Company to add Rosemount location 2A Clinic is owned by local nurses 2A Lakeville woman opposed to union vote 6A
TAD JOHNSON JOHN GESSNER T.W. BUDIG
dakotacountytribune.biz dakotacountytribune.biz
DATE ##, 2009 DECEMBER 1, 2011
VOLUME 30, NUMBER # VOLUME 32, NUMBER 40
'DNRWD &RXQW\ 7ULEXQH Since 1884
B
U
S
I
N
E
S
S
w
e
e
k
l
y
INSIDE BIZ FORUM
High school graduates tell their younger peers to work hard, take challenging courses in effort to save the family money. JOE 4A NATHAN FORUM
Nor-Tech’s high performance Burnsville company evolves from parts sales to sophisticated computing systems by John Gessner DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE
The brand-new digital sign in front of Mystic Lake Casino is controlled by a high-performance computing system designed and built by Burnsville firm Nor-Tech. A Nor-Tech supercomputer helped Boeing analyze 170 distinct noise readings from an aircraft under development. The company, which started as a high-volume computer components dealer but now makes most of its profits from high-performance clusters and supercomputers, has even done business with DARPA, the Defense Department’s high-tech development arm. “We’ve sold them to MIT,� said Todd Swank, Nor-Tech’s vice president of marketing. “We’ve sold multiple units to the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin.� With 48,000 square feet of manufacturing, warehouse and office space on Cliff Road in north Burnsville, Nor-
Tech (short for Northern Computer Technologies) isn’t the same company that opened in smaller Cliff Road quarters in 1998. Nor-Tech still sells computer parts and builds its own line of personal computers under its Voyageur brand. But it’s the really high-tech stuff that has helped the company make its mark and improve its bottom-line performance. “That’s where we’ve exploded in the last five years,� Nor-Tech President David Bollig said. Bollig used to sell computer hardware for Bloomington-based Globelle Inc., which closed in late 1997 — due in part, he said, to an ill-fated acquisition of another company. “Basically, there was a lot of inventory in that transaction that became dated very fast,� Bollig said. “Within a year of that acquisition, Globelle was going from becoming this huge, up-and-coming national distributor to bankruptcy court.�
Bollig picked up where Globelle left off, launching Nor-Tech with 17 employees, eight of them Globelle refugees. “We started out doing the exact same thing — we brought in computer components and we were selling them to mom-and-pop stores all over the Midwest,� Bollig said. His customers were computer resellers and repair shops. But the parts business took a hit from online competition, and his company lost pricing power, Bollig said. “It was difficult selling just the parts,� he said. “It became harder and harder, and the margins were thin.� In 2000 Nor-Tech created the Voyageur line of desktop PCs and servers, while continuing to sell parts. The computers featured name-brand components such as Intel motherboards and Seagate hard drives. “We chose to spend more to build a better product,� Bollig said. “In the end, that helps you.�
State government has demonstrated to the nation that it can save consumers money in health care spending. ECM 4A EDITORIAL BEST PRACTICES
ECM Publishers Inc. traces its history and mission to former Minnesota Gov. Elmer L. Andersen. HOWARD 5A LESTRUD THISWEEKEND
MOLLY COX
Eagan woman produces documentary that aims to help caregivers navigate diff icult times. 24A
See Nor-Tech, Page 5A
&
!""'! !
$
General 952-894-1111 Distribution 952-846-2070 Advertising 952-846-2011
+&//: 800%4 "/ 45"$&: "$,&3. "/%3&8 .*--&3
" PG QSPN PUJPOT SFQSFOF VS " " OFX A 'SPOUJFS UFTUT ZP VOH FOU SUBJONF OU " 5ISFBET *OLT E 4MBN GPS FOUF USJCVOF CJ[ )JUUJOH B (SBO EBLPUBDPVOUZ
70-6 .&
/6. #&3
une Dakota County Trib
"6(6 45
4JODF
#
6
4
*
/
&
4
4
X
F
F
L
M
Z
*/4*%& #*;
'036.
