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The Minnesota Business Encyclopedia of 2010

A look at 142 of the most notable people, places, companies, topics and trendsaffecting the greater Minnesota business community this year.By : Drew Wood (with ad ditional research and reporting by Cory Hertog, and the advice,

opinion and counsel of a b evvy of others)

A

a g i t a t o r s (see also: MOJO Minnesota)

When things are going wrong, whether it be with the economy or your favorite sports team,

people are going to get ornery. In 2 010, weve seen plenty of it. The key? That it remains

productive.

A l v e n d a , I n c .

Although the Minneapolis-based company has been around since 2008, with a $5 million

injection of venture capital funding b y Split Rock Partners in January, 2010 was its b reak-out

year. The ground-breaking digital retail concept works on the notion that people shop more

when not required to leave their preferred online experience. Therein, merchants partner

with Alvenda to enable in-stream shopping in Facebooks news feed, fan pages and via ba nner

ads on thousands of certified publisher websites (alvenda.com). Put another way, you c an now

book a flig ht on Delta, one of Alvendas early merchants, entirely through Facebook. Pretty cool.

alvenda.com (http://www.alvenda.com/)

a n g e l t a x c r e d i t (see also: economy)

Meant to, well, stimulate investment in an economy where its waning, i t was signed into law onApril 1, 2010, and gi ves qualified investors a tax credit for investing in the early stage of

innovative businesses. To earn the credit, angel investors must invest at least $10,000 and the

credit is equal to 2 5 percent of the cash investment.

a p p s (see also: revenge of the nerds, smart phones)

Not appetizers or the Alan Parsons Project, although we really like both of those things as well,

were talking about the computer application variety. We champion the kind that make your

life easierthink banking apps that let you check balances and pay your bills anytime, or

something like TextnDrive or Dragon Dictation, both of which enable you to check and

respond to emails and texts using only your voice. But the kind that simply make life more

amusing arent so bad eithertry Angry Birds and youll see what w e mean. Best of all? The

Twin Cities has some stellar app developers.

B

b a c o n (see also: cupcakes)

Consider this listing the beginning of the end of the bacon juggernaut. Although 2009 saw St.

Michael-based No Name Steaks chocolate and b acon Conan OBrien receive national acclaim,Social Media Breakfast Minneapolis/St. Pauls bacon-hungry masses boom, and was arguably

bacons best year, 2010 marks its last hurrah a s even the most outspoken bacon advocates seem

to have had their f ill. As for the next ba con? Austin product SPAM, perhaps?

b a n k r u p t c y (see also: economy)

Sadly, more people and b usinesses have needed to pay close attention to bankruptcy lawyer

Jack Prescotts commercials these days:

By March 2010 alone the numbers were this dismal:

Nationally- 14,607 b usiness filings, 373,541 non-business filings

Minnesota 186 business filings, 5, 367 non-business filings

And the numbers were similarly abysmal in March 2009:

Nationally 14,319 b usiness filings, 316,158 non-business filings

Minnesota 209 business filings, 4,667 non-business filings

(source: U.S. bankruptcy courts)

Minnesota Business Encyclopedia of 2010 | Minnesota Business Mag... http://www.minnesotabusiness.com/minnesota-business-encyclope

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B a r r i e D R o z a r i o M u r p h y

A trifecta of advertising veterans band together to slay the coastal [m]ad men from their

Minneapolis perch. Upon doing just that in winning the 2009 Association of Advertising

Agencies OToole Award for Creative Excellence (small agency), Stuart DRozario pens a w ar

cry directed at the agencies that won in the best large and mid-sized categories. BDM places

DRozarios cry as a f ull-page ad in the New York Times.bdm.net (http://bdm.net/)

bicyc les

Minneapolis is the No. 1 bike city in the country (so says Bicycling magazine) and the estimated

economic impact of cycling on the T win Cities is roughly $315 million per year. But you know

this already; weve told you.

Here are just seven (of the many) reasons why:

a V e l o B u s i n e s s B i k e C l u b a corporate biker gang of sorts1.

Er ik s Bike Sh op one of the largest cycling retailers in the world eriksbikeshop.com

(http://www.eriksbikeshop.com/ride/)

2.

H a n d s o m e Cy c l e s an upstart frame designer, just beginning to make waves

handsomecycles.com

3.

H e d W h e e l s locally-made, world-class wheels hedcycling.com (http://hedcycling.com/)4.

Q u a l i t y B i c y c l e P r o d u c t s you name it (Surly, S alsa Cycles, All City), they make it;

better than just about a nyone in the world qbp.com (http://qbp.com/)

5.

N i c e R i d e M i n n e s o t a the first-of-its-kind public bike share program taking over the

Twin Cities and beyond niceridemn.org (http://www.niceridemn.org/)

6.

T w i n S i x A l t e r n a t i v e Cy c l i n g A p p a r e l a fresh take on cycling apparel from a couple

former ad guys twinsix.com (http://twinsix.com/)

7.

Bi te Tech

Did you know that a mouthguard ha s the potential to store and play music, directly into your

head? Well, the guys b ehind Minneapolis-based Bite Tech do. And while the company isnt

quite to that point yet, theyre already converting droves of professional athletes who notice less

fatigue, stress and generally enhanced performance and flexibility simply because theyre

wearing a Bite Tech mouthpiece.bitetech.com (http://www.bitetech.com/wp/)

b l o g g e r sSome of the most important news and opinion f eeds of the past year have come from the

keypads of bloggers. Although in a still relatively untamed Internet world there will still be

charlatans, it cant discount the fact that bloggers have become a functioning part of

mainstream media. In fact, in September the Associated Press recognized bloggers as a credible

news source.

