March/April 2020 Issue by St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

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E X P L O R I N G C E N T R A L M I N N E S O TA’ S B U S I N E S S E S .

M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 2 0 : 6 P r e s i d e n t ’ s L e t t e r / 8 E d i t o r ’ s N o t e / 1 5 To p H a t s / 1 8 N e t w o r k C e n t r a l

PROFIT

Cover Story

32 RELATIONSHIP PRACTICE In an age of disconnection, Dr. Sara Cuperus uses her chiropractic skills to help people connect.

20 BUSINESS TOOLS Useful tips and intelligence on how to continue to grow your business

Instead of accepting every beep, ding, and vibration, you can take back your attention by creating time to focus.

38 SPACE AGE

NETWORK 10 UPFRONT Valuable information designed to guide and educate

28 DISTRACTED!

46 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Mark Benson, Benson Funeral Home

With a bit of effort, companies can create a space that is collaborative, welcoming, and a hiring tool.

GROW

38 ONLYONLINE BUSINESSCENTRAL MAGAZINE.COM

• Insightful Interview Questions

• Better Negotiation • Telling Effective

Stories Celebrating 2000-2020 • Best Business Tips YEARS

43 COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

© Copyright 2020 Business Central, LLC. 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.

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mind, body and spirit

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dancing on a Star

hamber presidents need a little “Star Power” in

was mesmerized by the dancers. I gushed to

them to be successful. Most of us generally have

LuAnn Popp the next day, “I would LOVE to do that

healthy egos, enjoy the spotlight, and can weather a few

sometime!” That led to my phone ringing a few months

missteps here and there.

ago with an invitation to dance.

I am an avid reality-show watcher. I auditioned for

Each dancer chooses a charity for which to dance

Survivor twice. I rarely missed an episode of American

and raise money. I chose our very own St. Cloud

Idol. I did draw the line at The Bachelor and Big Brother –

Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation; specifically,

my reality show standards are set high.

programming that supports experiential learning

Dancing with the Stars is one of the “good” reality

for young women, builds our workforce, and keeps

shows. All the fancy dresses, beautiful movement,

students in school. My pro partner is Matthias Meyer,

and opportunity to see people step out of their boxes

a family therapist at Mississippi Heights Middle School.

in front of an audience of millions pulls me right in.

We are bravely undertaking a dance that has never been

I was a champion disco dancer in college. I took lessons and competed. Twice a week we gathered in shiny dresses and high heels at The Matador in

performed at the event. I have told him I want to do tricks, so he’d better start strength training. You’ll be hearing more about this in the coming

downtown St. Cloud and danced the nights away to

months. The competition is June 15 at the College of

the Bee Gees, Donna Summer, and Gloria Gaynor. I still

St. Benedict. It’s sure to sell out, so get your tickets as

love to dance. My husband, on the other hand, is an

soon as they go on sale. You can’t miss the opportunity

anti-dancer. Occasionally I encounter a friend at a

to see me take a few missteps.

wedding or conference who is willing to take a turn

But that spotlight will certainly be worth it.

on the floor. The vacuum cleaner also makes a great partner, depending on what room I’m cleaning. I’m telling you this because I want to convince you I am qualified to participate in the Women’s Fund of Central Minnesota’s 2020 “Dancing With Our Stars”

Celebrating

competition. 2000-2020 I attended for the first-time last year and YEARS

Teresa Bohnen Publisher

LOOKING BACK: MARCH 2000

I am an Entrepreneur That was Susan Dean in 2000 when we put the Business Spotlight on her in the March 2000 issue of Business Central. And it’s Susan today, who continues to run St. Cloud’s Newcomer Service, engaging with the business community through networking and business development.

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2019-20 BOARD MEMBERS ____________________________ Marilyn Birkland, LocaliQ Main Phone: 320-251-2940

Ron Brandenburg, Quinlivan & Hughes, Board Vice Chair

Automated Reservation Line: 320-656-3826

John Bryant, Geo-Comm

Program Hotline: 320-656-3825

Christy Gilleland, Gilleland Chevrolet Cadillac

information@StCloudAreaChamber.com StCloudAreaChamber.com ST. CLOUD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STAFF ____________________________ President: Teresa Bohnen, ext. 104

Joe Hellie, CentraCare

Sales and Services Coordinator: Erin Statz, ext. 113

Bernie Omann, St. Cloud State University Mark Osendorf, Xcel Energy Bernie Perryman, Batteries Plus Bulbs

• Wills and Trusts • Business Transitions • Family Entities

Administrative Assistant Information Specialist: Jennifer Schroeder, ext. 170

Kevin Johnson, K. Johnson Construction

Membership Sales Specialist: Antoinette Valenzuela, ext. 134

Administrative Assistant: Shelly Imdieke, ext. 100

Sales Manager: Nikki Fisher, ext. 112

Social Media & Marketing Specialist: Emily Bertram, ext. 129

Special Events Coordinator: Laura Wagner, ext. 131

Administrative Assistant: Vicki Lenneman, ext. 122

Director of Sports & Special Events: Dana Randt, ext. 110

Sales Manager: Rachel Thompson, ext. 128

Willie Jett, St. Cloud School District

Communications & Workforce Development Coordinator: Kelti Lorence, ext. 130

Executive Director: Julie Lunning, ext. 111

Jason Hallonquist, AIS Planning, Board Chair

Dennis Host, Coborn’s, Inc.

Director of Administration: Judy Zetterlund, ext. 106

Main Phone: 320-251-4170

Tanja Goering, PAM's Auto

Patrick Hollermann, InteleCONNECT

Vice President: Gail Ivers, ext. 109

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU STAFF ____________________________

Allison Waggoner, DCI, Inc. Chriss Wohlleber, Courtyard by Marriott-St. Cloud, Past Board Chair

• Estate Tax Planning • Real Estate Transfers • Probate and Guardianship Monique Halet • Stefanie Brown • Bethany Cross

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 0 // BusinessCentralMagazine.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

From lef t to right: Editor Gail Ivers at the starting line in ancient Olympia, home to the original Olympic games Ancient Olympia, Greece: Ceremonial lighting of the Olympic torch for the 2000 g a m e s i n S y d n e y, A u s t r a l i a .

Torch Bearers

ur modern-day Olympics have little in common with the ancient games that started in 776 BC. In those days the games were less of an athletic competition and more of a religious event. For almost 12 centuries they were held in ancient Olympia in Greece, home of Zeus, King of the Greek Gods. Though the location was always the same, the stadium area went through multiple incarnations as the nature of the events changed. One thing that never changed, however, was the length of the track which always measured 600 feet because that was the distance Hercules could run on a single breath. The games ended in about 393 AD. In 1896 Baron Pierre de Coubertin returned the games to the modern world when they were hosted in Athens. By extreme good fortune I was in ancient Olympia the day of the Olympic torch lighting ceremony for the 2000 games in Australia. A group of young women, representing the Vestal Virgins, entered the stadium. They performed some graceful dance moves at the Temple of Hera before lighting the torch using the sun's rays concentrated by a parabolic mirror. The torch was presented to the first relay runner who left the stadium — first paying homage at a monument erected nearby in honor of Baron

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de Coubertin, before beginning the route to Sydney. I was home well before the torch reached Australia, and you can bet that I made sure to watch it arrive at the stadium to light the cauldron. I also made a point of watching the closing ceremony. It’s not very often that you see the beginning, the middle, and the end of a race across the world. It turns out that St. Cloud has many ties to the Olympics. I did a little research and found the names of six Olympians who had ties to St. Cloud State University. In addition, I found several who were either born, graduated from high school, or lived in Central Minnesota: • William Whaling shot rapid-fire pistol at the 1924 Paris Olympics. • Phil Rogosheske was a member of the four-person flatwater kayak team in the 1972 Munich Olympics • Carol Peterka was on the handball team in the 1988 Seoul, South Korea,

2012 London games and was the silver medalist at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. • Anne Schleper won a silver medal in Sochi, Russia, as a member of the 2014 Winter Olympics U.S. women's hockey team. • Mike Schultz won a gold medal in snowboard cross at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

A sports enthusiast, Sara Cuperus, Chiropractic Performance Center (see the story on page 32) knows a little something about the Olympics as well. She has twice been selected as a volunteer to work at the Olympic Training Center where she helps the athletes reach peak performance. I was a swimmer in high school, but while in ancient Olympia I took a spin around what was left of the racing track. I came in first.

Olympics; the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain; and 1996 Olympics

Until next issue,

in Atlanta.

• Ron Backes competed in the shot put in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. • Aaron Cross competed in archery at

the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta and

PS: If you know of other native

the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney.

Central Minnesotans who have

• Alise Rose Post, arguably one of our most well-known Olympians,

competed in the Olympics, let me

competed in Women's BMX at the

in a future issue of Business Central.

know and I'll share them with readers

Publisher Teresa Bohnen Managing Editor Gail Ivers Associate Editor Dawn Zimmerman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Teresa Bohnen, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Steve Greenfield, Greenfield Communications Dr. Fred E. Hill, St. Cloud State University Gail Ivers, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Ari Kaufman, Freelance writer Kelti Lorence, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

ADVERTISING Associate Publisher/Sales Melinda Vonderahe Ad Traffic & Circulation Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media ART Design & Production Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media

Lynn MacDonald, St. Cloud State University

Cover Story Photography Joel Butkowski, BDI Photography

Mary MacDonell Belisle, mary macdonell Belisle - wordingforyou

ACCOUNTING Judy Zetterlund

Ryan McCormick, Great River Regional Library Jeanine Nistler, Freelance Writer

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 Melinda Vonderahe, (320) 656-3808

Celebrating WEBSITE 2000-2020 Vicki Lenneman YEARS

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.

Jessie Storlien, Stearns History Museum

Improving Lives

ONE SURGERY AT A TIME

Having his right hip replaced a few years earlier, Mike LaFountaine knew he would return to the St. Cloud Surgical Center to have his left hip replaced. But what he didn’t know was that the timing would make him the St. Cloud Surgical Center’s 1,000th Joint Replacement Patient.

“

I woke up from surgery with a celebratory piece of cake from the staff,” remembers Mike. “I felt pretty special.”

The orthopedic surgeons at St. Cloud Surgical Center have utilized robotic-assisted technology for same-day joint replacement since 2014. 1,000th Joint Replacement Patient Mike LaFountaine, St. Cloud

“

It continues to amaze me that I drove a half a mile, walked into surgery, and walked out the same day with a new hip – twice! said Mike. “In a lot of ways, these surgeries saved my life.”

Contact us today to take control of your joint pain. Better Care, Better Costs, Better Recovery… Better YOU. 1526 Northway Drive, St. Cloud, MN 56303 |

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N E WS & P E O P L E T H AT M A K E U P T H E C H A M B E R N E T WO R K

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Digging Histor y / Your Vo ice in Gove r nme nt / To p H a ts / Do it N ow !

