Connections - Spring 2012

IMPROVE YOUR PROFITABILITY WITH

pg. 26

SPRING 2012

CONNECTIONS SMART WAYS TO SPEND

MARKETING DOLLARS ONLINE

The New

WEST Oil changes the landscape of North Dakota business

PHONE APPS FOR CONTRACTORS

MILLENNIALS BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR YOUNG EMPLOYEES

ON THE COVER |

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APP-Y TRAILS

Tech-savvy contractors are putting the power of mobile apps to work for their business. Find out how you can make your smartphone or tablet even smarter!

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MAKE A SPLASH ONLINE – THE FOUR KEYS TO SPENDING YOUR MARKETING DOLLARS ON THE INTERNET

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Promoting your business on the web can be challenging.

Take charge with these four keys – and make the most of your digital marketing dollars.

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MAKING ROOM FOR THE NEW BOOM

Western North Dakota has a lot in common with the original American gold rush – big opportunities, big decisions and big challenges.

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5 WAYS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MILLENNIALS

Managing young employees starts with understanding young employees.

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LEARNING FOR A LIFETIME

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DSG’s P4 Learning Lab supercharges businesses and recharges attendees.

PROFILES |

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MEASURING THE FUTURE

New metering solutions are making life easier in the city of Glenwood, Wisconsin.

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SMARTER WATER

DSG helps a complex water system to simplify its controls – and the lives of its employees.

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PROFILES |

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A NAME THAT SAYS IT ALL This Rapid City plumbing and heating contractor took a very literal approach when he named his company.

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ENHANCING MOTORS, IMPROVING ENERGY CONSUMPTION

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DSG is leading the charge when it comes to reducing the amount of power that electric motors consume.

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TELL US WHAT YOU THINK, AND YOU COULD

WIN A $100 CABELA’S GIFT CARD!

FIXTURES | Editorials

Approaching Light Speed – Tom Rosendahl.................................................................... 4 My Take – Mike Tupa............................................................................................... 31

Meet The DSG Team

Geoff Bosse – Alexandria, MN..................................................................................... 7 Jim Lingenfelter – Williston, ND................................................................................ 13 Patty Kueffler – Williston, ND................................................................................... 30 Jack Kinnunen – Fargo, ND...................................................................................... 32 Brian Martin – Williston, ND................................................................................... 39 Shelly Grossman – Fargo, ND..................................................................................... 45

The Power Of We At DSG

212 To The Power Of We........................................................................................... 11

Grow Your Business

Succession Planning................................................................................................. 50

DSG Toolbox

DSG Tools .............................................................................................................. 24

DSG Outdoors

For The Love Of The Hunt........................................................................................ 34

News Wire

Highlights: News From GE & DSG............................................................................. 48 New Web Commerce Site............................................................................................ 52 Itron Sales Award..................................................................................................... 52

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EDITORIALS |

Approaching Light Speed Five years ago, I never would have thought that my phone would be a computer, and that my computer would be a tablet. The speed at which information moves in 2012 is amazing. You can access a global network of nearly infinite resources from anywhere, at any time. I wasn’t sure I would ever get the hang of this pace, but I think I have.

I like being able to check baseball scores during a time-out at my daughter’s volleyball game, and if I don’t have time to read an email immediately, I just come back to it when I get a few moments.

I’m glad that I’m starting to keep up, because the truth is that technology is only going to get faster in the coming years. At DSG, we’re committed to making sure that those advancements also make things better — especially for our customers.

Take our DSG Customer Portal, for example.

With it, our partners have a simple and portable way to implement a convenient calendar and time sheet system for their team. Plus, it lets you upload job photos and connect to DSG resources — including our e-commerce functions.

Speaking of e-commerce, we’re looking to make online purchasing from DSG more userfriendly in 2012. We plan on revamping most of our e-commerce interface, and by the end of the year, you should be enjoying an entirely fresh and functional e-commerce experience that will help you to act faster and work more efficiently in your business.

We’ve even outfitted our sales team with their own tablet computers. DSG has always provided you with solutions. Now we’re going to use technology to provide them faster.

Together, we’re not just going to keep up in 2012. We’re going to take the lead.

Tom Rosendahl | PRESIDENT 4

APP-Y Trails More than half of cell phone users in the United States under the age of 45 now use smartphones. Of those between 45 and 54, 39 percent carry a smartphone! It’s a mobile world, and that means you can access a lot of information, no matter where you are. For contractors, we’re just beginning to see the possibilities that this new mobile culture can have for making projects easier.

It all starts with apps (short for “applications”). Apps are small computer programs for your

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wireless device that have a specific task. Industrious programmers have recognized that certain tasks that a contractor needs help with could be handled by an app, and they are releasing them for almost all of the most popular devices (which are mainly split into two camps: Android devices and IOS devices from Apple. BlackBerry apps are less common).

Generally speaking, apps are inexpensive (usually less than $10, but sometimes as high

as $30). You download them directly onto your device from either the Android Market or the Apple App Store.

Here are some apps we found that cater to contractors. Do a search for them on your device’s store and check them out – they may make your job a lot easier!

Note: DSG does not endorse the effectiveness, accuracy or value of any of these apps. At the time of this article, they were good examples of apps that might appeal to contractors.

You should carefully read the instructions of any app you purchase, and then make your own judgments during use.

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ELECTRICIANS Electricians Helper | iPhone, iPad & Android Helps with the complex calculations that are needed for some installations and also helps with referencing electrical codes. This app calculates voltage, current, power, voltage drop, ampacity, load current, box fill, bend radius for conduit and much more.

Electrical Formulator Pro | iPhone & iPad Packed with more than 100 formulas like kilowatts to BTUs, horsepower, joules, lumens resistance, capacitance and more. Results can be emailed. The developer is also adding the National Electric Code, chapter by chapter.

Electrician Talk Forum | iPhone, iPad & Android Allows you to easily utilize the forum on electriciantalk.com, a place where professional electrical contractors can share knowledge and network.

PLUMBERS Plumbing Formulator | iPhone & iPad Contains more than 60 formulas for plumbers and HVAC installers. It helps to calculate things like the area of pipe walls, the weight of pipes, the final temperature when two bodies of water are mixed, radiant heat and more.

Plumbing Zone Forum | iPhone, iPad & Android Allows you to easily utilize the forum on plumbingzone.com, a place where plumbing professionals can share knowledge and network.

HVAC HVAC Buddy | iPhone, iPad, Android & Windows Phone 7 This is a refrigerant charging and diagnostic HVAC app. It is designed to help HVAC professionals diagnose and determine the proper refrigerant charge to use.

HVAC Formulator | iPhone & iPad This app contains 200 formulas that are helpful to HVAC professionals. Sections include: Air Change, Airside, Boilers, BTU Conversions, Ductwork, Energy Values, Heating Design, Heating Requirements, Humidity and much more.

ALL CONTRACTORS: Bill It Now | iPad This app allows you to electronically deliver a quick (and fairly basic) invoice directly from your iPad. Forms include: order forms, work order forms (which can be used for field invoices or quotes), request for information (RFI) forms and more. Allows you to email PDF versions of forms, and you can even use your finger to add your signature.

Source: www.cnet.com, Under-45 crowd: Most carry smartphones now, November 3, 2011

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MEET THE DSG TEAM |

A Higher Purpose Geoff Bosse | Outside Sales, Alexandria, MN Geoff Bosse is part of the DSG sales team in Alexandria, Minnesota. Like all DSG employee owners, he can help his customers with any products or services that DSG provides.

Furthermore, Bosse also has a deep understanding of the needs of contractors. This is because he has walked in their shoes.

Bosse joined DSG in 2010 after a successful career in which he co-owned a mechanical contracting company in Fargo, North Dakota.

There, Bosse focused on the design and installation of HVAC systems for residential and commercial buildings. It was a job that he felt served an important purpose. “People spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors,” says Bosse. “The health risks due to indoor air pollutants can be a legitimate concern for homeowners and business owners alike. It felt good knowing that I could help make work and living environments a little cleaner.”

With that said, Bosse’s move to DSG was a rewarding one because, to him, it provided the opportunity to help more people. “At DSG, I get to work with our customers as a business partner, helping them to provide better indoor air quality

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in many, many homes and buildings,” he says.

“Plus, I think I can relate closely to contractors, thanks to my background and practical experience. I really enjoy helping them out!”

A native of Forman, ND, Bosse and his family have grown to love the Alexandria, MN, area.

“Who wouldn’t love it here?” Bosse asks. He is an avid hunter (mainly deer) and a huge fan of North Dakota State University Bison football.

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Make A SPLASH Online The Four Keys To Spending Your Marketing Dollars On The Internet You just finished your brandnew web site, and you couldn’t be prouder. Now that everyone can find your business on the Internet, things are really going to take off. So you pull up a chair and wait for the phone to ring off the hook. And you wait ... and wait ... and wait.

It’s easy to talk yourself into believing that a web site is the magical answer to all of your marketing problems. You may think of your web site as a loudspeaker to the world, but in reality it’s more like a plain brick building. Here’s how: It’s essential to have one (just as having a shop or office gives

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CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

your customers confidence that you are legitimate, a web site tells visitors that you are actively doing business), it can show off your products and services (think of a showroom), and you can do a lot of business inside (whether you are selling products online or simply using your web site as a way to communicate with customers).

But just like a plain brick building, it can’t do anything on its own. It doesn’t even have a sign, and if you don’t give people directions, they’ll drive right past it. In other words, it’s important to let your customers know where you’re located –

both in real life and online.

There are quite a few ways to give people directions to your web site. Putting your web address on your business cards and invoices is a start. Putting it on advertising is even better.

Word of mouth helps, too.

However, nothing is quite as effective as marketing your online presence in the most natural way – online.

The original way to do this is called pay-per-click advertising, so named because you don’t actually pay for it until somebody clicks on your ad.

Pay-per-click (or PPC, as it’s often called) comes in many

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different flavors, from large “skyscraper” ads (that go down the entire side of the screen) to banner ads to “search” ads – that is, ads that are displayed when certain “key” words are searched for using services like Google, Bing or Yahoo. Most PPC uses an “auction” format, where you bid against others for the right to a better position on the page.

