Made in Southwest

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2 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

T

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 Southwest.”

We’ve only scratched the surface of local companies making great products.

If you have an idea for a future “Made in Southwest” story, contact Richard Crawford at (952) 345-6471 or dcrawford@swpub.com.

T S E W H T U O S

Rooted in Integrity… g y Fun

Index Businesses featured: Lake Region Medical .................................3 Nomad Technologies ...............................4 MTS Systems Corp. ....................................5 Aeration Industries International .........6 Bercom Inc. ..................................................7 The Village Company ...............................8 rareEARTH Naturals ..................................9 Gedney Foods Co. ...................................10 Starkey Hearing Technologies ............11 Stratasys ......................................................12 Birchwood Casey .....................................13 Lifetouch .....................................................14 Enki Brewery .............................................15 MyPillow .....................................................16 Control Products Inc. .............................17 Roberts Automatic Products ...............18 The Mulch Store .......................................19

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Made in Southwest

April 2014 | 3

Getting to the heart of the matter

BY MARK W. OLSON editor@chaskaherald.com

S

omewhere in the world, ever y .67 seconds, a Lake Region Medical product is used, according to the Chaska company’s calculations.

There are over 3,000 variations of Lake Region products, according to Michael Browers, marketing communications manager with Lake Region Medical. And that number just grew, with United States and European regulatory approval of the “Pre-Formed TAVR guidewire.” (TAVR stands for transcatheter aortic valve replacement.)

A “guidewire” is just that — it guides a medical component through the human body.

Lake Region’s 260-centimeter, .035 diameter guidewire is inserted via a catheter into the left ventricle of the heart.

The clinician then uses it to guide an artificial valve into the existing heart valve.

This is an important alternative procedure for someone who is too sick for a traditional open heart surgery. According to Lake Region, the elderly often suffer from aortic stenosis, which narrows the opening of the aortic valve.

Just the facts Business: Lake Region Medical Address: 340 Lake Hazeltine Drive, Chaska Years in location: 1973 Local employees: 800 (1,600 worldwide) Interesting facts: Joe Fleischhacker Sr. founded Lake Region Medical in 1947 with an investment of $400 and three employees. The initial focus was on manufacturing fishing lures and tackles. For awhile, the company worked out of a renovated chicken coop. Lake Region moved into the medical device field by the 1960s, developing a method to make pacing coils for Medtronic’s new pacemaker.

The new Pre-Formed TAVR guidewire, made by Lake Region Medical in Chaska, is instrumental for someone too sick for a traditional heart valve replacement.

Website: www.lakeregionmedical.com However, some are too sick for conventional surgical valve replacement procedures.

What makes this guidewire special is that it has a pre-formed coiled end. Once a catheter holding the wire is pulled away, the end coils, assuming its pre-formed curve.

“The atraumatic design of the pre-formed curve flexes with the left ventricle as the heart contracts and expands,” Browers said.

“The unique core grind profile of the guidewire’s tip absorbs inward forces to provide stable placement across the aortic valve and allow clinicians a steady ‘foothold’

within the heart as the valve is inserted,” Browers said.

In the past, doctors would form the end of their own wires. The pre-formed guidewires hold their shape better than hand-formed wires, according to Lake Region.

At a recent medical device showcase, doctors were “quite excited” when they saw the prototype, Browers said.

The research and development center in Chaska developed the latest TAVR guidewire and it is made at the Chaska company. (Lake Region also has manufacturing centers in Ireland.) The designers and manufacturer

had to consider everything from the coil at the end of the wire, as well as considering the wire’s flexibility “from the stiffest point to floppiest point,” Browers said.

Lake Region doesn’t sell the guidewire directly to hospitals. Rather, the guidewire is sold to a customer, which sells it to the hospital.

The new product aligns with the company’s vision.

“We’re focused on being a leader in placing minimally invasive solutions into the hands of clinicians,” Browers said. “Delivering precision products to minimize patient suffering.”

Lake Region Medical’s “Pre-Formed TAVR guidewire” was recently approved for use in heart surgeries.

The curve at the end helps create stability while a clinician inserts an artificial valve into the heart.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF LAKE REGION MEDICAL

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4 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

Presenting Nomad Technologies Mobile system provides range of options for business

BY DANIEL HUSS dhuss@swpub.com

E

den Prairieb a s e d Nom ad Tech nolog ies, I nc. ma nu fac tures state - oft he -a r t mu ltimedia podiums and presentation stations.

Eighty-eight years ago, the Minneapolis Typewriter Corporation, Nomad’s namesake, was selling other stateof-the-art equipment, namely typewriters.

In the ‘60s, they offered one of the world’s first electronic calculators.

A fter a calculator sale to Honeywell — electronic calculators cost upward of $2,000 back then — the owner of the company joked that the calculator he sold helped the United States beat the Russians to the moon.

In any event, when typewriters became word processors, and calculators were available on the cheap, the Minneapolis Typewriter Corporation became MTI Office Systems.

“It’s hard to get someone to buy a $100,000 server from a typewriter company,” explains Nomad Technologies President Brad White. “Up until Nomad (MTI Of fice Systems’ name was changed to Nomad in 2009), we bought

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

With a Nomad all-in-one presentation system, presentations can be delivered that incorporate different elements, such as going to multiple internet sites, viewing video clips and displaying paper articles. and sold other people’s products.”

In 1996, MTI Office Systems developed a mobi le business center that could be transported from one hotel room to another (the work station that housed a computer, copier and fax machine was actually designed to fit between two hotel beds).

The concept was so cutting edge, it was named “Best New Product” at an international hotel/motel trade show.

What that did was get others thinking about different applications.

“We had four college professors who we worked with say they could use something like that, something portable that could house audio visual

Just the facts

TO MARKET

Business: Nomad Technologies, Inc. Address: 14800 Martin Drive, Eden Prairie, MN, 55344 Phone: Toll free (888)622-6565, Minnesota (952)854-6565 Years in location: Nearly 100-year-old company has been in Eden Prairie for nine years Number of employees: 11 Product: Multimedia Podiums and Presentation Stations Website: www.nomadonline.com equipment,” said White. “Unfortunately, we’d have more challenges than answers.”

At the top of the list was to make them easy to use.

“The more it could do,” adds White, “the more difficult it was to operate.”

A lt hou g h t o d ay ’s ver -

sions can be constructed in hundreds of different combinations, standard equipment on bot h per manent and mobile models include a C r e st r on C ont r ol S ys tem, Confidence Monitor, document camera, notebook connectivity, auxiliary A/V

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The LT Multimedia Podium line was designed to meet the increased need for a widescreen video format in presentation applications. c o n n e c t iv it y, DV D / VC R combo player or Blueray, Bose Hi-Fidelity Sound System, LCD projector, master power cont rol, elect rica l outlets and external audio connectivity.

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The top three markets for Nomad’s multimedia podiums and presentation systems are higher education, courts, including federal, state, municipal and tribal courts, and federal and local governments. They are also being used by military agencies, medical facilities, churches, hotels and convention centers.

