published by finance & commerce april 2016 www.ﬁ nance ... · frank jossi, julie kendrick,...

Published by Finance & Commerce • April 2016 • www.fi nance-commerce.com

presented by Finance and Commerce Inc.

Congratulations Lake Superior College and Tryon MediaCongratulations

Congratulations from your friends at APEX.

Thank you for your commitment to NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin.

From the editoreditorN ow in its fifth year, Finance & Commerce’s

Progress Minnesota event showcases the entrepreneurial spirit and economic devel-

opment occurring across the state. More than two dozen individuals, companies and organizations are among the 2016 honorees selected by an indepen-dent panel of judges.

The 28 honorees were feted April 7 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. Gov. Mark Dayton issued a proclamation to celebrate April 7 as Progress Min-nesota Day.

Since the first event in 2012, attendees have told us they come away profoundly impressed by the ingenuity and strength of Minnesota’s business com-munity and the state’s support systems.

In the following pages, you’ll see profiles of each honoree. Some are familiar names like Wells Fargo, which is investing $300 million in an urban campus in downtown Minneapolis, and Arctic Cat, which is moving its headquarters to the hip North Loop area to attract and retain innovative, adventurous workers.

You’ll see some unfamiliar names that may end up

developing the next scientific breakthrough. You’ll wonder why you’ve never heard of some companies even though they have been churning out amazing widgets and whatnot for years without drawing much attention. Some companies prefer to fly under the radar for proprietary reasons, and others are just too busy growing to raise their profiles.

You’ll read about individuals who made a big differ-ence as entrepreneurs or employees. You’ll learn about problem-solvers who developed programs in greater Minnesota to fill crucial needs in the workforce.

This year’s Lifetime Achievement honoree is Louie Jambois, who recently retired as president of the St. Paul Port Authority after sparking redevelopment in blighted areas. Jambois, who also worked for the state’s economic development agency for many years, seems averse to taking any personal credit, saying he just hangs “around with smart people.”

Please turn the page and check out the smart peo-ple helping to grow the state’s economy.

—Casey Selix, editor, Finance & Commerce

Progress Minnesota is a special publication of FINANCE & COMMERCE, 222 South Ninth Street, Suite 2300, Minneapolis, MN 55402.

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EDITORIALEditorCasey Selix, 612-584-1556

Copy EditorDavid Bohlander, 612-584-1527

Contributing WritersNancy Crotti, Dan Heilman, Marisa Helms, Frank Jossi, Julie Kendrick, Elizabeth Millard, Todd Nelson, Julie Swiler

CREATIVEStaff PhotographerBill Klotz, 612-584-1562

Page Design SpecialistKady Weddle, 816-384-1821

EVENT MANAGERAmanda Dorn, 612-584-1534

ADVERTISING Advertising DirectorMark Berriman, 612-584-1539

Advertising Account ExecutivesDavid Seawell, 612-584-1545Sheila Bennett , 612-584-1544

www.f inance-commerce.com

PROGRESS MINNESOTA 2016 | 1

Unique achievement.

Erik Hansen, Economic Development Director763-493-8058 | [email protected]/huburb

CongratulationsTakeda Pharmaceutical Company on your Progress Minnesota Award.

Brooklyn Park welcomes Takeda to our thriving business community and to a city of unexpected job growth and opportunity!

2016 Progress MNFinance & Commerce

CONGRATULATIONS

LIFETIMEACHIEVEMENT

AWARD

Louie JamboisSaint Paul Port AuthorityPresident: 2008-2016

...and THANK YOU for your leadership of the Saint Paul

Port Authority!

from your crew at the

Port Authority

Published by Finance & Commerce • April 2016 • www.finance-commerce.com

presented by Finance and Commerce Inc.

Inside:

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Louie Jambois . . . 4-5

2016 HonoreesINDIVIDUALS

Angie Bastian. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Ravi Norman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

David Reiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Malini Wright . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

ABDALLAH CANDIES INC . . . 13 ALEXANDRIA INDUSTRIES . . . 14

APEX & NORTHSPAN . . . . . 15 ARCTIC CAT . . . . . . . . . . . 16 CALABRIO . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

CALYXT INC . . . . . . . . . . . 18 CICERON . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 CREGANNA MEDICAL . . . . . 21

DAIKIN APPLIED . . . . . . . . 22 GREDE HOLDINGS LLC . . . 23 LAKE SUPERIOR COLLEGE . . . 24

LIFECORE BIOMEDICAL . . . . 25 MILLER MANUFACTURING CO. . 26 MINNESOTA HIGH TECH ASSOC . .27

PRIME DIGITAL ACADEMY . . . 28 RENEWAL BY ANDERSEN . . . 29 REXAM BEVERAGE CAN . . . 30

SPORTECH INC. LLC . . . . . 31 TAKEDA PHARMACEUTICAL . . 32 TRYON MEDIA . . . . . . . . . 33

VIRACON . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 WELLS FARGO . . . . . . . . . 35 WILSON TOOL INTERNATIONAL . . 36

COMAPANIES/ORGANIZATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-36


LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER

Louie Jambois was “in denial” for many years about his passion for public service. But, now the re-

cently retired Jambois says it’s easier, and more honest, to just accept it.

“I’m extremely fortunate to have been able to exercise that passion for 40-plus years,” says Jambois, who re-tired from the St. Paul Port Authority in February.

Jambois’s career began in 1975, and nearly all of it was spent working for the Minnesota Department of Employ-ment and Economic Development, and its precedent, the State Planning Agency.

At DEED, Jambois specialized in finance and managed the state’s small cities community development block grant program. In 1993, he and his DEED colleagues were the first to establish a statewide contamination cleanup and redevelopment program, which became a national model. By 2003, Jambois was overseeing both programs and the creation of Minne-sota’s Job Opportunity Building Zone (JOBZ) program.

Jambois was also instrumental in organizing the state’s disaster recov-

ery operation throughout the 1990s, when DEED coordinated the efforts of 15 federal and state agencies to help northwest Minnesota recover from a series of catastrophic floods.

“Our job was to finance those flood-devastated communities and put them back together again,” he says. “We did it in a way that was unprece-dented.”

Jambois brought his expertise to the St. Paul Port Authority in 2008. During his tenure there, he set in motion several high-profile projects, including the repurposing of the old 3M Co. campus, bringing CHS Field to Lowertown and redeveloping the vacant Macy’s building downtown.

Jambois calls his career “extremely gratifying,” but he won’t take all the credit for his success. The 63-year-old Jambois points to his admiration for the public and private sector

colleagues who helped him achieve so much over the years.

“I don’t have an individual accom-plishment,” Jambois says. “I’ve always been part of a team of people who have the same passion and have the ability and know-how to get things done. To the extent I’ve got an accomplishment, it is in finding other people to move our state or region or city forward. I just hang around with smart people.”

—Marisa Helms

“I’ve always been part of a team of people who have the same passion and have the ability and know-how to get things done.”

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER

LOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER

LOUIE JAMLIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER



LOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLOUIE JAMLIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER




TITLE: Retired president, St. Paul Port Authority (2008-2016)

EDUCATION: B.S., park and recreation resource management, Minnesota State University-Mankato; M.A., urban and regional studies, Minnesota State University-Mankato

KEY TURNING POINT IN CAREER: Going to graduate school at night.