BOOK REVIEW

NEWS REEL

Truth in Chaos

Robokoff joins AGC Agency

Finding meaning in life, beyond your own interests, is the best path to happiness. Reviewed by Dr. Fred Hill

he publication, The Spectator, says that Jordan B. Peterson is one of the most important thinkers to emerge on the world stage for many years. National Review reports that he is the right man for the right time, someone capable of showing young men that cleaning up their rooms has cosmic significance, and that imposing a little order upon chaos is good for the soul, which in turn is good for the world. Dr. Peterson’s book helps to discover the simple, yet profound, rules for sorting yourself out, setting your house in order, and improving the world by first improving yourself. The titles of the rules do not easily reveal the power of the rules, as you will soon see. However, reading the book is mind expanding. Rule 1: Stand up straight with your shoulders back.

AGC Agency hired Meshach Robokoff as a technical specialist. Robokoff will support desktop

Rule 2: Treat yourself like

someone you are responsible for helping. Rule 3: Make friends with people who want the best for you. Rule 4: Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today. Rule 5: Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them. Rule 6: Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world. Rule 7: Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient. Rule 8: Tell the truth – or, at least, don’t lie. Rule 9: Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t. Rule 10: Be precise in your speech. Rule 11: Do not bother children when they are skateboarding. Rule 12: Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.

Here are a few of his pithy and purposeful statements that help put meaning to his rules: Modern moral relativism has many sources. –––––– Relationship between conflict and territory. –––––– The domain, not of matter, but of what matters. –––––– Minimum necessary force. Ideologies are substitutes for true knowledge. Read this book and give your brain and mind the opportunity for a good workout. Stretching yourself beyond the boundaries of your current self requires carefully choosing and pursuing ideals. There are truths in chaos. Dr. Fred E. Hill is an emeritus professor at St. Cloud State University.

applications both on-site and remotely, and assist with hardware deployment and configuration.

Initiative Foundation awards grants The Initiative Foundation and its Partner Funds awarded nearly $390,000 in grants during the third quarter of 2019. These grants support workforce hiring initiatives, a study on the restoration of historic buildings, a workplace for the city of Becker’s energy transition, and more.

Central McGowan receives job creation funding Central McGowan received $120,000 from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s (DEED) Job Creation Fund. This fund provides financial incentives to new and expanding businesses that meet certain job creation and capital investment targets.

Rajkowski Hansmeier hires Rajkowski Hansmeier hired Timothy Hrubetz as an associate attorney. Hrubetz will primarily practice in general litigation, insurance defense and real property.

1 2 R ul es For Li fe; An Ant i dot e To Chaos, by Jo rdan B. Peter so n , R an do m Ho u se Ca na d a , Ca na d a , 2 0 18 , IS BN 97 8-0-34 5 -81 602-3

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Send News Reel items to Gail Ivers, givers@businesscentralmagazine.com for possible inclusion. News Reel is compiled by Kelti Lorence.

Gate City Bank

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The BetterLife™ Student Loan Program, the only program of its kind in the nation, has helped over 2,250 customers since 2015.

NEW LOCATIONS NOW OPEN

Sauk Rapids - Coborn’s 110 1st Street South

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Member FDIC

NETWORK

UPFRONT

NEWS REEL

DIGGING HISTORY

CMBA appoints government affairs consultant

Glory Haze

Minnesota Builders

Tobacco production and cigar factories ruled St. Cloud in the early 1900s.

Association

By Jessie Storlien

The Central

(CMBA) hired Steve Gottwalt as its new Government Affairs Consultant. Gottwalt will represent CMBA members before local, state and national government officials, the business community and the public, and monitor government affairs activities, keeping CMBA members informed about relevant issues.

BerganKDV named top firm; staff earn certification

T Forbes recently named BerganKDV as one of America’s top recommended tax and accounting firms. In addition BerganKDV was awarded the 2019 Human Capital Management Partner of the Year award from Kronos. This award is based on exceptional year-over-year growth, operational excellence and a consistent top ten ranking within the Kronos network. Jeff Eikmeier, senior accountant at BerganKDV, earned the Sage Intacct Implementation Specialist certification.

Marco announces acquisition Marco recently purchased Image Systems for Business, Inc., a copier/printer company in Somerset, New Jersey.

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obacco was a popular crop in Stearns County at the turn of the century. A suitable climate and soil made this an ideal crop for farmers in the area. At the time, farmers in southern and western Stearns County produced hundreds of pounds of tobacco per year. In 1930, the state of Minnesota boasted a yield of 2.9 million pounds of tobacco, and in 1937, Richmond alone cultivated 65,000 pounds of tobacco. Tobacco is a demanding crop. In a 1998 Sauk Centre Herald article, Bud Bromen recalled his family’s time raising tobacco: “For three summers, my father waited for us to come home the last day of school and waved us to come help in the tobacco field.” Bromen learned firsthand that tobacco farming requires extensive labor by many hands. Seeds are planted in February, and grown in hot

Jake Kron planting tobacco in Farming, Minn., 1937

beds until the plants are about six to eight inches high. Around June it is warm enough to transplant them into the field, which requires constant weeding. “By the time you got to the end of the 10 acres, you had to start over at the other end,” Bromen recalled. While growing, the plants require removal of unproductive leaves called suckers. In August the tops are removed to keep the plants from going to seed. These processes ensure the plant will grow large leaves for harvesting. During harvesting, the now four-foot-tall plants are chopped off just above the ground. The plants are hung in drying sheds, ventilated by pulled out wall boards. After drying, the leaves are stripped from the stalks, and the tobacco is baled into 50 pound bales before

being transported to tobacco corporations for processing. The tobacco leaves yielded in Stearns County were used for the early cigar factories that dotted St. Cloud’s downtown in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. There were seven cigar manufacturers at the time, the largest being the Julius Adams Cigar Factory. Having learned cigar making in his native Trier, Germany, Adams opened his St. Cloud shop in 1895. By 1902, business was so successful that Adams had built new headquarters at 712 St. Germain Street for the growing production line. When a reporter from the St. Cloud Times toured the new building, he wrote: “There are few cities, if any west of Chicago, that can boast of having a finer and better equipped cigar factory than the city of St. Cloud.” At its peak in 1906, the Julius Adams Cigar Factory had 36 employees, producing 1.5 million cigars, with 20

Photos courtesy of the Stearns History Museum.

Julius Adams Cigar Factor y, St. Cloud, ca 1900

Most of the cigars sold for five cents each, and all of them came with the Adams imprint stenciled on the band. brands. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those who are in the habit of buying cheap trust cigars would do well to patronize home industry, as one is assured of getting better goods, such as manufactured by Mr. Adams, in our home city,â&#x20AC;? declared the St. Cloud Times. The brands included Idella, Sweet Marie, Belle of St. Cloud, City Cousin, Sweet Rose, and St. Cloud Telegram. Most of the cigars sold for five cents each, and all of them came with the Adams imprint stenciled on the band.

The Julius Adams Cigar Factory wrapped and packaged cigars until 1942, when it closed its doors. Cigar making and tobacco farming were no longer flourishing businesses. The growing popularity of cigarettes (which use a different type of tobacco than that grown in Minnesota), droughts, and a surplus of tobacco led the decline of both tobacco production and cigar factories. Some farmers continued producing tobacco into the

At its peak in 1906, the Julius Adams Cigar Factor y had 36 employees, producing 1.5 million cigars, ca 1903

1970s. However, since the 1980s, a family near Eden Valley is the only remaining tobacco producer in Stearns County. Jessie Storlien is an archivist at the Stearns History Museum in

The Pelzer-Nistler toba cco farm, Maine Prairie Township, 1927

St. Cloud.

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NETWORK

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NEWS REEL

YO U R VO I C E I N G OV E R N M E N T

Worker and Wage Management Employer mandates are expected to be part of the 2020 legislative session. By Teresa Bohnen

compliance and review the additional paperwork being generated by this law? Does the cost of compliance vs. the cost of actual wage theft (estimated at $12 million a year) make sense?

Holly Ball sets record The 45th annual Holly Ball, presented by the CentraCare Foundation, raised a recordbreaking $865,000. More than 2,000 guests attended the 2019 event. (clockwise starting in back row): Vice Chair Jodi Erkens, Chanda Gebhardt, Lily Tenvoorde, Jessica Soldner, Melissa Rothstein, and Kelly Wahlin.

Marco promotes employees Marco promoted four employees to help expand and enhance the company’s offerings. Clay Ostlund was named chief technology officer; Trevor Akervik was named vice president of IT managed services; Steve John was named vice president of IT services; and Matt Kanaskie was named vice president of IT sales operations.

Fisher receives top awards Nikki Fisher, Visit Greater St. Cloud, earned the Supplier of the Year award and the President’s Award from the Society of Government Meeting Professionals (SGMP) Minnesota Northern Lights Chapter. Visit Greater St. Cloud is the brand of the St. Cloud Area Chamber’s Convention & Visitors Bureau.

UCP appoints executive director Sheri Wegner has been appointed executive director of United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Minnesota.

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he Wage Theft Law, enacted during the 2019 Minnesota Legislative Session, has resulted in additional reporting and paperwork for both businesses and state government. The intent of the law is worthwhile: to ensure employees receive all wages due to them. To many business leaders, however, it seems overly punitive to everyone, rather than seeking out and taking action against those who violate employees’ rights. To address these business concerns, Central Minnesota’s legislators anticipate that a number of amendments will be proposed during the 2020 legislative session to help make the Wage Theft Law more effective and less cumbersome. Forty St. Cloud area business leaders recently gathered with their state legislators to discuss the

impacts of worker and wage management legislation on their businesses. Following is a summary of that discussion: ––––––– The law is not clear. Details and regulations written by the Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI) are inconsistent and confusing. Instead of using a broad brush, the agency should seek ways to gain compliance from those who engage in wage theft. ––––––– DOLI should consider directing resources to hotlines, exception reporting, and opportunities for employees to report if they feel they are not being paid correctly, instead of putting the total burden on employers to prove compliance. ––––––– What is the number of government employees being added to monitor

––––––– Many bonuses, annual incentives, and other pay are held longer than the 30-day period mandated by the new law. Will popular wage incentive tools be eliminated by this law? ––––––– As jobs change and employees work on different projects, their paperwork requirements under this law also change, and they must complete new forms. The employees may not understand why they are being asked for new paperwork. Explaining that this is a government requirement is difficult and creates inefficiencies for employees, as well as employers. ––––––– The law applies to organizations with ten or fewer employees. It creates disincentive for small businesses to expand the number of jobs they offer. ––––––– This law seems to further confuse and complicate the minimum wage laws being passed in many municipalities.

