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Community Builders

Community Builders are a level of Premier Partner businesses committed to improving the area by investing in our programs and events.

THE CHAMBER STAFF

PRESIDENT FROM THE a note

ANOTHER YEAR FOR THE BOOKS! THANK YOU.

The holidays are here, and it gives me pause to reﬂect on yet another incredible year at The Chamber. A year that could not have been accomplished without so many important people.

First, I would like to thank our Chamber board—a diverse and impressive group made up of highly qualiﬁed, engaged and dedicated people committed to the success of the organization and our region. These 16 individuals graciously give their time and talents to better our community.

And to the 15 wonderful staff that I have the honor and privilege to work with every day, I say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your families. This team works tirelessly to give all we can to our members throughout the year, sometimes sacriﬁcing time away from their loved ones.

I especially want to thank our well over 500+ dedicated volunteers. You are the ones that through your dedicated, time and commitment to The Chamber help us spread the word on the work of our organization and the importance of being a part of the region’s largest business association. Thank you!

This year we celebrated many successes! Our events and program grew, and we kicked it off with the largest ever Women Connect, celebrated the ﬁrst full year of YEA!, enjoyed Shark Tank in March and graduation in May.

In March, we launched our newest and ninth committee on Agribusiness, and in June sent the largest group of military families to our Military Appreciation Night at the RedHawks.

We ended the year strong with our leadership in the campaign to further efforts to secure permanent ﬂood protection for the region, with both Fargo Measure 1 and Cass County Measure 1 gaining approval from voters.

I’d be remiss to not mention Voices of Vision, which we just hosted last month with Robert O’Neill. It’s an honor to hear such inspiring messages on leadership from national ﬁgures, and our survey responses indicate that this may have been our best event yet!

None of this would be possible without our over 2,100 members representing 109,000 employees. I’m grateful to have such ﬁne folks support The Chamber, and I look forward to another great year in 2017!

EGGS & ISSUES

Facts About Fargo’s Air Service

As the metro’s only airport, Hector International Airport is a key player in bringing people to our community through air travel, and it plays a vital role in the region’s economy. November’s Eggs & Issues looked at this very topic. Shawn Dobberstein, executive director of Hector International Airport, joined us for an update on recent upgrades and future plans, and Michael Lum, consultant with Sixel Consulting, shared an overview of the air service market.

Here are a few things we learned.

• The airport’s largest revenue driver is the parking lot, which generates between $2.5 to 3 million a year, followed by car rentals through a revenue agreement, which generates about $1 million.

• No tax money goes toward the day-to-day operations of the airport; it is 100% self-sufﬁcient.

• $15.3 million was spent on airport construction in 2016.

• All airports in ND have an estimated $1.56 billion economic impact. Fargo’s is over $378 million.

• TSA and other airport vendors are looking for employees, and female screeners are especially needed.

• The Airport Authority has determined that a parking garage isn’t viable right now, but there is a spot for it in future master plans.

• An elevated, enclosed walkway is planned to connect the parking lot to the second ﬂoor passenger terminal.

• Also in the master plans is space for new gates and terminals to the East, more food & beverage options and expanded employee parking.

• FedEx’s cargo ﬂights just started operating out of Fargo, bringing in 75 jobs plus another 50 through its feeder partner and post ofﬁce contractor.

• The cost of oil and current economy greatly affect the airlines, and when the price of oil increased, airline capacities dropped— though it recently has slowly started to go up again.

• Average domestic fares have also increased. Today, they are 19% higher than they were 10 years ago.

• Today’s four major airlines – Delta, United, Southwest and American – operate 82% of U.S. domestic ﬂights.

• An average of 1,130 passengers a day use Fargo’s airport. An estimated 539 “leak” to Minneapolis instead.

• The airport staff and Sixel Consulting has met with eight other airlines in the past year to explore increased air service. Lum said that they are strongly pursuing Alaska for their Seattle service.

• The industry is experiencing a pilot shortage due to many factors. Dobberstein said that even the military is experiencing this, and he thinks it is only going to get worse, though he is advocating for a quality-based training program rather than quantity.

A Preview into the Legislative Sessions

January is an important month in Minnesota and North Dakota, as it marks the beginning of both legislative sessions. After an interesting election season and with changes being made on the national and statewide level, many things will be examined. We will hear from Andy Peterson, president of the Greater North Dakota Chamber of Commerce, as he shares what the ND State Chamber will be working toward this year and how it could affect your business. Jennifer Byers, vice president of grassroots & Chamber relations at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, will outline the Minnesota Chamber’s priorities and discuss how a local Chamber can have a key role in those efforts.

Tuesday, January 3

7:30 to 9 a.m.

Courtyard by Marriot Fargo-Moorhead

Registration (includes breakfast)

Chamber Members: $30 in advance | $35 at the door

Non-Members: $40 in advance | $45 at the door

at fmwfchamber.com or by calling

PROGRAM SPONSORS

to expert speakers on timely topics about the issues affecting Fargo Moorhead West

PETERSON BYERS

THANK YOU, DIAMOND SPONSORS

NEVER QUIT

Robert O’Neill no doubt has had his fair share of high-stress situations throughout his more than 400 combat missions as a Navy SEAL. But his outlook is what gets him through, and at November’s Voices of Vision event, he shared the lessons he learned to more than 900 in the audience.

