May/June 2011

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President’s Letter Editor’s Note Business Calendar Network Central Top Hats

6 8 14 2220

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SINESS APP

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Profit

10 News ReelWhat’s happening and who’s moving. Business news from around Central Minnesota.

10 Book ReviewWE: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement by Rudy Karsan and Kevin Kruse

12 Your Voice In Government Leading the Way While lawmakers in Washington have been busy creating a regulatory tsunami, Minnesota is working to calm the storm.

17 People to Know

18 The Trouble with Business Generations in the WorkplaceWith a little forethought you can help bring out the best in everyone.

UpfrontNEtWorK

GroW

24 TechStrategiesWhich Tool When?

25 Tech News

26 Doing GoodConnectedness

28 Management Tool KitHiring for Retention

30 Economic ReviewIt’s a New Kind of EconomyThe Great Recession of 2008 hurt us, and it will be a long time before we are fully back on our feet.

Special Sections32 Smart Business Profile45 Education and Training

BusinessTools

•• Help for writing a business plan

•• Need an idea? Here are 20 places to find one.

•• Six questions to ask before changing your website

•• Start planning now to avoid an audit in 2012

ONLY ONLINE

www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com

Profit

40 FeatureMeaningful ManagementWise new managers navigate around these nine mistakes.

44 Special FocusNew HorizonsTechnology allows instructors to supplement learning with powerful interactive tools and new applications.

50 Business SpotlightPete and Dee Rengel, Rengel Printing

This Issue

34 COVER STORYUNCONVENTIONaL When Brownie Williams suggested integrating traditional family medicine and chiropractic care, he was greeted with skepticism. But it didn’t take long before he was leading the second largest private clinic in Central Minnesota.

3440

IN EVERY ISSUE

50The Perfect Match Can Be Placed Directly In Front Of You.

Tom Wolden, CSP

763.560.6015A global networking company supported

with offi ces in Minneapolis and Kansas City.

CRTechnical.com

face to face.

But fi rst, we listen, we perform the due-diligence (a crucial step others seem to bypass).We consider all the nuances and elements that go into fi nding the right person for most any higher-level position. It is an art-form. It takes experience, patience and time.Specializing in the “hard to fi nd candidate”, we look at company culture, personality-matching and of course, the experience-levels and specifi c abilities. We consider. We check. We test. We evaluate.Then, we present.Could YOU be the perfect match? We can assist you in fi nding the right position within your area of expertise, as well. Whether you’re looking for new opportunities or searching for the right candidate, CRTechnical is here to help.Talk to our employment professionals and get a perfect match facing you now.CRTechnical, we only fi nd The People You Need.

http://www.theideastartup.com/

http://www.dmnews.com/six-steps-to-determine-if-its-time-for-a-website-redesign/article/194885/

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/11/where-do-ideas-come-from.html

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/mar2011/sb20110311_236833.htm

http://www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com

The Perfect Match Can Be Placed Directly In Front Of You.

Tom Wolden, CSP

763.560.6015A global networking company supported

with offi ces in Minneapolis and Kansas City.

CRTechnical.com

face to face.

But fi rst, we listen, we perform the due-diligence (a crucial step others seem to bypass).We consider all the nuances and elements that go into fi nding the right person for most any higher-level position. It is an art-form. It takes experience, patience and time.Specializing in the “hard to fi nd candidate”, we look at company culture, personality-matching and of course, the experience-levels and specifi c abilities. We consider. We check. We test. We evaluate.Then, we present.Could YOU be the perfect match? We can assist you in fi nding the right position within your area of expertise, as well. Whether you’re looking for new opportunities or searching for the right candidate, CRTechnical is here to help.Talk to our employment professionals and get a perfect match facing you now.CRTechnical, we only fi nd The People You Need.

http://www.crtechnical.com

6 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 1

Customer Service. We reflect on it for

two reasons – either it’s really good,

or it’s not. Here are lessons I learned

during recent travels.

1 Smiles are good. I spied one smiling face

in the 5 a.m. airport crowd. The smile’s owner

was full of great advice. For a nominal fee I

upgraded tickets, got us free baggage, food,

drinks, and a short security line.

CSR (Customer Service Rating) – 5 of 5.

2 Speak the taxi driver’s language. Our driver expressed his feelings to other

vehicles in Spanish. I asked – in a loud voice

so he could better understand me – “Is that

dashboard clock right?” No answer. “Is it octo?

OCTO?” My daughter said, “Mom, I think you

mean ocho – what’s octo?” I sat back and was

silent. CSR – no rating; customer error.

3 You get better service if you follow instructions. A cruise ship port during

boarding is like no other experience. Everyone

is excited, a lot is happening, and over half

the people don’t know what they’re doing. If

you go on a cruise, complete documentation

in advance, secure luggage tags before you

hit the docks, and have your boarding pass

out. We found ourselves behind two groups

of clueless first-timers. I caught the porter’s

eye and waved completed paperwork (with

generous tip on top). He quickly approved the

tagged luggage, glanced at the boarding passes,

and as he took the tip, said “empty line on the

left.” It was the frequent cruiser priority line

(where we did not officially belong). We were

on board in minutes. CSR – 6 of 5.

4 Everyone deserves first class service. Royal Caribbean wows. CSR – 5 of 5.

5 Don’t mess with the night baggage guy. After being assured by ticket agents, gate

agents, and flight attendants that our bags

would make it home, we watched the “last

bag” tray come out of the chute. After 19

hours of travel, I came face-to-face with

Baggage Claim Darth Vader.

“Baggage tags and boarding passes

required.” (The guy in front of me had lost his.

He was reduced to tears and dismissed.)

“Look at this card and tell me which one of

these resembles your bag.” (None of them did.)

“What’s in your bag?” I looked at Darth

like he was crazy, “What do you mean what’s

in my bag? You don’t have to open it, it has

our tags and two ID tags on it, and you know

which picture it resembles.” “We open it to

verify it’s yours. You’ve got some rum in there

or something.” His arrogance was stunning. I

told him about the wet bathing suit on top.

I finally asked, “Do you want my credit card?”

Darth squinted his eyes and said, “What do

you mean?” I said, “I had a contract with you

to get my bags here. They aren’t here. You

will credit my $75 fee back, right?” Heavy

breathing. I wasn’t moving. “Well, Ma’am,

you’ll have to go to our website, noway.com, for

that . . .” CSR - Negative 5 out of 5.

Customer Service. You know when it’s

good. You really know when it’s not. I pledge

that Chamber staff will strive to give you

octo…err…ocho…on a 5 point scale.

Buenos Dı’as,

Customer Service Impressions from a Chamber President

Main Phone | 320-251-2940

Automated Reservation Line | 320-251-2940, ext. 126

Program Hotline | 320-251-2940, ext. 125

www.StCloudAreaChamber.com

email: [email protected]

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

Special Events Coordinator | Virginia Kroll, ext. 105

Communications & Workforce Development

Coordinator | Jill Copeland, ext. 130

Membership Sales Specialist | Wendy Franzwa, ext. 134

Administrative Assistant | Vicki Lenneman, ext. 122

Administrative Assistant | Cindy Swarthout , ext. 100

Administrative Assistant | Sharon Henry, ext. 124

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU STAFF

Executive Director | Julie Lunning, ext. 111

Sales Manager | Lori Cates, ext. 113

Director of Sales & Marketing | Judy Okerstrom, ext. 112

Director of Sports & Special Events | Kelly Sayre, ext. 128

Director of Visitor Services | Jean Robbins , ext. 129

Receptionist | Nikki Fisher, ext. 100

2010-11 BOARD MEMBERS

Jim Beck | Minnesota School of Business

Craig Broman | St. Cloud Hospital/CentraCare Health System

Brenda Eisenschenk | InteleCONNECT, Inc.

Linda Feuling | Westside Liquor

Todd Fritz | InteleCONNECT, Inc.

Jayne Greeney Schill | St. Cloud Area School District #742

Steve Hahn | HahnMark, LLC

John Herges | Falcon National Bank

Joy Hornung | LarsonAllen LLP

Dolora Musech | Batteries Plus

Kris Nelson | Custom Accents, Inc.

Bernadette Perryman | C & L Distributing, Board Chair

Rick Poganski | Principal Financial Group

Dr. Earl Potter, III | St. Cloud State University

Dr. Mark Roerick | Advantage Chiropractic

Melinda Sanders | Quinlivan & Hughes, P.A., Past Board Chair

Jodi Speicher | The Good Shepherd Community

Bill Winter | St. Cloud Federal Credit Union,Board Vice Chair

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NETWORK

Teresa BohnenPresident

care above all.

1406 Sixth Avenue North | St. Cloud, Minnesota 56303 | www.centracare.com

Mike had heart problems for years, and until he had bypass surgery he accepted various limitations as part of life. Today, Mike is feeling better and is grateful for the care he received at the Central Minnesota Heart Center at St. Cloud Hospital. As a heart bypass patient, Mike is one of thousands whose outcome we carefully measure.

Measuring quality—it helps patients like Mike get better, and makes us better too.

Quality care—it’s our passion.

“ My outcome was as important to them as it was to me.”

Mike Crow

15003_ads_r5.indd 1 10/5/09 10:06 AM

care above all.

1406 Sixth Avenue North | St. Cloud, Minnesota 56303 | www.centracare.com

Mike had heart problems for years, and until he had bypass surgery he accepted various limitations as part of life. Today, Mike is feeling better and is grateful for the care he received at the Central Minnesota Heart Center at St. Cloud Hospital. As a heart bypass patient, Mike is one of thousands whose outcome we carefully measure.

Measuring quality—it helps patients like Mike get better, and makes us better too.

Quality care—it’s our passion.

“ My outcome was as important to them as it was to me.”

Mike Crow

15003_ads_r5.indd 1 10/5/09 10:06 AM

http://www.centracare.com


When Brownie Williams left for

chiropractic school, (see the story

on page 34) he didn’t worry about

the details – like having a place to live. He was

young, he’d meet people, it would work out.

He joined a group of other young

men who were sharing a keg of beer and

announced he needed a place to live.

Did anyone have a suggestion? “I need a

roommate,” one of the guys said. And with

that Brownie Williams and Kevin Brewster

were friends. “We did everything together

during school,” Brownie told me. “We were

inseparable. It was just one of those things.”

I know what he means. My first day at

college I walked into the band room – usually

a place of refuge for me – and looked at seats

packed full of strangers. What I wanted to

do was flee, but I gripped my courage and

my clarinet and walked over to a slender girl

with red hair and asked if it was ok if I sat

next to her.

It turned out that she, too, was an

intimidated freshman. Her name was Lisa.

We followed band with lunch, lunch with

classes, and classes with a friendship that

endures to this day.

On band trips we roomed together

with two other women who also played

clarinet. Late into the night Lisa and I would

talk about whatever crisis or concern we

were dealing with and while nothing was

ever resolved, we always felt better in the

morning. When we graduated one of our

band-trip roommates said, “All I want to

know is what were you two whispering

about all night long on every band trip?”