Locally, they can be found in Hennepin County courts, at the University of Minnesot a a nd at C oncordi a College.

Although they are mostly sold to users in the United States, (40 states and counting) there are customers in Japan and the Caribbean.

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By keeping the finished product as small as possible, Nomad adheres to a series of design factors. Examples include ease of use, ergonomics, f lexibility, footprint, security and maintenance.

“Because one factor can conf lict with another, like maintenance and security, we try to strike a balance,” said White.

Just as any product comes with a training manual, typically more information than you need, Nomad products come with an individual unit (serial number specific) online training solution.

What this does is allow users to learn how to operate the system they’l l be using, rather than one that may have different features.

The training modules can be accessed via home or office computer, mobile device or the system itself.

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Made in Southwest

April 2014 | 5

PHOTO COURTESY OF MTS SYSTEMS CORP.

MTS Systems Corp. employees, from left, Peter Lovald, Rick McCabe and Steve Schacht work on a wind tunnel rolling road system.

Specialists in simulating real-world scenarios MTS wind tunnel helps test aerodynamics

BY PATTY DEXTER pdexter@swpub.com

W

h at ’s t h e b e s t w ay to test the dynamic s o f a n airplane’s takeoff and landing?

Someone working at MTS Systems Corp., might say to build a “rolling road.”

The Eden Prairie-based company is a global supplier of high performance test systems and position measurement sensors. M TS wind tunnel rolling roads are an example of a system that has allowed customers to gain valuable test data for vehicles ranging from motorcycles to airplanes.

“We’ve prided ourselves on designing testing equipment that nobody else in the world can do,“ said Jeffrey Graves, president and CEO. “We generally are the biggest in each of our markets and we have a very strong brand for technology, quality and leadership in those markets around the world.”

REAL-TIME TESTING A c c o r d i n g t o G r ave s , more than 10 years ago, a Formula 1 racing team ap-

Just the facts Business: MTS Systems Corp.

Address: 14000 Technology Drive, Eden Prairie Year founded: 1966 No. of employees: 2,275 employees worldwide Business/product: Supplier of test systems and position measurement sensors Fun facts: MTS sold its first rolling road system in 1999.

Website: mts.com proached MTS with the need for testing cars in a wind tunnel in a way that simulates how the car is actually moving.

“What we came up with was a steel belt rolling road system,” he said. “This thing looks like a giant treadmill that you would run on at home, that’s big enough to put an entire car on.”

The system caught on with other Formula 1 and racing industry teams and eventually moved into the regular automotive industry.

“Now virtually every car in the world is tested in a wind tunnel on one of our rolling road systems,” Graves said.

A system can blow air over a car up to 200 mph while it’s moving on the belt. Com-

PHOTO COURTESY OF WINDSHEAR, INC.

MTS wind tunnel rolling road systems are deployed worldwide for evaluating the aerodynamic properties of race cars, passenger vehicles, and aircraft during takeoff and landing. This system was purchased by Windshear, Inc. for full-scale automotive vehicle testing. panies are able to measure real-time dynamics of how the car is moving or changing direction.

The systems can simulate road conditions from around the world to provide for more realistic testing. In doing this, companies can simulate driving thousands of miles with a car.

“So instead of driving a

car around a test track for 200,000 miles you can simulate it in a lab in a month of continuous testing,” Graves explained. “So, our objective is to shorten the product development cycle for our customers a nd to have a better solution for them and their product.”

Graves said the company has built about 50 of these

systems for the automotive industry and just a handful for aviation.

“It’s only recently we expanded the size to get into the aircraft business,” he said.

MTS created its largest rolling road system to date for DN W (G er ma n-Dutch Wi nd T u n nels) . T he system, measuring 6 meters wide, allows the company to

test scale model aircraft in phases to simulate its actual operating conditions.

These tests provide data about how the aircraft interacts with the ground during takeoff and landing, according to an MTS case study.

Graves said these systems a re testi ng t he di f ferent stressors on cars, aircraft and other vehicles. For example on an airplane, companies might test the stresses on the wings or the fuselage.

“If you test it repeatedly, you can estimate life,” he said.

Graves said the rolling road has dramatically shortened the development cycle for products and reduces risk because people aren’t needed to test the product in the real world. Products can also be tested in a wider range of scenarios than in the real world.

“The cycle time on developing a new car used to be on the order of a year from when you started building prototypes and putting cars on tracks to run them,” he said. “They brought that cycle time down to a matter of months now and in many cases three months are becoming standard development cycles for a new car.”

The company has found other industries for expanding this technology. MTS took an order recently from a company in Kazakhstan for the testing of a new rail car.

“Rail is a really exciting area for us,” he said.

6 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

SUBMITTED PHOTOS COURTESY OF AERATION INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL

Aeration Industries International, in Chaska, creates machines that help clean the world’s water.

Not just blowing bubbles Company cleans water around the world

BY MARK W. OLSON editor@chaskaherald.com

T

hose who step into the Chaska headquarters of Aeration Industries are greeted by an unusual site — the inside of a 100,000 gallon water tank.

From a viewing room, visitors are likely to see a cascade of bubbles being created by the Aireo-O2 Triton aerator/ mixer. Aeration Industries engineers use the large tank to test the machines and measure the oxygen they create in the water.

The Triton, made in Chaska and distributed around the world, is the workhorse of the waste water treatment industry.

Aeration Industry products can be found ever ywhere, from South Africa to Mexico to Scotland to Argentina to Czech Republic — the list goes on to include 92 countries.

Most of the company’s business is in the United

States. However Aeration Industries is also focusing on markets in China and India. Vietnam, Indonesia and Russia are also up-and-coming markets, said Michael Ramirez, Aeration Industries International director of marketing.

“How much we’ve been able to be seen by the world is a big deal,” said Ramirez, who had just returned from a business trip to China, where he met with high-level government officials. “[There are] not that many American companies that infiltrate into the Chinese marketplace,” Ramirez said. “We’re pretty lucky.”

“American products are highly admired because of their high-quality, heavy duty-ness,” Ramirez said.

It’s been a long journey for a company that started in 1974, creating machines to maintain open water during harsh Minnesota winters and prevent fish kill-offs.

Now the company’s machines (there are nine products, with varying models)

Just the facts Business: Aeration Industries International Address: 4100 Peavey Road, Chaska Years in location: 1988 (founded in 1974) Local employees: 35

The Aireo-O2 Triton, made by Aeration Industries International in Chaska, is used to clean industrial waste and municipal waste water. are primarily used to clean industrial waste; treat municipa l waste water; and promote aquaculture (such as shrimp and tilapia farms).

TINY BUBBLES The Triton resembles an outboard motor prop. A pump forces air through the machine’s hollow shaft, while a propeller sheers the air into bubbles (approximately 2.2 millimeters in size) and directs them downward as far as 33 feet. “Tritons are

more efficient and [create] more oxygen for less power,” Ramirez said.

T he T r iton s t y pic a l ly sit on pontoons f loating in waste water ponds and industrial treatment facilities, elevating oxygen levels in the water. The oxygen helps bacteria grow, which then breaks down the waste water.

