building permit process to ensure better customer service • Finish the rehab of the Old Log Building in Municipal Park (June) • Demolish recently acquired homes on the river and Benton Drive • Continue to clean up nuisance properties • Finish switching all street and building lighting to LED • Complete plans and construction of the 2018 overlays and the Quarry Road Improvement project • Complete the Feasibility Study for the 2019 4th Street South Improvement project • Hire and train one police officer

GRO WTH

GREAT

UNTIL YOU • Prepare to implement a Police Reserve Program • Place two thermal imagers on squad cars to help locate people and property during the night • Purchase ballistic helmets for each squad car for use during high risk situations Thinking Back, Looking Forward In the past 10 years, Sauk Rapids has made a significant investment in its future: • Water Treatment Plant • Public Works Facility • Water Tower at the High School • Government Center • Fire Hall • New Bridge • Benton Drive Reconstruction • 2nd Street Reconstruction • Golden Spike Road

RUN OUT

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Compiled by Gail Ivers

AWARD WINNING ALCUIN LIBRARY AT ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY

IN MEMORIAM

Sauk Rapids Firefighter Gilbert Adelman was killed in the line of duty in May 1966. This past year he was recognized by Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and is now listed on the Minnesota Fallen Firefighters Memorial at the State Capitol.

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UpFront

NetworkCentral GROW | NETWORK | PROFIT

E V E N T S A R O U N D T H E S T. C LO U D A R E A

Network!

Chamber members and guests enjoy tours and refreshments at Business After Hours. MARCH \\ THE TUSCAN CENTER

Jennifer Brown, St. Cloud Mortgage (L), and Debbie Bertelson, Premier Real Estate Services

Jason Ellering, SCR (L), and Ross Olson, City of Sauk Rapids

Mark Stafford, consultant (L), and Denny Smith, Denny Smith Training

APRIL \\ WOODS FARMER SEED AND NURSERY

Guests kick-off the spring gardening season at Woods Farmer Seed and Nursery

Reggie Vanlonden, SuperGreen Solutions of Central Minn., and Diane Larson, Copper Corte Office & Retail

MAY \\ HOLIDAY INN

Matt Chapman, St. Cloud State University, and Alicia Chapman

Pam Faust, Stonehouse Resources (L); Katie Kunkel, Applebeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s; Lisa Braun, City of St. Cloud; Roxanne Ryan, WACOSA; and Julie and Mike Forsberg, Forsberg Investments & Insurance 20

Mike and Cheryl Nies, Nies Electric

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Todd Myra, Todd Myra Photography (L); Jeff Udy, Infinite Eye Care; Kerry Peterson, Premier Real Estate Services; and Brian Jarl, Advantage 1 Insurance

Nolan Lind, Jacob's Financial (L), and Matt Hodsdon, Minnwest Bank

JUNE \\ D.J. BITZAN JEWELERS

Sammi Shand and Loren Kosloski, Chiropractic Performance Center

Amanda LaFrance, Remedy Beauty + Body (L); Tammy Buttweiler, United Way of Central Minn.; Caryn Stadther, U.S. Bank

Ashley Kutz (L), Colleen Zoffka and Talbot Miller, GB & Co.

Eunice Adjei, Jugaad Leadership Program; Erin Bitzan, D.J. Bitzan Jewelers; Ryan Daniel, Metro Bus

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 //

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InSIDE THIS ISSUE:

BUSINESS TOOLS GROW | NETWORK | PROFIT

Management Toolkit • Tech Strategies • Economy Central by Falcon Bank

RESOURCES THAT HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROW

MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT

Toxic Words

Some of the most common words we use in the workplace are the very ones we should avoid at all costs. By Crystal Barnett Some top performing workers have problems saying no and therefore always say yes when asked to perform additional work.

hat employees say to their colleagues and bosses matters, whether or not it is the first day on the job or retirement is right around the corner. And while most workers manage to avoid making comments that result in a punishable offense, some of the words commonly heard around today’s workplace can hurt an employee’s chances for advancement in the long run.

Here are a few words and phrases that can slow career progression if uttered at the wrong place or time. 1 “Honestly.”

The word “honestly” is by no means an offensive word. However, the thoughts that come after it should be carefully considered before being spoken. Telling a trusted boss how one truly feels is

expected and encouraged at many companies. However, in some organizations, giving an unvarnished assessment can be dangerous if done without careful consideration. For example, attempts to be honest while criticizing another team member’s work in a public setting can not only damage relationships, but also create the impression that a worker is willing to promote his or her own efforts by attacking others. 2 “That’s not fair.”

The concept of fairness is taught to most children. However, in the workplace, as in life, things are not always fair. While raising issues of

fairness are acceptable in many work settings, the time, place and audience should be carefully considered. 3 “I.”

Employees should reinforce teamwork and try not to highlight personal efforts over the work of others. 4 “This is the way we've

always done it here.” Newer employees proposing alternative approaches for solving workplace problems have likely heard this phrase. All new ideas are not good ideas. However, failing to consider alternative approaches may mean the

TECH NEWS

Analyze This

Website analytics are all the rage — mostly because they work! But where do you start? Focusing on traffic sources, keywords, visitors, top 10 pages, and contact pages will help you make the most of your data.

Source: WebDesignerDepot

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

“ company is missing out on new opportunities for improvement. 5 “Yeah, but...”

This phrase often follows an instruction or request from a supervisor or manager. Asking clarifying questions or proactively identifying issues is not a bad thing. However, doing so in a negative sounding way suggests an unwillingness to follow instruction or worse yet, a challenge to a leader’s authority. Simply avoiding “Yeah but…” is generally the best choice. 6 “Just.”

“Just” can be a loaded word in some contexts. For example, if a manager says to an employee “I just want you to finish those reports before the end of the week,” the comment often sounds highly negative on the receiving end. It can also convey the impression that the listener is being difficult or combative. A better approach might be to say “Be sure to get me those reports by the end of the week.”

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”

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Owner, Sta-Fit St. Cloud and Sartell, MN

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7 “Yes.”

