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the newsletter of the Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce August 2013
IN THIS ISSUE:
NEW BOARD MEMBER
NEW FRIDLEY CITY MANAGER
NEW FREE2BE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Welcome our Newest Members Company Name Regus ULTA Beauty Goodwill Easter Seals Leander Limited Hansel Dordell Bradt Odlaug & Bradt Eurotech Auto Service
City Primary Phone Roseville 952-297-5648 Roseville 651-239-1640 Roseville 651-634-3609 Mahtomedi 651-636-6402 St. Paul 651-482-8900 New Brighton 651-636-6912
Life’s too short to stand on the sidelines. Get involved. Here’s your chance. Are you ready for your company to have a say in the future of doing business in our city/county/state? Ready to shape your own destiny and gain ground on the pinnacle of success? You have a role to play, a vested interest in ensuring the successes we’ve built continue. So, take action. As a new or current member, involve yourself in the task of protecting the economic health that brought success to you and others through your membership with the Chamber.
Member Reinvestments Since June 1st! Company
Joined
Company
Joined
Company
Joined
Ace Solid Waste Inc.
1/1/1997
Days Inn - Mounds View
8/1/2006
Printing Enterprises, Inc.
2/1/2009
Adagio's Pizza Factory
5/2/2011
Dentistry For the Entire Family
1/1/1995
Pro Active Tax & Acocunting
7/05/2012
AmeriPride Linen and Apparel
6/1/2002
Donatelle
1/1/1997
R.C. Avionics
7/01/2006
Anoka Ramsey Community College
1/1/1998
Eye Care Center 3/01/1990
RAO Manufacturing Co.
1/1/1976
Barna, Guzy & Steffen, Ltd
1/1/1973
Financial One - Blaine
7/1/2005
Rapid Graphics and Mailing
7/01/2008
Bob's Produce Ranch
1/1/1963
Financial One - Columbia Heights
1/1/1986
Residence Inn by Marriott - Roseville
5/01/2006
Brenk Brothers, Inc.
1/1/1996
Fridley White Pine 7/19/2011
Ryan Electric, Inc.
5/03/2012
Brooklyn Tool, Inc.
1/1/1994
Galaxy Auto Center
1/1/1997
Sam's Club
1/01/1986
Brunswick Zone XL
4/1/2007
Hage Kobany Transmission
7/1/2004
Sheet Metal Connectors
1/01/1994
Carter Day International, Inc.
1/1/1994
Heights Theatre
5/1/2001
Southern Anoka Community Assistance
1/01/1987
CenterPoint Energy
1/1/1967
Holiday Inn Express - Coon Rapids
1/1/1997
Spring Lake Park School District
1/01/1992
City of Columbia Heights
1/1/1997
House Doctors Handyman Service
3/1/2010
Target Distribution Center
1/01/1975
City of Fridley
1/1/1984
KinderCare Learning Center - Shoreview
4/1/2008
TDS Metrocom - Eagan
7/01/2003
Coldwell Banker Burnet - Fridley
1/1/1987
Mackall, Crounse and Moore
6/1/2004
The Landmark of Fridley
7/26/2012
Columbia Heights School District
1/1/1987
McAlpin Agency, Inc. 8/01/2000
The Lighthouse of Columbia Heights
5/01/2009
Compressed Air Concepts
7/2/2012
1/1/2007
VJ Accounting Tax Service
1/01/1995
Courtyard by Marriott - Roseville
5/1/2006
Minuteman Press - New Brighton 7/17/2012
Wal*Mart Stores
1/01/1993
Crest View Senior Communities
6/1/2008
MorningStar Chiropractic
5/1/2000
Cummings, Keegan & Co., P.L.L.P. 11/1/1994
Perfection Grinding, Inc
1/1/1982
BJ Flayton Sam’s Club Fridley
Board of Directors Officers Steve McAlpin, Chair McAlpin Agency Inc. steve@mcalpinagency.com Eric Olson, Chair Speed Pro Imaging—North eolson@speedpro.com Kathy Klang, Treasurer Cummings, Keegan & Co., PLLP kjklang@ckco-cpa.com
Mid American Financial Group
Directors Shirley Barnes Crest View Senior Communities
sbarnes@crestviewcares.org Joe Brauer Mid American Financial Group jbrauer@minneapolis.nef.com Bill Helgeson Risdall Marketing Group bill@risdall.com
Contact Your Chamber Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce 525 Main Street, Suite 200, New Brighton, MN 55112 Tel. 763.571.9781; E-mail info@twincitiesnorth.org; Tim Roche - president & ceo Ashley Melville - membership development
bjflayt.s06310.us@samsclub.com
Jason Helgemoe Western Bank jhelgemoe@western-bank.com
Mark Sommerfeld Computer Revolution msommerfeld@comprev.com Cliff Swanson Micro Control Company C.swanson@microcontrol.com
Ted Landwehr Landwehr Law Offices tland@landwehrlaw.com
Lori Wightman Unity Hospital lori.wightman@allina.com
Andrea Murphy Northeast Bank am@northeastbank-mn.com
Committee Chairs
Shanda Osiecki Lion Precision shanda@lionprecision.com Tom Sanvick Central Bank TSanvick@centralbnk.com
Ambassadors OPEN Breakfast Networking Jim Huff Free2Be
Fall ‘Nine is Fine’ Golf Outing 2013 Brad Kadrie Kadrie Insurance Agency Finance Committee Kathy Klang Cummings, Keegan & Co. Gala 2014 OPEN Grow MN Committee Brad Sanford Wells Fargo Banks Public Policy Ted Landwehr Landwehr Law Offices Young Professionals Committee OPEN
