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THE TROUBLE WITH BUSINESS
Superintendent Putnam recognized
Beyond Happy Hour
St. Cloud Area School District 742
Team outings are a fun and effective way to boost company culture and collaboration.
Superintendent Laurie Putnam made the National School Public Relations Association’s (NSPRA)
By Whitney Ditlevson
annual Superintendents to Watch list. According to NSPRA Executive Director Barbara M. Hunter, this honor recognizes leaders who understand that communication is not just about sharing information: it is about building relationships.
Coborn’s receives national recognition Coborn’s received a 2025 Gold Plate Award from the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation, honoring outstanding promotion of family meals. Coborn’s received the award for best in-store signage and displays, specifically for its “Protein Powered Meals” campaign. ––––––– Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) honored Coborn’s with the Best in Class Merchandising Award for the second consecutive year. The award recognizes AWG retailers that demonstrate excellence in merchandising across health and beauty, general merchandise, and specialty.
AIS promotes Meyer Sydney Meyer was promoted to senior associate advisor at AIS planning. She has been with AIS since 2022, growing from client service associate to associate advisor before this recent promotion. ___________
Got News? Send news releases, announcements, or anything you think is newsworthy to Emily, ebertram@stcloudareachamber.com and we will try to include it.
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BusinessCentral Magazine.com // M AY/ J U N E 2 0 2 6
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eam dinners, trust falls, and happy hours may come to mind when you think of team outings. But in today’s workplace, outings are more than social breaks — they’re strategic tools for improving engagement, strengthening culture and retaining top talent. Culture and Connection
Maintaining a strong organizational culture offers various benefits, as outlined by Fortune: Employee retention Increased employee health Positive reputation Enhanced communication Better productivity Offering team outings serves as one easy way to build a strong organizational culture, especially as remote and hybrid work make in-person interactions more difficult.
“Team outings support our culture in that they give people a chance to connect on the human level and less on the job level. They encourage our staff to break silos and hierarchies, as well as boost morale and team belonging,” according to Brittany Haycraft, vice president of human resources at Falcon National Bank. Outings also foster collaboration, human connection and relationship building not only among teams, but throughout communities, too. Team outings provide connection. “When people feel connected to their communities, they feel more connected to where they work,” said Jessica Houle, senior vice president of development and engagement at United Way of
Central Minnesota. “This helps play into retention.” Fun On Purpose
Once you recognize the value of team outings, the next question becomes: what should those outings look like? They can vary from social outings to playful activities to volunteering as a team. “When Blacklight Adventures first opened, our primary focus was families and kids. But it didn’t take long to notice something unexpected,” Tina Mrozek, owner of Blacklight Adventures, said. “Co-workers, teams and organizations were reserving attractions, too, laughing just as hard, competing just as fiercely and embracing the experience.” Mrozek said the most popular team outings at Blacklight