Let’s fix your marketing.

TO P H ATS

They start with a no-obligation call to us.

B O

TI A

LI N

40-YEAR MEMBER Peters Body Shop, Inc, body shop specializing in auto body repair and painting and mechanical repair, 205 Osseo Ave. N, St. Cloud. Pictured: Tammy Buttweiler, Glen Sunder, Christa Boone.

NEW BUSINESS Farmers Insurance District 02, supporting current and future agents, 700 Commerce Drive, ste 140, Woodbury. Pictured: April Diederich, Rocky Smith, Luke Cesnik.

45-YEAR MEMBER St. Cloud Toyota, auto dealer, new and used vehicles, auto parts and service, 418 2nd Street S, Waite Park. Pictured: April Diederich, Mick Henkemeyer, Marie Quinn, Jon Viemeister, Nate Laudenbach, Peg Imholte.

FF A

V D

GreenfieldComm.com 320.260.5744

20-YEAR MEMBER St. Cloud Area Family Y, a community health and wellness facility focused on healthy living, youth development and social responsibility, 2001 Stockinger Dr, St. Cloud. Pictured: Beth Putz, Greg Gack, Heather Sabin, Terese Vander Eyk, and Amanda Groethe.

Better results don’t just happen. They start with serious thinking, smart approaches and proven experience.

NEW BUSINESS Odegard Benefit Services, LLC, insurance agency specializing in employee benefit plan design, underwriting and day to day management, 21308 John Milless Drive, ste 102, Rogers. Pictured: Patrick Hollermann, Jim Odegard, Bernie Perryman.

NEW BUSINESS Jolie Olie's Sweet Shoppe, catering, lunch, brunch, breakfast, special occasions, anniversary parties and celebratory events, 1728 9th Ave. SE, St. Cloud. Pictured: Peg Imholte, Jolane Wood, Matt Knutson. NEW BUSINESS Kami Fritz - Counselor Realty, investments and property management, 15633 122nd Street, Becker. Pictured: Patrick Hollermann, Aaron Trompeter. Kami Fritz, Peg Imholte.

Integrity. Ambition. Excellence. We have more than a few things in common. From your cherished business to your personal endeavors, your success is what drives us. Together, We get the job done!

Learn more at StearnsBank.com

• Business loans • Equipment finance • Rewarding banking options

| 800-320-7262 | Member FDIC

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NETWORK

UPFRONT

NEWS REEL

PEOPLE TO KNOW

Grant helps Cold Spring Brewery expand

Get to know these people, it’ll be worth your time!

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded the City of Cold Spring with $950,000 to assist with constructing a water line to support the expansion of Cold Spring Brewing Company. Cold Spring Brewing Company will invest $37 million in new employees.

Bernie Perryman Batteries Plus Bulbs ________

Jim Beck Modern Barnyard ________

DeZURIK opens new center in Canada

Phone: (320) 230-2332 Email: bernie@mnbattery.com Chair, Government Affairs Committee

Phone: (320) 253-8033 Email: modernbarnyard@gmail.com Chair, Diversity Council

DeZURIK, Inc. opened a new

________

15,000 square feet rapid

The Government Affairs Committee researches legislative issues, makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding legislative policy positions, organizes trips to the Capitol and legislative updates, and maintains contact with area legislators and other elected officials.

The purpose of the Chamber’s Diversity Council is to support an inclusive business community by encouraging all Chamber members to advocate, enhance and promote equity of opportunity in all their business practices.

their expansion and add 117

fulfillment and service center in Leduc, Alberta, Canada. The new facility will inventory a variety of valves, actuators and accessories required to meet the needs of facilities in the oil sands and mining industries of Alberta. In addition, the facility will offer full

DO IT NOW!

repair and rebuild services for DeZURIK products.

Programs receive grant funding The Central Minnesota Community Foundation distributed $92,500 in grants through the Central Minnesota Women’s Fund and Julianne Williams Fund. Recipients

Clean Out the Clutter Five ways to organize your life now.

on’t wait for the right time to start fresh. Here are five ways to clean out clutter and get back on track today.

included: GREAT Theatre; Anna Marie’s Alliance; Big Brothers Big Sisters; Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota; Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin Lakes and Pines; and the Village Family Service Center.

Charity Challenge raises $570,000 The 2019 Charity Challenge, organized and supported by the Norman C. Skalicky Foundation and the Central Minnesota Community Foundation, raised $568,622 during the 2019 holiday season. The total includes a $150,000 match from the Norman C. Skalicky Foundation.

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Write it down.

Don’t rely solely on your memory. We all have a tough time remembering things, especially as our jobs, friends and family require more time and attention from us. Keeping your to-do lists, goals, passwords, and other lists written down somewhere allows you to look back anytime, even when you forget your own name.

Make back-ups of everything.

Never lock your only set of keys in the car again! Keep copies of your bank details, birth certificate, insurance, and land titles in a safe, and a back-up of photos on a hard drive.

Practice putting everything in place.

Make a place for everything in your life. Always put items back where you got them, and eventually this will become habit.

Clean tiny and daily.

Spend 15 minutes each day cleaning up an area of your life, office or home. Doing

a little bit each day, rather than saving it all for one day, not only reduces stress but you are more likely to do it.

Donate or throw one thing out before buying something new.

Before adding, subtract. Have something you’re not sure you’re ready to part with? Set it aside, and if you still haven’t needed it in three months, throw it out. The Bottom Line:

To become more organized and reduce stress, focus on small tasks or your top five priority areas. Daily practice will eventually become habit!

TO P H ATS

NEW BUSINESS Allied Chiropractic, P.A., specializing in sports performance, injury prevention, and family wellness, 1011 2nd Street N, ste 202, St. Cloud. Pictured: Jason Miller, Dustin Emblom, Diane Diego Ohmann.

NEW BUSINESS Matt Cecko Remodeling, LLC, a full-service home remodeling company. Services include kitchens, bathroom, windows, doors, and handyman projects, 24326 19th Ave., St. Cloud. Pictured: Sheri Moran, Matt Cecko, Tammy Buttweiler.

NEW MEMBER Simplicity Health, family medicine and direct primary care, 1511 Northway Drive, ste 103, St. Cloud. Pictured: Caryn Stadther, Julie Anderson, Tammy Buttweiler.

NEW MEMBER Avis Budget Group, Inc., serves the St. Cloud and surrounding area with all your car and truck rental needs, 2239 Roosevelt Rd, St. Cloud. Pictured: Jason Miller, Abdi Mohamed, Caryn Stadther.

NEW MEMBER Applied Food Solutions, a business improvement consulting firm specializing in Continuous Improvement (CI) methods, 1511 Cougar Lane, Sartell. Pictured: Jason Miller, Donald Burge, Jr., Ph.D., Tammy Buttweiler.

NEW MEMBER For All of Maternity (4AM Doulas), St. Cloud's one-stop-shop for all thing’s pregnancy, under one roof, 2026 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud. Pictured: Jason Bernick, Paula Roufs, Sheri Moran.

NEW BUSINESS Pantown Brewing Company, a locally owned small batch craft brewery located in the Pantown Neighborhood in St. Cloud, 408 37th Ave. N, St. Cloud. Pictured: Jason Miller, Noel Johnson, Nick Flies, Marty Czech, Tammy Buttweiler.

NEW MEMBER Granite City Motor Car, offers late model, low mileage showroom quality vehicles, 3959 2nd Street S, ste 103, St. Cloud. Pictured: Diane Diego Ohmann, Erik Faul, Ron Vossen, Kayla Diederich, Tonia Potthoff, Steve Bright, Luke Cesnik.

your care,

YOUR CHOICE.

When it comes to bone, joint, and muscle care, remember—you have a choice of who your treatment comes from. As an independent healthcare practice, St. Cloud Orthopedics was built just for patients like you. We give you the advantage of one-on-one care from nationallyknown experts who also happen to be your neighbors. From treatment through recovery, we’ll be with you every step of the way. Ask for us by name.

Ask for

ST. CLOUD ORTHOPEDICS 320-259-4100

StCloudOrthopedics.com

1901 Connecticut Ave S, Sartell, MN 56377

3315 Roosevelt Rd. 200B St. Cloud, MN 56301

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NETWORK |

NETWORK

PROFIT

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

M O R E O N E V E N T S : Fo r i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e s e o r o t h e r b u s i n e s s e v e n t s , c a l l 3 2 0 - 2 51 - 2 9 4 0 o r v i s i t S t C l o u d A r e a C h a m b e r. c o m a n d c l i c k o n â&#x20AC;&#x153; C a l e n d a r.â&#x20AC;?

Sauk Rapids Chamber

Bernie Perryman, Batteries Plus Bulbs, cohosted the Sauk Rapids Chamber meeting in October.

Mary and Jay Carlson, JayMar Painting; Reggie Vanlonden, SuperGreen Solutions of Central Minnesota

Joyce Linn, Primerica Financial Services (L) and Katrina Crouse, InteleCONNECT

Sam Freese (L) and Jake Lubbesmeier, Anytime Fitness

Brandon Gerads, Ehlinger & Associates, Inc./ American Family Insurance (L) and Gary Robinson, Homeowners Financial Group

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Kim Orn American Cancer Society, cohosted the Sauk Rapids Chamber meeting with Batteries Plus Bulbs

Le Neigh Saldana, American Edge (L); Roger Schleper, Premier Real Estate Services; Lisa Braun, City of St. Cloud

Tammy Buttweiler, United Way of Central Minnesota (L) and Sauk RapidsRice Student of the Month Leah Mohs

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Government Affairs The Chamberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Government Affairs meetings cover everything from the legislative session to new laws impacting the business community.