O’Neill discussed the rigorous training that Navy Seals go through – training that 50% do not make it through – as well as incredible stories from his missions on the frontlines keeping America safe.

There were many takeaways from his talk. Things like stress is a choice. Panic is contagious, but so is calm. Be prepared, but don’t overplan. Be able to laugh at yourself. Don’t react; do respond. Micromanagement wastes time. Failure is a great learning tool. The less you talk, the better you work, because you get rid of noise. No matter what, keep moving forward. And of course, never quit.

“Bravery is not the absence of fear. It’s the ability to recognize it, push it aside and move on.”

— Robert O’Neill

SEAL Team Six Leader Robert O’Neill Shares Inspiring Message

Join us for a special Business Training session with a national speaker!

February 8 | Hjemkomst Center with Stevie Ray

9 to 11 a.m.

Next Stage Networking

Over 90% of new business is gained through face-to-face interaction, but most people are awkward at networking. Learn how to take the fear and stress out of working the room.

1:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Next Stage Communication

In this exciting course, learn simple steps to take your communication skills to the next stage, improving your life and career.

Stevie Ray is a successful keynote speaker, corporate trainer, entertainer, talented writer, lucky husband, and worn-out stepdad. He is equal parts entertainer and educator.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS: DECEMBER 2016

Holiday Business After Hours

Thursday, December 1 | 4:30 to 7 p.m. Ramada Plaza & Suites and Conference Center

1 14

YPN Holiday Party

Businesss Training: Leveraging LinkedIn – It’s Not Just for Jobseekers Wednesday, December 14 | 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cambria Suites, West Fargo

Tuesday, December 6 | 5:15 to 7:30 p.m. Herd & Horns Bar and Grill

Forget Work-Life Balance: Aim for Blend Instead

Tuesday, December 13 | 3:30 to 5 p.m. Sanctuary Events Center

So You’re Interested in Grad School... Thursday, December 15 | 5:30 to 7 p.m. Dakota Medical Foundation

To ﬁnd all of the upcoming Chamber and community events, visit fmwfchamber.com or call 218.233.1100.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

3 to 5 p.m. Holiday Inn Fargo

Featuring Jessica N. Turner

All attendees receive a FREE copy of Jessica’s book, “The Fringe Hours”!

Making me for You: Secrets of The Fringe Hours

Are you always juggling something? Is it difﬁcult to make time for you? If so, you aren’t alone – and it’s time for a change. Discover the secrets for ﬁnding fringe hours to do the things that you love. From time management tips to why it is so critical to pursue your passions, national author Jessica N. Turner will empower you to change your life by practicing self-care.

Turner is the author of the best-selling book, “The Fringe Hours: Making Time for You” and founder of the popular lifestyle blog The Mom Creative. Additionally, she is an award-winning marketing professional and a writer for HuffPost Parents, Parenting.com and DaySpring’s (in) courage.

Presenting Sponsor

Registration

Chamber Members: $40 in advance | $50 at the door

Non-members: $60 in advance | $70 at the door

EGGS & ISSUES

Eggs & Issues last month looked at Fargo’s air service, with reports from Shawn Dobberstein of Hector International Airport and Michael Lum of Sixel Consulting. For the full event recap, see page 6.

BUSINESS TRAINING

November’s Business Training helped us all feel a bit more secure. Lisa Jemtrud of the Better Business Bureau, Rick Davis of Insight Technologies, and Jesse Van Nevel of First International Bank & Trust, shared important information about protecting your identity online.

YPN

Thanks to all that participated in YPN’s events last month. We had another great time at Off the Clock at Rookies, and volunteering with CHARISM on Halloween! The YPN also toured the Busch Malt Plant.

We also had a great time at Women Connect at Sanctuary Event Center. Check back in January for photos.

Frostival 2017

Let’s embrace winter and show the world that it’s an exhilarating season to experience! Join the CVB for a weekend of games and activities in the middle of winter –January 27-28, 2017. Registration is now open for team competitions including snow golf, volleyball, kickball and softball. Learn more at frostival.com.

Forget Work-Life Balance: Aim for Blend Instead

“It’s a beautiful thing when work and life come together to form the perfect blend.” – Danielle Paulus and Tamara Anderson.

As women, we get really focused on trying to find the perfect work-life balance. We put a lot of self-imposed pressure on ourselves to give equal time to our professional growth, family and friends, our health, how we spend our leisure time, and our spiritual self. What if we told you that you don’t have to find a perfect balance, but rather the right work-life blend for YOU? We end up constantly feeling stressed yet we continue to chase that perfect balance. Work and life don’t readily compartmentalize themselves. Technology alone makes it very difficult to completely separate. So let’s look at how we can find perfect for YOU.

In this session, Paulus of ROERS, and Anderson of Dale Carnegie Business Group, will discuss ﬁve keys to creating your perfect work-life blend that’s as good and as satisfying as your favorite cocktail. We’ll set smarter goals that will help us achieve what we set out to do and relish the success we create. You’ll walk away feeling like you can conﬁdently say, “I’m doing what I need to be doing right now. I’m focusing on what I need to be focusing on right now. I’m present in my life right now.”

Please consider bringing new men’s socks to donate to the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality.

Tuesday, December 13

3:30 to 5 p.m. | Social 5 to 6 p.m. Sanctuary Events Center

Registration

Chamber Members: $25 in advance | $30 at the door Non-Members: $35 in advance | $40 at the door Register at fmwfchamber.com or by calling 218.233.1100.