In many scenarios, saying yes is a good thing, but not always. Some top performing workers have problems saying no and therefore always say yes when asked to perform additional work. This may result in a lower quality product simply because the employee in question is stretched too thin. In addition, the dangers of burnout should be considered. In companies where the hardest working employees are “rewarded” with the greatest amount of work, saying “yes” at all times can have negative impacts and end up hurting the employee in the end. Crystal Barnett is a senior human resource specialist with Insperity. Learn more at insperity.com

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 //

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BusinessTools TECH STRATEGIES

Identifying Gaps

To get where you’re going, you first need to know where you are. A communication audit can help. By Dawn Zimmerman

longer than organizations initially imagined. Identify the core tools that you are using. STEP 2

ommunication may be the most complicated task of organizations. In today’s digital world, organizations have created a dynamic labyrinth of tools to reach out and engage their audiences. How do you know that what you’re doing is effective? Conduct a communication audit. It’s similar to a financial audit, where a third party reviews the numbers, assesses the use of best practices and identifies any gaps. This reflective and analytical process helps organizations

take a comprehensive look at their communications and better shape a strategy moving forward. Here’s an overview of the key steps to conducting a communication audit: STEP 1

What tools are you using? Start by listing all the tools that your organization uses to communicate externally. This includes everything from websites, logos and newsletters to email campaigns and social media. Seek input from a variety of stakeholders. The list is often

How is each tool performing? Each tool has a series of established key performance indicators (KPI). For Facebook, the top three indicator categories are followership, reach and engaged users. Within these, there are multiple metrics to evaluate effectiveness. Some tools have more analytics and key metrics to assess than others. A website, for example, will require a deeper dive than an Instagram account. It’s common to look at metric snapshots month-tomonth. When conducting an audit, the analysis is more extensive. Start by stepping back to evaluate your current performance compared to the previous quarter, the previous year and industry benchmarks. When using a tool effectively, organizations should see improvement overtime on each of the KPIs. To fully evaluate effectiveness, organizations also need to look beyond themselves to see how they stack up against industry benchmarks. These benchmarks help show what

contributor Dawn Zimmerman is CEO of The Write Advantage, a St. Cloud-based strategic communications company that conducts communication assessments and next step strategies. She can be reached at dawn@writeadv.com

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

good looks like and where your organization lands compared to others. This often is the most beneficial part of the assessment as it gives leaders insights into untapped potential. STEP 3

What are your strengths and opportunities? Once you have the data, identify your areas of strength and weakness. These are focused on the internal factors that help or hinder your organization from achieving objectives. Then, complete your SWOT analysis, by considering the external factors that impact your success – the opportunities and threats. STEP4

How does the tool fit your strategy? Some tools are worth the investment. Some are not. It all depends on your goals, priorities and go-to-market strategy. An underperforming tool may not be worth the work because it’s not reaching who you intended it to. Take the time to align your tools with your strategy. This analysis often leads organizations to stop implementing some tools and focus on gaining traction with others. To get where you’re going, you first need to know where you are. Take the time to assess your organization’s condition so you can better map a course to accelerate performance.

INHALE

TECH NEWS

Are you ready to put your foot through your computer screen? Is that knot in your stomach keeping you from concentrating? Did you just lose your cool because no one cleaned out the refrigerator before the weekend? There’s an app for that. In fact, FastCompany reviews six expert-recommended apps to open up when you feel like you might lose it, all of which are cheaper than a new computer screen.

You can find the list at BusinessCentralMagazine.com

Source: FastCompany

TECH NEWS

Self-Healing Cities

Tired of dodging potholes and sitting endlessly in road construction backups? Those days may be numbered. A researcher at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom suggests the day is coming when everyday maintenance issues will not only be reported by mobile robotic sensors roaming the city, but one where the repairs themselves will be carried out unobtrusively by robots. Sort of a city-scale immune system made entirely from remote-controlled or fully autonomous robotic repair teams. Source: New Scientist

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Working with buyers, sellers, realtors, lenders and builders throughout Central and Greater Minnesota

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Mary Mary Weis Melanie 122 12th Ave. N. I Sr. Cloud, MN 56303 I (320) 253-2096 Red River Ave. S. I Cold Spring, MN 56320 I (320) 685-4280 Schneider 2081-800-892-2399 Walz I www.tricountyabstract.com

Mary Schneider Mary Schneider Melanie Walz Mary Weis Mary Weis Melanie Walz

122 12th Ave. 122N. 12th I Sr.Ave. Cloud, N. I MN Sr. Cloud, 56303MN I (320) 56303 253-2096 I (320) 253-2096 208 Red River 208Ave. Red S. River Ave.Spring, S. I Cold I Cold MNSpring, 56320MN I (320) 56320 685-4280 I (320) 685-4280

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1-800-892-2399 1-800-892-2399 I www.tricountyabstract.com I www.tricountyabstract.com

122 12th Ave. N / St. Cloud, MN 56303 / 320-253-2096

208 Red River Ave. S. / Cold Spring, MN 56320 / 320-685-4280

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BusinessTools

Economy Central presented by

ECONOMY CENTRAL

BY THE NUMBERS

The Wellbeing Economy

Cost of Living

Economic growth keeps economies stable today, but what about in the future?

ave you heard the buzz? Apparently, there is a growing discussion among economists, politicians, and governments who think we, as a global society, need to make fundamental changes to the way we do economics. Not tweaking around the edges, but fundamental change at the very roots of the global economy. For all its positives, these folks argue, economic growth has a dark side -- its ecological impact. You’ve heard the concerns: Antarctic ice is melting three times faster than originally thought; 50 percent of all animals have become

extinct; 75 percent of all insects have been wiped out. Wait! Before you turn the page thinking “same old tree-huggers,” consider this: these discussions are happening with real politicians who have won real elections and are exercising real power. And while they may have doubt in growth-at-all-costs capitalism, what they really believe is that this is an opportunity for innovation. They have no interest in simply reaching for socialism or any other historical model, as a solution. Socialism, like capitalism, relies on growth, as does communism. Instead, they believe we can’t rely on past thinking. We must genuinely put our best brains forward and innovate. The result could be the emergence of wholly new, post-growth economies. To read the entire story, learn

about the Wellbeing Economy

Alliance, and find out who the “real

politicians and governments” are who are involved in this discussion, visit BusinessCentralMagazine.com Source: FastCompany

Housing costs remain low in Central Minnesota.

he St. Cloud area experienced a below average cost of living during the first quarter of 2018, according to the Cost of Living Index of 263 urban areas. The composite index is based on six components – housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, health care, and miscellaneous goods and services. The "all items" index for St. Cloud was 97.4, 2.6 percent below the national average (100.0) for the quarter. The Cost of Living Index, which is compiled and published quarterly by C2ER - The Council for Community and Economic Research, measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile. It is based on more than 90,000 prices covering almost 60 different items for which prices are collected three times a year by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce. Small differences should not be interpreted as showing any measurable difference, according to C2ER.