WHAT’S NEXT: “Staying connected to all the great friends that I made along the way.”

FAMILY: Wife, Carol, and daughters Danielle and Marie

4 | PROGRESS MINNESOTA 2016

S T A F F P H O T O : B I L L K L O T Z

Louie Jambois, who retired from the St. Paul Port Authority in February, stands in front of the former

Macy’s building in downtown St. Paul. Under his leadership, the authority has been instrumental in

redeveloping the store.

BOISBOISBOIS


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Angie Bastian didn’t like where the popcorn industry was headed. Grocery stores were increasingly displaying her competitors’ products with “diet” foods rather than in the natural foods section. The former nurse practitioner didn’t want that for Angie’s Kettle Corn, the brand she co-founded in 2002 with husband Dan.

The Bastians liked their recipes, but their brand’s unassuming bags needed a makeover. Beginning in 2012, the company renamed its product Boomchickapop and began packaging its popcorn in brightly colored bags.

The staple at Target and Supervalu stores started fl ying off the shelves. The compa-ny, which employs 200 at its North Mankato plant, started planning another in Reno. It added 25 senior-level managers in 2015, including a new CEO. Boomchickapop recently landed shelf space at Kroger, Publix, Safeway and Wal-Mart stores.

“Dan and I have a very close relationship with our CEO,” Bastian said. “We proba-bly are talking and giving guidance and historical information almost on a daily basis. We’re not having to be in the day-to-day structure of the business. We get a little bit of time to go do some fun things.”

She speaks regularly to women’s and entrepreneurs’ groups and has received several awards. She and Dan, a former teacher, also focus on employees’ well-being.

“It’s really about us being very interested in our employees’ lives and supporting them and serving them, to do what they need to be the best people they can be,” she said. “Our people are more than just employees. They’re people fi rst. They have gifts and talents and values.”

—Nancy Crotti

A N G I E B A S T I A N S T A F F P H O T O S : B I L L K L O T Z

TITLE: Co-founder, Angie’s Artisan Treats LLC, dba Angie’s Boomchickapop

BASED: North Mankato

EDUCATION: B.S. in nursing, Goshen College; M.S. in nursing and gerontology

KEY TURNING POINT IN CAREER: “When Dan [husband] and I bought that fi rst kettle and set it up in the garage.”

WHAT’S NEXT? Revolutionize the snack aisle.

FAMILY: Husband, Dan Bastian; daughter Aunikah, 20, son Tripp, 18.

When Angie Bastian and husband

Dan renamed her namesake kettle corn

to Boomchickapop and repackaged it,

she says the product started fl ying off the

shelves at Target and Supervalu stores.


2016 Honorees: Individuals

R A V I N O R M A NS T A F F P H O T O : B I L L K L O T Z

Ravi Norman, CEO of Thor Construction, has played a key role in building the company into one of the largest minority-owned construction businesses in the nation. Working on the new Vikings football stadium is but one of the company’s projects.

Ravi Norman and Thor Construction see real estate, development and construc-tion as three legs that aren’t always where they belong – together on the same stool.

The mission of 35-year-old Thor is fi nding ways to maximize real estate return on investment via smart building solutions. That formula is working to the tune of $154 million in 2015 revenue–several times what it was earning when Norman joined the company.

A native of New Jersey, Norman boasts a background that is actually in fi nance and banking. He came to Thor in 2005 to handle its fi nances, and played a key role in the company’s growth into one of the largest minority-owned businesses in the United States – at a time when the economy wasn’t fostering much growth, especially in construction.

Now, Thor works on everything from relatively small residential projects to the massive Vikings football stadium that’s opening this summer. The company is marked by a commitment to minority employment on those projects, often partnering with the likes of Mortenson Construction to fi nd eager, talented subcontractors and tradespeo-ple from a wide variety of backgrounds.

As ever, Norman and Thor concentrate on the core idea of smart building, a princi-ple that helps Thor prosper in good times and weather tough times.

“We defi ne smart building as the optimal integration of social, environmental and economic values,” Norman said.

—Dan Heilman

TITLE: CEO, Thor Construction, Fridley

EDUCATION: MBA, fi nance, University of Minnesota; B.A., economics and business management, University of Minnesota-Morris; B.A., fi nance, Winston-Salem State University

KEY TURNING POINT IN CAREER: Promotion from CFO of Thor to CEO

WHAT’S NEXT: Renovation of Target Center (with Mortenson Construction)

FAMILY: Wife, Amanda; three children

2016 Honorees: Individuals2016 Honorees: Individuals


“At the end of the day, I not only saw the ability to run a successful business, but

the success of the business was dependent on the whole community having success,”

says David Reiling, CEO of Sunrise Banks.

David Reiling grew up in a banking family, but he’s not your traditional banker. The CEO of Sunrise Banks uses his position to empower low-income and traditionally underserved residents of the Twin Cities and beyond, particularly the Hmong and Somali communities.

Through the federal New Market Tax Credit program, Sunrise has provided loans to build the new Midway YMCA in St. Paul, to convert a former Minneapolis public school into commercial space and develop a mixed-use building in north Minneapolis. It offers loans through employers in four states as an alternative to payday lenders and won a $2.2 million combination loan/grant from Wells Fargo to scale that program nationally.

The $850 million Sunrise encourages depositors to designate their money for its Impact Deposit Fund, which lends to affordable housing developers, small businesses, other nonprofi ts and commu-nity services. Sunrise is also one of the state’s largest U.S. Small Business Administration lenders. It also claims to be the fi rst community bank and Twin Cities company of its size (192 employees) to build an entire Habitat for Humanity home.

Reiling’s father, William (81 and still active in the business), owned Franklin Bank and St. Anthony Park Bank. The family bought what was Meridian National Bank and turned it into University National Bank in 1995. David Reiling ended up owning University National Bank and his father and family asked him to run the other two banks as well.

In 2007, they merged David Reiling’s and William Reiling’s bank holding companies. Three years ago, they consolidated the three bank charters into one, called Sunrise Banks.

David Reiling’s mission stems from growing up Catholic, volunteering to build homes in Tijuana as a college student, and working in a bank in a distressed area of Los Angeles.

“At the end of the day, I not only saw the ability to run a successful business, but the success of the business was dependent on the whole community having success,” he said. “In a bank situation, as an intermediary, we can play a vital role in doing this.”

—Nancy Crotti

D A V I D R E I L I N GS T A F F P H O T O : B I L L K L O T Z

TITLE: CEO, Sunrise Banks, St. Paul

EDUCATION: B.S., business economics, University of San Diego; diploma, Bank Management and Leadership, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Graduate School of Banking

KEY TURNING POINT IN CAREER: Returning to Minnesota from California in 1995 to acquire and run the family bank

WHAT’S NEXT: Exploring new products and services, seeking new partners and refi ning the bank’s innovation process



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In everything that Malini Wright does, honoring her family is top of mind. Twen-ty years ago, her parents came to the United States from India to provide a better life for their children. “They showed me that you can overcome anything,” she said. “You should always work hard and live by a code.”

Wright brings that dedication to her work as a business banker. She says that every-thing she does is a refl ection of her team.

Wright started working at a bank part time in high school. After college, she became a branch manager and rose into management positions. Seven years ago, Wright switched to business banking. She sees her work as managing relationships.