5IF -FHJTMBUVSF DPVMEO U CBMBODF B CVEHFU UIF HPWFSOPS DPVME 0, CVU UFOEFE UP PUIFS IPU UPQJDT 1)*,3*/,*&
"
#64*/&44
OEVSFT BEF TBMPO F 8 IJMF GBET G
" NFOUPS DBO IFMQ B ZPVOH XPSLFS SJTF UISPVHI UIF SBOLT PG BO PSHBOJ[BUJPO PS MFBE UP PUIFS DBSFFS PQQPSUVOJUJFT
" (+* +) TLJMMT UISPVHI BOE EFWFMPQJOH UIFJS %T 5*$&4 UIF #&45 13"$ SFBEJOH WJEFPT BOE $ BMTP DSFBUFE ,OPXJOH UIF 5IF DPNQBOZ BN XIJDI FO EJGGFSFODF CFUXFFO 4UBS 5ISPXFS QSPHS OH BOE QSPGFT BEWFSUJTJOH BOE IBODFT TFMG MFBSOJFOU 5FBN NFN QVCMJD SFMBUJPOT TJPOBM EFWFMPQN E UP BUUFOE DBO IFMQ CVTJOFTTFT CFST BSF FODPVSBHFXJEF FWFOUT UP OE OBUJPO DSFBUF CV[[ UIBU JOEVTUSZ B T XPSLT FN TUBZ BCSFBTU PG USFOE IBT TFWFSBM DLFSNBO& " 45"$&: CZ 4UBDFZ " $PMF T 4BMPO JUI UIF DPN /5: 53*#6/ / %",05" $06 "$,&3." QMPZFFT XIP WF CFFO X $PMF T BVTF UIFZ LFFQ GPVOEFS PG U QBOZ GPS ZFBST CFD %PVH $PMF 4U 1BVM #BSCFS 5*$&4 HSPXJOH UISPVHIPV #&45 13"$ MFBSOJOH BOE 4BMPO BUUFOEFE FSF IF MFBSOFE 1JYBS QSPNPUFT UIFJS DBSFFST CFFO BMM * OFFE UP 4DIPPM BU BHF XI IJT MPOHUJNF 3JFOUT B DVMUVSF PG i$PMF T IBT TVDDFTTGVM BOE CF GSPN +FSSZ DPNNVOJDBUJPO NBLF NZ MJGF NFOUPS .VSQIZ B XPSLT BU TBJE +BOFM UIBU SFBQT U UIF GVMGJMMFE w 5PEBZ 3JFOUT TBMPO BT B CBS 4BMPO WFUFSBO i"BCPVU JOOPWBUJPO BOE SOEPSG GPS ZFBS $PMF T 1IPUP CZ 3JDL 0 $PMF T "QQMF 7BMMFZ * GFFM HPPE QSPmUT JO IBT CFFO EPJOH TPO 5JN FOE PG UIF EBZ JOVFT LJOH PPE w CFS XIJDI IF FMJTTB )BO JFOUT DPOU NPWJF NB IFST GFFM H I B 5SJTI . NBLJOH PU IBT UIF QBTU ZFBST 3 SIPGG +&'' PO IBT HSPXO UISPVH " IJQ GSPN MFGU -BVS GPS $PMF BOE $PMF T 4BM OVSUVSJOH FNQMPZ UP CF B NFOUPS UIF MBTU GPVS EF $PMF T 4BMPO MFBEFST IBS 5PVSUJMMPUU BOE 5SJTI 4UP "11&-26*45 CZ GPS QMFT w /VH UIF ZFBST JOTQJSFE IJN B MPZBM DMJFOUFMF $PMF %PVH $PMF $ MPZ BOE QSJODJ UIF (PMEFO FFT BOE CVJMEJOH FFO TFFJOH UIF DBEFT F IBT UBVHIU IJT FNQ IBU $PMF TUBSUFE OUT IBWF C FE IJT GJSTU $PMF T 4B JO XIJDI FNQMPZFFT XBT UIJOH $PM MBTU ZFBST BOE JT X $PMF PQFO HFUT QSPHSBN OVH .BOZ DMJFTU GPS TFWFSBM ZFBST JO *U FFT GPS UIF VTJOFTTFT TVD BSF DIBMMFOHFE UP XSJUF TBNF TUZMJ MPO JO #VSOTWJMMFTPVUI PG UIF SJWFS NFS TFSWJDF LFFQT NF IF BUUSJCVUFT UP IJT C 1FSLJOT UIF POMZ TBMPO TFSWJDFE UIF FO HFUT JO TJY NPOUIT BSF QVUUJOH i5IF DVTUP CBDL w TBJE 5SJTI TBMPO UIBU DFTT $PMF PQFOFE i(PMEFO OVHHFUT BU UIBU UJNF NJOE *U JT DPNJOH BU UIF "QQMF 7BMMFZ TJDB IF MBUF T *O %PVH 4PVUIEBMF UIJOHT JO PVS TFMG B DMJFOU TUZMJTU +FT UJSF GBNJMZ %VSJOH U JOH BOE JU XBT #BSCFS BU HPPE BOE $IJMESFO T BU BHF XIP IBT CFFO TFFJOH IFZ EFGJOJUFMZ QPTJUJWF TFMG UBML #VSOTWJMMF XBT CPPNUZ GPS $PMF UP FF ZFBST MBUFS POF BCPVU 4UBQG GPS ZFBST i5BOU +FTTJDB XJMM TBMPO CFDBVTF Z BOE .BMM 5IS B QFSGFDU PQQPSUVOJ UIPVHIU w $PMF TBJE PG $PMF T FNQMPZFFT IF DMPTFE UIF UIF DPNNVOJU DBUFS UP XIBU ZPV X FF[F NF JO w HSPX XJUI XBT UPP NVDI * EJEO U &WFSZ POF JO XIJDI UIFZ MMT BOE TRV F MM FNQMPZFF UP SBJTF IJT PXO GBNJMZ JT HJWFO B OPUFCPPL BGGJSNBUJPOT UBLF NZ DB PU IBT DIBOHFE JO UI CFS UIF DPNQBOZ XJ Z i'SPN BHF 8IJMF B M SJNFOUBM UP NZ XSJUF EPXO QPTJUJWF UIF DPN (FOFSBM 5IJT 0DUP F XJMM SFDFJWF NF UP PWFS ZFBST ZFBS BOOJWFSTBS MFBSO XIJDI XBT EFU %JTUSJCVUJPO FODPVSBHFE DFMFCSBUF JUT DVSSFOUMZ PQFSBUFT FWFSZ EBZ TVDI BT i8 i)BCJUT MFBWF CVTJOFTT U DIBOHFE JUT DPSF WBMVFT CVTJOFTT +FSSZ TUZ "EWFSUJTJOH VS B EBZ w $PMF XIBU XF CFMJFWFw BOE QBOZ IBTO 5IF CVTJOFTT OTWJMMF "QQMF TUBSU MFBSOJOH BO IP GSPN USVTU BOE IPOF IBT B XIJDI TUFNUT PG iHSPXJOH ZPVSTFMG w 4BWBHF UIF WFSZ CFHJOOJOH B USBJM w GJWF TBMPOT o JO #VS 4BMPO BMTP JO &BHBO BOE $PMF TBJE i'SPN E B MFBSOJOH DVMUVSF 7BMMFZ UXP &BDI $PMF T XIFSF FNQMPZFFT BOE DPOTJT 4FF $PMF T 1BHF " FNQMPZFFT JPOT XF FTUBCMJTIF UIF EFTJSF UP CFUUFS o BOE IBT MFBSOJOH MJCSBSZ U IJT MPDBU LFFQ MFBSOJOH HSPVOEFE JO VF WBMVF UP PVS BSF FODPVSBHFE UP IBT QVSQPTFGVMMZ LFQUP GPSN TUSPOH WBMVFT SJWFS PVSTFMWFT QSPWJEF US MJWF CZ PVS TPVUI PG UIF BOE F DVTUPNFST DPNNVOJUZ UJFT BO IPVS B EBZ JT TPN -FBSOJOH )"30-% 5033&/$&
$PMF T 4BMPO DFMFCSBUFT ZFBST
O POMJOF
JUJP VS EJHJUBM FE ta County Tribune Dako
$IFDL PVU P
IF OFYU QBHF UP in JQw UP U MJOLT UP UIF FST PG UIF QBHFT UP [PPN JO 5IF PG UIF QBHF $MJDL PO DPSO UPQ PG BOZ QBHF F CPUUPN $MJDL PO UIF FC 4JUFT XJMM BQQFBS BU UI O PVS FTT $MJDL P "EWFSUJTFS 8 QBSUJDVMBS CVTJO F -PPLJOH GPS BEFY BU UIF UPQ PG UIF QBH "EWFSUJTFS *O LFZ XPSE 4FBSDIBCMF CZ
#64*/
&44 8
&&,-:
#VSOTWJMMF CJ[ $P 3E PVOUZ5SJCVOF XXX %BLPUB$ "%7&35*4*/(
Interested in a FREE subscription? Just complete this form and mail it to: Attention: Subscriptions Dakota County Tribune 12190 County Road 11, Burnsville, MN 55337 or fax to: 952-846-2010
__________________________________________________ _____________________________ NAME
ATTENTION
________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS
________________________________________________________________________________ CITY/STATE/ZIP
__________________________________________________ _____________________________ SIGNATURE
DATE
________________________________________________________________________________ EMAIL