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2 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
All the care you need, where you need it. St. Francis Regional Medical Center is your best choice for comprehensive health care. For years, the people of Shakopee have relied on us for high quality medical services and respectful care. St. Francis has been distinguished as one of the best community hospitals, with top-rated patient satisfaction. We’ve grown into a comprehensive, state-of-the-art regional medical center, offering all of the health care services you and your family need.
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Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 3
Y T N U O C T T O SC
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his special news section takes a close look at some of the “producers” in the southwest suburbs. Manufacturing provides a crucial foundation for jobs, commerce and quality of life for our region. We hope you enjoy learning more about some of the interesting products “Made in Scott County.” We’ve only scratched the surface of local companies making great products. If you have an idea for a future “Made in Scott County” story, contact Richard Crawford at (952) 345-6471 or dcrawford@swpub.com.
Index Businesses featured: Sensor Electronics ......................................4 EquiScentials ................................................5 Stealth Manufacturing, Inc......................6 Fabcon ............................................................7 By The Yard ...................................................8 My Pillow .......................................................9 Cedar Summit Farm .................................10 Tarps Inc. ......................................................11 Abdallah Candies .....................................12 Continental Hydraulics ...........................14 The Village Company ..............................16 Midwest Military .......................................19 Beauty in the Grain ................................. 20 Gedney Foods Co. ....................................21 Becker Arena Products, Inc. ................. 22 Sand Creek Antler Products................. 23 The Mulch Store ........................................24 Dahlen Sign Company ........................... 25 Seagate Technology ............................... 26
Edina Realty Edina Realty Prior Lake/Savage/Shakopee #1 in homes sales South of the River It’s a great time to sell & buy…. Why not choose the best!
Prior Lake/Savage 952-447-4700 Shakopee 952-445-6400
Made in Scott County
Opus TryStar SanMar Shutterfly Apple Ford CertainTeed Your Business FedEx Ground TE Connectivity Datacard Group Holiday Inn Express Compass Data Center Imagine! Print Solutions Recovery Technology Solutions Shenandoah East Business Park Emerson Process Management
4 | April 2014
Growing in
e e p o k a Sh Us Join
City of Shakopee Economic Development | www.ShakopeeMN.gov/business
GREAT FOOD. GREAT PEOPLE. GREAT TIMES.
PHOTOS BY ALEX HALL
A row of recently completed industrial gas detectors at Sensor Electronics in Savage.
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Savage company makes sensors that monitor dangerous gases
Just the facts Business: Sensor Electronics Address: 12730 Creek View Ave., Savage
BY ALEX HALL ahall@swpub.com
In current location: less than a year Number of employees: 15
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f you r business re quires your work to be done in a setting where toxic or combustible gases may exist, Sensor Electronics in Savage is determined to make sure you, your employees and your equipment stays safe. Sensor Electronics started in 1991 as a two-man operation in Edina by Alan Petersen. The business, which now has 15 employees, moved its headquarters to Savage last August. Sensor Electronics is now run by Petersen’s son, Alan Petersen, Jr. The business manufactures a wide variety of gas detectors and analyzers to be used in industrial settings, and the detectors can sense hundreds of types of gases. “We’re not the [carbon monoxide] sensors that you plug into your wall,” said Petersen, Jr., “we’re the ones that go into parking garages and of fshore oil rigs and other places for much more industrial applications … basically to protect the plant and/or personnel from something bad happening.” In addition to oil rigs and parking garages, the detectors are also used in places such as chemica l plants, industrial dry cleaning settings and oil refineries. They have a share of the local market, selling detectors to places including the Seneca Wastewater Treatment Plant in Eagan and large medical device manufacturers,
Facts: - Products sold to businesses in 30 countries - Produces approximately 5,000 gas detectors each year Sensor Electronics President Alan Petersen, Jr. shows a collection of contained gases used to field test the detectors made at his company in Savage.
Chief engineer Pat Smith shows the intricate technology used inside the industrial gas detectors made at Sensor Electronics in Savage. but they also sell detectors to companies from around the world. Currently, their products are being used in 30 countries. “We get into to some diverse markets with our products,” said Petersen, Jr. The company can build about 24 detectors in a day, but then the high-tech devic-
es must go through rigorous testing and thermal calibration. The business can send out an order in two-to-four weeks. The detectors are made with stainless steel and are explosion proof. “They work all day, all night,” said Petersen, Jr. “They’re not designed to ever be powered down, they’re designed to be a very reliable system.” While the detectors can each sense hundreds of gases, each model is essentially designed for a specific industry. “We sell a lot of ammonia detectors to the refrigeration industry,” noted Petersen, Jr. One of the biggest turning points for the company’s success was when Pat Smith, its chief engineer, developed an infrared sensor for detecting combustible gases. “It’s quite unique how he’s designed the product,” said Petersen, Jr. “All of our competitors have mirrors in [the detectors], and they tend to corrode and have problems in higher-moisture atmospheres … It’s proven to be a very good sensor for our coretype business [partners].”
- Detectors used at offshore oil rigs, refrigeration facilities, medical device manufacturers and more Website: sensorelectronics.com The devices with the infrared sensors are noted for their reliability. “Our power source [in those] is never going to burn out,” said Petersen, Jr. “It’s proven itself, because our product has been in the field for over 10 years now.” Smith has obtained several patents for the products he’s designed for Sensor Electronics. He’s currently working with NASA to create an ammonia detector for its space stations. NASA has previously been a client of Sensor Electronics. Petersen, Jr. said the business will continue to look for “oddball markets” for its detectors, but that its future and continued success will likely come from Smith’s innovation when it comes to product development. “Gas detection is a very mature market,” explained Petersen, Jr., “but we have some newer technologies and new twists that allow us to break into that market.”
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 5
EquiScentials: Smart chemistry for healthy horses Helping keep up appearances in equestrian world BY LORI CARLSON editor@plamerican.com
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n the world of hair a nd ski n c a re, humans and horses are not equal. Prior Lake horse owner and chemist Tom Tweeten saw a need for coat and hair care products that work specifically for horses. In 1996 he launched his ow n l i ne, E qu i S c ent i a l s Horse Care Products, under his parent company, ATH Science Inc. (ATH stands for “About the Horse.”) A f t er ye a r s of g r o oming horses with products i ntended for hu ma n use, Tweeten got frustrated by the dry, dusty, oily results. As a horse show competitor, he wanted products that would specifically enhance a horse’s appearance while relieving skin irritations often caused by synthetic fragrances and harsh chemicals. “I wanted to focus on a product for the benefit of the horse,” Tweeten says. With more than 40 years of experience in analytical chemistry, Tweeten had a leg up on his competitors when he developed his six-product line for cleaning, maintaining and finishing horse hair and hooves. Tweeten is a Ph.D. with a long history of work in chemistry, from the food product industry and environmental testing, to personal care and pharmaceutical products. After working on a product for one of his horses, wh ich h ad ex t r eme c o at problems, Tweeten introduced his coat enhancer at a horse show in Louisville, Ky. in 1996. Shortly thereafter, he started the seed corporation for ATH Science. Tweeten used his knowledge of dermatological compounds and non-allergenic ingredients to develop his product li ne, which ha rnesses the benefits of more natural ingredients (such as glycerol instead of the harsher, commercially used propylene glycol. He pre fer s n at u r a l ly ex t r ac te d fragrances such as certain types of citronella, which rep el i n sec t s, i n ste ad of synthetically made scents. The line of products is manufactured just over the Scott-Dakota county border in Burnsville. Tweeten has competitors in the horsecare product industry, but he says they mostly manufacture their products outside of Minnesota. “It’s important to me to maintain that [locally made] identity,” he says. He sel ls EquiScentia ls
PHOTOS BY LORI CARLSON
Tom Tweeten grooms one of his horses in his barn in Spring Lake Township, just outside of Prior Lake.
Just the facts Business: EquiScentials (ATH Science) Address: 4190 190th St. E., Suite 10, Prior Lake Years in location: 14 Number of employees: One principal, several in manufacturing Website: equiscentials. com
through dealers, for tack shop s a nd sm a l l-volu me stores throughout the United States, a way to provide somet hi ng chai n stores don’t sell. “As a small business, I like to support small businesses,” he says. Tweeten continues to use his experience in chemistry and his understanding of grooming as a means of communication in the animal world. From his home in Spring Lake Township, in rural Prior Lake, he’s currently developing a line of dog care products called CaniScentials. I n between developi ng products, he manages Tweeten Edgewood Stables and shows Morgan and American Saddlebred horses. He
Tweeten fi lls bottles of horse coat enhancer in his home office, where he also develops and manages his line of six horse care products.
“The idea is not to make the horse pretty, but a pretty horse may be the outcome.” also gives presentations on horse care at expos, fairs and festiva ls t h roughout the United States, and he has led horse care clinics for Scott County 4H groups. He recently took on a student inter n from St. Ola f College in Northfield, who is soaking up Tweeten’s vast
knowledge of horse care and chemistry. Tweeten admits to struggling with the business side of his product line, saying he’s considering adding a business partner to make the company more financially viable. “ T he tou g he st p a r t of
being an entrepreneur is being all things within the company,” he says. Me a nwh i le, T we et en works with horse owners a nd t rai ners t h roug hout the country to test the effectiveness of his products in a wide variety of environ ments (temperatu res, humidity levels, etc.) “The way you treat the hair greatly affects the way moi st u re a nd he at move
The EquiScentials product line includes cleaners, enhancers, detanglers and moisturizers for horse hair and hoof care. away f rom t he body,” he explains. “The idea is not to make the horse pretty, but a pretty horse may be the outcome.”