The good news is that you can set a budget so that you never overspend.

Another way of getting the word out online is using social media. That’s what people call web sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. These sites allow users to share information, photos and videos with their friends online. These web sites tend to organize users by their demographics and interests. In addition, there are ways for businesses to have their own accounts. For example, DSG has its own Facebook page that it uses to communicate with its customers (www.facebook.com/ dakotasupplygroup).

So, how does a small business make a big splash? Which tool is better for you? Here are four important things to consider when you set out to promote your web site online:

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➀ Search Engine

➂ Consider

Pay-Per-Click Narrows Your Audience:

Facebook Advertising, But Maybe Not A Facebook Page:

Only want to show your ad to people in your hometown who use the web to search for the word “electrician?”

Search Engine PPC is the perfect tool. Google Adwords is the most popular example, but there are others, of course. Choose a set of keywords such as “commercial plumbing,” and you can get even more precise with your target audience.

➁ If You Choose PPC, Test Your Ads:

One of the simplest but most effective ways of getting the most mileage out of your online dollars is to test several different versions of your ad at the same time. If you find that your web site gets more traffic from an ad that says you are “Fast” than a similar ad that says you are “Dependable,” then you cancel the “Dependable” ad and stick with the “Fast” version. Then test yet another version, and repeat until you are satisfied with the results.

Social media participation doesn’t necessarily make sense for every business. If you sell beer, go for it. If you have a large group of vocal customers (like a power or communications co-op, for example), then try it out. But if you are a small contractor without very much name recognition, you may want to reconsider. Properly maintaining a Facebook page for your business can be a lot of work (and a Twitter feed could be even more time consuming). Instead consider PPC ads on Facebook. It works similar to search PPC, but instead of keywords, you narrow your audience by geography, demographics and interests. Want to appeal to local women who are between the ages of 45 and 65, and like to watch HGTV? Facebook can do that – and as always with PPC, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad.

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➃ Make Sure Your

Web Site Is Worth Visiting:

Almost all types of Internet ads use something called an algorithm to judge how “relevant” your web site is to the ad you are buying.

This is to prevent people from tricking web surfers into clicking on their ad.

What does it mean to you?

Make sure that your web site is filled with well-written text (quality, not necessarily quantity) and well-labeled images. The more clearly you state what it is that you do – on both your ad and your site – the more likely

START HERE: Google:

you are to get a favorable position on a page for your ad (your “auction bid” is only part of the process).

Whatever you do, don’t be intimidated by social media or online advertising. You can get started yourself, or you can even find a PPC or social media professional to help you out – just be careful to check his or her references. To learn more, visit some of the sites we have listed in the sidebar. You don’t have to be a big spender to get solid results.

adwords.google.com

Bing / Yahoo:

advertising.microsoft.com

Facebook: facebook.com/advertising

Powering The Future Continuing To Get Kids Connected In 2012 DSG Kids Club had quite a year in 2011 and is already on a roll to continue the fun in 2012. With exciting contests, cool prizes and even birthday gifts for all members, DSG Kids Club teaches children ages 5 through 12 all about DSG and the industries it serves in an entertaining, interactive way. Best of all, it allows kids and parents to share fun experiences together.

Register kids online, or find out more at www.dsgkidsclub.com.

Are You Ready For What’s Next?

Building on the success of its kids club program, DSG is now offering teenagers a group all their own with DSG Next. The program officially kicked off in the fall of 2011 and provides a lot of the same perks as the original DSG Kids Club, including birthday prizes and fun contests. DSG Next, however, is geared especially toward older kids ages 13 through 18. Prizes include iTunes credits, and teens are encouraged to apply for DSG scholarship opportunities.

Teens can register online, or find out more at www.dsgnext.com.

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THE POWER OF WE AT DSG |

212 To The Power Of We For someone new to DSG, The Power Of We can be a little mysterious. What is this power, and why does everyone keep talking about it? Is it real?

Where does it come from?

Instead of complicating The Power of We with a long explanation, it might be simpler to use Sam Parker’s book 212: The Extra Degree as an illustration. It does a good job of getting to the core of what The Power Of We is all about.

In his book, Parker uses the temperature of water as a metaphor for the effort that people put into the things that they do. At 211 degrees Fahrenheit, water is really, really hot – but it’s still just water. If you add just one more degree, that same water begins to boil.

Not only are there a lot of things you can do with boiling water, but that one degree also creates steam – a powerful force that can heat entire cities and power massive train engines.

The meaning is simple: DSG focuses all of its energy on creating partnerships with customers and vendors rather than settling for traditional business relationships. Each “me and you” transaction then becomes a “we” encounter, something infinitely more powerful and beneficial. If the word “me” is 211 degrees, the word “we” is 212, and everything changes with that extra degree of effort.

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Imagine coming to the city desk for a part. The employee owner who helps you notices that a new product would save you some time when doing the installation. Rather than taking the easy path and simply handing you the same old part, the employee owner asks you if you’d like to hear about this innovative new option.

It’s a small act, but imagine that this new part saved you time and labor costs, which in turn enabled you to bid on and land a new project.

Now your business has gone from 211 to 212 degrees – and that’s always a good thing.

The Power of We is the very real result of working together to ensure that the DSG customer experience is greater than the sum of its parts.

We’re focused on putting the customer first, putting in that extra effort and working together with our business partners – whether we are finding a new way to improve your inventory situation or tidying up the parking lot as we walk into work in the morning – we make DSG one degree better and your business one degree better. And that can make all the difference.

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INNOVATION AS SOLID AS STEEL Down-fired Fire Tube The Trinity Fire Tube (TFT) heat exchanger is ASME certified and uses an innovative down-fired concept. The tubes have a dimpled design to optimize heat transfer, which increases energy efficiency. The Fire Tubes provide generous space for flue gas to pass, and significantly reduce the need for cleaning due to the vertical configuration and self-cleaning operation when in condensation mode.

Stainless steel design The wet leg combustion chamber enables up to 99 percent combustion efficiency. The ASME-certified heat exchanger is constructed using 439 Stainless Steel, making it extremely resistant to corrosion. The Fire Tube design allows water to flow freely around the heating surfaces of the boiler, which significantly reduces pressure drop.

Efficiencies & performance The TFT provides AFUE efficiencies up to 96 percent. NTI was the first to develop the totally sealed combustion system, whereby air is not drawn from the cabinet.

MEET THE DSG TEAM |

The Storyteller Jim Lingenfelter | City Desk, Warehouse, Williston, ND If you’ve visited DSG’s Williston branch, you’ve most likely had the pleasure of meeting Jim Lingenfelter at the city desk. For those who haven’t, he’s a really good listener. If you have a story, he’ll gladly let you tell him all about it. For Lingenfelter, meeting new people and hearing their unique tales is one of the best parts of his job.

Lingenfelter’s got some of his own stories to tell, too. Ask him about his musical background, and he’ll tell you about his days opening gigs for John Denver and the Judds. If sports are your thing, ask him about his nephew Kurt Warner, former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl MVP. Or, if you want to know about the Williston area, he’s got more than 30 years of stories to share.

Just like stories, oil booms are not new to Lingenfelter. Spending the last three decades in Williston, he was around for the last oil boom in the late 1970s and early 1980s. “We were the only electrical distributor in town,” Lingenfelter says, “and because of that we were very busy. Similar to today, building development was in high gear.”

Things are quite different with the current oil boom, though, and DSG’s inventory has increased dramatically. “When we first moved into our new building in 2010, we wondered how we would fill the space,” Lingenfelter laughs. “Now we’re constantly looking for ways to make room for more, so that we have what our customers need.”

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The boom has stimulated other changes at DSG, as well. “Our new paved loop around the building will be much more convenient for when customers are getting their orders loaded,” Lingenfelter adds. “Now they won’t have to maneuver so much or back out, which can be difficult when the parking lot is full of vehicles waiting to load.”

As for the future of Williston, Lingenfelter knows that it won’t change overnight. “Things will eventually level off somewhat, but we’ll continue to see growth and more people.” No matter what the future holds, Lingenfelter’s job remains the same: to help customers write new success stories of their very own.

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Making Room For The

NEW BOOM Western North Dakota is where the flat expanse of the northern plains meets the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains. It’s a vast, dry area filled with old west sunsets and breathtaking geology found no place else on earth.

Nearly 60 years ago, a farmer named Henry O. Bakken allowed two drill rigs to drill on his North Dakota farm, and by the 1970s the bustling oil business was creating boomtowns across the region. Oil production was slow and tedious because of the difficulty in reaching the oil that geologists agreed must be there, tightly protected by layers of resilient shale. A crippling bust phase followed in the 1980s as oil prices dropped. Jobs disappeared. Boomtowns became ghost towns. The oil contained in the “Bakken Formation” wasn’t attractive anymore because it was simply too expensive to pump out. Until now.

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In the early 2000s, companies drilling on the massive Bakken Formation tried something new – they drilled nearly two miles straight down, and then started drilling sideways. With the advent of hydraulic fracturing (commonly called “fracking,” see sidebar), something incredible happened that is changing the lives and outlooks of people everywhere – not just the people who call the rugged scenery home.

For the last few years, North Dakota has been home to a genuine oil boom, bringing with it an excitement that mimics the old gold rush days. According to a statement from the North Dakota Oil And Gas Division, the state now produces more than 510,000 barrels of oil per day, which represents about 10 percent of U.S. oil production as a whole. That’s enough oil to displace imports from countries like Iraq or Colombia.

IF YOU WANT TO WORK IN WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA, THERE’S A JOB FOR YOU While the nation’s unemployment rate nears 10 percent, North Dakota boasts a rate of 3.4 percent. In Williston, ND – the center of the oil boom – the rate is less than 1 percent.

Laborers – many of whom have no experience working on an oil rig – can often make six figures. A truck driver’s starting salary nears $80,000 a year. Even cashiers at the local

McDonald’s – which is now the busiest location in the nation – are starting at $15 an hour. In one Williston bar, the owner has a standard response for patrons who say that they don’t have a job. She advises them to sit at the bar for three hours, and they’ll have a job offer before they leave. Citizens report that every window has Help Wanted signs, and that new businesses are going up every day.

