Business Updates
Every business leader runs into problems and issues in their careers. Eliminating or reducing those constraints on your operation can seem a daunting task. But you are not alone! Other leaders in various industry segments throughout the East Metro have come across similar situations. They have found some measures to move past it and focus on delivering optimum business results! Read about the paths they have taken below and learn from their experiences.
This is also an excellent way for you to give to the community by telling us your story! Please leave your comments here on a critical issue you and your company faced and how the resolution was made possible!
Like to Submit a Business Update of You Own? Click Here!
Results
Thursday, April 04, 2024
Andersen Corporation has made the first commitment to be a Diamond Sponsor of the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work project at The Heights on St. Paul's East Side. It is a significant contribution for the Work Project, which will take place this fall at the Heights, Twin Cities Habitat's largest ever development.Andersen Corporation, a longtime supporter of Habitat for Humanity, has announced its commitment as the first Diamond Sponsor of the 2024 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, co-hosted by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and Habitat for Humanity International. At a total of $1 million in contributions, the Diamond...
Thursday, April 04, 2024
The city continues to see a lot of activity when it comes to new construction and market values.“Hugo has a ton going on. It’s great. The city is growing,” said Tyson Terry, a residential property appraiser with Washington County. “A lot of people are still buying new homes here and it makes up a good portion of the sales that are going on.”It’s a yearly tradition for the county assessor to visit the City Council to recap some of the key findings for the assessment year (AY). Terry recently shared findings for AY 2024, which are based upon actual real...
Tuesday, April 02, 2024
Toxyfree, a sustainable retail store in downtown Stillwater selling toxin-free and plastic-free products, is the first toy company in Minnesota to receive Three-Star Blue Verification from Oceanic Global, a cross-industry standard that measures positive global impact.Being at the headwaters of the Mississippi, the ocean starts here. Over 70% of our earth is ocean, and every 60 seconds a truckload of plastic enters it, according to Greenpeace. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change found that 90% of coral reefs are projected to die by 2025.Read the full article here.
Monday, April 01, 2024
Cravings Wine Bar & Grille welcomes change in the face of challenges.Nameer Ameen credits his parents for teaching him one of life’s most important values: Being of service to others. He’s used this value as the backbone of his life and of his business, Cravings Wine Bar & Grille.At 20 years old, Ameen immigrated to the United States from Pakistan to study at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, where he received a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and tourism management and a master’s of science degree in training and development. Ameen then began his career at Darden Restaurants, where he quickly rose...
Monday, April 01, 2024
Would you like to get involved in your community, meet some new folks and help out? With that simple thought, Jacques Peulen started the Woodbury Champions program to gather more volunteers for the Woodbury Community Foundation (WCF). “In the last year, we have had 80 great new members in our Champions program of which six or seven are new board members for the foundation,” he says. Peulen realized the need for new volunteers when he saw the same people volunteering with many organizations and events around Woodbury.Peulen plays a vital part in organizing Friends’ Fest, WCF’s annual fundraiser. This year’s...
Monday, April 01, 2024
Local restaurants The Wild Hare and You & Me Cafe will be hosting visits from America's Best Restaurants in early April 2024.America's Best Restaurants, a national media and marketing company focusing on bringing attention to local, independently owned restaurants, will bring its ABR Roadshow to both restaurants on April 10. Popular dishes will be highlighted along with an extensive on-camera interview with the owners of both restaurants, Dariush and Sarah Moslemi, about the restaurants' special place in the community. The episode will be aired extensively on social media channels at a later date.Read the full article here.
Monday, April 01, 2024
The Woodbury Community Expo welcomes a new location and new hours.One of Woodbury’s most beloved city events is celebrating a big anniversary this year. Laurie Staiger, president of the Woodbury Area Chamber of Commerce, says the 15th annual Woodbury Community Expo is sure to be a great event. “We’re really excited [about our] long history of being in the community,” Staiger says. “Woodbury is still such a young community. We’re still growing and expanding and so is the Expo.”Read the full article here.
Sunday, March 31, 2024
On March 21, the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce welcomed Midstate Excavating in Oak Park Heights as a new member of the Chamber community with a ribbon cutting celebration.Midstate Excavating was founded in 2002 by Jason Anderson, who started out with a pickup and a skid loader. Since its conception, Midstate has continued to grow rapidly, from doing small residential projects to large commercial projects and residential site development.Read the full article here.