And we thought we were being discreet.

Lisa was one of the first people to receive

the inaugural issue of Business Central

Magazine. I was one of the people who sat

and cried with her when her brother died

in an accident. She sent me flowers when I

was hired at the Chamber. I sent her flowers

when she finished graduate school.

Kevin Brewster died last summer. He and

Brownie had been friends for over 30 years.

I can only begin to imagine the hole that

created in Brownie’s life.

Lisa and I recently met for lunch. I told

her about my fall trip to Southeast Asia.

She told me about her overly programmed

family Christmas. We laughed and cried and

laughed some more. As we parted Lisa said,

“Can’t you just see us – we’re going to be 80

years old and still drinking wine and solving

the world’s problems.”

I certainly hope so.

Until next issue,

Gail IversVice President

Editor

Common Ground

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NETWORK Publisher Teresa Bohnen

Managing Editor Gail Ivers

Associate Editor Dawn Zimmerman

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSJill Copeland

St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

Fred Hill St. Cloud State University

Gail Ivers St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

Steve Joul Central Minnesota Community Foundation

Tracy Knofla High Impact Training

Chelsey Larson St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

Doug Loon U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Mary MacDonnell Belisle mary macdonnell belisle-writerforhire

Dawn Zimmerman The Write Advantage

ADVERTISINGAssociate Publisher/Sales

Wendy Hendricks, Hendricks Marketing

Ad Traffic & Circulation Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media

ARTDesign & Production

Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media

Cover Photo Lisa Crayford, Country Gallery Photography

ACCOUNTINGAccountant Judy Zetterlund

110 Sixth Avenue South

P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487

Phone (320) 251-2940 • Fax (320) 251-0081

www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com

For advertising information contact Wendy Hendricks,

(320) 656-3808, 110 S. 6th Ave.,

P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487.

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.

© Copyright 2011 Business Central LLC

Business Central is published six times a year by

the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce,

110 Sixth Avenue South

P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487

Phone (320) 251-2940 • Fax (320) 251-0081

Subscription rate: $18 for 1 year.

Left: Editor Gail Ivers with friend Lisa Bugman in 1983.

above: Gail, Lisa and friend Mary Trogen during a clarinet recital in 1978.

http://www.logbank.com


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Engagement + alignment = Harmonization.Employers and employees are equal partners in the drive to full engagement.

BooK REVIEW

Reviewed by Fred Hill

Setting the stage for this

book review, I quote

Verne Harnish, CEO of

Gazalles Inc., as he praises our

book:

“If you think smoking kills, then

you should know that having a

bad job is just as lethal (literally)

to both the employee and the

company. What [the authors]

understand is that both the

employee and their leadership

have dual roles in fixing this toxic

situation – and they outline in

detail the three drivers needed

to create an engaged workplace,

based on their experience and

research from over 10 million

people.”

WE: How to Increase

Performance and Profits Through

Full Engagement defines the

three drivers as growth,

recognition, and trust; as in

GReAT Managers Focus on

Growth, Recognition, And

Trust.

The premise of this book

is that full engagement is of

paramount importance for

a person or an organization.

Engagement is different from

happiness. Engagement is

about being motivated to give

the extra effort that advances

the employer’s goals. When

we are fully engaged in our

work, we want to do it; we

want to go the extra mile. Our

authors suggest “that being

fully engaged at work has

significant implications on all

aspects of [our lives.].”

Throughout the book,

issues are approached from the

WE perspective. That means

employers and employees

are equal partners in the

drive to full engagement.

In the WE approach, the

employer actively creates

an environment that fosters

engagement, and the

employee actively makes

career decisions that enable

full engagement.

The book has four parts.

Part One, Career-Life, covers

the big picture of how work

and jobs have changed over

time and how critical they are

to overall happiness in life.

Part Two, The You in We, is

written for the individual and

suggests ways that you can

actively manage your career.

Part Three, How Great Leaders

Harmonize Teams, details how

employees need to be both

engaged and aligned to reach

harmonization. Part Four,

Manager’s Toolkit, is a practical

guide written for leaders and

managers. BC

Dr. Fred E. Hill is a professor

of Learning Resources and

Technology Services at St. Cloud

State University.

WE: How to Increase

Performance and Profits

Through Full Engagement

by Rudy Karsan and

Kevin Kruse

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Hoboken, New Jersey, 2011

ISBN 978-0-470-76743-6

Hospital receives gift The St. Cloud Hospital received a combined gift of $300,000 from the Otto Bremer Foundation and Bremer Bank in support of the hospital’s Caring for Generations capital campaign. The campaign has a goal of raising $21.7 million to support a 360,000 sf addition to its southeast side. Gifts totaling $10.6 million have been raised.

Charter donates $10K to Catholic CharitiesCharter Communications donated $10,000 to Catholic Charities to help fill local food pantry shelves. The funds provided more than 8,000 meals to needy families.

Rice appointed to national councilChristopher J. Rice, president of Rice Building Systems,

Inc., was appointed to a two-year term to the National Advisory Council of Butler Manufacturing Company, the nation’s largest manufacturer of pre-engineered building systems.

Minnesota Trade Office opens in St. CloudThe Minnesota Trade Office opened its first satellite branch in partnership with St. Cloud State and the Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center. The office is located in the SCSU Welcome Center.

PleasureLand RV opens new locationPleasureLand RV Center opened a new location in Brainerd and acquired a dealership in Willmar.

NEWSREEL

Rice CH

AMBE

R ENDORS

ED

BU

SINESS APP

ROV

ED

CH

AMBE

R ENDORS

ED

BU

SINESS APP

ROV

ED

Business_Weekly_St.Cloud_8.5x11_11-10.pdf 1 12/1/10 4:15 PM

10 12 13 14 15 17 18

Book Review Your Voice in Government Point of View Business Calendar It’s Made Where? People to know The Trouble With Business

Business_Weekly_St.Cloud_8.5x11_11-10.pdf 1 12/1/10 4:15 PM

Book Review Your Voice in Government Point of View Business Calendar It’s Made Where? People to know The Trouble With Business


A recent bill passed by the

legislature and signed into

law by Governor Mark Dayton

streamlines the state’s permitting

process and assists responsible

businesses that want to locate or

expand in Minnesota.

This important action by

the state of Minnesota comes

as the U.S. Chamber releases

a new study that identifies the

economic impact and jobs that

could be created in 49 states

if the regulatory red tape and

permitting delays were removed

from stalled energy projects.

“With this piece of legislation,

Minnesota is leading the way

on improving the permitting

process,” said William Kovacs,

U.S. Chamber senior vice

president of environment,

technology and regulatory affairs.

“In Minnesota alone, our study

identified five stalled energy

projects that are costing the state’s

economy $12.8 billion in GDP

and 21,100 jobs a year during the

construction phase.”

The U.S. Chamber’s study,

Project Denied: The Potential Economic Impact of Permitting Challenges Facing Proposed Energy Projects, identifies 351

stalled energy projects nationwide

that in aggregate are costing the

American economy $1.1 trillion

in GDP and 1.9 million jobs a

year during the construction

phase. The study is part of the

Chamber’s larger Project No Project initiative, which catalogs

energy projects that have been

delayed or stopped for a variety

of reasons, including a chaotic

permitting process.

The business community has

long recognized the need for

sensible regulations to ensure

workplace safety, guarantee

worker rights, and protect public

health. While many regulations

have a positive impact, many

others are outdated, ineffective,

overly complicated, and

counterproductive. In fact, the

Small Business Administration

puts the total price tag of

complying with federal

regulations at $1.75 trillion in

2008. That amounts to $15,500

for each U.S. household. BC

NEWSREEL YoUr VoiCE IN GOVERNMENT

Leading the WayWhile lawmakers in Washington have been busy creating a regulatory tsunami, Minnesota is working to calm the storm. By Doug Loon

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NETWORK

College names Dean of NursingSt. Cloud Technical and Community College named Carolyn Olson,

certified nurse practitioner, Dean of Nursing. The college created the new position in response to the growing nursing program and industry need.

New Flyer receives grantThe Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded a $260,000 grant to train employees at New Flyer of America Inc. Employees in St. Cloud will receive training at the St. Cloud Technical and Community College.

G.L. Berg voted best for 2010G.L. Berg Entertainment, Performing Arts & Speakers was voted “Best Entertainment Agency for 2010” by the readers of Minnesota Meetings & Events magazine. It is the fourth time G.L. Berg Entertainment has won the award.

Bernick Foundation awards $200,000 The Bernick Family Foundation awarded over $200,000 to community causes through the Central Minnesota Community Foundation.

Bartlett joins board of directors Corey Bartlett, Automotive Parts Headquarters, Inc., joined the

St. Cloud Bremer Bank board of directors.

Meta 13 Interactive adds staffRobert Johnson is the new account manager at Meta 13 Interactive in St. Cloud. His position involves developing new business as well as supporting current client projects.

Olson

Bartlett

About the writerDoug Loon is the vice president of regional affairs, for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and is responsible for managing the U.S. Chamber’s regional operations from his office in the Twin Cities. To learn more about the U.S. Chamber, visit www.uschamber.com.

Now onlineTo learn more about the Projects No Projects initiative, visit www.BusinessCentral Magazine.com

“In Minnesota alone, our study identified five stalled energy projects that are costing the

state’s economy $12.8 billion in GDP and 21,100 jobs a year during the construction phase.”

PoiNt OF VIEW

Business Central asked readers:

“What would be your best advice to someone going into

a job interview?”

“Be friendly, up front, and be yourself. Employers don’t want canned answers they want a real person.”

“The one thing that puts people off is saying something unconstructive about a past employer.”

“Appearances are important. I would be looking for someone who is clean-cut and looks put together.”

“Confidence is the key. You need to portray yourself as the best candidate for the job.”

“With the advantages of technology, you should research as much as you can about the company.”

Mike Stringer St. Cloud Truck

Sales, Inc.

Brad TurbesHansen Flooring

Gallery, Inc.

Katie WeinmannCulligan Soft Water

Service

Peg ImholteResource Training

& Solutions

Ryan CondaEich Motor Company

The economy seems to be getting back

on track. Let’s take those positive

signs and build on them. Seize new

opportunities. Cover new ground.

Let’s take action. Your business. Our bank.

Let’s turn positive signs into positive results.

Downtown St. Cloud 251-3300 West St. Cloud 656-3300 • Sauk Rapids 252-1938 Sartell 255-7121 • Rice 393-2600 Call 1-800-908-BANK or visit Bremer.com.

Member FDIC. ©2011 Bremer Financial Corporation. All rights reserved.

M AY / J U N E 2 0 1 1 • • w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 13


NEWSREEL

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NETWORK

BUSiNESS CALENDAR

Waite Park ChamberFor businesses interested in doing business in Waite Park. Lunch is provided by the host when you register at least two days in advance.

11:30-1 p.m.