The Associated Press has profiled many of these North Dakota transplants. One 21-yearold college graduate used to deliver pizzas. Now he makes six figures, and has paid off his college debt and his car.

Internet message boards are ablaze with people asking how they can get more information about jobs, where they can stay when they get there, and what they need to do before they come. One man drove from Spokane, Washington, to Williston, arriving with $11 in his pocket. Within hours, he had a new job that tripled his old salary.

The trade industries are no exception. Electricians, plumbers and HVAC contractors struggle to keep up as more building projects sprout up every day. National television news programs interview electricians who arrive in town and have four job offers in the first few hours. Building materials flow into the city

constantly, a modern-day wagon train filled with supplies for an economy experiencing a growth spurt of incredible proportions.

DSG’s Williston branch has seen this amazing growth firsthand, supplying everything from traditional parts like wire, pipe and ductwork to equipment suited more specifically to the unique needs of the petroleum industry.

“The pace of work has picked up dramatically,” says Patty Kueffler, a Williston native and operations manager at DSG’s Williston location.

“Sometimes it’s so busy that you hardly remember your own name. We do what we can to accommodate our customers, though, whether that’s bringing in extra help from other DSG branches or making in-town deliveries twice a day.”

Jim Lingenfelter, city desk and warehouse employee owner at DSG Williston, has a similar take on the new pace in Williston.

“

I think it’s fun to

meet new people

from out of town and out of state. Everyone has a story.”

Cities like Williston have been transformed from quiet farming and ranching communities into hectic epicenters of the new American oil economy.

It’s a modern-day gold rush, complete with thousands of oil SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

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workers, millions of dollars in new construction, billions of dollars in revenue and a few growing pains to boot.

BEYOND EXPECTATIONS Nobody was ready for the growth that Williston has seen. Burned by the end of the “mini boom” in the 1970s, investors were cautious about overbuilding as oil production began to rebound. The truth is that overbuilding seems to be impossible in Williston these days. In fact, the city’s housing challenges have become the topic of national news. Demand for apartments has outpaced the available space. Lucky workers live in campers. Nearly 10,000 workers live in “man camps,” temporary housing that often features the bare essentials: a bed, a locker and a place to clean up.

“

The boom has

been incredible

when it comes to housing. I’ve even seen someone try to create a housing structure under the bridge in town,” says Kueffler.

GROWING PAINS Rapid growth often comes at a price, and Williston has been no exception. Aside from a housing crunch, the city is also suffering from a marked increase in traffic. Road congestion has become a reality of everyday life.

Oil laborers nearly outnumber locals, and that has caused tension. The crime rate has increased, and there are waiting lines at every store. Some older residents are moving out of the area. Fortunate homeowners are taking advantage of the strong real estate market and selling, while some renters can simply no longer afford rental costs (which have increased four fold in some cases).

“We’ve developed some bigcity issues,” says Lingenfelter.

Municipal departments are under pressure, as city infrastructure strains under the weight of an unexpected population. How do you maintain the streets when city workers can double their salary by working in the oil industry?

Oil jobs themselves are not perfect either, though. Overtime demands are tremendous, and workers get little sleep. Oil field work has always been a dirty, dangerous job, and work on the Bakken Formation is no different.

“

Everything is relative, as Kueffler points out.

When you

hear about

how tough the economy is in other places, it puts our problems in perspective!”

continued on page 18

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DOING THE

numbers PRE-BOOM POPULATION:

12,000

POST-BOOM POPULATION (EST.):

23,000

NORTH DAKOTA UNEMPLOYMENT:

3.4%

(lowest in the U.S.)

WILLISTON AREA JOB OPENINGS (AT ANY ONE TIME):

2,000 – 3,000

VALUE OF WILLISTON BUILDING PERMITS IN 2010:

$106 Million

VALUE OF BUILDING PERMITS IN 2011 (EST.):

$300 Million

AVERAGE ANNUAL OIL WORKER SALARY:

$100,000

BARRELS OF OIL BEING PUMPED OUT OF ND EVERY DAY

510,000

Fracking The Bakken Shale Formation WHAT IS THE BAKKEN FORMATION? A thin but widespread unit within the central and deeper portions of the Williston Basin in Montana, North Dakota, and the Canadian Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

THE FORMATION CONSISTS OF THREE MEMBERS: ➀ Lower shale member ② Middle sandstone member ③ Upper shale member FRACKING (HYDRAULIC FRACTURING): An operation in which a specially blended liquid is pumped down a well and into a formation under pressure high enough to cause the formation to crack open, forming passages through which oil can flow into the wellbore.

Sand grains, aluminum pellets, glass beads or similar materials are carried in suspension into the fractures.

When the pressure is released at the surface, the fractures partially close on the proppants, leaving channels for oil to flow through to the well.

On the Bakken Formation, this involves drilling down about two miles, then drilling horizontally (sometimes for miles).

AVAILABLE OIL ( EST.): 24 Billion Barrels OIL-PRODUCING WELLS ( EST.): 6,000 + WWW.DAKOTASUPPLYGROUP.COM

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MONEY FLOWING FROM NORTH DAKOTA TO ALL PARTS OF THE U.S. North Dakota’s tax coffers are full to brimming, after reaping an estimated $839 million from the oil beneath its western wheat fields. By 2015, taxes collected on oil production are estimated to reach more than $2 billion.

While citizens all over the country are feeling the pinch of budget cuts, North Dakota has increased its two-year budget by 12 percent. Some of that spending increase – to the tune of $470 million – has been promised to the Bakken region

and the cities of Williston, Minot and Dickinson. These dollars will help to modernize their infrastructure, improve highways and roads, and further overall development.

The wealth has spread through neighboring regions as well.

Manufactured home businesses in South Dakota and Nebraska have received a windfall, working to accommodate housing needs in the region.

One manufacturer in Nebraska has doubled its production staff in the last year to keep up with the demand for housing.

Building permits granted in Williston alone have gone up 400 percent since 2010. In nearby Tioga, building permits have increased 600 percent.

Much of this growth can be attributed to workers needing a more stable living environment than the “man camps.” However, newly affluent residents looking to build or renovate dream homes are also contributing to the housing boom, as well as newcomers looking to settle permanently in the area.

Ironically, benefits can also be found in Arizona’s real estate

DSG Thinks Ahead DSG prides itself on being ahead of the curve, even when that curve is as large as the oil boom that has energized western North Dakota. That explains why DSG recognized the potential for new business and new construction, and built a new distribution center in Williston in 2009. This 15,000-square-foot building has quickly become one of DSG’s busiest locations. Plus, DSG recently added a 26-foot truck in order to keep up with the need for deliveries. As demand grows, DSG continues to innovate, adding technology and capacity to its presence in western North Dakota.

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market, where housing prices plummeted in recent years.

Some North Dakota owners are heading to the Grand Canyon state to buy inexpensive homes – either moving outright, or simply buying a vacation home for the winter.

No one knows how long the boom will last. Some predict that the oil in the Bakken Formation could last for up to 15 years. Others are less sure.

Geologists have estimated that the formation could hold anywhere from 4 to 25 billion barrels of oil, but if the government decides to impose regulations on the rate of drilling or abolish fracking altogether, the boom could go bust. Either way, no one can argue that the quiet landscape of western North Dakota has been indelibly changed, as have the lives of thousands of people.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR WILLISTON? No matter what the future holds, the community of Williston is moving forward to accommodate its new demographics. The hospital is expanding. Additional school teachers are being hired.

Housing developments are sprouting up. Everyone is working together to make the city of Williston the best it can be.

WWW.DAKOTASUPPLYGROUP.COM

“

What’s happening

in Williston is

no longer a boom, but an industry,” Lingenfelter says.

As Williston rides its unlikely wave, DSG has made a commitment to stand strong in good times and in bad. No one knows what the future holds, but surely there are exciting times to come for the good people of western North Dakota and the city of Williston.

When Henry O. Bakken agreed to drilling on his farmland, he may have envisioned the riches it would bring to himself and his descendants – but it is likely that he never pictured the vast amount of wealth being bestowed upon so many people, from so many walks of life, over half a century later.

Sources: USGS Oil and Gas Fact Sheet, 2008; Finding Jobs in America’s Boomtown, CNNMoney.com, October 29, 2011; America’s Boomtown to Big Oil: We Want Our Town Back, CNNMoney.com, October 24, 2011; Record Construction Pace Continues in City, Williston Herald,

October 12, 2011; New Boom Reshapes Oil World, Rocks North Dakota, NPR, September 25, 2011; oilgasglossary.com; Rock Center With Brian Williams, October 31, 2011; Man Camp Expansion Continues in Williston, KXMC-TV, December 14, 2010; https://www.dmr.nd.gov/oilgas/ pr.asp, PressRelease01102012.pdf; Oil production tops half a million barrels a day, Williston Herald, January 11, 2012; Dakota Oil Fields of Saudi-Sized Reserves Make Farmers Drillers, bloomberg.com, June 3, 2008; North Dakota oil boom fuels real estate sales in Arizona, USA Today, January 3, 2012; Unemployed? Go to North Dakota, USA Today, August 28, 2011; Double your salary in the middle of nowhere, North Dakota, money.cnn.com, October 20, 2011; willistonchamber.net; city-data.com; North Dakota Oil Boom Drawing Midwest MH Producers, Omaha World Telegraph, December 15, 2011; Earning $100K at ‘man camp,’ Chicago Sun-Times, September 4, 2011; Tycoon Says North Dakota Oil Field Will Yield 24 Billion Barrels, Among World’s Biggest, Forbes.com, June 27, 2011; Oil Rigs Bring Camps of Men to the Prairie, New York Times, November 25, 2011; ndtourism. com; Effects of the Oil Boom on Williston, ND, bakkenoil.org, December 17, 2011; Riding the Dakota Oil Boom, Wall Street Journal, November 2, 2011; Oil boom severely straining North Dakota economy, MPR News, January 2, 2012; Where to Find Bakken Oil Jobs: 50,000% increase in North Dakota Jobs 2010-2012, http://pattyinglishms.hubpages. com/hub/Top-10-Hot-Jobs-in-New-Town-OilBoom-2010; North Dakota’s Oil Boom is a Blessing and Curse, governing.com, August, 2011; A Great Divide Over Oil Riches, New York Times, December 27, 2011

SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

19

MEASURING THE

FUTURE Upon driving into Glenwood City, Wisconsin, it doesn’t take long to see that it is a city which takes much pride in its history.