Clients Grant and Jennifer Cermak, co-owners of Edina-based Nani Nalu Beach-wear Boutique, credit Wright’s personable approach with helping them grow their business. “Malini takes the time to understand who she is working with and help them understand the banking relationship,” said Grant Cermak.

When the Cermaks fi rst started working with Wright, they were struggling with one retail location. She advised them on how to fi nance the large capital requirements necessary to expand, increase their inventory and hire more staff.

“They were going through good growing pains,” said Wright. “I provided them with the resources to get where they wanted to go.” Over fi ve years, Nani Nalu tripled in size, expanding their store and opening another one in Kansas City, Missouri.

Cermak said he often refers other business owners to Wright. “She is a driver for your business in the long run.”

—Julie Swiler

M A L I N I W R I G H TTITLE: Vice president, business banking, Bremer Bank, Minneapolis

EDUCATION: B.S., business, human resources industrial relations, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota

KEY TURNING POINT IN CAREER: “When I went from being a manager of people to being an individual producer.”

WHAT’S NEXT: “I want to continue to serve my customers while growing my customer base.”

FAMILY: Husband, Ronald Wright; son, Jashan Wright; father and mother, Rajeev and Latika Mehta


Business banker Malini Wright credits her parents for teaching her that “You should always work hard and live by a code.”



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These honorees are great examples of why Minnesota is…

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A B D A L L A H C A N D I E S I N C .S U B M I T T E D I M A G E

Abdallah’s new manufacturing facility in Apple Valley, shown behind a storefront, will have plenty of room to grow on a 20-acre site at 6055 150th St. W.

It takes a specifi c type of facility to produce 2 million pounds of candy every year. Not only is space an issue, it needs to meet regulatory requirements including ceiling height, air circulation, humidity control, security and even landscaping.

That’s the challenge Abdallah Candies faced when the owners sought to expand their 60,000-square-foot building in Burnsville. “We ran out of space,” said CEO Steve Hegedus. “We needed to build on property that would give us expansion options now and in the future.”

Hegedus, who is the fourth-generation owner of the gourmet confectioner, said they looked at a number of metro area locations and settled on a 20-acre site in Apple Valley that will provide the manufacturing space they need, plus a lively retail venue. They also were able to take advantage of $900,000 in tax increment fi nancing from the city to build the $12 million facility.

Set to open in July, the 83,000-square-foot expansion will enable Abdallah to add equip-ment and streamline processes. All but about 20 of their 140 employees will move to Apple Valley. Abdallah will keep the Burnsville location for light manufacturing and retail.

Hegedus estimates the company will grow business by 40 to 60 percent in the next fi ve to seven years and to expand by another 60,000 square feet in that time to meet the demand.

“Our focus is on quality confections,” he said. “That business model has gotten us here and will get us to the future.”

—Julie Swiler

PRODUCT: Chocolates and confectionary

BASED: Burnsville; Apple Valley facility opens in July

FOUNDED: 1909

CEO: Steve Hegedus

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 140

WEBSITE: abdallahcandies.com


2016 Honorees: Companies/Organizations

AL E X A N D R I A IN D U S T R I E SS U B M I T T E D P H O T O :

A L E X A N D R I A I N D U S T R I E S

Alexandria Industries was founded 50 years ago to provide aluminum extrusions to a

loc al boat manufacturer. Over the years, it expanded into other markets and services.

Alexandria, known for lakes, hunting and fi shing, is also home to a strong manufac-turing economy. That’s no surprise to Lynette Kluver, director of organizational development for Alexandria Industries, an aluminum extruder and fabricator that saw a 20 percent growth in employees at its Alexandria location and 10 percent growth in revenue in 2015.

“There are some really innovative, entrepreneurial minds in this community,” said Kluver.Alexandria Industries was founded 50 years ago to provide aluminum extrusions to a local

boat manufacturer. Over the years, it expanded into other markets and began offering machin-ing and other services, too.

The company continued expanding even through the recent recession, acquiring machine shops in Carrollton, Texas, and Alexandria during that time.

Kluver attributes Alexandria Industries’ success to a culture that emphasizes serving employees. It offers cutting-edge benefi ts, including comprehensive training. The company partners with the local technical college and also trains onsite. “We hire people who are a good fi t for our culture, and we train them,” Kluver explained.

Alexandria Industries also values giving back to the community and donates extensively to local nonprofi ts. In 2015, the employees alone donated close to $80,000 in charitable gifts to local organizations.

To meet growing customer demand, the company is building a 38,000-square-foot expansion at the Alexandria plant. The addition, due to be complete in May, will upgrade the shipping and receiving area, house existing and new equipment, and allow for a 50 percent increase in fabrication of extrusions, and 10 percent in machining capacity.

—Julie Swiler

BUSINESSS: Manufacturer of engineered products including aluminum extrusions, precision machining and fabrication, and metal fi nishing

BASED: Alexandria, Minnesota

FOUNDED: 1966

CEO: Tom Shabel

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 700 employees in six locations (about 500 in Alexandria)

WEBSITE: alexandriaindustries.com


2016 Honorees: Companies/Organizations2016 Honorees: Companies/Organizations

A P E X A N D TH E NO R T H S PA N GR O U P

S U B M I T T E D I M A G E

NORTHFORCE is a website with a robust relationship-management system and extensive database at its core.

Workforce matchmaking has taken a major step forward in the past year, thanks to an innovative project put together by Duluth-based Northspan Group and the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion, or APEX .

Launched as a way to connect prospective employees and businesses in the 10-county region of northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin, NORTHFORCE is a website with a robust relationship-management system and extensive database at its core. The system uses detailed analytics, marketing strategy, and media elements like photographs to attract talented employees to the region and match them with job openings.

“Talent has emerged as the top issue in economic development today,” said Brian Han-son, APEX president and CEO. “It is imperative that our region both retain existing talent and attract new talent to support our growing business community. NORTHFORCE shares job opportunities to help regional employers fi ll open positions, and helps attract a skilled talent base to our region.”

The effort goes far beyond standard online job boards to help employees profi le their skills and talents, and then customize their matches. This curated approach sets the project apart, Hanson believes.

So far, nearly 60 individuals have been successfully matched with jobs, but tracking can be a challenge, so Hanson added that the actual number of matches may be much higher. As the project evolves, he’s confi dent that the matchmaking process will grow even more robust.

“We will continue to work with employers to post opportunities and get the exciting news out there,” he said. “The momentum is growing.”

— Elizabeth Millard

PROJECT: Workforce development portal

BASED: 306 W. Superior St., Duluth

FOUNDED: 2014

CEO: Brian Hanson

WEBSITE: apexgetsbusiness.com



A R C T I C C A TS U B M I T T E D P H O T O : A R C T I C C A T

Arctic Cat develops and manufactures snowmobiles and off-road vehicles.

A rctic Cat is adopting a bullish growth strategy despite acknowledging the soft economy and what Arctic Cat President and CEO Christopher Metz calls a “challenging” 12-month forecast for the snowmobile market.

“We have to look toward the future and realize that the economy will improve and it will eventually start to snow again,” says Metz, the architect of Arctic Cat’s aggressive plan to grow by 50 percent in five years. “We need to be ready for that uptick.”

Arctic Cat’s commitment to its expected prosperity is visible in the deep capi-tal investments the company is making in its Minnesota facilities.