“Whatever can be biologically treated will be treated with oxygen,” Ramirez said.

Tritons are found cleaning the waste water in towns as

small as 10,000 people, up to populations of five million.

“Our equipment can provide aeration and mixing of that range of populations,” Ramirez said. They are also used by companies as varied as the paper and dairy industries.

The machine works 2 4 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. With minimum maintenance, the machines run for years. There are still original Tritons from 1996 that are still running,

Interesting facts: 65,000 Aeration Industries aerators have been installed around the world since 1974. The products are used to oxygenate the water for aquaculture (about 10 percent of the company’s business) and are used by the largest tilapia producer in the world. During the 1988 Olympics in South Korea, the company’s aerators were used to help salvage a polluted bay.

Website: http://aireo2.com Ramirez said. (That would be roughly 157,680 hours of continued operation.)

“We’re proud of the fact that the equipment is made heavy-duty,” Ramirez said.

“We have this saying,” Ramirez said, “‘Because life depends on clean water.’”

Made in Southwest

April 2014 | 7

New twist on painting task Paint pail design helps smooth out home chore

Gallery & Gifts

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BY UNSIE ZUEGE uzuege@swpub.com

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ÂŽ

t’s one of those inventions that makes you want to smack yourself on the forehead and ask, “Why didn’t I think of that?�

The HANDy Paint Pail is the brainchild of Mark B erg m a n, president a nd CEO of Bercom, Inc., based in Chanhassen. Bergman, described by his daughter Britta Bergman as a problemsolver, thought there was a better way to go about his home painting project. He wondered why there wasn’t an easier way to hold a paint can while painting.

Bergman took an empty Folgers coffee can and fashioned a hand grip out of duct tape. He poured paint into this “cup� and found it was comfortable to hold, and made it easier to finish his painting project. The rest is, as they say, history.

Bergman patented and manufactured the H A N Dy Pai nt Pai l, which is sold across the country in home improvement and paint stores,including Home Depot, Menards, True Value, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware and Sherwin Williams. “Their products make sense,� said Patrick Hessler, assistant manager at Sherwin-Williams, Chanhassen. “The HANDy Paint Bucket is simple and easy to use. We sell dozens. People love that it has a built-in handle and you don’t have to grip it. It’s well known and people seek it out because they’ve heard about it from their friends or borrowed someone’s. There’s not a comparable product out there. It’s one of kind.�

T he origi na l H A N Dy Paint Pail underwent further refinements, including disposable liners to make clean-up easier, and a magnet to hold a paintbrush in place.

Bergman has since created an entire line of improved paint containers, from paint trays that hold an entire gallon of paint, paint buckets, to the HANDy Paint Cup, designed for small paint jobs and touch ups. And, again, all have disposable liners.

Bergman’s background is finance, including a stint at IDS. His first foray into inventing was more than 20 years ago, when he invented a spoon shaped like an airplane to make mealtime more fun for him and his toddler son. “He’s always been that

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PHOTO BY UNSIE ZUEGE

The HANDy Paint Pail is an easy sell, said Patrick Hessler, assistant manager at Sherwin-Williams in Chanhassen, because it makes sense. The Chanhassen-based product line is also sold at Ace Hardware, True Value, Home Depot, and Menards. way,� Britta said. “It’s how his mind works. He looks at something, how to make it easier or better.�

In 2000, prompted by a DIY project, he started working on the HANDy Paint Pail idea. He lined up investors, and began to manufacture the product in 2002. “The paint pail took off and it’s grown steadily,� said Britta, who handles public relations and customer support. “Last year 2013 was our best year with sales of $10 million. We’ve sold 7 million paint pails in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, Sweden and Germany since 2002.

The company headquarters and distribution center is in Chanhassen. W hi le production originally started in the Twin Cities, Bercom uses several manufacturing companies in Minnesota and Wisconsin. “But all the product comes here and we ship all orders from Chanhassen,� Britta said.

Britta said that annual sales are just over $10 million. In 2014, their goal is $12 million.

The Chanhassen Sherwin-

Williams has served as an informal test market for the company. “My dad will call Russ (Anderson), the store manager and say, ‘I’ve got something.

Can I just show it to you?’ Britta said that the Chaska Home Depot store is its No. 1 selling store for its HANDy Paint Pail products in the nation.

Success is due to improving and adding new painting accessory products, like the metal paint tray. “It’s been the same forever,� Britta said. “It drips, it doesn’t hold a lot. So my dad made it better. “A nd our products are inexpensive,� Britta said. “They’re not complicated.

Ou r customers love t hat they’re made in the U.S.A.�

Most satisfying is that Berg man believed in his idea, and kept persisting and knocking on doors to get his product on store shelves. “We have a letter, from 2003, that Sherwin-Williams sent us,� Britta said. “My dad had been calling and calling on them to see the paint pail.�

But the inquiry stalled.

But Bergman didn’t leave them alone. And, in a 180 degree turnaround, in 2004

Just the facts

Business Bercom, Inc. Product: Paint products Address: 2460 Galpin Court, Suite 110, Chanhassen Phone: (952) 448-2766 Website: www. handypaintproducts.com Employees: 7 Annual sales: $10 million in 2013 Years in business: Founded in 2001

HANDy Paint Products video contest The 3rd Annual HANDy Paint Products Video Contest invites submitted videos. For more information, go to www. bercomincorporated.com.

Sherwin-Williams named the HANDy Paint Pail the product of the year.

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We provide services to a large portion of the West Metro and beyond with the goal of keeping people in their homes.

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8 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

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.”

EDUCATING

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

LOCAL BUSINESS LEADERS SINCE 1877 To learn more about our programs call 952-345-1200 or visit msbcollege.edu

enhance his appeal.

“The character is really fun,” said Eisen. “Right now we’re working on de-

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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.”

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Monday - Friday 5:00pm to 9:00pm Tuesday - Saturday 3:00am to 7:30am

All interested candidates must attend a sort observation at our facility prior to applying for the position. For more information or to register for a sort observation, please visit

www.watchasort.com

Made in Southwest

April 2014 | 9

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Hand-crafted Artisan Mineral Candles represent the largest production item for the 17-team member crew at rareEARTH Naturals of Chanhassen. The local business has a U.S. patent on the mineral candles.

Company makes works of candle art rareEARTH Naturals owns a U.S. patent for its mineral candle

BY ERIC KRAUSHAR scores@swpub.com

T

o Brian Paulsen, co-founder and president of rareEARTH Naturals, his line of all-natural products is like a work of art.

That’s why the Chanhassen company’s first creation, the Artisan Mineral Candle, draws upon the work of Van Gogh and Monet.

Paulsen, an artist, said when it came to coloring and decorating of the candles, he was aware from his oil-painting experience that original pigments used by Van Gogh and Monet were Earth-based mineral.

That got him thinking — could he replicate it in candles? He sure could. The company’s candles are so unique, they hold a U.S. patent on the process.

