March/April 2018

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MARCH/APRIL 2018

6 18

CONTENTS GROW | NETWORK | PROFIT

President’s Letter Top Hats

8 20

Editor’s Note

Network Central

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C E L E B R AT I N G 1 8 Y E A R S I N B U S I N E S S

GROW

32 Cover Story ART AND SOUL Ask Ryan Schepp about his business and he’ll tell you about his art gallery, event center, student job shadowing program…and, oh yeah, he also does tattoos.

PROFIT

38 Feature SISTERS While visiting our sister city, Saint-Cloud, France, smiles and laughter were our common language.

42 Special Focus BUILDING BUSINESSES Commercial construction employment is at an all-time high in Central Minnesota.

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48 Special Section COMMERICAL CONSTRUCTION & LEASING

10 UPFRONT Valuable information designed to guide and educate

22 BUSINESS TOOLS

Marketplace intelligence and useful tips on how to continue to grow your business

50 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Nancy Cowardin, Companions Animal Hospital

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© Copyright 2018 Business Central, LLC

• Turn loyalty into sales

by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce,

• Don’t neglect the contact page

1411 West St. Germain Street, Suite 101,

• Planning for e-commerce • Virtual appreciation

Business Central is published six times a year

P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487 Phone (320) 251-2940 • Fax (320) 251-0081 Subscription rate: $18 for 1 year.

The right care at the right time.

CALL 320-200-3200

TEXT Text CARE to 320-287-WELL

CHAT Visit centracare.com/connect

Connect with a nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: • Learn about options open days, nights, and weekends • Get advice on self-care for your symptoms • Schedule appointments with a primary care provider

eCLINIC n PRIMARY CARE n WALK-IN CARE n URGENT CARE n EMERGENCY MEDICINE

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President’s Letter Seated L-R: Emily Bertram, Julie Lunning, Dana Randt, Rachel Thompson.

Standing: Lucas Anderson, Nikki Fisher, Lori Cates.

manage and service clients and visitors who come to St. Cloud for conferences, group tours and leisure visits.

Our CVB, known as Visit St. Cloud, is the best in the state! Julie has been in the business for more than 20 years and has been part of our CVB for as long as I’ve been with the Chamber. She is recognized as an

Visit St. Cloud!

T

expert and resource in all things tourism.

The success of Visit St. Cloud was seen in our January Hockey Day Minnesota that brought thousands to our

here is a consistent misconception about

area to celebrate the State of Hockey and participate in

chambers of commerce. Many people think we

games and festivities. This summer the CVB will be busy

are “part of the city” in which we are located. Please allow

with the National BMX Tour when it becomes part of our

me to clarify: The St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

summer celebrations. Last May, Visit St. Cloud hosted

is not part of, or a division of, any government entity

the Governor’s Fishing Opener on the Mississippi River,

whatsoever.

welcoming media from throughout the state and as far

Not the cities of St. Cloud or Waite Park or Sauk Rapids.

Not any county. And certainly not the state of Minnesota.

Our Chamber is a private business association

away as Chicago.

These events don’t magically decide to come here.

A complicated and time consuming bidding process

funded by our members. About half of our funding comes

is involved. Once the decision to come here is made,

from membership investments and the other half comes

the real work begins. Hundreds of volunteers and

from programs and events. The only dollars we receive

thousands of hours of planning and execution go into

from government are provided by entities that choose to

pulling off successful major events.

be members, just like our business members. We have the

For both the Governor’s Fishing Opener and Hockey

same responsibility to all members – provide value and

Day Minnesota our CVB received accolades for flawless

benefit for every dollar invested so renewal is assured.

events that rose to a higher level than ever before.

Our Chamber works closely with area cities on

Visit St. Cloud keeps our community in the national eye,

legislative initiatives and bonding projects that bring

and keeps out-of-town money flowing to our area. Each

positive economic impact to our communities. However,

visitor who spends the night also spends an average of

we can be at odds over taxation issues and individual

$150 in the area.

projects that may impact businesses negatively. That’s how we are the voice of business in Central Minnesota!

We do sign contracts with the cities of St. Cloud and Waite Park to provide convention and tourism services

Now that’s Five Star Economic Impact!

Congratulations to all of the staff members at Visit St. Cloud. We look forward to seeing what they do next.

on their behalf using the lodging tax dollars collected by hotels, motels and lodging facilities. With those funds we hire Convention and Visitors’ Bureau (CVB) Executive Director Julie Lunning and a staff of six people to sell,

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Teresa Bohnen Publisher

Administrative Assistant: Vicki Lenneman, ext. 122 Administrative Assistant: Shelly Imdieke, ext. 100

Main Phone: 320-251-2940 Automated Reservation Line: 320-656-3826 Program Hotline: 320-656-3825 information@StCloudAreaChamber.com StCloudAreaChamber.com ST. CLOUD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STAFF President: Teresa Bohnen, ext. 104 Vice President: Gail Ivers, ext. 109 Director of Administration: Judy Zetterlund, ext. 106 Communications & Workforce Development Coordinator: Kelti Lorence, ext. 130 Special Events Coordinator: Sheri Wegner, ext. 131 Membership Sales Specialist: Rhonda Dahlgren, ext. 134 Administrative Assistant: Kellie Libert, ext. 124

2017-18 BOARD MEMBERS Jason Bernick, Bernick’s, Past Board Chair Marilyn Birkland, Times Media David Borgert, CentraCare Health Christy Gilleland, Gilleland Chevrolet Cadillac Jim Gruenke, Traut Companies Jason Hallonquist, AIS Planning Dennis Host, Coborn’s, Inc. Willie Jett, St. Cloud School District Kevin Johnson, K. Johnson Construction Diane Mendel, Playhouse Child Care Bernie Omann, St. Cloud State University Mark Osendorf, Xcel Energy Bernie Perryman, Batteries Plus Bulbs Roger Schleper, Premier Real Estate Services, Board Chair Allison Waggoner, DCI, Inc. Chriss Wohlleber, Courtyard by Marriott-St.Cloud, Board Vice Chair

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU STAFF Main Phone: 320-251-4170 Executive Director: Julie Lunning, ext. 111 Director of Sports & Special Events: Dana Randt, ext. 110 Sales Manager: Nikki Fisher, ext. 112 Social Media & Marketing Specialist: Emily Bertram, ext. 129 Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Rachel Thompson, ext. 128 Information Specialist Administrative Assistant: Lucas Anderson, ext. 100

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Editor’s Note

Editor Gail Ivers shows off her henna.

The art of henna in

Cochin, India

Body Art

A

friend recently told me that he had always wanted a tattoo. He even had one picked out, but couldn’t bring himself to have it done. Whether it was the pain of the needle or the price, I don’t know.

Another friend recently added a tattoo to his existing art and his son received his first tattoo.

Earlier this year I was at a meeting where one of the participants said he and his wife had just gone in together for tattoos. He was so excited, showing everyone his bandaged arm and explaining what the final product would look like and why he chose it.

I appear to be surrounded by tattoos.

Not wanting to be left out of the tattoo trend, my Aunt Nancy and I decided we should take advantage of our recent trip to southern India and seek out some henna.

We discovered two of our traveling companions were also interested and on the last day we all made it happen.

Following a suggestion from the hotel where we were staying, the four of us burst into a salon and demanded henna. From their startled looks it was clear this was not an everyday occurrence. We were all so excited that it took a bit for us to convey — and them to grasp — that we were asking if they could give us each a henna application on our hands.

Once we sorted that out they offered us tea and took two of our group to the back of the salon. Not to be left out, the remaining two marched right back with them to take pictures.

For the uninitiated, henna is a brown dye used by Indian women, among others, as decoration. The designs

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are often quite intricate, with lots of curls and flowers, and frequently applied for special occasions. I can best describe it as looking like cake frosting. The women who applied ours used a tube with a very narrow tip. They squeezed the henna out of the tube and applied it thickly to our skin, drawing a pattern as they went.

When they were done with the design, we sat without moving our hands until the henna dried. Then our artists applied sugar water to the henna to help keep it from flaking off. The longer you leave the henna in place, usually three to four hours, the darker the stain becomes.

My biggest concern upon returning home was what to wear in sub-zero temperature that would show off my henna.

My biggest surprise was that everyone knew what it was. A woman who waited on me at the grocery store complimented me on my henna. She said she had seen examples on Facebook.

My biggest disappointment was that it had worn off before I had a chance to flaunt it during my interview with Ryan Schepp, owner of Cream City Tattoo. (See the cover story on page 32.) I know it’s pretty tame by Ryan’s standards, but it’s as close to a tattoo as I’m likely to get... for now.

Until next issue,

Publisher Teresa Bohnen Managing Editor Gail Ivers Associate Editor Dawn Zimmerman

ADVERTISING Associate Publisher/Sales Wendy Hendricks, Hendricks Marketing Ad Traffic & Circulation Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media ART Design & Production Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media Cover Photo Joel Butkowski, BDI Photography

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Teresa Bohnen, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Luke Greiner, Minnesota Dept. of Employment & Economic Development Diane Hageman, Hageman Communications Brian Hart, Sandler Training Dr. Fred E. Hill, St. Cloud State University Gail Ivers, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Kellie Libert, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Mike Roth, Enventus Dawn Zimmerman, The Write Advantage

1411 West St. Germain Street, Suite 101, P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487 Phone (320) 251-2940 Fax (320) 251-0081 BusinessCentralMagazine.com

ACCOUNTING Judy Zetterlund

For advertising information contact Wendy Hendricks, (320)656-3808

WEBSITE Vicki Lenneman

Editorial suggestions can be made in writing to: Editor, Business Central, P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487. Submission of materials does not guarantee publication.

Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Your Voice in Government

UPFRONT GROW | NETWORK | PROFIT

• People to Know

• New at the Top • Top Hat Photos • The Trouble with Business uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

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NEWS & PEOPLE THAT MAKE UP THE CHAMBER NETWORK

BOOK REVIEW

Your Best Self

NEWS REEL

Can one week change your approach to life?

Author Erik Larssen says “Yes!” Reviewed by Dr. Fred Hill

Hell Week; Seven Days to be Your Best Self

by Erik Bertrand Larssen, Gallery Books, New York, 2013, ISBN 978-14767-8336-9

I

t might help to know a bit about author Erik Bertrand Larssen before reading his book. Larssen is described as an international bestselling author. He is a native Norwegian, a veteran paratrooper, successful entrepreneur, and critically acclaimed performance consultant. He has helped countless high achievers, including executives at Microsoft, Boston Consulting Group, Statoil ASA, and some professional athletes.

Still, “Hell Week” might not connote fun.

Central to Larssen’s technique is the

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commitment to live and experience just one week as your best self. His book offers tools, and pragmatic, inspirational advice – including ways to incorporate exercise, time management, and focused meditation into your daily routine. Here is what he has to say, and for us to do.

Part One: Planning and Preparation.

Step One - Embrace Adversity Step Two - Get Mentally Prepared Step Three - Strengthen the Connection between Mind and Body Step Four - Gather Feedback Step Five - Define Your Goals Step Six – Visualization: Creating a Loop in the Thread Step Seven - Devise a Program

Part Two: Here Comes Hell Week.