Teresa Bohnen, Chamber President (L); Rep. Tim O'Driscoll; Senators Jeff Howe and Jerry Relph; Representatives Lisa Demuth and Tama Theis

Deb Huschle, Gabriel Media (L) and Rep. Tama Theis Patti Gartland, GSDC (front); Mark Osendorf; Xcel Energy (back, left); John Wolak, Arvig/Time Communications; Rep. Lisa Demuth

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NETWORK

PROFIT

R E S O U RC E S T H AT H E L P YO U R B U S I N E SS G ROW

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : M a n a g e m e n t To o l k i t / E n t r e p r e n e u r i s m / E c o n o m y C e n t r a l b y Fa l c o n B a n k MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT

Teamwork Diversity is the key factor in creating innovative teams. By Ryan McCormick

f you’re reading this article in any sort of business or organizational setting, it is probably safe to assume you are not too far from a poster or other artwork extolling the virtues of teamwork. Teamwork is both inspiring and a practical necessity. The idea that we can accomplish far more in concert, than we ever could alone, is one of the basic principles of a society and at the root of nearly every notable accomplishment in history. And yet human beings are complex creatures. Any group of assembled people will bring with them their own priorities, fears, and experiences. How then, does a team leader not just overcome, but even capitalize on, these differences so the team might reach its

fullest potential and reach the success and glory promised by the poster on the office wall? The first step is deciding who is on the team. This is a crucial decision in any team environment, but particularly when forming a team to solve a problem. To misquote Linus Pauling, “To get a good idea, get lots of ideas.” A similar group of people will often come up with a similar group of ideas. As such, creating a diverse team is imperative. In her LinkedIn Learning course, “Enhancing Team Innovation,” Gemma Leigh Roberts cites research that has found diversity is the key factor in creating innovative teams. Individuals’ backgrounds, perspectives, and strengths should all be

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carefully considered when creating a team. Once the team is assembled, the work begins. In their book, The Best Team Wins: The New Science of High Performance, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton attempt to identify what makes a team effective. The book discusses the authors’ extensive research and findings on the topic. Most notably, they found that a team leader’s “soft skills” are the most important factor in determining a team’s success. Using case studies, real world anecdotes, and statistical evidence, the book provides the “Five Disciplines of Team Leaders” that can be used to develop these soft skills as well as a toolkit of ideas to inspire your team. Even if a leader does everything right in assembling and leading their team, challenges will likely remain. Again, we’re humans. Patrick Lencioni’s bestselling book Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team helps the reader identify and conquer some of the most common obstacles in teamwork. The book is written as a fictional story, making it a quick and engaging read. Lencioni followed up the book a couple of years later with

an accompanying field guide featuring additional strategies to overcoming these common obstacles. Of course, teamwork is a large and complex concept. There are many theories and approaches to successfully creating and leading a team. One thing they all share however is an acknowledgement of the subject’s importance. Some studies have found that, in a typical company, nearly 80 percent of an employee’s day is spent working collaboratively. Further, most millennials, who are now nearly half of the current U.S. workforce, prefer to work in teams when given a choice. In a world in need of collaborative problem solving, we should all probably take working together more seriously. Ryan McCormick is patron services supervisor at the Great River Regional Library.

The book titles mentioned, and LinkedIn Learning, are all available through your local library or at griver.org

TECH NEWS

Launch Minnesota Minnesotaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s small business startups could receive help from the state.

aunch Minnesota, the new Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) program that carves out $2.5 million for startup entrepreneurs, is taking shape. Announced earlier this year, the bipartisan initiative now has some specifics. The program started taking applications at the end of October 2019. They will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Eligible companies must be headquartered in Minnesota, younger than 10 years old and less than $1 million in revenue. The grants are reimbursements of up to

$35,000 for business expenses, $7,500 for housing or childcare expenses and up to $50,000 for first-time recipients of Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer grants. While the grants will be available to entrepreneurs within the Twin Cities, they're designed to benefit founders from greater Minnesota, as well as women and founders of color. Launch Minnesota is a collaboration between the legislature and DEED, passed in an omnibus bill during the legislature's special session in May.

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BUSINESSTOOLS

ENTREPRENEURISM

Say What?

Are you being too smart for your company’s own good? by Steve Greenfield

doesn’t. Do you know what CPI and ADA mean? Maybe. But each has a different definition in at least three different fields. There’s a simple remedy: Pretend you’re new to your own industry. Would you grasp the acronyms and slang you’re now using? If not, keep clarifying the terms until everyone can understand you. B Playing Buzzword Bingo

o one has ever finished reading Business Central and said, “I didn’t understand anything in there.” That’s because this magazine is written in an interesting manner, using terms we recognize no matter what industry we’re in. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of everyone. Many of us are guilty of using impressive sounding, yet confusing, words when we talk, write emails, or make presentations. You probably heard something like this already today: We completed a deep dive on a forward-looking initiative to leverage our pivot to value-added, customer-centric enhancements. Huh? At best, that’s confusing. At worst, it makes us all feel stupid. Since when

are either of those a good idea? Everyone would have understood had they replaced the fancy words with, “We’re improving our service.” To be fair, most people don’t realize they’re doing this. Somewhere along the way, they simply began thinking that business language needs to sound more impressive than everyday language, even if it sacrifices clarity. Here are three ways to tell if you’re being too smart for your company’s own good: A Using industry acronyms with outsiders This is a common one, and we’ve all done it. Our colleagues know our industry’s terminology, but we often forget that the rest of the world

A few paragraphs ago you read an exaggerated example of buzzwords, but that sentence could have also included ideation, thought leader,

mission-critical, and many other buzzwords that are annoyingly hifalutin. (Hifalutin isn’t a buzzword, but it probably qualifies as being annoying. Sorry about that.) Buzzwords are defined as being fashionable for a brief period, but some never go away. State-of-the-art hasn’t been state-of-the-art for years, yet it remains popular. I’ve never figured out what a paradigm is, but apparently people like to shift it.

Steve Greenfield owns Greenfield Communications, a public relations, advertising and research firm in St. Cloud. You won’t find any fancy words at GreenfieldComm.com.

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C Being too polished You see this every day in formal, carefully-structured statements, often as quotes in news releases. The spokespeople certainly seem educated. They perfectly deliver the company line. And they sound incredibly stiff. They would be more believable – and likeable – if they included things like “we’re not half bad” or “that dog won’t hunt.”

Years of corporate-speak have made it so we’re no longer able to clearly communicate with everyday people.

Contributor ________

Why not just keep it simple? The danger of saying “synergistic approach” in a meeting is that someone might ask what it really means.

Years of corporate-speak have made it so we’re no longer able to clearly communicate with everyday people, often the ones who are our customers and clients. Luckily, there’s also an easy fix for this: Knock it off. I’ve run out of space to provide more examples, but perhaps you could verbally interface with your team to drill down on other low-hanging fruit. Now I’m doing it, too! Apparently, I need a paradigm shift.

ECONOMICS

Home Office Deduction

Small business owners may qualify for a home office deduction that will help them save money on their taxes, and benefit their bottom line.

axpayers can take a home office deduction if they use a portion of their home exclusively, and on a regular basis, for any of the following: As the taxpayer’s main place of business. –––––––––– As a place of business where the taxpayer meets patients, clients or customers. The taxpayer must meet these people in the normal course of business. –––––––––– If it is a separate structure that is not attached to the taxpayer’s home. The taxpayer must use this structure in connection with their business. –––––––––– A place where the taxpayer stores inventory or samples. This place must be the sole, fixed location of their business.

Deductible expenses for business use of a home include: • Real estate taxes • Mortgage interest • Rent • Casualty losses • Utilities • Insurance • Depreciation • Repairs and Maintenance

TECH NEWS

Space Savers Too little space, or too much stuff in all the wrong places? Bumblebee’s customized modular systems give you sleeping and storage space when you need it, and it fits in just about any floorplan. They key is hiding everything in the ceiling.

Source: IRS.gov

For more information and resources on the home office deduction visit BusinessCentralMagazine.com

Check out the cool demo at BusinessCentral Magazine.com.

The Choice is Yours... Choose the Best! Working with buyers, sellers, Realtors, Lenders and Builders throughout Central and Greater Minnesota

Back Row L to R: Mary Weis, Mary Schneider, Brenda Roettger

Front Row L to R: Melanie Walz, Sue Lentner, Jan Carlson, Mary Jo Schepers

Professional Residential & Commercial Closing Services Title Insurance / Construction Disbursing Experts Abstracting / Tax Deferred 1031 Exchanges

meta13.com • 320-230-1223

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Economy Central presented by

ECONOMY CENTRAL

Job Changers There's a belief that employees are changing jobs more frequently than in the past, but does the data support the perception? By Lynn MacDonald

tart any conversation about the workforce and someone will mention the fact that employees are changing jobs all the time. The question is, is it actually a fact? Since the early 1980s, there’s been a persistent downward trend, across multiple measures, of labor market fluidity. People aren’t changing jobs as frequently, they aren’t moving across local labor markets, and the list goes on. This is true across the U.S., though there are variations by state. In Minnesota we are seeing even less labor market fluidity than the national average. It would seem reasonable that if people are now changing jobs less frequently than in the past, they would also have longer tenure with their employers. This contradicts the common perception that

there’s less job stability and that employment tenures are now shorter than in the past. Let’s dig into the data. For this discussion, tenure refers to the length of time an employee has worked for an employer. From the 1980s onward, average tenure has stayed relatively consistent. However, two surprising results emerge once different tenure ranges are explored: 1). Short tenure (less than 1 year with an employer) has declined over time and 2). Very long tenure (20+ years with an employer) is modestly higher today than in the past, but differs by gender. Short tenure has declined about 20 percent since the mid-1990s. Retention is rising at shorter tenure levels, meaning fewer people are

Contributor ________ Lynn MacDonald is an associate professor of economics, St. Cloud State University. For the sources used in this article visit BusinessCentralMagazine.com

BusinessCentral Magazine.com // M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 0

making employer-to-employer transitions and more people are making it to their one-year anniversary milestone. Workers moving immediately from

11 percent of men age 40-49, 26 percent of men age 50-59, and 32 percent of men age 60-64 report having tenure of 20 years or more. Compared to the 1980s, these represent declines in very long tenure of about 8 percent (age 40-49 and age 60-64) and 13 percent (age 50-59). These are substantial declines in very long tenure for men that are not related to skill. Only 20 percent of this decline is explained by changes in industry, such as shifts of employment out of manufacturing. In the past, more than one in three men would achieve very long tenure. Now

People aren’t changing jobs as frequently, they aren’t moving across local labor markets, and the list goes on.

one employer to another is happening less frequently, and this is especially pronounced for workers with very short tenure of three months or less. Married women, age 40 and over, have seen gains in very long tenure, while unmarried women have not. The largest gains have gone to women age 50-59. In the 1980s, 15 percent of women reported having tenure of 20+ years compared to 21 percent today. This marks a 6 percent increase in very long tenure for women age 50-59. Conversely, men have seen a decline in very long tenure across all age groups. Today,

about one in four will. For many sectors and many workers, we have as much stability as we ever have. However, short tenure is declining broadly. Very long tenure has risen and stabilized for women, while declining for men. Perhaps the decline in very long tenure for men leads to the impression that employees are changing jobs more often. Or perhaps our sense of instability comes from other factors such as concern over financial instability. It isn’t clear if these changing labor market conditions are good or bad, but they are certainly worth considering.