The company recently spent $27 million on state-of-the-art equipment and machinery in its Thief River Falls manufacturing complex, and in June, Arctic Cat’s headquarters will move into a refurbished 55,000-square-foot historic building in the chic North Loop district in downtown Minneapolis.

Metz says Arctic Cat also plans a substantial build-out for its St. Cloud facility to make room for all of Arctic Cat’s wheeled products research and develop-ment.

Arctic Cat will continue to employ more and more Minnesotans, requiring a wide variety of skill sets, from executive level positions to manufacturing jobs, he says.

“This is certainly our most ambitious growth story in the last 20 years,” says Metz. “And we just feel like it’s necessary. If we don’t grow, and don’t continue to increase our market share, we’re not going to be as relevant in the industry.”

—Marisa Helms

BUSINESS: Design, develop and manufacture recreational off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, and the parts, garments, and accessories to support Arctic Cat’s vehicles. Acquired high-performance technical riding gear company Motorfi st in March 2015.

BASED: 505 Highway 169 N., Plymouth; moving to downtown Minneapolis in June

FOUNDED: 1961

PRESIDENT AND CEO: Christopher Metz

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 1,600 to 2,000

WEBSITE: www.arcticcat.com



C A L A B R I OS T A F F P H O T O : B I L L K L O T Z

Calabrio, wh ich has its offi ces at 400 First Ave. N.

in Minneapolis, has more than 225

employees.

Capturing the customer’s voice has helped Minneapolis-based Calabrio capture new business and recognition for industry leadership.

Calabrio, which offers customer engagement and analytics software to accelerate growth through contact centers, added more than 160 new customers in 2015, more than a third of which came from their competitors.

For the fi rst time, Calabrio was named a leader in Gartner Inc.’s “Magic Quadrant for Customer Engagement Center Workforce Optimization,” raising its profi le among big competitors.

In another fi rst, Calabrio’s technology -- which captures emails, texts, online chats and phone contacts -- last year recorded more than a billion calls for its customers including AAA, U-Haul, FedEx and Jaguar Land Rover.

“Our message has been steadfast in helping companies grow their top line, driving growth through understanding their customers,” Calabrio CEO Tom Goodmanson said. “And (our) customers are really latching on to that message.”

Calabrio last year made 76 hires, raising its total to 225, and saw revenue grow 40 per-cent. Goodmanson attributed that growth largely to listening to customers.

“Two-thirds of our product is developed through customer requests and their ideas and interacting with them,” Goodmanson said.

Calabrio has customer counsels to get input on new products, an online portal where customers and partners weigh in and expects more than 500 users at this year’s annual conference.

Goodmanson also conducts quarterly CEO roundtables to discuss the local economy. “Be-ing a leader of a company is a hell of a lot more than running that company,” Goodmanson said.

Calabrio spun off from Spanlink Communications in 2007.—Todd Nelson

BUSINESS: A leading provider of customer engagement and analytics software for contact centers

BASED: Minneapolis

FOUNDED: 2007

CEO: Tom Goodmanson

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 225

WEBSITE: http://calabrio.com



C A LY X T I N C . S U B M I T T E D P H O T O

The primary innovation Calyxt developed is a way to edit genes in plants that result

in non-GMO “healthy” foods.

The agricultural biotechnology company Calyxt recently announced the $5.5 million purchase of a 10-acre site in Roseville for its new headquarters.

The company plans to build a 40,000-square-foot research and product-devel-opment facility on Mount Ridge Road south and east of County Road C2. Half the space will be for plant molecular biology and plant tissue laboratories, the rest for other company functions. A 6,000-square-foot greenhouse is part of the project, and roughly 5 acres will be used for growing plants for research.

Wholly owned by the publicly held French firm Cellectis SA, the company was incubated at the University of Minnesota. The primary innovation Calyxt devel-oped is a way to edit genes in plants that result in non-GMO “healthy” foods.

Among the products Calyxt will bring to market soon is trans fat-free soybean oil that promises to reduce saturated fat by half. Two more products are cold storable potatoes and gluten-reduced wheat. Should the company’s technology find a marketplace, Calyxt could become a global leader in developing non-GMO food products.

The company received $477,000 from the Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Job Creation Fund. The new facility will house Calyxt’s 24 current employees another 60 that will be added over the next three years.

“We are very excited about our company’s expansion plans,” says Dan Voytas, Calyxt’s chief science officer. “It is rewarding to see our technology be used to develop crop varieties that provide a direct consumer benefit.”

—Frank Jossi

BUSINESS: Agbiotech company developing non-GMO healthier foods

BASED: New Brighton; moving to new headquarters in Roseville

FOUNDED: 2010

CEO: Luc Mathis

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 30

WEBSITE: calyxt.com



C I C E R O NS T A F F P H O T O : B I L L K L O T Z

Ciceron founder and CEO Andrew Eklund leads a group

of employees in a brainstorming session at the company’s offi ce

in downtown Minneapolis.

By definition, a “cicerone” is a trusted guide who helps others navigate complex journeys, revealing hidden treasures along the way. Although the term is somewhat antiquated, the definition is certainly apt for Ciceron, a for-ward-looking digital marketing agency based in Minneapolis.

Founded 20 years ago by CEO Andrew Eklund, the company has marked some impressive milestones, including being one of the first digital agencies in the country to beta test Google AdWords. In the past few years, Ciceron has stayed on top of technology trends by launching an ad-tech startup and de-veloping “Ciceron MBA,” an education symposium for marketing leaders that showcases real-world case studies and new technologies.

Staying a pioneer in digital marketing is no easy feat in a continually changing tech landscape, but Eklund said the key is to keep attention on the changes in actual consumer behaviors, not the latest, shiniest trends.

“If we see an opportunity for a client to be first, and provide new value through new technology to their market, then we move together to show the consumer a new and better way of doing business,” he said. “You simply can’t get comfortable in a few disciplines or you’ll quickly become a commodity.”

Another successful tactic, Eklund added, is Ciceron’s ability to resist defi-nition. Growth simply comes as a result of that original vision to guide clients forward toward their customers, regardless of new technologies.

“We have an almost religious bond to the end consumer,” Eklund said. “That’s our secret sauce.”

—Elizabeth Millard

BUSINESS: Digital marketing agency

BASED: 126 N. Third St., Minneapolis

FOUNDED: 1995

CEO: Andrew Eklund

EMPLOYEES: 32

WEBSITE: ciceron.com



Progress MNFinance & Commerce

2016 HONOREEREXAM

Beverage Can ManufacturerChris Karpovich, Plant Manager

Congratulations!Thank you for all REXAM does for your employees

and Saint Paul. From your colleagues at the Saint Paul Port Authority.

LEADING OUR COMMUNITYLEADING OUR COMMUNITY

Congratulations Arctic Cat

On your Progress Minnesota honor!

Thank you for your commitment to NW Minnesota and to Thief River Falls.

Your partners in development

Pennington County Office of Economic Development

Building Minnesota’s STEM workforceone internship at a time.

MN.ORG

SciTechsperience—a free, statewide, state-funded program—connects college students in STEM majors with internships in small and growing Minnesota companies. Companies receive a matching grant that covers 50% of their intern’s wages (up to $2,500) and help finding qualified talent. Students receive the experience they need to jump start their STEM careers.