Thursday, March 28, 2024
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced Minnesota's Digital Opportunity Plan has been accepted by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The acceptance means the state is now eligible for federal grants to implement the plan, which will help reduce gaps in internet adoption, and expand digital skills and digital technology access."Minnesota is a leader in delivering broadband, and we continue to expand service to underserved and unserved areas throughout the state," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "As our Digital Opportunity Plan illustrates, we are equally committed to ensuring every Minnesotan...
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Applications for the first round of funding from the Providing Resources & Opportunity & Maximizing Investments in Striving Entrepreneurs (PROMISE) Act are becoming available from the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC), the Minnesota Initiative Foundations and the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA). The Minnesota PROMISE Act, created by the Minnesota Legislature in 2023, establishes two programs – PROMISE Act Grants and PROMISE Act Loans – that provide financial support for small businesses located in legislatively-designated communities and neighborhoods that have been adversely affected by structural racial discrimination, civil unrest, lack of access to capital, a loss of population or an aging...
Monday, March 25, 2024
Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced $2.7 million in Robotics Teams and STEM Internships Program grant awards to eight nonprofit organizations and education institutions across the state.This competitive grant program, offered through DEED's Office of Youth Development, provides grants to organizations to support high school robotics teams, help prepare youth for STEM careers and create internships for high school students to work at private companies in STEM fields.Read the full article here.
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Teens 16 or older can work in long term care or hospital settings as a nursing assistant (with certification), dietary aide and other positions. Teens 18 or older may also be able to work in group home or home care settings.Working in a home-, community- or facility-based care setting is a great way for teens – and others – to explore if they want to pursue a health care or social services career.Read the full article here.
Monday, March 18, 2024
You don’t have to be a native Minnesotan to understand how unusual this winter has been. This winter season in the Twin Cities has been one of the warmest on record, with an average temperature of 29.9 degrees from December, January, and February, WCCO reported earlier this month. That’s more than 10 degrees above average.For businesses that depend on winter weather, this season has also presented financial and logistical challenges. That recently led Gov. Tim Walz to “unlock” federal disaster funds to help out businesses impacted by the warmer winter and historical drought conditions. Under the federal Economic Injury Disaster...
Thursday, March 14, 2024
Employers have good things to say about how CareerForce helps them find the promising employment candidates they need. CareerForce helps make these employment connections by hosting job fairs and other hiring events, encouraging job seekers who receive 1:1 services to apply at local employers and other ways. Hiring events are a great opportunity for employers to get in front of many job seekers – and for job seekers to explore several opportunities in one place.Here’s what CareerForce heard from two employers who participated at a job fair yesterday at CareerForce Minneapolis North:Read the full article here.
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
3M has named a new boss.On Tuesday, the Maplewood-based manufacturing giant announced that it has appointed William “Bill” Brown as CEO, effective May 1. He most recently served as chairman and CEO of Melbourne, Florida-based aerospace and defense firm L3Harris Technologies, which also keeps an office in Burnsville.Before that, Brown was chairman, president, and CEO of Harris Corp. before it merged with L3 Technologies in 2019.Read the full article here.
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was named best airport in North America for the third straight year by the trade group Airports Council International. MSP shares the 2023 “Airport Service Quality” honor with New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The award, for the 25 to 40 million passenger category, is based on an ACI passenger survey of 595,000 travelers worldwide. The survey covers more than 30 experience indicators including check-in, security, wayfinding, cleanliness, shopping, and dining. “Flying through MSP isn’t just transit; it’s an experience crafted with care,” director general of ACI World Luis Felipe de Oliveira said in a statement. “Success in the Airport...
Friday, February 02, 2024
Sandra Brick is dedicated CareerForce specialist who exemplifies the assistance job seekers receive when they call or visit a CareerForce location looking for help in their job search, from exploring career options to preparing for interviews – and everything in between.Just this month, we’ve received two CareerForce Success Story submissions thanking Sandra for her help in taking resumes from meh to marvelous.Anthony stopped by CareerForce Minneapolis North for help with his resume and Sandra jumped in to help him. Read the full article here.