B r a n d L a b , T h e (see also: OLSON)

The Minneapolis-based initiative seeking to create opportunity in the marketing industry for

[high school] students with diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, is in its fourth

year and perpetually picking up steam. thebrandlab.org (http://www.thebrandlab.org/)

b u s i n e s s e t h i cs (see also: corporate social responsibility; George, Bill; Philanthrocapitalism)

It seems that the decidedly unethical behavior that g ot us into this mess three years ago, is

finally giving rise to a decidedly more ethical type tha t just might get us out of it. Here are two

local reasons why:

C a u x R o u n d t a b l e A St. Paul-based global ethics think tank that has been the

champion of such things at the MBA Oath.

I n t e g r a t e d G o v e r n a n c e S o l u t i o n s Crusader with a corporate background Bill Bojan

launched this consultancy to restore trust in b ig business by restoring, among other things,

a legitimate system of checks and balances.

b r e w i n g

It's no longer just for garages:

B r a u B r o t h e r s B r e w i n g C o.

braubrothersbrewing.com (http://braubrothersbrewing.com/)

F la t E a r t h B r e w i n g C o . (pictured above)

flatearthbrewing.com (http://flatearthbrewing.com/)


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T h e F o u r F i r k i n s (store)

thefourfirkins.com (http://thefourfirkins.com/)

F u l t o n B e e r

fultonbeer.com (http://fultonbeer.com/)

L i f t Br idge Beer Co.

liftbridgebrewery.com (http://www.liftbridgebrewery.com/)

S u r l y B r e w i n g C o .

surlybrewing.com (http://surlybrewing.com/)

W i n e T h i e f a n d A l e J a i l (store)

winethief.net (http://winethief.net/#/home)

BYOB (see also: millennials)

Build Your Own Brand. A concept popula r with young professionals, the premise of BYOB is

simple and a tad narcissistic: If youre not bu ilding awareness about the brand that is you, then

youre never going to be able to leave your current job behind. To those interested in buildingtheir own brand, we offer you some advice. Firstand least preferableif you cant resist

BYOB, dont let your employer know youre doing it, since its pretty much telling them youre

looking out for you, not them. Secondand more preferabledont focus on BYOB at all. Do

your job well, work hard, be respectful, be innovative and your brand will be built for you.

C

C a r m i c h a e l L y n c h

The agency that clai ms to have dumped one of the most recognizable b rands on the

planetand their client of more than 30 yearsHarley Davidson. carmichaellynch.com

(http://carmichaellynch.com/)

C a ta l y s t Co m m u n i t y P a r t n e r s (see also: corporate social responsibility)

Out to stimulate economic growth and revitalize Minneapolis one down-trodden corridor at a

time, commercial real estate developer Stuart Ackerbergs nonprofit Catalyst Community

Partners completed their North Minneapolis keystone project, the Five Points Building, new

home to KMOJ radio station, in March.

catalystcommunitypartners.org(http://catalystcommunitypartners.org/)

C h r y s l e r

Among the hardest hit of American car manufactures was Chrysler, and the shockwaves were

felt mightily in Minnesota. Although 17 local dealerships were originally slated to close, three

managed to avoid getting the axe.

c o r p o r a t e s o c i a l r e s p o n s i b i l it y

(see also: business ethics; Catalyst Community Partners, George, Bill; Philanthrocapitalism)

Corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model; idea being that if a business forces

itself to support laws, ethical standards and international norms, the business would, in turn,

be mindful of the impact of its activities on the environment, consumers, employees,

communities, stakeholders and members of the publi c sphere. It would thus eliminate practices

that might harm the public sphere, regardless of legality. Th e CSR-minded businesss bottom

line? People. Planet. Profit.

And you know w hat? There are some serious Minnesota contributors to the CSR conversation:

Jacquie Berglunds nonprofit beer company Finnegans Irish Amber, Bill George and

Haberman Media and Marketing, to name a few.

c o w o r k i n g

For people and companies not keen on leasing office space but sick of working from home or

the coffee shop, coworking is the p erfect solution. The idea is you pay a membership fee to use

all or select portions of a third-party space, complete with all the trappingsand

camaraderieof the real thing. Try these two local coworking pioneers:

CoCo cocomsp.com (http://cocomsp.com/)

T h e 3 r d P l a ce the3rdplace.ning.com (http://the3rdplace.ning.com/)

C R A V E M i n n e a p o l i s

A local collaborative of women business owners finding power and inspiration in their collective

success stories.

thecravecompany.com/minneapolis(http://thecravecompany.com/minneapolis/)

c u p c a k e s (see also: bacon)

Like bacon, cupcakes have enjoyed a much-bal lyhooed, if not unexpected, rise to prominence in

2010, and you can see it in the local business landscape with cupcake stands popping up faster

than whack-a-moles: Cake Eater Bakery, Franklin Street Bakery, Cocoa and Fig, and Cupcake

are just a few from around the metro. However, like bacon, we think that the cupcake train is

pulling out of the station. The next cupcake? Why, doughnuts, of course.

D

D e n a l i M a r k e t i n g (see also: OLSON)

Formerly the biggest loyalty marketing firm in town. Now, the reason that OLSON is the bigg est

agency in town. olsondenali.com (http://www.olsondenali.com/index.cfm)

d i g i t a l d i v i d e

The term weve given to the growing rift between people in business and education who are

savvy in the ever-evolving wave of digital tools and trends, and those who are not. For the sake

of your own relevance, we think its important tha t you pay mind to said divide and make sure

youre on the right side of it. So, which side are you on?

D u l u t h (see also: Dynamic Structural Steel)

A town thats not just for tourists anymore.