E PARK,

$300M

Residential Building Permits

November

85,721*

467,193

80,396

$80M

E PARK,

4,272*

22,542

16,488

December

Home Sales Closed

October

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

Economy September

E CO N OM I C I N D I C ATO R S & T R E N D S

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD

Central presented by ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

COLOR KEY:August

TOTAL: $63,885,721* Compiled by Amber Sunder, data current as of 2/5/2020

July 2019 Jan Feb December Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

2019

46 $1,509,887

39 $1,084,477

500

$500k

ST. CLOUD

September

Commercial 2017 2018 2019* August #/$ #/$ #/$

TOTAL: $178,724,272*

St. Cloud

2019

341 383 338 $89,192,774 $231,596,447 $116,566,743

July December

Sartell 44 50 36 June $89,959,156 $13,856,200 $12,784,000 November

TOTAL: $288,822,542

34 $16,509,793

Waite Park 73 Apr September $6,403,398

83 $7,260,629

$24,841,483 ST. CLOUD 136 $15,234,330

TOTAL: 1823

2017

St. Augusta Mar 13 August $2,107,200

7 $1,587,313 2019

7 $271,600

St. Joseph Feb July

70 $18,129,160

61 $0

56 $19,525,262

$500k

$9,026,116

Jan June December 2019 St. Cloud totals not available at time of print. *Total as of 2/5/20;

2000

$2M

$200M $250M $300M TOTAL: $288,822,542

Food and Beverage 55

2018

Sauk Rapids 32 May $14,128,688 October

TOTAL:1815

TOTAL: $178,724,272*

$150M

500

B U I L D I N G P E R M I T S BY C O M M U N I T Y

1500

$100M

73 $3,304,271

Food and Beverage

TOTAL: 1789

TOTAL: $1,340,279*

TOTAL: $1,566,952

TOTAL: $1,523,946

$1.5M

$50M

98 $6,043,519

November

1000

$1M $0M

2017

140 $4,433,502

February

October

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH TOTAL: $221,316,488

2019

2018

January 0 at time of print. *Total as of 2/5/20; December 2019 St. Cloud totals not available December

$80M

Commercial Building Permits

2017

December

Waite Park 70 April $4,244,281

500

Home Sales Closed in St. Cloud Area

$70M

November

165 $8,585,270

St. Joseph

$60M

October

174 $8,409,293

Commercial Building Permits

2019

2018

Sauk Rapids 199 May $7,908,010

St. Augusta 88 72 73 March $6,116,630 $6,469,120 $5,979,717

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

2018

380 309 $20,426,812 0$18,954,216

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

$50M

September

$40M

TOTAL:$70,880,396

607

Sartell 299 January$15,947,945 June

2019

$30M

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

2017

597

2018

$20M

622

2017

$10M

Home Sales Closed

$32,230,127 $25,555,950 $25,977,770 February July 2019

$0M

August

St. Cloud

$60M $70M $80M TOTAL: $66,467,193

Food and Beverage Tax Collection

ST. CLOUD

$0 2017

August

$50M

July

$40M

June

September

2019

2018

2017

2018

$30M

May

$20M

April

$10M

2018

Residential 2017 2018 2019* March #/$ #/$ #/$

2019 $0M

May October

BUILDING P E R M I T S BY C O M M U N I T Y April

TOTAL: $63,885,721*

2017

March

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH TOTAL:$70,880,396

June November

February

January

December

Residential Building Permits

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

Apr

Mar

Feb

Jan

2018

TOTAL: $66,467,193

2018

May and St. Joseph. Sources: Building departments for the following cities: St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, Waite Park, St. Augusta, Apr

TOTAL: $221,316,488 2017

2018-2019

2017

Non Farm Jobs Mar

Unemployment Rates

2018-19 % CHANGE

Source: positivelyminnesota.com

Source: positivelyminnesota.com $0 $500k

Feb 1.5%

December

November

0.5%

October

September

August

July

June

Jan

May

April

1.0%

March

$300M

February

$250M

December

November

October

$200M

September

August

$150M

July

$100M June

May

$50M April

March

February

January

$0M

January

0.0% -0.5% 3%

-1.0% -1.5% 2%

St. Cloud Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota United States

-2.0%

St. Cloud, MN MetroSA Minnesota United States

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 0 // BusinessCentralMagazine.com

December

November

October

Home Sales Closed in St. Cloud Area

Central Minnesota is also expected to see a significant shift in the composition of the labor market, with sizable gains in the number of workers 65+, versus huge declines in the number of workers 45-64 years old.

6,096

59%

Workers age 20-44 expected to join the workforce in the next 10 years

Projected percent of the total labor force ages 25-54

Source: MN Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)

December

November

150

October

Labor Market Shift

September

August

GROW

BusinessCentral Magazine.com // M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 0

July

June

*Total as of 2/5/20

Unemployed workers during the Great Recession in 2009

May

Benton County Sheriff’s Civil Process; Stearn’s County Sheriff’s Office

19,000 April

Workers added to the labor market between 2010-2018

Unemployed workers in 2018 March

12,066

January

February

2019

$2M

7,250 January

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

120

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

$2M

TOTAL: 111

Stearns Co. 84 84 102 27

September

TOTAL: 123 $1.5M

TOTAL: 1823

2000

$2M

Workers added to the March labor market between February 2000-2010

SHERIFF’S FORECLOSURE AUCTIONS

Benton Co.

August

36,374April

TOTAL:1815

May

TOTAL: $1,523,946

2018

TOTAL: 1789

1500

$2M

2017

Residential 2017

$1.5M

November

October Increasingly tight labor marketsSeptember and a growing scarcity of workers is now August recognized as one of the July most significant barriers to future economic growth in June Central Minnesota.

TOTAL: $1,566,952 $1.5M

$1M

December

TOTAL: $1,340,279*

$1M

$500k

Barrier to Growth

TOTAL: 115

January

BY THE NUMBERS

2019

Sources: Tax Collections – City of St. Cloud *Total as of 2/5/20; Nov/Dec 2019 data not released at time of print.

STEARNS AND BENTON COUNTIES

$500k

2019

2000

Sheriff’s Foreclosure Auctions $0

July

Feb1500

2018 Sources: Tax Collections – City of St. Cloud Total as of 2/5/20

February

1000

$1M

June

2017

Mar

TOTAL: $1,623,035

TOTAL: $1,340,279*

TOTAL: $1,566,952

TOTAL: $1,523,946

$1.5M

$500k

TOTAL: $1,523,946

March

500

$1M $0

May

$500k 2019

2018

April

TOTAL: $1,748,626 Food and Beverage Tax Collection

2017

TOTAL: $1,566,952

TOTAL: 1789

TOTAL: $1,599,444

ST. CLOUD

May

2018

http://stcloudrealtors.com/pages/statistics. Total as of 2/5/20

2019

April

June

$150M Housing/Real $200M Estate $250M sources:$300M St. Cloud Area Association of Realtors,

ST. CLOUD

July

TOTAL:1815

Jan

Lodging Tax Dollars

TOTAL: $1,340,279*

August

Apr

Food and Beverage Tax Collection

1000

March

ST. CLOUD September

2019

May

ST. CLOUD

500

October

2017

2019

2018

2017

$0 0

November

Food and Beverage Tax Collection

June

TOTAL: $221,316,488

February

January

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

Apr

Mar

Feb

Jan

December

August

TOTAL: $288,822,542

2018

2000

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

July

2017

1500

COLOR KEY:

TOTAL: $178,724,272*

2018

E PARK,

$300M

1000

BUSINESSTOOLS

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ing Permits ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH October UD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, TOTAL: 1823 September

2017

500

85,721*

Home Sales Closed in St. Cloud Area November

2018

467,193

January

E CO N OM I C I N D I C ATO R S & T R E N D S

2019

80,396

$80M

$70M

E PARK,

$60M

4,272*

$50M

22,542

16,488

0M $40M

February

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DISTRACTED! Instead of accepting every beep, ding, and vibration, you can take back your attention by creating time to focus. By Ari Kaufman

he need for speed, rapid response, and an information overload has been building around the world for generations. It is perhaps the greatest drawback of our current mobile, interconnected age. People in 2020 consume up to five times as much information each day as they did just 60 years ago.

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It’s also been suggested that having a smart phone in your pocket today gives you as much “power” as the richest individuals of the late 19th Century. Some people can more easily juggle multiple information streams than others. If you think this is you, you're probably wrong. These “supertaskers”

While some people may insist that multitasking is important and necessary, studies show doing many things at once often delays, not increases, production.

represent less than 3 percent of the population, according to scientists at the University of Utah. While some people may insist that multitasking is important and necessary, studies show doing many things at once often delays, not increases, production. In fact, brain experts recently reported in the Journal of Experimental Psychology that productivity can be decreased by 40 percent when you focus on multiple tasks, since in reality we aren’t really multitasking when we think we are. A recent academic research study from the National Academy of Sciences also shows that those who multitask more frequently actually become less competent at doing several things at once than those who rarely multitask. Task Switching vs. Multitasking “Our brains can process one complex task at a time,” according to Dr. Maria Riccardi, a clinical psychologist at St. Cloud Hospital. “So what we refer to as ‘multitasking’ is really task switching, that is, going back and forth between tasks. The back and forth switching involves multiple cognitive processes that not only take time and energy, but also keep the person from effectively focusing on one particular task. It makes it likely that the end result will be one or more poorlycompleted tasks and a stressed out person.” Essentially, when you switch tasks, you interrupt your brain and lose time. Interruptions, and the recovery time that follows, can consume close to one-third of a work day. Maybe the dinner gets cooked and emails sent simultaneously, but your heart rate elevates and you likely don’t remember what you read, cooked or heard. On average, people who switch tasks every few minutes take nearly a half-hour to resume their original task. That’s quite a disruption. Our brains simply aren’t equipped for multiple tasks that require immense brainpower because our short-term memories can only store

so many items at once. In the end, we hurt our ability to thrive and succeed when we overload our brains. Unfortunately, this stimulation provokes excitement that can be addictive and in its absence, people feel bored. “The key is learning to prioritize and plan when each task will be completed, along with minimizing outside distractions and interruptions,” Riccardi said. “This is difficult to do since most of us have multiple responsibilities and demands for our attention on a daily basis. Task switching may work in cases that involve simple or well-rehearsed tasks, and when mistakes are not costly. An example would be watching a television show while doing laundry. However, it will be much more difficult — and potentially disastrous — to have an important phone conversation with a co-worker while responding to emails or sending a proposal to a client.” Experiments show that when you stop multitasking and avoid distractions, you reduce stress, and perhaps more importantly, increase your patience for useful matters (such as brainstorming and family time) and listen better. There is little downside. Even though we live in a society where distractions are constant, we can still make a conscious effort to focus attention and improve concentration on a single task. It’s understandable that for those in certain occupations, severing ties with high-technology devices is generally not a viable way to do this — but it is possible. Whitney Ditlevson, communications and marketing supervisor at Stearns Electric, recently began using a free online program called Kanban Flow, which allows users to split a to-do list into different categories, all of which are customizable. Ditlevson uses six specific features: Future Planning/Upcoming Major Projects; To-Do; This Week; Today; In Progress; and Completed.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Productivity Boosters Increase productivity and minimize timewasting distractions with these simple tips.