Friday, February 02, 2024
St. Paul – Respondents to the annual Minnesota Manufacturing Business Conditions Survey, conducted by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, reported a cautiously optimistic outlook in their business indicators for 2024 compared to how their businesses performed against those indicators in 2023.Conducted between November and December, the random sample survey of Minnesota manufacturers asked respondents to rate the outlook for their business in 2024 compared to performance in 2023 in terms of number of orders, product/service production level, employment level, labor availability, investment in plant/equipment, selling prices, profits, productivity and...
Thursday, February 01, 2024
Northern Taphouse brings a curated menu and culinary expertise to Woodbury.Woodbury is welcoming a new locally owned restaurant: Northern Taphouse opened in late January with a menu packed full of tried-and-true bites, fresh ingredients and over-the-top drinks.“We have always liked Woodbury,” says Kent Letnes of Lincoln Hospitality and Northern Taphouse co-owner. “The people there seem like they’re looking for something local, something different.”With locations across the Metro in Lakeville and Plymouth, plus its flagship location across the border in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the Northern Taphouse team says it's the menu that brings people back time and time again.Read the full...
Thursday, February 01, 2024
Get away this spring in comfort and style.Travel is back and in a big way. Whether you’re making up for lost time from canceled trips during the height of the pandemic or looking to create memories with your family, people are yearning to get out of town. And what better time to do it than on the cusp of winter and spring? Snow has usually worn out its welcome, and sunny destinations are calling. But getting from here to there comes with its own set of quandaries—namely what to pack. We asked Debby Terlizzi, owner of Mainstream Boutique in Woodbury,...
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
St. Paul — Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced nearly $13.6 million in workforce grants, its latest effort to help grow Minnesota's workforce and connect people to good jobs.DEED is awarding Pathways to Prosperity grant funding to 43 organizations across the state. This Pathways to Prosperity funding is expected to serve 2,779 Minnesotans through three programs focused on providing clear career pathways to people who face systemic barriers to employment: On-Ramp to Career Pathways, Bridge to Career Pathways and Individualized Training Pathways.Read the full article here.
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
There are a variety of training opportunities available to eligible Minnesotans to help them prepare for and find in-demand employment now.One of these training programs is Pathways to Prosperity, which focuses on providing clear career pathways for people who face systemic barriers to employment. Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced nearly $13.6 million in Pathways to Prosperity funding to 43 workforce development grantees across the state. This funding will allow grantees to serve nearly 2,800 Minnesotans, helping them prepare for and land good jobs. Read the full article here.
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.The latest quarterly issue of Minnesota Economic Trends includes articles that: explore the factors that influence workers' decisions to stay at or leave jobs and identifies industry sectors that have been most and least successful at retaining employees; determine factors associated with health care professionals' choice to practice in rural Minnesota; take a closer look at generations in the workplace; and explore a new tool that paints a clearer picture of day-to-day...
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan announced today that over $6 million in Child Care Economic Development Grants – the state's largest-ever round of these grants – are now open. These grants are aimed at expanding access to child care and meeting the needs of working families.The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is also launching a new office to coordinate the efforts of state government, communities, businesses, and non-profit organizations that are working to provide child care in Minnesota.Read the full article here.
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Bruce and Stacy Wilmer have been beekeepers for nearly 40 years, producing honey in Minnesota and providing crop pollination throughout Minnesota and California. Their family business, Wilmer Honey Farms has relied on H2-A workers since 2015.Stacy Wilmer describes how essential H2-A workers are to their livelihood. “The beekeeping industry has changed as it has become a daily struggle to keep our honeybee colonies alive and healthy. We have had to learn how to manage and medicate our hives to avoid “Colony Collapse” This however takes an extreme amount of man power. The men that we employ through the H2A program...
Monday, January 29, 2024
Proactive outreach by CareerForce staff with the local New American community in northwestern Minnesota resulted in the first of its kind Polk County New Americans Job Fair, which drew 40 job seekers despite frigid temperatures.The job fair, co-sponsored by CareerForce and the New Americans Integration Center of East Grand Forks, took place on Jan.19 featured employers like Sanford Health, Home at Heart Care, University of Minnesota and Altru Health Systems. Translators were on hand to assist attendees and employers in communicating. CareerForce staff were also there to introduce jobseekers to prospective employers based on their career goals.Read the full article...