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Just some of the reasons:

D u l u t h P a c k duluthpack.com (http://duluthpack.com/)

D u l u t h T r a d i n g Co m p a n y duluthtrading.com (http://www.duluthtrading.com/)

E n t r e p r en e u r R o d R a y m o n d

Epicurean epicureancs.com (http://www.epicureancs.com/)

GeaCom myphrazer.com (http://myphrazer.com/)

M a y o r D o n N e s s duluthmn.gov/mayor (http://www.duluthmn.gov/mayor/)

D y n a m i c S t r u c t u r a l S t e e l (see also: Duluth)

The type of company indicative of the Duluth areas resurgence, the Proctor-based commercial

construction steel fabricator w as founded and is run b y a 29-year-old, employs precise, state-

of-the-art technology, boasted sales of $15 million in 2009 and is likely to keep rising.

dynamicstructuralsteel.com(http://dynamicstructuralsteel.com/)

E

e co n o m y (see also: this whole list)

Its possible youve heard about this one already.

E g o t i s t , T h e M P L S

The understated champions of our local a dvertising scene in the form of a n in-depth, industry-

insider blog. themplsegotist.com(http://www.themplsegotist.com/)

E l em e n t S i x (see also: green)

Its what you get when you combine a Dutch expat

(Maikel van de Mortel), an Icelandic expa t (Bjrgvin Svarsson), a passion for sustainability

and the desire to transform how companies reach consumers. They provide a green alternative

to traditional advertising and branding communications through the use of sustainable earth

resources. You might know them a s the guys who stomp logos into snow, wa sh them onto dirty

windows or cut them into cornfields. elementsixmedia.com(http://www.elementsixmedia.com/)

e n e r g y (see also: green, ethanol; Gulf oil spill; K elly, Dick; wind power)

We can safely say that this topic should be on every list like this, every year.

Enrico , Dick

The fact is, we havent talked about Dick Enrico in a really, really long time and that alone is

reason enough to talk about Dick Enrico.

e t h a n o l

Minnesotas fuel of the futurestill.

F

F a v r e , B r e t t (see also: Vikings, Minnesota)

Youve probably heard that hes back with the Vikings, and, although this years not quite going

as well as last, hes making $13 million base salary for his efforts, with a $3 million signing

bonus, $4 million in incentives and $8 million deferred from his 2009 salary; which is enough

to make a fairly sizable economic ripple on its own.


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Foll iard , K ieran (see also: lifestyle centers)

The man behind a local pub empire that started with one, namesake pub, Kierans (downtown

Minneapolis) in 1994. Subsequently Folliard added the Local (downtown Minneapolis) and the

Liffey (downtown St. Paul), but didnt really get serious until 2010 with the opening of his first

suburban effort, Cooper, in the St. Louis Park lifestyle center, the West End and the relocation

of his original pub , Kierans to the massive Block E spot formerly occupied by Bellanotte,

making it a mega-pub.

F a ll o n W o r l d w i d e

Formerly the gold standard of Twin Cities advertising, Fallon seemed stricken with a b out of

averageness for a time, but the hiring of its second-ever CEO in March of 2008, Chris Foster,

began changing the tide. The company is currently innovating their way to new accounts (Abu

Dhabi Commercial Bank, T otinos, Boston Market, Nestle beverages, Alpo, Charter

Communications, Cruzan Rum and most notably landed, then dropped, Chrysler and picked up

Cadillac) and back to prominence. fallon.com

(http://www.fallon.com/)

F a l lo n , P a t

For the first time since 1981 Pat Fallon is not the CEO of Fallon. But adjusting to a scaled-back

role, the rejuvenated leader is still the agencys chairman and appears as dedicated to its

success as ever before.

f u n e m p l o y m e n t (see also: economy)

Taking a little too much advantage of being laid off in the form of obtaining unemployment

benefits with no real desire to try and fi nd a new job. As UrbanDictionary.com says, your

government-funded free time is used to do other things, like travel, chi ll, etc.

Although we see its p otential merits, we do not condone this trend whatsoever.

G

GeaCom (see also: Duluth, med-tech)

A Duluth-based med-tech company that developed the Phrazer, a multilingual handheld device

that displays video clips explaining various procedures and diagnoses. In August, GeaComs

Phrazer was awarded top honors in the high-tech division of the Minnesota Cup.

myphrazer.com (http://myphrazer.com/)

g e n e r a t i o n a l s h i f t (see also: millennials)

Although weve seen it coming for decades, 2010 is the year that people f inally began to

articulate the transition of power from Americas largest generation, the bab y boomers. Alas,

the first of them find themselves nearing retirement and the rest are close behind. Equa lly

notableand downright scary for someis who they will be handing the keys to the world off

to: Their kids, gens X and Y.

George , Bi l l (see also: business ethics)

When most people retire as CEO of one of the worlds most dynamic medical device

manufacturers, they do so to retreat into obscurity and live out their lives sipping mai-tais on

beaches unknown to normal people. The f ormer Medtronic CEO, however, is doingmonumentally the opposite. George, who cu rrently teaches at the Harvard Business School and

contributes to the Harvard Business Review, is arguably a bigger public figure now that hes

retired than ever before.

g r e e n (see also: Element Six; Ionator; wind power)

Its something we all say we w ant to be, b ut for the most partseriously, did you really just toss

that soda can into the garbage because the recycling is too far away?we probably dont really

act like it yet.

g r o s s d o m e s t ic i n c o m e (see also: Recession, The Great)

It used to be said that, when calculated, the gross domestic product of a nation and the gross

domestic income should be equal. Ah, if it were only so simple. In an era of grossly deflated

GDPs, many economists are beginning to rely on the GDI as the real indicator of where a

country stands economically.

g r o u p b u y i n g

Turning the power in numbers into consumer savingsand 2010 has seen group buying


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explode. Although the most prominent purveyors of the group buy (Groupon chief among them)

are not locally based, f or better or worse their presence is felt by a bevy of local businesses.