6 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
Keeping you warm and your eggs sizzling Savage company a leader in heat products BY ALEX HALL ahall@swpub.com
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t age 19, Jeff Hamelink started North Star Machine C ompa ny i n the building that now houses Adoration Church in Savage. He made that company a success, but he dreamed of something bigger. So Hamelink and his staff started building new machines, and they ended up building a machine that used a computer operating system to punch holes in steel tubing. That led them to make burner tubes, which are filled with hundreds of holes that emit gas so flames can be created. Hamelink then established Stealth Manufacturing Inc. in 199 0, and the business started selling the burner tubes to companies that made gas fireplaces. Stealth has since moved to another facility in Savage’s Eagle Creek Industrial Park. Hamelink said the initial machine they had to make the burner tubes was unique in the industry as it “wasn’t a hard-tool mechanical device.” “Nobody in the industry had [that] at the time,” said Hamelink. “We were able to do things that customers wanted but vendors previously said couldn’t be done.” Today, Stealth sells to “virtually every North American manufacturer of gas fireplaces,” said Hamelink. “We probably have close to 9 0 percent of the market.” Hamelink said a recent study showed that one in three new homes in America has at least one of Stealth’s products in it. “It’s amazing,” said Hamelink. “We’re just this little place down here in
Just the facts
PHOTOS BY ALEX HALL
A Stealth Manufacturing, Inc. employee feeds a steel tube into a machine that punches holes into it. The holes allow the tubes to emit gas, which allows the tubes to provide flames for products like gas fireplaces and commercial stoves. Savage, but our parts are so prevalent.” For the fireplace burner tubes, variations in the patterns of holes affect the shape and placement of flames displayed in the fireplace, and the size of the holes determine the size of the flames. The size and placement of the holes are “very, very specific to how the flame is going to look,” said Hamelink. “The manufacturers put in a set of ceramic logs that the consumer is going to look at, so you have to have a visual fire that works with that log set.” Each burner is custommade to each client’s specifications, and during the past 24 years, Stealth Manufacturing has created more than 8,000 different burner tube designs. “Every model is made spe-
cifically for them and that burner never goes anywhere else,” said Hamelink. “We’re not making a product like toothpicks. These burners are like snowflakes: no two are the same. They’re all similar, but they’re all different.” Hamelink said there are probably four burner tube m a nu fac t u rers i n Nor t h America, but that Stealth is “the most original and unique.” “We build all our own machines,” said Hamelink, “and that very first machine [we made] has probably parlayed into the 40 different machines we have now. Some are pretty sophisticated laser, robotic machines. Our competitors don’t have the ability to make specific machinery.” While burner tubes for
gas fireplaces have been the biggest money-maker for Stealth over the years, they do make burner tubes for other products. They design burner tubes for a company in Canada that makes incinerating toilets for the Canadian military, some burners go into industrial size coffee urns, and they’ve even made burner tubes for crematoriums used at veterinary clinics. “Most anything that pro-
duces heat has a burner in it of some sort or another,” Hamelink said. However, in the past five to 10 years, Stealth’s biggest focus has been an expansion into the commercial cooking market, meaning that they’ve been making burners for large stoves used in restaurants. So far, the expansion has been a success. “If you get your eggs or bacon done at Perkins, chances are its [stoves] are going to have
burners in it from us,” said Hamelink. Hamelink said Stea lth Manufacturing is constantly working on at least one or two research and development projects, and in the coming years, Stealth will continue to focus on expanding its presence in the commercial cooking market. “We want to be the industry leaders [in that market],” said Hamelink, “and we’re gaining strides. Fast.”
Business: Stealth Manufacturing, Inc. Address: 12511 Boone Ave., Savage Years in Location: Operated in three different buildings in Savage’s Eagle Creek Industrial Park since 1978 (started as North Star Machine Company) Number of Employees: 25 Product: Burner tubes used in gas fireplaces, commercial stoves and more. Approximately 900,000 burner tubes produced per year. Website: stealthmanufacturing. com
A pile of fi nished burner tubes at Stealth Manufacturing, Inc. in Savage.
Stealth Manufacturing, Inc. Owner and President Jeff Hamelink displays a steel burner tube used for gas fi replaces at the company’s facility in Savage.
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 7
PHOTO BY AMY LYON
Inside the Fabcon plant, concrete is poured over foam insulation for the Versacore+Green panels.
Casting a wide net in the precast concrete market Panels can give architecturally pleasing illusion
VIDEO ONLINE STEP INSIDE FABCON’S SAVAGE PLANT
www.savagepacer.com BY AMY LYON editor@savagepacer.com
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riven by a Walmart store lately? You’ve seen them. Traveled along County Road 42 through western Burnsville? You’ve seen them. And as Hy-Vee grocery stores continue to develop in the Twin Cities area, you’ll see even more of them. They’re Fabcon’s No. 1 selling product and they make up 95 percent of the Savage plant’s business: Versacore+Green precast concrete wall panels. But this isn’t your one-sizefits-all panel of yesteryear. Aside from the ability to customize the panels in a range of thicknesses and widths to suit a company’s project, the panels have sustainability written all over them. Versacore + Green pa nels incorporate 58 percent
Just the facts Business: Fabcon Address: 6111 W. Highway 13, Savage Years in location: 43
recycled content, as well as the potential for increased LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) points. The proprietary mix a nd u nique const r uction combine to deliver R-values (as high as R-21) that can lower heating and cooling costs. And they look good while doing it, says Fabcon President Michael Le Jeune. The trend now is to create architectural precast panels that look like brick and rock, and come in a variety of styles and colors. “We became architecturally certified two or three years ago,” said Le Jeune. “It’s another way we can diversify our product.” On an average summer day, the Savage plant pumps out nearly a mile and a half of precast concrete panels — approximately 7,000 lineal feet.
No. of employees: 250300 (Savage plant) Website: www.fabconusa.com About: Manufacturer of precast concrete panels used on exteriors of Walmart buildings in 30 states, as well as many buildings for Home Depot, Lowe’s, Menard’s and Hy-Vee grocery stores. A nd it ’s du r i n g t ho s e months that employ ment peaks at the Savage plant to about 300 workers. Across the company’s other locations in Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, summer employment has been known to hit 800.
LOOKING AHEAD Fabcon survived the economic downturn and is slow-
SUBMITTED PHOTO
A new trend in precast panels, says Fabcon President Michael Le Jeune, is to create panels that are more architecturally pleasing and appear to be made from brick or stone. ly recovering, said Le Jeune. In fact, the company saw a record profit year in 2013. Since its start in 1971, Fabcon has completed 11,000plus projects — with well over 5,000 of them in Minnesota. In addition to Walmart stores, Versacore + Green panels can be found on a variety of Target, Home Depot, Lowe’s and Menard’s stores. From a construction standpoint, it takes about 12 days to enclose a 100,000-square-foot
building with the precast panels. Big-box retail projects account for about 40 percent of the Versacore+Green precast concrete wall panel business and industrial projects account for another 40 percent. The other 2 0 percent are miscellaneous projects, Le Jeune said. On the horizon are buildings with less people and m o r e e l e c t r o n ic c o mp o nents. Buildings like Fab-
con’s recent project with C ompa s s D at ac ent er s i n Shakopee, which is one of many such “server farms” popping up to provide musthave infrastructure for the computing systems of growing companies. “People think of ‘the cloud’ as bei ng t his i mag i na r y place, but these data centers have millions of square feet of server farms,” said Le Jeune. “This could be bigger than big-box retail ever was.”
8 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
Just the facts Business: By The Yard Inc. Address: 16775 Greystone Lane, Jordan Years in location: 11 Number of employees: 37 Website: www.bytheyard. net Facts: Only nine returns in 19 years of business 10 percent of By the Yard’s business is custom work Over 180 styles of products in nine earthtone colors Glider line is the best seller There are 463 gallon jugs in the Days End Rocking Chair Products are guaranteed to last 35 years Plastic sawdust is recycled and also used in experiments to make jet fuel
Did you know? By the Yard Inc. patio furniture is built to last, no matter where it ends up. PHOTOS BY KAITLYN EGAN
Demytro Vovk pieces together one of By the Yard’s patio tables.
By The Yard designs for a lifetime Jordan company has more than 150 patio furniture designs BY KAITLYN EGAN kegan@swpub.com
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hen gazi ng over your garden while lou n g i n g in patio furniture created by By the Yard Inc., things may look a bit greener from where your sitting. Every piece of furniture made by the Jordan business uses plastic lumber, which is created from recycled clear plastic. The material is known as recycled high density polyethylene, or HDPE, with the highest percentage coming from milk and water jugs. For the past 19 years, owners Deb Anderson and her husband, Roger, have been using their own secret plastic lu mber recipe, which Anderson says yields the best product on the market. “The quality of our material surpasses anything else you’re going to find in the U.S.,” she says. By the Yard offers over 180 designs in nine colors, and warrants the furniture won’t crack, break, splinter
or peel since their unique recipe doesn’t allow the flexible polymer to break down or become brittle from the sun or cold. It to ok t h r e e ye a r s to “tweak” the recipe to perfection, despite the fact that there are few ingredients. The key is in the foaming agent, basically the amount of air in the mix, says Anderson. More air means a lessexpensive product, but that
also means a lower-quality product. But that’s not an issue with By the Yard products — the company’s furniture i s g u a r a nt e e d to l a st 3 5 years. In fact, there have only been nine returns in 19 years. Most of them had nothing to do with the quality of the product, Anderson says. Many products were returned because they ended up being too large for the
space. The company’s material is also considered colorfast and won’t fade more than 3 percent over a 10-year period (a color change that isn’t noticeable to the human eye). The furniture is also easy to maintain, since it never needs paint or stain. The only maintenance may be a good cleaning, which can be done with water or nonabrasive cleaner, including
By the Yard Inc. has over 180 patio furniture designs, including these gliders.
bleach. High-pressure washing may be just the ticket for lighter colored pieces.