BY THE NUMBERS

COST OF LIVING INDEX COMPILATION FOR FIRST QUARTER DATA FOR 2018 FOR MINNESOTA AND OTHER UPPER MIDWEST CITIES

CITY

St. Cloud MN

All Items

97.4

Grocery Housing Utilities Transpor- Health Misc. Goods Items tation Care & Services

114.6

75.3

95.2

125.1

106.2

104.7

104.2

104.5

94.5

106.2

107.9

107.1

Cedar Rapids, IA 92.7

95.6

81.2

107.2

99.9

98.2

94.2

Accra Index

Minneapolis, MN 105.0 105.8 104.2 96.1 108.1 107.0 106.8

Most Expensive U.S. Cities in Which to Live

Mankato, MN 93.8 99.8 71.9 94.7 102.0 111.5 104.6

San Francisco CA

St. Paul, MN

Eau Claire, WI

Pierre, SD

93.9

93.0

75.1

102.6

106.5

113.3

101.1

101.2 98.8 115.9 90.6 90.2 101.0 96.1

New York (Manhattan) NY

245.4

Honolulu HI

186.3

New York (Brooklyn) NY Washington, D.C.

195.7 179.4 161.8

Least Expensive U.S. Cities in Which to Live Harlingen TX

76.3

Memphis TN

80.6

McAllen TX

Kalamazoo MI Conway AR

77.3 80.8 81.5

The Cost of Living index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile. It is based on more than 90,000 prices covering almost 60 different items for which prices are collected three times a year by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce. Small differences should not be interpreted as showing any measurable difference, according to ACCRA.

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

December

November

October

September

August

500

2017

2016

$900000

$80M

$100M

January December 0 Total as of 8/7/18. *Totals are cummulative and up to date at time of print. November October

500

Food and Be ST. CLOUD

BUILDING PERMITS BY COMMUNITY September

Commercial

TOTAL: $149,261,212*

2016

2017

2018*

#/$ #/$ #/$ August 2018

St. Cloud 464 341 179 $138,751,046 $89,192,774 $130,215,660 July

TOTAL: $221,316,488

555

Waite Park

106 October $3,9550,295 Apr

73 $6,403,398

Food and Bev

ST. CLOUD 35 $1,752,421

TOTAL: 1655

TOTAL: 1752

TOTAL: 1789

2016 St. Augusta 66 13 4 September $0 $2,107,200 $1,017,563 Mar

St. Joseph 71 56 24 August 2018 Feb $32,698,175 $19,525,262 $3,603,080 $0

TOTAL: $149,261,212*

$500k

July Total as of 8/7/18. *Totals Jan are cummulative and up to date at time of print.

2000

$200M

December $15,684,403 $89,959,156 $5,962,000 June

1500

TOTAL: $133,773*

$1500000

TOTAL: $1,272,176*

TOTAL: $1,333,423

TOTAL: $239,669,534

$150M

Sauk Rapids

2017 Sartell 33 32 17 November $13,013,812 $14,128,688 $6,827,488 May

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

$1200000

Home Sales Closed in St.Cloud

102 88 34 $9,180,780 $6,116,630 $2,922,988

March

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

St. Augusta

St. Joseph 186 140 47 February $4,796,651 $4,433,502 $3,664,296

$60M

$100M

2017

Waite Park 78 70 23 April $2,197,513 $4,244,281 $902,570

Commercial Building Permits

$50M

2018*

January

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

$0M

2017

Sauk Rapids 345 299 190 June $22,647,287 $15,947,945 $10,264,460

1000

$600000 2018

2016

St. Cloud 986 622 289 July $32,774,443 $32,230,127 $11,911,547 2018

Commercial Building Permits

2016

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. C ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSE

2016 August #/$ #/$ #/$ February

2015

$40M

2018

2017

March

Residential

500

$300000

$20M

Home Sales C

September BUILDING PERMITS BY COMMUNITY

Food and Beverage Tax Collection

ST. CLOUD

TOTAL:$84,908,072

2016

$0M

2017

Sartell 252 199 87 May $13,311,389 $7,908,010 $4,798,467

2018

2017

2016

2017

July

TOTAL:$70,880,396

June

$100M

October April

May

$80M

April

$60M

March

$40M

February

TOTAL:$84,908,072

TOTAL:$32,516,939* $20M

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec January

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

Apr

Mar

Feb

Jan

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

$0M

2018

July December June

November May

Residential Building Permits

2016 2018

880,396

COLOR KEY:

TOTAL:$70,880,396 2017

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. C ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSE

Economy Central presented by August

Compiled by Kellie Libert, data current as of 8/7/18

2018

Home Sales C

September

TOTAL:$32,516,939*

ECONOMIC INDICATORS & TRENDS

908,072

October

$100M

$250M

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

832,866

316,488

669,534

111,110

Residential Building Permits

$250M

June TOTAL: $221,316,488 Sources: Building departments for the following cities: St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, Waite Park, St. Augusta, and St. Joseph.

2017

May

2017

Unemployment Rates 2017-2018

2016

Non FarmMarJobs

Source: www.positivelyminnesota.com

September

October

December

August

Jan

1.0%

November

July

June

May

Feb

April

$250M

March

$200M

February

$150M

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

$100M

1.5%

January

2.0%

$50M

2016 Source: www.positivelyminnesota.com

2017-18 % CHANGE

$0M

Apr

TOTAL: $239,669,534

$500k

0.5% 0.0% -0.5%

-1.0% -1.5% -2.0%

2% M

-2.5% J

St. Cloud Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota United States

St. Cloud, MN MetroSA Minnesota United States

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 //

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80,396

COLOR KEY: December

ECONOMIC INDICATORS & TRENDS

November

Home Sales Closed in St.Cloud

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

December

October

2018

August

June

July TOTAL: 1789 June

TOTAL: $221,316,488

May

500 December

Business Benchmarks

TOTAL: 67*

$900000

November

Benton Co. 39 27 45

$0 $500k $1M $1.5M Benton County Sheriff’s Civil Process; Stearn’s County Sheriff’s Office Total as of 8/7/18. *Totals are cummulative and up to date at time of print.

$2M

5.3% TOTAL: 1789

Businesses in greater Minnesota that plan to bring new products or services to market in the next year. TOTAL: 1752

TOTAL: $1,333,423 2018

69%

Businesses April participating in a Minnesota March Chamber surveyFebruary who reported January difficulty filling job openings in 2017. 2000

158

2017

200

June

73% May

TOTAL: 1655

2016

$1500000

Residential 2016 Stearns Co.

150

1500

SHERIFF’S FORECLOSURE AUCTIONS

TOTAL: $1,523,946

TOTAL: $133,773*

TOTAL: $1,272,176*

TOTAL: $1,333,423

$1200000

100

$2M

The Minnesota Chamber’s Grow Minnesota! program October surveys companies throughout the state, collecting September information on expansion and business plans. Following are excerpts August from the 2018 Minnesota Business Benchmarks report. The St. Cloud Area Chamber is a July partner in Grow Minnesota! 1000

$600000

Home Sales Closed in St.Cloud

$300000 20170

$1.5M

BY THE NUMBERS

TOTAL: 221

2016

$1M

Total as o 8/7/18. *Totals are cummulative and up to date at time of print.