The Seven Rules of Hell Week: Monday - Harnessing the Force of Habit Tuesday - Getting Into the Mode

of the Comfort Zone Friday - Rest and Restitution Saturday - Controlling Your Inner Dialogue Sunday - Putting Life into Perspective.

Part Three is Follow up.

Life after Hell Week: One to three months after, three to six months after, and one year after.

How much Hell can we get in one week? Let’s look at The Seven Rules of Hell Week (pp 93-98). Rule 1: Early to Bed (10:00 pm), Early to Rise (5:00 am).

Rule 2: Look Your Absolute Best at All Times. Rule 3: Exercise to the Extreme.

Rule 4: Stick to a Healthy Diet. Rule 5: Take Charge of Your Digital Life. Rule 6: Get HyperFocused. Rule 7: Step up Your Game.

In your search for more “Hell,” you can do hard work, be dedicated, be proactive, be positive, and enjoy incredible focus.

Larssen says you can do it!

Go! It’s show time!! Who knew “Hell” could be such fun?

Dr. Fred E. Hill is an emeritus

Wednesday - Managing Your Time

professor of Learning

Thursday - Getting Out

at St. Cloud State University.

Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

Resources and Services,

THEIS NAMED TO 50 FOR NEXT 50 Robin Theis, administrator, housing and community services, St. Benedict’s Senior Community has been named to LeadingAge Minnesota’s 50 for the Next 50. The program recognizes innovative and influential leaders who are charting the course for the next wave of older adult services.

GAPINSKI JOINS ROTOCHOPPER Paul Gapinski joins the Rotochopper team as a fabricator/welder on the second shift.

NEW MEMBERS JOIN FOUNDATION BOARD The Central Minnesota Community Foundation (CMCF) added four members to the board of directors: Jason Bernick, Bernick's; Mary Hinton, College of St. Benedict; Paul Thompson, Bremer; and Joanne Kudrna, Granite Equity Partners.

BITZ JOINS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Jessica Bitz, market president for Falcon National Bank, joined the Board of Trustees for the Initiative Foundation.

2017 HOLLY BALL SETS RECORD The CentraCare Health Foundation’s 43rd annual Holly Ball raised a recordbreaking $820,000, which included a Fund-A-Need segment that raised $131,000.

“

POINT OF VIEW

Business Central asks readers:

What is your favorite memory of your first job?

“

My 3-year old patient, Natalie, had been coming in with fluid build up behind her eardrums and we had been working on drainage for about a week. She heard Michael Jackson playing on the radio and started singing and dancing to the music while she got adjusted. Her mother told me how they had not seen this side of Natalie in a long time! I knew then that I had chosen the right profession and specialty." Carolyn Urbanski, Imagine Chiropractic

My first real job was at Zapp Bank. My supervisor was the type of supervisor every 20 something should have. Always encouraging me to learn more.

When I had an idea she let me run with it and guided me through the process showing me how to better the project and myself. She pushed me to take on extra responsibilities when things were out of my comfort zone. Marsha taught me what a good supervisor looked like even when things got tough. She is my favorite memory of my first job."

Lisa Landowski, Image Builders

“

My first real job out of college was as a claims rep for State Fund Mutual. I dealt with a young family where the father lost his life in a work-related incident. How is that my favorite memory?

We were able to provide the financial security for the wife and her young kids so they had one less thing to worry about. Helping the wife work through her tragedy made my job very rewarding!"

(Be sure to ask Brian about his funniest favorite memory!) Brian Jarl, Advantage 1 Insurance Agency

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MEMBER FDIC

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UpFront YOUR VOICE IN GOVERNMENT

NEWS REEL HENDRICKS JOINS PREMIER REAL ESTATE Wendy Hendricks recently joined the Premier Real Estate Services team. A Minnesota licensed realtor and commercial consultant, Hendricks specializes in commercial real estate sales, leasing, and business brokerage.

She is the owner of Hendricks Marketing and associate publisher of Business Central Magazine.

KALKMAN JOINS CENTRACARE HEALTH Joseph Kalkman joins CentraCare Health as vice president and chief human resources officer. Since 2015, Kalkman has served as vice president of Talent Management for Anthem, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana.

SCHLENNER WENNER ADDS PARTNER Aaron Smith, CPA, has been promoted to partner at Schlenner Wenner & Co. He is a graduate of St. Cloud State University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a minor in finance.

KENSINGTON BANK ANNOUNCES NEW CEO Kensington Bank recently promoted Dan Robertson to president and CEO. Robertson is a 17-year veteran of the financial industry. He joined Kensington Bank in 2012 as bank president in Cokato. Jon Hall was appointed the bank’s chief credit officer.

BERGANKDV ADDS STAFF Tonya Grow joins the St. Cloud office of BerganKDV as a tax staff member.

Collaboration

Area chambers partner to support state priorities for small business.

E

ach year the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors considers our Chamber’s participation with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Federation. This group of 60 local Minnesota chambers partner with one another and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, supporting state priorities for small businesses. Here are the 2018 priorities: Full Dedication of Transportation Related Revenues The 2017 legislature passed the largest transportation funding bill in almost a decade. Nearly $2 billion of transportation related sales taxes will be captured and directed to the state’s transportation system over the next 10 years. The Chamber Federation has been a strong advocate for the investment of transportation related General Fund resources in transportation infrastructure and services. We support full dedication of collections to transportation.

Strengthen Minnesota’s

Medical Procedure Price Transparency Laws Increasing health care costs have pushed health insurance products toward higher out of pocket costs for policyholders. More and more Minnesotans are shouldering a larger share of their health care costs themselves, often spending thousands of dollars in deductibles before coverage kicks in. Individuals must be better consumers of health care, yet cost information is incomplete.

Minnesota has laws that require health care providers to disclose costs of medical procedures at the request of a patient. These laws must be strengthened to ensure they are followed and that vital information is provided in a timely manner.

Enhance Minnesota’s Tax Competitiveness Tax reform will be difficult to achieve in 2018 due to the wide tax policy differences between Governor Dayton and the Republican legislative majorities. In addition, 2018 is a non-budget year, short session, and an election year. Federal tax

Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

reform may provide an opportunity for state tax reforms, as federal reforms may result in additional state revenues.

Ensure Consistent Statewide Laws A troubling trend is cities that are enacting their own workplace mandates. This creates a patchwork of city-by-city ordinances that presents greater administrative burdens for employers.

Local units of government should not be able to enact their own local minimum wage ordinances or benefit mandates. Doing so may disrupt the state employment market and impede hiring and job growth.

Accordingly, the Federation supports explicit statewide preemption of local government labor mandates.

YOUR VOICE COUNTS Our Chamber Board of Directors voted to support these priorities at their Jan. 23 meeting. If you are a Chamber member and have input regarding these priorities, please contact Teresa Bohnen at tbohnen@stcloudareachamber.com

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Tax reform will be difficult to achieve in 2018 due to the wide tax policy differences between Governor Dayton and the Republican legislative majorities.

PEOPLE TO KNOW

Kara Tomazin

Dawn Scott-Yackley

Tanja Goering

St. Cloud Hospital/ CentraCare Health (320) 229-5199 x71390 tomazink@centracare.com Chair, Marketing Committee The Marketing Committee is responsible for the over-all marketing efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, including communication materials, advertising, publications, the website, promotional programs, and organizational research.

Times Media (320) 259-3693 dscottyack@stcloud.gannett.com Chair, Business Development Council The purpose of the Business Development Council is to provide training and education for Chamber members and their employees to help their businesses survive and thrive.

Programs include Lunchtime Learning, and a variety of seminars, workshops, and certificate programs.

Pro Staff (320) 656-9777 tanja.goering@prostaff.com Chair, Government Affairs Committee The Government Affairs Committee researches legislative issues, makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding legislative policy positions, organizes trips to the Capitol and legislative updates during the session, and maintains contact with area legislators and other elected officials throughout the year.

MYTH Someone will step forward to take care of my assets when I die.

Learn why not at Quinlivan.com/MythBusted

- Brad Hanson, Estate Planning Attorney Serving in the areas of Business & Employment Law, Trust & Estates, Insurance Defense & Medical Malpractice, Premises Liability & Personal Injury, Government Liability. Learn more at Quinlivan.com or by calling (320) 251-1414

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UpFront NEW AT THE TOP

NEWS REEL CENTRACARE HEALTH FOUNDATION RECEIVES GRANT The CentraCare Health Foundation received a $250,000 grant from the Otto Bremer Trust for the new Coborn Healing Center. Construction is underway on the new center with an estimated completion date of mid2018. It will be located adjacent to the Coborn Cancer Center at the CentraCare Health Plaza.

Once complete, the Coborn Healing Center will offer art and music therapy, support groups, spiritual well-being, fitness classes, integrative therapy (acupuncture, massage, healing touch) and an interactive kitchen/classroom.

AREA JEWELERS COMPLETE RECERTIFICATION Registered Jewelers Andy Alvord, Patricia Biendara, and Erin Bitzan, and Certified Gemologist Dick Bitzan, all of D.J. Bitzan Jewelers, have successfully completed the annual American Gem Society (AGS) recertification exam.

NELSON TO LEAD HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Stephen Black

Director, St. Cloud VA Health Care System Age: 42 Previous employer: Durham VA Health Care System in Durham, NC What will you miss most about your previous position?

The Durham VA was affiliated with Duke University and University of North Carolina, both prestigious health care entities. Being in that environment was stimulating and humbling. It made me think bigger and expect more of my organization.

When did you start in your current position? April 2, 2017

What are you enjoying most in your new position? There is incredible opportunity at the St. Cloud VA. We have dedicated, innovative staff who love veterans. We have been ranked in the Top 5 hospitals across the VA for the last two years. We have ample opportunity to improve, not just care for veterans, but Americans. There is really no ceiling to our innovative capabilities.

Where did you grow up? Franklin, IN, a small farming community south of Indianapolis.

What are your hobbies? Reading, road biking, cooking, coffee, watching football (The Colts), looking for my first winter hobby

Fun fact: Our three kids (7, 4, and 1) have lived in four different states (IN, VA, NC, MN) and have developed quite an accent.

PEOPLE TO KNOW

Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity named Rick Nelson as their new executive director.

Nelson comes to St. Cloud from Woodbury, Minn., and brings decades of experience leading faith communities and engaging in community service efforts to end homelessness, poverty, and promote wellness and social justice.

VILLAGE FAMILY SERVICES ADDS THERAPIST Alison Erickson has joined the Village Family Service Center as a therapist. She will provide clinical service to individuals, couples, families, and group therapy.

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Diane Diego Ohmann

Andy Noble

St. Cloud Area School District #742 (320) 252-2231 x3031 diane.ohmann@isd742.org Chair, Membership & Workforce Development Division The Membership Division is responsible for all marketing and membership activities, including workforce development, networking programs and all of the Chamber’s special events.

Advantage 1 Insurance Agency (320) 252-6650 andy@advantageoneins.com Chair, Central Minnesota Farm Show Committee This committee is responsible for planning and organizing the Central Minnesota Farm Show, the largest indoor agri-business expo of its type in the region. The annual three-day show starts the last Tuesday in February at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud.