May 18: Annual Business Showcase at Waite Park City HallJune 15: Hosted by McKay’s, at 2020 Division St., Waite Park

Call (320) 251-2940 for details.

Sauk Rapids Chamber For businesses interested in doing business in Sauk Rapids.

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

June 23: Hosted by The Good Shepherd Community on-site at 1115 4th Ave. N, Sauk Rapids

Lunch is provided by the host when you register at least two days in advance. Call (320) 251-2940 for details.

Lunchtime LearningA combination of lunch, networking, and education.

Noon – 1 p.m. at the Chamber office, 110 S 6th Ave.

May 4: “Making Media Work for You” •• Learn how the media works and what you can do to earn frequent and better news coverage. Understand the kind of news that keeps you in front of customers in a way that helps your business. Sponsored by Plaza Park Bank.June 1: “Plaza Park Bank: Social Media Success Story” •• Leave with specific examples and work plan templates to integrate your overall marketing/branding strategy with social media. Sponsored by Th!nk Creative Advertising, Inc.

Registration required: $15 for Chamber members, $22 for the general public. Call (320) 251-2940 for details.

2011 Business Awards LuncheonAnnual event honoring Brownie Williams, owner of Williams Integracare Clinic, the St. Cloud Area Small Business Person of the Year, John Schlecht, owner of Crafts Direct, the Entrepreneurial Success Award recipient, and Dan Miller, Miller Architects and Builders, the Business Central Mark of Excellence - Family-Owned Business recipient.

May 3: Hosted by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce at the Holiday Inn & Suites, 75 37th Ave. S, St. Cloud $19 for Chamber members; $29 for the general public

Business After HoursA complimentary open house for Chamber members and guests. Bring lots of business cards and prepare to grow your network!

4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

May 17: Hosted by Holiday Inn & Suites, 75 37th Ave. S, St. Cloud. June 22: Hosted by St. Cloud Surgical Center, 1528 Northway Dr., St. Cloud

Can’t-miss opportunities to influence, promote, and learn MAY -JUNE 2011

Visit events.StCloudAreaChamber.com for a detailed calendar.

Schoeppner receives Presidents Club AwardTad Schoeppner, business

development manager at Doherty Staffing Solutions, was awarded the 2010 Presidents Club Award for consistently achieving more than 130 percent of his annual budget and adding more than 20 new accounts in 2010.

Tamm wins Leader AwardDerek Tamm recently received the Northwestern Mutual Regional Leader Award for outstanding performance.

Marco acquires new division, receives awardOffice Enterprises,

Inc.’s Eau Claire division in copier and printer sales was acquired by Marco, Inc. The service employees joined the Marco team and will continue to provide mailing products and services in the Eau Claire and Wausau markets.

Marco recently received a 2011 Perfect Image Award from imageSource Magazine for the Best Implementation of Managed Services. The national award was presented to Marco at a conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this year.

DeZURIK expands with acquisitionIndustrial valve manufacturer, DeZURIk, Inc. has acquired Illinois-based APCO Willamette, a producer of valve lines. The APCO products will complement broad DeZURIk capability on industrial applications in the energy, process and commercial markets.

Preferred Credit announces promotionNicholas Gaetz was promoted to the new position of junior vice director of IT/operations. Gaetz has worked with Preferred Credit Inc. for 10 years.

Schoeppner


it’S MAdE WHERE?

Avon, Minnesota

Netter’s Welding & Fabrication, established in 1991, completes custom ornamental welding projects and stainless steel countertops, hoods, and other welding jobs. Two employees handle all of the work. Their customers reside in Central Minnesota, Duluth, Brainerd, Rochester and the Twin Cities.

WELDING PROJECTS INCLUDE SPECIAL INTERIORS FOR THE FOLLOWING:•• Stearns County Sheriff Dive Van:

This camper-turned-operations-headquarters-

vechicle houses equipment for emergency dive

teams. The interior is designed to facilitate a

dive, with self-contained items such as ropes

and machines to recharge oxygen tanks.

•• SERT Vehicle: The “Special Emergency

Response Team” vehicle is a standard,

non-descript trailer that store weapons

for the tactical team.

NETTER’S WELDING & FABRICATIONJay Netter, Owner20154 Morningstar Road,Avon, MN 56310-9635(320) [email protected]

Your network is the core of your business. Your communications, business processes, and applications depend on it.

Wouldn’t it be nice if all of your IT systems worked together?

Marco’s team of IT experts can design and build a network infrastructure that integrates your systems like never before. And it all starts with us

listening to your business needs and where you want to go.

Why reinvent the wheel? When it comes to system integration, we’re all ears.

System IntegrationFeel like you’re starting over all the time?

A casino cashed in on Marco’s expertise and won BIG! To learn more, visit www.marconet.com/HittingtheJackpot

marconet.com

http://www.marconet.com


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NETWORK

LEAdErSHiP CLASS

St. Cloud Area Leadership GraduatesCongratulations to the following people who graduated from the St. Cloud Area Chamber Leadership program in May. If you are looking for volunteers to serve on boards and committees, these individuals are a good place to start.

St. Cloud Area Leadership:

•• Grooms leaders who will contribute to your company

•• Provides professional networking opportunities and enhanced community connections

•• Improves an employee’s ability to think like an owner

•• Helps employees develop greater personal vision and confidence

•• Reinforces skills and imparts new knowledge to employees

•• Enhances and improves existing leadership skills

•• Provides greater understanding and a broader perspective of key issues in Central Minnesota

•• Encourages networking among emerging and established leaders

Ryan Anderson Bremer

Vern BachorSt. Cloud State University

Mary BarthelCatholic Charities

Kirby BeckerSt. Cloud Area Planning Organization

Glenda BurgesonSt. John’s University

Mary Christen CzechTri-County Action Program, Inc.

Julie DandaGoodwill-Easter Seals MN

Bridget FaberMahowald Insurance Agency

Julie FiskNeils-Franz-Chirhart, Attorneys at Law

Jeremy GoltzStearns Bank

Summer Hagy

Jennifer HoffenkampPineCone Vision Center

Sue HuotReach Up, Inc. - Head Start

Anna Kampa Goodwill-Easter Seals MN

Ralph Keen

Eric KnopikSchlenner Wenner & Co.

Craig LiethakDV, Ltd.

Phil LuitjensSt. Cloud Hospital/ CentraCare Health System

Tim McLeanRasmussen College

Eric ReisingerUS Bank

Becky ReynoldsGirl Scouts of Minnesota & Wisconsin Lakes & Pines

Mike Schlough Park Industries

Tad SchoeppnerDoherty Staffing Solutions

Richard Schwegel St. Cloud VA Health Care System

Sarah SpierMarco, Inc.

Andy Voller American Heritage National Bank

Janette Yiran

BECOME A LEADERSt. Cloud Area Leadership is designed to help current and emerging leaders understand the dynamics of the community and the role leadership shares in building healthy communities. This program brings together men and women of diverse backgrounds who share a common commitment to the future of the St. Cloud area.

Insurance agencies recognized Omann Insurance Agency, Sartell, and SMA Insurance of St. Cloud were named to the Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company President’s Club for 2011 as top agencies for the company. The award is presented for outstanding production and profitability over a five-year period.

Compounding Pharmacy moves to SartellW & C Apothecary is moving its St. Cloud location to the new medical campus in Sartell at 165 19th Ave. S. The Apothecary has been owned and operated by pharmacist Steve Anderson since 1994. It is the only community pharmacy in Central Minnesota that has a state-of-the-art compounding lab.

Benedict’s Senior Community receives awardThe Aging Services of Minnesota Living Our Mission Award 2011 recipient is St. Benedict’s Senior Community of St. Cloud and Monticello. This award is given to an older adult services organization that commits to day-to-day operations and reflects unique needs of tenets of faith.

Bill Hatling receives industry honor HatlingFlint, a full-service marketing,

public relations and interactive agency won five ADDY awards at the Central Minnesota ADDY banquet. Agency President Bill Hatling received the AAF Silver Medal award for his contribution to advertising and furthering the industry’s standards.Compiled by Chelsey Larson

NEWSREEL

PEoPLE to kNOW

Jim GruenkeMark J. Traut Wells Phone: (320) 251-5090E-mail: [email protected], Chamber Connection

Tony GoddardParamount Arts Resource TrustPhone: (320) 240-0836Email: [email protected], St. Cloud Area Chamber’s Convention & Visitors Bureau Advisory Board

Chamber Connection is the premier networking event for businesses in Central Minnesota. Hosted by a different Chamber member every Friday morning, Chamber Connection attracts 120 -150 people each week to network and share information about their businesses, all for the price of $1 at the door.

The Chamber’s Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is dedicated to promoting the St. Cloud area as a premier visitor destination and to encourage community improvements that benefit residents and increase the economic impact of visitors. Members of the Advisory Board approve budgets, marketing campaigns, and recommend policy positions.

Jesse BowmanMiller, Welle, Heiser & Co., Ltd.Phone: (320) 253-9505Email: [email protected], Chamber Open

The Chamber Open is an annual networking event for all Chamber members. This year held Monday, August 8 at the St. Cloud Country Club, volunteers organize the day’s activities, sell sponsorships and help the day of the Open.

aPPLY TODaYApplications for the Leadership program are available online at www.StCloudAreaChamber.com, select “Programs” then “Leadership.”

Applications must be submitted by May 27 to the St. Cloud

Area Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302.

Individuals who represent an ethnic/minority community

perspective are encouraged to apply. Scholarships may be

available. For more information about participating in the

2011-12 St. Cloud Area Leadership program,

call Gail Ivers at (320) 251-2940, ext. 109.

NoW ONLINE

No pressure

StCloudMedical.com

South Campus1301 33rd Street South

251-8181

Northwest Campus251 County Road 120

202-8949

Clearwater Clinic615 Nelson Drive

558-2293

Cold Spring Clinic402 N Red River Avenue

685-8641

Family Practice + OB/GYN + Pediatrics + Express Care Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation + Occupational Medicine + Surgery

We believe health care should be stress-free.

With 54 doctors at 4 locations providing care

in six specialties, your choices at St. Cloud

Medical Group are painless. Your doctor is your

partner for your health—which is why you’ll see

the same doctor at every visit. They know the

best treatment includes your involvement, so

they take the time to know you and understand

your concerns. With clinics where you work and

live, you don’t have to go far to receive the best

care in the community.

It’s the genuine care and respect we have for our patients that makes the difference.

BusinessCentral[bloodpressure].indd 1 2/28/11 5:16 PM


http://www.stcloudmedical.com


By Tracy knofla

today, we see employees

from four distinct

generations working side by side.

They all have different reasons for

being there, guided in part by the

generation to which they belong,

and they all bring something

unique to the workplace. A

search of the literature reveals

that the generations have been

given many different names, all

meaning basically the same thing.

Traditionalists, those born

between 1900 and1945,

are generally described as

dependable, loyal, hard-

working, and family-

oriented. What they bring to

your workplace is a strong

motivation to do a good job.