“There’s a few things for why we’ve grown so quickly,”

Paulsen said. “First of all, the coloring process (a process Paulsen invented). Most colorings that go into candles are made from petrochemical dyes, and since our whole thing is only having natural components in our products, our waxes are all GMO-free soy or beeswax. Our aromas that go into the candles are all natural derived from plants and flowers.”

“Second, the process applies the minerals to the outside of the candle, and because the process we use with each one is hand-done and each one is unique — I really look at it as a miniature work of art. That’s what really sets us apart in the industry. It really is a striking coloring process that people are really drawn to,” he added.

Every rareEA RTH fragrance is made from 100 percent pure essential oils consciously sourced from all over the world. Many come directly from sustainable micro-distilleries. Unlike most other candle makers, rareEARTH blends every 100 percent pure essential oil aroma in-house, drawing upon the expertise of on-staff aromatherapy experts and artisan perfumers.

Each candle fragrance is as

Just the facts Business: rareEARTH Naturals Address: 7870 Park Drive, Chanhassen, MN 55317 Years in Location: Two years, six months Number of Employees: 17 Products: Artisan Mineral Candles, Spa Candles, Reed Diffusers, All-Natural Perfumes Website: https:// rareearthnaturals.com

The Bali is one of 20 different Artisan Mineral Candles made by rareEARTH Naturals. complex as a perfume, with multiple notes and chords.

Paulsen says more than 200 whole foods stores carry the candles, and when adding in

a line of spa candles, oil reed diffusers and a line of allnatural perfumes, rareEarth Naturals has more than 600 accounts around the country

despite being open for business for just 2-1/2 years.

Artisan Mineral Candles generally sell for between $1617 at retail stores. There are 20 home decor colors available in a variety of sizes.

“We’ve tried to remain competitive with other candles even though our processes are more labor intensive and our raw materials are more expensive than those that go into a normal candle,” said Paulsen, who is proud that 100 percent of their all-natural essential oil products are made in Minnesota.

Recently, the company has

seen tremendous growth in its other lines, most notably oil reed diffusers. Hand-blowing Italian glass bottles hold oil blends that diffuse when reed sticks are placed into the container.

Lifetime Fitness chose one of rareEARTH Natural’s diffusers as their signature fragrance to use in their treatment rooms and spas.

Expanding into different products was always the plan for Paulsen and partner Sherri Jobelius, who previously managed a natural food store..

Their experiences have driven Jobelius and Paulsen to pursue products that are uncompromising in their standards for purity and sustainability.

“We both share a deep love and regard for the natural world and the beauty and peace it can bring to our lives,” said Jobelius. “Using natural ingredients is far more complicated and costly than the path our competitors choose, but we would never make a product that we wouldn’t use ourselves in our own homes. We want to create the finest product while minimizing our environmental impact and providing a product that is incomparable in the marketplace.”

10 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

FILE PHOTO

Gedney has been producing pickles since 1958 in Carver County. The company’s roots date back to 1881 in Minneapolis.

Gedney is state’s top pickle packer Secret brine is key ingredient in famous dills

BY MOLLEE FRANCISCO mfrancisco@swpub.com

F

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.”

Si xt y cucu mbers a re 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 Pa-

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 cific avenues in Minneapolis.

Sales were made from horsedriven “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 pick le pr o duc t s.

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.

Made in Southwest

April 2014 | 11

Starkey’s new hearing aid is iPhone compatible Latest product is ‘mini computer in your ear’

BY KARLA WENNERSTROM editor@edenprairienews.com

B

eyonce’s song might be “I can see your Halo,” but t hi s H a lo i sn’t qu ite so obvious.

The Halo Made for iPhone hearing aid offers “a new, discreet option” for “the more than 26 million Americans with untreated hearing loss,” according to a news release.

Starkey Hearing Technologies introduced the Halo March 17.

When connected with the TruLink Hearing Control app, a free download, the hearing aid can connect with your phone so you can hear calls, music, even ask Siri a question. It’s also a fully functional standalone aid.

Senior VP Brandon Sawalich said that Starkey has been collaborating with Apple for several years.

The Halo is a “lifestyle product,” he said.

“You’re dealing with complex technology inside, but we try to make it as simple as possible.”

“It’s not your grandpa’s hearing aid any more,” he said. “These are mini-computers in your ear.”

“The best hearing aid now is the one you can’t see,” Sawalich said.”We sell something that more and more p eople need, but nobody wants.”

Starkey hearing aids come in a variety of shapes and models from behind the ear hearing aids to the tiniest invisible aid in the ear canal.

“They can be personalized to your hearing loss and your lifestyle,” he said. “ We’re k now n for ou r power,” he said. “We can get power ful technolog y in a small size.”

When Bill Austin started his business in St. Louis Park in 1967, hearing aids were very noticeable analog devices, Sawalich said. There has been a lot of progress since then. In the late 1990s, digital technology meant better sound quality and just a few years ago, Starkey started using wireless technology.

Starkey has been headquartered in Eden Prairie since 1974 and that’s where it’s going to stay, Sawalich said. “ T he p e ople a r e wh at m a kes t he compa ny,” he said. “We’re committed to recruiting good talent in Minnesota.”

Starkey’s Eden Prairie locations house research and development, software development, sales, marketing, customer service and more.

The hearing technology c ompa ny desi g n s, develops and distributes digital

JONATHAN CHAPMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

Starkey’s Eden Prairie locations house research and development, software development, sales, marketing, customer service and more. hearing systems. Starkey employs more t han 3,6 0 0 people and operates 21 facilities around the world.

Starkey brands include Audibel, NuEar, MicroTech and Starkey.

“We are the largest hearing aid manufacturer in the United States,” Sawalich said.

“Halo brings what people love about Starkey hearing aids to anyone who suffers f rom hea ri ng loss,” said Dave Fabry, vice president of Audiology and Professional Services for Starkey Hearing Technologies. “Halo delivers new standards of per formance and personalization, while providing convenient control and connectivity to iOS devices.”

Sawalich said that Starkey is well known for its service-oriented culture as well as being a technology leader.

“It’s not about making decisions to please our shareholders, it’s about making decisions to please our customers,” he said.

Today Bill and Tani Austin are also well known for their work with The Starkey Hearing Foundation, providing hearing aids and care throughout the world.

“When you see a kid hear for the first time, it’s addicting,” Sawalich said. “And when you’re done crying, you want to see the next one. We change people’s lives.”

For more information on providers of Starkey products, visit starkeyhearingtechnologies.com.

Just the facts Business: Starkey Hearing Technologies Address: 6700 Washington Ave. S., Eden Prairie Years in location: 40 Number of employees: 3,600 worldwide Business/product: Digital hearing systems Fun facts: Starkey founder Bill Austin has personally fit hearing aids for five former presidents: Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

Website: starkeyhearingtechnologies.com

When connected with the TruLink Hearing Control app, a free download, the Halo Made for iPhone hearing aid can connect with your phone so you can hear calls, music, even ask Siri a question. It’s also a fully functional standalone aid.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Starkey released its latest hearing aid, Halo, on March 17.

12 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

Taking it to next level with 3D technology Stratasys helps child regain use of arms

BY PATTY DEXTER pdexter@swpub.com

I

magine being unable to lift your arms since birth.