Heres one of our most notable contributions: The UForce. theuforce.com

(http://www.theuforce.com/views/marketplace.php)

g u i l t y

Hecker, Denny

Petters, Tom

Gulf o i l sp i l l

It will b e remembered as a colossal disaster. It should not be forgotten that it was a result of a

series of colossal failures.

H

h e a l t h c a r e r e f o r m

Its confusing, gigantic and a tad idealistic, but as of March 23 the Affordable Care Act is also

law (although, with the dramatic right turn after midterm elections, it might not be law for

long). Aimed at expanding h ealth coverage to 32 million Americans and generally making good

coverage more affordable, the Congressional Budget Office says the bill will cost $940 billion

over the next 10 years, but could reduce the deficit b y $143 billion over the same period due to

the taxes it adds, including on individuals earning $200,000, couples earning $250,000, drug

manufacturers, health insurers and medical device manufacturers.

I

I c o n o c u l t u r e

The Minneapolis-based research marketing firm was acquired by the decidedly less

cool-sounding Corporate Executive Board Co. for $18 million in May. The Arlington, Va. -based

Corporate Executive Board has no plans for relocating Iconoculture from Minneapolis and has

not made significant c hanges to the companys personnel.iconoculture.com

(http://iconoculture.com/Index.aspx)

I g n i t e M i n n e a p o l i s (see also: revenge of the nerds)A community-driven event comprising a

series of speed presentations about topics that tend to skew towards the geeky and wonkish, yet

remain innovative, fresh and, with a beer sponsor at each event, usually well-lubricated.

ignitempls.org (http://ignitempls.org/)

I o n a t o r (see also: green)

A machine that can clean and disinfect virtually anything by activating the ions in plain tap

water. It is the first offering of Rogers-based Activeion Cleaning Solutions and it is superb.

activeion.com

(http://ignitempls.org/)

i n n o v a t i o n (see also: MOJO Minnesota)

Minnesota has long prided itself on having innovative people and companies, but lately that

innovation has seemed to have been stifled. However, with groups like MOJO Minnesota

agitating a return to the times of Earl Bakken and people like Generate Companys Uri Neren

immersing themselves in the concept (Neren is building The World Datab ase of Innovation, a

resource for the comprehensive collection of innovation people, methods, research, literature,

and trends aimed at helping the world gain a better understanding of what works in

innovation [generatecompany.com (http://generatecompany.com/) ]), it seems as though

Minnesota is innovating its way back to b eing innovative.

i n t e r e s t r a t e s (see also: economy, real estate, Recession, The Great)

Turns out one of the great benefits of a Great Recession are some of the low est interest

ratesprime currently rests at 3.2 5 percentin history. The probl em is, it doesnt seem to b e

helping all that much.

J


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J a c o b s , I r w i n (see also: Recession, T he Great)

Alright, so this item should probably be titled Genmar, but hey, w e needed a J and the truth

is, the most notable aspect of b oat manufacturer Genmars bankruptcy is the fact that the

company is owned by one of the Twin Cities most stalwart business icons, Irwin Jacobs. The

fact that b ankruptcy can touch even a Jacobs company is a testament to the negative pressure

of this recession.

K

Ke l ly , Dick (see also: energy)

When the CEO of the states largest energy services provider calls for carbon taxa.k.a. a tax on

his own industryits worth mentioning on any 100 list. Kelly is not alone, either. With the

expectation that Congress will pass cap-and-trade legislation (effectively placing a tax on

carbon emissions), Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers and other utility executives have begun

modernizing coal-fired plants, switching to wind and natural gas and implementing

conservation programs. The idea is to cut carbon d ioxide emissions by up to 25 percent by 2025

and meet state mandates to reduce pollutants that climate scientists say lead to global

warming.

L

l i fe s ty le cent ers

Whether it has been revivals of flagg ing ones (Calhoun Square just completed a $20 million,

two-year expansion, which included the addition of the much-ballyhooed Uptown Cafeteria) or

the creation of new ones (The Shops at West End, which once looked doomed, is perpetually

packed and emerging as a dining and nightlife destination), this was the year tha t proved that

maybe Minnesotans do want lif estyle centers after all.

M

M a d M e n

Regardless of whether you watch the diz zying portrayal of the 196 0s Madison Avenue ad biz

and the personalities who drove it or not, it is influencing you in that it is influencing many of

those at the influence controls. From fashion to advertising itself, Mad Men is helping u sher ina new era of business by paying homage to a b ygone one.

m a n u f a ct u r in g (see also: economy)

Things seem to be looking up f or manufacturing as the Sta r Tribune reported a 19 percent

second-quarter jump in exports from 2009, which is close to matching two years previous.

Total numbers for Minnesotas computer, electronics, machines and other manufacturing

exports were $4.3 billion through June, up from $3.6 billion for the same period of 2009, and

nearly matching the all-time-high second-quarter mark, $4.4 billion, set in 2008.