GROWING BUSINESS Anderson used to make Adirondack chairs with her g ra nd fat her a nd st a r te d making chairs using plastic lumber as a hobby, she said. Friends asked her for a set, and then so did their friends. It didn’t take long before she realized she couldn’t keep up with demand. So Anderson quit her job and started By the Yard out of her garage. About four years later, she won a bid to provide Cascade Bay in Eagan with 40 tables and 160 chairs. “That was a project too big for my garage,” Anderson said. At that point, her husband quit his job to help and the couple rented a space in Shakopee. In 2003, By the Yard moved to Jordan and its current location. Now, t he busi ness has already outgrown its home, and Anderson is hoping to move her business across the nearby highway and greatly expand her floor space. All By the Yard products a re m ade i n Jord a n a nd can be purchased from the showroom there. The patio furniture also made pilot appearances at a few Schneiderman’s and Bachman’s locations last year. This year, By the Yard furniture will be available at all Schneider-
According to owner Deb Anderson, a pastor of a church felt six Glider chairs would be the perfect addition to an orphanage in Jamaica. The long-lasting plastic chairs would be perfect, since the island’s humidity and termites easily destroy wood. By the Yard donated the chairs, but shipping them turned out to be unreasonably costly. Instead of giving up, the pastor tucked individual pieces of the chairs in his suitcase and flew to the island himself, multiple times. It took about a month of back and forth to get all the pieces there, Deb recalls, before the pastor assembled the chairs himself. Not long after, there was a terrible storm that hit the island, but Deb said she received pictures of the Gliders, which all withstood the storm just fine.
man’s and Bachman’s locations, ranging from Duluth to Rochester. By the Yard is also sold at retailers across the country and can be found at plenty of home and garden shows as well. Plus, “our online sales have just gone through the cei l i ng,” A nderson said, attributing that to the company’s easy-to-use website. Though she mused, “it still amazes me how many people will buy a chair that they haven’t sat in.”
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 9
MyPillow production not ready to rest Shakopee plant churns out more then 10,000 pillows per day BY PAT MINELLI editor@shakopeenews.com
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pend five minutes with Mike Lindell and you know this man will not be slowing dow n a ny t i me so on. Spend another five minutes with him and you’ll learn his Shakopee manufacturing plant won’t be slowing down either. In fact, it’s sometimes operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, churning out MyPillow products. Lindell’s plant, which employs between 200 and 250 people in Shakopee, produces between 10,000 and 15,000 pillows a day. It’s quite a leap from just a few years ago when he started making the pillows during the evenings at home after working his regular daytime job. And business is hot, as MyPillow thrives by using Lindell in infomercials and appearances on television programs to hawk the variety of pillows the company makes. “ T hey told me to get a movie star. They said this would never work,” said Lindell, explaining the reaction he got from marketing pros when they learned that Lindell himself would be pushing his company’s products. But Lindell proved the experts wrong, as he has over and over since starting
Just the facts Business: MyPillow Company start: 2004 Employees: 200 Shakopee, 100-plus in Chanhassen Pillows sold: 4.3 million Pillows made daily: 10,000-15,000 Products: Bed toppers, pet beds, travel pillows and body pillows Website: www.mypillow. com MyPillow in 2004. And he has a successful company, which has sold more than 4.3 million pillows, to show for it. The growth of MyPillow has been on a steep upward climb ever since a 30-minute infomercial and the opening of a store at the Burnsville Center mall helped propel sales from about $3 million in 2010 to more than $100 million in 2012. Lindell, a former Carver County bar and restaurant owner, invented the pillow after suffering from back problems and having problems sleeping. After years of research and studying hu ma n a natomy, he concluded that people have back pain and problems sleeping b e c au se t hey u se p o orly constructed pillows. He can give anyone who will listen an anatomy lesson that would put a chiropractor to shame, but basically, what Lindell concluded was that for a restful sleep, the human neck must remain stable and even in relationship to the rest of the body. That’s pretty
PHOTOS BY PAT MINELLI
Mike Lindell stands in his Shakopee warehouse near pallets loaded with foam, which will be processed to become a poly-foam fi ller for his pillows. He holds a patent on the material. much it. But, he said, there were no pillows on the market that would hold their shape — or the neck — for long. He decided to design his own pillow and began experimenting with various kinds of fill. Finally, after years of looking and testing 94 different kinds of foam, he found the material. The only drawback was he needed to find a way for the filler material to retain its shape. Again, after a long search, he found what he needed. The result: a poly-foam f i l ler for which he has a patent. The difference between his products and pillows sold elsewhere? “Shape retention,” said Lindell. “You can pay good money for pillows you buy in stores and they’ll lose their shape not long after you buy them, and you have the same
A worker at the Shakopee plant carefully fills a pillow with poly foam. The plant meticulously puts the same amount in each pillow, which are inspected and weighed.
sle ep problems,” Li ndel l said. When a pillow loses its shape, he said, the neck’s position in relation to the rest of the body changes and the sleeping and snoring problems start all over again. “It’s like a garden hose when you bend it,” he emphasizes. He calls most pillows “the number-one non-disposable product that doesn’t work.” The answer, Lindell loves to tell you, is MyPillow. “I guarantee it’s the most comfortable pillow you’ll ever own.” You’ll hear him say those words on infomercials and in print advertisements. And he stands by his claim. His company offers a 60-day money-back guarantee and a 10-year warranty that the pillow will not go flat. Not only will they retain their shape for about a decade, Lindell said, but his pillows stay cool (“you don’t have to turn them over”) and
unlike many pillows, they can be washed and dried. “In fact, we recommend washing them,” he said. Lindell’s pillows are custom-fitted for each customer, depending on the broadness of his or her shoulders. In need of more space, he moved his operations from a smaller building in Carver to a 70,000-square-foot Shakopee facility on 12th Avenue East in 2012. In addition to the 200-plus employees at the Shakopee plant, MyPillow’s corporate of f ice a nd c a l l center i n Cha n hassen employs a nother 100 to 150. T he products have ap p ea red on t he television h o m e - s h o p pi n g c h a n n e l QVC, which presented MyPillow with the 2013 Q-Star Award for Product Concept of the Year. “It’s unheard of for a pillow to win that award,” said Lindell.
MyPillow products are also available at stores such as Walmart, which sells the pillows for $59.99, and at Bed Bath & Beyond and Target. The products can be found in the Twin Cities area at Rosedale mall in Roseville and at the Burnsville mall. They are also available at the corporate showroom at 950 Lake Drive in Chanhassen. They are also sold in malls in North and South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska. In addition, several employees are fanned out across the country weekly at such places as state and county fairs and garden and outdoors shows to show the products. They are also available in stores on military bases and even the Pentagon. In addition to bed pillows, his company features bed toppers, pet beds, travel pillows and body pillows. And Lindell says there are more products on the way.
Several employees at the Shakopee plant sew the materials that will become pillows. The fi nished products are carefully inspected.
10 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
PHOTOS BY AMANDA MCKNIGHT
The Minars own around 120 milking cows on Cedar Summit Farm in New Prague. Their cows are 100 percent grass fed.
Farm focus is on ‘all the good stuff’ in dairy Company also sells organic ground beef BY AMANDA MCKNIGHT amcknight@swpub.com
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oes a nyone remember t he d ays of the milkman, when each d ay you h a d organic, non-homogenized milk delivered right to your doorstep? Dave and Florence Minar of Cedar Summit Farm in New Prague remember. And while they don’t deliver to customers’ doorsteps, they do produce delicious, organic,
Just the facts Business: Cedar Summit Farm Address: 25830 Drexel Avenue, New Prague Number of employees: 12 About: Cedar Summit Farm is the only grass-fed creamery in Minnesota Website: www. cedarsummit.com/
non-homogenized milk from 100 percent grass-fed cows. “Cows are made to eat grass,” Florence said. “They just do better and are much healthier if they’re fed an all-grass diet.” Cedar Summit Farm has
The calves graze while this one takes a second to scratch his head.
b e en i n t he Minar fami ly for fou r generations. Florence and Dave bought it from Dave’s pa rents i n 1969 and farmed the land, growing corn and alfalfa and raising Holsteins, until 1993. In 1993, the Minars decided to sell their milking herd and start fresh by building a new milking parlor. At that time, their milking cows were still fed both grass and corn, but as time went on, they decided to rethink their approach. “When cows eat corn they get acidosis,” Florence explained. “It takes a stronger acid to break down the corn than it does the grass, so they get upset stomachs.” Not only is corn bad for the cows, but it trickles down to how healthy a corn-fed cow’s milk is for humans. “Our diet is supposed to be equal amounts Omega 3 and Omega 6,” Florence explained. “The minute you start feeding them even small amounts of grains, the Omega 3 plummets.” While organic, grass-fed milk is a little more spendy than commercial milk, Dave
and Florence said the taste a nd he a lt h benefits are worth it for many families. According to Dave, Cedar Summit Fa r m’s target market is young families with children, because many parents are becoming more savvy about what they put into their children’s bodies. “All the good stuff that milk does for you is killed (in commercial milk),” Florence said. “(Commercial milk) has gradually gotten so bad that people don’t even realize it.” Nearly three-quarters of the milk sold by the Minars is whole milk, as opposed to about 12 years ago when three-quarters of the milk sold was skim. Over time, milk consumers have learned that the health benefits of milk are in the fat, making whole milk a good choice in moderation, Dave said. Milk isn’t the only product coming from Cedar Summit Farm, though. The Minars also sell organic, grass-fed g rou nd b e ef, ste a k s a nd roasts, and they raise pigs in the summer. Organic turkey
and chicken is brought in from other Minnesota producers to be sold in the farm store. There’s even a company in Mankato, called Alemar Cheese, that buys milk from the Minars and makes it into cheese. One of Alemar Cheese’s most recent cheeses is called Good Thunder, and it is soaked in Surly Bender beer. Good Thunder is not for the faint of heart, though. It is an incredibly robust cheese best served with bread or crackers and maybe a dab of honey. When it comes down to it,
Dave and Florence Minar are passionate about the animals they raise and the land they take care of, but they also love their customers. They don’t see as many customers as they used to several years ago when they would attend farmers markets each week, but they still get to see the ones who buy straight from the farm instead of from local co-ops. “Meeting customers and the people part of it is what’s so great,” Dave said. “That’s one part a lot of farmers don’t like,” added Florence, “but we always found that a lot of fun.”
Dave and Florence Minar own Cedar Summit Farm.