That was the reality for Emma Lavelle, who was born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a condition that can cause stiff joints and muscle weakness. By the time she was 2 years old she could walk with the help of a walker but she couldn’t lift her arms.

That all changed with the help of a 3D printer made

by Eden Prairie-based Stratasys.

Emma’s mother, Megan, discovered the Wilmington Robotic Exoskeleton (WREX) assistive device at a Philadelphia conference. The device enables children with Emma’s condition to move their arms. She met with the presenters Tariq Rahman and Whitney Sample from the Nemours/Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del. A trial WREX was strapped to Emma and she was able to lift her arms to her mouth for the first time.

Rahman and Sample needed to create a smaller version of the WREX for Emma to be able to wear it elsewhere.

They solved the problem by using their Dimension 1200es 3D printer to create plastic parts on the WREX that were scaled down to fit Emma.

Emma called the device her “magic arms.” The magic arms enabled Emma to play, feed herself and hug people, according to a Stratasys case study.

Emma’s magic arms are just one of the many ways customers have used Stratasys 3D printers.

“Anyone who is designing a new product can benefit from these printers,” said Joe Hiemenz, Stratasys public relations manager.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STRATASYS

A Stratasys 3D printer was used to create parts for an assistive device that allows Emma Lavelle to lift her arms. Emma was born with a condition that can cause stiff joints and muscle weakness.

PHOTO BY PATTY DEXTER

Stratasys employee Sammy Kerich assembles a uPrint 3D printer.

TOOLS FOR CREATION Stratasys makes 19 different 3D printers that are used in industries ranging from aerospace and medical to consumer products.

Hiemenz said 3D printing was invented to get prototypes built faster and to get products to market more quickly.

Small companies could purchase a single machine or a l a rge compa ny may purchase multiple machines.

3D printers allow design engineers to test their designs before the company spends money to tool up for production, so the printers are typically used to create concept models and prototypes for new products, Hiemenz explained.

“If the design isn’t perfected before gearing up for production, a lot of money could be wasted when a product f law is found. It could be reworking or replacing a production mold,” he said.

“Costs could be in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix mistakes not caught at an earlier stage; or the worst case scenario for a

manufacturer would be if t he pro duc t f l aw wa sn’t caught until the product was in use by customers, and the product had to be recalled.

This would be an extremely expensive problem to have.”

A variety of thermoplastics and “polyjet photopolymers” are materials used for 3D printed creations. Stratasys also formulates and sells

these materials.

Thermoplastic is a type of plastic that responds to heat and can be shaped when it’s warm. In Stratasys’ printing process, a spool of material is fed into a “heated extrusion head” that liquefies it and extrudes the hot molten material following a tool path defined by a CAD design.

A photopolymer is a plastic that’s sensitive to light.

St rat asys’ poly jet photo polymer printing process involves a canister of liquid polymer that is fed into the printer and jetted out (similar to an ink jet printer) in successive, ultrafine layers.

Ultraviolet lights cure each layer and these layers are defined by the CAD design.

Another printing process produces “finely detailed

models for lost-wax casting and mold-making,” according to Stratasys’ website.

Hiemenz said the company sold its first commercial product in 1991. Since then printers have become much faster, more accurate, smaller and less complex to use.

Stratasys’ smallest printer model is the Mojo, which was introduced nearly two years ago. It’s about the size of a desktop computer printer and ushered in the trend of smaller and cheaper 3D printers.

“That was one of the goals of Scott Crump [Stratasys founder] all along. His vision 25 years ago was to have a desktop printer that engineers could have on their desk and print out their designs as they were perfecting

Just the facts Business: Stratasys Address: 7665 Commerce Way, Eden Prairie Year founded: 1989 No. of employees: 1,800 employees worldwide Business/product: 3D printers and materials Fun facts: A Stratasys 3D printer has been used to create parts for a NASA Mars Rover.

Website: stratasys.com them,” Hiemenz said. “There are other machines, but this was the first one that was a complete system that came with everything you need.”

Made in Southwest

April 2014 | 13

Bullseye: Birchwood Casey splatters moving target Concept greatest thing to come to the industry in last 100 years?

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BY DANIEL HUSS dhuss@swpub.com

“Amazing!”

A

n i ndu st r i a l product line is what put Eden Prairie-based Birchwood Casey Laboratories on the map when it opened its doors back in 1948.

“When the owners brought in a pal who was a big pheasant hunter,” said Sales and Marketing Director Todd Binsfeld, “they took his ideas to shoulder, literally.”

Needless to say, this guncare niche would soon become a mainstay.

In time, legendary products like Tru-Oil Gun Stock Finish and Perma Blue Liquid Gun Blue would become industry standards. Gun Scrubber and Bore Scrubber would also develop into products serious shooters, collectors and gunsmiths couldn’t do without.

At some point, however, Birchwood Casey would extend its focus from the behind the muzzle to downrange (target).

“Targets and target spots were developed in the early ‘80s,” added Binsfeld.

Peal and stick was the not only the rage, but so 1980s.

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SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Birchwood Casey’s wildly popular Darkotic targets were inspired by the zombie craze that recently invaded pop culture. This particular target/character is called Primal Cut.

GAME CHANGER In 1994, Birchwood Casey was approached, in part because of its reputation, by an individual with a product idea that was so different it hadn’t been done before.

“Not only was this a game changer, but some people think it’s the greatest thing to come to the shooting industry in last 100 years,” said Binsfeld.

The next big thing was a reactive target, a target where holes are revealed with bright chartreuse rings, not only providing instant feedback, but eliminating the need to walk down range or use binoculars or spotting scopes.

After several years in development, Birchwood Casey’s Shoot-N-C line was the first to hit the market.

Three years ago, targets took another leap. Instead of the standard-issue silhouettes and game animals, shooters had zombies in their crosshairs.

“That’s when the zombie craze was everywhere,” recalled Binsfeld.

Not wanting to be pigeonholed by zombies, Birchwood Casey’s Darkotic’s line features a menagerie of gruesomeness (targets with names like Flu Shot, Dead Rover, Shopping Spree, Snack Rabbit, Blood Trail and Scar Tissue are sold as Animoids and

“What a blast!”

— Radio Disney

The reactive target, like those found in Birchwood Casey’s ShootN-C target line, has been called the greatest thing to come to the shooting industry in the last 100 years.

Monsteroids) , But wait, there’s another next big thing.

Interactive targets, or as Birchwood Casey sells in its Pregame line, are targets that allow shooters to either compete against themselves or other shooters. Instead of making traditional moves on games like Battle at Sea (Battleship), darts or pool, moves are determined by bullet-hole splatters.

Over time, target sales have become a larger piece of the Birchwood Casey pie.

“If you judge by what goes in our catalog, it’s probably 80 percent,” adds Binsfeld.

Other than a few metal targets, Birchwood Casey’s products are all made in the U.S.A. The majority of their paper targets are printed locally.

Packaging is done in Eden

Birchwood Casey also makes Gun Scrubber.