And, as manufacturing goes, so (hopefully) goes our economy.

m ed- tech

(see also: GeaCom; Orasi Medical)

LifeScience Alley and the BioBusiness Alliance of Minnesota, Mi nnesota's two largest nonprofit

organizations representing the life science industry, entered into a strategic af filiation to

strengthen the states economy and leadership on an international scale on November 1. The

idea is that if the two powerful groups combined forces it would better equip both to overcome

funding and regulatory issues, and enable them to, according to retiring LifeScience Alley CEO

Don Gerhardt, more nimbly capitalize on grow th opportunities while dealing more effectivelywith urgent threats. The goal is to implement the BioBusiness Alliances 20-year strategic plan

and roadmap for Minnesotas six life science markets (medical devices, biologics and

biopharmaceuticals, animal health, food, renewable energy, and renewable materials),

Destination 2025.biobusinessalliance.org (http://biobusinessalliance.org/)

m e d i ca l t o u r i s m

There are two ways you ca n look at this term. The first is something along the lines of living in

Southern California but going to Mexico for dental work because its cheaper and your health

insurance stinks. The second, and what were concerned with, is people traveling to get the best

health care, which in Minnesotas case most often means people traveling to Rochesters Mayo

Clinic. Rochesters 2.7 million visitors every year pour $520 million into the economy. Nearly 80

percent of the patients who come to Mayo Clinic are treated as outpatients; 20 percent are

hospitalized. In fa ct, in 2009, 125, 744 unique patients traveled from outside Minnesotawere,

ahem, medical touriststo be seen at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

m i l le n n i a l s (see also: BYOB. generational shift; revenge of the nerds)

THEYRE HERE. Whether they are your kids, the generation you babysat or you, the moment


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everyone anticipated yet never really thought would a ctually happen, actua lly happened in

2010. Millennials are moving quickly up industrys rankspicking up the torch tha t Father

Time is forcing the bab y boomers to pass on. Sure they were weaned on video ga mes, MTV,

instant messaging and high-fructose corn syrup, but that doesnt mean they need their own set

of rules or a scientific formula for how to be managed in an increasingly outdated workplace.

After all, their parents were hippies and they did just fine. Remember?

Mobi legs

The crutch, reinvented. And if youve ever used a crutch f or any period of time, youll know why

what Minneapolis-based Mobi, LLC did for the crutch-bound is so tremendous and long

overdue. mobi-legs.com (http://mobi-legs.com/)

M O J O M i n n e s o t a

(see also: agitators, innovation)

A Twin Cities-based collective of entrepreneurs and agitators bound by the desire to see

Minnesota regain its economic vitality. mojominnesota.com(http://mojominnesota.com/)

m o n o

The advertising shop behind some of the most iconic local work of 2010. Whether its The Blu

Dot Real Good Experiment or monoface, their vital 2010 catalogue casts a promising shadow

on monos 2011. Oh, and they just won Small Agency of the Year at the ad industrys Oscars, the

OToole Awards. mono-1.com (http://mono-1.com/)

N

n e t w o r k i n g g r o u p s [b y a n y o t h e r n a m e ] (see also young professionals groups)

Proof that peole still want to network, they just don't really w ant to call it that. Here are a

some:

Java M ee tUp 612 (see also: social media)

S o c i a l M e d i a B r e a k f a s t M i n n e a p o l i s / S t . P a u l (see also: social media)

T w i n C i ti es T h u r s d a y H a p p y H o u r

n e w n o r m a l , t h e (see also: economy; Recession, The Great)The term for what just about every industry, business, household and person has been forced to

define as their new barometer for successsome more than others.

O

O L S O N (see also: Brand Lab, The; Denali Marketing)

The fastest-growing advertising agency on the planet. Kiddingor so w e think. Weve said

plenty about these guys over the past year, so well take it easy here. Wed just like to add that

with the acquisition of Denali Marketing, they are no longer the quirky little guy that CEO John

Olson originally created; they are now the man. oco.com (http://www.oco.com/)

O r a s i M e d i c a l (see also: med-tech)

The Edina-based start-up thinks theyve come up with a test that c an accurately diagnose some

of the most perplexing and oft-misunderstood brain afflictions in modern medicine

Alzheimers disease chief among them. After years of development and trials of their brain

mapping technology, 2010 saw Orasi attain promising pharma licenses with Lundbeck and

Novartis. Look for 2011 to be even bigger. orasimedical.com (http://orasimedical.com/)

P h i l a n t h r o c a p i t a l i s m (see also: business ethics, corporate social responsibility)

The name of Matthew Bishop and Michael Greens book about the movement that might

transform the way w e do bu siness. Bishop and Green ask the questions on many peoples minds:

Who is going to lead the fight against poverty, build a sustainable future for our economies

free from the threat of climate cha nge, and take on the social problems that divide even the

richest societies?

Their answer? That a new approach to solving social problems is needed, based on innovative

partnerships between business, nonprofits and government. And that there is already a group

of entrepreneurs and business leaders beginning to take the initiative in creating innovative new

solutions. Said entrepreneurs, according to Bishop a nd Green, [reject] the idea that business is

about short-term profits and that these philanthrocapitalists think the winners from our

economic system should give back a nd that business can do well by doing good.

Pretty heady stuff, eh?

philanthrocapitalism.net

(http://www.philanthrocapitalism.net/)

P o n z i s c h e m e s

Yep. Theyre still happening at an alarming rate. In the pa st two years at least 22 Minnesotans

have been accused of being i nvolved in about 10 different Ponzi or Ponzi-like schemes inMinnesota.

But did you know that Ponzi schemes were named after a real guy? Well, they were. T he

namesake swindler was Carlo Pietro Giovanni Guglielmo Tebaldo Ponzi (aka Charles Ponzi), an

Italian immigrant who was busted in Boston on August 11, 1920 after taking investors for a

nearly $7 million ride. Funny part is, it wasnt even an original idea. Cha rles Dickens detailed

such a scheme in his 1857 novel Little Dorrit, 25 years before Ponzi w as even born.