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 11
Tarps Inc: They’ve got it all covered Savage-based business manufactures vinyl tarps and canvas products BY TOM SCHARDIN tschardin@swpub.com
W
Just the facts
hat do the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Pro Football Hall of Fame have in common? They’re both customers of Tarps Inc. The Savage-based company has been in business since 1975, manufacturing vinyl and canvas products for marine, commercial and industrial applications. Keith Teltester bought the company in 2007 from its original owner, Don Williams. In its infancy, Tarps Inc. was a tire shop doing oil changes. It evolved into making recreational-style boat covers and transportation tarps for freight haulers, which make up around 50 percent of the business. “The company has really evolved over time,” said Teltester. “Back in the day, they did oil changes. They did anything it could to make money. Slowly but surely, we transformed. “On the highways, if you see flatbed trucks or any grain truck, anything that has a tarp, chances are we made it,” added Teltester. “We are all over the country.” And all over the world. Tarps Inc. makes up to 10,000 document pouches a year for Thermal King, which go on shipping containers to multiple overseas destinations.
Business: Tarps Inc. Product: Custom Textile Manufacturer, provide protective solutions for both indoor and outdoor environments. Address: 7329 West Highway 13, Savage Phone: (952) 890-1610 Website: www.tarpsinc. com Employees: 9 Annual sales: $1 million in 2013 Years in business: Founded in 1975
That’s the small manufacturing part of the business. The document pouches are an example of how diverse the company has become. It even makes zippers. Go to a music concert locally and chances are the vinyl coverings were made by Tarps Inc. Teltester said he works with multiple production companies. He’s also worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The funk/alternative rock band out of Los Angeles came to Tarps Inc. directly to create vinyl and canvas coverings for their stage show. “They manage their own tour,” said Teltester. “They sent me a bunch of pictures of their concert and stage and we
MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL
PHOTOS BY TOM SCHARDIN
The Radio Frequency Welder is what helps set Tarps Inc. apart from the competition. The Savage-based company has been in business since 1975 manufacturing textile product like boat covers, lift canopies, awnings, shade clothes and much more. designed some coverings for it. It was pretty cool.” The Pro Football Hall of Fame also came to Teltester. So every year, the induction ceremony in Canton, Ohio has a Tarps Inc. stamp on it. The Minnesota State Fair and the Renaissance Festival have custom-made applications at numerous vendor sites made by Tarps Inc. So does Valley Fair in Shakopee. What’s Teltester’s secret weapon? W hat makes his company standout among his competitors? It’s many things, but he said the No. 1 weapon is the Radio Frequency Welder. Teltester’s said it’s the only one in Minnesota and, as far he knows, he’s the only tarp maker in the industry with one. The seams from Tarps Inc.
products are not sewn. They are welded by the Radio Frequency Welder. “It’s permanent — it never comes apart,” said Teltester. “Stitching can rot over time. This won’t. It’s what sets us apart.” “We have a really great reputation,” added Teltester. “We produce the best of the best, the best quality and longevity. We’re not the cheapest, but we make the best and people are willing to pay us more based on our reputation.” Notre Dame University paid Tarps Inc. for 3,500 linear feet for a covering for the indoor auditorium, as well stage covers for their graduation ceremonies. Inside Tarps Inc., there are three parts to the business — their smaller and bigger
SCOTT-CARVER THRESHERS ASSOCIATION 32ND ANNUAL CONSIGNMENT AUCTION SWAP MEET & FLEA MARKET Saturday, May 3rd & Sunday May 4th, 2014
3501 County Rd 42 West Burnsville, MN 55306 2 miles west of B’ville Center on 42
For complete event schedule, go to: www.ScottCarverThreshers.org
application sides and the repair business. The company will take tarps made by other companies and repair them. Depending on the size and lead time, it doesn’t take long to make an application. Most can be made in a single work day. “If it takes more than a day to produce something, it has to be rather large application,”
said Teltester. “And we don’t throw anything away. We can use all our scraps. We try not to waste anything. “Our coverings are the most durable known to man,” added Teltester. “You can’t physically tear them. We’ve been around 40 years, so we’ve tested everything presented. Nothing performs better than our product.”
REALITY BYTES COMPUTER REPAIR SHOP Specializing In Virus & Tuning Up Computers Adam believes in offering friendly and quality services to the community.
LOCATION: 19375 Fairview Lane Jordan • Minnesota 952.890.4770 abdallahcandies.com M-F 10-6:30, Sat 10-4
Tarps Inc. in Savage makes up to 10,000 document pouches a year for Thermal King and many go on shipping containers that go all over the world.
Giving Back: • 10% of profits go to churches and nonprofit organizations every month! • Over $500 donated to the community since January!
4813 W 124th St., Savage, MN 55378
612-568-4201
COMPLETE AUTO SERVICE & TIRES Brakes • Exhaust • Oil Changes • Air Conditioning Alternators • Starters • Tires • Batteries • Engine Diagnostics Radiators • Shocks, Struts, Alignments Hoses • Belts & More
• Quality, affordable education • Customized training for business needs • Skill training designed for employment
www.autorepairshakopeemn.com
952.496.2656 104 N. Market St. SHAKOPEE
Walk Alw ins Welcoays me
Hennepin Technical College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity educator and employer.
hennepintech.edu A Member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system
12 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
Four generations of chocolate-covered goodness Abdallah Candies sold at nearly 7,000 sites around country BY KAITLYN EGAN kegan@swpub.com
T
here are no oompa loompas or giant chocolatefrothing waterfalls behind the scenes at Abdallah Candies in Burnsville, but that doesn’t mean the chocolate is any less magical. Although Abdallah Candies manufactures 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of candy each day, the company still maintains the highest quality and a hand-made touch that makes each item special. In 1901, CEO Steven Hegedus’ great grandparents Albert and Helen Abdallah opened the first store on Lake Street and Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. Albert came to the United States from Syria when he was 17, Hegedus said, and married Helen, who was from Monticello. Though their marriage was uncommon in their day, the two loved each other very much and went into business together. Abdallah Candies had four retail locations early on, but now has just the one manufacturing and retail location in Burnsville. The company sel ls directly to consumers and retailers including Lunds & Byerly’s, Kowalski’s Markets and specialty shops, said Hegedus, ensuring consumers get a fresh product. You can also find Abdallah Candies at nearly 7,000 retailers across the country. There’s plenty of products to choose from since Abdallah Candies offers over 200 varieties of delicious confections. Consumers likely know Abda l lah Candies for its boxes of assorted chocolates, but the confectioner also of-
PHOTOS BY KAITLYN EGAN
Vanilla Cream centers travel under the “Enrober” to get their chocolate coating. fers sugar-free chocolates, caramels, toffees, truff les and candy dish favorites. “I think people are surprised to hear how many things we actually make,” Hegedus said. Consumers may also be surprised to know Abdallah Candies supplies other confectioners and manufacturers with Abdallah-made caramel, marshmallow frappe and other ingredients. You may even find an Abdallah chocolate in another company’s box. Some ingredients or items are hard to make, explained Hegedus, so other confectioners just buy it from Abdallah Candies. Currently, the company is looking to relocate to a larger
facility, either locally or perhaps out of the region, after several years of steady growth. “We’re s t u f f e d ,” Hegedus said. “We’re nearly to capacity in our building.”
MADE WITH CARE In many cases, the chocolates are made using machines from Europe since they know how to do it best, said Hegedus, but all the chocolates were developed in the United States. “Ever y t hi ng was done
A giant wheel rolls out a sheet of caramel that will later be cut into bite-sized pieces.
r i g h t here in the heart of the Midwest,” he said. Some of t he machi nes even date back to the 1940s and make items in small batches (like the 800 pound batches of caramel). Though it may seem old fashioned, “changing the equipment is like changing the recipe,” Hegedus explained. The factory f loor resembles an amusement park for candies, with winding assembly lines, chocolate cascades and a giant, water-cooled caramel wheel. Abdallah Candies uses several techniques to create confections, including molds, hand dipping, extruding and “enrobing” (that’s when the candy, like a vanilla center, travels under a waterfall of chocolate for its coating). Most candies travel down an assembly line where the confection is cut into bitesized pieces, jiggled over chocolate for its bottom layer and then covered by the Enrobers (machines that waterfall the chocolate over each piece). Then the candies travel under the “Stringer,” an invention created by Hegedus’ grandfather that uses little chains to create the
Did you know?
Just the facts
Abdallah Candies are a good bet when you need an indulgent tasty treat, whether you live nearby, across the country or on another continent.
Business: Abdallah Candies
CEO Steven Hegedus said Burnsville Mayor Elizabeth Kautz enjoys the chocolates herself, but added Abdallah Chocolates are also the only ones she will take with her on world travels to give as gifts. Of course she is a supporter of local businesses, but “she’s doing it because she just loves the chocolate,” Hegedus said. swirl on top of each chocolate. As the candy nears the end of the line, a worker uses a stick to pop any chocolate bubbles, ensuring the candies stay moist and fresh. Then other workers add the finishing touches like a dash of sea salt or the “V,” “M,” or “O” stamp hinting at the vanilla, maple or orange filling inside. Finally, the candies are checked, sorted and boxed by hand. And, if you’re curious, Hegedus said Abdallah Candies is working on five new items, including one brand new item in the dark chocolate family. “[The new products] are going to be geared more towards personal- or self-consumption than gift-giving,” he hinted.
Address: 3501 County Road 42 West, Burnsville Years in current location: Almost 14 years in the current location and in Burnville since 1965 Number of employees: 140 Website: www. abdallahcandies.com Candy notes: Make milk, dark, white and sugar-free chocolate candies Over 200 varieties of candy including chocolates, truffles, caramels and toffee Best sellers (three-way tie): Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels, Milk Chocolate Alligators, Butter Almond Toffee Fasting growing product: Fresh Whipping Cream Truffles Produce 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of candy per day Also sell their caramel, marshmallow frappe, chocolates and more to other manufacturers Invented the “Stringer,” which puts a swirl in the chocolate on top of the candy “Enrobers” are the machines that flow chocolate over the candy Produce 1 million caramel apples in two months for local markets
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 13
EDUCATING
LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS SINCE 1877
Minnesota School of Business offers degrees for all stages of your career. Whether you are just getting started or looking to advance in your current profession we offer: » Hands-on, career-focused education » Flexible day, evening & online courses » Real-world experience through partnerships with local companies » Convenient Shakopee campus
To learn more about our programs call 952-345-1200 or visit msbcollege.edu
Service First!