St. Cloud Area Evening at the Capitol

IF YOU GO?

Lunchtime Learning Educational networking events that give busy professionals a chance to stay on the cutting edge. Meets the first Wednesday of the month, noon-1 p.m., at the Chamber office, 1411 W St. Germain Street, Ste 101.

Registration is required: $20 for Chamber members, $30 for the general public.

March 7: Jim Gray, St. Cloud State University, presents “New Video Techniques for Marketing,” sponsored

by BadCat Digital Marketing.

April 4: Dr. David Kroska, St. Cloud Hospital/CentraCare Health presents “Are You Ready for a Health Makeover?” Sponsored by Profile by Sanford.

BUSINESS AFTER HOURS A complimentary open house for Chamber members and guests.

Bring lots of business cards and prepare to grow your network!

4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

March 22: Hosted by the Tuscan Center at Midtown Square, 3333 W. Division St., Ste. 116, St. Cloud April 26: Waite Park Chamber Business After Hours hosted by Woods Farmer Seed & Nursery, 2801 1st St. S., Waite Park

Interact with state legislators and make your voice heard in St. Paul on March 21.

Join us at 3 p.m. for a tour of the newly remodeling Capitol building and an update from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. There is a reception from 5-7 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Capitol Ridge, 161 St. Anthony Ave., St. Paul. Sponsorships and individual registrations are available.

Registration is required to Kellie at 320-656-3824 or klibert@ StCloudAreaChamber.com.

NOW SERVING AT MILLE LACS! Exciting news: we’re offering beer and wine service in our conference and event space at Grand Casino Mille Lacs! Your guests already love the endless gaming action, delicious dining, and comfortable amenities — just imagine how happy they’ll be with a frosty beer or a glass of red wine. Whatever event you’re planning, make it a crowd pleaser!

Visit GrandCasinoMN.com or call 800-626-5825 for more information.

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UpFront THE TROUBLE WITH BUSINESS

NEWS REEL CENTRACARE HEALTH NURSES RECEIVE AWARDS

Complacency Kills!

As business leaders we must be careful about complacency.

By Mike Roth

Melissa Fradette, Intensive Care Unit, was honored with the 2017 Distinguished Nurse of the Year Award by the March of Dimes. This is the second year in a row CentraCare has had a nurse win this prestigious award. In addition to Fradette, 17 CentraCare Health nurses were selected as finalists and four were category winners for the March of Dimes Nurse of the Year Awards.

5 STEPS TO A BETTER FUTURE 1 Make sure the vision is clear and everybody shares it. Is everybody rowing in the same direction and know where the organization is going?

METRO BUS HAS NEW COO Jim Perez joins Metro Bus as their new Chief Operating Officer (COO). He has a master’s degree in business management and over three decades of transit experience, working in both small and large agencies.

TRAUT COMPANIES FEATURED BY PROBING TIMES Probing Times featured Jen Foged and Tammy Wahl of Traut Companies as part of the Geoprobe® '100' Club.

Ten companies across the nation were added to the exclusive Geoprobe® machine owners who push 100 feet or beyond. Foged and Wahl reached a depth of 103 feet on December 23, 2016 at a field site in Becker, Minn.

For consideration in News Reel send your news release to givers@ StCloudAreaChamber.com

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I

f you’re like a lot of business leaders I know, 2017 was a pretty good year. The economy is on the upswing and business is strong. I regularly hear, “We’re having a good year and I’m comfortable with how things are now, there is no need for change.” However, the best companies still ask themselves, “What could we have done better?” That desire to continuously improve is what makes them great. They know the BEST time to invest in improvement is when times are good and they have the resources.

As business grows, demands on your people, your systems and process also increase. Revenue growth often covers up a lot of issues that can haunt us later.

Do any of these resonate with you?

We are so busy there isn't any time to enjoy it.

My life is out of balance.

When you get caught up in the day-to-day details, it’s easy to forget to take time to make sure you’re getting somewhere. It’s like driving without directions.

You usually get there, but it takes longer and is harder than it ought to be. Are you working on the right stuff at the right time?

We thought we hired right, but it takes so long for new people to get up to speed. As companies grow, new processes and ways of doing things evolve.

Many times this is "tribal knowledge" that never gets documented. Worse yet, someone leaves and nobody knows how to do what they did. Are your processes and systems scalable and repeatable?

2 Make sure the structure of the organization is right. Does everyone have the skills and time available to succeed in their jobs?

3 Make sure key processes are documented so new hires can ramp up quickly.

Is your training curve as short as it can be?

4 Make sure you are measuring the right stuff.

Are you looking at the right data to know the business is being maximized?

5 Make sure you are executing as well as possible.

Are you prioritizing the right issues?

Are you solving them in a timely manner? Are you communicating well?

We just couldn't hire the right people. Do you really know what you need?

Do you have the right structure?

It’s important to take a timeout and ask two important questions: 1 Are you structured the right way to enable you to grow?

2 Do you have all the right skills to deliver what is needed for where your organization is now?

We were able to hire good people, but our managers are still overworked. Growth

brings volume. However, the number of hours in a day doesn't change. Sometimes we forget to ask if it is still appropriate to be doing everything we are doing.

Poor delegation can create bottlenecks. Ask "Is everyone focusing on the things they are great at and letting someone else do the rest?"

We could have done better but we were so busy we lost control and money slipped through the cracks.

As companies grow, they

inherently get more complex.

There are more people involved, so communication becomes more challenging. Systems and processes evolve and sometimes take on a life of their own. Take a look at what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. Can you simplify things?

As you look toward the rest of the year, what steps are you going to take to avoid complacency and make things better for your company and everyone involved in it?

When times are good, invest in your future!

contributor Mike Roth is the president of Reventus, a business consulting firm, and a certified implementer for the Entrepreneurial Operating System. He can be reached at Mike.Roth@reventusllc.com

IF YOU GO?

St. Cloud Area Business Showcase Plan now to attend the St. Cloud Area Business Showcase April 10, 2018 from 4-7 p.m.

This community event features 90 businesses all under one roof at the River's Edge Convention Center. Open to the public. Entry fee is $3 at the door.

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TOP HATS: NEW MEMBERS

Famous Dave’s, barbeque restaurant, eat in or take out, catering, 310 3rd Street NE, Waite Park. Pictured: Brian Jarl, Andrew Kopnick, Wilbur, Courtney Baune, Sonia Nordmann.

Avis Budget of St. Cloud, serving the St. Cloud and surrounding area with all your car and truck rental needs, 2239 Roosevelt Road suite 2, St. Cloud. Pictured: Mark Roerick, Randy Sosalla, Sheri Moran.

OPEX Saint Cloud, offers individualized fitness training programs, nutrition, and lifestyle support, 101 Osseo Ave. N, St. Cloud. Pictured: Mark Roerick, Sarah Avery, Ryan Avery, Diane Diego Ohmann.

Geringhoff, manufacturers innovative harvest equipment, headquarters in Ahlen, Germany, 3405 Energy Drive, St. Cloud.

Pictured: Matt Knutson, Tosh Brinkerhoff, Tammy Buttweiler.

TOP HATS: MILESTONES 35-year Chamber member Mills Fleet Farm, farm and home supplies, sporting goods, automotive supplies and repair, building, lawn, garden supplies and equipment, 2630 Division Street, St. Cloud. Pictured: Peg Imholte, Kerry Harter, Tammy Buttweiler.

Speed & Service Matter Most - That’s Why We Make Priority Dakota Mailing’s Five-Star Service Makes YOUYOU OurOur Priority Tired BIG companies too distant and out-of-touch to deliver Whenof you’re ready to choose your next mailing system, why y responsive, reliable solutionsinfor your mailroom?

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Dakota Mailing & Shipping Equipment Inc. is a locally owned, Mailing & Shipping Equipment Inc. offers complete menu of INDEPENDENT dealership that offers a fullamenu of mailing Pitney Bowes solutions products that help putting you save time and first. money— and shipping all while customers So— when choosing nextcompromise— mailing system don’t limit glove” yourself without making your a single truly “white to the lunch menu, ring for the best-in-class. service.

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Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

30-year Chamber member Rajkowski Hansmeier, Ltd., legal services for business, agricultural, and personal needs, 11 7th Ave. N, St. Cloud. Pictured: Tauna Quimby, Gordon Hansmeier, Troy Poetz, Kevin Gray, Eric Oelrich, Tanja Goering.

TOP HATS: NEW MEMBERS

Philip E Peichel Agency, Inc., DBA American Family Insurance, a full service insurance agency auto/home/commercial/life, 1121 2nd Street S, suite 103, Sartell. Pictured: Rory Cruser, Phil Peichel, Brenda Eisenschenk.

Minnesota Computer Systems, Inc., sales and service of copiers, printers, scanners, computers and managed services, 3900 Roosevelt Road, suite 108, St. Cloud. Pictured: Sheri Moran, Mike Houghton, Tammy Buttweiler.

R.E.M. Central Lakes, is a partner of The MENTOR Network, a national network of local human services providers offering quality, communitybased services, 266 33rd Ave. S, suite 10, St. Cloud. Pictured: Luke Cesnik, Grant Pullman, Tammy Buttweiler.

Landwehr Tax & Accounting, a full service accounting firm with over 25 years of experience, including tax preparation, payroll, bookkeeping services, business and personal financial consulting, 1407 33rd Street S, St. Cloud. Pictured: Luke Cesnik, Ashley Kerzman, Cherie Landwehr, Tammy Buttweiler.

TOP HATS: MILESTONES 30-year Chamber member Cathedral High School, serving grades 7- 12 in middle level and high school settings, 312 7th Ave. N, St. Cloud. Pictured: Rick Poganski, Lynn Grewing, Todd Van Erp, Matt Knutson.

20-year Chamber member Blow Molded Specialties, Inc., industrial blow molded products and assemblies for construction equipment, OTR trucks, ATVs, and many other OEM applications, 222 Bronder Drive, Foley.

Pictured: Jason Bernick, Kris Anderson, Doug Von Arb, Inese Mehr.