TOTAL: $649,477*

2018

$500k

Sources: Tax Collections – City of St. Cloud

Food and Beverage Tax Collection TOTAL: 235 ST. CLOUD

2017

January

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

2000

Feb

Sheriff’s Foreclosure Auctions

2018

2017

1500

Total as of 8/7/18. *Totals are cummulative and up to date at time of print.

STEARNS AND BENTON COUNTIES

February

TOTAL: $1,333,423

Food and Beverage Tax Collection

1000

2016

ST. CLOUD

500

2015

Apr Mar

April March

2018

2017

2016

TOTAL: $239,669,534

2017 TOTAL: 1752

Housing/Real Estate St. Cloud Area AssociationJan of Realtors, $150M $200Msources:$250M http://stcloudrealtors.com/pages/statistics.

$100M

TOTAL: $1,523,946

May

2016

TOTAL: $649,477*

July

TOTAL: $149,261,212*

2017

December

2018

November

September

October

August

September

August

July

June

May

TOTAL: 911*

April

September

ST. CLOUD

October

March

February

January

Food and Beverage Tax Collection

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

Apr

Mar

Feb

Jan

May

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, November ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

lding Permits

08,072

BusinessTools

D, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK,

32,866

$100M

6,488

9,534

1,110

$250M

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St. Cloud’s economic growth in 2017, making it the 13th fastest growth economy in the nation.

Lodging Tax Dollars

$1M

Sources: Tax Collections – City of St. Cloud

$1.5M

Total as of 8/7/18. *Totals are cummulative and up to date at time of print.

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

$2M

December

$500k

November

October

September

August

July

June

DEFINING GROWTH

Everyone uses the term growth these days, but what do they actually mean? One school of thought is that to succeed you

must approach your growth strategy with the same discipline,

effort, and investment that you do your product strategy. That means thinking of growth in terms of product, processes, and personnel. Source: Reforge.com

2016

May

TOTAL: $1,508,301

April

2017

March

TOTAL: $1,623,035

February

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

2018

TOTAL: $693,994*

January

ST. CLOUD

You can find the complete story at BusinessCentralMagazine.com

Economy Central presented by

Best A D V I C E Advice to a would-be entrepreneur: No one works for you, everyone works with you. Your team is your most valuable asset and must be treated as just that.

Best advice you’ve received and who gave it to you: "As long as you’re honest and nice to people, you will always have a roof over your head and food on your table" – My father.

Business PROFILE PleasureLand RV Center, Inc. 25064 Augusta Drive, St. Cloud, MN 56301 320-251-7588 • Fax: 320-251-2975 Email: info@pleasurelandrv.com PleasureLandrv.com

SELLING Big risks have led to big rewards for Dan Pearson, owner of PleasureLand RV Center. By Vicki Ikeogu Photos Joel Butkowski

t 11 years old, the school bus dropped Dan Pearson off at 33rd Avenue in St. Cloud. He would walk the short distance to his parents’ recreational vehicle dealership, PleasureLand RV, on the corner of Minnesota Highway 15 and Division Street. “I would empty garbage cans and mop the floor at night and do the vacuuming and clean the offices,” Pearson said. By the time he was 13, Pearson was promoted from resident custodian to working in the parts department. “I ran some of the rental department at about 14,” he said, “and at 15, I started selling.” Learning the skills of the trade from an early age was something Pearson and his six siblings were

CEO: Dan Pearson Other Significant Officers: Brad Bacon, CFO; Jon Gaida, director of sales; Jerrad Sheflo, director of parts and service; Sean Pearson, surplus operations Ownership: Private, Dan Pearson, owner

accustomed to. It was part of growing up in a small mom and pop business, originally started by Pearson’s parents as a Buick dealership in 1956 and transitioned to an RV dealership by 1971. But working for – and one day owning – the company was not in the plans. “I actually looked at becoming an attorney,” Pearson said. That changed in the early 1980s when other family members decided to get out of the business. “I was the last child still involved with the business,” Pearson said, “and my dad and mom wanted to step back and retire. Dad had some health issues. And it was a business that I absolutely loved.” In May 1982, Dan Pearson became the owner of PleasureLand RV. At 21, he had no idea that nearly 40 years later he would still be at the helm of the company his parents started.

Business Description: Recreational vehicle sales, service, parts accessories, RV rental, long term RV temporary housing, complete body repair, cargo trailer sales, a truck center offering late model SUV's and pickup trucks.

The Big Gamble ike anybody, I don’t care if it’s family or anybody else, when you take over a business you always think you have ideas that will make a business run differently or better,” Pearson said. “And absolutely I had ideas.” His biggest concern was how closely tied PleasureLand’s success was to what happened in agriculture, Pearson said. “Meaning, if agriculture was having good times our business would have good times. If agriculture was having bad times we didn’t have good times. My idea was that we needed to bust loose from being tied to agriculture.” To do that, Pearson toyed with several ideas. “Every brand we represented, whether it was Winnebago or whatever, was also

“L

St. Cloud based employees: 101 Total number of employees: 213

Fun fact:

Well, with a company name like PleasureLand a lot of stories can be told.........

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Personal PROFILE Dan Pearson, 57 President/CEO, PleasureLand RV Center

Hometown: St. Cloud, MN Education: Tech High School, St. Cloud Technical and Community College

Work History: Started working at PleasureLand at 11 years old (1971) and never left

sold in the Twin Cities metro area,” Pearson said. “What would be the reason for people to come to St. Cloud instead of buying one right in Minneapolis?” The answer: Build a bigger in-stock inventory than the competition. “It was s a huge risk,” Pearson said. Using the slogan, “Why try to guess what a unit looks like from a brochure. We have it in stock,” Pearson effectively spent the next few years tripling the inventory of PleasureLand, growing from about 40 to 50 units in the lot to over 150.

“That risk worked incredibly well,” he said. “We started doing business outside our region within a matter of months after starting our marketing plan. Our volume increased. People simply responded. Having the inventory on hand and being able to get it into people’s hands immediately was key. That’s been our marketing plan ever since. Today, people drive from states away to do business with us.”