ST GERTRUDE’S
COMMERCIAL and RESIDENTIAL Design Maintenance Irrigation Patios Retaining Walls Snow Plowing Salt Sanding Curb Edging Ash Bore Treatments
HEALTH & REHABILITATION CENTER Benedictine Health system
952-226-1813 Transitional Care Center Rehabilitation for Cognitively Impaired Bariatric Rooms Therapy & Wellness Areas Aquatic Therapy Pool
A place to enjoy all summer long
A place to unwind
Kids Giving Back to the Community
A place to enjoy a summer meal
Outdoor Mobility Court Convenient Interior Walkway to St. Francis Regional Medical Center & Campus Clinic Assisted Living Apartments
952 233-4400 Located in the southwest metro area of the Twin Cities 1850 Sarazin Street, Shakopee, MN 55379
www.stgertrudesshakopee.org
Certified Landscape Professionals Power Limited Technicians www.mandinecgroup.com
14 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
218 N. Meridian Street Belle Plaine, MN 56011
belleplainemn.com 952-873-5553
Oak Terrace Senior Living of Jordan • • • •
Personalized Nursing Care 24 Hour Staffing On-Site Medical Team and Therapy Services State-Of-The-Art Wireless Call System
To schedule a tour or receive more information, call 952-492-5559. Independent Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care 622 Aberdeen Ave., Jordan, MN 55352 www.oakterraceliving.com • 952-492-5559
SUBMITTED PHOTO
For lunch, dinner or Sunday Brunch, you will find our food, service and atmosphere to be superior by every measure. We have six special occasion facilities are sure to please any group, from 20 to 150 guests. Spacious screened in decks with a delightful view of the native waterfowl, pest FREE dining in Minnesota at its best. Join us at the Rib Tickler located in Dangerfield’s for outstanding comedy shows every Friday and Saturday night. Call to reserve your seat.
1583 East First Avenue • Shakopee
952.445.2245 www.dangerfieldsrestaurant.com
The StarGazer thrill ride features seven seats, six-degrees-of-freedom and a 4D motion platform. When the movie suggests a movement — a pitch, roll or yaw, for example — the motion base moves the audience’s seats.
Product puts the thrill in theme parks Control valves give lift, movement to park rides BY AMY LYON editor@savagepacer.com
W
hen passengers board the StarGazer, a simulation attraction found in theme parks, museums and zoos around the world, they don’t typically think about what’s under their seats. Instead, t hey ’r e mor e c onc er ne d about what’s showing on the big screen in front of them and the way the seats will lift and jolt, allowing them to “ride” the movie. Continental Hydraulics of Savage manu facturers t he propor tiona l cont rol valves that are used in the StarGazer motion bases – essentially giving lift and movement to the ride. Here’s how it works: The StarGazer is a seven-seat, six-degrees-of-freedom, 4D motion platform. When the high- def inition f i l m pro jection system suggests a movement – a pitch, rol l or yaw, for example – the
motion base moves the audience’s seats. For actiontype films, this requires fast response times, smooth control of the power, precision and quiet operation. T he hyd r au l ic mo tion base simulator uses six cylinders, each one utilizing a proportional valve — Continental’s VED03MJ proportional valve, to be exact, featuring highpower and heavy-lift capacities. In the event of a power loss, the fail-safe function enables the simulation seat to go to a rest position, allowing occupants to exit safely. Previously, the StarGazer used traditional servo valves from another company — an option that was widely used before the creation of modern proportional valves with integrated digital electronics. According to Chris Bentley, vice president of sales and marketing for Continental Hydraulics, some of the benefits of newer proportional valves over the servo valves include servo -like precision at a fraction of the cost, increased up-time and reliability due to contamination issues with servo valves, and higher efficiency since proportional valves don’t waste energy at neutral. The proportional valve used on the StarGazer is just
one of C ont inent a l’s products. According to Bentley, in its manufacturing facility on Highway 13, Continental creates “20 to 25 products with thousands of applications” to the tune of about 300,000 components each year. Those applications span from uses in outer space and under the sea, and hundreds of options in between. “They’ve been used by the space industry, NASA,” said Bentley. “We build parts for assembly lines for cars... it goes on and on.” Continental hangs its hat on the ability to build products that can be relied upon in the harshest conditions — whether its petroleum explorers drilling for oil, food processors requiring wash-down cleansing or the StarGazer providing thrills to hundreds of riders per day. A nd whi le the various products have complex applications, Bentley said the
basis for Conti nenta l Hydraulics is simple: “Our products make things move.”
Just the facts Business: Continental Hydraulics Address: 5501 W. 123rd St., Savage Years in location: 52 No. of employees: 88 Website: www. continentalhydraulics. com About: Continental Hydraulics manufactures 25 to 30 products with thousands of applications — from outer space to under the sea and all areas in between.
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 15
Medically renowned cosmetic procedures now available in Chaska.
Rooted in Integrity… g y Creative
Fun
Come to our amazing new 212 Medical Center location for the ultimate eye care experience. Edina Eye’s world-renowned doctors provide a higher level of personalized care, including advanced periocular procedures and injectables like Botox and dermal fillers. To make an appointment, please call 952-832-8100 or visit us @ www.edinaeye.com.
50% off frames – Chaska only With eye examination and purchase of lenses at regular price. Restrictions may apply. Offer good through May 31, 2014.
Unique
952-361-9954
JORDAN
Founded on Faith!
Award Winning Hedberg Award of Excellence for Outstanding Design, Craftsmanship & Installation National Landscaper of the Year Finalist MNLA Friend of the Environment recipient Southwest Metro Best Landscaper & Garden Shop Horticulture Leadership Award Touchstone Energy Community Award Environmental Initiative Partnership of the Year Award National Environmental Business Award
6055 Hwy 212 Chaska Just West of Carver
CITY OF
Passionate
Our award winning team consistently s t ri ves to bring each clien t an exceptional experience and a landscape that will stand the test of time! We would be honored to serve you as our next client. Please call or stop in today!
Landscape Design & Installation Patios, Retaining Walls, Water Gardens & Night Lighting Trees, Shrubs, Evergreens & Flowering Plants Pick-up or Delivery Available Do-It-Yourselfers Welcome Children’s Play Area & Petting Zoo
www.TheMustardSeedInc.com
10,000 Great Plains Blvd Pioneer Trail & Hwy 101 Former Halla Nursery Site
Call for seasonal hours.
952-445-6555
CERTIFIED Professional
Call (952) 447-9800
MINNESOTA
The City of Jordan has benefitted from strong regional growth over the past decade based on Jordan’s location less than half an hour from major employment centers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Economic Development Funding Opportunities: • Jobs for Fees • Tax Increment Financing • Tax Abatement • Façade Improvement Program • Minnesota Capital Community Fund
Welcome to Jordan!
952-492-2535 www.Jordan.GovOffice.com
Customer Service Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 4646 Dakota St. SE, Prior Lake, MN 55372
www.cityofpriorlake.com
16 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
An iconic brand for bath time Funny man is face of bubblemaker BY MOLLEE FRANCISCO mfrancisco@swpub.com
H
e’s that bouncy pink bubble that has been t he delight of bath time since 1961, but for the last six years, Mr. Bubble has also been a point of pride for Chaska. That’s when The Village Company acquired the line and brought the bubble to town. “It’s such an iconic brand in the bath category,” said Laura Eisen, vice president of marketing for The Village Company. “Our company makes bath products so it was a perfect fit.” The Village Company has been located in the Jonathan Industrial Park in Chaska since 2004. Before moving to town, it was known as Minnetonka Brands. The company has 11 employees and a series of product lines. Mr. Bubble joined The Village Company’s existing lines that include Village Naturals and Sesame Street products. “We’re now the steward of a brand that’s 50 years old,” said Eisen, of Mr. Bubble. “A lot of people have really fond memories of the brand,” she continued. “ T hey r ememb er t hei r childhood and a lot of good memories. It’s our challenge to keep that going.” Mr. Bubble was created in 1961 by Harold Schafer and the Gold Seal Company. It was the first time a bubble bath had made its way into drug stores rather than being available solely in department stores as a luxury item. The first Mr. Bubble was
a powdered bubble bath that was advertised as being able to “bubble kids clean” and leave no bathtub ring. The product was eventually converted to a liquid form. Eisen said Mr. Bubble stands apart from its competitors because it is “gently formulated, tear free and pediatrician tested.” When The Village Company acquired the line in 2008, it was reformulated to create more bubbles and a gentler clean. In addition to the bubble bath, Mr. Bubble is also featured in a 3-in-1 body wash, shampoo and conditioner, a foam soap and fizzy bath bombs. In 2011, Mr. Bubble celebrated his 50th birthday. Just in time for the momentous occasion, The Village Company introduced a new look for Mr. Bubble, continuing his style evolution. “We gave him a facelift,” said Eisen. “To make him look more contemporary.” Mr. Bubble’s pink face was brightened and his facial features strengthened to bring him in line with more modern cartoon characters. “We take great care to make him appealing,” said Eisen. After five decades, Mr. Bubble hasn’t missed a step and he continues his reign over the bubble bath realm. Eisen said that Mr. Bubble is the No. 1 bubble bath brand in the United States. In 2013, The Village Company produced 80 million ounces of Mr. Bubble Bubble Bath — the equivalent of 40 million bubble baths. The Village Company is ready to make sure Mr. Bubble has got at least another 50 years ahead of him. Eisen said the strength of the brand depends greatly on its iconic bubble man. “[Mr. Bubble] put us in a unique position,” said Eisen.”He’s is a strong character plus a good product.”
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
Mr. Bubble was acquired by the Village Company in 2008.
Just the facts Business: The Village Company Address: 124 W. Columbia Court, Chaska Years in location: 10 No. of employees: 11 Business/product: Bath products Fun facts: Mr. Bubble is the No. 1 bubble bath brand in the US. In 2013, The Village Company produced about 80 million ounces of Mr. Bubble Bubble Bath in Chaska, which is about 40 million bubble baths! Website: thevillagecompany.com Eisen said their marketing department is currently working to craft a story line for Mr. Bubble to further
enhance his appeal. “The character is really fun,” said Eisen. “Right now we’re working on de-
veloping a story for him that’s fun and exciting, too.” So how would Eisen describe that bouncy pink
bubble? Without a second of hesitation she answers, “He’s funny and whimsical. Quirky even.”