Create tight, focused deadlines Resist the temptation to multitask. When you focus on one task or project you are less apt to be distracted and can increase productivity because the goal or deadline must be met.

Clear up your space If something isn’t related to what you’re doing, put it away. If your work area is cluttered, your brain will have more stimuli to process, according to Dr. Maria Riccardi, a clinical psychologist at St. Cloud Hospital. This leads to overstimulation, robbing you of the energy needed for the task at hand.

Give yourself uninterrupted space and time This may sound obvious, but it may be helpful to silence the ringer on your phone or the volume on your computer. You can return phone calls and emails later. Have a system for letting others know when you are working and should not be interrupted. For example, if colleagues are accustomed to knocking on your door with questions and messages, let them know the times you can’t be interrupted. Read more on next page>>

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F E AT U R E STO RY

Leave room for planned breaks to reenergize While interruptions and unplanned distractions can hurt productivity, it’s actually good to plan breaks if you have a long project or several tasks to complete. “Taking breaks from your work refreshes your mind," according to Dr. Riccardi. "It boosts your energy and allows you to be more flexible and creative with your ideas.”

“A few months ago, my role changed and I needed to keep tabs on many cooperative projects. Some of these tasks are ready to be completed immediately, but others are just a rough idea and need to be thought through,” she said. “With Kanban Flow, I can add any tasks that need to be completed immediately or several months into the future, in a place where I always know where to find them.” Additionally, to help users stay organized, the program offers options to add descriptions, subtasks, a due date and labels to each task. Prioritization is Key When tackling a long to-do list, Riccardi recommends asking yourself two questions: Is this task important? Is this task urgent? In her practice, she often teaches people to use a priority matrix. Here’s an example: Quadrant 1 refers to tasks that are urgent and important. For example, the school calls and your child needs immediate medical attention.

Urgent Important

Learn what works for you Some people find music distracting, while others are more focused with some type of background noise. Learn your patterns. If you’re more productive at a certain time of day, plan around that.

Not Urgent

A Urgent

B Not Urgent

and Important

C Urgent

D Not Urgent

Not Important

and Not

Important

That task must be completed right away, regardless of other obligations. Quadrant 2 includes activities that are not urgent, but are still important. These would be incremental projects important for career advancement or ongoing deadlines. Bottom line: these are important to you, your company, and your success.

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Ask yourself, "Is this task important? Is this task urgent?" In her [Dr. Riccardi] practice, she often teaches people to use a priority matrix.

Quadrant 3 is the minefield. It consists of tasks that are urgent and not important. These are the biggest threats to your productivity and often include requests from others. These tasks are not necessarily valuable to you, yet someone else is asking for an immediate response. These requests are the trickiest to manage because most of us want to be helpful to others. An effective way of dealing with such requests might be to say, “I can help with this after ___ (insert the time when you will be done with Quadrant 2 tasks)” or simply, “I am sorry. I cannot help with this right now.”

Quadrant 4 includes non-urgent and not important tasks, such as adding superfluous graphics to a presentation due in a month, even though you’re already satisfied with the content. In planning your day, Quadrant 2 tasks should be prioritized on your schedule and time-protected. Quadrant 1 tasks will need to be addressed as they arise. Quadrant 3 and 4 should be completed when, and if, time allows. They are your last priority. The most challenging aspect may be determining which tasks fall into which quadrant.

Learning a new behavior is never easy. And we all know that is harder to stay focused than it is to accept — even enjoy — distractions. But if improved productivity and decreased stress are your goals, then it's time to become a uni-tasker. A former school teacher and historian, Ari Kaufman has worked as a journalist in various roles since 2006. He has published articles in a dozen newspapers, written three books and currently resides with his wife in St. Cloud.

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Relationship

BY JEANINE NISTLER // PHOTOS BY JOEL BUTKOWSKI, BUTKOWSKI DIGITAL IMAGING

PRACTICE

COVER STORY

In an age of disconnection, Dr. Sara Cuperus uses her chiropractic skills to help people connect. Business Profile

school, but was placed on a wait list. While waiting for Chiropractic Performance admission to med school, Center, Sartell he’s a chiroshe entered the chiropractic ––––––– practor with multiple proprogram at Northwestern 2380 Troop Drive #201, fessional certifications who Health Sciences University Sartell, MN 56377 served a year as president of in the Twin Cities. After just (320) 255-0961 the Minnesota Chiropractic one trimester, she knew she chiroperformance Association. She is a business wanted to be a chiropractor, center.com owner, a wife, and the mother not an M.D. “I just knew it ––––––– Ownership: of two young daughters. She was where I was supposed Sara Cuperus, D.C. has volunteered twice for to be,” she said. ––––––– two-week stints at Olympic In 2003 Cuperus began Opened: January 2003 Training Centers (once in her chiropractic practice in a ––––––– California, once in Colorashared office in Sauk Rapids. Number of employees: do), and volunteered at the Three years later she opened Two chiropractors 2019 World Sports Games in her own office in Sartell. in addition to Spain. Though she remained conSara Cuperus, three And in the fall of 2019, fident that she had chosen independent contractors, 43-year-old Sara Cuperus dothe right profession, her first two office staff nated a kidney to a stranger. five years were “the most ––––––– Business Description: The owner of Chirohumbling and hardest of my Chiropractic services for practic Performance Center life,” she said. all ages, plus orthotics, in Sartell, Cuperus knew “School taught me how supplements, craniosacral from the time she was a to be a chiropractor, not therapy, sixth-grader at the Cathhow to run a business, not healing touch and olic elementary school in how to market a business, massage therapy Richmond that she wanted not how to be an accounto be a doctor. “I just didn’t tant. Those first five years know it would be this kind,” she said. She ma- were really hard. I didn’t know what to do jored in exercise science at the University of so I would call other chiropractors for adMinnesota – Duluth then applied to medical vice, even just to ask what software they

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COVER STORY 34

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PERSONAL

used. No one would answer Center includes two other Profile my questions. No one. It chiropractors, three indeSara Cuperus, 43 was terrible.” pendent contractors, two ofOwner, Chiropractic The young woman, for fice staff, and Cuperus’ dad, Performance Center whom life had always been who handles bookkeeping ––––––– Hometown: pretty easy, suddenly strugand handyman duties. Cold Spring gled with feeling as though ––––––– Athletes and Babies she wasn’t smart enough, Education: uperus had been internot good enough. “I didn’t Graduated from ested in working with know how to sell what I was Rocori High School; athletes since hanging out in selling,” Cuperus said. She graduated from athletic training rooms while sometimes felt physically Northwestern Health a student at Rocori High ill because she didn’t know Sciences University; School and UMD. Her orighow she would pay the bills. advanced post-secondary inal plan was to focus her “It was hard, really hard. But education resulting clinic work on athletes. But I was committed to making in certification in Family Practice and she discovered there wasn’t it work.” Pediatric Care enough call for chiroprac“ ‘Maybe we should close ––––––– tic sports medicine in the the doors,’” Cuperus’ father Family: St. Cloud area to support a had said. He had funded her Husband, Shane; two full-time practice. start-up with his retirement daughters, Claire and Cora; “I was praying about money. But she was havfather, John Klein, what to do next,” she said, ing none of that. “Quitting who is part of the clinic when she noticed that an inwasn’t an option,” she said. team; mother, Carol Klein, creasing number of her new “I don’t know why. It just retired nurse; patients were women and wasn’t an option.” brother, Scott. babies. Then, three times in She prayed. A lot. ––––––– Hobbies: one week, she received fliOver time, she realized Reading, working out, ers advertising a pediatrics “you don’t have to know evspending quality time course. She took the hint, erything. You have to have with family took the course, and earned the right people on your certification in chiropractic team.” And she started doing what she saw others doing: She placed ads pediatrics. “I love it. I LOVE it,” Cuperus said in the newspaper and networked with fellow of working with infants and children. “When Chamber members. “It’s a very small commu- you can’t calm a baby, the other kids get upset nity here and people do business with people and cry. The mother and father get stressed they know. You can be the best at what you and short-tempered. We can help with that,” do, but if no one knows it, it doesn’t matter,” she said. “I still love treating athletes, but when you help a baby, you help an entire family.” she said. She refers to her clinic as a relationship It took five years for Cuperus’ practice to take off – and “it was a LONG five years.” practice. “My work is about connecting with Then “something magical happened and I people in a world where we’re not well-concouldn’t tell you exactly what it was,” she said. nected anymore and chiropractic care is the ve“It may have been me and my faith and getting hicle I use to do that,” she said. “Every day I’m my head right and being laser focused on what willing to step into people’s stories and show up and listen. … I want people to feel heard and I’m supposed to do.” Today she looks back philosophically. that they matter to someone. You matter and “When we go through hard things, that’s your story matters and what’s happening in when we grow,” she said. “I had to go through your life matters. It’s not just about your back all of that to really value what I have now. It pain or your neck pain.” Kati Weber agrees. The young mother makes me appreciate how far we’ve come in 17 years.” The “we” of Chiropractic Performance saw Cuperus every other week for back pain

Fun Fact:

Cuperus hopes to provide chiropractic care at the 2021 World Games in Alabama.

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 0 // BusinessCentralMagazine.com

COVER STORY

Quotable

I " always want to learn from others. I’m willing to be better tomorrow than I am today."

—SARA CUPERUS

during much of her pregnancy. “Dr. Sara is not just a doctor, but also someone who really cares about her patients on a personal level,” Weber said. In addition to being a doctor of chiropractic with a pediatrics certification, Cuperus has both national and international certifications as a chiropractic sports practitioner. She is a certified athletic trainer and a specialist in the Graston Technique, which uses stainless steel tools to break up muscle knots or scar tissue to restore mobility and function. She is also a doula, trained to provide physical and emotional support during pregnancy, as well as during and after delivery. She is certified in the Webster Technique, an analysis and adjustment process that reduces tension in the uterus and facilitates optimal fetal positioning in preparation for birth. And she is certified in dry needling, which involves placing needles into areas of hard muscle or tissue to release tension. “Dr. Cuperus is one of those very special doctors who not only takes good care of her patients, she also teaches other chiropractors

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Dr. Sara Cuperus opened her chiropractic clinic in 2003

and gives back to her profession and the community,” Jeffrey Varner said. Varner is a chiropractor who has practiced in the St. Cloud area for 33 years. “She has a special energy and passion for everything she does.” In 2009 Cuperus took that passion and energy into her first Olympic Training Center volunteer experience. She said she went with a desire to learn all she could, vowing to not be too proud to do any task, to “fold the towels when towels needed to be folded, and to sweep the floor.” There, she worked with outdoor athletes, including BMX racers, bobsledders and track and field athletes. She had the same mindset three years later at the main Olympic Training Center in Colorado, where she worked with athletes skilled in taekwondo, gymnastics, figure skating and weightlifting. Most recently, Cuperus spent 10 days in July 2019 at the World Sports Games (WSG) in Spain. The WSG is a major international

sports event organized every two years. The games are for amateur athletes and include both competitive and non-competitive sports activities and cultural exchange. More than 3,000 athletes participated in the 2019 games in Spain. Friends familiar with working such an elite event gave Cuperus advice: “You’re going to be under a microscope. Show up as your best self – and watch your mouth.” She said she did just that, even though her luggage arrived in Spain several days after she did. This was her first time traveling outside the U.S. She worked alongside chiropractors from Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. “We worked our tails off, but we had so much fun.” Volunteering for prestigious sporting events like the Olympics is not something you just choose to do. There is a rigorous and competitive application process, according to Cuperus. But that isn’t stopping her from applying to volunteer at the World Games in July 2021 in Alabama. Working at these high-level events, she said, is an opportunity “for me to show up and show other docs I’m not a knucklehead. I know what I’m doing. I can be trusted.”