Growth and Expansion y the late 1990s, Pearson was ready to try his hand

Timeline

1982

Dan Pearson, Vern’s son, purchases PleasureLand from his parents

1956

Vern & Bea Pearson opens Plaza Buick in St. Cloud

1998

1971

Pearson’s Buick dealership transitions to an RV dealership

at his next business venture – expanding PleasureLand RV to a second location. “We had started to serve a broader area,” he said. “And at that point a franchise became available from a very, very, longtime Winnebago dealer. It was the oldest dealer in the United States. When they decided to get out and retire from the RV business we ended up buying their location in the northwest metro.” The big concern, of course, was that instead of driving all the way to St. Cloud, Twin Cities customers would now go only as far as the Anoka store. But those fears were quickly alleviated

Vern and Dan Pearson

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

PleasureLand purchases an RV dealership in Anoka

2001

Family: Partner Greta Abel; daughter Whitney; sons Sean and Justin (deceased); four grandchildren

Hobbies: Hunting, camping, boating, fishing, reading, spending time outdoors

when end-of-the-year numbers revealed that Winnebago business in St. Cloud was up 30 percent and the sales at the Anoka location reflected a new growth market – clients being pulled in from western Wisconsin. Just a few years later, Pearson’s company broke ground on a new 50,000-squarefoot facility on a 28-acre parcel of land adjacent to Interstate 94 in St. Cloud. “The move to our current location made all the sense in the world,” Pearson said. “Division Street had gotten so crazy. People were scared to death to take units off our lot.

PleasureLand purchases an RV and marine dealership in Fargo; construction begins on a new 50,000 square-foot-facility on 28 acres located at I-94 and County Road 75 in St. Cloud

2003

PleasureLand builds a new facility in Ramsey, replacing their Anoka location; the company now has 100 employees at three locations, and is in the top 8 percent in sales nationwide

REVOLUTIONARY The visibility was incredible at our old location, but the accessibility was horrible.” Less than a month after Pearson broke ground on his new location, the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil rocked the nation. “I remember driving away after finding out about 9-11 thinking I had just committed suicide for my business,” he said. Pearson worried that people would stop traveling, but that didn’t happen. “Within about a week we suddenly watched our rental business go crazy,” he said. “And slowly after that, our sales started climbing.” It turned out that because people were afraid to fly, they sought out other options to travel, and those options included RV rentals and purchases. By 2003, the company had grown from its original 12 employees to over 100 with three locations. This growth placed PleasureLand RV in the top 8 percent of RV dealerships nationwide. Things were going well for Pearson and the dealership… until 2006.

Family Tragedy s a single parent with sole custody, Pearson said he made a commitment

to be there for his children, Justin, Sean, and Whitney. “Sean and Justin were swimmers and I think I only missed maybe one or two swim meets a year,” Pearson said. “Whit was a hockey player and I typically only missed one or two of her games a year. And I always made sure that we had dinner together. That was the rule that we had growing up and it was the same way with my kids.” In the early 2000s Pearson’s oldest son, Justin, was in an accident while driving an all-terrain vehicle. That accident began a long battle with prescription painkillers. Justin would purchase his pills from an online pharmacy and have them shipped to the house. “The long and short of it was that he had a major struggle with opioids,” Pearson said. “And through several treatments and all kinds of different things, true efforts to beat the demon, unfortunately he relapsed and died on Christmas Day 2006.” Pearson said it was frustrating watching his son spiral deeper into addiction. “But he explained it to me, so I truly understood his problem,” Pearson said. “I have the misfortune of being a smoker. Justin said, ‘Dad, think about

PleasureLand’s biggest claim to fame may well be the RV budget lot. The Great Recession left most business owners feeling vulnerable. Dan Pearson, owner of PleasureLand RV Center, used the recession as a catalyst for creative thinking. The result is a concept that is revolutionizing the RV industry: budget lots. “We were wholesaling in the neighborhood of 150 to 200 units a year for two reasons,” Pearson said. “They were older than what we typically dealt with, and we were so busy that we didn’t have time to recondition those vehicles.” In 2014, after thinking about it for almost two years, Pearson opened the St. Cloud Budget Lot on US Highway 10. It was a business geared toward consumers who were either new to the RV world and were still trying to test the market or those looking to own an RV, but who didn’t have the budget for a new one. “The concept worked incredibly well,” Pearson said. “We’ve actually introduced it to the industry. There has been article after article written for our industry about what we are doing with the budget lots up here. It’s just not something that dealers are doing around the country.” PleasureLand opened a second budget lot in Brainerd in 2015. The Long Prairie location – opened in 2014 – is a hybrid location selling both older and newer models of RVs.

enforcement to curb the abuse and distribution of prescription drugs.

2004

PleasureLand opens a truck center in St. Cloud

2007

PleasureLand purchases land in Moorhead, planning to relocate the Fargo dealership

December 2006

Justin Pearson dies from a drug overdose. The Pearson family establishes a foundation in his memory and begins a family mission to work with law

Innovation

2009 Justin, Sean & Whitney

The Fargo store closes

2011

PleasureLand opens stores in Willmar and Brainerd

2014

The company purchases Hart RV Sales in Long Prairie; the St. Cloud Budget Lot opens on Highway 10 East in St. Cloud; the Willmar store closes

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it like you are taking a three to four-hour flight. It’s fine for the first couple of hours. And then all of a sudden you start getting that itch for a cigarette. Then the next hour it is pretty much on your mind. Now your plane starts to descend and you think, OK now when can I get my cigarette. And when the plane lands, all you are thinking about is where you are going to go to have that cigarette. Dad, that’s how I feel every day.’” Even through the pain of losing his oldest child, Pearson still had a business to run. “Sometimes you have to swallow your grief, try and conduct your business, do your meetings and then maybe walk into the bathroom and have a good cry, or walk around on the lot or go for a drive for a bit, and lose it for a few

2015

PleasureLand in Brainerd relocates to a new facility; the Brainerd Budget Lot and the Surplus Store open at the former PleasureLand location

minutes,” Pearson said. “Then you put yourself together and go back and do it again. But there were a lot of lonely, dark nights staring out the window.”

A Family Mission ollowing Justin’s death, Pearson, his children, and longtime girlfriend, Greta Abel, found renewed strength in an unlikely realm – politics. “We immediately went the legislative route, both state and federal,” Pearson said. In May 2007 they helped pass a state law designed to curb internet sales of prescription pain killers by forcing Internet prescribers to schedule a consultation with those seeking medication prior to fulfilling a prescription. However, Pearson said, the success of that law was short-

lived as Internet pharmacists and doctors were able to circumvent the intent of the law. “The doctor, instead of just filling the prescription, would make a 5- to 10-second call to the person,” Pearson said. The following year, Pearson and a team of lawmakers sought to close the loophole by enacting Justin’s Law, requiring initial face-to-face consultations between doctors and patients in need of prescriptionstrength painkillers. “Justin’s Law actually became a model for seven other states that passed similar laws,” Pearson said. The Pearsons also took the fight against Internet pharmacies to the national level, teaming up with a family from California, resulting in a law that passed in 2008. Shortly after Justin’s death, Pearson founded the Justin Pearson Foundation, designed to fund efforts to save others from opioid overdosing. “The biggest thing is ultimately getting NARCAN,” Pearson said. NARCAN is a nasal spray first responders and other emergency medical personnel can carry and administer to those suspected of overdosing on opioids. “It’s now available in every city in Stearns County,” Pearson said, in large part

2016

PleasureLand RV Center has 186 combined employees at all locations and is in the top 3 percent in sales nationwide

2017

To accommodate growth, PleasureLand

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

Budget Lot relocates the Brainerd Budget Lot to a new facility, adding eight

because of the Justin Pearson Foundation. “It’s a great, but sad story,” Pearson said. “They are using it far more than they ever believed they would. There have been multiple saves in St. Cloud and Stearns County because of NARCAN.” The foundation has also contributed to the sober living initiative at St. Cloud State University and sponsored medication disposal drop boxes at law enforcement centers.