Learn more and apply at

C R E G A N N A M E D I C A LS U B M I T T E D P H O T O

Creganna Medical’s new plant in Plymouth makes braid, coil and associated technologies for catheter and sheath devices.

C reganna Medical tripled its footprint in Minnesota last November when it opened a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Plymouth. The compa-ny expects to add 50 workers to its staff of 300 at the state-of-the-art plant over the next 15 months.

Creganna’s new plant, at 5905 Trenton Lane, makes braid, coil and associated technologies for catheter and sheath devices, including complex sub-assemblies and components. It supplies some of Minnesota’s many medical device manu-facturers and can support medical device products from the prototype stage to high-volume commercial manufacturing.

The plant also includes a dedicated research and development unit with an independent technical lab, a collaborative prototyping zone and a support cleanroom. Creganna considers the Plymouth plant as its Center of Excellence for Structural Heart and Electrophysiology therapies.

“The company’s investment reflects the continued growth in demand for our technologies, the reputation of our Minnesota operations within the global Cre-ganna Medical network, and is a testament to the dedication of our local team,” Creganna Plymouth general manager Brent Anderson said in a statement.

Creganna purchased Tactx Medical in Plymouth in 2010 and took over Tactx’s facility at 2495 Xenium Lane N. at the time. Creganna is on the verge of its own takeover. In February, TE Connectivity Ltd. announced that it would acquire Creganna Medical for $895 million. Headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, TE Connectivity is a $12 billion company that employs 12,000.

—Nancy Crotti

PRODUCT: Minimally invasive medical devices

BASED: Local facility in Plymouth; based in Galway, Ireland

FOUNDED: 1979

CEO: Chip Hance

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 300 in Minnesota; 2,000+ worldwide

WEBSITE: creganna.com



D A I K I N AP P L I E D AM E R I C A S IN C .S U B M I T T E D P H O T O

Daikin Applied Americas Inc. makes commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. This photo shows the company’s recently expanded facility in Owatonna.

The Minnesota division of Daikin Applied Americas was in the enviable position of having two thriving locations to choose from when it came time for a recent expansion. Daikin, which makes commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, saw opportunity in both Faribault and Owatonna, but decided on the latter for the $9 million expansion, according to director of operations Craig Vatsaas.

“Owatonna offers a skilled workforce, and so does Faribault,” said Vatsaas. “The Owatonna location was chosen for expansion based on the multiple sites that could be consolidated. The Owatonna expansion also allowed us to support air handler growth in Owatonna and support growth of compressorized HVAC products in the Faribault factory.”

The Owatonna project, which is on track to create 40 new jobs, was helped along by $880,000 in state money. The city of Owatonna also approved $2 mil-lion in tax increment financing for the project. The facility will be centered on the manufacture of Daikin’s Vision line of indoor air handlers.

The project also lets Daikin position itself as a major employer in the region, offering jobs with flexible shifts, as well as training in specialty areas such as brazing. The company looks forward to further expansion in jobs and number of shifts, having already added a weekend shift since opening the Owatonna plant.

“We provide a people-centered work environment where we’re seen as one of the premier employers in the area,” said Vatsaas.

—Dan Heilman

BUSINESS: Commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems

BASED: 13600 Industrial Park Blvd., Plymouth

FOUNDED: 1924 (parent company)

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS: Craig Vatsaas, Owatonna and Fairbault facilities

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 430 (Plymouth offi ce), 26 (Maple Grove offi ce), 740 (Faribault and Owatonna manufacturing operations)

WEBSITE: daikinapplied.com



G R E D E H O L D I N G S L L CS U B M I T T E D P H O T O

More than 300 employees at Grede Holdings’ St. Cloud foundry help produce specialty castings and components for transportation and industrial uses.

Grede Holdings’ St. Cloud foundry is adding jobs and new business with the completion of a $17.5 million expansion.

The St. Cloud foundry, which produces ductile iron castings for automotive, truck and industrial equipment, had won recognition as Grede’s plant of the year in two of the three previous years when the company announced the expansion in January 2015.

The plant’s record under general manager John Haas helped it earn the expan-sion, said Tony Lovell, Grede’s vice president of global sales and marketing.

“The team that John has up there is one of the leading manufacturing teams in the world,” Lovell said. “With the heavy workload they already had, they were one that would be able to take on the task of adding capacity and preparing for the next generation of opportunities.”

The St. Cloud expansion added 32,000 square feet to the now 320,000-square-foot plant. Haas expects the automated foundry’s new production line, its third, to add up to 30 jobs, from line workers to engineers, which would raise its total to 350.

“This is setting up the plant to succeed not just now but in the future,” Haas said. “This sets up as one of the premier metal casting facilities in the country, in the world actually. It’s not only growth; it’s sustaining that employment here.”

The St. Cloud foundry, founded in 1991, was acquired by Grede Foundries in 1995 and was included when that company and Citation Corp. combined in 2010. Grede’s parent company is MPG Inc.

—Todd Nelson

BUSINESS: Produces ductile, gray and specialty iron castings and other metal components for the transportation and industrial markets

BASED: 5200 Foundry Circle, St. Cloud; headquarters in Southfi eld, Michigan

FOUNDED: St. Cloud foundry built in 1991

GENERAL MANAGER, ST. CLOUD: John Haas

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 320 in St. Cloud; 4,600 total

WEBSITE: http://grede.com



LA K E SU P E R I O R CO L L E G ES U B M I T T E D P H O T O

Lake Superior College’s fi rst class of airplane mechanics this spring all received job offers before they got their diplomas.

As a region’s industries shift over time, so do its workforce needs — and that can create serious gaps that threaten economic stability and viability, both locally and statewide. Lake Superior College is determined to close those gaps, and prevent new ones from forming.

Working closely with regional businesses to monitor labor trends, the college has developed a robust workforce training curriculum that’s directly tied to the region’s needs. For example, northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin are seeing significant growth in industries like health care, aviation, construction and manufacturing.

In response, the college in Duluth has developed more programs focusing on allied health careers, airplane maintenance, commercial pilot training and general construction. One way that students are set apart, according to Lake Superior President Pat Johns, is that they learn more than the skills they need for a chosen profession.

“They learn how to solve problems and think critically,” he said. “Our grad-uates don’t look to other people when they need to write a report or develop a project plan -- they have the confidence to do it on their own. That makes them very valuable as employees.”

They’re actually so valuable that they often get hired before graduation. Johns said that the first class of airplane mechanics this spring all had job offers before they got diplomas.

“That just speaks to the need for qualified and knowledgeable employees in our region, and it makes us want to work even harder to meet that need,” he said.


PROGRAM: Education and workforce training

BASED: 2101 Trinity Road, Duluth

FOUNDED: 1995

PRESIDENT: Pat Johns

WEBSITE: www.lsc.edu



L I F E C O R E B I O M E D I C A LS U B M I T T E D P H O T O

Lifecore Biomedical recently announced it would expand its 114,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Chaska by 25,000 square feet.

Biomaterials manufacturer Lifecore Biomedical specializes in pharmaceuti-cal-grade sodium hyaluronate, a hydrophilic polymer used in a variety of medical specialties including ophthalmology, orthopedics and oncology.

Currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Landec Corp. — an agricultural com-pany based in Menlo Park, California — Lifecore Biomedical recently announced it would expand its 114,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Chaska by 25,000 square feet. The company also leased 66,000 square feet about a mile down the road. The additional space will house a medical manufacturing clean room and a quality-control lab.