You can expect them to be on

time, not miss much work,

take direction well, and respect

position and authority.

Baby Boomers, born

between 1946 and 1964,

are goal-oriented, driven to

succeed, enjoy working as a

team, and have high ideals.

You can expect them to be

very social in the workplace,

create and accomplish far-

reaching goals, and enjoy a

hectic work pace.

Generation X members

were born between 1965 and

1980. They are characterized

as the anti-establishment

generation —typically described

as loners and entrepreneurs.

This generation believes

that working is not the goal,

but a means to enjoy the

standard of living they want

to have. You can expect them

to be independent workers,

innovators, and employees who

enjoy a challenge.

Members of the Millennial

Generation were born between

1981 and 1999. They are bright,

connected to others through

their electronic gadgets,

idealistic, and interested in the

world around them. They want

their jobs to have meaning

beyond just the position

description. You can expect

them to be energetic, hard

working when given strong

direction, forward thinkers,

and agents of change in the

workplace.

Trying to manage all of these

generations in your workplace

is akin to herding cats. It can

be a challenge. The following tips can make it easier for managers to make the most of what each generation brings to the table.

tHE troUBLE WITH BUSINESS

Make Room for All!Many employers have people from multiple generations working side by side. Trying to manage their diverse needs may seem like herding cats, but with a little forethought you can help bring out the best in everyone.

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NETWORK

QUiCK TIP

Have clearly written policies in your workplace and follow them. All employees will feel more comfortable knowing what your regulations are and what the consequences are if they are not followed. This will help you to fight allegations of favoritism among employees.


Respect the experiences that each generation brings with them to the workplace. Your traditionalist employee

has seen good times and bad

and has lived through many

world events. The millennial

employee, while not having

years of experience, has

grown up within a culture

that encourages continuous

change. Each employee brings

skills essential to success in

your workplace.

Pick the right project for the right employee. This is always

important advice, but never

more so than when you factor

in the generational aspect. If

the project needs workers who

are very self-directed, then

look to Gen X employees to

fulfill that need. If you need

workers who will stay with

a task until it’s finished, no

matter the time, then a Baby

Boomer might be a good

choice.

Don’t try to be the social director. Relationships will

form naturally between

members of different

generations. It just takes time

for people to get to know

and trust each other. Offer

opportunities for that to

happen and things will work

themselves out.

Conduct employee training on “Making the Most Out of Our Workforce.” Be especially

intentional in showing the

positive characteristics that

each generation brings to your

workplace.

Finally, don’t always assume it’s generational issues causing problems in your workplace. As interesting a management

challenge as it is to have

employees of all ages in the

workplace, it is not always the

first cause of rancor or loss of

productivity in your business.

Look for other factors that

might be at play. BC

Make Room for All!Many employers have people from multiple generations working side by side. Trying to manage their diverse needs may seem like herding cats, but with a little forethought you can help bring out the best in everyone.

About the writerTracy Knofla is the co-owner and featured consultant of High Impact Training. She has been presenting to audiences across the country for more than 25 years.

reflexStCloudOrthopedics.com 320.259.4100

Bend without breakingGeneral Orthopedics • Sports Medicine • Joint Replacement • Trauma

Knee & Shoulder • Hand Center • Spine Center • Foot & Ankle

APR Bus Central_HWANG.indd 1 4/11/11 2:55 PM

http://www.stcloudorthopedics.com


Chuck Rau, RIE Coatings (L), Jill Magelssen, Express Employment Professionals, Dolora Musech, Batteries Plus, Terry Fitzgerald, Federal Reserve Bank-Minneapolis, and Julie Hotchkiss, Federal Reserve Bank-Atlanta

Jill Magelssen, Express Employment Professionals (L), Dolora Musech, Batteries Plus, Terry Fitzgerald, Federal Reserve Bank-Minneapolis, and Julie Hotchkiss, Federal Reserve Bank-Atlanta

Chris Farrell, Marketplace Money economics editor

Brian Myres, ING Direct (L) and Chuck Rau, RIE Coatings

GROW

The annual Winter Economic Summit featured a panel of local business people and economists.

NETWORK

Sauk Rapids Chamber hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minn.

Jackie Johnson, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Minn.

Chad Houg, Transport Graphics and Tad Schoeppner, Doherty Staffing Solutions

John Funk, Funk’s Midway Dairy, was the guest speaker at a recent Sauk Rapids Chamber meeting.

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NETWORK CENTRAL


Gina Bartell, Woodbury Financial Services (L), Julie & Mike Forsberg, Forsberg Investments and Insurance

Dolora Musech and Erik Hagen, Batteries Plus

Kevin Dyer, Dyco, Inc. Remodelers John Mathews (L) & Tom Mathews, Hughes Mathews; Isaac Flenner and Jeremy Goltz, Stearns Bank

Dave Kahlhamer, Stearns Bank (L), Bob Lien, Robert’s Fine Jewelry, and Lisa Braun, City of St. Cloud

Jeff Burg, Granite Services (L) and Roger Schleper, Premier Real Estate

Jim Feneis, First Fuel Banks and Jill Sieben, Cutco

Christine Tollefson, Tully Tube Network and Don Blonigen, Dijital Majik Computer Clinic

NETWORK

Business After Hours at Stearns Bank

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Summit Direct Carpet, flooring sales and installation, 2837 23rd St. S, St. Cloud. Pictured: Kris Nelson, Allan Gully and Inese Mehr.

Van’s Flags and Flagpoles, 1034 33rd St. S, St. Cloud. Pictured: Jason Bernick, Tim Coil and Owen Peterson.

Liberty Mutual Insurance, 622 Roosevelt Road, Suite 290, St. Cloud. Pictured: Owen Peterson, Brian Bury, Jackie Olson, Jordan Parks, Caren Larson, Amy Miller and Roger Schleper.

Dollar Avenue, your dollar and party store, 230 2nd Ave. S, Waite Park. Pictured: Roger Schleper, Sean Artley and Jason Bernick

TMC Liquidation, St. Cloud, specializing in retailing of office products at 50% or less of retail price. www.tmcliquidation.com Pictured: Roger Schleper, Steven Ehlen, Kelli Ehlen and Owen Peterson.

Breitbach Construction, general contractor and construction management, PO Box 78, Elrosa. Pictured: Dolora Musech, Adam Holmes and Inese Mehr.

Custom Electronic Installation, Inc., custom design and installation of low voltage, 4215 Thru Street, St. Cloud. Pictured: Inese Mehr, Susie Simacek and Bob Lien.

RU Ready, consulting business in the areas of safety, health and OSHA compliance, 1532 Prairie Hill Road, St. Cloud. Pictured: Diane Ohmann, Diane Sand and Inese Mehr.

toP HATS | New Members

NOT A MEMBER YET? Call Wendy Franzwa, Membership Sales Specialist at (320) 656-3834 for more information.

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NETWORK

“A lot of last minute requests come in from suppliers and sometimes you have to make decisions as fast as possible. Schlenner Wenner is very cooperative in getting the information we need in order to make proper decisions.” –GregDahlheimer,DahlheimerBeverage,LLC

CORY RITTER & AL GARBER, C.P.A.’Swith Luke, Greg & Debby Dahlheimer of Dahlheimer Beverage, LLC

WORKING WITH PEOPLE,NOT JUST NUMB3RS.

Little Falls320.632.6311Albany320.845.2940

Maple Lake320.963.5414Monticello763.295.5070

St. Cloud320.251.0286

www.swcocpas.com

An Independently Owned Member, McGladrey Alliance

St. Cloud Surgical Center1526 Northway Drive • St. Cloud • 251-8385 • 800-349-7272

www.stcsurgicalcenter.com

We are here when you need us!

Accredited byAccreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc.

We are here when you need us!

~Including Overnight Recovery Unit~

Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence

in Caring for You!

Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence

in Caring for You!

http://www.swcocpas.com


American Burger Bar, 2010 County Road 75. St. Joseph. Pictured: Inese Mehr, Brad Ireland and Bob Lien.

Ashley Furniture HomeStore/Furniture Mart, 60 Waite Ave. S, St. Cloud. Pictured: Owen Peterson, Gordy Wallenstein, Bill Hinks, Michelle Berckes, Scott Grotberg, Jim Heinitz and Chris Panek.

20 years in business – PAM’s Auto, 7505 Ridgewood Road, St. Cloud. Pictured: Kris Hellickson, Patrick Huesers, Mike Meyer and Dolora Musech.

20 years in business – Crafts Direct, 620 Sundial Drive, Waite Park. Pictured: Inese Mehr, John Schlecht and Kris Nelson.

Focal Point Decorating, interior decorating, 9529 Crestview Drive, St. Joseph. Pictured: Diane Ohmann, Brenda Fedor and Kris Nelson.

NO PHOTO – Fair Hills Resort and Wildflower Golf Course, 24270 County Highway 20, Detroit Lakes.

Carlson Wholesale, wholesale distributor of agriculture-related equipment, 3780 Quail Rd NE, Sauk Rapids. Pictured: Inese Mehr, Tim Carlson, Chad Carlson and Diane Ohmann.

Midwest Machinery Co., a full service dealership, offering agricultural equipment, lawn and garden equipment, and commercial work site products, 1035 35th Ave. NE, Sauk Rapids. Pictured: Dolora Musech, Andrew Swenson, Gene Seipel, Craig Will and Roger Schleper.

Complete Nutrition, a life-style supplement store designed to help people reach their health goals, 4101 W Division Street, St. Cloud. Pictured: Roger Schleper, Jeff Reed, Mike Coonen and Luke Cesnik.

toP HATS | New Locations, New Ownership and Expansions

toP HATS | Milestones

toP HATS | New Businesses

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Tech Strategies Tech News Doing Good Management Toolkit Going Green Economic Review

24 25 26 28 29 30

The ante has been raised. Research

shows that 64 percent of U.S. internet

users are expected to use social

networks on a regular basis this year and it

increases to 90 percent for users under the

age of 35 – a common target demographic

for businesses.

As the adoption of social media moves

from cutting edge to commonplace, users are

becoming more sophisticated and discerning

about the brands and people they interact

with. That means a business presence on

social media is not enough.

Many of the most popular tools can be

used effectively to achieve specific business

goals, but some still prove to be more

fruitful than others. The graph (below right)

indicates the best solutions for each of your

business objectives. Let’s look at a few ways

these play out:

Brand Monitoring A Twitter account

is not just for tweeting. Twitter serves

many businesses better as a research tool

by allowing them to search keywords

about their business, industry and even

competitors. At any given time, businesses

can type a key word or phrase into the

Twitter search box and see where they

are appearing in recent conversations.

Businesses can regularly and easily track

mentions related to keywords by using the

“Saved Searches” feature.

Customer Service Businesses have created

Facebook pages for the sole purpose of

providing a direct line to customers to

address issues and improve their customer

service. This takes customer service beyond

the traditional phone call or email. Users

can post questions or issues on the Facebook

wall and get an almost immediate answer

from a customer service representative. Such

responsiveness and transparency helps build

customer loyalty, too.