The Great Recession ot even two years after Justin’s death, Pearson faced one of the largest economic blows to the RV industry: The Great Recession. “We found that there was only one person less welcome at a bank than an RV dealer and that was a bank robber,” Pearson said. “There was nobody in the banking world that would lend money to an RV dealer. It was like the industry was given up for dead. Those were not fun times for anyone in business.” It was sheer dumb luck, according to Pearson, that helped PleasureLand RV weather the storm. Detecting that the market was slowing,

new service bays; the Brainerd RV Surplus Store becomes a stand-alone facility; the company has over 200 combined employees

2018

PleasureLand acquires Northview Campers in Sioux Falls, South

Dakota; owner Dan Pearson is named the 2018 St. Cloud Area Entrepreneurial Success Award recipient by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce.

RECOGNITION

he made the decision in early 2007 to start selling off some of his diesel motor homes. He had about 60 units ranging in value from $100,000 to $350,000. With the support of his financial backers, Pearson sold twothirds of his diesel motor home inventory by 2008. “We got lucky,” he said. “Selling the last of those units amounted to taking $20,000 to $30,000 losses. But by taking the preemptive strike we were able to get our costs out of the vehicles, and it probably saved us.” Over the next few years, Pearson saw his industry nose-dive. About 40 percent of the RV dealers nationwide went out of business. Industry manufacturing and sales volumes dropped by 60 percent. Pearson believes his good relationships with clients and bankers kept PleasureLand’s doors open. “Because of some long, long-term relationships with a couple of vendors we were allowed to go in and buy the units that they were repossessing from both dealers and manufacturers,” Pearson said. “We were buying units way under the cost of the vehicles. I’m talking 30 to 40 percent below wholesale costs.” This allowed PleasureLand to sell its existing inventory at a loss. The company made up the difference with the highprofitability units Pearson was purchasing from lenders. With the influx of new and inexpensive units on hand, Pearson said PleasureLand RV’s local market expanded to include customers from all 50 states. “It kept us alive,” he

said. “Nationally, it helped put us on the map.” Even though he was still able to maintain the business, Pearson said he did have to lay off a few people. “But our staff believed in us,” he said, “and I really do give them a lot of credit for that.”

The Comeback y 2010 the RV industry had started to climb out of the hole left by the Great Recession. For PleasureLand RV, coming back from the brink included the addition of several locations over the course of the next few years. They also invented the concept of budget lots, and opened an RV surplus store in Brainerd. In early 2018, the company acquired a dealership in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, bringing the total number of PleasureLand RV locations to eight. “And I don’t see us stopping there,” Pearson said. “There are other things on the horizon that we are working on. I don’t think we are limited to Minnesota, but in my world, we are limited to this region of the country. We see some other opportunities out there and we’ll see where those take us.” Retirement is not in plans, Pearson said, at least not yet. “I love the business,” he said. “We sell fun! And I’ve met so many wonderful people both locally and nationally. I’m not intending on going anywhere anytime soon.”

Vicki Ikeogu is a freelance reporter and transportation planner with the Saint Cloud Area Planning Organization.

Top Notch

Pearson recognized for business success, community contributions Dan Pearson’s selection as the Business Central Mark of Excellence: Entrepreneurial Success Award recipient recognizes PleasureLand RV Center’s growth under his leadership. The Entrepreneurial Success Award is given to an individual who took over leadership of a company when it was small, based on Small Business Administration guidelines, and has since grown to be a large company. PleasureLand was started in 1971 as part of Plaza Buick, owned by Dan’s father Vern. In 1975, Vern ended the Buick franchise to focus on RV sales. Dan took over the dealership in 1982 with fewer than 20 employees selling 400-450 units annually. Today the company is the largest RV dealership in the Upper Midwest with 200 fulltime staff at seven locations in four communities, selling 3,000 units per year. Among the many changes he has seen in the industry, Pearson identifies the current change in demographics to be among the most striking. “The average age of our buyers is 38 years old. It used to be 55,” he said. That change is having an impact on the entire industry from the type of RVs sold, to the amenities that are included. Success is about more than the bottom line, according to Pearson. He believes in corporate citizenship and puts his time and money behind his ideals, supporting a wide variety of philanthropic projects. He has a particular focus on supporting local law enforcement from providing RVs as onsite headquarters for investigations to funding medication disposal drop-boxes at Stearns County police stations.

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Feature

Giving Science Wings STEM education may be critical for economic growth, but more and more studies show that the arts foster the creativity needed to give science its wings. By Mary MacDonell Belisle

The worksheet. For many, this innocent device used to teach and quantify subject matter, epitomizes the minimum approach to education. In a world begging for talented employees, the focus has been on science, technology, engineering, and math – known by the acronym STEM. But more can be done to prepare children for life and fulfilling careers. In both education and business, there are rumblings that STEM is not enough. The arts are returning to favor,

Business Central Magazine // S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8

re-imagined as an essential part of a holistic education fit for the future. Enter STEAM: science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. “We constrain individuals for the test and the measurable,” Dennis Whipple, executive director, GREAT Theatre, said. “Employers aren’t looking for someone good at worksheets. They want creative thinkers with skills required for the job.” Unfortunately, according to a recent survey of 500 senior executives by Adecco USA, the second-largest provider

of recruitment/staffing in the nation, 92 percent of business executives think Americans aren’t as skilled as they need to be, and 45 percent lack the deeper learning skills needed for success in the workforce. ART EDUCATION AND THE WORKFORCE “We can’t be monochromatic in our teaching,” Jane Oxton said. Oxton recently retired as director of education and outreach for the Paramount Center for the Arts.

LEARNING

Equal… But Different Educators believe that each person has a preferred learning mode. This is outlined in a model designed by educator-consultants Neil Flemming and Charles C. Bonwell and known by the acronym VARK: Visual (spatial) learners use images, pictures, and spatial understanding.

Auditory (aural-musical) learners use music and sounds. Read-and-write (verbal, linguistic) learners use words in speech and writing. Kinesthetic (physical) learners use body, hands, and touch.