Just the facts Business: Birchwood Casey Address: 7887 Fuller Road, Suite 100, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 Phone number: 800-Shoot-N-C (746-6862) Years in business: 66 Product: Shooting and gun care products Website: www.

BirchwoodCasey.com Prairie.

Although Birchwood Casey has a worldwide audience, the majority of its business is done in the United States, home of the world’s largest shooting industry.

14 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

SUBMITTED PHOTOS COURTESY OF CILENTO PHOTOGRAPHY

Photo sessions can be designed to match a room in your home.

The goal is to keep the newborn as comfortable as possible during a photo shoot.

Lifetouch widens focus

Opportunity to capture newborns’ images is fleeting

Just the facts

BY KARLA WENNERSTROM editor@edenprairienews.com

Address: 11000 Viking Drive, Eden Prairie

F

ounded in 1936, Lifetouch has always focused on preserving life’s bi g moment s, school days re membered i n yea rbooks, graduating seniors’ pictures, sporting events, images of church members saved in directories.

Now the company is widening its focus to the first days of life.

You might not know that the employee-owned Eden Prairie company operates photography studios at locations including JC Penneys, Target and Flash Photography.

Its new Cilento Studios present family memories as custom pieces of art. The Eden Prairie studio in Windsor Plaza at 11995 Singletree Lane opened a few weeks ago offering photography for families and businesses, including weddings, maternity and more.

“It’s an upscale, personalized, full-service portrait studio,” said Cilento Manager Becky Spoelstra. “Every milestone is a special event here.”

Business: Lifetouch

A particular focus is the first seven to 10 days of life.

Years in location: 17

THOSE CRITICAL FIRST DAYS Kevin Salley, vice president of photographic development, said that photography of newborns is becoming more popular than ever before.

“It’s that critical seven to 10 days,” he said. “That is a moment that you’re never going to get back.”

When asked if Anne Geddes photos are an inspiration, Salley said that her work has been inspiring. At Cilento, “our style is their style,” she said of each individual family.

The photos don’t just plop a baby in a generic setting, they can be personalized with a special gift, like a blanket from a grandparent.

“Now she’s a part of the session as well,” Spoelstra said.

The session can be de signed to match the colors in your nursery, said Sarah Smith, vice president of corporate photographic development. The finished product becomes a work of art. Cilento can show you what it will look like in that room before you buy.

“Fascination with the fetal

Number of employees: About 700 in Eden Prairie Product: Photos of newborns Fun fact: “Fascination with the fetal posture is hardly new. Artists have been depicting it for centuries, often using it to symbolize life’s most profound and mysterious transitions, its beginnings and endings, from birth to rebirth,” according to information from Lifetouch.

PHOTO BY KARLA WENNERSTROM

A photographer coaxes a smile out of 6-month-old Sophia Patil at Cilento Photography in Eden Prairie. posture is hardly new,” according to information from Lifetouch. “Artists have been depicting it for centuries, often using it to sy mbolize life’s most profound and mysterious transitions, its beginnings and endi ngs, from birth to rebirth.”

“There’s something very psychologic a l about t hat that’s timeless,” Salley said.

A photo of a newborn in the fetal position never needs updating, he said.

Spoelstra said that parents

wait so long and are so curious to meet the new baby.

“You want to memorize every detail of their face.”

The challenge is telling the story, including every wrinkle and dimple, she said.

VISITING CILENTO Cilento Photography studios are named for photographer Tony Cilento, who started his business in the 1960s.

W hen someone arrives for a session, “It is all about

them,” Salley said.

Parents with a newborn should arrive about 15 minutes early and feed the baby right before the session. Then the baby is likely to fall asleep – and become more pose-able.

The studio is warm so they can show the babies tiny hands and feet, fingers and toes.

“Those cute little body parts” are what parents want to remember most,” Salley said.

There’s soft lighting, a

Website: www.lifetouch. com machine playing comforting sounds.

“It’s almost like an artist with clay,” Salley said of the best photographers in a session with a newborn.

And don’t worry about the inevitable spit up.

“We’ve seen it all,” Smith said.

When the families see the finished pictures in a slide show it’s not uncommon to see tears, Spoelstra said.

She added, “Tears tell us we’ve done our job.”

Made in Southwest

April 2014 | 15

A friendlier world, two beers at a time Enki Brewery has been producing beer since June 2013

BY ERIC KRAUSHAR scores@swpub.com

“W

hen you make a good product that’s consistent and customers enjoy it, you’re going to be successful.”

The words of Enki Brewery Brewmaster Jason Davis couldn’t be more true for the first-year Victoria start-up, which opened its doors June 22, 2013, on the old site of the Victoria Creamery.

What began as a friendship between owners Dan Norton and John Hayes more than 20 years ago has blossomed into the only on-site tap room in Carver County.

Enki Brewery is “making the world a friendlier place two beers at a time.”

Hayes and Nor ton met while working for Nike in the early-1980s and remained friends through the years.

Looking for a new venture in life, Hayes, who lives in Victoria, called upon Norton, turning one-time dreams of opening a brewery into a reality.

After looking in Waconia for space, the owners eventually landed on the former creamery property on the shores of Stieger Lake in downtown Victoria.

After a few months of renovation, Enki Brewery was open for business, serving customers with one beer at first — the Citric Journey Pale Ale. The ale encompasses a world of flavors from the citrus hops of New Zealand to the classic London dry ale with a flow of hearty blend of hop varieties from the Pacific Northwest, all the while enjoying a balanced, toasty Midwestern malt profile.

Now, they brew up to six beers at one time, adding the CACAO porter (tightly-laced tan head and dark brown color with smooth texture and creamy dark chocolate flavor), Victoria’s Gold (a golden ale that pours cr ysta l clear and bright blonde), an IPA and an Auburn Kol sch, Norton’s favorite beer for its caramel backbone, roa ste d m a lt qualities and added body.

Norton said Enki’s Auburn Kolsch is the only red Kolsch in the country. He said the IPA, or the Tail Feather, was added due to demand for a more hoppy beer. To this

PHOTOS BY ERIC KRAUSHAR

Dan Norton has room to expand at Enki Brewing, where the focus is brewing great beer. “We’re not trying to out-hop or out-alcohol content the other guys,” he said.

More than a dozen local establishments carry beer produced at Enki Brewery of Victoria. Kegs are chilled and ready for delivery to customers. day, though, the original, the Citric Journey remains the most popular beer.

Norton estimates more than 100 growlers of the Enki beer go out of the tap room each weekend.

Names for the beers are created by the entire team, which includes Davis (The Brewmast e r) , N o r t o n (The Delivery Guy a nd A s sistant Brewmaster), Karie McDougall (The Sales Extraordinare), and Hayes (The self-proclaimed Wheelbarrow Guy).

“We t r y to keep the beer friendly. We want to be different and try new things, but at the same time, we want people to keep coming back and really enjoy the

Just the facts Business: Enki Brewery Address: 7929 Victoria Drive, Victoria, MN 55386 Years in Location: Nine Months Number of Employees: Five Product: Hand-crafted beers Website: http://www. enkibrewing.com beer,” Norton said.