Lifecore Biomedical President Larry Hiebert says the $16 million expansion also makes room for the creation of about 68 high-paying jobs with Lifecore over the next three years.

“The expansion is clearly indicative to our past growth and the foreshadow-ing of how we see that continuing,” says Hiebert, who has worked for Lifecore Biomedical for 32 years, “starting at the very bottom,” as he puts it. He has been president for nearly three years.

Lifecore Biomedical’s expansion project has received $834,000 in support from the Job Creation Fund of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and nearly $145,000 in tax abatements from the city of Chaska.

“I’m all about results,” says Hiebert, adding that the company’s products have improved the lives of more than 50 million patients worldwide. “You deliver results and you can get the investment support you need.”

—Marisa Helms

PRODUCT: Biomaterials manufacturing

BASED: 3515 Lyman Blvd., Chaska

FOUNDED: 1965

PRESIDENT: Larry Hiebert

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 241

WEBSITE: www.lifecore.com



Bad times were good for Miller Manufacturing Co., and better times haven’t slowed the Eagan-based supplier of farm, ranch and pet products, which plans to double its manu-facturing and distribution center in Glencoe.

Miller offers more than 1,000 products — from poultry waterers to livestock feeders — throughout the United States and more than 30 other countries.

Miller makes many of those at its 400,000-square-foot Glencoe facility, which grew by 100,000 square feet in 2014.

CEO Dan Ferrise said the center would double under a 10-year plan, beginning with a possible 100,000-square-foot addition in 2018. Meanwhile, Miller is investing in opera-tional effi ciencies and different pallet racking systems to maximize its present space

Miller has benefi ted as interest in backyard chickens and vegetable gardens surged during the recession and continued during the recovery.

“In 2008 and 2009 our business actually grew because people turned to their own resources to help make ends meet,” Ferrise said.

Ferrise believes that “bees will be the next chickens” among hobbyists who may seek to pollinate fruit trees or harvest honey or beeswax.

That should boost Miller’s sister company, Kentucky-based Kelley Beekeeping Co. Miller’s owner, Frandsen Corp. of North Branch, acquired Kelley in 2014. Kelley is build-ing an 80,000-square-foot facility to produce woodenware for beekeeping supplies that Miller will ship from Glencoe.

Miller, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is using the occasion to appeal to potential employees.

“The question is can we get another 150 to 200 people,” Ferrise said. “That’s always a challenge.”

—Todd Nelson

MILLER MANUFACTURING CO. S T A F F P H O T O : B I L L K L O T Z

Employees affi x labels to galvanized poultry waterers ready for shipment from Miller Manufacturing Co.’s manufacturing and distribution center in Glencoe.

BUSINESS: Manufacturer and international distributor of farm, ranch and pet products

BASED: 2910 Waters Road, Suite 150, Eagan

FOUNDED: 1941

OWNERS: Frandsen Corp., including Dennis Frandsen, Greg Frandsen and Dan Ferrise

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 350

WEBSITE: miller-mfg.com



M I N N E S O T A H I G H TE C H AS S O C I AT I O N LLC

S U B M I T T E D P H O T O

Jenny Paul, left, is majoring in chemistry and biology at the College of St. Benedict

in St. Joseph, Minnesota. Last summer, Paul secured a microbiology R&D internship through SciTechsperience at Microbiologics in St. Cloud.

Microbiologics provides laboratory testing services for

detecting microbial contamination of water sources, the environment

and food products.

According to Margaret Anderson Kelliher, CEO of the Minnesota High Tech Association, Minnesota will need to fi ll an estimated 155,000 high-wage, high-tech jobs in the next four years. Workforce development in science, technology, engineering, and math must ramp up considerably to meet this need. Fortunately, MHTA is doing its part.

In 2012, the organization launched the SciTechsperience Internship Program as a way to offer college students pursuing STEM degrees the opportunity to get hands-on experience. The program was designed to expand the pool of talent available to Minnesota companies, with subsequent broadening of innovation and products.

SciTechsperience offers a one-stop shop for small and growing companies to post posi-tions and for students to fi nd STEM internships, Kelliher said. By facilitating connections between students and employers, the program offers a focused service that she believes wasn’t available in Minnesota in the past.

Since it launched, the program has been growing rapidly, but its pace is about to get even more intense. Kelliher said that 380 interns had been placed in the fi rst four years but that at least 450 more are expected to be placed by 2018.

“We are increasing efforts to engage Minnesota communities as well as students who are underrepresented in STEM fi elds, specifi cally women and students of color,” she said. “With continued success, we hope to serve an even greater number of students and compa-nies across the state.”


PROGRAM: SciTechsperience Internship Program

BASED: 400 S. Fourth St., Minneapolis

FOUNDED: 2012 (internship program launch)

CEO: Margaret Anderson Kelliher

WEBSITE: mhta.org



P R I M E D I G I T A L A C A D E M YS T A F F P H O T O : B I L L K L O T Z

Students take a load off at the Prime Digital Academy in Bloomington.

Software development may move quickly, but it seems like Prime Digital Academy may be speeding forward even faster.

Launched at the end of 2014, the education program was put together by Nerdery co-founders Mark Hurlburt, Mike Derheim and Mike Schmidt, all prominent in the Twin Cities technology business community.

“We saw a growing talent gap, and wanted to build a school that would deliver smart problem solvers who can create software,” said Hurlburt. Drawing on the feedback from more than 50 companies, the trio developed a curriculum tied to the market’s ever-chang-ing needs.

Although there’s a central focus on experiential learning, collaboration and lifelong apprenticeship, Prime Digital also emphasizes tactical skills that are crucial for entry-level positions in the software fi eld.

Recently, the program graduated its sixth cohort, bringing the total number of graduates to more than 100. Companies are certainly taking notice, and Hurlburt said that, so far, graduates have been placed at 57 organizations within the region.

Another step forward has been stronger partnerships with local, state and federal govern-ment agencies. As an example, the program was recently chosen by the city of Minneapolis as a training partner for the regional TechHire initiative — an effort unveiled by the Obama administration last November as a way to foster technology careers.

“We want to be a trusted, responsive partner for employers looking to hire smart people with excellent technical and communication skills,” said Hurlburt. “Programs like Prime are essential to delivering the talent that Minnesota companies need to be competitive.”


BUSINESS: Accelerated software education program

BASED: 9401 James Ave. S., Bloomington

FOUNDED: 2014

PRESIDENT: Mark Hurlburt

EMPLOYEES: 11

WEBSITE: primeacademy.io



The success of Renewal by Andersen can be attributed to three major formulas that have propelled consistent year-over-year growth.

Paul Delahunt, Renewal’s president, said the company started with the clear advantage of “the Andersen brand, which is the most recognized and trusted brand in the window industry,” he said.

Second, the company works with only a select number of contractors who agree to ex-clusively sell and install Renewal products, Delahunt explained. And third, in return for that commitment, Renewal gives each of its 100 retailers a sizable and exclusive territory – such as an entire metropolitan area.

“We’ve teamed up with the crème de la crème of the industry; the best guys want to work with us,” he said.

For homeowners, Renewal offers “one-stop shopping” for replacement windows, with a single company handling sales, technical measuring, manufacturing, installation and service.