Timeline

one from a stranger. Surgeries were scheduled and Cuperus opens her own cancelled, scheduled and practice in Sauk Rapids, cancelled. “It was a roller sharing an office with coaster,” she recalled. another local chiropractor Then, in October 2019, ––––––– just a few months after 2006 returning from Spain, evCuperus moves her erything fell into place and practice to Pinecone surgeries were scheduled at Marketplace in Sartell Hennepin County Medical ––––––– Center. Cuperus’ mom got 2009 a kidney from a stranger – Cuperus returns to school and is doing great. Cuperus and becomes certified donated to a stranger. “My in Family Practice and kidney is living its best life Pediatrics; she hires her in Pennsylvania,” she said. first associate chiropractor Clearly she has plenty to ––––––– do, what with treating pa2009, 2012 tients, managing her pracCuperus provides tice, being active in the comchiropractic services munity, and volunteering at at the Olympic international athletic comTraining Center petitions. But she brings just ––––––– as much energy and enthu2016 siasm to her marriage and Chiropractic Performance family. “It’s just prioritizing Center moves to its your time,” she said. She current location on rises at 5:30 a.m. for coffee, Troop Drive in Sartell quiet time and devotions, ––––––– getting her mind set for the 2017 day. And, she said, “I funcCuperus adds a second tion well when I’m busy.” associate chiropractor Does she have any advice ––––––– for fledgling business own2018-19 ers? “Ask lots of questions Cuperus is president of the and find a mentor. Get a Minnesota Chiropractic mentor whether it’s in your Association industry or not. Business is ––––––– business. Be willing to say July 2019 ‘yes’ to opportunities.” Cuperus provides And, she added, do somechiropractic services thing that scares you. “All the at the World Sports Gift of Life big things in my life, including Games in Spain onths before the Spain starting a practice, getting trip, Cuperus’ mother married and having babies, needed a kidney transplant. were because I was willing to Cuperus was willing to donate one of hers, but say ‘yes’ when inside I was really terrified.” she wasn’t a direct match. “We were presented an opportunity to enter a paired exchange Jeanine Nistler is a former St. Cloud communiprogram” in which Cuperus would give a cations professional who now lives and works in kidney to a stranger and her mom would get the Twin Cities.

January 2003

Quotable

"I’m not afraid to say yes to things that terrify me."

—SARA CUPERUS

M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 0 // BusinessCentralMagazine.com

SPECIAL FOCUS: COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

SPACE AGE Workplace design can impact employee perceptions about business. With a bit of effort, companies can create a space that is collaborative, welcoming, and a hiring tool. By Mary MacDonell Belisle

ttitudes about life and work change over time, and companies can strategically respond if they pay attention. ISS, an international workplace experience and facility management company, with a U.S. presence in San Antonio, Texas, recently surveyed 600 business directors and managers from around the world to ascertain behavioral trends in the office as the world enters a new decade. Managing work-life balance, creating workplace personalization, embracing flexibility, implementing sustainability, and group work will all affect the office. These

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“We’re moving towards activity-based workspaces that offer employees the freedom and flexibility to choose between different workspaces, each designed for a specific activity.” —Lily Stanger, Mindspace

attitudes are creatively reflected in the variety of architectural, interior design, and office management trends moving into 2020. “We’re moving towards activity-based workspaces that offer employees the freedom and flexibility to choose between different workspaces, each designed for a specific activity,” according to design lead Lily Stanger of Mindspace. Mindspace is a global boutique co-working and flexible space provider. Stanger was quoted by Forbes staff writer Barnaby Lashbrooke in a 2019 story about hot trends in office design.

Stanger believes variety is one of the most important trends in office design. “The goal is to serve every type of worker and every possible activity with a different space,” Lashbrooke wrote. Non-office design allows businesses to work with open spaces that can then be defined non-traditionally with colorcoded walls, contrasting area flooring, glass corridors and rooms, drop-down ceiling sculptures, and acoustic art, mood lighting, and distinct islands of cozy furnishings.

Workspaces feel like gyms, hotels, coffee shops, playgrounds, libraries, art galleries, gardens … even the beach, complete with picnic tables and Adirondack chairs! Co-working and collaborative spaces are non-restrictive (no assigned seats!). Constructed elements—such as raised platforms, steps, conversation pits, recessed benches, nooks and niches, covered booths, etc., encourage creative interaction with co-workers and “out-ofthe-box” idea sharing. Employees can freely move furniture, write on whiteboard walls, or cozy up in a quiet room or phone booth, for private conversation or thought. Smarter desks/rooms use new technology to improve efficiency, productivity, and health. How about a combination sit-and-stand desk that alerts

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SPECIAL FOCUS

an employee that it’s time to move? Or one that collects data to analyze use of shared desks and hot desking? How about interacting with A/V and conference room lighting via Bluetooth technology that adjusts to an individual’s specific settings? Pro-wellbeing emphasis encourages keeping mind-body-soul healthy. Companies can bring the outside in, called biophilic design, with vertical gardens, (a series of small planters embedded in a frame in multiple rows), moss walls, water fountains, terrariums, exposed brick, warm wood, and window designs that bring natural light and views of nature into interiors of the office. With their slim-line profiles, Crittall steel windows maximize outside views. Crittall, headquartered in the UK, is the leading supplier of steel windows in the U.S. Re-charge rooms allow employees to take a break in quiet rooms without electronic devices, to play pingpong or foosball, do yoga, or tackle a climbing wall. Follow Ergonomic trends with adjustable laptop docking stations, footrests, and anti-fatigue mats. Curves and organic shapes are still trending for furniture (sofa, chair, ottoman, pouf, hassock) and incorporated into wooden lamp and coffee/side table design, faucets and fixtures. However, design is morphing to blockier shapes. Colors in interior design trend toward fresh and energized. Bold and bright color opposites on the color wheel—orange/blue, green/ red, yellow/purple—decorate furnishings, accent pieces, and walls. Blocked color—primaries red, blue, and yellow—appear often as a trio. “Classic Blue” has

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replaced 2019’s “Living Coral” as the Pantone Color Institute’s “Color of the Year.” Pantone LLC, based in Carlstadt, New Jersey, is known for its PMS color matching system, used in fashion, graphics, printing, and product design. Black is the new neutral color in design, joining white, gray, and beige. Wabi-sabi design continues into 2020, bringing simplicity, warmth, texture, and natural materials to office décor—rattan, hemp, woven jute, plywood, and terra cotta. The design is based in Japanese philosophy of connecting with the earth and embracing authenticity. Walls are WOW when 3D wallcoverings add depth and interest to a workspace. Wallpaper can suggest 3D with optical illusion, or companies might select from textured mosaic wood panels, plant fiber tiles, ceramic wall panels, metal wall art, and more. A feature wall will reflect company culture, share the company’s story, introduce staff, or simply create interest in an otherwise bland room—a photo collage, rendered testimonials, graphic wall mural, wallpaper sculpture, and more. There is no shortage of trends available for improving the office experience.

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70 YEARS 3 GENERATIONS 1 NAM E

Office Design Trends

Architectural Digest brought together staff, friends, and designers to talk about the hottest trends in office design.

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Blockier shapes. Enough with the curves, softness, and nature inspired lean lines. If you like your chairs ‘assertive’ you’re going to love this look. Beautiful storage. Enough said. Ceramic furniture. There is no limit to what you can create with ceramics…and they can make great conversation starters. Statement doorknobs and pulls. The easiest way to upgrade your home and office, and it’s budget friendly…well, almost. Texture galore. Think faux-fur, wood, marble, cowhide, steel, and woven polyester…combined in one piece or across a room. Vintage maximalism. Lots of color, warmth, antiques, and eclectic touches.

You can read the entire article and see accompanying photos of these and other trends at BusinessCentralMagazine.com 42

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Industrial Commercial

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Commercial Construction

Solar Hospitality Manufacturing Retail Healthcare Education Multi-Unit Residential

Continue reading to learn more about the variety of commercial construction offerings that provide growth in Central Minnesota.

SPECIAL FOCUS:

PRE-CONSTRUCTION | CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT | GENERAL CONTRACTOR | DESIGN BUILD

Main: 320.253.2411 | www.bradburystamm.com | 340 South Hwy 10 | St. Cloud, MN 56304

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION MN Business Central Ad.indd 6

Alliance Building Corp.

Granite Landing Senior Apartment Homes This project consisted of a 50 unit apartment building for seniors age 55 and older. The building features a fully enclosed drive under parking garage. Being nestled next to the Sauk River with a beautiful outdoor patio are just a few of the many highlights of this property.

New construction, additions, or remodels. Let us build your needs!

1/31/2020 10:25:47 AM

WWW.DESIGNELECT.COM

• ARE YOU AN XCEL CUSTOMER? • DID YOU KNOW TIME IS RUNNING OUT ON SOME OF THE BEST LED LIGHTING REBATES? • NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE THE SWITCH TO ENGERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTS • CONTACT US TODAY FOR A RETURN ON INVESTMENT ESTIMATE CONTACT US FOR ALL YOUR COMMERCIAL WIRING NEEDS THINKING OF SOLAR AS AN OPTION FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

alliancebuildingcorporation.com

ELECTRIC, INC.

PH-320.252.1658

24-Hour Emergency Service

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Bradbury Stamm Construction

Finding innovative solutions to challenges that face our clients. Development / Architectural Design / Construction Services

Sartell High School Sartell, NM New 292,409sf high school designed to serve 1,350 students on a 100 acre site. Features three learning neighborhoods, shared lab spaces, fine arts neighborhood with a full auditorium, activities wing with competition and practice gyms, pool, weight rooms, and a public commons / lunchroom area. SINCE 1874

Bradburystamm.com

800.772.1758 / www.millerab.com

Design Electric, Inc.