SUNDAYS AT A STONEBROOKE ALL LL YOU CAN EAT EA BREAKFAST BUFFET 9:30 AM TO 1:00 PM Scrambled Eggs • Bacon & Sausage Crispy Hash Browns • French Toast Adults: $7.95 • Kids 11 & Under $4.95 Reservations Recommended - 952-496-3171
$2.00 Bloody Mary OR
Mimosa
2693 County Road 79 • Shakopee 952-496-3171
• Color l Services (for men & women) • Cuts and Styles • Bridal Parties & Make-Up
952-403-6363 •
• Texturing and Smoothing Services • Hair Extensions & Extension Pieces • Wax Services
Open 7 Days!
1659 17th Ave. E. • Shakopee, MN
(Located between Target & Office Max, off 17th Ave & Marschall Rd) Hours: Mon–Thurs 10–8; Fri 10–7; Sat 8–4; Sun 11–4
www.salonavalonmn.com
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 17
The Villas at South Parkview Addition
• 21 Villa Homes on an association • Located off Vierling Drive and Jefferson 1298 Jefferson St. Shakopee, MN 55379.
MODEL OPEN THIS SPRING!
Residential Building Contractor- License # BC105814 Call Patrick Link • 612-280-3220
Call or Visit us Today!
952-492-2300 223 1st Street E., Ste. 100 Jordan, MN 55352 www.ibjordan.com
Fab Lab
Dream It M a k e It Share It
Prior Lake High School Fall 2014
SERVICES | SUNDAYS, 9 & 11 A.M.
NEW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD 101 4th Ave E
all Rd rsch Ma
Spencer St S
79
169
Canterbury Rd S
Ea
10th Ave E
gle
Cr ee
kB
lvd
Dr Vierling
17 16 17th Ave E
E
Innovative Programming As an E-STEM and 1:1 technology district, our students are focused on inquiry and real world problem-solving. In our small scale fabrication laboratory, students will be able to create almost anything using some of the same technology and equipment found in Minnesota businesses and used by todayÂ’s work force.
Partner With Us nancially or through time, talent, expertise or equipment, contact Dave Lund, 952.226.8603. Learn more about Prior Lake High School:
18 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
FIND NEW ROADS™ SERVICE HOURS
SHOWROOM HOURS
Monday - Friday 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday- Thursday 8:30 AM - 9:00 PM Friday & Saturday 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
WE SERVICE ALL MAKES AND MODELS OF GM VEHICLES
1206 E. 1st AVE. SHAKOPEE, MN 55379
www.ShakopeeChevrolet.com 952-777-2822
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 19
One-man hobby becomes big business Midwest Military manufactures collector vehicle parts
Just the facts Business: Midwest Military Product: Antique Military truck parts and Custom Sheet Metal Fabrication Services Address: 16075 Highway 13 South, Prior Lake
BY TOM SCHARDIN tschardin@swpub.com
Phone: (952) 440-8778
W
hat started out as a hobby has turned into profi t a b l e business for John Bizal. T he ow ner of Midwest Military in Prior Lake, he manufactures and supplies collector military vehicle parts. He caters to World War II and Korean-era, Dodgebuilt vehicles, Korean-era Jeeps and other WWII vehicles. “I have not let the business over take the initia l focus — ‘the hobby,’” it says on the company’s Facebook page. “I’m still an avid collector and restorer.” Bizal started the business as a hobby in 1991 and in 2000 it became incorporated. Last year, he did $1.3 million in gross sales. He has five employees and he works out of an 8,000-square-foot warehouse that is filled with all types of vehicle parts on one side, while the other side is manufacturing. Bizal owns 14 militarystyle trucks and jeeps that are road ready. He takes t hem to pa rades, providing he can find drivers for them all. His collection is displayed every year in Prior Lake’s annual Memorial Day Parade. How did Bizal get started? “I started messing with
Website: www. midwestmilitary.net/ Employees: 6 Annual sales: $1.2 million in 2013 Years in business: Founded in 1991
PHOTOS BY TOM SCHARDIN
There are shelves fi lled with different parts like repair panels, brackets, floor pans, antenna brackets and bumpers at Midwest Military, a supplier and manufacturer of over 600 collector military vehicle parts. these trucks when I was 16,” he said. “I bought my first one to keep when I was 28 or 29. For me, it was an opportunity to make money. I put myself through two years of college buying and selling military trucks. “From there, it took off,” he added. “I’ve had countless trucks since then.” Bizal said when he began trying to restore the vehicles he bought, parts were tough to find. That’s where the manufacturing side of the business came into play. He decided he could make the parts that were no longer available. And thus, his world-wide
John Bizal’s 1944 Ford GPW World War II Jeep made the cover of Military Vehicles Magazine in February of 2013.
business was born. “Where do you go to get your parts?” said Bizal, who went to the University of Wisconsin-Plattevi l le for industrial technology (197984). “You can’t go to NAPA. So collectors turn to somebody like me. We are a pretty much a mail-order business. I get very little walk-in traffic. The UPS driver is my biggest costumer.” Biza l’s 19 4 4 Ford GPW World War II Jeep made the
cover of Military Vehicles Magazine in February of 2013. He’s part of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association, including the Red Bull Chapter in Minnesota that has 160 members. Bizal has taken five of his vehicles to the national convention and won first prize for restoration with each of them. M a ny o f t h e v e h ic l e s and trucks Bizal restores are from 1940 to 1965. He’s
shipped parts to customers in South Africa, Australia and Russia to name a few countries. “Pick a country and I’ve probably sent parts there,” said Bizal. One of his customers was a sheikh in the United Arab Emirates. “That’s about as close to famous as anyone I’ve made parts for,” said Bizal. “I’ve got clients in their twenties all the way to their eighties.
If you drive down the road and see an old military truck in someone’s yard and you buy it, you are now my client. I cater to Joe Average.” Bizal’s company manufactures about 600 different parts. He will also reverse engineer original equipment manufacture parts if it will help his clients. Repair panels, brackets, floor pans, antenna brackets, support channels and bumpers are just a small sample of the parts manufactured by Midwest Military. “There is no one common part,” said Bizal. “It’s all over the map. Whatever the client needs, we try to make.” “If you would have told me when I first started I would have an operation this size with employees I would have said you were crazy,” said Bizal. “It’s been a fun way to make a living.”
John Bizal, owner of Midwest Military in Prior Lake, stands next to a old military jeep that is being restored for a customer with parts manufactured by Bizal’s company.
20 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
PHOTOS BY LORI CARLSON
Each item that Boller creates is meant to withstand playtime. “Everything is made to be functional,” she says.
Beauty in the Grain: Doll furniture made to last Quality woods are important to long life of products BY LORI CARLSON editor@plamerican.com
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or kids, playing with dolls is all fun and games. But for parents, the hobby — with it s plet hor a of accessories and furniture — can deal a wallop to the wallet. Beauty in the Grain’s Jodi Boller takes that investment seriously, as she proudly cre-
ates handmade, long-lasting, beautiful doll furniture with quality woods such as pine, maple and oak. Since 2011, the longtime woodworker has operated Beauty in the Grain out of her Prior Lake home, using the wood shop at her dad’s home in Burnsville. Boller primarily makes furniture for 18-inch dolls (including American Girl), such as bunk beds, armoires, tables and chairs and Ad-
Jodi Boller works in the wood shop.
irondack chairs. The items include handmade fabric bedding, pillows and canopies by another Prior Lake artisan, Jocelyn Einarson. With its natural wood and handcrafted design, the product line is aesthetically appealing, but also strong and ready to withstand child’s play. Chairs recline, drawers open and closets stand ready for hanging doll clothes. “It’s made to be played with,” Boller says. “I try to make everything functional.” Boller wants every item to stand up to the name: Beauty in the Grain. “O u r mot her a lways taught us there is strength and beauty in everything,” she says. Boller also was inspired by her dad, who shared his love of woodworking and proudly opened his wood shop to the family business. In addition to doll furniture, Boller also creates wood tissue boxes and coaster sets, as well as beds for small pets. Most recently, Boller took on the new challenge of craft-
Just the facts Name: Beauty in the Grain Address: Prior Lake Years in location: 2 Number of employees: One principal, plus accessory designer and family helpers Website: www. beautyinthegrain.com ing a giant dollhouse. A customer requested the nearly 6-foot-tall house, filled with furniture — a dream-cometrue surprise for a very lucky young girl. Boller spent about two months designing the house and another month to craft two of the dollhouses. But regardless of the scale, there’s something for every doll lover in the mix, from a $5 mirror to a $960 house (sans furniture). The products are free of chemical finishes, though customers can opt for a protective water-based paint for the outdoor furniture, such as the Adirondack chairs. Boller offers free delivery to Prior Lake, Savage, Burnsville, Shakopee and Apple Valley customers. “The customers mean everything to us,” she says. Beauty in the Grain makes regular appearances at craft shows throughout Minnesota, where Boller enjoys
Jodi Boller found inspiration for her company’s name — and philosophy — from her mother, who always said “there’s beauty and strength in everything.” meeting new and returning customers. Starting this spring, she’s le ad i n g a newly cr e ate d “building with wood” club at Glendale Elementary School in Savage. To get the word out, she is a member of the Prior Lake Chamber of Commerce and frequents craft shows, but the company relies primarily on word of mouth. “Christmas is when our
web sales go up,” she adds. Boller laughs at the irony that she makes doll furniture but her children aren’t interested in dolls. (She and her husband, Jeffrey, have two sons, ages 11 and 14.) As the boys get older and her schedule changes, she looks forward to having even more time to devote to the business. “I love creating and designing new items,” she says.
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 21
FILE PHOTO
Gedney has been producing pickles since 1958 in Carver County.