“It’s important to engage students on multiple levels, rather than a single track from which a child can fall off.” All modes of learning can be explored in the classroom to address

The MemleticTM (memory + athletics) system, developed in 2003 by Sean Whiteley, includes VARK but adds: Logical (mathematical) where learners apply logic, reasoning, and systems. Social (interpersonal), which uses group learning and socialization. Solitary (intrapersonal), for learners who prefer self-study and working alone. –––––––––––––––––––– Researchers generally accept that lesson plans that incorporate various learning modes activate more areas in the students’ brains, increasing the chances the material will be understood and remembered.

U.S. business executives’ concerns that Americans lack communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking skills. Indeed, according to the Arts Education Partnership

(AEP), supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Education, arts education fosters creativity, strengthens problem-solving ability, builds

age PUNTA G FORT MYE ORDA/ RS, FLORID A , HOENIX MESA/P NA ARIZO

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Feature ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

collaboration and communication skills, and develops leadership skills.

Scientists Use the Arts Many of the world’s best known scientists and engineers did not spend every day lost in textbooks. They found relaxation and inspiration by embracing the arts. Here are just a few examples: Albert Einstein played

––––––––––

violin in public.

Madame Marie Curie was a prodigy in

Carl Sagan,“astronomer of the

––––––––––

math and literature.

J. Robert Oppenheimer, “father of the

people,” wrote fiction.

atomic bomb,” grew up surrounded

––––––––––

by paintings – his mother’s, plus a few

Alexander Fleming discovered

by Pablo Picasso, Edouard Vuillard,

the world’s first antibiotic, benzyl

and Vincent van Gogh. Oppenheimer

penicillin. A self-taught painter,

Fleming also painted with various

colored microbes, mixing pigments in his laboratory.

loved French verse and published his own poetry and fiction. ––––––––––

STEM and STEAM STEM education has been a focus, and investment, in education since it was publically introduced around 2005. In 2015, President Barak Obama set STEM education as a priority for the next decade, making it a critical component of competitiveness for grant funding. However, educators, parents, and the business community have felt that STEM alone misses key components necessary for the 21st Century employee. By adding the arts as an access point in education, STEAM promotes learning through arts’ practices, design principles, and standards, exposing students to opportunities for creativity, ingenuity, and innovation.

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“The cultivation of arts at the elementary level can foster artistic habits of mind and soft-skill behaviors for work.” —–STEPHANIE PETERSON, DISTRICT 742 ARTS IN THE SCHOOLS “We want to help all classroom teachers use the arts as an education tool,” said the Paramount’s Oxton. “There isn’t a subject in which you can’t invite the arts to become an active participant.” The Paramount’s Math SmARTS program recently connected teaching artist/professional Ann Meyer to Sartell Elementary second graders to as explore decimal points with a weaving and beadwork project.

With the help of a Mardag Foundation grant, David DeBliek, visiting assistant professor of Theater and Dance at the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University, incorporated movement with nets into a lesson about two- versus threedimensional perspective at Kennedy Community School in St. Joseph. In addition, the Paramount regularly offers on-and-off-site residencies in its Teaching Artist Program that taps

the talents of arts professionals. Arts Camp for Educators and Teaching-Artists involves adults who want to bring more creativity and imagination into the classroom. Courses include using painting, photography, ceramic arts, drama, music, dance, poetry, and visual arts technology in the curriculum. “The cultivation of arts at the elementary level can foster artistic habits of mind and soft-skill behaviors for work,” Stephanie Peterson, District 742, said. “Things like teamwork, giving/receiving criticism, identification of problems, problem solving, development of work habits, and more.” Peterson, the coordinator of social studies/arts programming for District 742, secured a one-year federal Every Student Succeeds Act grant to support arts at Lincoln Elementary School. In this pilot program, third graders

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Feature “The arts support teamwork, giving/receiving criticism, identification of problems, problem solving, development of work habits, and more.” —–STEPHANIE PETERSON, DISTRICT 742

explore visual media; fourth graders focus on dance; and fifth graders prepare a performance of “Disney’s: The Lion King Kids,” with GREAT In addition, teachers learn theatre skills and games for their classrooms. “We’ll learn a lot from the program at Lincoln this year and understand more clearly how to connect the arts with paths to jobs or higher education,” Peterson said.

GREAT staff plans to spend three weeks with kindergarten through fifth-grade students at Discovery Elementary in Waite Park, building academics through theatre, according to GREAT’s Whipple. A former school board member, Whipple understands the critical connection between art education and adult success. “The arts bring endless possibilities as we continue to build our STEAM program,” he said.

WE KNOW THE TOWN. And we understand the financial needs of small business here in Central Minnesota.

Applying the arts in education is not limited to the grade schools, Wipple pointed out. Under the supervision of Leah Sands, Career and Tech Education in District 742, high school seniors attending the Area Learning Center will be transported during school hours to GREAT Theatre to receive on-the-job training in carpentry and welding through set construction. By including the sciences and the arts in a holistic learning approach, America will find and develop the innovators, educators, leaders, and workers needed to meet the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow’s economy. Mary MacDonell Belisle is a freelance writer-for-hire and owner of mary macdonell belisle––wordingforyou

For the sources used in this story, visit BusinessCentralMagazine.com

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HELP WANTED

Central Minnesota manufacturers not only have ample job opportunities, they pay well, too. // By Luke Greiner

anufacturing is the second largest industry in Central Minnesota, behind health care and social assistance. With 41,789 jobs at 1,564 firms in 2017, manufacturing accounts for 15.2 percent of all employment in the region. That is more concentrated than in the state as a whole, where 11.2 percent of total jobs are in manufacturing. From 2016 to 2017, manufacturers in Central Minnesota added 492 new jobs, a 1.2 percent increase. While the region experienced broad gains across the different manufacturing sectors, five of the 18 manufacturing subsectors lost jobs from 2016-2017. At a more detailed level, food manufacturing and fabricated metal product manufacturing are the two largest sectors in the region, with 8,452 and 7,120 jobs in 2017, respectively.

Central Minnesota had 9.6 percent of total jobs in the state, but 13 percent of manufacturing jobs and about 17 percent of statewide jobs in those two manufacturing sectors. Other areas of strength in the region are furniture and related product manufacturing – which includes kitchen cabinets; transportation equipment manufacturing; paper manufacturing; nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing – which includes granite countertops; and textile product mills; all of which are at least twice as concentrated in Central Minnesota as the rest of the state. Where’s the Money? Typical jobs in manufacturing range from team assemblers and sales representatives, to accounting clerks and marketing managers.

Looking at the 20 most common occupations at Central Minnesota manufacturers provides some insight into the types of opportunity the industry offers. Although the median hourly wage for all occupations is $2.14 less in Central Minnesota compared to the statewide median, 14 of the 20 most common production occupations have higher median hourly wages than the state. With 4,760 jobs in the region, assemblers represent the largest occupation in manufacturing. Although median wages are $15.80 per hour, 75 percent of team assembly jobs pay over $19.32 per hour. Welders and machinists are also a large share of manufacturing jobs, each providing over 2,100 jobs to the region. Providing a clear vision of what career progression looks like can be a struggle in some industries, luckily

Did You Know?