Gaining New Customers From globally

recognized brands to mom and pop shops,

companies of all sizes can take the brand

monitoring concept on Twitter to the

next level by responding personally and

immediately to prospective and current

customers. Advil employees, for example,

regularly search for people tweeting about

having a headache and then respond with a

free sample of the pain reliever. This direct

tECH STRATEGIES

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Which Tool When?Not all social media tools are created equal. Some will fit your business objectives better than others. By Dawn Zimmerman

Which Tool When? Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube BlogsCustomer Service

Community Outreach

Crisis Communications

Product Development

Networking

Lead Generation

Gaining New Customers

Brand Monitoring

Employee Recruitment

Matching Goals with Tools Here’s a glance at which social media tools are the best fit for common business objectives:

Dawn Zimmerman is CEO

of The Write Advantage Inc.,

a St. Cloud-based writing

and communications firm

that specializes in social

media strategy and implementation.

About the writer


interaction is becoming commonplace

among large brands, but can easily

be applied on a smaller – Central

Minnesota – scale.

The ad capabilities of Facebook

also provide a unique opportunity

for businesses to reach and grow a

specific demographic of their choosing.

Facebook ads allow businesses to

narrow their demographics not

only by geography, gender, age, and

marital status, but also more personal

characteristics like interests, alma

maters and employer. Then they pay by

the click.

More Opportunities These uses only

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to businesses today. The potential

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recognized social media platforms

continue to grow as emerging social

media platforms and industry giants like

Facebook roll out new features. BC

tECH NEWS

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doiNG GOOD

About the writerSteve Joul is president of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation. Based in St. Cloud with affiliates throughout the region, the Foundation works to engage people, connect resources, and build community.

In previous 12 months 2010* 2004*

Volunteer 73 77

Trust local government 41 53

Trust national government 25 37

Trust in your local neighborhood 89 91

Trust in local police 91 94

Worked on a community project 49 70

attended public meeting 40 36

attended political rally or meeting 21 43

attending club or organization meeting 57 75

Has friends in home 94 97

Been in home of a person of different race 51 67

Been in home of community leader 30 56

attend religious service at least weekly 43 50

Contributed to charity 90 90

Contributed $1,000 or more 27 35

*Percent of respondents who agreed with the statement

Social Capital activities

Six years ago the Central Minnesota

Community Foundation set out

to measure the level of social capital, or

connectedness, of our community. The

findings showed that the area had higher

levels of connectedness than other parts

of the country. Last year, the Foundation

partnered with the Times Media and others

to complete a second survey to see what has

changed.

WHY WE CARESocial capital has been proven to have

a direct impact on quality of life in

a community. Research shows that

communities with high social capital also

experience higher educational achievement,

faster economic growth, less crime and

violence, and more citizen involvement

in government. Overall, as social capital

heightens in a community so does the

quality of life.

The surveys, conducted by UpFront

Consulting in St. Joseph, look at a variety of

indicators that national

research has found to be

good measures of social

capital.

WHAT WE FOUNDThe 2010 survey found

that social capital declined

slightly overall compared

to 2004. That is not

surprising given the

economy and national

studies that show social capital declining

nationally for the past few decades. Still,

many of our region’s strengths identified

in 2004 - volunteerism, high community

engagement, and philanthropy - remain

today. Residents between the ages of 35 and

64 generally have the most social capital.

HERE’S A GLANCE AT THE RESULTS:Happiness: The level of happiness declined

in the community with the same overall

number indicating they’re happy, but fewer

reporting being “very happy.” Only

5 percent reported being unhappy.

Trust and Diversity: As the community

has become more diverse, trust among

people from different cultural backgrounds

and along racial lines has declined. This

presents an opportunity to focus on

consciously building bridges to promote

better understanding, especially between

immigrant groups, other new residents,

and long-time community members.

Volunteering: More than seven in ten

individuals volunteer and the average

number of times they volunteer in a year

was almost double what it was in 2004.

Trust in government: Although the

community reports high levels of interest in

public affairs, overall trust of government

and of others in the community is down

somewhat since 2004.

WHAT’S NExTThe Foundation has been evaluating the

results and gaining community feedback to

identify areas to focus on this year. BCSee all the survey results at

www.communitygiving.org.

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ConnectednessResearch shows that communities with high social capital, or connectedness, also experience a higher quality of life. By Steve Joul


tEMPtiNG OFFER

A Good Time for TempsSmall and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are increasingly turning to long-term contractors and contractor teams to fill their employment needs. Since 2008:

QUiCK FACT

ENTREPRENEURSHIP REIGNS Today, 250 million people between ages 18 and 64 are actively engaged in starting or running new businesses in 59 economies. Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2010 Report

1 Assignments paying at least $20 per hour have jumped by 162% 2 The number of employers hiring contractors on an ongoing basis has increased 800%

3 Contractor assignments lasting longer than six months have risen by 540%4 The number of SMBs tapping contractor teams of 10 or more has increased by 214%

More Good News for TempsA poll by the online newsletter SmartBrief on Entrepreneurs finds that a near-majority of itsreaders expect their next hire to be an independent contractor, rather than a payroll employee.

SmartBrief on Entrepreneurs asked readers: The next time you hire for your business, will you look for a payroll

employee or a freelancer/independent contractor?

freelancer/independent

contractor49.21%

Payroll employee

(full or part time)

41.27%

Not sure/not applicable - 9.52%

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Employee personality testing is back

in vogue, in part because of the

influx of applications for every

job listing. Employers generally use

personality testing because it saves time

during the application process and could

help reduce risk of performance issues in

the future.

Dick Molohon, owner of Sales &

Management Profiles, Inc., consults with

businesses interested in pre-employment

testing and interviewing. He says the first step

to finding a qualified candidate is helping the

business write an accurate job description.

“The job description is the weakest link.

If the job description isn’t complete no

pre-employment screening can work.”

A correctly written job description can

capture criteria that a job-fit assessment

can filter out.

“A job-fit assessment is similar to a

DiSC Assessment but it’s more specific,”

explains Molohon. DiSC is a psychological

assessment used to examine behavior. It

is an acronym for Dominance, Influence,

Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. “DiSC

Assessments are used for training and

development, but are too broad for hiring

purposes.”

A commonly used assessment model

is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which

distinguishes perception and the role it

plays in decision making. DiSC and Myers-

Briggs are just two of a wide variety of

tests used to identify personality strengths,

attitude, and future behaviors.

What about the traditional interviewing

structure? “A profile will reveal things

the resume did not,” says Molohon. For

example, a candidate for a sales position

may appear friendly and outgoing during

interviews. However, when the person is

hired and begins working the employee

may experience shyness, a trait that may

only be revealed through a personality

assessment.

Molohon says the Minnesota

Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

is the oldest instrument for assessing

behavior. Developed by the University

of Minnesota for use during World War

II, the test could determine aptitude for

certain tasks, such as flying a bomber

versus a fighter jet, or driving a tank

versus a submarine.

MMPI can measure perception,

depression, emotionality, control issues,

stereotypes, trust, anxiety, cognition,

energy, and social introversion. The

assessment also tests validity of answers,

detecting the inconsistency of responses

when subjects are exaggerating or

downplaying psychological responses.

Using an assessment could mean

the difference between hiring a high-

performing employee or a dud. “We’re

after predictable behavior,” says Molohon.

— Jill Copeland


MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT

“The job description is the weakest link. If the job description isn’t complete

no pre-employment screening can work.”

TOOT YOUR OWN HORNIn need of a little free publicity for your new business? Try StartupWorld.com. The site is

dedicated to helping promote startups and developing businesses. Registration includes a

free standard listing.

tECH NEWS

Hiring for RetentionPre-employment screening may reveal things the resume doesn’t.



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93%92%

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TECH NEWS

GOING GREEN BY tHE NUMBERS

Social networks continue to garner attention

and growth, but traditional websites and email

campaigns are the mainstay of promotion for

most small and mid-sized businesses.

Websites Reign

Constant Contact asked business owners: What is the most important tool for promoting your business?

0

20

40

60

80

100

aPPS FOR YOUR aPPSLoaded all the best apps on your Smartphone and now you have no speed? Try QuickLaunch, which speeds up access to your other go-to Smartphone features, including customized shortcuts. and instead of watching all those awesome apps suck the life out of your battery, try JuiceDefender, which disables mobile connectivity and other energy-sucking components until you need them. Source: Entrepreneur.com

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Source: Energy Smart

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discussions of the future

of our economy and

what to expect in the

workforce consumed the 49th

Winter Institute at St. Cloud

State University in March.

Economists from all over

the country spoke to what

they think the needs and the

outlook are for the American

workforce and the future of

our economy. Localizing the

topic, four speakers shared

their thoughts on Minnesota’s

economic outlook.

Thomas Stinson, Minnesota

State Economist, had the most

optimistic view for the future

of our workforce. The 2008

recession resulted in such an

intense number of jobs lost,

Stinson said, that despite recent

– and significant – job gains,

the new jobs don’t make up

for the number lost. It will

be a slow process, Stinson

acknowledged, but it will get

better. Stinson also connected

the unemployment rate with

the slow economic recovery.

Naturally, he said, when people

make more money and are

not worried about their jobs

they tend to spend more. As

more and more people return

to steady employment, he

believes we can expect to see

an increase in spending.

Dan Laufenberg, Stonebridge

Capital Advisors, focused most

of his speech on supply and

demand. Oil prices were a

prime example. “We have to

learn to adjust our behaviors to

higher oil prices,” Laufenberg

said. He explained that rising

prices won’t necessarily stop us

from using oil, but a long-term

effect may be that people learn

to use less.

Food prices, according

to Laufenberg, are rising in

part because of bad weather.

When there is bad weather,

fewer crops can be grown,

resulting in a lower supply and

higher demand. In the end,

Laufenberg said, shifts in pricing

will not have much impact on

the American economy because

we eventually learn to adjust.

Steve Hine, Minnesota

Department of Employment

and Economic Development

(DEED), focused specifically

on the workforce. He shared

that during the recession in

Minnesota, 158,000 jobs were

lost. Since then, our recovery

has only seen 19,000 jobs

created. When compared

nationally, Minnesota has

a low unemployment rate,

however the ethnicity gap of

unemployed blacks to whites

is the largest in the nation.

“Minnesota has a lot of work

to do to get our unemployment

rate back down,” Hine said. “It

will be a long road, but we are

not in as bad of a condition as

some states.”

King Banaian, St. Cloud

State University was able to

offer some local insight. In

Central Minnesota the retail

and manufacturing businesses


ECONOMIC REVIEW

It’s a New Kind of EconomyThe Great Recession of 2008 hurt us, Minnesota economists agree, and it will be a long time before we are fully back on our feet. Once we are, it will be a new normal. By Chelsey Larson

LEFT: king Banaian, St. Cloud State University (L) and Steve Hine, Minn. Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) participate on a panel discussion regarding the economic outlook for 2011.