Thursday, January 25, 2024
Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced nearly $2.4 million in workforce grants for 24 organizations to help adults facing barriers to employment find and keep in-demand, career-path employment.Women's Economic Security Act (WESA) Grants – totaling $1.4 million – provide services that encourage and assist women to enter high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional occupations including but not limited to those in the skilled trades and Information Technology occupations. Adult Support Services Competitive Grants – totaling $950,000 – fund new or enhanced services such as job training, employment preparation, internships, job assistance to parents, financial literacy and academic and...
Tuesday, January 23, 2024
St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has named Jeanna Fortney as its next CareerForce Director, a key leader in the Agency's Workforce Development Division. Fortney will have administrative and operational oversight of more than 50 CareerForce locations across Minnesota, and will work in partnership with the 16 local workforce development boards.Previously, Fortney was executive director of the Minnesota Association of Workforce Development Boards, where she led the overall strategic and operational work for the association, which represents Minnesota's 16 local workforce development boards. Before that, she was a CareerForce Integration Project Manager at DEED,...
Friday, January 12, 2024
A new store just opened in Valley Ridge Mall, next to the DMV. If you've got a long wait next time you go to renew your license or tabs, pop over next door to browse Mint in Box Toys.Read the full article here.
Monday, December 25, 2023
What does Houston have to do with Paris? And, for that matter, with Woodbury? The story is a delicious one. Back in 2012, a couple of Houston restaurateurs opened a café inspired by the energy and flavors of Paris, focused on a perfectly executed staple of French cuisine: the crêpe. They called their eatery Sweet Paris. “They just loved the dish and the elegance, and they found there wasn’t really anything out there that offered this dish the right way,” says Alberto Landero, Sweet Paris’s chief development officer. “The original idea was just for one store, but it became a...
Monday, December 18, 2023
Five years ago, if you had asked sisters Chia and Hleeda Lor if they’d end up working together, running a full-blown stationery business, they’d probably say, “No.” The sisters, both graphic designers, began making and selling stickers in 2016 as a hobby during college in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and now run Unicorn Eclipse out of Woodbury.In the years since, both sisters had other jobs, but they began feeling burnt out. In 2020, they started drawing more, getting back into the creative groove together. It was a welcome escape, and they began developing their unified style and the reborn Unicorn Eclipse brand...
Friday, December 15, 2023
Bayport, Minnesota-based Andersen Corp. is closing out 2023 by paying out $55.4 million in profit sharing to its employees.That’s an increase of 33.5% over 2022 when the window and door manufacturer shared $41.4 million in profits with its workers.“Despite high interest rates impacting the housing market, Andersen continued to achieve remarkable growth in 2023,” Chris Galvin, Andersen’s president and CEO, said in a Thursday news release.Read the full article here.
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Robyn Dochterman of St. Croix can officially call herself a global award-winning chocolatier after two of her creations took top placements at the world final event of the International Chocolate Awards.Read the full article here.
Thursday, December 07, 2023
21 Roots is a farm located in Grant Township, dedicated to providing a place for children and adults with developmental disabilities to connect with nature, community, and dignity through farming.Read the full article here.
Thursday, December 07, 2023
Tim LaBeau at CareerForce in Cambridge helped Adam make the transition from the military to a civilian career. Adam served as an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Army. Through this work he gained proficiency in linguistics, mastered various communication technologies, honed data analysis techniques, and developed a knack for comprehensive report writing. These hard skills are instrumental in civilian sectors like data management, data analytics, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and even business analysis. Tim helped Adam leverage the considerable skills he had earned while in the military to find career path civilian employment.Here's what Adam said about the life-changing assistance he received...
Tuesday, December 05, 2023
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has awarded $1 million in Launch Minnesota Education Grants to entrepreneurial support organizations and more than $1.16 million in Innovation Grants to startups statewide."We're excited to support innovation and startup growth through the Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants and Education Grants," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "Both programs offer valuable support to help Minnesota's startups and small businesses prosper and grow."Read the full article here.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
This holiday season, the team at the Washington County Community Development Agency would like to draw a focus to the wonderful local businesses in our communities and ask residents to support them when possible! Making a trip to shop at downtown stores and dine at nearby restaurants this holiday season will not only help those businesses, but it will also help grow the local economy. Aside from boosting the local economy and watching local business owners smile, shopping locally during the holidays has many other advantages. Find out how you can make a difference by shopping at a local business...