Chamber welcomes new Board member! Mark Sommerfeld, Owner of Computer Revolution in Roseville, joined the Twin Cities Board of Directors this July. “I look forward to being a voice for businesses in Roseville and am looking forward to working with the Board to help the Twin Cities North Chamber of Commerce find ways to increase profitability for the businesses it represents.” Mark grew up in Dayton, MN and after attending Concordia College, and managing the family dry cleaning business for a few years, he opened his first Computer Renaissance location in May of 1997. In 2006 he took a leap of faith and made the business an independent Computer Revolution focusing on how technology could help people achieve their passions. Sommerfeld states: “We’re not Geeks…because we’re not just technicians. Sure, we know how to take computers apart, install ’em, fix ’em, remove viruses or spyware, handle back-up, recovery, set-up wireless networks in homes and businesses. But unlike most who don’t have our history, our real passion is in the study and application of all the new IT capabilities and how our customers can leverage them. We’re happiest when we’re finding new ways technology can help you pursue your passion, your career…or helping your business grow.” “The Board of Directors takes careful consideration into our desire to have fair representation of location, industry, and size of businesses on our Board. Mark not only represents Roseville, Retail, 20-40 employees, business owner; he also brings the true entrepreneur business spirit that so many of us have at the Chamber of Commerce. We couldn’t be happier to have him on the Board” said Steve McAlpin, owner of McAlpin Insurance and current Chair of the Board.
Free To Be Hires New Executive Director Free To Be, Inc. is pleased to announce Jim Huff as Executive Director. Jim joined the Free To Be team on June 17, 2013, with a strong nonprofit background and desire to help others. Educated at Clinton College in upstate New York, Jim brings more than 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience to the organization, including several years as an active Free To Be, Inc. board member. Specializing in business development and marketing, Jim has a proven track record for consistently delivering exceptional results, building cohesive working relationships, engaging in strategic and organizational planning, and executing fiduciary accountability. He credits his family as the source of his uncompromising and passionate commitment to helping others. His father was a minister and prison chaplain; his mother volunteered her time to the inmates’ families. Jim and his wife have two grown children, including a daughter who has a developmental disability. Between his personal and professional lives, Jim has spent more than 30 years improving the lives of people with disabilities. Jim is an active member of the Twin Cities North Chambers of Commerce, Toastmasters International, Business Networking International, and various other business and networking groups. Free2Be welcomes his experience and look forward to his years of leadership.
TCAAP - Then and Now Construction of the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant began in 1941. Between 1942 and 1945, TCAAP produced small arms ammunition. The work force reached its peak in July 1943, when employment totaled about 26,000 people, more than half of whom were women. After WWII, the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant was “mothballed.” In 1950, the facility was brought back into production to manufacture small arms and artillery ammunition for the Korean War. The Arsenal remained in service until 1957 when it was again closed down. In 1965, during the Vietnam War, the plant was re-opened for the manufacture of new types of small arms ammunition. It was officially on standby status from 1976 through 2002, though various manufacturers continued to produce ammunition at the site until 2005. In 2002 more than 600 acres were declared “in excess” by the United States Army. Several redevelopment attempts have been made in the ensuing years, but none was successful. Ryan Companies was the last of several attempts by private developers to negotiate a purchase with GSA in the early 2000s, but could not make the redevelopment plans work. On December 28, 2011, the County executed a $28.5 million Offer to Purchase with the U.S. General Services Administration for approximately 430 acres at TCAAP. In February 2012, the County Board approved a fixed-price agreement with Carl Bolander and Sons Co., for hazardous material abatement, demolition and site remediation of the 430 acres. The total fixed-price contract amount is $22.6 million to bring the site to residential standards. This contract limits the county’s exposure to liability. The county is financing the deal with $21.4 million in bonding, a $6 million transfer from its solid waste fund and $2 million in contingency funds. The County received its “No Association Determination” letter from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on April 9, 2013. This letter protects the County from liability regarding the remediation of the site, and guarantees that this work “will not constitute conduct associating Ramsey County with the release or threatened release of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants at the site for purpose of Minn Stat. 115B.03, subd., 3(4) (2012).” The County and the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) completed the first closing on the property on April 15, 2013. The County took title to 397 acres of the site and received a “lease” on the remaining 30 acres until the cleanup is completed. The cleanup contractor, Carl Bolander & Sons, estimates that the cleanup will be completed in 30 months, by October 2015. INFORMATION PROVIDED BY RAMSEY COUNTY - www.tcaap.net