PROGRAM SPONSORS

American Crystal Sugar Company | Bell Bank | Bremer Bank, N.A. | Choice Financial | Consolidated Communications

A PUSH Group Success Story

“I joined a PUSH group in August of this year, we have eight people in our group. We set a date every month regardless if everyone can make it. I have also met individually with a few people within the group. We lift each other personally and professionally every time we are together. It’s hard to describe the instant connection you have with some people that you cross paths with, and I’m so grateful that I’ve met these women. Recently, I went through a difﬁcult experience, and without hesitation three women in my PUSH group were calling, texting and sending me words of encouragement.

We don’t meet people by accident; they come when we need them the most, and they stay for the fun, the challenges, the sadness and ultimately for the authentic friendship. I’m grateful for the PUSH group and I realize that it was no accident that we were put in the group together.” — Tiffaney Holm, Sanford Health Foundation

To learn more about PUSH, or to join a group, email push@fmwfchamber.com or visit fmwfchamber.com/PUSH

PAULUS ANDERSON

Marco’s Document Management solutions make doing business with documents more efficient. Our smart technology empowers easier collaboration with colleagues and customers. Learn more and get empowered at marconet.com.

marconet.com #mpowering taking technology further

BUSINESS TRAINING #FMWFTraining

Leveraging LinkedIn

It’s Not Just for Jobseekers

Culture Talk

Giving a Voice to Your Biggest Brand Advocates

Building your network before you need it is about so much more than job seeking. When you invest in building your network, it can also help you attract people to your team, ﬁnd great vendors and contractors for projects and connect with folks who need your services.

In this training, Kirsten Jensen, founder and digital strategist of Next Action Digital, will talk about deﬁning who you want to connect with so you can grow your network strategically and decline some requests without guilt. We’ll also explore ways you can use LinkedIn to provide value to your connections, generate sales leads, be an advocate for your organization and share tips for building a proﬁle that tells the story of who you are as a professional.

As a bonus, all attendees have the option of getting a new headshot taken to use on their LinkedIn proﬁles!

Jensen has worked at the intersection of technology and communication for more than 18 years. She worked in digital marketing at Sanford Health for 13 years and she spent three years at Onsharp. At Next Action Digital, she works with leaders and organizations to tell their brand story by empowering employees to connect, build relationships and share their experience.

This training qualiﬁes for 2 CPE credits for the ND CPA Society

Wednesday, December 14

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cambria Suites, West Fargo

Companies often focus their efforts on building brand ambassadors outside their organization. And while remaining dedicated to client and customer satisfaction is vital to any company’s success, it’s important that organizations don’t overlook their biggest, most accessible brand advocates in the process.

By investing in company culture and empowering employees to advocate for your brand, you can tap into some of your most inﬂuential brand ambassadors. When the people at your company become champions of your brand, your employees, clients and customers beneﬁt.

Hear from Stephanie Schroeder, vice president of marketing for Discovery Beneﬁts, as she discusses the importance of building brand advocates both inside and outside the organization. She’ll also explain the role company culture plays in turning employees into brand ambassadors and cover methods for encouraging employees to vocalize their advocacy.

Schroeder is a brand evangelist, content strategist and design enthusiast. Her passion is in building relationships as a mechanism for brand engagement, and she personally believes employees are the biggest untapped potential for building brand champions in most organizations.

This training qualiﬁes for 2 CPE credits for the ND CPA Society

Wednesday, January 11

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hilton Garden Inn

Registration (includes lunch)

Chamber Members: $27 in advance | $32 at the door Non-Members: $40 in advance | $45 at the door

PROGRAM SPONSORS

The Village Business Institute

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

Making Your Employees and Your Business Stronger

We’re based in Fargo, but work in scores of states and beyond. We’re Midwestern at heart and international in scope. And we make employees and organizations better by providing:

• Confidential mental health counseling

• Financial and legal counseling

• Customized training

• Supervisor support

• CD evaluation/education

• Crisis management services

• And more Contact us to discuss your organization’s need.

Coming January 18

The Chamber’s Operation Thank You has one mission: to say thank YOU! This special event is right around the corner again, and we are excited to share our new member materials. This is our biggest Ambassador-driven event of the year, and our Chamber volunteers will be stopping by on January 18 to deliver new packets with our 2017 Metro Proﬁle & Directory, new window clings, ﬂyers and more. Our ambassadors love the opportunity to personally thank each member organization while bringing new Chamber info to your doors. See you soon!

Join the fun! If you are a Chamber member, please consider volunteering to help us to say “thank you” to all our members.

For more information and to become involved, please contact Mickayla at 218.233.1100.

YPN: YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK

So You’re Interested in Grad School…

MBA, Leadership & Entrepreneurship Programs Near You

Thursday, December 15 | 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Dakota Medical Foundation, 4141 28th Avenue South, Fargo $5 Members, $10 Non-Members | Registration required

Whether you’ve been tossing the idea around for a while, or you’re just now looking into taking your education to the next level, this event is for you. Join the YPN as we host a graduate school event, focused on MBA, leadership and entrepreneurship programs. We hope to arm you with all the information you need as you decide “what’s next.” Representatives from the Carlson School of Business (U of M), Minnesota State University Moorhead, North Dakota State University, University of Jamestown and University of Mary will host a panel focusing on topics including:

• When you should start the application process

• How can I pay for this?