“A lot of the things I learn from Sandler I can apply to managing customers, employees, and everyday life.�

DAN MEER

OWNER CLEAR WATERS OUTFITTING COMPANY

BRIAN HART

Sandler Training 26 8th Avenue South St. Cloud, MN 320-281-3056 www.BrianHart.Sandler.com

M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 //

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UpFront

NetworkCentral GROW | NETWORK | PROFIT

u

E V E N T S A R O U N D T H E S T. C LO U D A R E A

NETWORK

Sauk Rapids Chamber hosted by BankVista

Rich Romness, CPS, Ltd and Brenda Sickler, Thiesen Dental

Mike Johnson, St. Cloud Rox Baseball and Isabella Baert, Rapids Alterations

Roy Dodds, Urban Lodge Brewery and Restaurant

Brenda Eisenschenk, InteleCONNECT, gets into the spirit of the season

NETWORK

Waite Park Chamber hosted by United Way of Central Minnesota

Mr. and Mrs. Claus visited the Sauk Rapids Chamber in December, courtesy of our host, BankVista

Tammy Wilson, principal, Discovery Community School

20

Erica Thompson, Regus (L) and Cristy Lahr, Franklin Outdoor

Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

Tom Fenton, Graphic Printing Solutions (L); Ryan Conrad, Solid Rock Family Church; Andy Noble, Advantage 1 Insurance

Jama Mohamed (L), Daniel Larson, and Kori Carter, share information about the United Way Neighborhood Resource Centers

Mike Forsberg, Forsberg Investments and Insurance and Kayla Blunt, Toppers Pizza

www.scr-mn.com NETWORK

Business After Hours hosted by Regional Diagnostic Radiology and The Vein Center, and SkinFitNessMD Formerly St. Cloud Refrigeration

Central | Metro

St. Cloud • Twin Cities Wilmar • Alexandria 1-800-827-1642

REFRIGERATION

Northern

Brainerd • Baxter 1-800-273-9071

HVAC

Gary Cordie, Prudential Financial

Duluth | Superior

SERVICE

1-800-827-1642

BUILDING AUTOMATION FOOD SERVICE

Mary Jo Schepers, Great River Federal Credit Union (L) and Mary Hondl, SkinFitNessMD

Peg Imholte, Black Diamond Auctions (L) and Angie Hill, Restore 24

“

Southern

Rochester 1-877-399-4546 Mankato 1-800-447-3259

Stearns Bank has always been good to work with.

I like that they give you an answer fast and you can reach them when you need to.

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STEARNS BANK CUSTOMER

Curt Letnes

Owner, Grizzly’s Waite Park, MN

Teresa Bohnen, St. Cloud Area Chamber; Tanner Neubauer, Rejuv Medical; Jason Bernick, Bernick’s

Fast and friendly service.

We Get the Job Done! ® Visit StearnsBank.com today Member FDIC

Follow us

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InSIDE THIS ISSUE: Management Toolkit • Entreprenuerism •

BUSINESS TOOLS GROW | NETWORK | PROFIT

u

Tech Strategies • Economy Central by Falcon Bank uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

RESOURCES THAT HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROW

MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT

Crabby Customers Companies that provide appropriate training can help turn the most difficult customer encounters into positive experiences. By Diane Hageman

E

mployees, faced with unhappy customers, often feel unprepared for the situation. Those companies and organizations that work with their staffs to provide training and tips can help alleviating many of the most difficult situations.

Preferred Credit Inc. (PCI), a St. Cloud-based in-home credit company, has 300 employees who work with 130,000 customers on an

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Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

annual basis. Each employee goes through a 90-day training and orientation process of which about 50 percent is dedicated to customer relations. After the initial orientation, front-line customer service employees have regular assertiveness training and monthly one-hour refresher courses that frequently cover situations for dealing with upset clients. Both are conducted by internal staff.

“Lower your voice. Be polite and respectful. We address each customer as Miss, Ms. or Mr. All of these tactics help de-escalate situations.”

Bridget Pauna, senior customer service manager, emphasizes the importance of listening. “Let them vent. Don’t talk over them. And remind the customers you are there to help,” she said. “Lower your voice. Be polite and respectful.

We address each customer as Miss, Ms. or Mr. All of these tactics help de-escalate situations.”

School District 742 administrators Marsha Baisch

and Lori Posch agree that active listening can help defuse tough situations. “Our focus is on building relationships,” Baisch said. “If teachers and staff have established good relationships early in the school year, it’s easier to address concerns when the need arises.”

The school district, with nearly 900 teachers and almost 1,800 employees, doesn’t have specific training focused on dealing with upset parents.

They do work with staff, particularly teachers, to have strong professional support networks in place. All new teachers have mentors, tenured staff have peer collaborators, and each building has academic coaches so they are constantly working with each other to problem solve.

“We also encourage mindful inquiry,” Posch said. “Good listeners ask the right kinds of questions and paraphrase responses back.”

Role-Playing “Outlining scenarios is helpful,” said James

WWW.DESIGNELECT.COM

Gulbranson, a training and security officer with CentraCare Health. “For example, if a patient calls and is yelling on the phone, we have some suggested scripts.

They can say something like ‘I want to help you with this bill, but I can’t do that when you are yelling.

When you are ready to talk, please call back.’”

Virtually all of the 9,700 employees at CentraCare go through a four-hour Prepared Training Program (PTP).

Frontline patient staff receive eight hours of Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NCI), which focuses on early intervention. These programs are purchased through the Crisis Intervention Institute and CentraCare has a number of staff who have participated in the “train the trainer” classes and teach the classes internally.

Through these programs, situations are broken down into nonverbal, verbal and physical.

Staff are given scenarios and tips for how best to respond to specific situations. “How do you set limits?

When is the best time to step out of a situation? When do you seek out more help?” Gulbranson said, explaining that each of these situations -- and more -- are outlined in the training.

The bottom line for these organizations is that training works. “Our training is built off of our values of clarity, character and compassion,” Pauna said. “Our employees feel better prepared to do their jobs, and that makes it worth the investment.”

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Diane Hageman is owner of Hageman Communications, a marketing, communications and public relations consulting firm in St. Cloud.

M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 //

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BusinessTools TECH STRATEGIES

Move. Change. Engage.

Five social media trends to watch in 2018

By Dawn Zimmerman

customers to a human customer rep.

4.Social Listening What separates a successful social brand from the others is the ability to be a good social listener. Through simple to sophisticated social listening tools, organizations monitor digital conversations to understand what customers are saying about them and their industry. They analyze audience actions, track conversions and respond accordingly. That may include shifts in content, when it’s delivered and to whom.

W

hat will you do differently with social media in the next year? Social media is designed to move, change and engage. A series of technology advancements will shape social media in the coming year – many with the purpose of better engaging and serving customers.

Here is a look at five social media game changers: 1.Mobile Wired Social check-ins often follow morning alarms and the average users spend an hour and 40 minutes a day browsing their networks. Social media

access has almost exclusively gone mobile with 91 percent of users accessing their accounts through mobile devices. This drives a desire for instant access, real-time information and interactive opportunities.

2.Video While words still matter, it’s videos that are dominating engagement across social media. Cisco forecasts by 2019, video will account for 85 percent of U.S. Internet traffic. The number of views on a video or if it even goes viral are becoming less important than who’s

watching and what action they are taking because of it.

3.Chatbots Instant messaging is among the fastest growing trends in social media and leading organizations to develop specific communication strategies and customer support programs around it, including employing chatbots.

This technology allows organizations to respond to messages and complete key tasks. In the case of 1-800 Flowers, an early adopter, the company takes customer orders – or quickly connects

contributor Dawn Zimmerman is CEO of The Write Advantage, a St. Cloud-based strategic communications company that specializes in social media. She can be reached at dawn@writeadv.com

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5.Augmented Reality Face filter technology is just the beginning of Augmented Reality (AR) and is expected to become more affordable for organizations to customize.

The major social media players are developing technology to take “social meet ups” to a new level virtually and give organizations access to more AR features to create an immersive experience.

Getting results on social media require organizations to be thought leaders, news agents and tech adapters.

The advancements may feel daunting or even inaccessible to smaller organizations, but implementing the principles driving them is doable. Take a small step today and be prepared for the technology to make it easier for you to accelerate your efforts in the near future.

TECH NEWS

Robotic pollen collector; Eijiro Miyako; FastCompany.com

Prioritizing Pedestrians If you step on the curb on this street of the future, a pedestrian crossing will automatically appear in front of you when it’s safe to cross. If a crowd wants to cross simultaneously, the crossing widens; if you’re staring at a smartphone and veers into traffic, warning lights illuminate around you. Over time, the system learns the shortcuts people take across the street, and reshapes the crossing to fit those natural paths. The idea was inspired by ants. Honest. Source: FastCompany

RoboBees

What is four centimeters wide and weighs 15 grams? A robotic bee.

These tiny drones, covered in horsehair and coated in a special sticky gel, are designed to help pollinate crops when bees are scarce. While they may not be economically feasible on a large scale, they’re still cool. Source: New Scientist You can see them in action at BusinessCentralMagazine.com

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122 12th Ave. 122N. 12th I Sr.Ave. Cloud, N. I MN Sr. Cloud, 56303MN I (320) 56303 253-2096 I (320) 253-2096 208 Red River 208Ave. Red S. River Ave.Spring, S. I Cold I Cold MNSpring, 56320MN I (320) 56320 685-4280 I (320) 685-4280

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BusinessTools ENTREPRENEURISM

Short and Sweet

CHECKLIST

Learning to describe your business in 30 seconds is the first step in opening up the sales process. By Brian Hart Then describe the situation when those beneficial outcomes are missing. Finally, ask if what you’ve described is important.

Keep it short and sweet.

For example:

“What do you do for a living?”

It’s a common question, right? You probably hear a version of it every time you meet someone, and not just at business networking functions.

But it’s not simple to answer. You don’t want to “wing it.” While the question provides a perfect opportunity to deliver a commercial to a potential customer, if your response sounds like an ad, it will fall on deaf ears.

Your reply must be smooth, conversational, and — most importantly — brief.

In fact, your answer should take about 30 seconds. And it should conclude with a question of your own that,

when answered, tells you if there’s a reason to keep talking. Your goal is to move your questioner from “I don’t know what you do” to “I understand your business focus and I want to know more.”

To create an effective 30-second commercial, turn traditional features and benefits language upside down. Start by thinking about what might happen when people don’t work with you. Instead of saying “We provide on-time deliveries,” say something like “We work with companies who used to be exasperated with headacheinducing late deliveries.”

Look at the list of desirable outcomes you’ve developed.

Prospect: What business are you in?

Salesperson: We work with manufacturers like X, Y, and Z to eliminate unintentional inefficiencies that eat up their bottom lines. A major concern for many manufacturers is tying up money and warehouse space with large inventories of raw materials they won’t be using for months. Does that ring any bells? Are inefficiencies like that a concern of yours?

OR: Prospect: What do you guys do?

Salesperson: We help attorneys and accountants in Central Minnesota and beyond generate higher-quality leads online. A significant number of the professional services firms I’ve spoken to lately are dissatisfied with both the quantity and quality of the leads their online marketing efforts are generating. Some are downright angry due to the amount of time and money they’ve invested in website design and search engine optimization. But maybe this isn’t a challenge for you.

How satisfied are you with

What are the top two or three key benefits you provide?

Make a list of your answers to these questions: l What does your product or service do for your clients?

Be specific! l What problems does it allow them to solve or avoid? l What desirable results, financial and otherwise, does it facilitate? l What does having your product or service enable customers to do? l What efficiencies are enjoyed by users of your solution?

the quantity and quality of leads your company’s online presence delivers?

Craft a 30-second commercial that talks about them, not you. Then ask if they share the challenges your clients used to face. You won’t sound “sales-y,” you’ll sound like a problem solver, a valuable problem solver.

So let’s try it again…What do you do for a living?

contributor Brian Hart is the owner and president of Sandler Training in St. Cloud, specializing in sales, management, and leadership training and development. He can be reached at brian.hart@sandler.com

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TECH NEWS

Tech in 2018 Apple, Alphabet, Tesla, Amazon.com, and other tech giants are leading advancements in augmented reality, voice-enabled speakers in the home, and semi-autonomous driving technologies – and each trend is poised to dominate the technology landscape in 2018. What to watch for? Source: The Motley Fool.