New City Manager Sees Fridley as a Vibrant Community Now into his fourth week on the job as Fridley's new city manager, Walter "Wally" Wysopal said he is finding the community to be vibrant and in the midst of revitalizing itself with several new development initiatives. Wysopal, who took office on June 27, emerged as the top candidate among 46 applicants for the post. He succeeds Bill Burns, who retired in January after 24 years at the helm of Fridley's city government. In taking the Fridley post, Wysopal did not have to stray far from home: For the past six years, he and his family have been residents of Fridley. "I never thought about being the city manager of Fridley, said Wysopal, who mostly recently was city manager at North St. Paul. But that changed when Wysopal learned that Burns was retiring. "I knew Bill Burns professionally; he had a great reputation in the professional ranks and Fridley had a good reputation as a stable place to manage with good elected officials," Wysopal. "So being a resident (of Fridley) is just an added bonus." Besides Fridley good government, Wysopal said Fridley's strong neighborhoods was another factor in seeking out the city manager's post. "What I didn't realize is that Fridley also has a large employment base," Wysopal added. "That adds to the dynamics of the community" About 30,000 people work in Fridley, doubling the city's overall populiation, Wysopal said. "The business community is big and strong, vibrant. There are a lot of big and small businesses that feed into the positive development." Another thing Wysopal said he finds impressive is the redevelopment occurring in the community. "The redevelopment projects going on here is a sign of the community's vitality and that it's not resting on its laurels. It shows the community wants to remain vital. One of the redevelopment projects that Wysopal points to is the plans of Minneapolis-based Real Estate Recycling to redevelop the BAE Systems site into an industrial park. The 140-acre site is on East River Road south of I-694. Looking ahead, Wysopal said a significant challenge for Fridley, like many other cities, will be maintaining and upgrading the community infrastructure and to carry out that work so that it affordable to residents. Given the change in city's administrative leadership, Wysopal said this an opportune time for the City Council to review community-wide priorities including whether there is an opportunity for greater sharing of municipal services with other towns. About Wally Wysopal Age: 52 New position: Fridley City Manager Family: Wife Teri and five children, ages 9 to 23. Hobbies: Local government. "I enjoy learning about it and studying it." He is, among other things, an adjunct instructor at Metro State University. Pursuing: A doctoral degree in public administration from Hamline University. Article courtesy of the patch.com
Join us at the Fridley Business Council on Tuesday, August 13th as Mr. Wysopal is our featured guest. Tuesday, August 13th 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. Multicare & Associates / Fridley Medical Center 480 Osbourne Rd NE
Arden Hills, Columbia Heights, Fridley, Mounds View New Brighton, Roseville, Shoreview 525 Main Street, Suite 200 New Brighton, MN 55112
Featured Event CHAMBER NIGHT AT THE RACES! On a beautiful July 30th evening members of a few local Chambers met up at the Running Aces Harness Park for Chamber Night. The 6th Race of the evening was named after the Twin Cities North Chamber, so naturally the Past Board Chair, Eric Olson of Speed Pro Imaging North Metro, and Chamber President and CEO Tim Roche had to place a bet on the outcome. With the race named after the Chamber their luck was in line and they hit on the Trifecta (predicting the top 3 finishers). Pictured to the left is Eric and Tim with the winning ticket and some greenbacks. Thanks to Aaron and Stacey of Running Aces for hosting a great event!
YOUR CHAMBER CALENDAR - August 2013 Business Councils: 7:30-8:30 a.m. Columbia Heights - September 6th Northeast Bank, 6th Floor Fridley - August 13th Fridley Medical Center Mounds View - September 11th Mounds View Community Center Roseville - August 28th Affinity Plus Credit Union Shoreview - August 21st Northeast Youth & Family Services New Brighton - September 19th Risdall Marketing Group
Toastmaster Club : 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. Every Wednesday Morning New Brighton City Hall Public Policy Committee Thursday, August 1st 7:30-9:00 a.m.; FREE Chamber Office
Breakfast Networking Club Thursday, August 8th 7:30-9:00 a.m.; $10 Country Inn & Suites, Shoreview Featuring: Ambassador Committee Friday, August 9th 8:00-9:00 a.m.; FREE Chamber Office Grow Minnesota Committee Tuesday, August 13th 8:00-9:00 a.m.; FREE Chamber Office Breakfast Networking Thursday, August 22nd 7:30-9:00 a.m.; $10 Country Inn & Suites, Shoreview Featuring: Annual Meeting Thursday, August 22nd 11:30-1:00 p.m.; $20 Radisson in Roseville
Board of Directors Meeting Friday, August 30th 7:30-9:00 a.m. Crest View Senior Communities
Sneak Peek at September 2013: ‘Nice is Fine’ Golf Tournament Thursday, September 19th or 26th (tbd)
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MEMBER EVENTS FOUND ON THE HOME PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE!
Visit www.twincitiesnorth.org for member listings also! Events, dates, and times subject to change.