• Online vs. in-person

• Full-time vs. part-time

YPN Holiday Party

Tuesday, December 6 5:15 to 7:30 p.m.

Herd & Horns Bar and Grill

1414 12th Avenue North, Fargo

$15 Members, $25 Non-Members Registration required

Join us for this festive and fun evening at the annual YPN Holiday Party at Herd & Horns Bar & Grill! Come to enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar with a signature YPN drink among many others, the famous naughty or nice paddle game with awesome prizes, and you can even let your competitive side show in their newly renovated game room. This is our biggest bash of the year and we would hate to have you miss out. Register today! among

• How will this beneﬁt you professionally

PROGRAM SPONSORS

Registration for the 2017 Corporate Cup teams opens up on Monday, February 6 at 9 a.m. &

save the date for the event on May 25 from 3:15 to 8 p.m. at MSUM

MEET THE VOLUNTEERS

Learn more about some of our dedicated committee members. These are just two of the many people who help us do all that we do. We thank them for their support and service.

ERICA JOHNSRUD

Member Relations Ambassador Committee Chair

Development Director, Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley

TAMMY ASKEW

Member Relations Ambassador

Vice President, Personal Banking Ofﬁcer, VISIONBank

What do you do when you’re not working?

I like to get involved in the community and check out all the fun events happening in town. You might ﬁnd me playing music bingo, kickball with Lake Agassiz Athletics, making peanut butter, ﬁnding random adventures or enjoying a good craft brew. I also recently started trying my hand at embroidery!

What is best about living and working in Fargo Moorhead West Fargo?

The people! This community is extremely generous and supportive. It’s a bigger city with the small town vibe. It amazes me every day how much it is growing and adding opportunities to better the lives of those of us living here.

What do you like most about being involved with The Chamber?

The Chamber offers wonderful opportunities for professional and personal growth. I feel like the Chamber is a great way to learn more about this community and what I can do to contribute to make it an even better place to live, work and play. I have also been able to meet a lot of people that I would not have met otherwise to work alongside and to call friends.

What is one thing you would like other people to know about your committee? Member Relations Ambassadors get to learn a lot about new businesses in town. We have a fun time getting to know each other and get an insider’s look at unique offerings of our community.

What is the best professional advice you have ever received? Like what you do. You spend a lot of time at your job so you may as well like it!

What is one thing you would like others to know about your committee?

Our goal is to connect businesses to The Chamber and to introduce them to the beneﬁts of being a member. Some of the beneﬁts are honoring businesses with a grand opening or anniversary celebrations, staff training, Women Connect or Business After Hours, to name a few.

What do you do when you’re not working?

When I am not working I enjoy hanging out with my family, running, reading and traveling. The best thing about living and working in the Midwest is deﬁnitely the people of our community!

What do you like most about being involved with The Chamber?

The people! Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo have grown so much over the years, but we still continue to have the “North Dakota nice” going on. It is enjoyable to meet with the new businesses opening but also just as exciting to meet the businesses that have been around for years that specialize in something innovative. There are multiple opportunities for connecting people within our business community.

Our Member Relations committee provides as a liaison to The Chamber and its beneﬁts. Our committee members all share the same optimism for every business we meet and personally try to get to know the businesses we represent and work with them to utilize their Chamber beneﬁts to optimize their success!

What is the best professional advice you have ever received? Be yourself, be honest and work hard.

YEA! STUDENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

This month, we want to brag a little about our YEA! class. The 2016-17 class is a diverse group of well-rounded, high achieving students. We have athletes who play soccer, tennis, football, basketball and softball at recreational, junior varsity and varsity levels. We have students who love the outdoors and enjoy ﬁshing, hunting and archery. We have musicians who play piano, clarinet and violin. We have a student who competed in the National Math Counts competition in Washington, D.C. and another who received a Presidential Award for his academic accomplishments. We even have a student who is an Eagle Scout! One student was recently awarded a grant to aid in the launch of the non-proﬁt she is developing in YEA! Finally, many of our students enjoy volunteering, traveling, online gaming, conducting experiments and studying topics like space and computer science in their free time.

We continue to be impressed with the intelligence and creativity these students bring to the table. At this point in the program, the students have ﬁnalized their business ideas and are now naming their businesses. Next month, they will start writing their business plans under the mentorship of professionals who are volunteering their time to help these students achieve success.

In Other News…

Recently, it was announced that our local YEA! program is one of 10 in the nation that experienced more than 25% growth in the last year! We want to say thank you for helping us spread the word about this exciting program and its beneﬁts to our students and our community as a whole. Also, a huge thank you to our sponsors for believing in this program enough to help us get it off the ground and continue to offer it to our students!

We also want to thank Beans Coffee Bar and Red River Coffee for donating gift cards that were distrubuted to students during our 30+ student recruitment presentations.

PRESENTING SPONSOR

LEADERSHIP CLASS LOOKS AT NON-PROFITS

Focusing on diversity and the non-proﬁt landscape, the Leadership class partnered with the Fargo Moorhead Coalition for Homeless Persons where they spent the morning guiding our participants through an impactful, and some may even say stressful, activity called the CRACKS Simulation. Each participant was given an identity of a homeless or poverty stricken area resident who had to navigate every day expenses such as a mortgage, rent, health care, food, etc., without having the means to pay for the things we so often take for granted. While they were only putting on an act, it really helped the class understand that homelessness and poverty are a real issue in our communities.