Whether it be the giant mural adorned with influential figures, or the history museum just down the road, Glenwood City’s 1,200 residents have a keen sense of what has made the city what it is today. Once a community built around rural dairy farms, Glenwood City’s largest employers are now the school and nursing home.

A tight-knit community that takes immense pride in its superb school system, low crime rate and friendly neighbors, it’s no surprise that many who grew up in Glenwood City seem to find their way back. Don’t be fooled, though. Glenwood City has no plans of being stuck in the past.

That’s why Public Works Director Doug Doornink believed the city’s water meter system had to be replaced.

“Our meters were in tough shape,” Doornink states

20

CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

bluntly. “We knew we needed an upgrade, and we knew we wanted to use Badger Meters.

We just didn’t know exactly what the process would entail.”

Doornink did his homework, and was impressed by DSG and Metering Technology Group Manager Steve Mereness.

“DSG’s proposal was by far the best, and every single reference I called had great things to say.

It was an easy decision.”

DSG, “Steve and his team really took the bull by the horns.

Any time a problem arose, someone was there to address it immediately.”

“Surprisingly, it was really a hands-off process for us. Steve helped to price, design and implement the system,” adds Doornink.

With the system installed and running, Doornink and Rosenow are already realizing

Left to right: Doug Doornink, Shari Rosenow and Julie Stansbury.

Once Glenwood City decided to partner with DSG to install a Badger GALAXY fixed system, it didn’t take City Clerk and Treasurer Shari Rosenow long to see why so many references had great things to say about

the benefits, and seeing that Glenwood City is no stranger to the challenges of small towns across the nation – those benefits are extremely important.

As Rosenow says, “We want to continue to grow by attracting

WWW.DAKOTASUPPLYGROUP.COM

businesses and residents, and the reality is that people are expecting the same level of service, even though we have fewer resources to work with.”

That’s why this system has been so successful for Doornink and his team. They estimate that the new system is saving them approximately 80 hours per quarter between reading and billing, allowing them to focus their time on improving their city in other ways. “There are jobs we’ve wanted to get to, but just haven’t had time,” says Doornink. “The time we save with this system is going to allow us to make this city an even more desirable place to live.”

Glenwood City is just one more community that is happy with the decision to partner with DSG and Badger Meters.

As Doornink states, “It’s one of the biggest decisions we’ve made in recent memory, and so far, there is no question it was the right one.”

The Badger GALAXY fixed network AMI system employs high-powered meter transmitters in conjunction with a network of receivers to bring daily meter data right to a Glenwood City employee’s desktop.

21

5

ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Millennials

In the past few years, a lot has been written about hiring and motivating the millennial generation of workers (also called Generation Y). These young employees were born after 1980, and some research indicates that they have a

significantly different set of values than their

older counterparts. Other surveys suggest that

millennials aren’t that much different from any other

generation when its members were young. Either way,

here are some tips to help you deal with the HR challenges

that these new workers present for your business.

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CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

WWW.DAKOTASUPPLYGROUP.COM

①

LEADERSHIP IS BIG

Millennials grew up being much closer to their parents than baby boomers or even Generation Xers. Their relationship with their boss is one of the biggest factors influencing their job satisfaction. If they are unhappy with leadership, they will look elsewhere for work.

②

TECHNOLOGY MEANS A LOT These employees grew up with a home computer and a cell phone. They value the ability to stay connected. Do your best to provide them with the tools they need to do their job right, and as long as they are getting their work done properly, stay flexible with their use of technology.

③

GET THEM INVOLVED

Millennials have had an easier path than some other generations, and that means they’ve had a lot of opportunities to be part of the team. Their opinion has always mattered, and just like any generation, they want to feel like their work is important. Ask for their input, and consider their ideas. They’re smart, these millennials, and it would be a shame to miss out on their innovative thinking.

④

STAY POSITIVE

These employees grew up in the days of “participation awards.” Whereas baby boomers had a pretty-well-defined list of wins and losses in their youth, they tried hard to keep their own kids from ever being “losers.” The result: employees who don’t have a lot of experience with failure, something worth remembering when you deal with them. There’s no use coddling these employees, but staying positive can help to keep them engaged.

⑤

BE PATIENT

There is one incontrovertible truth in all of this: Millennial employees are different than their employers. Even if it’s not cultural, it’s most certainly mathematical. Expecting them to act the same way that you do is a recipe for frustration. Teach them. Mentor them. Soon your millennial employees will understand where you are coming from, and you will see them differently as well.

WWW.DAKOTASUPPLYGROUP.COM

SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

23

DSG TOOLBOX | The right tool can make all the difference. Whether you want to work faster or easier, improve productivity or safety, save time or manpower, we have the solutions that can help you do it.

Check out these innovative products available from DSG.

➀

② ➀ Wire Grabber™ From

② Hurco Spin Doctor

Cat# FLG3 • Securely holds fixtures, cable

trays and other static loads requiring drop-wire support

SD800 series • Exercise valves or hydrants –

FSM-11 series up to 60 percent more per day • Turns inexperienced operators

into splicing experts •

Reduces injury by absorbing torque while turning • Fits in the palm of your hand

24

Arlington Industries

•

Ideal for wet or dry locations

•

Supports up to 100 lbs.

CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

®

800 Chrome Moly

• Built with the same steel that

keeps race car drivers alive

③ Splicemate Fusion Splicer From AFL Communications

• Includes two-camera

fiber inspection

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➃ ③ ⑤ ⑥

➃ Ideal Twist-A-Nut™

⑤ Zoeller Floor Sucker

46-0002 • Easily clears water from

flat surfaces

Screwdriver

Ideal 30-908 & 30-909 • Quickly installs connectors

• Accu-Loop™ wire looping hole

fits 18, 16, 14 and 12 AWG solid wires • Includes storage area for

multiple bits

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⑥ Flir i-Series Infrared Cameras

• Use whether fully or

partially submerged

i Series • Detects power failures

and helps prevent electrical fires

• Lightweight for

easy portability

• Features scalable

picture-in-picture

SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

25

LEARNING FOR

A LIFETIME

Of all the challenges that face a small business,

head on with what they’ve learned at P4 Learning

the most consistent is change itself. Advancements

Lab, turning the challenges into opportunities and

in technology, the evolution of products and a

creating more success for their businesses. One

dynamic economic landscape are constantly

classic example is the story of Jon Smalley,

impacting day-to-day business. Helping to ease

salesman turned small-business owner who

the pressures of change is an innovative training

used his life experiences and the knowledge he

opportunity from DSG known as P4 Learning

gained at P4 Learning Lab to put his business

Lab. Small-business owners, managers and

into the black.

entrepreneurs are meeting new challenges

26

CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

WWW.DAKOTASUPPLYGROUP.COM

Smalley is the owner of Countryside Heating and Air Conditioning in Alexandria, Minnesota, but that’s not where his story starts. A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Smalley grew up in “Big Red” country and went on to graduate from the University of Nebraska.

“

says Smalley. Based out of Fort Morgan, Colorado, Smalley spent his time learning about new products and traveling a new multistate territory.

However, it wasn’t long before he began to miss the refrigeration business. “Working in the HVAC industry can be

but he also had to be an entrepreneur, working on his business to improve service and drive new growth. The entrepreneurial side of a small business is easy to neglect, but Smalley recognized that taking time to work on the business was critical to navigating today’s

I’d recommend [P4 Learning Lab] for all contractors with two

or more employees who want to grow and increase their profits.”

As a Husker, Smalley learned the science of business management. It’s also during this time that he was introduced to the HVAC industry. “Like any college student, I needed a part-time gig to pay the bills,” Smalley explains. “I went to work for a family friend who owned a refrigeration business.

Little did I know I would use those trade skills for the rest of my career.”

Smalley stayed with the refrigeration business for more than a decade after he graduated, but eventually got an itch to try something different. “My dad was a veterinarian and recommended that I try pharmaceutical sales in the animal health industry,”

WWW.DAKOTASUPPLYGROUP.COM

rewarding work. Customers are always happy to see you because they know you are there to fix their problems,” Smalley says.

Smalley knew he wanted to get back into the HVAC business, only this time at an ownership level, utilizing what he learned both in college and during his time in the HVAC industry. In 2006, he purchased Countryside Heating and Air Conditioning in Alexandria, MN and today the company provides residential and commercial HVAC services to a large portion of west-central Minnesota.

As a small-business owner, Smalley quickly realized that his responsibilities were vast.

He would work in the business as a technician and manager,

Jon Smalley, owner of Countryside Heating and Air Conditioning

unpredictable economy. He needed help, but he wasn’t sure where to get it. Steve Sherman, account manager at DSG in Alexandria, and Ken Pederson, DSG Alexandria branch manager, recommended P4 Learning Lab. P4 Learning Lab is a three-day training session that involves presentations, workshops and round table discussions about topics such as developing profitable hourly rates, budgeting, flat-rate pricing strategies and creating a profitable service agreement program. It’s designed to increase profitability and is led by one of the country’s most respected small-business development firms, Grandy &

SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

27

Associates. One of the most significant benefits, though, is the unique computer software that attendees take home.

This software helps business owners begin the “what if” process of maximizing profitability (e.g., what if we added a tech or office person, bought a new vehicle, changed an overhead cost, marked our materials up another 3 percent to 5 percent) and allows participants to see how changes will affect hourly rates, cash flow and profitability. “P4 Learning Lab is one of the most profitable three days a business owner can spend away from work,” says Tom Rosendahl, president of DSG. “We’ve seen it change people’s lives.”

According to Smalley, P4 Learning Lab has definitely changed his business for the better. “We added flat-rate

DSG’s P4 Learning Lab utilizes presentations, workshops and round table discussions led by Grandy & Associates, one of the nation’s most respected business consultants.

pricing and implemented marketing ideas to help communicate our one-year guarantee,” says Smalley.