Gedney is state’s top pickle packer Secret brine is key ingredient in famous dills BY MOLLEE FRANCISCO mfrancisco@swpub.com
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or more than 130 years, Gedney has been churning out jars of its famous Minnesota pickles. During the past five decades, those jars have come out of Chaska, where Gedney is now headquartered on 18 acres near the Chaska/ Chanhassen border. To the trained nose, gentle wafts of vinegary brine can even be caught in the summer breeze when operations at the plant are at their peak and the lines run up to seven days a week. “Gedney Foods Company is the No. 1 pickle producer in Minnesota,” said DaleAnn Murphy, who manages Gedney’s public relations. From Sweet Bread & Butter Chips to Zinger Planks to Kosher Dills, Gedney has more than 100 different products under its brand, but none can top the Gedney Babies. Gedney Babies are dill pickles made from a fresh crop of 1A cucumbers. They are packed in a secret Gedney brine customized with vinegar, natural dill and spices. The result packs a popular
punch. “They are bite-size bursts of delicious dill,” said Murphy. “Small, but firm. Smooth and crunchy.” Jim Cook, vice president of technical services with Gedney, said that the key to their success with the Babies is getting their hands on the pickles used to make them. “They’re hand-harvested, very high quality” said Cook, noting that the majority of pickles are machine harvested these days. “We are the absolute experts in procuring these cucumbers.” Sixty cucumbers are packed into each jar of Babies — all on the same day they arrive at Gedney from farmers across the United States and Mexico. “We do everything we can to protect that texture,” said Cook. “Preserve that crispness.” “Our mindset is quality,” he added. All the hard work seems to be paying off. “[Gedney] produces enough Babies each year to reach from the Twin Cities to Duluth and back five times,” siad Murphy. The pickle lines at Gedney run year-round, with pickles coming in constantly. “We’re always running pickles,” said Cook. It’s a massive operation that all started in 1881 when Mathias Anderson Gedney opened his first pickle plant at the corner of Lowry and Pacific avenues in Minneapolis. Sales
Just the facts Business: Gedney Foods Co. Address: 2100 Stoughton Avenue, Chaska Years in location: 56 No. of employees: 165 Fun facts: Elvis Presley was a big pickle fan. Annual pickle consumption averages 9 pounds of pickles per person in the U.S. A pickle is both a fruit and a vegetable — because it is grown on a vine and has seeds. Website: gedneyfoods.com were made from horse-driven “cash wagons.” By 1893, Gedney’s operations had expanded outside of Minneapolis to include St. Paul, Chaska, Omaha, Kearney, Neb., and Mauston, Wis. At the time, Gedney was producing some 30,000 barrels of pickles. In 1958, Gedney moved all of its operations to a brand new 50,000- square-foot warehouse space in Chaska. Over the years, five generations of the Gedney family worked for the company. Today, Gedney employs about 165 people and prides itself on quality and innovation. “It’s a labor of love,” said Cook, who has been with the company for 43 years. “An exciting world to be in.” Gedney is constantly on the hunt for new pickle products.
One of their most successful lines was based on actual prize-winning recipes from the Minnesota State Fair. In 1991, the first two State Fair Pickles — made from recipes for Genevieve Spano’s Kosher Dills and Nita Schemmel’s Bread & Butter Pickles — were launched at the fair. “The line did extremely well,” said Cook. While Gedney no longer carries the State Fair Pickles, it has adapted those winning recipes into its new Homestyle product line, launched in 2013. “Wherever I am, I look to see what [a grocer’s] pickle section is like,” said Cook. “Seeing the Gedney label is always a source of pride.”
Dilly is the Gedney mascot.
22 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Becker Arena Products supplied the Burnsville Ice Center with their boards for both of their rinks.
Becker’s boards frame ice rinks around globe Savage company involved with Nagano Olympic hockey arena
munity rink,” Becker said. Becker estimated that they do about 60 rinks a year. All the boards are made in the warehouse just off of Highway 13 in Savage. “We can fit for whatever is right for that rink,” Becker said. The process from bid to installation is about 12 weeks. From the time the bid is accepted, Becker Arena Products does everything. They engineer the product to the costumers specifications, build it in their warehouse and then ship it to the arena, where they will install everything with their own employees. “We have a detailed process, so things get done on time,” Becker said.
Just the facts Business: Becker Arena Products, Inc. Address: 6611 West Highway 13, Savage Years in location: 6
BY TODD ABELN tabeln@swpub.com
H
ave you ever wondered who makes the boards for all the ice rinks in Minnesota? If so, one of the answers is Becker Arena Products in Savage. Becker Arena Products is the industry leader in arena products with their No. 1 product being the dasher boards that surround all indoor rinks. They have installed the dasher boards all over Minnesota and the world. “We are a leader in the i ndust r y,” Becker A rena Products President Jim Becker said. “Nobody has been around as long as we have been and we are growing.” The business started in December 1988 when Becker left his job to start Becker
No. of employees: 33 Factoids: Built the hockey rinks for 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan Website: www. beckerarena.com Arena Products. He was the lone employee in year one but the business took off and has been growing ever since. Becker Arena Products started out as a distribution company of arena products. “At that time, all we did was dist ribute product,” Becker said. It wasn’t until 1995 that they got into the business of making the dasher boards. Their first job was in Hoyt Lakes, Minn., and Becker can remember it like yesterday. “The arena manager called and said ‘Why would I buy this, you’ve never done
PHOTO BY TODD ABELN
Boards for an upcoming rink are ready to go in the Becker Arena warehouse. this before,’” Becker said. “I told him, you think I would screw up my first job.” He didn’t and since 1995 they have done hundreds of jobs. Their most famous arena is the Big Hat Arena in Nagano, Japan. That arena hosted the 1998 Olympics. They have built 11 rinks
in Russia along with jobs in Romania, South Korea, Australia and Canada. “It’s amazing the calls and inquiries we get from around the world,” Becker said. They have also built the practice facility rink for the NHL’s Washington Capitols along with college facilities for Army, Air Force, Holy
Cross and Merrimack. Closer to home, Becker Arena Products have built the boards for the arenas at the Burnsville Ice Center, Chaska Community Center, Dakotah Ice Center, Shakopee Ice Arena and the University of Minnesota’s Ridder Arena to name just a few. “We specialize in the com-
NOT JUST BOARDS Becker Arena is not just dasher boards though. If it goes into an arena, Becker can do it. “We do pretty much anything in a rink except the ice,” Becker said. That includes scoreboards, benching, protective f looring, storage systems, maintenance equipment and much more.
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 23
Sand Creek Antler Products carves out niche Jordan owners turn hobby into thriving business BY BRITT JOHNSEN
W
hen Joh n Wer mer skirchen and his wife, Barb Wer mer skirchen, built their Jordan house in 1997, they wanted to make their home look rustic. So John, an avid hunter, turned to an outdoor retailer to look for something that fit their taste. The chandelier that he saw and liked was made out of whitetail deer antlers. But it was $700. He thought to himself he could make one just like it himself. And just like that, a business was born. John, an avid hunter and outdoorsma n, had never carved anything in his life. And he says he doesn’t come from a particularly artistic family. But he Googled how to do this, and picked up the phone to call people who make furniture, home decor and accessories out of antlers from animals such as deer and moose. He began carving antlers, which he says are 98 percent from animals that are not harmed (the antlers naturally fall off, similar to the way humans shed hair). He turns these carved antlers into everything from lamps to tables to coasters to fireplace tools, and more. “It’s taking something from nature and making something out of it,” he said. Of course, he also makes custom chandeliers, much like the one he made for himself. That one was 6 feet wide and 5 feet high. He even makes dog chews made out of antlers; those are very popular, he said. The sales have won John and Barb, who does accounting for the company, atten-
PHOTO BY BRITT JOHNSEN
John Wermerskirchen and Barb Wermerskirchen make up the staff at Sand Creek Antler Products. tion from the media. They have appeared on Minnesota Bound with Ron Schara, who visited their Jordan home and featured the products on television. In total, John says
they’ve appeared on TV 50 times. As successful as his company has become, John does not do this as his day job. He works as a manager in the facilities
department at Mayo Cli nic Hea lt h System’s New Prague satellite location. When he comes home, he often goes to his garage to put his carving magic skills to work. Ba rb describes John’s craft as this: “It’s hours and hours of putzy, putzy, putzy,” she said, noting how detailed his work is. John, who has new contacts in this business, exchanges ideas for new products with a friend in Bozeman, Mont., who he met through a simple Internet search to find out who else in the country makes products out of antlers. They now go elk hunting together. John takes a lot of pride in what he does, and Barb is amazed by what her husband can do. This time of year, he’s gearing up for the busy season. He’s typically busy with art shows (they do three to four per year) and stocking up
on inventory to prepare. “I like to stay busy,” he said. That’s a good thing, because it’s not always easy work. He m a ke s a table out of moose antlers, for example, that takes about 40 hours to create. A lamp he makes from elk antlers can take about 25 hours. Meanwhile, a small antler keychain is easy — 20 minutes and he’s got a new product for his stockpile of inventory. John said that they mostly buy their products from an antler broker (believe it or not, for those of you wondering, that is someone’s profession). But Barb says that they get phone calls from people who have antlers they find in their backyard or that they got from hunting. Such people want to donate to the couple, who know they could put the antlers to
Just the facts Business: Sand Creek Antler Products Address: 3195 220th St. W., Jordan Years in location: 16 Employees: Two, owners John Wermerskirchen and Barb Wermerskirchen Factoid: Price range of products is from $25 to $4,000 Website: www. sandcreekantlerproducts. com good use. Aside from stocking up on inventory and going to art shows, John also makes custom items. He’ll work with people on what they want, such as the chandelier that started the business in the first place. “They’re happy when they get the end result,” he said.
24 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
The Mulch Store turns trash into treasure Local business gains solid ground thanks to local recyclers
Just the facts Business: The Mulch Store Locations: Burnsville, Empire Township, Minnetrista and Shakopee.