4.7%Unemployed managers and executives who started their own firms in 2010

8.6%Unemployed managers and executives who started their own firms in 2009

7.6%Job seekers who relocated each quarter in 2010 for new positions

200The number of metropolitan areas that reported year-over-year increases in employment in 2010

8.8millionthe number of self-employed Americans in the fourth quarter of 2010

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a NEW NORMaLOnce the economy gets back on its feet, it won’t be the same economy. Minnesota State Economist Tom Stinson said at the annual St. Cloud State University Winter Economic Summit earlier this year.

“Due to the change in demographics, there will be a new type of normal,” he said. The next four years are crucial to see what type of new economy we may have. Stinson suggested we’ll be able to better understand that new normal by monitoring the following:

JOB SKILLS MISMATCHING People need to be qualified for the positions they take on in the workforce. Some of the jobs that have been lost will be gone forever and those employees will need new skills before they can be re-employed.

THE BABY BOOMER GENERATIONWatch out for a large increase in our retired population. Employers – and Baby Boomers – need to figure out how our definition of retirement will change as this group ages and how best to take advantage of their skills in the workplace.

EMPLOYMENT CREATIONCurrently two-thirds of the job opportunities are replacement jobs and not new positions.

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have been doing quite well,

Banaian said. Retail was hard

hit by the recession as were

many markets, but he has seen

a very high bounce back. On

the bright side of employment,

according to Banaian, the

education and health services

sectors never were really

affected by the recession and

have since enjoyed 7.2 percent

job growth in the St. Cloud

area. BC

Chelsey Larson is the communications intern at the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce.

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SMART BUSINESS: Birthline

Too much is thrown away in this

country, including lives. Every life counts. That’s a conviction

the volunteers and staff at

Birthline, Inc. in St. Cloud have acted upon

for 40 years in their quiet, life-affirming

way. Theirs has been a continuing legacy of

charitable service to anyone who comes to

the door or calls for help with an unintended

or crisis pregnancy.

This problem was pretty clear in 1971

to St. Cloud Hospital nurses Alice Brown

and Flo Sullivan when they gathered with

friends at a local home to brainstorm ways

to educate, mentor, and support women.

Initially, they followed the structure of

Birthright, a national organization; later, the

group became “Birthline,” an independent

Christian-based organization. On May 10

the group went “live,” with Flo Sullivan

taking the first “hotline” call.

Years later, a hotline call was made by

Tama Theis, a 17-year-old traumatized by an

unexpected pregnancy. “I’m not certain how

I found the number,” says Tama today. “Greg

and I lived in Eden Valley/Watkins.”

Theis vividly remembers meeting

with Bonnie, a volunteer mentor. Most

encouraging were Bonnie’s words about

starting life from that day onward,

with an emphasis on “Where do we go

from here?” Together, they made an

appointment with Dr. Frank Brown. Then,

they looked honestly at options, including

abortion and adoption. Bonnie made it

clear Birthline’s life-affirming mission

couldn’t support abortion. Yet, she was

respectful of the couple.

Counseling and pregnancy testing

are part of Birthline’s services, as are

education, material goods and support,

referrals to other agencies, and even

post-abortion counseling.

Tama and Greg chose adoption, and

today that child and the Theis’s two other

sons are friends, even closer since Rob

now lives in St. Cloud.

“Birthline was a wonderful place to

go,” says Theis, a volunteer speaker and

President of the Board.

Board Vice-President Steve Torborg

remembers his mother going to her

volunteer shift at Birthline in the 1970’s.

More recently his sister-in-law and

business partner’s wife have volunteered.

He and his wife were very aware of

Birthline’s support when they experienced

a late-in-life pregnancy nine years ago.

We’re compassionate to the needs of the mother and

father and also advocate for the health and life of

the unborn child.

– Carrie Tripp, Executive Director

Birthline: 40 Years of Love, Life and MiraclesBirthline’s legacy of love and respect for life is often passed down from generation to generation. Bob Leighton acquired his passion for life from his parents Al and Jean, who were early Birthline supporters.

Birthline supporters Bob, Jean and Al Leighton

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“I’ve grown even more passionate

about the work of Birthline since our

experience,” says Torborg. “Of course, there

was never any question that Christopher

was going to be born to us, and that he was

going to be loved.”

Since the beginning years, Birthline

volunteers and staff have held the hands of

13-year-old adolescents to women in their

late 40’s, from all circumstances and socio-

economic backgrounds. These women are

counseled in an environment of safety and

confidentiality. No judgments are made.

Also, the father of the child is affirmed

and welcomed into the discussion of what

lies ahead. Staff members and volunteers

facilitate education and deliver information.

They’re adept at answering all types of

questions and are always ready to respond

with compassion infused with supportive

practicality.

And, the community readily supports

Birthline’s efforts. The St. Cloud Hospital has

been a supporter since the beginning, and

today, the CentraCare Health Foundation is

a friend. Funding is also awarded through

the Minnesota Department of Health’s

“Positive Alternatives” program. Individuals,

businesses, faith communities, civic and

community groups donate volunteer time,

contribute money, collect baby layettes

and other items, and refer those who need

supportive services.

“We feel the work Birthline does is good

and impacts the people involved, helping

when they need it most,” says Bob Leighton.

“Leighton Broadcasting is happy to be

involved… Our announcers donate their

time to events, and here at the station, we

give publicity.”

Bob grew up in a Catholic family of nine

kids and found role models for the support

of life in his parents, Jean and Al Leighton.

He also saw his brother, Jeff, and his wife

Beth go through the experience of adopting

two infants into their home and hearts. So,

he understands the importance of Birthline’s

life-affirming mission.

“It’s so ironic. Good people are waiting

and wanting children, and yet, there are a

million abortions a year.”

As long as lives are affected by

unintended or crisis pregnancies, Birthline

has its mission. The organization’s legacy of

Love, Life and Miracles will continue until

all recognize that every life counts. •

BIRTHLINE1411 W. St Germain St., Suite 5, St. Cloud MN 56301 • 320.252.4150 www.birthline.org

Steve Torborg and Tama Theis enjoy their volunteer work at Birthline.

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Bernard “Brownie” Williams, owner of Williams Integracare Clinic is the 2011 St. Cloud Area Small Business Person of the Year. Williams was selected for the award because of his

business success and his leadership in creating a medical model that combines traditional and functional medicine. n Williams started his chiropractic practice in 1981 in Sartell, Minn. He and his wife, Michelle, were the only staff and the first day

they saw 30 patients. n In 1996, Williams opened a second clinic in St. Cloud that combined traditional family medicine and physical therapy with chiropractic care. He called the clinic Integracare because it integrated multiple medical disciplines, allowing patients to receive comprehensive care in one location. n In December 2001, Williams combined the St. Cloud and Sartell clinics into a new facility in Sartell. The company now employs 35 people, including four chiropractors and two medical

doctors. On a busy day, the clinic can see as many as 250 patients. n Williams was honored at the annual Business Awards Luncheon in May, along with John Schlecht, the 2011 Entrepreneurial Success Award recipient; and Dan Miller, Miller Architects + Builders, the 2011 Business Central Mark of Excellence – Family Owned Business. The Small Business Awards are presented annually by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce.


Williams is 2011 Small Business Person of the Year


When Brownie Williams suggested integrating traditional family medicine and chiropractic care, he was greeted with SkEPTICISM. But it didn’t take long

before he was leading the second largest private clinic in Central Minn.

BY GAIL IVERS PHOTOS BY LISA CRAYFORD, COUNTRY GALLERY PHOTOGRAPHY

conventional

The day Brownie Williams

opened his chiropractic clinic in

Sartell his father handed him

a check for $15,000. Williams

and his wife, Michelle, were

just starting out on their own and no one

knew what would happen. Williams’ father

wanted to make sure they had enough

to get started. “Three months later, I gave

the check back to my dad,” Williams said.

“Uncashed.”

Chiropractic care wasn’t Williams’ first

choice. “I went to St. John’s University

for two years,” he said. “I guess I was

floundering a bit; I didn’t have any

direction. I decided to take some summer

classes at the College of St. Scholastica [in

Duluth] to explore physical therapy.”

Then he received a phone call from his

grandmother. “You’ve never taken an order

in your life,” she told Williams. “You won’t

be able to work someplace where you have

to take orders.” She told Williams he had a

distant relative who was the president of

a chiropractic college in the Twin Cities.

“Go talk to him,” his grandmother said.

“I don’t know why she had that kind

of insight,” Williams said, “but I did as

she said.” The relative was president of

Northwestern College of Chiropractic in

St. Paul (now Northwestern Health Sciences

University in Bloomington). Williams

was told he would be notified in a week

whether or not he would be admitted to the

school. “After talking with him, I was pretty

well convinced that this is what I should

do,” Williams said. “I was struggling, I

knew I wanted to get into health care,

and this was a direction.”

And what a direction it turned out to be.

Since opening his practice in 1981, Williams

has gone on to open one of the few, and

largest, clinics that integrate chiropractic

care, physical therapy, and traditional

family medicine.

GettinG Started

Michelle Williams was a flight

attendant, but that didn’t stop

her from working side-by-side

with Williams as they opened

their first chiropractic clinic in 1981 in Sartell.

“We had been planning this,” Brownie

Williams said. “We bought used equipment.


We went through the phone book and sent

a notice to everyone we knew that we were

opening a clinic – and we knew a lot of

people. Every day Michelle and I would go to

lunch with the goal of talking to people and

recruiting one new patient.”

Michelle had worked in a chiropractor’s

office and understood the practicalities of the

business. The two ran the business as the only

employees. When Michelle was called for

flight duty, her sister stepped in to help. “To

this day I’ve never had an employee as good

as Michelle,” Williams said. “I’ve fired her a

thousand times and she’s quit a hundred, but

she’s still the best.”

By 1985, it was clear to Williams that

he needed to expand. “The business was

there,” he said, “we just didn’t have the space

to accommodate it.” He had been sharing

a small building with a dentist office. He

contacted the landlord and offered to buy

the building, effectively doubling his space to

2,000 square feet.

dark dayS

Despite all of the planning and the

apparent smooth growth pattern,

Williams has experienced some

bumps along the way.

In 1993, he had his left ankle fused,

essentially eliminating his ability to treat

patients for six months. Five days after

returning from the surgery, one of the other

chiropractors in the office confronted him.

“He said I had to pay him $250,000 a year

or he was leaving and taking other key staff

with him,” Williams said. “It was such a lousy

thing to do. I agreed because I had to. I wasn’t

in a position to treat patients. At six months,

when I was able to work again, I gave him

30 days notice. He left, took a handful of our

staff with him, and the other chiropractor

left for unrelated reasons. So it was back

down to just me and we had to rebuild. But,

Williams added, “we never had a down year

financially. We’ve always been able to grow.”