We then headed over to two of our community’s non-proﬁts, Churches United for the Homeless and the Vocational Training Center, where the class was able to get an insider’s look at the difference they are both making to those they serve and our community as a whole.

To finish up the day, a panel that included Brenda Richman, Bobcat/Doosan, John Fisher, CHARISM and Leann Wolff, Great Outcomes Consulting, focused on how to take the class’s newfound knowledge of our local non-profits and move forward. Whether they were interested in starting a volunteer program in their businesses, how to find opportunities to give back on their own or what it takes to join a professional board, they are now armed to go forth and make a difference.

To add a little skill development to the day, Brian Shawn, Midco Sports Network, spoke to the class about media relations from an organizational standpoint. Making sure to tell the story the public wants to hear, when the best time is to pitch a story and making sure to thank the often underappreciated journalist are just a few of the tips and tricks he covered.

A special thanks to the American Red Cross and Drekker Brewing Company for hosting this session.

Churches

United for the Homeless

provides “shelter and support in a spiritual setting” for people experiencing homelessness and was established in October of 1987. It is the only emergency shelter in the FMWF area that serves men, women and families. Here’s what else Pastor Sue Koesterman, executive director, shared with us.

Are there any initiatives you’re focusing on right now?

Churches United for the Homeless works to address the root cause of homelessness by improving incomes and connecting residents to community services with a goal of increasing housing stability and preventing a return to the shelter. Supported by a coalition of nearly 60 member congregations, Churches United for the Homeless relies heavily on community partners for prayer, donations and volunteers and to meet its mission of providing shelter and support in a spiritual setting; participation in faith-based activities is completely optional for residents. The organization is scheduled to begin construction on 43-unit permanent supportive housing development in late 2016. We are excited about our organization and the ways we are making a difference in the community. We are looking forward to ﬁnishing strong in 2016 and are always grateful for the support we receive!

What do you like best about doing business in Fargo Moorhead West Fargo?

The people. We have the most amazing, generous people in the Red River Valley.

What is one thing you most want other Chamber members to know about you?

Churches United for the Homeless would like to connect with more businesses. We offer tours, volunteer opportunities and speakers for any business looking to expand their community affairs reach.

What do you like most about being a member of The Chamber?

The training and the networking we receive from Chamber events. We run Churches United for the Homeless more efﬁciently because of our Chamber relationship. This improves services to our residents as well as maximizing donor dollars.

Interested in Having Your Business Highlighted Here?

The Member Spotlight section of The Bridge proﬁles various member companies with unique stories to tell. We’re looking for small businesses in current good standing with The Chamber that have a unique offering, interesting history or are just doing something spectacular. Tell us who you think deserves to be featured! Fill out the form at bit.ly/BridgeMS to suggest a business, or email ahoﬂand@fmwfchamber.com

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Shelter and Support in a Spiritual Se g

Fast Facts

Total employees: 23

Year founded: 1987

Shelter location: 1901 First Avenue North

Leadership: ED – Pastor Sue Koesterman; Director of Development-Babs Coler; Finance Manager-Andrea DeMars and Director of Support Services- Ginny Stoe

Company awards: Outstanding Support of Homeless Veterans Program 2008-2016; Rising Star Award from Impact Foundation

What Newell Wants You to Know

Implementing a new business software solution for your company can really help you grow your business. When it’s done right, it doesn’t have to be painful. The time saved by not using paper or multiple people doing data entry in multiple places can lead to increased ROI, efﬁciency, responsiveness, better decision making and greater proﬁtability. Putting in a solution that streamlines your business not only helps your company grow; it also improves the experience your team members have at work.

As most any entrepreneur knows, with great risk comes great reward, and that is certainly the case for Eric Newell, founder of Stoneridge Software. A long-time Microsoft employee, Newell left in 2012 to start his own business as a Microsoft Dynamics software partner.

Besides adrenaline, you can ﬁnd Eric running on 4-5 cans of TaB per day

With a passion for business excellence and the drive to better serve the market, he set out to create a company with a great environment and great people. “It had been a dream of mine to start my own business since I was a kid, and the timing worked out well,” Newell said. “When I began Stoneridge Software, it was the right time in my own career development and the right time for my family.”

In the ﬁrst year, Newell was joined by several Microsoft veterans to form a dream team that helped establish the company in the market quickly. The team deﬁned its core values as integrity, technical excellence, tenacity, a client centric approach and enjoying our work, which laid a great foundation for the company’s growth.

And things grew quickly. Each year saw more customers, more employees, new divisions and new product releases. Now, just four years later, Stoneridge Software employs 67 team members and has three times as many customers in the area as any other Microsoft Dynamics AX or NAV partner.

And like any great leader, he credits the success of the company to his whole team. “I haven’t seen, as capable of a team anywhere that are all moving in the same positive direction,” he said. “We truly do have the best folks in the industry.”

All this growth keeps Newell busy. He travels one or two days a week to their Minneapolis ofﬁce to meet with clients and the Twin Cities team. When he’s not there, he can be found in meetings, on the phone and conducting job interviews. But he makes sure to balance it all with family time every evening, avoiding work between 5 p.m. and when his daughters go to bed.

Community Involvement

A resident of Barnesville, Minnesota, Newell also chaired the Economic Development Authority for years. Realizing that larger businesses will never move to a small town, he made the conscious decision to change that and inspire economic growth from within. He has now set the example that a successful national business can be based in Barnesville.