GLTArchitects

Electrical Contractor When you need commercial electrical work done in St. Cloud, trust the contractor who has been around for over four decades. Design Electric, Inc. is a family-owned electrical contractor established in 1972.

COMMERCIAL HVAC, ROOFING, ARCHITECTURAL SHEETMETAL We are committed to providing our customers with quality solutions and services for their roofing, heating, ventilating and air conditioning needs.

We can handle your toughest electrical jobs, including: Electrical service technicians available 24/7 Electrical system design Government electrical projects WWW.DESIGNELECT.COM Industrial-grade installation and electrical repairs • ARE YOU AN XCEL CUSTOMER? Low, medium and high-voltage system • DID YOU KNOW TIME ISinstallation RUNNING OUT ON SOME OF THE Commercial lighting retrofitting BEST LED LIGHTING REBATES? • NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE THE SWITCH TO ENGERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTS • CONTACT US TODAY FOR A RETURN ON INVESTMENT ESTIMATE

4807 Heatherwood Road St. Cloud, MN 56301 // (320) 252-1658 CONTACT US FOR ALL YOUR COMMERCIAL WIRING NEEDS designelect.com THINKING OF SOLAR AS AN OPTION FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

1431 Prosper Drive, Waite Park, MN 320.251.8640 // mcdowallco.com 44

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CentraCare Health – Albany Clinic Located in downtown Albany, this newly completed 18,000 square foot facility includes Family Medicine and Urgent Care services. A Physical Therapy suite offers private therapy rooms and a large physical therapy gym. An imaging/radiology department and laboratory services are also provided. The clinic also offers outreach services; including obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics and podiatry. Location: Albany, MN Architect: GLTArchitects General Contractor: Rice Companies Square Footage: 18,000 sq. ft. Project Completion: Summer 2019

ELECTRIC, INC.

PH-320.252.1658

24-Hour Emergency Service

gltarchitects.com

SPECIAL FOCUS: COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

HMA Architects

Miller Architects & Builders

Tri-County Humane Society

Life Lobby Expansion and Kid’s Area Addition, St. Coud, MN

HMA has been working with the Tri-County Humane Society (TCHS) over the past 3 years to develop plans for a new facility. We are extremely excited to see this 15,000 SF facility now under construction. The building will be finished in 2020 and will be a state-of-the-art facility supporting the many programs of TCHS.

5,800 square foot addition and remodel to Life Church includes a spacious new lobby with coffee bar and cafe style seating along with a new children’s wing with classrooms and a cutting edge children’s auditorium with seating for 100+. New exterior finishes and parking expansion. Completion spring of 2020.

Location: St. Cloud, MN

Architect: HMA Architects Project Completion: 2020 hma-archs.com

General Contractor: Miller Architects & Builders www.millerab.com

Rice Companies

Strack Construction

Coborn’s Marketplace

FDA Cheese Plant/Cooler Expansion

45,000 SF Next-gen concept Grocery Store, with liquor, pharmacy and fuel located in a 20 acre new retail development with multi-family and retail users.

Location: Otsego, MN

The project consist of a 75,000 sf expansion. This building is designed to accommodate the specific needs of a new state of the art cheese plant. Upon its completion it will house the largest cheese belt in North America. This is phase 1 of a 4 phase project that will take place in 2020.

W Gohman Construction

Blattner Energy - Avon, Minn. W. Gohman assisted Blattner Energy in expanding its headquarters building in Avon, MN. The four story, 72,466 sq ft addition created 135 new offices and work stations, multiple collaborative group spaces, parking lot expansion, 10 new conference rooms, catering kitchen, work lounge, recreation spaces, A/V labs and a new auditorium. W. Gohman was able to maintain Blattner’s current sustainable energy efforts and fortify their existing and new facilities for future growth.

General Contractor: Rice Companies

WE’RE ON THE

GROW Architect: Rice Companies

Project Engineer: Excel Engineering

4 Story Office Addition: 72,466 SF

Opening fall of 2020

Estimation Completion: July 2020

New Meeting and Conference Rooms: 10

ricecompanies.com

Cost: $22 million

Catering Kitchen

AGAIN

strackcompanies.com

Large Auditorium: 6,200 SF Office Remodeling: 16,500 SF

INTRODUCING OUR NEW FARGO LOCATION

Sauk Rapids

1019 Industrial Drive S

Glencoe

3301 11th St E

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

Mankato

901 Summit Ave

wgohman.com

Fargo

4141 38th Street SW

320.252.0404 | RICECOMPANIES.COM

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PROFIT

BUSINESSSPOTLIGHT

BENSON FUNERAL HOME

Of Service Wherever you need him, you’ll find Mark Benson, Benson Funeral Home, helping remember loved ones with grace and a little humor. By Gail Ivers

AT A GLANCE

Benson Funeral Home & Cremation Service 1111 25th Ave. S, St. Cloud, MN 56301 320-252-3132 BensonFuneralHome.com info@bensonfuneral home.com Business Description: Funeral home, funeral planning and cremation services Owners: Mark and Angie Benson Opened: 1961 in what was the Calvary Baptist Church, east St. Cloud Number of Employees: Three funeral directors, one administrative assistant, a few part-time employees

home and the fellowship and lunch are also at the funeral home. People don’t necessarily want services in traditional locations. We have them all over the place – parks, bars, restaurants, churches, houses…I haven’t had one on a boat yet, but I’m waiting for it. BC: What role do you play when the memorial is at these other locations? Benson: The same role we play when it’s here. We help set it up, help secure the venue, we can run the service, help with the caterer…. All of our services are available to our clients no matter what space they choose.

Joined the Chamber: 1971 _________

BC: When did you start working in the business? Benson: I was vacuuming and delivering flowers as early as I could. In college I started helping more. I always wanted to be in the business, but my parents pushed me to try other things to make sure it was what I really wanted to do. BC: How have things changed? Benson: Years ago funerals were essentially standardized. Now they’re almost all customized – the standard is whatever the family wants is what you do. You see more celebrations of life and memorial gatherings, rather than structured services. There are more videos – not just pictures. We’re seeing more funerals at the funeral

BC: What do you like best about your work? Benson: We’re helping people through a difficult situation and trying to make it a little easier for them. That’s what’s rewarding for me. There’s nothing you can do for the person who has died, but there’s quite a lot you can do for the family. I love trying to take what the family wants to do to memorialize and remember their loved one and help make that happen and run it as smoothly as possible. BC: Do you have any “lessons learned?” Benson: In this business, adding a little humor in a tasteful, respectful way, changes how people feel. If they can remember and laugh they feel better; it can help with the grief.

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PERSONAL PROFILE

Mark Benson, 56 Hometown: St. Cloud Education: Graduated from Tech High School; attended St. Cloud State University for three years before transferring to the University of Minnesota to major in mortuary science. Family: Wife, Angie; four children: Andrew, Bryan, Thomas, Dorothy Hobbies: Spending time at the lake, fishing, watching the kids play hockey, baseball and softball

TIMELINE

1962 Ray Benson, Mark’s father, purchases the Calvary Baptist Church on the east side of St. Cloud and turns the space into a funeral home.

1981 Benson Funeral Home opens at their current location on 25th Avenue S in St. Cloud.

1985 Mark Benson graduates from the University of Minnesota with a major in Mortuary Science.

1985-86 Benson works at a funeral home in Marshall.

1986 Benson moves to St. Cloud and joins the family business.

1990 Mark purchases the funeral home and its sister company, the Central Minnesota Cremation Service, which serves Benson Funeral Home and other funeral homes throughout the state.

2000 A new addition adds office space and a second crematory.

2019 The business undergoes a complete remodel, including moving walls to improve flow and adding a catering kitchen.

buying a business, simply and seamlessly Personable Medical Arts Dental is a premier dental practice in Sartell. They offer routine and preventative care along with comprehensive dental care including full-mouth rehabilitation, dental implants, and aesthetic dentistry. A few years ago, Dr. Steve Carlson worked with Deerwood Bank to purchase the first half of the practice from the existing owner, Dr. Julie Nyland. Later this year, he’ll purchase the other half and become sole owner of the practice. “Dr. Julie had been working with Deerwood Bank for years and was incredibly happy with her experience. So, when I purchased the first half of the practice, I worked with Deerwood as well. My experience couldn’t have been any better,” says Dr. Carlson. There are a lot of similarities between Deerwood and Medical Arts Dental. “Just like Deerwood does with its customers, we build trust and relationships with our patients,” Dr. Carlson says. “We’re a fun team that provides excellent, personal service, just like Deerwood.” Dr. Carlson’s favorite thing about working with Deerwood is just how simple it is. Most everything is able to be done through email or a quick phone call. Plus, Steve says, Jacki knows the business so well that she understands where they’re going and Deerwood’s part in getting them there.

“Again, Deerwood took the educational approach. They helped us understand what our options were and how our home loan would affect our business finances and vice versa. The big banks would have told us what we were approved for and sent us on our way; Deerwood is different.”

What Steve loves about Deerwood Bank:

Dr. Steve Carlson, Owner of Medical Arts Dental and Jacki Templin, VP of Business Banking at Deerwood Bank

“It’s so easy – why would I ever switch? Plus, Deerwood is fair and competitive. I couldn’t ask for more in my bank,” Dr. Carlson says. Consultative Banking “When I purchased the first half of the practice, Jacki and the Deerwood team really helped me understand my options and identify what was going to be best for me, my business partner, and our practice. I’ve never felt pressured at Deerwood to choose one product over another. They present the options, and help you decide on the best route,” Dr. Carlson says. “I had never purchased a business before, so their educational and friendly approach to this was really nice for me.”

It’s easy. “I don’t have a lot of time to spend on my banking while managing the practice and seeing patients. Banking with Deerwood is easy – from the communication with my banking team to the technology I use to manage my banking. It’s just easy.” They know our business. “A lot of my colleagues are also in the process of buying into their practice, and I’ve heard horror stories of the hoops they’ve had to jump through to get financing. Deerwood has helped other practices through this, and made the whole process really seamless and simple.” They support small business. “Deerwood is invested in our communities. Supporting small business comes full circle in communities like ours, and I’m happy to be with a bank that understands that.”

Personal Banking When Dr. Carlson and his wife were looking for a home to plant their roots, they went to Deerwood Bank without really considering any other options. Deerwood did not disappoint.

320.252.4200 2351 Connecticut Ave, Ste. 100, Sartell, MN 56377 131 6th Ave S, Ste 100, Waite Park, MN 56387

deerwoodbank.com

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