“We are having our best year ever, and are positioned to continue to grow and increase profitability – even with today’s economic challenges.

I’d recommend it for all contractors with two or more employees who want to grow and increase their profits.”

While Smalley expects to reap the rewards from what he learned at P4 Learning Lab for many years to come, DSG is preparing for 2012’s sessions.

This year’s P4 Learning Labs will be held on February 14-16, 2012, in Aberdeen, South Dakota; February 28-March 1, 2012, in Fargo, North Dakota; and March 13-15, 2012, in Mounds View, Minnesota.

Jon Smalley is not alone!

HERE’S WHAT OTHERS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT P4 LEARNING LAB:

of this class is peanuts compared to “ Thetheprice money you can save – and make – after taking it. ”

always been busy, but not always profitable. “ We’ve It took my business from just operating and paying bills to making a profit. ”

28

RICHARD SCHWINGLER | FRONTIER ELECTRIC INC.

JESS STUDT | STUDT ELECTRIC INC.

was well planned, well executed, and overall easy to “ Itimplement and understand. We never expected to learn so much in such a short time. ” PAUL & MARLYS DOTZENROD | PAUL’S ELECTRIC

In two and a half days, I received weeks of “knowledge with regard to my company. ”

JON MARISTUEN | EBEL INTEGRATORS

REGISTRATION FORM

Name company name address city

state

phone

fax

zip

email

Attendee 2 phone email

Attendee 3 phone email

February 14-16, 2012

Ramkota Inn | Aberdeen, SD

1 Person = $1,795

February 28-March 1, 2012

2 People = $2,390

Ramada Plaza & Suites | Fargo, ND

March 13-15, 2012

Mermaid Inn & Convention Center | Mounds View, MN

3 People = $2,985 check enclosed for

___ people.

You will need a laptop computer to complete the coursework offered. please send your completed form to your local dsg location or to:

Arne Breikjern 475 minnehaha avenue west st. paul, mn 55103

SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

29

MEET THE DSG TEAM |

The Blooming Williston Patty Kueffler | Operations Manager, Inside Sales, Williston, ND When you work at DSG in Williston, North Dakota, for as long as Patty Kueffler has, you wear many hats. She’s worked as a pricing clerk, in accounts receivable and in accounts payable.

She’s worked the city desk and in the warehouse.

She has worked in sales, and handled shipping and receiving. Right now, her title is operations manager and inside sales, but she still helps out wherever she’s needed. And these days in Williston, that’s everywhere.

Kueffler was born and raised in Williston and has worked for DSG most of her life. In fact, DSG has been the only employer in her adult life.

When you work for a company and live in the same community for that long, you’re bound to see a lot of changes.

“Williston has definitely evolved,” says Kueffler, “and DSG right along with it. For example, I remember when we first opened our new building a few years ago, it was surrounded by grass. Now we’re paving most of it in order to make it easier for customers to pick up their products.”

As with any change, there are often challenges that come with it, and Kueffler has had to adjust to her community changing in dramatic fashion.

“Life in Williston isn’t what it used to be,” says Kueffler. “We’re dealing with things that we’ve never had an issue with before, like high rent, lack of housing, crowded streets and congested stores.

I’ve seen a lot of retirees move out in order to get away from the traffic and the change, and in some

30

CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

cases, because they could get such a great price on selling their home.”

On the other hand, Kueffler manages to keep a positive outlook on the new Williston. “You hear a lot of stories from newcomers about the struggles they have finding a job and how the economy is so bad where they’re from,” says Kueffler. “It makes you realize that maybe the challenges we’re experiencing as a result of the oil boom aren’t so bad after all.”

With all the adjustments that Kueffler has experienced living in Williston over the years, her passion for gardening and her love of flowers have remained. “I’ve got about 75 pots of flowers,” says Kueffler. They serve to remind her of the power of growth and the benefits of a sunny disposition.

Just like the flowers Kueffler grows, she is excited to see how Williston and DSG will continue to bloom.

WWW.DAKOTASUPPLYGROUP.COM

EDITORIALS |

My Take “Time is money.” We’ve all heard this many times, and it’s as true today as it ever was: email, Facebook, Twitter, texting, iPods, iPads, iPhones ... faster, faster and faster! We get a lot more done, but we don’t have any more time to show for it. When will it slow down?

We already know the answer. There is no slowing down the technology machine that is reshaping our world. Not only are we challenged to keep up with this technology surge in our day-to-day lives, but in our businesses as well.

Electrical manufacturers, suppliers and contractors are no exception. While the majority of products we use every day have been around for many years (lamps, outlets, etc.), manufacturers are continually developing innovative new versions of these products in order to help us adjust to the demands of today’s worldwide economy.

Consider how advanced the electronic devices that are used in today’s households, office buildings and industrial plants are compared to what was used 15 to 20 years ago. This evolution has required us to rethink the electrical industry. The terms remote, digital, wireless, LED, drives and soft starts are now common vocabulary.

The good news? Most of the products being introduced today are both smaller and more energy efficient than the products they are replacing. That means they are generally easier to install, and that saves you time on the job, thus improving your bottom line.

In other words, time is still money.

There are several places that you can learn about these innovative products: trade magazines, word-of-mouth, the Internet, etc. However, there is never a better way to be introduced to a new product than by seeing it live and in person.

When you actually get to see the size of the

product, and how it installs, you get a much better feel for the applications it might be used in. Although DSG tries to schedule “lunch and learns,” take part in sample selling and make joint customer calls with our manufacturerpartners, there’s never as much time as we’d like to get these new ideas into the hands of contractors.

Thankfully, we have an excellent opportunity in our own backyard. One of the most successful electrical industry trade shows in the country will be held in Minneapolis on April 18-19, 2012.

The Upper Midwest Electrical EXPO has become one of the most desired destinations for manufacturers when it comes to displaying their new and existing products. It’s a great opportunity to invest a day or so checking out the products that will shape how we will be doing business in the future.

With nearly 500 exhibitors and more than 10,000 attendees during this two-day event, the number of new products we get to see in this short time is incredible (with as many as 200 new products debuting at the show!). But it only happens every two years, so you don’t want to miss out.

After all, what is the cost of a minute of your installers’ time? If you can save minutes on an installation by utilizing a new product, it gives you an advantage over your competitors who haven’t adapted to change. Yes, “time is money,” and the Upper Midwest Electrical EXPO is time well spent. We’ll be there – and we look forward to seeing you there, too!

Mike Tupa |

ELECTRICAL GROUP MANAGER 31

MEET THE DSG TEAM |

A Jack Of The (Utility) Trade Jack Kinnunen | Outside Sales, Fargo, ND Eighteen years is a long time. For some younger folks, it’s more than a lifetime. For Jack Kinnunen, it’s how long he has been working with utilities.

Kinnunen joined the DSG outside sales team in 2011. A native and current resident of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, he helps DSG customers throughout eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. While he’s new to DSG, he’s a veteran in electrical power. In fact, he even has an electrical engineering degree from the University of North Dakota.

While most of his adult life has been spent in the utility industry, he did expand his horizons during college. “I once worked for an environmental consultant,” Kinnunen says. “I was in charge of making sure that the removal of asbestos from schools was being done properly. It was a unique experience.”

Since Kinnunen has spent nearly two decades in the utility industry, he’s seen how the industry has evolved. “The lack of housing developments

The view of Deer Lake from Kinnunen’s backyard (fall 2011).

32

CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

in the last three to four years has created challenges for some utilities,” Kinnunen says.

“Fortunately, it has allowed them to spend time updating their infrastructure.”

While utilities focus on maintaining power, Kinnunen makes it a priority to find new, innovative products and keep up with the latest trends, so he can make life a little easier for his utility partners. “LED outdoor lighting is on the rise,” says Kinnunen. “They have longer life, use less power, and they output a lot of light.”

When Kinnunen isn’t working, he spends his time with his family, and when he gets the chance, he enjoys hunting and fishing. One of his favorite lakes is the one in his backyard, known as Deer Lake.

Contact Your DSG Representative Today!

e h T r Fo

E V LfO t n u The H O

Imagine sitting in your deer stand on a cool, crisp November morning, waiting for the sun to rise. Your rifle is loaded. Your focus is sharp. Your hands are steady. You’re ready to start this year’s deer hunting season off right. Now, imagine that you don’t get the chance to hunt.

Imagine that hunting is an activity that people have told you is impossible for you to do. That has been the case for physically challenged youths all over America – but not anymore. Thanks to the PDR Youth Deer Hunt in South Dakota, 10 lucky kids each year get to experience a hunting adventure they’ll never forget.

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CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

The PDR Youth Deer Hunt was created by Dean Rasmussen, an insurance agent who lives in Clark, South Dakota. The idea stemmed from his experience during a hunting trip with his friend’s son, who happens to be physically challenged. “It meant the world for my friend to take his son hunting,” says Rasmussen. “I told him that my own son and I would help his boy out. Once I saw the expression of joy on his son’s face, it changed my life. I knew that we had to share this with others.”

The PDR Youth Deer Hunt began in 2008. Held in Clark, SD, the hunt was named after

“

We wanted to do something that would not only give them opportunities that they

never had before, but reward them for their

courage and their integrity as people.�

Kevin Zobel, PDR Youth Deer Hunt guide, and hunter Brandon Elliott.

35

Rasmussen’s grandson, Payton Dean Rasmussen (PDR), whose life was taken by spinal meningitis in 1999. This nonprofit event takes place in September during the South Dakota youth antler-less deer hunting season and is offered to physically challenged adolescents ages 12 through 18. “The goal of the program is for kids to take in a true, authentic South Dakota hunting experience,” says Jeff Hoffman, operator at Clark Rural Water and longtime friend of Rasmussen’s. “We put them in a prime spot to see deer, which is an adventure in itself for our kids. If they happen to take a deer down, that’s a bonus.”

It’s not every day that you get to be involved in something so special.”

“We like to say it’s a place where kids can be kids,” adds Rasmussen. “I hear some of the kids say things like ‘people didn’t ask me what was wrong,’ and ‘people didn’t stare at me.’

To hear those words and to see the smiles on their faces is an

36

CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

unbelievable feeling. We so easily forget how much we take things for granted, and these kids appreciate everything in their lives. They are truly remarkable. We wanted to do something that would not only give them opportunities that they never had before, but reward them for their courage and their integrity as people.”