P o l a r o i d

When Tom Petters went down he almost took one of photographys icons with him. That is,

until Summit Global (now PLR IP Holdings) swooped in, purchased the license to the Polaroid

name and immediately began revamping Polaroids image. Polaroidwhich has even enlisted

the style icon du jour, Lady Gaga, to design a line of ca merasnow finds itself amidst an

unprecedented resurgence in popularity and profit, albeit no longer in Minnesota. By the way,

local designer Sean Tubridy is the man behind savepolaroid.com (http://savepolaroid.com/) .

polaroid.com (http://polaroid.com/en/stream)

Pollen


4 12/15/2010


9/14

The most networked man in the Twin Cities, KeyStone Searchs Lars Leafblad, b rought his vast

expanse of whos-who-and-how-they-know-you together in 2010 to create this Tw in Cities

networking newsletter, turned monthly MinnPost.com contribution. If you w ant to know what s

happening to who and how, subscribe to Pollen and you will. If its six degrees to Kevin Bacon,

for someone tied to the T win Cities business scene, its surely only two d egrees to Lars Leafblad.

P r i n c e

Were not sure where he went or what he has to do wi th business, but 2010 saw him emerge

from a prolonged Paisley Park hibernation to attend some Vikings games and even release a

new album, 20Ten.

Projec t Rev

Deluxe Corporations effort to showcase their marketing service and expertise via offering them

free for one year to nine upstart businesses chosen from around the country. Each businesskeeps a blog to track their progress and meets regularly with a marketing advisor and a SCORE

counselor for advice. Its good for the businesses and good for D eluxe. It was la unched in June

2010.

projectrev.com (http://projectrev.com/)

Q

Q R c o d e s (see also: smart phones)

Bar codes that can store huge amounts of data , easily accessed by a scan with a smart phone,

which then directs a user to anything f rom websites to videos to text information and beyond.

Although theyve been around for yearsmainly used in Japan and Europeit seems that the

oddly graphic square b ar codes are making their way into ma instream marketing, as evidenced

by their mounting presence in magazines, on ticket stubs, on billb oards, and just about every

other imaginable place.

Q u a l i t y B i k e P r o d u c t s (see also: bicycles)

Sure, we mentioned these guys in bicycles, but w e just couldnt resist plugging them

shamelessly into the letter Q lest there be a void. And to all the praise weve already heapedupon Quality Bike Products well add this: Steve Flagg, who founded QBP in 1981, received the

University of Minnesotas Entrepreneur of the Year award in September at the Minnesota Cups

awards reception. qbp.com (http://qbp.com/)

R

r e a l e s t a t e (see also: economy, interest rates, Recession, The Great)

The just in: Homes are not ATM machines, and it took us this long to find out.

R e c e s s i o n , T h e G r e a t (see also: economy; gross domestic income; new normal, the)

Something that this list couldnt live without, but that we know youre sick of hearing about.

Consider this its obligatory mention and, in the event you want more, heres a thoroughly

unscientific analysis of what happened: People were greedy and made bad decisions, the

economy went to hell and sent us all reeling. It stunk, still stinks, but might be g etting a little

better.

r e v e n g e o f t h e n e r d s (see also: apps; digital divide; millennials; QR codes; smart phones)

Remember the slightly geeky people in high school? The ones who might h ave been more

concerned about getting home to their computer than out to the football f ield? The ones you so

affectionately referred to as, ahem, nerds? Well, while you were honing your mediocre athletic

abilities, they were developing the computer genius that would one day lead to their revenge.

With an increasingly digital business world, that day has dawned and the geeks of your youth

have banded together, embraced their inner nerd-dom and taken their revenge by way of

founding some of the most innovative and influential media and Web companies the Twin

Cities has to offer. Here are four of the nerdiest (and by nerdiest, we mean best): ***********

C lo c k w o r k A c t iv e M e d i a S y s t e m s - clockwork.net (http://www.clockwork.net/)

Geek Gir ls - geekgirlsguide.com (http://www.geekgirlsguide.com/)

T h e F u s io n R o o m - fusion-room.com (http://fusion-room.com/)

T h e N e r d e r y ( S i e r r a B r a v o ) - nerdery.com (http://nerdery.com/)**


4 12/15/2010


10/14

S e v n t h s i n - sevnthsin.com(http://sevnthsin.com/)

** Just before publication of this issue, The Nerdery /Sierra Brav o co-founder and CEO Luke

Bucklin and three of his sons were involved in a fatal plane crash in Wyoming. Rest in peace,

Bucklin four; our thoughts are with y ou

S

S EO

Search engine optimization. By no means is it a new concept, but if you arent intimately

familiar with SEO, this is the year you should b e because its the reason your competitors

website dominates Google searches, while yours struggles to crack the first page.

S c h e l l s B r e w e r y

One of the three winners of our 2 010 Minnesota Family Business Awards, the New Ulm-based

brewery is the only w inner with an overtly list-worthy 2010. Here are two reasons:

October marked their 150th birthdayevery single one of them owned by the same family

(Schell, then Marty).

1.

They launched the most anticipated local beer in ages, Grain Belt Nordeast.

schellsbrewery.com(http://schellsbrewery.com/)

2.

s h o p l o ca l

The theory that supporting locally owned, independent businesses keeps more of the

communitys money there. The Metro Independent Business Association, one of the most

outspoken local proponents of shopping local, argues that w hen you spend $1 at a local

independent, an average of 68 cents is recirculated into the local economy, whereas if you

spend $1 at a national chain, only about 43 cents stays at home. Their point? If Twin Cities

consumers shift even 10 percent of their spending from chains to locals for one day, our

economy gains nearly $2 million. metroiba.org (http://www.metroiba.org/)

S m a l l B u s i n e ss J o b s A c t

Signed into law by President Obama on Sept. 27, the Small Business Jobs Act aims to provide

critical resources to help small b usinesses continue to drive economic recovery and create jobs,

and extends SBA Recovery loans while offering billions more in lending support and tax breaks

for entrepreneurs and small b usiness owners.