1

The driverless car market

is expected to be worth $77 billion by 2035, and with the pace of innovation among Tesla, GM, and others already picking up, you can bet that next year we'll see even more semi-autonomous car technology on the roads.

2

The smart speaker market

is expected to grow from 4 billion units this year to 7 billion by 2020. With the recent release of all of these new devices, it's likely that 2018 will be the pivotal year when users start adopting the devices in droves, and when we see competition among Apple, Amazon, and Google truly heat up.

3

Augmented reality (AR) is poised to grow exponentially among consumers next year thanks to Apple's and Google's recent push to make the technology mainstream.

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BusinessTools

Economy Central presented by

ECONOMY CENTRAL

A Knowledge-Based Economy Minnesota continues to see a shift from a goods-based to a knowledge-based service economy.

V

arious forces are driving job growth in some Minnesota occupations and decline in others. Leading forces behind declining employment in occupations that once offered solid careers include: • Shifts in consumer tastes • Evolving technology • Innovations in business and management practices • Changes in government funding • Globalization • Changes in laws These same forces are creating rapid growth in other occupations unheard of just a decade ago.

Here’s a snapshot: Production jobs – such as print binding and finishing workers or paper goods machine setters – are declining.

Health-care related occupations – like registered nurses or medical assistants – have been and will continue to expand.

Paralegals and legal assistant jobs increased over the last decade even though employment in the legal industry declined. Legal firms hired paralegals to perform tasks previously carried out by lawyers.

Surveyor and surveying technician positions are occupations that are being negatively affected by advances in surveying technology.

Robotic total stations have

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reduced demand for surveyors even as the amount of surveying work expands.

Minnesotans increasingly prefer to dine out rather than cook at home, resulting in a jump in cooks and bartenders over the last 10 years. This trend is expected to continue.

Construction jobs have been gradually recovering since 2010 and are expected to continue to increase as part of the cyclical recovery from the industry’s boom-and-bust building cycle.

Manufacturing employment in Minnesota has been bouncing back since the Great Recession, but the rebound is short-term, as the long-term trend is shrinking factory employment. In Minnesota, manufacturing employment is down 20 percent (a decline of 79,000 jobs) from the 1998 peak.

Other occupations – such as computer-related jobs – benefit as software advances. Greater emphasis on cloud computing, collection and storage of big data, and demand for mobile computing ensures the longterm growth of computerrelated jobs, even as some of these are outsourced to lowwage countries.

Retail trade saw declining employment, resulting in declining jobs in sales and related occupations. The drop in office and administrative support occupations – such as data entry operators, order

clerks and stock clerks – arose from technology that reduced demand for workers.

Production and office administrative support occupations are expected to continue to decline as automation improves productivity.

The forces that drove employment growth in service-providing industries from 2004-2014 will continue to generate most job growth from 2014-2024. The result, just like over the last decade, will be lots of job growth in health care occupations. Most

of the other job growth will also occur in service-related industries and occupations as Minnesota continues to evolve into a knowledge-based service economy.

Source: Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

For more information on Minnesota’s knowledgebased service economy, visit BusinessCentral Magazine.com

880,396

$80M

$100M

December

$60M

November

September BUILDING PERMITS

BY COMMUNITY

Home Sales C

2016 October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

October April March

TOTAL:$70,880,396 $40M

February

January

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

Apr

Mar

Feb

Jan

TOTAL:$64,832,866

TOTAL:$84,908,072

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. C ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSE

Residential 2015 2016 2017* 2015 August #/$ #/$ #/$ February

St. Cloud

1,151

986

622

July $21,854,833 $32,774,443 $32,230,127.16 2017 January 0

500

Sauk Rapids 321 345 299 June

$15,843,450 $22,647,287.40 $15,947,945.40

St. Augusta

March

79 $4,720,246

102 $9,180,779.85

$80M

$100M

Total as of 2/8/18

$600k

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

BUILDING PERMITS BY COMMUNITY September

TOTAL: $221,316,488

88 $6,116,630

2015

0

500

Food and Be ST. CLOUD

2017

1000

$900k

St. Cloud 444 464 341

$94,320,804 $138,751,046 $89,192,773.78 July Sauk Rapids 567 555 44 December

$16,890,519 $15,684,403.00 $89,959,156 June

TOTAL: $239,669,534

2016 Sartell 35 33 32 November

$11,485,611 $13,013,812.00 $14,128,688 May

St. Augusta

5 September $871,000 Mar

66 $0

St. Joseph

151 August Feb $8,057,329

July Total as of 2/8/18 Jan

$250M

Food and Bev

ST. CLOUD 73 $6,403,398

2015 13

TOTAL: 1789

$200M

106 $3,9550,295.02

2000

$150M

140 October $18,735,131 Apr

TOTAL: 1752

TOTAL: $221,316,488

Waite Park

TOTAL: 1655

TOTAL: $150,111,110

1500

TOTAL: $1,272,176*

$1.5M

TOTAL: $1,333,423

TOTAL: $1,326,730

$1.2M

$100M

70 $4,244,281

Commercial 2015 2016 2017 August #/$ #/$ #/$

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

$50M

November October

Commercial Building Permits

$0M

January December

500

Commercial Building Permits

2015

2016

Home Sales Closed in St.Cloud

78 $2,197,512.66

St. Joseph 142 186 140 February

$2,293,565 $4,796,650.51 $4,433,501.96

$60M

2017

2016

April $1,552,641

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

$40M

2017

$20M

Waite Park

0

$300k

$0M

Food and Beverage Tax Collection

ST. CLOUD

2015

113

2016

2017

2016

2015

$0

TOTAL:$64,832,866

2015

Sartell 329 252 199 May

$18,168,133 $13,311,388.85 $7,908,010.11

2016

2017

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

$20M

2017

July December June

November May

Residential Building Permits

$0M

908,072

COLOR KEY:

Compiled by Kellie Libert, data current as of 2/8/18

2015 2017

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. C ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSE

Economy Central presented by August

TOTAL:$84,908,072 2016

Home Sales C

September

TOTAL:$70,880,396

ECONOMIC INDICATORS & TRENDS 2017

October

$100M

$250M

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

832,866

316,488

669,534

111,110

Residential Building Permits

$2,107,200

71 56 2017 $32,698,175.09 $19,525,262.01 $0

June TOTAL: $239,669,534 Sources: Building departments for the following cities: St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, Waite Park, St. Augusta, and St. Joseph.

$300k

2016

May

2016

Unemployment Rates 2017

2015

December

$0

November

1.0%

October

Jan

September

August

July

June

May

Feb

April

March

$250M

February

$200M

1.5%

January

$150M

December

November

October

September

$100M

August

July

June

May

April

March

$50M

2015 Source: www.positivelyminnesota.com

2017 % CHANGE 2.0%

February

January

5%

Non FarmMarJobs

Source: www.positivelyminnesota.com

6%

$0M

Apr

TOTAL: $150,111,110

$300k

0.5% 0.0%

4%

-0.5% -1.0%

3%

-1.5% -2.0%

2% J

F

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

-2.5% J

F

M

A

M

J

J

St. Cloud Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota United States

A

S

O

N

D

St. Cloud, MN MetroSA Minnesota United States

M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8 //

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29

80,396

BusinessTools

08,072

32,866

$100M

6,488

9,534

1,110

$250M

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COLOR KEY: December

ECONOMIC INDICATORS & TRENDS

November

Home Sales Closed in St.Cloud

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

December

October

2017

August

June

July TOTAL: 1752

TOTAL: $239,669,534

2000

Feb

Housing/Real Estate St. Cloud Area AssociationJan of Realtors, $150M $200Msources:$250M http://stcloudrealtors.com/pages/statistics. Total as of 2/8/18.

500

$300k

December

$600k

NAFTA Matters November

July $6.4 billion:

TOTAL: 221

TOTAL: $1,333,423 250

Benton Co. 54 39 27

$0 $300k $600k $900k $1.2M Benton County Sheriff’s Civil Process; Stearn’s County Sheriff’s Office Total as of 2/8/18

Lodging Tax Dollars

7,941 The number of residents Minnesota gained in 2017 due to domestic migration

52,000 The net growth in Minnesota’s population in 2017 Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Sources: Tax Collections – City of St. Cloud Total as of 2/8/18. *St. Cloud totals are not final for 2017 at time of print.

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Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

Economy Central presented by

December

Minnesota broke a losing streak in 2017 when more people moved into the state than out.

November

$2M

October

$1.5M

September

$1M

August

$500k

July

$0

Bringing it home…

St. Cloud’s New Flyer Industries, based in Winnipeg, employs 700 people locally and produces about 50 buses a week. Source: MN DEED

June

2015

Moving In

May

TOTAL: $1,454,374

April

2016

March

TOTAL: $1,508,301

February

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

2017

TOTAL: $1,393,183*

January

ST. CLOUD

$1.5M

March

40,000: February Estimated number January of Minnesota jobs directly attributable to NAFTA 2000

$1.5M

TOTAL: $1,326,730 Residential 2015 2016 2017 2015 Stearns Co. 181 158 84

TOTAL: 1789

200

TOTAL: 1752

150

TOTAL: 1655

100

SHERIFF’S FORECLOSURE AUCTIONS

$1.5M

1/3: Total exports accounted for in Minnesota because of NAFTA

Dollar volume June of trade Minnesota had with May Canada and April Mexico in 2016 1500

50

TOTAL: $1,272,176*

TOTAL: $1,333,423

TOTAL: $1,326,730

$1.2M

20160

$1.2M

October Minnesotans may not realize it, but the North American September Free Trade Agreement is embedded in the state’s economy.

August

1000

$900k

TOTAL: $1,272,176*

2015

$900k

BY THE NUMBERS

Food and Beverage Tax Collection TOTAL: 235

2017

$600k

Total as of 2/8/18. *St. Cloud totals are not final for 2017 at time of print.

TOTAL: 111

ST. CLOUD 2016

$300k

Sources: Tax Collections – City of St. Cloud

Sheriff’s Foreclosure Auctions STEARNS AND BENTON COUNTIES

January

$0

Home Sales Closed in St.Cloud

1500

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

0

1000

Food and Beverage Tax Collection

ST. CLOUD

$0

500

February

TOTAL: $1,326,730

2017

2015

2016

Apr Mar

0

April

2015

TOTAL: $150,111,110

2016 TOTAL: 1655

March

2017

2016

2015

2015

2017

TOTAL: $1,333,423

May June May

$100M

TOTAL: $1,272,176*

July

TOTAL: $221,316,488

2016

December

2017

November

September

October

August

September

August

July

June

May

TOTAL: 1789

April

September

ST. CLOUD

October

March

February

January

Food and Beverage Tax Collection

December

November

October

September

D, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK,

August

July

June

Apr

Mar

Feb

Jan

lding Permits

May

6 COMMUNITIES - ST. CLOUD, SAUK RAPIDS, SARTELL, WAITE PARK, November ST. AUGUSTA, ST. JOSEPH

x

Jessica Bitz Market President

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Ask Ryan Schepp about his business and he’ll tell you about his art gallery, event center, student job shadowing program‌ and, oh yeah, he also does tattoos.