It’s also important to Newell to give back to his community. “I like being involved in my daughters’ activities, so I started the K-2 basketball program for Barnesville Community Education and have been coaching basketball ever since,” he said. “My wife, Becky, and I run the Whist tournament every year at the annual Potato Days Festival and my friend Leah and I play music at Barnesville’s Purple Goose restaurant once a month or so as well.”

And in 2015, a pay-it-forward initiative at Stoneridge Software allowed his employees to choose charities to donate to, in which 40 different organizations received funds as part of their corporate giving campaign.

Moving forward... What’s next for Newell and crew? “For the company, we want to be viewed as the best Microsoft Dynamics partner out there,” he said. “We want to be seen as the go-to choice if people are looking at a business solution software in the region. We also want to develop some industry specialization so we can serve some speciﬁc industries that haven’t gotten a lot of attention from modern software.”

Throughout all his experience, Newell says he’s learned that communication and culture are key to the success of an organization. “It’s important to provide role clarity to your team and provide them the training and knowledge mentoring to make sure that they prosper,” he said. “I’ve also learned that there is always more to learn.”

MEMBER NEWS: COMPANIES

Industry professionals have ranked the Edward Jones website as the best in financial services in terms of ease of navigation, straightforward design and available options for users, according to 25 financial advisors in Dilworth, Moorhead, Fargo and West Fargo. The award recently was presented as part of the Web Marketing Association’s 17th Annual Web Awards. Judges included chief executive officers, creative directors and web developers across 96 industries including technology, health care and financial services. Judges scored each website across seven categories including design, innovation and technology. The Edward Jones website scored 67.5 out of a possible 70 points and surpassed the financial services industry average of 50 points, scoring perfect scores for both content and ease of use.

Edward Jones also won the Technology category for large broker/dealers at the 2016 WealthManagement. com Industry Awards. The award recognized Edward Jones for being the first large financial services firm to introduce two-way texting with clients that meets industry regulations, a challenge some in the industry assumed insurmountable. Edward Jones introduced two-way texting with clients in late 2015.

On October 12, Houston Engineering, Inc. (HEI) accepted the Project of the Year award at the North Dakota Water and Pollution Control Conference for their work on the 4th Street South Flood Protection Project in Fargo. The award was bestowed by the North Dakota Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) for communities with populations greater than 5,000. Projects were selected based on several criteria, including good construction techniques, safety, community relations, protecting the environment, unusual accomplishments and additional conditions deemed important to the public works agency. As a result of the project, properties were kept out of the ﬂoodplain, preventing them from being subjected to paying ﬂood insurance, continuing to save residents hundreds of dollars per year.

Marco has been included in an elite and exclusive group of companies after receiving a CRN, a brand of the Channel Company, Triple Crown Award, October 26. Only 48 companies in North America earned this annual award this year, which is based on revenue, growth and technical expertise. Throughout 2016, Marco has earned CRN’s Tech Elite 250, Solutions Provider 500 and Fast Growth 150 awards, and simultaneously met each award’s criteria, which led to winning the Triple Crown Award. This award recognizes solution providers leading the IT industry. Marco was ranked No. 145 in the Fast Growth 150 Award, No. 103 in the Solutions Provider 500 Award and has won CRN’s Tech Elite 250 Award 14 times since 2001. This is the ﬁrst time Marco has been honored with this award, which is in its third year.

Rookie Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has signed an endorsement contract with Sanford Health. The former North Dakota State University signal caller and Sanford have a long-running relationship, dating back to his formative years in Bismarck. Wentz joins several other elite professional athletes with local ties who have chosen Sanford POWER as their exclusive sports medicine partner

United Capital Financial Advisors won the DisruptorsIndustry category of the 2016 Wealth Management Industry Awards with its FinLife Partners Platform. Advisor demand for United Capital’s investment tools and client resources prompted the company to launch FinLife Partners in April 2016. The platform incorporates United Capital’s “financial life management” approach to advising clients. Among the platform’s features is a personalized FinLife Initiation Plan, which provides staffing assessments, workflow modification recommendations and revenue projections, all of which can be measured and tracked through Salesforce. United Capital has received positive feedback on the platform, which is being beta tested by two user groups. It was previously tested by United Capital’s 120 advisors, and $16.9 billion in client assets.

The following individuals have recently been hired or promoted. Please help us welcome each of them in their new roles!

How to Submit for This Section

Want to see your company’s news here? We run employee announcements from all our member businesses in the region – free of charge! Just email thebridge@fmwfchamber.com, and we’ll publish it in the next available edition of The Bridge. All we need is the individual’s name, title, company and a headshot if you have one.

What do we run? New hires, promotions, board appointments, national awards and certiﬁcations.

We reserve the right to edit submissions for space and run announcements at our discretion.