EVERYONE HAS A STORY In developing a business plan for Enki Brewery, Norton and Hayes drew upon their own experiences as beer connoisseurs. Norton spent four years living in Germany, and he has taken his passion for good brews and brought it back.

Hayes has always had a love for microbrewing and adding in his studies of biochemistry

To be servable, beer must go through a number of steps, fi rst beginning with the malt tub where water and grains are mixed to produce the Enki Brewery product.

“When you make a good product that’s consistent and customers enjoy it, you’re going to be successful.” and biophysics in college, he’s excited for the new undertaking.

McDougall has worked for JJ Taylor Distributing and New Belgium, discovering a taste for all things craft beer. While Davis, who has been professionally brewing since 1995, including seven years at Sioux Falls Brewing Company, is the talent behind the beers.

“I love the response we get.

I compare it to a cook when they hear people’s response to the food. When people enjoy

what we make, it’s exciting,” Davis said.

T he t ap ro om i s op en Thursday and Friday from 4 to 10 p.m. and on Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m. During summer months, operations extend to Wednesday nights, too.

Outside of its Victoria location, many local establishments, including Cuzzy’s in Chaska, Floyd’s in Victoria, Who’s On First in Waconia, The Local in Minneapolis, and the Muddy Pig in St. Paul, serve Enki brews as well.

Sit down and enjoy one of Enki Brewery’s fi ne beers in its tap room in downtown Victoria.

The tap room serves Wednesdays through Saturdays during the summer months.

16 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

MyPillow production not ready to rest Shakopee plant churns out more than 10,000 pillows per day

BY PAT MINELLI editor@shakopeenews.com

S

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 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 much it.

But, he said, there were no pillows on the market that

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. 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 sle ep problems,” Li ndel l said. When a pillow loses its shape, he said, the neck’s po-

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.

sition 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 e a red on t he televi sion 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.

Made in Southwest

April 2014 | 17

Frozen? Not if you’ve got your phone dialed in

BY UNSIE ZUEGE @swpub.com

C

the soft freeze line in the U.S.,” Gueri n said. “Not only residential homes but commercial buildings too.

(FreezeAlarms) are used for monitoring computer rooms that generate a lot of heat and need to be cooled with air conditioning. The FreezeAlarm monitors the temperature and sends an alarm if the temperature gets too high.

The U.S. government is also a customer.

“For some reason most of the U.S. embassies in the world, have our FreezeAlarms for their computer rooms,” Guerin said, “and we have hundreds sold to the U.S. government and military bases.

During the Gulf Wars, when the military was deployed overseas, the barracks were left empty and unoccupied.

ountless homeowners across the country could relax as t hey ro de out the 2013-14 Winter That Wouldn’t Die. T h a n k s to a Ch a n h a s sen-m ade pro duc t — t he F reezeA lar m — Minne sota snowbirds who escaped to warmer climates were warned of any furnace failures at home. The same for Minnesotans with cabins up AN AFTERTHOUGHT north. Snowbirds returned Control Products began as to their homes in the Twin Cities, and cabin owners a refrigeration company and u n lo cke d t hei r do or s up one of its early products was north, confident that they The Temperature Guard. It wouldn’t face damage from was a sensor connected to a burst water pipes or water telephone dialer for supermarket freezers and refrigheaters.

“Essential ly ( buying a erators. If the sensor detected FreezeAlarm) is like buy- freezer or cooler failure, it ing insurance,” said Chuck would dial the on-call store Guerin, director of Global manager, and emit a buzz or Sa les, Cont rol P roducts, a beep. “ It w a s n’t lon g a f t e r headquartered in Chanhassen. “Nearly 90 percent of wards,” Guerin said, that FreezeAlarm sales is gen- a customer came to us and erally to homeowners for asked if we could make a properties they’re not cur- similar type of temperature rently occupying, While no monitor and alarm for his cabin up north. one wants to buy “I think we got i nsu rance, it’s into the consumnice to know it’s er product side there.” almost reluctantWhile Guerin ly,” Guerin said. can’t recall any “In 1985, 1987, it speci fic cuswas mostly word tomer stories of of mouth. This F reezeA larms was before the being sold after Internet became the fact to somepopular in the one whose pipes Chuck Guerin late 1980s. Since or water heaters Director of Global then, we’ve defroze and burst, Sales, Control veloped multiple there’s plenty of Products models and funccustomer stories tionality. Now we have three to be found on the web.

Control Products has three different freeze alarms, water manufacturing facilities — in alarms, and motion alarms.

The Menards in Eden PraiChanhassen and Le Sueur, rie sells the most units of Minn., and Suzhou, China.

“It’s a big market all along any Menards location in the

“Essentially (buying a FreezeAlarm) is like buying insurance,”

PHOTO BY UNSIE ZUEGE

Autumn is the prime sales season for freeze alarms, according to Chris Ludford, store manager at Ace Hardware, Chanhassen.

Just the facts Business: Control Products Inc.

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

The FreezeAlarm, above, is designed to serve as insurance for cabin owners and snowbirds. At right, the Homesitter, an alarm system that works with cell phones and wireless computers, will be introduced to consumers this summer.

country, Guerin said.

“All the current devices have required a land line or cable, anything with a dial tone,” Guerin said. “It’s been a challenge recently, with people dropping their land line phones in favor of cell phones. Especially for their cabin homes.”

This summer Control Products rolls out a new home monitoring product called “The HouseSitter.” The technology enables homeowners to use their cell phone and computers to monitor their unoccupied homes. The technology uses “the cloud,” enabling homeowners to monitor and

check in on the status of their home temperature, humidity and water from anywhere by cell phone or computer online.

Homeowners can receive status reports and alarms by email or text.

The FreezeAlarm can be found at Ace Hardware, Menards and amazon.com.

Products: Designs and manufactures electronic controls for the Food Service Equipment market, HVAC/R, Medical and Industrial, and consumer retail monitoring alarms for temperature, water, security Freeze Alarm and WaterAlarm Address: 1724 Lake Drive W., Chanhassen Website: www. controlproductsinc. com/ Years in business: Control Products was founded in 1985 and became an Emerson Climate Technologies company in 2010.

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

Freeze alarm offers peace of mind while away from home

Growing in

Caring professionals committed to helping change lives and building community Relate Counseling Center is a nonprofit community mental health center with offices in Minnetonka and Chaska. Relate has been a leading provider of outpatient mental and chemical health care services in the western suburbs of Minneapolis for over 40 years.

Services are provided to individuals of all ages as well as couples and families.

Relate partners with numerous local schools, community organizations and medical facilities. In addition, Relate provides educational presentations on a variety of topics to organizations in the community.

5125 County Road 101 #300, Minnetonka 55345 1107 Hazeltine Blvd #121, Chaska, 55318 952-932-7277 • www.relatemn.org

DriSteem Corporation, headquartered for over 22 years in Eden Prairie, MN, designs and manufactures custom commercial humidification and evaporative cooling systems to meet customers’ unique comfort and process needs.