By Gail Ivers Photos by Joel Butkowski

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Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

Ryan Schepp will always remember August 14, 2006. Not just because it was his birthday, but because it was the day he moved from Milwaukee to St. Cloud with his son, his girlfriend, his cat, a borrowed car, and $1,000 to his name.

DARK DAYS Schepp was born and raised in Milwaukee. After high school he worked with his dad doing building and remodeling. He installed carpets for a year then took an entry level job as a machinist, a position that appealed to his creative side.

One day he was on his motorcycle, riding with a friend through downtown Milwaukee. “My buddy’s girlfriend – I’d never met her, didn’t know anything about her – wanted to go to a body piercing place,” Schepp said. At the time he sported two small piercings, one in each ear. “I just hit it off with the guy who did the piercing. We were both into reptiles and bikes. He’s the one who got me started in the business.”

Schepp worked as a machinist during the day and part time at the tattoo shop making body jewelry. As his interest grew and the company expanded, he started learning how to tattoo.

“I was an artist so they let me learn from the guys in the shop. I had to buy my own equipment, but that was just a few hundred dollars,” he said. By 1999 he had jumped into tattooing fulltime and never looked back. “This can be one heck of a career,” he said.

One day Schepp stopped to pick his son up from the boy’s mother and found the little boy had bruises. “Her boyfriend had laid hands on him,” Schepp said. He began proceedings to secure permanent placement of his son. The next six to eight months were a nightmare, according to Schepp.

“As soon as I took my kid away, I had to establish that he had really been abused. Then I had him, but I still had to pay $150 a month to his mother in child support.” Schepp missed a custody hearing court date and a warrant was issued for his arrest. “I called and said I missed the court date and what did I need to do. They told me I had to turn myself in at the jail. I told them I wasn’t doing that – I had a kid to take care of.”

Over the weekend, Schepp made arrangements so his son could stay at day care while he sorted out the warrant, then he turned himself in. “They put me in handcuffs, a jump suit, the whole works,” Schepp said. “Mostly I sat around and waited.

Business

Profile

Cream City Tattoo 11 6th Ave N., Saint Cloud, MN 56303 (320) 251-2526 creamcitytattoo@gmail.com creamcitytattoo.com

Owner: Ryan Schepp Business Description: Tattoo shop, art gallery and business meeting space.

Number of employees: 1, plus Schepp Independent contractors: Five tattoo artists, one permanent cosmetic artist and one piercer/shop manager

FUN FACT Schepp built a library into Cream City where he says he can sit for hours and be inspired.

“Who else gets to do that?”

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Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

"I like the freedom of owning the business. I can get as absolutely creative as I have time for."

—RYAN SCHEPP

Finally they booked a new court date and let me leave. The whole thing took about seven hours and I picked my kid up at daycare at the end of the day as usual. The ironic part was his mom missed the next court date and they didn’t do anything to her.”

Meanwhile, Schepp’s work at the tattoo shop was not going well. “My boss’ personal drug habit crushed the tattoo shop where I was working,” Schepp said. “I had plans to own a house, rental property, a couple of cars.…” Instead his income went from a few thousand dollars

Personal

Profile

Ryan Schepp, 40 Owner, Cream City Tattoo; tattoo artist Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisc.

Education: Graduated Homestead High School in Milwaukee Work History: Building and remodeling with his dad; carpet installation, machinist, tattoo artist Family: Sons Aidan, 15 and Orson, 3 Hobbies: Racing motorcycles and cars; golf; magic; building and fine-tuning engines Advice to a would-be entrepreneur: Learn your social media or hire someone to do it. You can’t afford not to do social media. Give a lot of thought to selecting your accountants and spend time talking with them.

Best advice you’ve received: “There isn’t one piece of advice that I can think of. Every time you talk to a small business owner you learn they bounced off the wall a dozen times to get to where they’re at.”

a week to a few hundred dollars a week. “I own it when I do it,” Schepp said. “But when others ruin your life….” He had to sell everything. “I lost our three-bedroom apartment. I called my mom and moved in with her for awhile. I moved in with a friend and rented a room for my kid and me. Tattooing just wasn’t happening.”

Schepp started looking for work outside Milwaukee. “I’m a modern day settler,” he said. “I was looking for new land where I could do better for my family.” The Milwaukee tattoo scene had dried up, and though Schepp had other skills, he wanted to be a tattoo artist. He visited a shop in Dallas, but decided he didn’t like the look of it. A friend told him about a shop in St. Cloud. He investigated, liked it, and was told he could start right away.

In the end, Schepp won permanent placement of his son. “I asked them, what does this mean? Can I move out of Wisconsin?

Because I have a job waiting for me in St. Cloud. They said I could move anyplace I wanted, so I packed up and left.” That was in 2006. Two days later he started work. He was 29 years old.

ST. CLOUD Schepp worked on making a name for himself as a tattoo artist in St. Cloud. “The first two years were good. The second two years I was really homesick and almost went back to Milwaukee. The last two years I started planning my own shop,” he said.

Owning his own business was never part of Schepp’s plan, but plans change. “You learn the most from poor leaders,” he said. “I looked at these guys I’d worked for and I thought, I can do this.

These guys are throwing my money away. I can throw my own money away.”

Schepp’s plans included far more than a few tattoo booths.

“Just tattooing is too limiting,” he said. “I’m an artist, magician, entertainer, juggler, event planner…a place for staging was important to me.” Those big plans generated hurdle after hurdle.

“People think you want to open a tattoo shop and it’s frowned on.

FUN FACT The first tattoo Schepp ever did was a Chinese symbol on another artist’s ankle.

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35

The name Cream City Tattoo is a shout-out to Ryan Schepp’s hometown.

“It’s the old world name for Milwaukee because that’s the color of the bricks that were used to build the original city.”

I’d talk to a bank about borrowing money and every time I called them the price went up. People didn’t return my calls. Every idea I had got shot down because of zoning or codes or crowds or whatever.”

But he had been through worse and he knew how to stick to a plan. Eventually he found his location at 11 North 6th Avenue in downtown St. Cloud. The landlord welcomed his ideas and they started cutting through the red tape. “Now I have the coolest place in downtown,” Schepp said. “People call it an asset to the community.”

The 4,500-square-foot space was once a six-lane bowling alley in the basement of the Spaniol Hotel. Schepp originally found the size daunting, wondering how he would fill it all. Motivated by his desire to be in the St. Cloud Art Crawl, he began remodeling with that in mind. The result is a comfortable space with multiple booths, a welcoming reception area, and a large open event center that also serves as an art gallery. Much of the office décor came from local and regional antique shops and Schepp’s house. His art work hangs on the walls, along with that of other area artists. “Lots of places that show art in their buildings are particular about what and who they will show. I want to show all kinds of art,” he said.

Initially on his own, he designed the work space so he could see everywhere. “That way if I had to run the place alone I could tattoo, I could greet, and I could see if someone was down here wandering around.” In 2013 he brought on an apprentice. “Then people started coming and wanting to work here,” he said. Today he has five tattoo artists, a permanent cosmetic artist and one piercer/shop manager. He still has room to take on two to three more people. “I wanted room to grow and we have it,” he said.

Working with students is high on Schepp’s priority list.

“I’ve apprenticed four people in five years,” he said. Students who want to job shadow are always welcome. Teachers call and organize the job shadowing for their students. “I can do two or so in a day. They can watch me tattoo, watch the other artists work, or just watch what I have to do to run this business. They just soak it up.”

Recently a mother dropped her 16-year-old daughter off for a job shadow, not something every mother would be happy to

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Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

do. “That’s my point,” Schepp said.

“They came in, the mother saw this was a clean, safe, great space, and the daughter loved it.”

But is it really a way to make a living? Schepp laughed.

“I started Cream City with less than $10,000 in the bank. From almost the beginning I was in the black.” A new tattoo artist can make about $500-$1,000 a week he said. “Some artists charge $3,000 a day. We have six people tattooing and they’re all booked well out.”

Body Art STYLE

Ryan Schepp likes body art. His first tattoo was the logo of a band. He has ear gauges, a variety of piercings, and he has horns.

“The first time I saw implants I said ‘I’m in. I want that,’” he said. Schepp is the owner of Cream City Tattoo in St. Cloud.

The subdermal implants are made of medical grade silicone and generally take time to develop.

Schepp initially wanted spinal ridges down both sides of his forehead. “I couldn’t put a motorcycle helmet on or modify it in a way that would work, so I went for the horns.” Now about 1.5 inches long, they started out about the size of M&Ms. “It took five times to get them this big,” he said.

At one time, Schepp said he had lots of implants, particularly in his arms. “I took lots of them out once I got bitten by the combat sports bug.”

A NEW DAY For Schepp, Cream City has been about breaking stereotypes.

His art gallery, job shadowing, and membership in the Chamber of Commerce are part of that plan. But society has helped as well.

“There are probably eight to ten reality-type TV shows now about tattooing,” he said. “People used to ask me what my ‘other’ job was. Tattooing is so much more accepted that no one thinks that anymore.”

In the 20 years that Schepp has been in the business, the technology has changed dramatically. The equipment has been modified and is 100 times more intricate, he said. The quality of the products is advanced, technology allows incredibly more detailed tattoos than even 10 years ago, and bandaging is vastly improved, which aids healing.

The change in attitude may be even more dramatic than the change in technology. “People scoffed at tattoos 19 years ago,” he said. “Now middle-agers come in dumping thousands of dollars on a tattoo they’ve always wanted.”

The sea change caused by the combination of technology and attitude can be seen on many arms, backs, legs and shoulders. “We are doing massive, high-caliber tattoos all day, every day,” Schepp said. “This isn’t the little ankle flowers on some girl’s foot. That is

Timeline

1995 Ryan Schepp graduates from high school in Milwaukee 1999 Schepp beings tattooing 2002 Schepp puts implants into a friend’s arm; it is his first experience with implants 2004 Schepp discovers his son is being abused and seeks primary placement

not the prime of what’s happening these days. Those are what we fit in during breaks.”

RETIREMENT Schepp says he’s ready to retire…with qualifications. “My idea of retirement is that if I want to take a day off, I’ll take a day off,” he said. “I won’t work Saturdays. I’ve been doing that for 20 years.”

He talks of running the art gallery, teaching art lessons, and doing less tattooing. “Twenty years in tattooing is a lot,” he said. “I turn away a lot of work to keep myself happy. I try to refer requests to others in the shop, but I’m not going to struggle for three hours drawing stuff that’s not my thing. I don’t need to do that anymore.”

In fact, Schepp has a wide variety of interests. He’s also a golf pro, he builds and races both motorcycles and cars, and he’s a voracious learner. Remember his comments about being a magician and juggler? “I saw a magician and I just had to figure it out,” he said. He bought books, visited magic shops, met with magicians, and spent hours practicing.

“I always have plans to do a massive number of things,” he said. “I could have bought a home for cash for what I’ve spent trying to learn magic – and I don’t even make any money from it yet.” He also hasn’t won any money racing motorcycles, though he’s confident he can.