When the kids arrive in Clark, they are treated like royalty.

Everything is taken care of, from their lodging and meals to the rifles and ammunition they use. On the first day, they get acquainted with everything and everyone, spend some time on target practice and are treated to a Mayor’s Supper, in which the mayor of the city of Clark officially welcomes them. On the second day, they enjoy breakfast and then travel with their guides to the hunting blinds – to hunt all day if they want. “All that we ask is that the kids get to Clark, and we’ll make sure they have the best hunting adventure they could ever imagine,” says Rasmussen.

Andy Wookey, PDR Youth Deer Hunt guide, and hunter Andre Bieber.

Kids are required to obtain a South Dakota youth deer license and take the youth hunter safety course prior to attending the hunt.

The whole community has gotten behind the PDR Youth Deer Hunt. Local farmers donate their land with no objections. Clark Rural Water employees and many other community members donate their time to serve as guides

Brandon Elliott after a successful hunt.

Jeff Lautenslauger, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks warden and PDR Youth Deer Hunt guide, and hunter Austin Clark.

The scissor-lift blind is nicknamed the “Huff 3000” by Rasmussen.

for the kids. The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks department donates its resources, and even the local butcher processes the venison for free. “It’s the big hearts of the Clark community and those who donate that make this event possible,” says Hoffman.

All proceeds and donations that the PDR Youth Deer Hunt receives goes to running the event and accommodating the kids. “We get paid in smiles,” Rasmussen says.

Since its inception, the PDR Youth Deer Hunt has grown considerably. Kids have come from as far as Sturgis, SD, and inquiries about the hunt have come from as far away as Tennessee. While the first year hosted three kids, the most recent PDR Youth Deer Hunt hosted 10. National television hunting shows such as “Dakota Outdoorsman” and “Wild Dakota” have even featured the PDR Youth Deer Hunt on their programming.

Thanks to the tremendous support, some of the equipment used at the PDR Youth Deer Hunt is fairly advanced. One

boy, who has become a regular at the hunt, has a zero recoil mechanism that holds a gun and is, in turn, mounted to the hunter’s wheelchair. “He uses a joystick controller to aim and a mouthpiece to pull the trigger,” say Rasmussen.

“It’s pretty amazing.”

As far as equipment goes, the darling of the group would arguably be the blinds that the PDR Youth Deer Hunt uses.

Made from PVC pipe, the blinds are sturdy, easy to set up and effective. They even have a scissor-lift blind with a Tommy lift attachment that puts kids in position to target deer from above, similar to a deer stand in a tree. “We’ve had deer within 10 yards of our blinds,” says Hoffman. “They are incredible.”

To create the blinds as they are today, Hoffman connected with Malcolm Macdonald, DSG Waterworks Group manager, in 2009. “We were hoping that DSG would be on board, and we were stunned when they offered to donate all the PVC pipe to make the blinds,” says Hoffman.

“When Jeff called, we jumped at the chance,” Macdonald adds.

“It’s not every day that you get to be involved in something so special.” DSG donated more materials in 2011 when the time came to make more blinds.

To find out how you can help the PDR Youth Hunt, go online

to its web site at WWW.PDRYOUTHHUNT.COM.

37

PRESS FITTINGS FOR STEEL PIPE

Is A Sure Thing

The FASTLOCK press system utilizes press technology and malleable cast-iron press fittings to provide a secure connection in HVAC, water and compressed air system applications. It is the quickest and easiest way to connect schedule 10 through schedule 40 black and galvanized ASTM A53 steel pipe.

Fast Installations FASTLOCK fittings install without the use of threading dies, pipe sealants or pipe wrenches, and wrench-free connections reduce stress on joists and hangers during installation.

Reliable Connections FASTLOCK press jaws have an indent feature that ensures easy identification of pressed valves prior to pressure testing. Plus, FASTLOCK fittings feature Sure Connect速 technology, which ensures that unpressed connections are detected during pressure testing.

Assured Performance Malleable cast-iron bodies are hot-dipped in corrosion-resistant zinc coating for extended life. Each fitting undergoes a series of three tests to ensure its performance. Fittings are x-rayed for internal defects; run through an automated 100 PSI leak test; and dipped in fluorescent liquid, washed, rinsed and then examined under UV light.

Contact DSG today to put FASTLOCK performance to work for you.

PRESS FITTINGS FOR STEEL PIPE

FASTLOCK fittings are currently not approved for use with gas or fire protection applications.

PRESS

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Moving North Brian Martin | City Desk Sales, Williston, ND What do Rapid City, South Dakota, and Williston, North Dakota, have in common? There may not be an oil boom in Rapid City, but both places have been home to DSG’s Brian Martin.

Brian first started with DSG in 2002 working as delivery driver for the Rapid City location, transitioning to the warehouse and finally to sales in 2007. Recognizing the growing need in Williston, Brian recently packed up his wife and two kids and moved north.

According to Brian, the changes from one place to another are evident. “The pace of work is so fast here,” he says, “but the biggest difference that I’ve noticed in Williston is that it’s less about how much something costs, and more about how much of something you have – or if you have it at all.”

All types of DSG customers are enjoying Brian’s help. However, he specializes mainly in plumbing solutions, which DSG started offering at its Williston location in 2010. With the boom of housing developments and what have become known as “man camps,” PVC fittings have been in high demand, among other things. “More and more customers are also moving from the copper fittings to PEX fittings,” Brian adds. “PEX tends to be quicker and easier to install. With the mentality in Williston of ‘get things done and get them done quickly,’ PEX seems to be a natural fit around here.”

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Brian has come to love the Williston area just as much as the Rapid City community he recently left. He especially loves the fact that he lives on a river. “I’m usually a hunting man, but I’m looking forward to getting some fishing done,” he says. No matter if Brian is in Rapid City or Williston, he’s proud to be a part of the community and to serve the people who reside there. While that might not be good news for the fish, it is for DSG customers.

SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

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Smarter Sometimes it’s about how hard you work. Sometimes it’s about how smart you work. At Rock County Rural Water, it’s about doing both.

Rock County Rural Water serves 2,800 people in the communities of Hills, Steen and Magnolia in southwestern Minnesota, along the South Dakota and Iowa borders. It also serves as the backup water source for Beaver Creek, MN. While 85 percent of its water hookups are for households, the majority of its actual water goes to farm animals at local hog barns and cattle yards – something that doesn’t come as a surprise considering its service area is located at the intersection of two of the nation’s premier agricultural states.

Rock County Rural Water’s system features much of

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the same infrastructure as a traditional rural water system. Its hub is the main plant, located approximately five miles south of Luverne, MN. It also has two booster stations, two well fields, two water towers and a ground storage reservoir (GSR), all located within 15 miles of the main plant.

In 2011, Rock County Rural Water decided to make the move to upgrade its control system, an idea it had been considering for a few years. With the help of DSG, the upgrade officially began its realization in February 2011.

This upgrade will make the system much smarter, offering a variety of capabilities and more versatility. Currently, most of the information in Rock County Rural Water’s system travels on a “one-way street” – that is, direction flows from the main

plant out, but virtually no data comes back from the system itself. Plus, a trip to the main plant is necessary to retrieve any data at all.

“With the system we’re replacing, we can basically tell whether the pumps are on and running, and that’s about it,” says Brent Hoffmann, Rock County Rural Water system manager. “If there is a problem or an alarm goes off, we have to travel to the main plant to see what’s going on, and then travel out to the problem area to get details and verify everything.

Sometimes there is a legit issue, and sometimes it’s a false alarm that would just need to be reset.”

Rock County Rural Water’s new SCADA system will use radio signals, allowing Rock County Rural Water employees to make adjustments from

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WATER DSG worked closely with Rock County Rural Water to program a new control and monitoring system, complete with customized control panels, pressure sensors and HDMI Magelis touch screens, that uses radio signals to transmit data throughout the system.

virtually anywhere in their service area. By combining HDMI Magelis touch screens and custom control panels built

by DSG, Rock County Rural Water will also be able to access real-time data whenever it wants.

“With the upgrade, we will be able to read depth levels in our water towers, pressure in the water lines and temperatures in the different facilities,” says Brent. “We’ll be able to turn motors on and off, reset pumps, troubleshoot valve fails and clear false alarms, all from a computer – whether it be at home or the office. It will save us a tremendous amount of time.”

Time savings are not the only advantage that the new system WWW.DAKOTASUPPLYGROUP.COM

promises to bring to the crew at Rock County Rural Water. “Most action doesn’t happen when it’s convenient for us,” Brent smiles. “It’s usually during the middle of the night in the dead of winter.

To be able to address minor issues from the comfort of our home is a huge plus for us.”

From the beginning, Brent knew they would need assistance in putting their project together.

“We do water, but we don’t do radio communications,” says Brent. “DSG really impressed us with their knowledge of electronics and the SCADA radio system.” Throughout the project, Brent has worked closely with Cory Hooker, automation associate and

To be able to address minor issues from the comfort of our home is a huge plus for us.”

project manager at DSG’s Sioux Falls location.

As the project continues toward completion (expected to be finished up sometime in the spring of 2012), Rock County Rural Water is prepared and excited for what the future has in store. “We designed the system with the future in mind,” says Brent, “so we’ll have the opportunity to expand when we need to.” Another smart move for Rock County Rural Water.

SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

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A NAME That “What’s in a name?” You may have heard this famous question before. It’s what Juliet says to Romeo from her balcony window. With this question, Juliet asks whether you can really know a person from his or her name alone. Shakespeare wasn’t writing about businesses, though. For a business, a name can reveal much about the company. This is especially true for Always Plumbing.

Chad Erlenbusch discovered a passion for plumbing as he worked part time for a contractor while he attended the University of South Dakota. In time, it was clear to him that he wanted to own his own plumbing business one day. “I was working for a plumbing company in Grand Junction, Colorado, and I was on call on a night that a cold snap had hit,” recalls Erlenbusch. “The phone was ringing off the hook and as

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soon as one job was done, another one was waiting for me. I thought to myself, ‘I’m always plumbing.’ The name clicked, and I knew when I started my own business, that’s what I’d call it.” Always Plumbing opened its doors in Rapid City, SD, in 1999.