A similar situation occurred just a few

years ago. Another chiropractor was buying

into the practice when he decided he needed

more pay and wanted to run the clinic.

“There were three of us,” Williams said. “The

plan was to split ownership one-third, one-

third, one-third. He said pay me a quarter of

a million dollars a year and let me run the

place or I walk. So we said, ‘Walk.’”

The two former partners ended up suing

each other, but eventually worked out their

differences. “He was a young guy who over-

stepped. We worked it out and we’re friends

now,” Williams said. “That’s all behind us.”

inteGrated care

In 1994, Williams began to explore the

idea of integrating traditional medical care

with the functional care provided at his

clinic. The decision was both defensive and

philosophical, according to Williams. “It was a

defensive move against insurance – they were

pushing chiropractic care off to one side.” But

philosophically, integrating care was the way

he thought he could best serve his patients.

He put an advertisement in a Minneapolis

paper looking for a physician who would

be willing to work with a chiropractor. Tom

Kraemer, MD, responded.

“In those days, the State of Minnesota

had a law that only medical doctors could

own clinics,” Williams said. “So I bought

condominium office space in St. Cloud, leased

it to Tom, and then Tom had a management

agreement with me to run the clinic. It was

crazy, but it’s what we had to do.” As the two

developed their plan, they attended a workshop

on integrated care. “That’s where the name

comes from,” Williams said. “Integrative care

became Integracare.”

The expansion called for more employees.

In addition to a new receptionist, they started

looking for a physical therapist to join their

Williams Integracare Clinic PO Box 296, 100 2nd St. SSartell, MN 56377-0296Phone: (320) 251-2600Fax: (320) 251-4763email: [email protected]: www.icareclinics.comoWner: Dr. Bernard “Brownie” Williams, DC; Dr. Mark Halstrom, MD, is currently buying into the business and will own 49 percent within about five years.BuSineSS deScriPtion:

A multidisciplinary medical clinic that combines traditional family practice medicine, chiropractic, exercise, massage, physical therapy, and nutrition. numBer oF emPloyeeS: 35not So Fun Fact: It takes 8 employees just to deal with insurance and government regulations.ProFeSSional ServiceS:

4 chiropractors, including Williams3 physical therapists2 physical therapy assistants2 nurse practitioners1 medical doctor, currently hiring a second physician1 physician’s assistant2010 revenue: $5.1 millioncommunity contriButionS:

CentraCare Health Foundation, Catholic Charities, Cathedral High School athletics program, Sartell-St. Stephen Education Foundation, St. John’s University

“We went through the phone book and sent a notice to everyone we knew that we were opening a clinic – and we knew a lot of people.

“

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integrated careIntegracare is not just a name, according to Bernard “Brownie” Williams, DC. It’s a philosophy. “The name Integracare comes from integrating traditional family care and functional medicine,” Williams said. By way of explanation, he provided an example of a child with asthma.

Children with asthma are regularly provided with an inhaler. Before receiving a prescription, a medical doctor will perform a vital capacity lung test. A chiropractor can evaluate the child to ensure that the thoracic cage is functioning properly, allowing the child to breathe freely. A physical therapist will help the child to learn how to engage the secondary muscles of respiration to aid breathing.

In the traditional medical model, these three steps could mean visiting at least two, if not three clinics. It would mean exchanging phone calls and medical records. It could take several weeks. At Williams Integracare Clinic, these services are provided at the same site. Each morning the staff meets to discuss patient care and share information among the providers. Visits can be coordinated and care timelines reduced.

“There’s an enhancement of the blend of services when you work together,” Williams said, speaking of the different medical disciplines. “We’re a medical clinic and we have been for ten years. The hardest thing we’ve had to do is get past the public mindset that we’re just chiropractic care.”



team. “We went to the Twin Cities to see

a similar clinic,” Williams said. “As we

were leaving, the athletic trainer who

worked at that clinic followed us into the

parking lot and said she was interested

in coming to work for us. That was kind

of awkward – I said, let me at least drive

out of the parking lot before we have this

conversation.”

It turned out to be a match. “She was

great,” Williams said. “Her skills were

similar to a physical therapist and she

worked for us for a lot years.”

The integrated care was a hit, too,

opening in 1996. “We built the second

largest clinic associated with chiropractic

care in the area – the first was our clinic

in Sartell,” Williams said. “And it only

took six months. People would say to us:

‘Finally someone put these together.’”

conSolidation

The year 2000 was one of

transition for Williams. Tom

Kraemer, now married, moved to

the Twin Cities and determined

he should cut back on his work at the

clinic.

Friend and hunting companion, Mark

Halstrom, MD, had been working at the

clinic to help out. Williams approached

him about a more formal arrangement

and Halstrom agreed. Today Halstrom is

buying into the clinic and will own a 49

percent share in the next five years.

Williams decided to consolidate his

clinics.

By this time, he owned both the Sartell

clinic property and the lot next door.

Construction began on the new clinic

next door to the existing Sartell clinic. At

Christmastime 2001, they made the move.

“We saw patients on Friday, moved to the

new building on Friday night, demolished

the old building on Saturday, paved and

striped the lot on Sunday and saw patients

on Monday morning in the new facility,”

Williams said.

It was an immediate success. “Our goal

was to increase the number of patients

we saw each day by about 75. It ended up

being closer to 100 additional patients per

day,” according to Williams.

Now, ten years later, he’s still proud of

the building and the successful integration

of staff and services. But he does have

one regret. “We split the practices apart.

Medical is on one side and chiropractic

care is on the other side with the

reception area in the middle,” Williams

Dr. Mark Halstrom, MDaGe: 40home toWn: St. Cloudeducation: Cathedral High school; St. John’s University; University of Minnesota Medical School; LaCrosse/Mayo Family medicine residencyWork hiStory: Foley Medical Center; moonlighting in small town emergency rooms; full time at Integracare since 2001Family: Wife Gina; children: Bria, Mason, Riley, Carter, MadelinehoBBieS: Bike racing, hunting, running, hockeyBeSt advice: Do what you love…then it’s never work (Harvey McKay).Everything in the patient’s best interest (Brownie Williams)

Dr. Brownie Williams, DCaGe: 56home toWn: St. Cloud, part of the Williams Funeral Home familyeducation: Graduated from Cathedral High School in 1973; two years at St. John’s University, transferring to St. Cloud State to complete prerequisites before attending Northwestern College of Chiropractic, graduated in 1980.Work hiStory: Practiced chiropractic care with Dr. Larry Miller in White Bear Lake, Minn. before opening his own practice in Sartell in April 1981.Family: Wife Michelle; children: David, 29, a second year resident at Hennepin County Medical Center; Danielle, 27, in the doctorate program for a doctorate of nurse practitioner at the University of Minnesota; Megan, 25, program director at Rasmussen CollegehoBBieS: “Michelle says if you cut me, I bleed feathers. I love to hunt water fowl.” Williams has hunted water fowl all over the world, from Argentina to Alaska to South Africa. BeSt advice: “My dad taught me the business side of life and the recreational side of life and to enjoy what I’ve accomplished.”

n PErSOnAL n

Fun Fact: Williams saw 30 patients his first day in business. Today the clinic will see 250 patients on a busy day.

Brownie Williams, DC (L) with

partner Mark Halstrom, MD.


said. “That was a mistake. We should have

mixed it all together. It would be easier on

the practitioners to coordinate care. And

for new people, it would make for a shorter

learning curve to understand how the

different disciplines can work together. Other

than that, it’s worked out great.”

ForWard

Ever the entrepreneur, Williams

agreed to put in a clinic at County

Manor Health Care Campus. Clinic

staff had been seeing nursing home

patients there, but not with regular hours.

“When they first approached us,” Williams

said, “I thought it was crazy. Add a clinic

six blocks away? But we actually needed

some extra space so we started a walk-in

clinic.” As they tracked the patient traffic,

Williams determined that what the nursing

home staff and patients really needed

was late day service. Integracare now has

clinic hours from noon to 6 p.m., schedule

appointments, and are still able to absorb the

walk-in traffic.

The implementation of electronic medical

records in 2010 resulted in an unwelcome

landmark. “Last year was the only year since

we opened that we didn’t grow,” Williams said.

“And it was only down because of the expense

of putting in the electronic medical records

system – business was great. Except for that,

we’ve grown every year. I’ve promised the staff

we’ll be back in a bonus situation this year and

there’s no question that we will be.”

Williams is passionate about his staff.

“I know everybody says it, but I have the best

staff. I really mean it. This clinic, our success,

it’s not about me. It’s about my ability to

gather good people and then let them work,”

he said. “I feel that it’s a privilege to work

with the people here.”

Williams is currently in search of a second

medical doctor to join the practice. Tom Salt,

MD, recently left the clinic after ten years to

open a private practice in New London, Minn.,

where he lives. Williams thought that new

physician might be his son, David, but that

combination, if it occurs, is still a few years off.

“David has expressed interest in joining

us,” Williams said. “He’s a second year

resident at Hennepin County Medical Center

(HCMC). But he told me he’s accepted a

critical care fellowship, so it will be at least

another two years. And that’s ok. It has to be

his decision.”

Whatever David’s final career choice, MDs

and DCs working side-by-side is much more

accepted now than it was when Williams

started out. More physicians understand and

accept the combined roles of medical and

functional patient care.

When David Williams spent two years in

medical training at St. Cloud Hospital, the

experience turned out to be a good one for

him and his father. “David had such a good

experience there,” Williams said. “And most

of the doctors spoke highly to him about

the quality of care and the care model we

have here at Integracare. They even told him

they were impressed that we were still an

independent clinic. Health care has stolen the

entrepreneurial spirit from physicians and

they miss it.

I guess we’re not the red-haired

stepchild of healthcare anymore.” BC

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

1980 BrownieWilliams graduates from Northwestern College of Chiropractic and begins working with Dr. Larry Miller in White Bear Lake, Minn.1981 Williams and his wife Michelle open a 1,000 sf chiropractic clinic in Sartell. They are the only employees and have first year revenues of about $200,000.

1985 Williams purchases his Sartell building, remodeling the adjacent dental office to provide 2,000 sf of clinic space.1996 Williams purchases space in St. Cloud and opens Williams Integracare Clinic with Tom Kraemer, MD.1999 Tom Salt, MD, joins Williams Integracare.2000 Mark Halstrom, MD, starts part-time.2001 Williams begins an ownership transition, bringing in Halstrom and Mike Balfanz, DC, as partners.decemBer 2001 Williams combines his St. Cloud and Sartell locations into one new, 12,000-sf building in Sartell.2004 Mike Balfanz leaves the partnership; Halstrom continues to purchase shares.June 2009 Williams opens a walk-in clinic in the Country Manor Health Care Campus, Sartell.Fall 2010 Tom Salt leaves the practice to open his own clinic near his home in New London, Minn.2010 Company revenues exceed $5 million. Williams Integracare Clinic now has 35 employees, including four chiropractors and two physicians.