“I have a completely addictive personality,” he said. “I’ve never bought a cigarette. I’ve never done drugs – ever. I’ve got motorcycle parts to August 14, 2006 Schepp and his son move to St. Cloud; buy, I don’t waste my money. Besides, I’ve seen Schepp begins work at a local what it does to people.” tattoo shop And yet, with all those hobbies to pursue, Cream City is still part of the plan. “I won’t tattoo, June 2012 Schepp opens Cream City Tattoo but I’ll be the host of this place. I’ll run Cream City as long as the building stands.”

2013 Schepp takes on an apprentice 2014 Schepp begins adding independent contractors at Cream City

Gail Ivers is vice president of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and managing editor of Business Central Magazine.

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uuuuuuu uuuuuuu uuuuuuu uuuuuuu uuuuuuu

Feature

Sisters

While visiting our sister city, Saint-Cloud, France, smiles and laughter were our common language.

By Teresa Bohnen

S

t. Mary’s Cathedral in downtown St. Cloud houses the relic of a saint. Not just any saint, but our namesake, St. Clodoald, of France. In fact, the statue of St. Clodoald that you see in St. Mary’s is an exact replica of one found in Saint-Cloud, France.

I learned these facts earlier this year when I had an opportunity to participate in the inaugural sister city visit to Saint-Cloud, France. We share a little known heritage with Saint-Cloud, (pronounced sahn-CLUE) which has faded over time. St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis wanted to reestablish ties, and contacted the Mayor of Saint-Cloud to explore reconnecting our cities. The answer was an enthusiastic, “Oui!!”

Mayor Kleis invited a small delegation of political, city and business leaders to make the initial visit to France.

Sister cities (also called twin towns, i.e. Minneapolis/St. Paul), are a form of legal or social agreement between towns, cities or whole regions that are geographically and politically distinct from one another. The relationship is used to promote cultural and commercial ties.

The modern concept of sister cities, conceived in 1947 after World War II, intended to foster friendship and understanding between different cultures and former foes, and to encourage trade and tourism. In recent times, sister cities have increasingly formed strategic international business links between participants.

Mayor Kleis is a big proponent of sister cities. St. Cloud has built

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Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

relationships with Akita, Japan and Spalt, Germany. We’ve shared many visits with the citizens of Spalt, with another trip to Germany scheduled in May. Friendships are built and economic development opportunities explored. More than a few beers from local breweries have been shared as well.

Saint-Cloud, France, population 30,000, is a suburb located about six miles west of the center of Paris. It’s one of the wealthiest cities in France. The fifth wealthiest man in France served as mayor there until recently.

You can travel there from Paris by regional rail, metro service or taxi. My 21st Century transit choice was Uber, which is fantastic in France. Drivers are friendly, and since destinations are programmed prior to pickup, the language barrier is not an issue.

We were met in front of the city church by an outgoing, joyous woman named MG. She shared copious amounts of information with us about the square, the church and the general history of SaintCloud. As we entered the church, we were told the story of Sanctus Clodoaldus, also known as St. Clodoald and the namesake of both our cities.

St. Clodoald, a grandson of King Clovis of the Franks, and the youngest son of King Clodomir of Orleans, was born in 524. He and his brothers were raised by their grandmother St. Cotilda, Queen of the Franks. Two of his brothers were slain at the ages of nine and ten by their uncle, king of the Franks. It seems their long hair was a sign of their royal heritage and they refused to cut it off to masquerade as commoners. Clodoald decided staying alive was more important than his gorgeous locks, so he grabbed a knife and hacked off his curls, to his grandmother’s relief.

Clodoald was sent to Provence, France for safety and became a hermit and a disciple of St. Severinus. He remained at Nogent, near Paris, performing the odd miracle or two, which endeared him to the people. Nogent soon became known as Saint-Cloud in his honor.

So where does St. Cloud, Minnesota come in? It seems descendants of people

in Saint-Cloud traveled to the new world, eventually settling in Central Minnesota.

Yet, they longed for their heritage and soon brought a relic from Saint-Cloud to their new parish in St. Cloud. Today the relic resides in St. Mary’s Cathedral and is on display at certain times of the year.

The relic is St. Clodoald’s finger bone, housed in a very fancy chest. Yes, they gave us his finger. Most of the rest of his bones remain in a very fancy chest in Saint-Cloud.

However, a few have been sent to other Catholic parishes as well.

The parish in Saint-Cloud also sent a statue of St. Clodoald to St. Mary’s parish to be replicated. Somehow, in transit home to France, the arm of the statue was broken. It was clear that the curator of the Museum of Avelines is still miffed about that missing arm, even though it has since been replaced.

After a delicious lunch in the museum’s tea room, we toured the gardens and castle grounds. The Chateau de Saint-Cloud was a palace built overlooking the Seine River.

The Chateau grounds are now Parc de Saint-Cloud, a large state owned park.

The Chateau de Saint-Cloud, built in 1572, was destroyed by fire in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. It was the residence of several French rulers, including Napoleon III and Princess Eugenie. Napoleon III declared war on Prussia in 1870. The Prussians occupied the heights dominating Paris and took over the Chateau, shelling Paris from above. Counter-fire from the French hit the building and it caught fire and burned for two weeks, as the French would not approach to extinguish the fire.

Our delegation spent the day listening to stories, admiring the beautiful museum exhibits and walking the expansive park grounds. Saint-Cloud is also famous for its porcelain produced there from 1693 to 1766. Many original pieces were on display, along with pieces salvaged from the burned out castle.

The rich history of the castle and the grounds were told in detail through the museum exhibits.

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Feature Saint-Cloud is so old it is difficult to imagine life when the city was established. As I took photos with my smartphone, I wondered what St. Clodoald and Napoleon III would think of today’s technology and our ability to travel a third of the way around the world in just a few hours.

While history and stories are impressive and interesting, what sticks with me from this extraordinary experience is how alike people are.

Smiles and laughter share a common language. The benefit of our Sister City relationships is in sharing our heritage and community perspectives.

It is important for communities to remember, recognize and celebrate the historical significance of their connections. By reviving our link with Saint-Cloud, France, Mayor Kleis

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is reviving the sense of history and heritage between our cities that was important to our past. It changes our perspective about future possibilities.

I look forward to hosting visitors from Saint-Cloud. I will share the rich 150-year traditions of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and our business leaders. Even though the French have us beat by more than 1,500 years, I’ll put our St. Cloud history and what it teaches us right alongside Napoleon III. We have some pretty good croissants here, too!

Teresa Bohnen is president of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce.

In September 2017 she participated in an inaugural trip to Saint-Cloud, France, to explore a sister city relationship.

CLOSE-UP: CENTER FOR DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

You Don’t Have to Live with Pain FIND A SOLUTION AT CDI PAIN CARE

Derik Weldon, Medical Director and Neuroradiologist

D

ealing with ongoing pain is frustrating.

At CDI Pain Care, our goal is to understand the cause of pain and find a solution for long-term relief.

To help identify the root cause of pain, the specialized physicians at CDI use advanced medical imaging such as MRI, CT and X-ray. These exams

are done in our convenient outpatient centers throughout Central Minnesota and help determine which treatment path is best for each patient.

“Each year, thousands of people in Minnesota suffer from untreated pain, not realizing all of the options available to them” stated Christa Marx, APRN, CNP at CDI Pain Care.

Based on the unique diagnosis and needs of each patient, the experts at CDI Pain Care develop a personal care plan. This may include imageguided diagnostic or therapeutic injections for managing head,

CDI offers convenient access to the highest quality medical imaging; MRI, CT, 3D Mammography, Pain Care and more.

Visit myCDI.com/CentralMN

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neck, spine and joint pain, or regenerative medicine procedures such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) or Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate (BMAC) injections to help speed up the body’s natural healing process by renewing tissues with help from its own cells.

At CDI, all injections and regenerative medicine procedures are performed by our experienced, specialized physicians who have expertise in both diagnostic exam interpretation and performing image-guided procedures.

Don’t let pain control your life any longer. Get answers to the cause of your pain and a custom treatment plan at CDI.

Christa Marx, Certified Nurse Practitioner

To learn more, visit myCDI.com/CentralMN or call 320.229.4633.

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Special Focus

N

Building Businesses Commercial construction employment is at an all-time high in Central Minnesota. By Luke Greiner

onresidential or commercial construction is the industry that creates the spaces for employers to add equipment and people.

Strong employment gains in nonresidential construction is the response of a growing economy. Since bottoming out in 2010, Central Minnesota’s economy has added jobs faster than every region of the state except the Twin Cities, and the region’s nonresidential construction industry is booming as a result.

While regional employment in the residential building construction industry remains well below the job levels seen

Redefining Commercial Real Estate We’ll keep you engaged every step of the way.

LEASING | SALES | DEVELOPME NT

REAL ESTATE SERVICES 42

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320.257.5400 | RICEPROPERTIES.COM

leading up to the recession, nonresidential building construction employment is at an all-time high. Since 2010, jobs in nonresidential construction have grown by 50 percent in Central Minnesota, significantly faster than other regions in the state, including the Twin Cities.

Although total employment in the industry is relatively small, with 1,578 jobs in 2016, it is the largest regional concentration of these jobs outside of the Twin Cities. Prior to the recession, employment hovered just north of 1,000

jobs, but then bottomed out in 2010 at 814 jobs.

Since then, the demand for nonresidential construction has pushed employment and wages higher during the current economic expansion, driving average annual wages to nearly $60,000.

Digging deeper into the data reveals the two subsectors that are included in nonresidential construction, commercial and institutional building construction and industrial building construction. The commercial and institutional construction subsector is

Nonresidential Building Construction

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction

Industrial Building Construction

Office Buildings

Assembly Plants

Parking Garages

Factories

Farm Buildings

Food Processing Plants

Hospitals Restaurants Warehouses

Cement Plants Ethanol Plants

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Special Focus Design. Build. Solutions.

Nonresidential Building Construction Central Minnesota, Avg. Annual Wage Central Minnesota, Employment $60,000

Average Annual Wage

$55,000

$50,000

$45,000

Development •

Architectural Design •

Construction Services •

$40,000

Single source. Superior service. Remarkable results.

320.251.4109 | 800.772.1758 | millerab.com

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 20

by far the larger of the two, with 94 percent of all nonresidential construction jobs. Both subsectors include businesses that provide not only new construction, but also additions, alterations, maintenance, and repairs. The hierarchy tree on the previous page shows the difference between the two subsectors contained in the broader nonresidential building construction industry. This chart above shows employment and wage trends in the nonresidential construction industry in Central Minnesota.

Luke Greiner is a regional labor market analyst at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

He can be reached at 320-308-5378, Luke.Greiner@state.mn.us.

For an interactive version of this chart, visit BusinessCentral Magazine.com 44

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Make your vision of the future a reality

1,227

1,250 1,200 1,150

1,050 1,000

Employment

1,100

We support doers like you and can help fund your vision with term loans, SBA loans, lines of credit and equipment leasing.

950

Doers Welcome.

TM

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814

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008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

minnwestbank.com

Source: Deed, OCEW

MEMBER FDIC

BU I LD I N G WI TH I N TE GRI TY SI N C E 1972

BY THE NUMBERS

210,000 Jobs added in the construction industry in 2017

30,000 Jobs added in the construction industry in December 2017 that were in specialty trades

155,000

336,000 Jobs added in the construction industry in 2015

Source: Constructconnect

Jobs added in the construction industry in 2016

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Special Focus PROPERTIES & INVESTMENTS

Trending Technology may be one answer to the skilled worker shortage facing the construction industry.