The formula has worked. Renewal by Andersen recently fi nished a 120,000-square-foot addition in Cottage Grove, increasing its manufacturing and offi ce space by 50 percent, Dela-hunt said. Renewal’s combined offi ce/manufacturing facility houses a dedicated team focused on the direct-to-consumer window replacement business.

Since opening in 1995, Renewal has completed more than 500,000 jobs and seen sales grow 15 percent annually over the past three years. While its retail partners cover most of the country, Florida has never had any companies selling Renewal by Andersen windows. “We are looking forward to opening up in Orlando in 2016,” Delahunt said.

—Frank Jossi

R E N E W A L B Y A N D E R S E NPRODUCT: Full-service window replacement

BASED: 9900 Jamaica Ave. S., Cottage Grove

FOUNDED: 1995

PRESIDENT: Paul Delahunt

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 900

WEBSITE: renewalbyandersen.com


Renewal by Andersen’s combined offi ce/manufacturing facility houses a dedicated team focused on the direct-to-consumer window replacement business.

PROGRESS MINNESOTA 2016 | 29 PROGRESS MINNESOTA 2016 | 29


Aluminum-can manufacturer Rexam has undergone two big changes over the past year.

One is the sale of the St. Paul-based company, which has 14 plants in the United States, to Broomfi eld, Colorado-based Ball Corp. The other is a $14 million upgrade that replaced equipment and made the plant much more effi cient, said plant manager Chris Karpovich.

“Around 33 percent of the plant is brand new now and has been updated,” he said. The move came in part after the city agreed to drop a plan that would have eventually changed the zoning on Rexam’s site, he said.

The company has maintained steady revenue growth of about 3 percent annually, with a workforce that has stayed at 110 employees for years, Karpovich said. Many employees live on the West Side and earn wages starting at $17 an hour, with full bene-fi ts and a pension, Karpovich said.

He sees Rexam as a throwback to the 1960s and 1970s, when “you could get high- paying manufacturing jobs,” he said. “Our people come in and they stay; we have hardly any turnover at all.”

While sales have been steady they have been changing, too. “The challenge with carbonated refreshments is they’re in a slight decline but craft breweries are starting to explode,” he said. “We have a lot of customers in that fi eld here locally in Minnesota.”

—Frank Jossi

R E X A M B E V E R A G E C A NS U B M I T T E D P H O T O

BUSINESS: Aluminum can manufacturer

BASED: 139 Eva St., St. Paul

FOUNDED: 1969

PLANT MANAGER: Chris Karpovich

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 110

WEBSITE: www.rexam.com

Rexam recently completed a $14 million equipment upgrade at its plant in St. Paul.



E lk River-based Sportech has spent more than two decades becoming a business fixture in that northwest suburb and solidified that status recently when it announced construction of a 105,000-square-foot construction plant that will accommodate dozens more employees and expanded production.

“We’re in the process of moving in,” said Chief Operating Officer Jim Gloms-tad. The company was due to be settled in the new space by mid-March.

The company has done almost nothing but grow since being founded in 1994. It has gone from dealing in snowmobile accessories to becoming a leading supplier of windshields, body panels and other components for power sports customers including Polaris, Honda and John Deere. Sportech’s revenue has grown by about 10 percent annually in recent years, with 2016 revenue project-ed at $80 million.

Funding for the new building was helped by a grant from the Minnesota De-partment of Employment and Economic Development, along with support from Sportech’s hometown.

“We have a fantastic relationship with Elk River – we’re committed to the area, and they’re committed to us,” said Glomstad. “We built this building with the idea that when it’s time to expand, we can do it on site. We can go up to another 80,000 square feet at this location if we need to.”

— Dan Heilman

S P O R T E C H I N C. LLCPRODUCT: Windshields and accessories for snowmobiles and motorcycles

BASED: 10800 175th Ave. NW, Elk River

FOUNDED: 1994

CEO: Chris Carlson

COO: Jim Glomstad

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 235

WEBSITE: sportechinc.com


Elk River-based Sportech, a leading supplier of windshields and other

components for power sports customers, planned to be settled

in its new 105,000-square-foot construction plant by mid-March.



Sometimes the right property comes along at the right time. That was the case for the Minnesota division of Takeda, the Japan-based pharmaceutical giant, when it found a 215,000-square-foot building in Brooklyn Park that had previously been occupied by Baxalta, a spinoff company of Baxter International.

The purpose of the purchase was to help Takeda internalize some of its bio-logics manufacturing, according to Erich Hahn, who runs Takeda’s Minnesota manufacturing operations. The site in Brooklyn Park represented a place for Takeda to manufacture its drug Entyvio, which is used to treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease – as well as to create work for more than 40 people from Baxter , with 150 more hires planned over the next two years.

“The facility is state-of-the-art and an excellent fit in terms of scale and capabilities to produce Entyvio,” said Hahn. “The facility is designed for multi-product operation, which is important for Takeda as we look at flexibility and growth.”

The purchase was serendipitous as not only was Baxter looking to get rid of it, but state, city and academic entities were eager to bring Takeda in.

According to Hahn, the company plans to complete facility modifications next year, followed by FDA paperwork to allow drug manufacturing at the facility, with commercial approval expected in 2019.

—Dan Heilman

T A K E D A P H A R M A C E U T I C A LCO. LT D . BUSINESS: Pharmaceutical

products

BASED: 9960-9992 Winnetka Ave. N., Brooklyn Park (Minnesota headquarters)

FOUNDED: 1781

SENIOR DIRECTOR: Eric Hahn, senior director and site head, biologics operations and engineering (in charge of manufacturing and operations in Minnesota)

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 42 currently at Brooklyn Park site

WEBSITE: takeda.us


Pharmaceutical giant Takeda’s new Brooklyn Park facility will focus on manufacturing its drug Entyvio, which is used to treat ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.



The best way to gauge personal fi t for any clothing item is to try it on. And the top way to move forward in fashion entertainment is to hire Tryon Media.

Founded in 2010 by entrepreneurs Markus Mueller and Lara Signorelli, Tryon Media is in Duluth, which isn’t (yet) on the fashion week circuit. But thanks to the agency, it’s certainly gained some industry attention. Serving media professionals, fash-ion houses and public relations agencies, Tryon Media leverages digital acumen with insider insight to propel three brands, including a fashion website and online photo repository.

In the past two years, the company has raised $1.25 million in equity funding from local angel investors and international investors. That confi dence comes from Tryon Media’s strong growth rate, which Mueller said is driven by awareness of technology shifts and advertising behavior. Momentum is also coming from positioning the com-pany and its brands in new markets, he added.

“We are seeing growth from being fi rst in markets that may have been neglected by competition previously,” he said. “For example, we’ve been producing content for the media industry in India, as well as focusing on the needs of clients in remote media areas like Abu Dhabi.”

The company draws local strength from working closely with the Entrepreneur Fund in Duluth, as well as the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion. Mueller believes that Tryon’s location is defi nitely an asset, not a drawback. “We are proud to provide economic benefi t to the state, the region and the city of Duluth,” he said.


T R Y O N M E D I ABUSINESS: Media company specializing in fashion

BASED: 306 W. Superior St., Duluth

FOUNDED: 2010

CO-FOUNDERS: Markus Mueller and Lara Signorelli

EMPLOYEES: 18

WEBSITE: tryonmedia.com

S U B M I T T E D P H O T O : T R Y O N M E D I A

Tryon Media’s founders La ra Signorelli, center, and Markus Mueller, in bowtie, pose with the Tryon team.