The thought is, more capital in the hands of entrepreneurs and small business owners is a good

thing. sba.gov/jobsact/ (http://sba.gov/jobsact/)

s m a r t p h o n e s (see also: apps; QR codes)

2010 makes it official: Without smart phones wed b e lost. In our increasingly wired business

existence, they have become phone, calendar, email and I nternet browser. Just try leaving

yours at home in the morning and youll see.

s o c i a l m e d i a

Facebook: More than 500 million active users

Twitter: More than 145 million registered users

Linkedin: More than 80 million users

And all of them have the ability to start the ripple, that builds to a wave that can either make

or break your business. Really, what else needs to be said?

S o u t h D a k o t a

In 2009, CNN Money documented how, for the first time ever, South Dakota overtook

Wyoming as the state with the b est tax climate as per the Tax Foundations annual state-

by-state rankings. Having no personal or corporate income tax, not to mention no gross

receipts business tax on revenue, pretty much anything you make you keepa f act that hasnt

gone unnoticed by Minnesotans. TCF Bank, which mai nly operates out of Wayzata, moved its

official headquartersonly 10-15 people actually work thereto Sioux Falls in April 2009 in a

cost-saving maneuver.

S t . P a u l

Although the entirety of Minnesota has had a rather tumultuous 2010, St. Paul ha s been on an

especially up-and-down ride this year. Commercial vacancy rates are at an alarming 17.9

percent in 2010 but thats actually dow n from 20.1 percent in 2009. Then theres late Augusts

news that, despite pleas for mercy, St. Pauls Ford plantin action for more than 80


14 12/15/2010


11/14

yearswould officially be shuttered. Tempering that slightly is Mayor Chris Colemans robust

plan to rejuvenate the city core: Rebuild St. Paul. The $15 million, 15-project initiative will

leverage $100 million in investment, includes plans f or a mixed-use space called Penfield,

which will house a 30,000-square-foot Lunds, and hopes to create nearly 3,000 new jobs in St.

Paul. stpaul.gov(http://stpaul.gov/)

s t a d iu m s (see also: Twins, Minnesota; Vikings, Minnesota)

Whether its the Twins first season in Target Field or their la st in the Dome, the Gopher

football teams inability to sell out TCF Bank Stadi um (or win games) in only their second year

there, or the Vikings less than adequate Mall of America Field arrangement: Stadium talk still

ran rampant in 2010 and promises to for years to come.

s t a t e b u d g e t

In case you havent heard, theres a deficit; a rather large one. And it appears that the worst of

the deficit, which shrank to $994 million (from $1.2 billion projected for 2010), according to aspring economic forecast, is ahead of us. By mid-2013 Minnesotas budget deficit, currently one

of the worst in the nation, could be nearly $7 billion. Who needs public services anyhow?

(source: startribune.com, wcco.com)

s t r e e t f o o d

With the Minneapolis City Councils unanimous approval of a new section in Chapter 188 of the

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances, which relates to food, mobile food vendors officially took

control of the Twin Cities. For a licensure fee and start-up cost, mobile food vendors are now

allowed to operate between 7 a.m. and midnight. On June 28th, Chef Shack, the first official

vendor rolled into town and the rest is lunch hour history. tcstreetfood.com

(http://tcstreetfood.com/)

T

T e a P a r t i e s

Remember 2010 as the year they arrived for better or worse.

T E D x T C

When times are bleak people seek inspiration like they seek security, which mig ht explain the

rise of TEDxTC. T EDTechnology Entertainment Designis a nonprofit that b egan in 1984

with the goal of spreading worthy ideas. What it has become is a global phenomenon of

powerful speeches delivered by iconic and inspiring people. TEDxTC is one of the many

regional offshoots and it doesnt disappoint. At Octobers eventTEDxTCs thirdattendees

learned why they should live more dangerously, think critically about how the worlds second

inconvenient truth (that agriculture is killing the planet) and wha t exactly the term naked

civics means (it has nothing to do with actua l nudity). tedxtc.com (http://tedxtc.com/)

T h a r i n , A l b er t

Your classic man loses it all in the recession but rebuilds his life by b uying a decrepit dive bar

and turning it into a ga tor-burger-joint success story. albertsgrill.com (http://albertsgrill.com/)

T w i n s , M i n n e s o t a (see also: stadiums)

Three reasons they must be on this list:

M a u e r , J o e Because hes a local guy ma king $12.5 million per year (2010), he bought

his brother a car dealership and hes won three batting titles.

1.

Targ e t Field Because it drew 3,22 3,640 people during the 2010 season. Thats the

highest total since the franchise moved from Washington, D.C. to Minnesota in 1960.

2.

W o r l d S e r i es Because youve gotta fi gure the Yankees will miss the pla yoffs eventually

and when they do, well be waiting.

3.