Originally, Erlenbusch was a one-man crew, but he currently employs four and provides residential and light commercial services to customers throughout the Black Hills.

Today, the name Always Plumbing has taken on an entirely new meaning.

Erlenbusch and his team have been able to grow his business by offering customers consistent service, and always doing what they say they are going to do – something that is a challenge as the world of plumbing continues to evolve at a startling pace.

For example, innovative products like tankless water heaters – which today are involved in about 30 percent of Always Plumbing’s new construction and remodeling projects – are presenting new opportunities. In-floor heating has also become more of a constant. In fact, Always Plumbing tackled a significant in-floor heating project this past year, thanks to a lot of hard work and some help from DSG. “We were tasked with installing in-floor heating for a huge three-story house that had about 5,000 square feet per floor, plus an indoor pool,” says Erlenbusch. “I gave DSG the blueprints, and they took it from there. They gave me heat loss calculations, product estimates and installation plans.” The project successfully wrapped up in late 2011.

The Black Hills themselves

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“

Says It All I thought to myself, ‘I’m always plumbing.”

present their own set of challenges to Erlenbusch’s crew. Jackhammers aren’t often considered a typical plumbing tool, but they are at Always Plumbing. “In this area, sometimes we need to go through straight rock,” Erlenbusch laughs.

With hard rock making for hard work, Erlenbusch appreciates anything that can make his job easier. Rick Beaird, DSG outside sales employee owner, and Jamie Moore, DSG insides sales employee owner, are Always Plumbing’s go-to guys at DSG, making sure that Erlenbusch has

what he needs, even when it’s a bit unusual.

“Sometimes I need some off-the-wall items,” Erlenbusch says. “I’ve never heard Rick or Jamie say they can’t get it. They find what I need, while I focus on work. Between the two of them, there’s no need to go anywhere else.”

The future of Always Plumbing looks promising as the company continues to grow and plans to add more light commercial work. It seems as though with new opportunities and help from DSG, Erlenbusch will always be plumbing, and that’s just fine with him.

Here’s an easy one for you.

Easy-to-install, easy-to-use electronic controls for smaller commercial buildings and larger residential properties.

Taco is legendary with installers and clients alike for its emphasis on user friendliness.

The Taco iWorx® electronic control system is a perfect

controls usually reserved for large building automation systems.

It’s capable of controlling all types of HVAC heating, cooling and hydronics – plus lighting and security.

Yet installation is straightforward. There’s no software connects factory preprogrammed control modules.

central touch screen or any remote web-enabled device or PC. Plus, there’s no need to purchase extra service contracts and no new software to learn.

For a highly capable control system that’s inexpensive, easy to install and even easier to live with, Taco iWorx is the one to have.

MEET THE DSG TEAM |

A Tribute To A Great Team Member Shelly Grossman | Administrative Assistant / Marketing, Fargo, ND It’s been 28 years since Shelly Grossman first took a job with DSG, and in that time, there have undoubtedly been many changes at the company.

Coworkers have come and gone, job titles and responsibilities have changed, customer relationships have blossomed and started anew.

“I’ve had quite the variety of jobs at DSG over the years,” Grossman admits. Within those jobs however, Grossman has always been able to focus on what she does best – helping others.

In 1983, Grossman took a job as assistant to the then CEO, Ben Herr. “Ever since the first day I started here at DSG, I’ve always felt part of the team,” Grossman says. Herr isn’t the only DSG employee owner Grossman has worked with, however. She also spent time as current CEO Todd Kumm’s assistant and now works in the Communications Department. “I’ve always found so much enjoyment in helping my coworkers because they’ve always valued my contributions.”

Fellow employee owners aren’t the only people Grossman has enjoyed helping over the years.

There is nothing she enjoys more than being able to solve a problem for a customer. Despite not being a product specialist, Grossman has mastered the art of facilitating solutions. “I’m not usually the one who has the answer, but I always know where to find it,” Grossman states. Recently, Grossman has been working with Communications salesman Chad Devier to set up customers with

Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI). Grossman and Devier will visit the customer’s warehouse, optimize the location of items in inventory and even help to reorganize items to optimize the customer’s processes.

While Grossman sees DSG as “not just a place to work, but a family,” she also finds time to spend with her two sons and grandson, and soon will have another grandchild. An avid sports fan, Grossman loves taking in North Dakota State University Bison sporting events and following the Minnesota Twins during the summer months.

True to her love of helping others, Grossman also spends many weekends working at Sheyenne Crossings, a housing and services center for seniors in West Fargo, North Dakota.

“I simply can’t see being anywhere other than DSG,” she says. That’s good news for DSG customers and coworkers who have come to count on Shelly Grossman.

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Enhancing Motors, Improving Energy Consumption The world has an energy dilemma. The plan is to cut the world’s CO2 emissions in half by 2050. However, energy demand – a major source of CO2 emissions – will double by that date. Renewable energy sources are becoming more viable, but they don’t yet provide enough power to change the energy mix today. With energy demand on the rise, and federal and international regulations evolving to reduce humanity’s global carbon footprint, a viable energy management solution is paramount.

A good place to start is to focus on motors that control pumps and HVAC systems. Why? Because research shows that motors consume 30 percent

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CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

of the energy in a building and up to 60 percent of the energy in an industrial setting.

Eighty-five percent of electric motors control pumps, fans and compressors.

As the energy dilemma becomes more of a reality, more and more contractors are looking to Schneider Electric.

Known for its innovative automation solutions, Schneider Electric is recommending its Altivar® variable speed drives as one way to address our energy concerns. These drives allow for greater speed control of motors, which can lower energy consumption and CO2 emissions, and also decrease mechanical stress, extending the life of equipment. According

to Schneider Electric, these remarkable drives can achieve energy savings of up to 70 percent!

The Altivar® family of variable speed drives presents one of the most advanced and user-friendly solutions in the marketplace. Not only do these drives meet the needs of a broad range of industries (including HVAC, material handling, hoisting and packaging), but they are scalable to match any application’s requirements for speed, size and protection.

Furthermore, Altivar® drives simplify installation, configuration and maintenance.

As energy concerns grow, Schneider Electric continues to deliver. To learn more, contact your DSG sales representative.

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Altivar Has The Advantage The highest potential energy savings are to be found on pumps, fans and compressors. Altivar® variable speed drives from Schneider Electric offer additional advantages for each application.

Compressors – up to 30% energy savings • Increases service life of the compressor • Controls the current on starting • Minimizes pressure surges Pumps – up to 50% energy savings • Reduces mechanical stress by eliminating pressure surges • Delivers precise control according to changing requirements (temperature, flow rate and pressure) • Provides protection of the pump and your pipes Fans – up to 70% energy savings • Provides more precise control of the system • Improves control of air quality • Reduces maintenance costs on belts and bearings

SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

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HIGHLIGHTS:

News From GE & DSG Costs Of Rare Earths Skyrocket Rare earths are a group of 17 metallic elements with very unique properties that are widely used in energy and lighting technologies. Their oxides are used in products such as hard drives, fuel cells, wind turbines, polishing powders and catalytic converters. In lighting, rare earth oxides are used for the creation of white light from the UV radiation generated within fluorescent lamps.

Rare earths are undergoing extreme cost increases due to unprecedented market forces. In less than 12 months, costs of some rare earth oxide materials used in lighting products have experienced increases ranging from 500 percent to more than 2,000 percent, and they continue to climb. For perspective, if the rate of inflation on the rare earth element europium oxide

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CONNECTIONS | SPRING 2012

were applied to a $2.00 cup of coffee, the new cost would be $24.55 a cup!

Go online to www.gelighting. com/na/business_lighting/ education_resources/rare-earthelements to learn more.

Not All LEDs Are Created Equal When evaluating LED lighting, think carefully about who’s making the lamps.

Some manufacturers’ lamps can burn out early. GE subjects its LED products to testing based on industry standards such as LM-79 and TM-21 in order to accurately determine quality and life expectancy. Take care if you are considering installing bulbs that are not subjected to these tests, since there may be a reason – they may not meet life levels and expectancy stated in their product literature.

Stick with a name you trust.

Built into every GE LED

replacement lamp are more than 125 years of experience, reliability and innovation in lighting – that lasts.

Check out GE’s LED web site at www.gelighting.com/ na/business_lighting/products/ led-replacement-site and see for yourself. When you think LED, think GE and DSG.

Easy-To-Use Online Tool Can Help You Keep Up With The Department Of Energy’s New Regulations In 2012 This year, Department of Energy (DOE) regulations will change the way some commercial users light office buildings, warehouses, retail centers and other places of business. In July 2012, regulations will eliminate some linear fluorescent and halogen PAR technologies in lieu of bulbs that produce more lumens per watt, offering greater energy savings while

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maintaining or improving light output.

GE now offers a simple way to identify which products are affected. Visit www. geconsumerandindustrial. com/environmentalinfo/ tools_calculators/product_ replacement_tool/tool.htm to use the handy Legislation Product Replacement Tool.

Right: GE Lighting Solutions designed the Evolve luminaire using both fixture and LED application expertise, bringing unmatched product quality and reliability with optical leadership and understanding of customer needs. The advanced optical design provides high uniformity in a reduced wattage system that can replace existing HID fixtures on a one-for-one basis in parking lots and parking garages.

Bottom: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, LLC, upgraded to highly efficient lighting systems from GE Lighting at its 185,000-square-foot race shop and corporate headquarters in Concord, NC. A majority of the nearly 3,000 new lamps installed were Efficient T8 linear fluorescent lamps (office areas) and highoutput Ultrastar® T5 linear fluorescent systems (race shop). The new lighting is expected to decrease this facility’s overall lighting energy costs by 35 percent each year with a payback period of only two years, and it is expected to extend lighting maintenance cycles and cut lighting energy costs by $50,000 annually.

Photo Credit: GE Lighting

Photo Credit: GE Lighting Photo Credit: GE Lighting

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SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

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THE SECRET OF G IN N N A L P N IO S S E C SUC BASED ON AN ARTICLE PROVIDED

The future of a small business depends largely on its leader.