MEMBER NEWS: PEOPLE

AARP North Dakota

Mike Chaussee, Associate State Director for Advocacy

Aldevron

Maria Beatriz Leal, Biomanufacturing Operator

Lori Bjornson, Quality Assurance Specialist

Stephanie Cossette, GMP Document Coordinator

Vicki Clark, Shipping and Receiving Specialist

McKenzie Ensrud, Shipping and Receiving Specialist

Kari Graber, Client Relations Manager

Larry Hartze, Materials Manager

Anthony Martins, Laboratory Technician

Jennifer Murphy, Biomanufacturing Operator

Kim Mutschelknaus, Biomanufacturing Operator

Tony Sims, Laboratory Technician

Darrel Veldhouse, Marketing Manager

Apex Engineering Group

Marcy Blotsky, Support Staff

Sam Anderson, Engineering Technician

Brad Fettig, Right of Way Specialist

Nolan Johnson, Graduate Engineer

Jason Coley, Civil Engineering Technician

Madison Hausauer, Communication Specialist

Robert Bain, Survey Crew Chief

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

Premier Properties

Julie Breidenbach, Realtor®

Rhonda Kreutz, Realtor®

Bethany Housing and Assisted Living

Diane Gravely, LPN, Director of Nursing

Braun Intertec

John McCormick, Chief Operating Ofﬁcer

COUNTRY Financial

Jeff Crist, Financial Representative

Jody Rurup, Financial Representative

Dakota CDC

Jim Hambrick, Board of Directors

Eide Bailly LLP

Brittany Wendler, Technology Business Advisor

Essentia Health

Jack Baden, Nurse Practitioner-52nd Ave Clinic

Jo Ellison, Clinical Psychologist-S. University Clinic

Michelle Kilber, Nurse Practitioner-32nd Ave Clinic

Mike McGregor, Physician Assistant-32nd Ave Clinic

Anna Thomas, Nurse Practitioner-S. University Clinic

chaussee clark sims breidenbach

kruetz gravely

wendler hambrick

rurup

crist McCormick PROMOTED

baden

GoodBulb

MEMBER NEWS: PEOPLE

Adam Fugleberg, Warehouse Manager

Sam Ohman, Shipping and Receiving

Emily Vogel, Amazon/Customer Service

Marlin Wells, Lighting Specialist

High Point Networks

Brandon Conkins, Network Operations Center Manager

Christina Gladue, Receptionist

Tara Herbst, Renewals Assistant

Paul Lenzmeier, Network Operations Center Technician

John Deere Electronic Solutions

Amer Wafaa, Engineering department

Jacob Block, Engineering department

John Guertin, Engineering department

Jordan Krill, Engineering department

Keller Williams Roers Realty

- Flom Property Group

Lisa Brown, Buyer’s Specialist

Kiwanis Club of Fargo

Nedzad Halilovic, President

KLJ

John Mazzitello, Director of Municipal Services

New York Life

Vi Mai, Agent

North Dakota Association of Realtors

Shane Cullen, Park Co. Realtors, New Board of Director

Park Co. Realtors

Kim Hanson Haman, REALTOR®

The RLE Group

Crystal Pavek, CAD/Revit Drafter

Sanford Health

Carla Grossoli, M.D., Pediatrician

Mahendra Gupta, M.D., Hematologist & Medical Oncologist

Rajesh Gupta, M.D., Neurologist

Alison Hornyak, D.O., Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist

Tom Kennedy, M.D., Radiologist

ohman

gladue

block

mazzitello

vogel

herbst

guertin

mai

wells

lenzmeier

krill

fugleberg

conkins

wafaa

halilovic

BROWN

CULLEN haman

Gupta pavek

hornyak

grossoli

kennedy

gupta

Carlos Miranda, M.D., Pediatric Cardiologist

Joanne Montgomery, M.D., Dermatologist

Andrew Terrell, M.D., Otolaryngologist

Spotlight Media

Luke Albers, Sales Assistant

Brady Dukart, E-Commerce Associate

Devin Joubert, Design & Living Assistant Editor

TCI Insurance

Boe Sheeley, Sales Advisor

TMI Hospitality

Olya Brase, Revenue Performance Manager

Jordan Sauvageau, National Account Manager

Travel Incorporated

Becky Trandem, Travel Consultant

Western State Bank

Jonathan Granlund, Credit Ofﬁcer

Molly Nyberg, Customer Service Representative

Jason Vadnie, Credit Analyst

Michele Walter, Business Banking Assistant

Wanzek Construction, Inc.

Jeremy Kaiser, Construction Account Executive

Power Up Your Business

Brian Keranen, Project Scheduler

Trevor Keller, Estimator

Jacob Brown, Construction Manager

Rick Kimball, Western Business Manager

Sarah Smyer, Onboarding/Recruiting Coordinator

montgomery

joubert

nyberg

brase Sheeley

vadnie

trandem sauvageau walter

miranda

granlund

terrell albers

dukart

NEW MEMBERS

The Chamber encourages all members to conduct business with each other. Those listed below recently have made an important investment in their businesses and their professional careers by joining The Chamber. Please consider them for your personal and professional needs. When you do, let them know you learned of their business through The Chamber!

All American Title Company aactitle.com

Real Estate - Titles/Abstracts/Closings

All American Title and All American Commercial Title provide title services and closing services for both residential and commercial transactions. The company was founded in 1999 and opened an ofﬁce in Fargo in 2016.

Bin There Dump That bintheredumpthat.com

Waste Management \ Dumpster Rental

Bin There Dump That provides a well maintained, clean dumpster service. Their dumpsters include walk-in access for easy loading, offer a variety of sizes for any project, ﬂexible schedule for customer convenience, and they will put boards down to protect your driveway or surface. Perfect for any home or job site.