Experienced.

Friendly.

Reliable.

PUTTING BUSINESSES IN THE RIGHT LOCATION.

It’s all about location—our lease-out portfolio includes urban and suburban properties perfect for office, retail, and mixed use.

Looking for property to buy? Miller has several choice locations for you to choose from, ideal for commercial and industrial facilities.

• Only Lease and Sell Properties we Own and Manage • Prime Locations for Lease • Commercial Lots and Land for Sale 320.251.4109 | www.millerproperties.com | tomb@millerproperties.com HUTCHINSON HIGH SCHOOL

BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY

BUILDING TOMORROW TODAY

As one of the leading education construction contractors in Minnesota, we pride ourselves on making sure the schools of today meets tomorrow’s needs. We balance budget constraints with the need to be scalable, adaptable and transformational for the students and the educators who teach them.

St. Joseph, MN | 320.363.7781 | wgohman.com

GENERAL CONTRACTOR

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DESIGN BUILD

Business Central Magazine // M A R C H /A P R I L 2 0 1 8

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

BUILDING REMODELING

W

hile the construction industry as a whole continues to be slow to adopt and invest in technology, those firms that do are reaping the benefits. Construction technology is going to continue to make inroads to solving some of the industry’s major problems: safety, productivity and labor shortages.

Robots, drones and autonomous construction equipment are hitting job sites.

They are performing tasks that previously required skilled workers and are helping reduce the number of workers being placed in dangerous conditions.

Drones are conducting site surveys and inspecting bridges.

Autonomous equipment is being used for earthmoving and site work operations. Robots are handling monotonous, repetitive tasks like laying bricks and tying rebar.

BY THE NUMBERS

75% of construction firms plan to add employees in 2018

78% of construction firms report they are having trouble filling skilled labor positions

82% of construction firms believe it is going to become harder and harder to recruit qualified workers in 2018

56%

Building Information Modeling (BIM) and other construction software are being integrated with virtual and augmented reality to help visualize projects, perform clash detections prior to construction, increase productivity, and improve communication and collaboration. VR simulators are also being used to train construction workers on heavy equipment.

Wearables for monitoring workers in order to keep them safe as well as track movement to improve productivity is another tech trend to keep an eye on in 2018.

Source: Constructconnect: Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)

of construction firms expect to increase investments in training and development in 2018

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COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & LEASING Special Focus:

Commercial Construction

Donlar Construction Company

HMA Architects

CSB Caedmon, Wendelin, Artesan Studios Renovation

Mississippi Loft Apartments

Interior demolition and remodeling of 3 buildings with new elevator-stair tower addition and new curtain walled connection between Artisan Studio & Caedmon halls.

Location: St. Joseph, MN

Continue reading to learn more about the variety of commercial construction companies providing growth in Central Minnesota.

General Contractor: Donlar Construction Company Architect: Bentz/Thompson/Rietow Cost: $6 million Project Completion: February 2018 donlarcorp.com

The 57 Unit Mississippi Loft Apartments is a unique development located in the downtown area of Sauk Rapids and near the Mississippi River. This 4 story building features underground parking, exterior decks with views of the downtown and river, and a roof top terrace.

An urban character and a variety of unit types will be attractive to the discerning tenant interested in this development.

Location: Downtown Sauk Rapids, MN along the Mississippi River Architect: HMA Architects General Contractor: Torborg Builders Project Completion: December 2017 hma-archs.com

GLTArchitects

Miller Architects & Builders

D

esign Tree Engineering is a Minnesota-based multidiscipline

company offering Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering and Land Surveying.

As a full-service firm, we understand that in order for your project to be successful, you need a design team you can rely on, that communicates with you, and listens to your concerns and needs. Our staff utilizes energy-saving strategies and techniques, knowledge of current building codes, and experience with the latest equipment and controls technology to help you get the

Woodcrest of Country Manor Independent Senior Living Apartments and Memory Care Apartments Woodcrest of Country Manor consists of an upscale 60-unit senior apartment bldg and a 24-unit memory care apartment facility.

The commons area includes dining & lounge spaces, commercial kitchen, community room, chapel, fitness room, beauty shop & convenience store/coffee shop.

most from your facility.

Location: St. Joseph, MN Location: 3339 W. St. Germain St., Suite 250 St. Cloud, MN 56301 Phone: 320.217.5557 DesignTreeEngineering.com

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Liberty Bank Minnesota Corporate Headquarters Two-story headquarters providing space for retail banking, mortgage lending and corporate functions with significant room for expansion in the future.

Location: St. Cloud, MN General Contractor & Architect: Miller Architects & Builders

Architect: GLTArchitects

Square footage: 12,629 sf.

General Contractor: Alliance Building Corporation

Project Completion: Fall 2018

Square footage: ~162,000 SQ FT.

www.millerab.com

Cost: $16-19 Million Project Completion: November, 2017 gltarchitects.com

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION & LEASING

Miller Properties & Investments

Heritage Market Great central location with easy access, heated sidewalks, and next to the new Liberty Bank headquarters.

Company name: Miller Properties & Investments Location: St. Cloud, MN Square footage available: 1,500 sf to 3,000 sf

Rice Companies

W Gohman Construction

Coborn’s, Inc.

St. Cloud Area YMCA & Aquatics Center

This “next generation” store format is a first of its kind for Coborn’s, Inc. The 45,000 SF store will focus on fresh selections and an updated modern industrial design.

The store’s focal point includes a new centerpiece deli area called “The Kitchen,” serving made-to-order entrees that are packaged in-store for easy, quick at-home preparation. The store will also include brick-oven fired pizza, a 65 foot service meat case, a pharmacy, Caribou Coffee, convenience store and car wash.

Pricing: Varies depending on length of lease, etc.

106,000 total square feet, 8,100 sf of aquatics, 3 gyms, 2 racquetball courts, walking track, Kids Zone with indoor and outdoor play areas.

Location: St. Cloud, MN General Contractor: W Gohman Construction

Contact: tomb@millerproperties.com

Location: Isanti, Minnesota

Architect: HMA Architects

millerproperties.com

General Contractor & Architect: Rice Companies

Cost: $25 Million Project Completion: May 2017

Project Completion: August 2017

wgohman.com

ricecompanies.com

Minnwest Bank

Strack Companies

Winkelman Building Co., LLC

Microbiologics

Mike Toussaint Market President

First District Association

With a mix of new and renovation, this project incorporated 35,000 sf of new labs, research and development space, production area and offices along with 9,000 sf of remodeling. The addition and renovations were designed by Negan Architects of St. Cloud.

Planning to break ground for a new building? Upgrading your equipment?

Whatever you envision for your business, Minnwest is here to help. Your local, St. Cloud location provides convenient service and draws on the combined strength of Minnwest Bank’s $1.6 billion in assets.

This is a very unique structure that is used as a drying facility. The tower extends to 115’-0” above grade and is capable of supporting 2,000,000 pounds. When completed this facility will be able to process 4,000,000 pounds of milk each day.

Location:

Cost: $24 million

General Contractor: Winkelman Building Co., LLC

3130 2nd Street South

Completion Date: September 2018

Architect: Negan Architects

P.O. Box 7429

Location: Litchfield, MN

St. Cloud, MN 56302

Strackcompanies.com

Location: St. Cloud, MN

www.winkbuild.com

(320) 253-6300 minnwestbank.com

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Business Spotlight

A Fun Field

TIMELINE

From bird surgery to puppy classes, Companions Animal Hospital helps people and their pets live the good life. By Gail Ivers PERSONAL PROFILE Nancy Cowardin, 52 Hometown: Jamestown, ND Education: 1988 graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.; 1992 graduate of the veterinary school at Colorado State University, Fort Collins Family: Son Braden, 20; Cowardin’s brother, sister-in-law, and father all live in St. Cloud

Nancy Cowardin, owner of Companions Animal Hospital, with Chico, who was boarding at Companions while his family was on vacation.

Business Central: Why did become a veterinarian?

Nancy Cowardin: I volunteered at a vet clinic for a summer and I just knew after that. We always had pets. My first memory is of getting our cat, Hurricane.

BC: What are some of the changes you’ve seen?

Cowardin: It’s constantly changing – new drugs come out, old drugs go away, vaccines come and go, new diseases, new ways of doing surgery…The technology now is unbelievable.

How people treat their pets has changed. Pets have always been part of the family, but they have gone from outdoor animals to the porch to the house to

the bedroom. The number of cats who never go outside has increased dramatically. Pets are more integrated into our lives – and that’s good for them and good for us.

BC: What do you find most challenging?

Cowardin: Most people think that euthanasia is the hardest part of this job. But when you have a pet that’s old or sick and has no quality of life, euthanasia is a tool that means you don’t have to watch that pet you care about suffer. For me, the hardest is the economics of the business.

What I mean by that, when you know you could do something for a pet, but you’re prevented

Hobbies: Hockey. “I’ve played with the Women’s Hockey Association of Minnesota for 18 years.”

Currently plays on the Hockey Finder League in St. Cloud; reading; gardening and yard work; bass fishing Pets: Two cats and two dogs Top advice to a pet owner: Pay attention to dental care.

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1994 Cowardin moves to Texas and joins a veterinary practice January 1, 1998 Cowardin purchases Companions Animal Hospital in St. Cloud 1999 Cowardin hires her first office manager 2000 Cowardin adds a dental X-ray unit to her practice 2002 Companions undergoes a major remodel 2003 Companions adds its first overnight employee 2015 Companions Animal Hospital undergoes a large remodel to the pet boarding space

AT A GLANCE from doing it either because the owner can’t afford the treatment or they don’t feel they should pay the money for it.

BC: What do you like best about being a vet?

Cowardin: I enjoy the interaction with owners and developing the whole care package for families and pets. I like the detective work – facing a problem you haven’t seen before and figuring out what’s going on and what to do about it. I treated a seahorse once. I didn’t learn how to do that in vet school!

FUN FACT: About 17 percent of Dr. Cowardin’s practice involves exotic animals: rabbits, guinea pigs, lions, cougars, wallabies, seahorses, reptiles, birds, and more. She once operated on an 18-gram finch and the next appointment was a 150-pound St. Bernard.

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1993 Nancy Cowardin does an internship in veterinary medicine in Michigan

Companions Animal Hospital 2703 Clearwater Rd., St. Cloud, MN 56301 (320) 252-6700 clientcare@companions web.com companionsweb.com Business Description: Compassionate life-long care for dogs, cats and exotic pets and animals, including wellness plans, dentistry, laser surgery, house calls, boarding, grooming, behavior counseling and more.

Owner: Nancy Cowardin, DVM Opened: January 1, 1998 Number of Employees: 10 full time, 6 part time Chamber member since April 1998

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Better Care, Better Costs, Better Recovery… Better YOU. • Ear, Nose, Throat • General Surgery • Orthopedics, including Joint Replacement • Oral / Dental • Gynecology • Podiatry • Gastroenterology • Ophthalmology • Spine

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