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Come spring 2024, Washington County will have a better idea of what a future multiuse trail could look like that would connect three popular destinations: Hardwood Creek Regional Trail, Big Marine Park Reserve and William O’Brien State Park.The county is developing a long-range plan for a future regional trail to be called Glacial Hills. The process began last spring. The county hosted its first open house this week to gather community input, and plans to host another open house in early 2024.“A long-range plan is a planning document that helps provide a vision for the regional trail and the whole...
Monday, November 06, 2023
For the two women behind Finn & Gray, this saying has quickly become their motto—a way to stand in their power, embrace learning and recognize that they’re creating a life they love.“Sometimes, it feels like we’re building the rollercoaster as it’s going up,” co-owner Amanda Nagy says.Nagy and fellow co-owner Ami Kochendorfer have spent the last four years building a business that empowers other business owners to pursue flexibility and fulfillment on their own terms.Read the full article here.
Monday, November 06, 2023
Citizen of WoodburyJack Clinton visualizes the Woodbury Community Foundation (WCF) as the premier organization helping Woodbury and Washington County residents 30 years from today. His vision is to build up the WCF to sustain and grow as a viable independent entity.An attorney, Clinton’s practice revolves around real estate, estate planning and trust administration. In 2006, Dick Stafford, one of the founders of WCF, engaged Clinton to help attain a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status for the WCF. Since then, Clinton has been a vital part of WCF. He has served on its board as treasurer and part of the executive committee. Currently,...
Friday, November 03, 2023
Tim Labeau is a Veterans Employment Specialist at CareerForce in Cambridge. He shared this story with us about Jerry, a veteran who served as a Medical Platoon Sergeant in the U.S. Army and who was looking for assistance translating his military skills to a civilian career.Read the full article here.
Thursday, November 02, 2023
Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced today that they have awarded more than $2.3 million in grants to infrastructure projects in Greater Minnesota. The projects are expected to fund 946 full-time jobs in three communities."In Minnesota, we know that investing in infrastructure builds strong communities and grows our economy," said Governor Walz. "These infrastructure projects in Greater Minnesota will create jobs, attract investment, and improve the lives of Minnesotans."The funding, awarded through DEED's Greater Minnesota Business Development Public Infrastructure Grant Program (BDPI), will support projects in Hutchinson, Bemidji, and Princeton.Read the full...
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today launched its new $50 million Targeted Population Workforce Programs initiative, which focuses on skills training and support services to bring populations of workers who have been historically overlooked and often face multiple barriers to employment – particularly people of color – into the workforce at family-sustaining wages."DEED is delivering for Minnesota's workforce, employers and the workforce development organizations that help to connect them through our new Targeted Population Workforce Programs initiative," said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. "This program will provide workers in underserved communities with the technical and work-readiness skills...
Tuesday, October 31, 2023
To recognize October as Manufacturing Month, DEED’s CareerForce and Vocational Rehabilitation teamed up for a tour of the new, state of the art Altoz in Red Lake Falls. During the tour, the teams learned about the facility’s capabilities to manufacture cutting edge landscaping and snow-removal machines, which are sold to towns, sports teams, colleges, and universities not just in the United States, but around the globe. Beyond this, the teams learned about the exciting professional opportunities available at Altoz for CareerForce and Vocational Rehabilitation customers.Read the full article here.
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Reading can be a significant component for many jobs, and in training to prepare people for employment. Reviewing policies, going through training materials, consulting manuals and references – such activities are a routine part of lots of jobs across many sectors.When an employer is considering a new hire who has a disability that prevents them from reading standard print, that employer might reasonably wonder whether such a candidate is right for the job. Millions of Americans have a print disability. A print disability can be sensory, physical, or neurological - anything that makes the task of reading difficult.The mission of...
Wednesday, October 25, 2023
Minnesota is home to manufacturers across a range of products from food to vehicles to medical devices – and just about everything in between. Manufacturing accounts for 13% of Minnesota Gross Domestic Product and employs more than 325,000 people who earn an average annual wage of $76,950, which is 10% higher than the state’s overall average private sector wage. Continuing to attract new manufacturers and encouraging cutting edge production are key ways to ensure the future vitality of Minnesota’s dynamic manufacturing sector. Earlier this week, the White House designated 31 Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs (Tech Hubs) in communities across...