A strong U.S. commercial construction market and increasing popularity of larger “jumbo-sized” glass panels are driving growth at Viracon, the Owatonna-based architectural glass fabricator.

Commercial construction has “recovered to a pretty healthy clip,” said Kelly Schuller, pres-ident of Viracon, which has made glass for the new Vikings stadium among other prominent buildings across the country.

The rebound helped lift Viracon’s architectural glass sales to $346 million in 2015, up from $266 million in 2013.

Larger glass panels offer uninterrupted views, better energy performance and lower overall cost to assemble and install, Schuller said, as well as “higher lease rates and property values.”

To meet the demand for larger glass panels, Viracon is building a $50 million, 360,000-square-foot addition with new manufacturing technology, fabrication equipment and automation. Viracon will occupy more than 1.5 million square feet of space in Owatonna when the project is complete next year.

“Architects and owners are constantly reaching for the most unique, highest-performing buildings,” Schuller said. “This investment will keep Viracon relevant and ensure that we can continue to be the primary source in North America for architectural glass on signifi cant commercial buildings.”

Viracon has more than 1,500 employees in Owatonna and expects to add at least 100 jobs after the expansion, Schuller said. The company offers hundreds of entry-level manufacturing jobs with good wages and benefi ts and “signifi cant wage progression opportunities” with greater skills and experience or higher levels of responsibility.

—Todd Nelson

V I R A C O NS U B M I T T E D P H O T O : V I R A C O N

BUSINESS: High-performance architectural glass fabricator for major commercial buildings

BASED: 800 Park Drive, Owatonna

FOUNDED: 1970

PRESIDENT: Kelly Schuller

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 2,400

WEBSITE: viracon.com

A Viracon employee works on an “air spacer bender” at the Owatonna plant. Viracon has more than 1,500 employees in Owatonna and expects to add at least 100 jobs after the expansion.



Minneapolis has a big stake in seeing to it that the area around the new Minnesota Vikings stadium is a bustling part of downtown, and Wells Fargo is deter-mined to be a part of that. The banking giant’s $300 million Downtown East cam-pus promises to be not only a hub for 5,000 of the company’s employees, but also a vibrant part of the city’s central business district that spurs further development.

“Our decision to build in Downtown East was driven by the opportunity that this location provided for an urban campus environment,” said Wells Fargo Minnesota regional communicator John Hobot. “We felt that the accessibility to public trans-portation, the proximity of signifi cant green space and the opportunity to be on the forefront of a rapidly developing and growing historic neighborhood made the most sense for our new campus.”

The company will occupy 1.1 million square feet in a pair of 17-story offi ce tow-ers on land previously owned by the Star Tribune near the old Metrodome site.

Wells Fargo, one of the state’s largest employers, wants its Downtown East pres-ence to generate more interest in redeveloping the entire neighborhood as the new football stadium changes downtown’s identity.

Workers took occupancy of the west tower, at 550 Fourth St., over the winter, while the move-in date for the east tower, at 600 Fourth St., is slated for May.

— Dan Heilman

W E L L S F A R G OD O W N T O W N E A S T P R O J E C T

BUSINESS: Banking

BASED: 90 S. Seventh St., Minneapolis (Minnesota headquarters)

FOUNDED: 1852

CEO: Dave Kvamme (Minnesota CEO)

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 20,000-plus in Minnesota

WEBSITE: wellsfargo.com




From humble beginnings in a basement in St. Paul’s warehouse district, Wilson Tool says it has grown into the largest independent manufacturer of tooling systems for punch presses, press brakes and punch and die components for the stamping industry.

“We have three primary divisions: punching, bending and stamping,” says marketing director Jeff Paulson.

The company’s customers include Minnesota mainstays Toro, Polaris and Pentair, plus what Paulson describes as “a long list of household names,” including John Deere, Viking Range and Sub-Zero/Wolf. Marking the 50th anniversary of its founding by Ken and Ruth Wilson, Paulson says the company plans a celebration this summer.

After launching a $40 million venture capital fund to acquire companies in high-growth industries, the company has an expanded global reach that includes manufacturing facil-ities in England, Canada, Brazil, Italy and China, and sales offi ces in Mexico, Argentina, Denmark, France and Germany.

An acquisition of a St. Louis-based tableting company 18 months ago allowed Wilson Tool to move the business north and begin creating tablets for over-the-counter drugs, vitamins and supplements.

“We were looking for ways to diversify and continue to grow, and this seems like a high-potential industry,” Paulson says. “The technology is similar, and instead of piercing sheet metal, the punches come together to compress powder into a tablet.”

Paulson credits “Minnesota Nice” for the consistently high ratings on annual customer satisfaction surveys. “It sets us apart from other companies when friendly Minnesotans are the ones answering the phones and helping customers,” he says.

— Julie Kendrick

WI L S O N TO O L I N T E R N AT I O N A LS U B M I T T E D P H O T O : W I L S O N T O O L

BUSINESS: Independent manufacturer of tooling systems for punch presses, press brakes and punch and die components for the stamping industry.

BASED: 12912 Farnham Ave. N., White Bear Lake

FOUNDED: 1966

CEO: Brian Robinson

EMPLOYEE COUNT: 450 employees in White Bear Lake; 700 total worldwide

WEBSITE: wilsontool.com

After starting in a basement in St. Paul’s warehouse district, Wilson Tool now employs 450 people at its White Bear Lake campus.



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*Wells Fargo awarded Zoey Van Jones $25,000 to help with her expansion plans.

© 2016 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (2329101_17492)

Every day, small business owners across the country work hard to make their entrepreneurial visions a reality. For Zoey Van Jones of Zoey Van Jones Brow Studio,* that meant making sure her expansion plans worked as hard as she did. Helping business owners like Zoey is why we created Wells Fargo Works. It’s our commitment to small businesses everywhere. By delivering a wide range of products, resources, and guidance, we help businesses take the next step toward their goals. Welcome to Wells Fargo Works. Let’s make it work for you.

— Zoey Van Jones, Owner of Zoey Van Jones Brow Studio

“ It works for helping shape up my expansion plans.”

wellsfargoworks.com

2329101_17492 7.5x4.625 4c .indd 1 3/16/16 11:21 PM

Congratulations to Viracon and Daikin Applied on your

Progress Minnesota Honor. We appreciate the significant investment

of these companies to our broad business base and community. Thank you for allowing us to be a partner in

your expansion projects in Owatonna.

Viracon

Daikin Applied

MidCountry is an organization built on responsiveness, straight talk, and personal relationships.

Our dedicated team offers everything you need to take care of your business, your employees, and yourself.

We help make banking easy so you can focus on what you enjoy most – building your business.

Member

©2016 MidCountry Bank

1.877.874.7376

www.MidCountryBank.com/Relationship

Peggy FranzenDirector of Cash Management

Troy RosenbrookCommercial Banking Group Manager

Dave ThompsonChief Commercial Banking Officer

Build Your Business with the Right Bank

RELATIONSHIP. REWARD. IT’S THAT SIMPLE.

published by finance & commerce april 2016 www.ﬁ nance ... · frank jossi, julie kendrick,...

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