But there comes a time when all good leaders must move on.

So, what happens to the business? The answer seems easy: It gets a new leader.

But finding someone to buy into a business can be more challenging than it sounds.

One of the biggest obstacles small-business owners face when planning their exit strategy is not having the right systems in place. If a business makes a 25 percent net profit but can’t exist without its owner, then there is nothing to sell. A bold statement, but true for many.

Whether you’re selling the business internally to a family

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BY GRANDY & ASSOCIATES

member or group of employees, or externally to an outside party, your company has a better chance of surviving and is more attractive to purchase if it has proper systems set up.

Developing systems can seem overwhelming at first. Where do you start? The answer is one system at a time. A good place to begin might be this: What happens when the phone rings? Begin to document, on paper, what should take place.

Who should answer the phone?

What do you want them saying to the customer? Script their opening statement (so it will be consistent), and create the detailed questions for your customer service representative

to ask. Once the questions are asked, what information needs to be put into the company’s customer files? Again, whose responsibility is it to enter the data, and what is the expected time frame for data entry, etc.?

Create systems for every aspect of your business. Set up systems for ordering materials, the sales presentation process, the physical receipt of inventory, payment of invoices, the running of rewards and / or bonus programs, and so on. As each system is created, training becomes more organized, and everyone knows exactly what they are to do to create a consistent message to the customer. Allow your employees

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to be part of the process by drafting the initial “current” procedures themselves. Then management can tweak these systems to be sure that all things are happening the way they want them to happen. Place the written systems and procedures into a three-ring notebook and review them often, at least on an annual basis. Once the systems are in place, amazing things will almost certainly begin to happen: • The company will be consistent in the way it handles each and every customer.

• Problems will be recognized immediately and will be corrected quickly by reviewing the system.

• Things will run smoothly, allowing the owner to spend time working on the business, instead of in it.

• The company will earn a consistent profit.

• The owner will be able to take more and more time off since the systems run the company, not the owner.

• Training new employees is simplified – just follow the system.

• When it comes time to retire, the company will be much easier to sell since the systems run the company, not the owner.

SYSTEMS EQUAL SUCCESS Franchises have long used systems to their advantage, and according to numbers from the U.S. Government, it’s working out to their benefit.

90%

of all the new businesses that start up this year will fail the very first year, and only one out of 1,000 businesses that start up this year will see its 20th anniversary.

This is almost always due to poor paperwork. Typically, smallbusiness owners know what to do physically, but very few understand the business side of a successful endeavor.

97%

On the other hand, of all franchises make it through their first year of business, and 95 percent of all franchises make it through their first five years of business.

So, what accounts for the difference? In a word: systems.

Franchises have done their homework, found out what works and what doesn’t, and then they have taken the time to document the process so it can be repeated over and over again.

It takes time to set up systems, but the benefits of investing the time, energy and money will bear fruit year after year.

When systems are in place, the company is ready to sell.

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SPRING 2012 | CONNECTIONS

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NEWS WIRE |

DSG To Roll Out Changes To E-commerce In 2012 Significant improvements are coming to DSG’s e-commerce presence in 2012! Plans are in place to rebuild virtually everything about the e-commerce site with an eye on making the experience more user friendly. Not only will customers get a new interface, but new search functionality will make finding products much easier. For example, DSG customers will be able to search by characteristics, such as “stainless steel,” “bathroom” or “faucets.” Another feature users can look forward to is that they will now be able to create their own online product “catalogs.” For instance, the new e-commerce system will group and store a list of items by those that are purchased frequently and also by products that the user marks as “interesting,” making these items much easier to find.

“Our new e-commerce site will be much more

efficient for our customers to use in terms of accessing the products and solutions that they need,” says Brian Feickert, DSG’s information systems manager. “This system will be a big improvement, and we’re excited to see what our customers think.”

DSG’s plans for the revamped e-commerce web site include many of the staple functions that the current system offers, including writing and submitting orders, viewing account activity and reviewing the invoice history. Plans call for customer logins to remain the same, and the improved e-commerce site will continue to be accessible via www.dakotasupplygroup.com. DSG plans to start testing the system with its customers sometime in 2012, and will conduct large training sessions with its employee owners and customers once the system is ready for a full launch.

DSG Named #1 Distributor For New Itron System Sales

DSG’s Metering Technology Group Manager Steve Mereness and DSG Burnsville Branch Manager Jon Bradley accepted the award at the 2011 Itron Distributors Conference in Scottsdale, AZ.

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In September 2011, DSG was honored by Itron as the number one distributor in North America for new Itron system sales. In announcing the award, Itron’s Vice President of Sales Diane Guffin noted that DSG has sold more than twice as many new Itron systems as the number two distributor. Itron is a leading provider of smart metering, data collection and utility software systems for electric, gas and water utilities. To learn more, contact DSG Metering Technology Group.

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Tell Us What You Think, And You Could Win A

$100 CABELA’S GIFT CARD! You’ll notice that our Connections magazine looks a little different this issue. As always, we’re working to provide valuable information to help your business be more successful. By answering a few questions, you’ll not only be providing important feedback, but you’ll earn a chance to win a great prize. Just complete the survey, tear it out (or print it if you are reading this electronically) and mail it to the address at the right. You can also go to www.dakotasupplygroup.com/readconnections

and complete the survey online. You’ll be registered for a chance to win a $100 Cabela’s gift card!

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, please rate the following statements:

strongly 1 2 3 4 5 strongly disagree agree

5. How would you prefer to receive your Connections magazine? (Check all that apply) ❍ Mail ❍ Email ❍ Online at www.dakotasupplygroup.com ❍ From DSG employee owner ❍ Other

2. I find the content in Connections magazine interesting.

6. What parts of Connections magazine do you spend most of your time reading?

strongly 1 2 3 4 5 strongly disagree agree

(Check all that apply)

3. I find the content in Connections magazine relevant to my business / organization.

❍ Stories about DSG employee owners

strongly 1 2 3 4 5 strongly disagree agree

❍ Tom Rosendahl’s article

1. I read Connections magazine thoroughly.

MAIL YOUR SURVEY TO:

DSG Connections Survey P.O. Box 13573 Grand Forks, ND 58201 Surveys must be submitted by March 31, 2012, in order to be entered in the drawing. No purchase necessary.

❍ Stories about DSG customers ❍ Stories about DSG events ❍ Product advertisements ❍ Helpful business articles

4. How do you receive your Connections magazine? (Check all that apply)

❍ Other

❍ Mail

7. When you read Connections magazine, what sections do you read? (Check one)

❍ Email ❍ Online at www.dakotasupplygroup.com ❍ From DSG employee owner ❍ Other

❍ Articles relevant only to your specific industry

(i.e., electrical, waterworks, etc.)

❍ All types of articles

(those relevant to your industry and those from other industries)

53

8. Which features do you tend to skip over in Connections magazine? (Check all that apply) ❍ Customer feature stories ❍ Employee-owner feature stories ❍ Advertising ❍ Corporate DSG articles

(e.g., articles from Tom Rosendahl, articles about Kids Club, etc.)

9. What types of content would you like to see more of in Connections magazine?

(Check all that apply)

❍ Stories about customers ❍ Stories about employee owners ❍ Stories about DSG events ❍ Product advertisements ❍ Articles about your industry ❍ News stories ❍ Business tips ❍ “How-to” stories ❍ Stories about vendors / manufacturers

12. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not likely and 5 being very likely, how likely are you to recommend Connections magazine to a colleague? not 1 2 3 4 5 very likely likely On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, please rate the following statement:

13. DSG helps my company / organization succeed by working as our partner, providing the right connections and adding value to the products and services it offers. strongly 1 2 3 4 5 strongly disagree agree

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOU: Name:* ____________________________________ Age: ______________________________________

❍ Stories about new products

Industry You Work In: _____________________

❍ Articles about new technology

Job Title: _________________________________

❍ Other ___________________________ 10. Do you find the products advertised in Connections magazine beneficial to your company / organization? ❍ Yes ❍ No 11. Have you ever purchased a product as a result of seeing an advertisement in Connections magazine? ❍ Yes ❍ No

Do you use DSG as your primary distributor? ❍ Yes ❍ No * You must provide your name if you’d like to be automatically entered in the gift card giveaway.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________

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Everyday Gear From A Supplier That’s Anything But Typical At DSG, we’re known for our innovative products, systems and solutions, but did you know we also supply a number of everyday products? Check out – and check off – these important products for your needs list, and stock up with DSG.

Batteries • Duracell Batteries

Extension Cords & Surge Protectors ® Hide® • Carol Brand Frog ® n Cords Ultra Flex Extensio c.

• Coleman Cable In Protector Smart Strip Surge

DSG Stock #105816

Cleaning Supplies

Safety Gear

m Estex • FR Jersey Shirts fro es • Nemis Safety Glass

Electrical Tape

® l • 3M™ Scotch Viny Electrical Tape

Other Products:

• Work Gloves • Mops / Brooms • Tape Measures • Rope • Duct Tape

r Grime- • American Polywate e Away™ Multipurpos Cleaning Wipes DSG Stock #088217 r • Elkay Stainless Butle Cleaner

DSG Stock #093310 oistened • Aervoe Hand-y Pre-m Cleaning Towels ) Aervoe 5021 (non-stock item

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ELECTRICAL

HVAC

PLUMBING

COMMUNICATIONS

UTILITY

WATERWORKS

AUTOMATION

METERING TECHNOLOGY

www.dakotasupplygroup.com

North Dakota: Bismarck (800) 363-7112 Fargo (800) 437-4702 Grand Forks (800) 633-2211 Minot (800) 472-2145 Williston (800) 637-0170

South Dakota: Aberdeen (800) 660-5532 Mitchell (800) 660-5534 Pierre (800) 660-5537 Rapid City (800) 660-5538 Sioux Falls Electrical (800) 540-8215 Sioux Falls HVAC/Plumbing (800) 660-5528 Sioux Falls Waterworks (800) 660-5531

Minnesota:

Alexandria (800) 345-0094 Bemidji (866) 506-0280 Benson (800) 222-3181 Burnsville (800) 325-0514 St. Paul (800) 652-9784