Our local team of industry professionals is growing! To learn more about DriSteem and our current employment opportunities, visit our website: www.dristeem.com/employment

14949 Technology Drive • Eden Prairie, MN 55344 • 952-949-2415

e e p o k a h S in Us Jo

City of Shakopee Economic Development | www.ShakopeeMN.gov/business

18 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

Manufacturer keeps close tabs on wild sheep Plug has been marking horns for 30 years

BY RICHARD CRAWFORD editor@chanvillager.com

T

ed Roberts adm it s m a ny o f t he products created at the Rober ts Auto matic Products plant don’t carry a lot of “sex appeal.”

The precision manufacturer has built a three-generation bu si ness a rou nd c omplex s c r ew m ach i ne parts for a host of industries ranging from medical, telecommunication to aerospace.

But one product manufactured at the 50,000-squarefoot Chanhassen plant has a story like no other.

For the past 30 years Robets has been produci ng “horn plugs” that have been placed in the horns of wild sheep throughout the western United States, Canada and Mexico.

“We create a few thousand of these pins per year,” said Roberts.

The horn plugs or pins come in various colors and have a code imprinted on them indicating what year the animals were taken and what ter ritor y t he sheep were in.

While there aren’t wild sheep in Minnesota, there are avid hunters. The Wild She ep Fou nd ation i s t he agency that buys the plugs from Roberts and supplies them to game of f icers in North America and Mexico.

One of the most active chapters of the Wild Sheep Fou ndation is loc ated i n Mi n nesot a, accordi ng to Wild Sheep Conservation Director Kevin Hurley.

There are several reasons the Wild Sheep Foundation has supported the horn plugging program for more than 30 years, Hurley explained.

The program originally started to help reduce illegal trafficking in ram horns, but other benefits include: • A direct conversation between wild sheep managers and successful hunters; • Collection of speci fic horn measurement and age date of harvest rams; • DNA samples from horn shavings for genetic profiling; • Assessment of horn configurations and growth patterns; • Ensuring compliance with jurisdictional regulations and horn limitations.

S o i f you c ome acros s a wild sheep mounted on someone’s wall, there is a very good chance it has a Roberts plug in one of its horns.

CLOSEUP Roberts Automatic Prod-

PHOTO BY RICHARD CRAWFORD

Ted Roberts is the third generation to lead Roberts Automatic Products.

Just the facts Business: Roberts Automatic Products Address: 880 Lake Drive, Chanhassen Years in location: 24 No. of employees: 50 Business/product: Precision manufacturing Factoids: The company has produced plugs for wild sheep horns for more than 30 years.

Website: www. robertsautomatic.com

PHOTO BY RICHARD CRAWFORD

Horn plugs created

by Roberts Automatic Products are placed in the horns of wild sheep in North America and Mexico.

Horn plugs are used in wild sheep to ensure the animals are hunted properly as well as to gather data about the sheep.

ucts was founded in Richfield in 1947 by Glen Roberts, a pioneer in the Minneapolis screw machine industry.

The company moved to Chanhassen in 199 0, said Ted Roberts, who serves as president of the family-run

business. His brother, Jim, is executive vice president.

The company produces hundreds of precision parts primarily for companies in the United States but also i nter nationa l ly. A broad range of automatic screw

PHOTO COURTESY THE WILD SHEEP FOUNDATION/WWW.WILDSHEEPFOUNDATION.ORG.

machines create simple and complex parts made of brass, stainless steel, carbon steel and aluminum materials.

Today, the third generation of the Roberts family is dedicated to a high level of quality, service and pro-

ductivity. The company also is supportive of manufacturing initiatives in local schools including Project Lead The Way, an effort designed to prepare students to enter the science, technolog y, engineering, and

mathematics workforce.

Roberts said that manufacturing is critical to the country’s economy.

“Manufacturing is important,” he said. “It’s not the whole economy but it is the base of the economy.”

Made in Southwest

April 2014 | 19

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.

The Mulch Store turns trash into treasure Local business gains solid ground thanks to local recyclers

BY BRITT JOHNSEN

T

here’s more to mulch than meets the eye.

Anne Ludvik, director of organics for The Mulch Store, breaks the complex into the simple. The Mulch Store is a retail store that sells landscaping products and materials, which it also makes from its composting sites, the other leg of its business. It gets its compost by working with local waste management companies, which work with companies and individuals to pick up compostable materials.

In other words, The Mulch Store turns trash into treasure. The profit comes from the materials that someone throws away as unusable and the store turns it into mulch and 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 waste from local residents and companies. But in 2013, waste haulers picked up 16,000 tons.

Rob Friend works at The Mulch Store in marketing and organics, setting up new programs and educating 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

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Mulch Store has locations in Burnsville, Empire Township, Minnetrista and Shakopee. sprinkled on top of soil 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 also inorganic mulches, which include stones, brick chips and recycled rubber.

Compost is a type of mulch made from decayed grass, 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 Kevin Tritz and Kevin Nordby, who live in the Twin Cities, were making their way through the waste management industry. They started their careers as garbage haulers driving waste trucks, then made their way up as managers. In the late 1980s, Ludvik said, Minnesota 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

Just the facts Business: The Mulch Store Address: Burnsville, Empire Township, Minnetrista and Shakopee.

Founded: 2000 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 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 continue spreading, and believes that composting is the next wave of recycling. “If everybody (composted) ... your trash would be so minimal,� she said.

Fab Lab

Dream It M a k e It Share It

Prior Lake High School Fall 2014 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:

20 | April 2014

Made in Southwest

Providing expertise in selling homes for over 18 years.

The Villas at South Parkview Addition

Thinking of selling?

Call someone you can trust.

C: 612-581-3002 Cheryl@CherylEastbourne.com www.CherylEastbourne.com

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Residential Building Contractor- License # BC105814 Call Patrick Link • 612-280-3220

Comfort & Fit is our business!

Underwire, Pocketed & Seamless Bras Nursing PJs, Nursing Bras & Cover-Ups

Serving ALL Women sizes 32-48 Also helping after mastectomy, lumpectomy and reconstruction Like Us On Facebook

3000 Town Course Drive Chaska | 952-443-3748 www.chaskatowncourse.com 2014 GPS Hole Advertising/Sponsorship Opportunities Chaska Town Course is pleased to offer a unique way to advertise your product and/or service. Our GPS Hole Sponsorship program will enable you to put your message in front of thousands of people at an affordable price.

Par 5 Holes: $3,200 • Par 4 Holes: $2,800 • Par 3 Holes: $2,500 *Hole availability is on a first come first serve basis.

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HELPING BUSINESSES THRIVE In terms of economic development, the City Council’s goal is simply to ensure the development of thriving businesses---from small family-owned businesses to corporate campuses---that invest in the community and provide jobs for the region. This goal is evident in the streamline development and public approval process. By consistently utilizing a variety of local incentives to help write-down development costs, while also working with County and State agencies to seek additional funding to locate businesses to Chaska.

Contact us and learn how the City can help your business thrive.

Chaska City Hall One City Hall Plaza Chaska, MN 55318

952-448-9200 http://www.chaskamn.com/