U

U n i v e r s i t y o f M i n n e s o t a - D u l u t h , L a b o v i t z S ch o o l o f B u s i n e s s a n d E c o n o m i c s

While the entirety of UMDs Labovitz S chool is impressive, what caught our eye is their

Financial Markets program in which students manage an actual $300,000 investment portfolio

via the Bulldog Fund, LLC. Consequently, Labovitz graduates receive their diplomas with the

type of real-world experience that truly allows them to trade the next day. In a w orld where

everything else we use is plug-and-play, why wouldnt you w ant your employees to be?

lsbe.d.umn.edu (https://lsbe.d.umn.edu/)

U r g en c y R o o m , T h e

The emergency room, reimagined. With the first location opened Oct. 4 in Woodbury, the

Urgency Room (the UR) is the Twin Cities first medical facili ty to offer a hospital-based ER

alternative for people who feel they need urgent, acute medical care. The UR w ill provide the

same level of care as an ER, b ut with fa ster and friendlier service at what it promises to be a

more affordable price. S taffed with b oard-certified ER physicians, experienced ER nurses and

paramedics, The UR promises great care with slim waits. urgencyroom.com

(http://urgencyroom.com/)

V

V i k i n g s , M i n n e s o t a (see also: stadiums)


14 12/15/2010


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Havent you heard? Their Mall of America Field lease is up in 2011 and unless either an

adequate stadium bill passes the state legislature, the team re-ups at the stadium f ormerly

known at the Metrodome or Zygi Wilf decides to do what no other team owner in history has

done and pay for the stadium entirely on his own, L.A. will score a second purple and gold

professional sports franchise whose name makes no sense to the region. The franchises $221

million in revenue and $774 million total team value, by the way, ranks the Purple 30th out of

the 32 total NFL teams.

(Source: forbes.com)

W

W e r c W e r k W o r k s

Minnesotas answer to the motion picture industry, the two-year-old Minneapolis-based motion

picture production and financing company had a banner year. The Werc Werk Works-

produced, critically acclaimed Allen Ginsberg biopic Howl, starring James Franco, was

released in late September and writer/director Lawrence Kasdans latest effort Darling

Companion, starring Kevin Kline and Diane Keaton, began production in the fall.

wercwerkworks.com (http://wercwerkworks.com/)

W i e s e L a w F ir m

A decidedly non-lawyerly group of lawyers, Wiese Law Firm takes a more casual, creative

approach to the art of negotiating contracts and guiding careers, particularly creative and/or

public ones (their client list includes Andrew Zimmern, Joan Steffend and Belinda Jensen).

Specializing in business law, entertainment law and contracts in general, perhaps theirTwitter biography says it all: The value of your business (and your life) is the sum total of its

deals. We negotiate contracts that save you time and money. Oh yeah, were lawyers too!

wieselaw.com (http://www.wieselaw.com/)

w i n d p o w e r (see also: Kelly, Dick)

The cleanest, most plentiful fuel of all, and it turns out Minnesota has plenty of it. In addition

to the pioneering work Dan Juhl is doing at Buffalo Ridge, the home of Juhl Wind, Riverland

Community College in Albert Lea and other regional community colleges now have wind

turbine maintenance programs, and Xcel Energy, which p lans on having 30 percent of its

energy come from renewables by 2020, is looking to acq uire 250 megawatts of wi nd power

serviceable by 2012. Then again, at the time of publication, India-based Suzlan Groups

Pipestone turbine manufacturing facility was in the process of laying of f the majority of its

workforce due to lack of orders, as the industry has seen a 72 percent dip in turbine

installations so far this year, so maybe the winds of changes arent quite shifting like we thought

they would.

W o r r e ll


14 12/15/2010


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(/print/1012)(/printmail/1012)

A great example of how the second generation can revolutionize a family business otherwise

content to rest on its laurels, if you havent heard of industrial design firm Worrell yet, you will.

Now based in Northeast Minneapolis, the company was founded b y Bob and Judy Worrell in

1976, and, although it grew to be successful in its own right, it transcended all expectations

once their son Kai came on board and set the companys sights higher than ever. Today they are

not only designing cutting-edge products (heavily skewing towards health care), they are also

endeavoring to influence bigger conversations by sponsoring events like TEDxTC. worrell.com

(http://www.worrell.com/)

X

Xol la i

Whenever you make an A-Z list, you love a company like Xollai. However, even if it werent for

their masterful use of the letter X wed be keen on giving the group of former collegeclassmates props for the development and marketing of their novel technology used to land

unmanned aerial vehicles safely. xollai.com (http://xollai.com/)

Y

y o u n g p r o f e s s io n a l s g r o u p s (see also: networking groups)

Of late, young professionals far and wide are banding together with visions of workplace and

cultural domination, and the intention of pooling their collective strength to do some good.

Here are a few of the most notable examples:

D R I V E - E m e r g i n g L e a d e r s minneapolischamber.org/program_emerging_leaders.php

(http://minneapolischamber.org/program_emerging_leaders.php)

F u s e Du l u t h fuseduluth.com (http://fuseduluth.com/)

LEAD Projec t theleadproject.org (http://www.theleadproject.org/)

Y o u n g P r o fe s s io n a l C o m m u n i c a t o r s , T w i n Ci t ie s

(facebook.com/YoungProfessionalCommunicatorsTwinCities(http://www.facebook.com

/Y oungProfessionalCommunicatorsTwinCities))

Z

Z o o , M i n n e s o t a

What was touted at the new zoo when it debuted in 1978, the Minnesota Zooone of the few

state zoos in the countrywent from critical acclaim and high-regard to stagnating its way

through the mid-90s. That is, until the arrival of visionary zoo director Lee Ehmke and a

monumental shift in energy and focus. With a renewed emphasis on marketing and an if you

build it th ey will come mentality, the zoo is in the midst of a three-phase, six-year complete

makeover and proudly showcases one of the most innovativeand expensiveexhibits in the

country: Russias Grizzly Coast. With the change, attendance has increased 40 percent and

memberships are up 49 percent.

mnzoo.org (http://mnzoo.org/)

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