Community Health Services Inc. chsiclinics.org

Health Care Services

Community Health Service Inc. (CHSI) (fka Migrant Health Service, Inc.) is a private, non-proﬁt organization established in 1973 that serves the health needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers and their family members. CHSI operates seven nurse-managed clinics and two advocacy program centers in Minnesota and North Dakota. Nurse practitioners and/or physician assistants are on staff at your year-round locations.

Crayon Software Experts

crayon.com

Information Systems

Crayon is expert at optimizing client ROI from complex technology. They are the global leader in software asset management (SAM), cloud and volume licensing and associated consulting services and are trusted advisors to many of the globe’s leading organizations.

Homewood Suites

kajhospitality.com

Hotels / Motels

Homewood Suites of West Fargo is opening in 2017! It is a 107 all-suite hotel with 1,300 square feet of meeting space!

Inﬁnite Skin Aesthetic Medical Spa inﬁniteskinfargo.com

Skin Care

Inﬁnite Skin is committed to providing their clients with an atmosphere of professionalism, personal attention and excellence in care. They strive on continuing to educate their clients on maintaining healthy skin.

Inspire Networking LLC

inspirenetworkingllc.com

Business Services

Inspire Networking was founded in 2016 by ambitious professional networkers who wanted to grow their business while giving back to the community. Each chapter provides members with relationship building skills, networking education and community outreach.

KC Distributing

701.741.7566

Retail - Stores/Ecommerce

Katy Collins is an independent business owner and distributor of Internet order products.

Midwest Value Pros midwestvaluepros.com

Consultants - Management

The goal of MVP is to work toward a state of peace, balance and consistency inside your organization. This type of culture is important because it bodes well for long-term health and growth of your business.

Posterboard

posterboard.com

Computer/Mobile App Software & Services

Posterboard is a web-based application that searches Twitter and Instagram for unique hashtags, user mentions and user’s posts. With this tool you can elevate the experience at events by integrating your guest’s posts and allowing them to be more interactive with speakers, venues and each other.

Prairie Supply, Inc. prairiesupply.com

Concrete & Asphalt Products

Prairie Supply Inc. is a supplier of construction equipment and materials. They specialize in, but are not limited to, concrete construction. For more than 20 years, Prairie Supply has served the Dakotas and beyond as a reliable customer service oriented supplier.

Shirts From Fargo shirtsfromfargo.com

Clothing - Alterations/Accessories

Quality City. Comfortable Shirts. That’s their motto & mission. Take a look at their collection and you will see our fun take on this unique city. They’re all about providing an awesome-ﬁtting, soft and light-weight shirt for you to represent your roots! They would love to outﬁt your event with their soft shirts.

Signs 4 Work

signs4work.com

Signs

They create affordable professional signage of the industry’s highest quality in custom ofﬁce, nameplates, name badges, awards, vinyl decals, banners and more with fully customizable options available for your business!

Strengths Advantage strengthsadvantage.co

Education - Training

They assist in equipping companies, teams and individuals to reach their potential, Strength Advantage uses a strengths-based approach to develop people and management assets to maximize results.

T. F. Powers Construction Co. tfpowers.com

Contractors – General

T.F. Powers Construction Co. is a construction ﬁrm specializing in commercial general contracting and construction management. As one of the oldest ﬁrms in the Upper Midwest, they are proud to have built over 1,100 projects throughout the Fargo Moorhead area and its surrounding communities.

Your Home Improvement Company yourhomeimprovementco.com

Contractors - Remodeling

They provide top-quality products and outstanding service! They are your personal expert in home remodeling and improvements. They are experienced in windows, siding, rooﬁng, doors and more assist you in your next home improvement.

CELEBRATIONS: October Ribbon Cuttings & Groundbreakings

Ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings are led by the Public Relations Ambassadors, a group of dedicated volunteers who help Chamber members celebrate their business accomplishments. If you would like more information on ribbon cuttings, visit fmwfchamber.com or call Mickayla at 218.233.1100.

Grand opening celebration 4255 30th Avenue South, Fargo bethanynd.org

Bin There Dump That

Grand opening celebration 202 First Avenue North, Moorhead bintheredumpthat.com

Essentia Health

Grand opening celebration 4110 51st Avenue South, Fargo essentiahealth.org

Fargo Brewing Ale House

Grand opening celebration 4445 17th Avenue South, Fargo fargobrewing.com

First Community Credit Union

Glacial Peak Cryotherapy

Groundbreaking ceremony 5201 42nd Street South, Fargo myFCCU.com Good Samaritan

Grand opening celebration 3139 Bluestem Drive, Suite 116, West Fargo GlacialPeakCryotherapy.com

Society

Groundbreaking ceremony 4502 37th Avenue South, Fargo good-sam.com

ICON Architectural Group

Relocation celebration 3187 Bluestem Drive, Suite 2, West Fargo iconarchitects.com

Expansion celebration 2200 28th Street North, Moorhead mpsutility.com

Grand opening celebration 307 Highway 75 North, Moorhead mpsutility.com

Park Christian School Skaff Apartments

Remodel celebration 300 17th Street North, Moorhead parkchristianschool.org

No matter what stage your business is in, Wells Fargo may be able to help you with the financing you need. We have lending options, including:

• Commercial real estate loans • Vehicle financing

• Construction loans • Lines of credit

• Equipment financing

• And more

Plus you’ll also have a dedicated business banker to help you along the way. By getting to know you and your business, our experienced business bankers can tailor options to help meet your specific financial needs.

Come see a Wells Fargo business banker about financing the growth of your business today.