T.W. BUDIG MINNESOTA CPAS SESSION WEEKLY
Governor urges action to stop carp 2A Making your retirement savings last 5A New laws go into effect in 2012 19A
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DATE ##, 2009 JANUARY 5, 2012
VOLUME 30, NUMBER # VOLUME 32, NUMBER 45
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Rosemount on a roll
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INSIDE BIZ NEWS
New businesses come to town, other developments planned by Tad Johnson DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
Business leaders in the south metro, Minnesota and even the nation are hoping that the city of Rosemount is a bellwether of economic recovery. In 2011, Rosemount has attracted four new industrial-based businesses, earned two grants for a future downtown senior apartment building and seen the start of a 56-unit housing development in the eastern part of town. Rosemount has had its share of boom years when the economy was roaring, prior to its tumbling into a recession in 2008, but surrounding communities were doing the same. What’s different this time around is that these developments are happening at a time when the rest of the economy is stagnant. “Needless to say, we are excited about the new business,” Rosemount Mayor Bill Droste said. “We have been in a very difficult economy, so to have any job growth in Rosemount/Dakota County is important to our communities.” Following is a recap of Rosemount’s momentous year: In late November, Maple Plain-based Proto Labs, a manufacturer of plastic parts to help companies make prototypes of new projects, said it would expand to Rosemount and staff up to 300 employees in the next three years. That would make it Rosemount’s third largest employer. “It’s big,” Rosemount Community Development Director Kim Lindquist said at the time. “We are really excited about this for the current property owner to get a good sale and that (the building) will be full and full with employees.” Lindquist said the company selected the Rosemount Business Park site, in part, because it was looking for a location far enough from Maple Plain so it could draw upon a new employee base. Proto Labs has reported it will start with about 125 employees and grow to 300 in three years, according to Lindquist. She said some employees from Maple Plain will be part of the initial hires, but after that new hires are part of the company’s plan. “It is especially exciting to have the Proto Labs jobs,” Droste said. “Their expansions in Europe and Asia the past few years is a good example of worldwide markets and how companies must adapt to meet market demands.” Advertisements for new Proto Labs jobs ran on a See Rosemount, Page 20A
KRIS ZIESKA
The owner of Majestic Hills Ranch was named as a Touchstone Energy Community award winner. 2A
FORUM
Bonding for projects is the best way to create jobs and pay for the work that needs to be done in Minnesota. CONRAD 4A deFIEBRE NEWS
Former state representative from Rosemount teams up with former colleague Gene Merriam on ECM Editorial. DENNIS 4A OZMENT
Photos by Tad Johnson and submitted
The city of Rosemount welcomed four major industrial-based businesses in 2011. They are: Rosemount Clean Energies, which is using tanks known as the “spheres” (above) on the former Continential Nitrogen Resources property, for its biofuel processing; Proto Labs, which is expanding its business from Maple Plain (right); Minneapolis-based chemical processor Hawkins Inc.; and feed processor Origination Inc. In other development news, D.R. Horton started work on its 56-home development Prestwick Place.
NEWS
Dholes, Asian wild dogs, are part of a new exhibit at the Minnesota Zoo, which was opened on Dec. 30, 2011. 19A DHOLES
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General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Advertising 952-846-2011
ECM Publishers has acquired the Sun Newspaper Group ECM Publishers Inc. has acquired the Sun Newspaper Group from American Community Newspapers II, combining two large Minnesota newspaper groups. Signing the agreement for ECM, Friday, Dec. 30, were Publisher and Chief Executive Officer Julian Andersen,
President and Chief Operating Officer Marge Winkelman, and Chief Financial Officer Rod Garbe. ECM is based in Coon Rapids, Minn. American Community Newspapers II is based in Dallas, Texas. The newly acquired newspaper group will be called
ECM-Sun Group LLC. The combined company will now include 500 associates and 55 publications, reaching 700,000 homes weekly. “The merger of the Sun Group into ECM Publishers continues the growth of ECM, combining two
strong, well-managed Minnesota media organizations,” Andersen said. “This combination creates opportunity and capability to enhance services provided to both readers and advertisers, to be active partners in an extended group of Minnesota communities, and to provide
many associates the chance to step up to bigger responsibilities.” “We are excited about this new opportunity to expand our footprint in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market as ECM-Sun Group, LLC,” Winkelman said. “ECM Publishers Inc. is
continuously transforming the way we operate and continues to improve our ability to meet the challenges of the changing newspaper industry. By combining our award-winning publications, strong community websites, and adding digital and social See Newspapers, Page 20A