1 The occupation expected to have the largest number of openings in Minnesota is food prep and serving

occupations (100,030 openings between 2014-2024) 2 Minnesota’s most in-demand occupation is retail salespersons 3 Only 31% of full-time job openings in Minnesota require a bachelor’s degree or higher (26% bachelors, 5% advanced degree; 2nd Qtr. 2017)

S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 //

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Genuinely Focused: WhiteBox Marketing Revives St. Cloud Presence With a Fresh New Vision Always one to keep an eye out for the up and coming, Carrie Karki recently found all eyes on her as WhiteBox Marketing opened its St. Cloud doors on July 2. Keeping existing clientele and coworkers, the long-time marketing executive started her own company after many successful years in the business. At this point, she said, it was time to let her vision lead the way. “As I’ve seen the marketing industry change and evolve, I wanted to tie in my own vision of modern operations delivered with personal service,” said Karki. “We have many clients we’ve partnered with for years, which are invaluable to us—especially since client retention in our industry can be a challenge.” Just a few months ago, Karki worked for an established local agency that has since relocated to St. Paul after being purchased by another firm last year. That’s when Karki presented a solution to retain clients under her own new brand.

strategic. creative. effective.

Above: Carrie Karki, Founder & Director of Marketing at WhiteBox Marketing.

“I realized that my team and I had experienced multiple ownership changes in a short period of time,” recalled Karki, “and yet myself, my colleagues, and our clients all remained together; I wanted to keep it that way.” It was that realization that inspired Karki’s vision of providing the security of local ownership along with the opportunity to grow in her own agency setting. “I’ve been lucky to gain my experience in the way that I have, and I’m excited to keep putting what I’ve learned throughout the years to work for myself, my clients, and my team,” said Karki.

WhiteBox Marketing provides a full-spectrum of marketing services with a creative team on staff. This includes everything from creative design services, campaign development, PR, media, digital marketing, web development, and consulting services, all supported by goal-oriented strategic planning. Along with Karki’s vision came a new identity, and when asked about the WhiteBox name, she said, “We like to approach clients in a way that puts them first; we’re the blank canvas that allows their message to shine.” The WhiteBox team includes many familiar faces, along with additional new talent. “Due to technology and the amazing connections we’ve obtained, it’s no longer necessary to all sit at the same desk each day to do exceptional work,” said Karki. “We have highly skilled talent that meets and exceeds our client needs.” “With expanded capabilities and talent, our goal is to continue to grow and do great work by putting clients first, and giving back as much as we can,” said Karki. WhiteBox Marketing openly shares a portion of profits with Project Heal—a nonprofit organization in Ethiopia, the country where Karki’s youngest daughter was adopted from. Though this is their 2018 organization of choice and will always be close to Karki’s heart, WhiteBox Marketing plans to give back to additional organizations as they continue to grow.

Above: Part of the WhiteBox Marketing team in St. Cloud. www.WhiteBox.Marketing

To sum it all up, Karki said, “We are just a group of good people, doing good things.”

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many manufactures can point to the more than 1,900 firstline supervisors of production workers. Supervisors of production workers are one step down from a traditional management position and creates a pathway for entry level workers to move into upper middle-class wages with a median hourly wage of $29.30. Typically the requirements to become a first-line supervisor are based on experience and sometimes industry recognized credentials. Although the wages are slightly less in Central Minnesota, one in four production supervisor jobs pay $36.62 or more. Luke Greiner is the regional

labor market analyst for Central and Southwest Minnesota for

NEW NAME. SAME LOCAL FOCUS. Winkelman Building is now Bradbury Stamm Construction.

We bring: • Nearly 50 Years Building Central Minnesota • Local, Empowered Team • Enhanced Resources • Nation-Leading Tools • Focus on the Future • Community Commitment

the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

BY THE NUMBERS

Minnesota’s employment growth by MSA*

10,700

Jobs gained in Minnesota in May

45,517

Jobs added by Minnesota employers over the past year

3.1 %

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in June

The U.S. unemployment rate in June *Metropolitan Statistical Area

Sartell High School

Construction Management | General Contractor Design Build Main: 320.253.2411 | www.bradburystamm.com 340 South Hwy 10 | St. Cloud, MN 56304

2018 Business Central Ad.indd 2

8/14/2018 8:57:51 AM S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 //

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Spotlight: Business Parks in St. Cloud

Time For A New Building?

St. Cloud Airport Business Park Provides Affordable Options For New Construction

“We encourage businesses seeking 20,000 to 100,000 or more square feet of industrial space to consider new construction as an option, and financing assistance may be available.” —Cathy Mehelich, Economic Development Director Airport Business Park is home to:

Located on MN Highway 23, the Airport Business Park is home to local, regional, and global businesses as proven by existing tenants, including National Vision, Geringhoff North America and most recently Beaver Island Brewing. The Airport Business Park was developed in partnership with East Central Energy, St. Cloud Opportunities, Inc. and the City of St. Cloud. The partners worked together to acquire, plat and install initial infrastructure improvements to the property and received “Shovel-Ready Certification” from MN Dept of Employment & Economic Development in 2011. Shovel-ready designation ensures buyers that planning, zoning, surveys, title work, environmental studies, soils analysis, and public infrastructure engineering is completed prior to the site being offered for sale—expediting the timeframe by cutting the most time-consuming legal, technical and regulatory aspects of the development process, and getting shovels in the ground quicker.

to do business between multi-state/national facilities since it’s less than 2 miles from the St. Cloud Regional Airport. The St. Cloud Economic Development Authority is a partner in the ownership, sale and development of the business park. “Our office at the City receives multiple inquiries for available sites for business expansion and relocation,” said Cathy Mehelich, Economic Development Director. “For a long time most prospects have been only focused on finding existing buildings. Now is the perfect time to consider new construction for your growth needs.” If the Airport Business Park doesn’t meet your needs, the City also has land sites available in I-94 Business Park. Learning more about St. Cloud’s Business Parks is only a phone call or email away.

The 277-acre Airport Business Park is ideal for manufacturing, processing, warehouse/distribution, and wholesale industries looking to expand or relocate on lots ranging from 9 to 80 acres in size. Land is competitively priced starting at .95-cents per square foot, which is about half the cost of land sites in the Northwest Twin Cities Metro area. The Airport Business Park is especially attractive for companies using corporate jet service

Cathy Mehelich: 320.650.3111 • Email: cathy.mehelich@ci.stcloud.mn.us • Visit: ci.stcloud.mn.us/economicdevelopment