BY BRITT JOHNSEN
Founded: 2000
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h e r e ’s m o r e to mulch than meets the eye. Anne Ludvik, director of organics for T he Mu lch Store, breaks the complex into the simple. The Mulch Store is a retail store that sells landscaping pr o duc t s a nd m at er i a l s, which it also makes from its composting sites, the other leg of its business. It gets its compost by working with loc a l waste ma nagement companies, which work with compa nies a nd i ndividuals to pick up compostable materials. I n ot her words, T he Mu lch Store t u r ns t rash into treasu re. T he prof it comes from the materials that someone throws away as unusable and the store t u r n s it i nt o mu lch a nd compost that feeds gardens, inhibits weed growth and protects soil from erosion. More people are seeing the benefit of donating their trash to be turned into treasure. Thanks to organizations like the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and people such as Ludvik, more residents and companies understand that there is less room in landfills for trash, and more of a need for and benefit to recycling. In fact, Ludvik explained, in 1997, Twin Cities waste haulers picked up 500 tons of food wa ste f rom loc a l residents and companies. But in 2013, waste haulers
Employees: 20 in nonpeak seasons (December to March), and 45 in peak seasons (April to November). Factoid: In 1997, Twin Cities waste haulers picked up 500 tons of food waste from local residents and companies, said Anne Ludvik, director of organics for The Mulch Store. In 2013, waste haulers picked up 16,000 tons. Website: www. mulchstoremn.com picked up 16,000 tons. Rob Friend works at The Mulch Store in marketing and organics, setting up new prog ra m s a nd educ ati ng the community. He’s certainly seen a big shift. “It’s become more mainstream (to recycle),” he said. “The industry has grown.” So what is mulch, anyway? Mulch is a material that gets sprinkled on top of soi l to protect it from erosion, reduce compaction from heavy rains, maintain even soil temperature and several other benefits. Organic mulch includes hardwoods, bark, cypress, cedar and compost, according to educational materials from The Mulch Store. There are a l s o i nor g a n ic mu lche s, which include stones, brick chips and recycled rubber. Compost is a type of mulch made from decayed grass,
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SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Mulch Store has locations in Burnsville, Empire Township, Minnetrista and Shakopee. leaves and food scraps. The Mulch Store’s business is turning yard waste, food scraps and more into mulches, composts and soil blends, which it sells. Soil blends include compost and sand or dirt to help gardens, plants, trees and shrubs be their best. The company began in 2 0 0 0 when ow ners Kevi n Tritz and Kevin Nordby, who live in the Twin Cities, were making their way through the waste management industry. They started their ca reers as ga rbage hau lers driving waste trucks, then made their way up as managers. In the late 1980s, Ludv i k s a id , M i n ne s ot a made it illegal to dump yard waste in the trash. So a new subset of the waste industry
was born after that. Then Tritz and Nordby made their entrance into it with The Mulch Store (technically, the parent company is called Specialized Environmental Technologies Inc., but The Mulch Store is the retail face and is much easier to say and remember, Ludvik said). “People are starting to look at their waste differently (as something that has value),” said Ludvik, who estimated that 30 to 40 percent of a person’s trash can be composted. “It’s a whole mindset change.” She hopes the trend will c onti nue spre ad i n g, a nd believes that composting is the next wave of recycling. “If everybody (composted) ... your trash would be so minimal,” she said.
PHOTO BY BRITT JOHNSEN
Andy Mesenbring of The Mulch Store poses for a picture at the Shakopee site on a sunny day in early March.
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Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 25
Dahlen signs can end up almost anywhere Vinyl signs are hot item for family-owned business BY TODD ABELN tabeln@swpub.com
D
o you need a sign made? I f s o , D a h len Si g n C omp a ny, c ou ld b e t he
place for you. Since 1956 Dahlen Sign Company has been putting up signs all over the world. “As far as signs go, we will make anything,” owner Dan Dah len said. “We’ve been around a lot of changes in the sig n business and seen most everything.” Dahlen Sig n Company, located in Shakopee near Highway 169 and Highway 101, will do any sign, anywhere. Whether it be monument si g n s, sp e ci a lt y, veh icle graphics, interior signs or backlit signs, they can do it. Dah len said that right now printed vinyl signs are hot items. He said the vinyl signs c a n be placed on c a rs, trucks, mailboxes, basketbal ls, sidewalks and just about anywhere else. “It’s really your imagination and budget that limits what you can do,” Dahlen said. “Anything is possible.” All the signs are made right in Dahlen’s office in Sh a kop e e by t he Da h len family. Dan is joined by his dad, Dick, cousin John, and aunt Barb as the four employees
PHOTOS BY TODD ABELN
Owner Dan Dahlen puts a sign on a car door for a costumer. The company has been in operation since 1956. of the family business. That doesn’t stop them from doing anything. “We do pretty everything, right here in our building,” Dahlen said. “We are mainly in the local area but have gone around the world.” Da h len said t hey have Dah len sig ns hanging in the Grand Cayman’s, British Columbia, Russia, Europe and Asia. Dahlen places an emphasis on costumer service.
Just the facts Business: Dahlen Sign Company Address: 901 Stagecoach Road, Shakopee Years in location: 12 No. of employees: 4 - All employees are family Website: www.dahlensign.com/
“ It ’s ou r n a me on t he door,”he said. “It’s the family business for over 50 years,
we care and want it done right.”
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26 | April 2014
Made in Scott County
Seagate products are storage backbone to Internet Company bought Control Data division in 1989 BY PAT MINELLI editor@shakopeenews.com
Z
i l l ion s of veh icles pass by the sleek, attractive and large white bu i ld i n g a lon g Highway 16 9 in Shakopee each week. Most of the vehicle occupants probably wonder what — and who — is inside. Many Shakopee residents could tell you that the building houses Seagate Technology. But even if they know generally what Seagate is, it’s unlikely they know what the Shakopee facility is all about. California-based Seagate Technology is a leading provider of hard disk drives and storage solutions, producing products for a wide range of applications, including enterprise, desktop, mobile computing, consumer electronics and for the retail market. While Seagate has been part of the Twin Cities for 25 years, its connection actually goes back much further — to the early 1960s with Control Data, said Lori Johnson, manager of communications for Seagate. Seagate purchased Control Data’s drive division (Imprimis) in October 1989 and now is a leading independent designer, manufacturer and distributor of data storage products and components. The Minnesota operation serves as a strategic hub of tech nolog y resea rch and development efforts, product and component design work, as well as prototype manufacturing. Seagate is one of Minnesota’s largest technology companies and consistently is ranked as one of the state’s top patent holders, said Johnson. Last year alone, Seagate’s Minnesotabased inventors were granted more than 200 U.S. patents. The state-of-the-art Product and Technology Devel-
Just the facts Business: Seagate Technology Location: Shakopee Website: www.seagate. com Facts: Seagate Minnesota has 12 clean rooms that are 3,000 times cleaner than a typical household and 100 times cleaner than a hospital operating room. Seagate’s Minnesota employees have been awarded more than 350 patents for the five-year period ending in 2009. Seagate Minnesota’s manufacturing operations have ISO 9001 and 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certifications for quality, environmental standards, and health and safety. opment center, located in Shakopee, develops the fastest and most advanced enterprise hard-disk drives and solid-state drives in the world, said Johnson. The development center researches new technolog y, develops new enterprise products, builds prototypes and tests these products. The site’s technical experts also touch other areas, including new enabling technologies and drive security. Johnson said that enterprise drives developed in Minnesota can store more than 1 terabyte of data on a drive the size of a box of note cards; Seagate’s first product stored 5 megabytes of data on a washing machine-sized drive. Seagate disk drives are typically found in large servers that store a company’s critical data, and are the storage backbone of the Internet. The 15,0 0 0 -rpm product’s performance is equivalent to reading the entire works of Shakespeare 25 times in less than a second, said Johnson. Johnson said the Product
PHOTO COURTSEY SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY
The Shakopee Seagate facility at night. The business is located next to Highway 169. and Technology development center in Shakopee employs about 1,200, i nc lud i n g interns, contractors and temporary workers. The Recording Heads operation, located in Bloomington, is the internal and principal supplier of recording heads for the entire line of Seagate products. The division’s leading research and development capabi lities continually push the technology envelope – allowing the company to design and de-
velop industry-leading advanced read /w rite heads for disk drives, said Joh nson. Recording head technology is the most precise, complex and dynamic technology in the computing industry – the he ad s a re no larger than a grain of coarse sa nd. It is t he head t hat writes, saves, erases, sends and receives data. This all happens very quickly — a drive writes data at a rate that exceeds more than a hundred million “bits” per second.
The Recording Heads division employs more than 1,750, which also includes interns, contractors and temporary workers. Seagate’s Minnesota operations employ people from about 80 countries, including more than 30 0 employees with doctorate degrees and 1,500 engineers. The annual Minnesota payroll tops $360 million, said Johnson. Seagate’s employees have pioneered sig ni ficant advances in data recording and storage speed, capacity and increasingly important data security. Some of the industry’s firsts were designed and developed in Minnesota, starting with the 5,400-rpm drive and continuing through today’s 15,000-rpm drive. When data recording technolog y faced limitations, Seagate’s local team helped pioneer perpendicular re-
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cording, a format now adopted industry-wide. Additionally, the industry’s first 2.5-inch enterprise disk drive originated here, providing customers with significant power savings and reduced cooling costs over the standard 3.5-inch drive. Other pioneering work currently is focusing on enterprise solid state and hybrid drives. Seagate’s technical experts develop storage solutions that touch anyone who uses a computer, withdraws cash from an ATM machine, makes airline reservations, enjoys gaming on an X-box, records television programs on a digital video recorder, backs up their data with an external portable drive, downloads music off of the Internet, or watches Hollywood’s latest movies (digitally stored and edited). And, this is only a partial list.
Made in Scott County
April 2014 | 27
our clients become e m p o w e r e d as we guide them towards stabilization & mobilization The Community Action Partnership of Scott, Carver and Dakota Counties provides residents with hope, help, and a chance for self-sufficiency through our services and programs. As we near our 50th Anniversary, we encourage you to support your community by providing assistance where it is needed most. Your donation will allow us to meet the increased need of the community we serve. We are regularly seeking corporate and private partnerships, individual donations, and volunteer support from those who believe in our mission.
Community Outreach Crisis Prevention Education Food & Nutrition Safe & Stable Housing
we are all connected.
Need Assistance? Want to help?
712 Canterbury Rd. Shakopee, MN 55379 www.capagency.org 952.496.2125
28 | April 2014
Made in Scott County