“We saw patients on Friday, moved to the new building on Friday night, demolished the old building on Saturday, paved and striped the lot on Sunday and saw patients on monday morning in the new facility.”

n TIMELInE n


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ONE (1)MaKING aSSUMPTIONSSometimes managers believe that

simply stating the facts and instructing

the subordinate to “take care of it”

are sufficient to get things done

satisfactorily. Often though, the

employee hasn’t been given enough

details or doesn’t fully understand the

manager’s expectations, so the result is

disappointing. Conversely, a manager

can easily make a wrong decision or

set a bad policy based on his or her

own assumptions.

TWO (2)FaILING TO COMMUNICaTEManagers should convey their

expectations or they cannot improve

employee performance, said St.

Cloud businessman Arnie Kahara, of

Arnold A. Kahara Ltd., CPA. Managers

can actively listen, focusing on the

employee’s conversation, avoiding

distractions, and asking clarifying

questions. Employees can reciprocate,

repeating what they heard and

understood from the managers.

“Seek first to understand, then

to be understood,” said Stephen R.

Covey in his book The 7 Habits of

Highly Effective People. “This principle

is the key to effective interpersonal

communication.”

THREE (3)DODGING DIFFICULT SITUaTIONSFailure to provide feedback to

an employee at the time of the

transgression ensures it will be

repeated. Managers should have an

honest and direct conversation with

the employee the moment he or

she becomes aware of the behavior,

problem, or error. Ultimately, the

conversation managers really

want to avoid is the one leading to

termination.

FOUR (4)BEING a BUDDYManagers can be friendly and

interested in their team members, but

never a “buddy,” said Nancy Rouillard,

a manager at TCF Bank, St. Cloud.

She shared how a young manager

she supervised developed a friendship

with a subordinate. At some point,

this attentiveness crossed the line into

preferential treatment as the young

woman actively promoted her protégé

for a new position at the bank. The

manager’s indiscrete comments about

“when you get this job …” eventually

created a rift in trust the team couldn’t

repair. The outcome? The protégé

meaningful MAnAGeMenTWise new managers navigate around these nine mistakes.

That excellent employee, promoted over his or her co-workers, must figure out how to manage

effectively. Many fledglings – without formal management training – flutter, falter, “crash and

burn” on their own initiative. In order to soar, new managers must take control over their

destinies and learn from the missteps of those who have preceded them. HERE aRE NINE MISTaKES

NEW MaNaGERS CaN aVOID WITH TRaINING aND FORETHOUGHT.

By Mary MacDonnell Belisle


did not secure the new position, and the

manager was transferred.

FIVE (5)FaILING TO DELEGaTESometimes new managers think it reflects

poorly on them if they don’t have their

finger in every pot, Kahara said. But, a

micro-manager can impede a project,

forcing the staff to wait for a decision or

to chase down the manager for approval.

When employees are given autonomy to

act in the best interest of the company, the

manager’s time is freed up to concentrate

on other priorities. A manager should

delegate to a capable subordinate,

Kahara said, even if it’s a task he or she

loves to do and does well.

SIx (6)HaVING aLL THE aNSWERS“What do you think?” “What do you like?”

“How can it be done?” “Is there another

way?” The rookie manager can ask all

of these questions of his or her reports

without fear of looking inept. Freeing

employees to brainstorm, create, or to

contribute builds mutual respect and adds

to a sense of purpose among the team

members. Managers need to ask advice

of their staff and their own supervisors.

Managers who act as if they know it all

aren’t fooling anyone and are actually

limiting themselves and their employees.

SEVEN [7)DISORGaNIzaTIONNew manager disorganization can result

in poor productivity as employees reflect

their supervisor’s lack of discipline, Kahara

said. To avoid disorganization and poor

time management, novice managers should

first clearly understand what their own

supervisors expect. Once he or she knows

what the boss wants, the manager can align

personal yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily

goals accordingly. The manager should

take time at the beginning or end of the

day to make a list of five priority items and

designate a block of time each day for no

interruptions so the list can be completed.

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Managers who act as if they know it all aren’t fooling anyone and are actually limiting

themselves and their employees.

1 Source: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2005 Report on Women and Entrepreneurship; 2 Source: SBA, Office of Advocacy; 3 Source: SBA, Office of Advocacy

BE RECOGNIzED IN THIS INSIDER’S CIRCLE PUBLICaTION.

DID YOU KNOW?Women represent more than 1/3 of all people involved in entrepreneurial activity.1

Between 1997 and 2002, women-owned firms grew by 19.8% while all U.S. firms grew by 7%.2

Women-owned firms accounted for 6.5% of total employment in U.S. firms in 2002 and 4.2% of total receipts.3

TO ADVERTISEContact WENDY HENDRICKS Associate Publisher, Business Central MagazineDirect: 320.656.3808 or by e-mail:[email protected]

DEADLINE: MAY 20, 2011

YOUR AD

HERE


Author Brian Tracy, an authority on the

development of human potential and leader

effectiveness, said individuals should always

use a time planner, work from a list, and

organize the list by priorities. “The more you

see yourself as a role model for others, the

better you become in organizing your own

time and life,” Tracy writes in his book,

Time Power.

EIGHT (8) FaILING TO VaLUE EMPLOYEESSome new managers become the evil “Mr.

Hyde” to their own “Dr. Jekyll” when they

are given power over others. From team

contributor they morph into the bully, the

commander-in-chief, the Tasmanian Devil of a

Looney Tunes cartoon.

Acknowledging accomplishments with

handwritten notes or emails (cc’d to the

manager’s superior) or personal calls, public

recognition, and pats on the back help

employees feel more valued.

NINE (9) FaILING TO HIRE THE BEST PEOPLE Managers should hire people smarter than

themselves, said Roger Schleper, a 2010 multi-

million-dollar producer with Premier Real Estate

Services and previously, a long-time IT manager

with Fingerhut and Woodcraft Industries. He

told the story of a middle-aged, former college

professor whom none of the youthful managers

wanted to promote because they felt she was so

smart that she would make them look bad by

comparison. Eventually Schleper made her part

of his team, a move that paid off in productivity

and high-level performance for his team. “She

made us all look good,” Schleper said. BC

Mary MacDonnell Belisle owns mary macdonnell belisle-writerforhire in St. Cloud.

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HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY. UNLEASHING

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a WHOLE NEW LOOK!

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training and development have left

behind the days of PowerPoint and

lecture. Instructors are no longer

simply sharing information verbally while

the learner takes notes. Instead of seeking

new information in order to learn, informa-

tion is abundant. Today’s facilitators help

filter out the grains that are most valuable

and apply them in a way that each indi-

vidual learner can understand.

The New Media Consortium, a not-for-

profit organization that explores the use of

new media and new technologies, identi-

fies six technological trends to watch in its

2011 Horizon Report. These practices are

expected to become commonplace within

five years.

Electronic books and mobiles are the

fastest emerging learning tools. Important

capabilities include Internet access and

notation capabilities. Some reading tools

support interaction and experiential learn-

ing. Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s

Nook are some of the well known devices

for electronic reading. The technology

allows for viewing of a paper-like screen,

which is brighter and more legible than an

ordinary computer screen.

While some consider the electronic

readers a fad with little potential for wide-

spread acceptance, Amazon.com reported

sales of electronic books outnumbered sales

of hardcover books for the first time last

July and the trend looks to continue.

Mobile devices allow users to access

Internet resources anywhere. Instant access

to online resources is an important part of

distance learning. Learners can use polls,

questions, clarifications and messaging dur-

ing study. Mobile devices are affordably

priced – under $500 for Apple’s iPad – and

easy to use.

Educators have long been using images

and planning activities around concepts to

enable learning. Augmented reality is the

ability to use place-based information any-

where. For example, when individuals are

learning about geography, technology can

bring them there, so to speak. Students can

learn about natural disasters using game-

based simulations. It is a trend that will

emerge full-force within two to three years.

Games are easy to apply to coursework

and enable all types of learners to

collaborate and problem-solve. Online

games allow the learner to experience a

virtual reality. Virtual labs allow students

to examine the scene of a crime for clues,

explore cryogenics or compose their own

music. Games make learning fun for the

learner, and should not be underestimated

for effective instruction.

Over the long-term, gesture-based computing will allow users to control

technology with their body motions.

Motion technology is user-friendly because

it interfaces with natural body movements.

Imagine a future plastic surgeon

“practicing” live surgery on a virtual

patient. Or a future geneticist piecing

together DNA strands on a virtual replica.

The possibilities for assembly and procedure

stretch far into the imagination.

Other tools allow the provider to critique

their teaching processes and performance

and make adjustments as needed. Learning analytics allow the teacher or facilitator

to analyze the learner’s progress using

engagement statistics, performance data and

progress over time. This highly informative

data allows the instructor to revise

coursework and assessments throughout

the learning process.

Technology will never replace

instruction, but the augmentation of digital

tools has helped with the process of learning

and application of difficult concepts. The

aforementioned trends will continue to

shape the way individuals perceive and

incorporate new information. BC

Jill Copeland is the communications and workforce development coordinator at the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce.

New HorizonsTechnology allows instructors to supplement learning with powerful interactive tools and new applications. By Jill Copeland

EdUCAtioN & TRAINING

The following pages provide information to help you explore Central Minnesota’s education & training options.

CORRECTION:In the March/April 2011 special advertising section: Commercial Construction, the Good Shepherd Households-Good Shepherd Community general contractor listing was incorrect. The general contractor for this project is Miller Architects & Builders.


EdUCATION & TRAINING

Learn more about becoming a corporate partner with Rasmussen College. As a corporate partner, your company will gain valuable tools for retaining current employees and recruiting future employees. Benefits for your organization include: program offerings from Associates to Doctoral degrees, help in employee recruitment, employee seminars, use of campus for off-site meetings and increased exposure to your business. There are also many benefits for your employees that I would love to talk to you about.

Rasmussen College St. Cloud Campus

Pam McIntoshProfessional Education Manager

Phone: (320) 251-5600

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.rasmussen.edu

Saint John’s Preparatory School is a Catholic/Benedictine, co-educational, day and boarding International Baccalaureate college preparatory school for students in grades 6-12, with boarding options beginning in the 9th grade. Saint John’s Prep is the first school in central Minnesota to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programmé. In fact, Saint John’s Prep is the only Catholic and boarding school in Minnesota to offer the IB Diploma Programmé.

Saint John’s Prep offering International Baccalaureate

Diploma Programmé

International BaccalaureatePhone: (320) 363-3321 • www.sjprep.net


The College of St. S cholastica

A bachelor’s or master’s degree in business is a valuable asset in today’s economy, but it can seem like there are a million hoops to jump through to earn one. not at St. Scholastica. We clear away the hoops and let you focus on your career. We offer: evening and online classes, experienced faculty, credit for prior learning, accelerated curriculum and an emphasis on ethics. We’ll help your dream become a reality. Contact us to learn more.

St. Cloud Campus Business ProgramsPhone: (320) 529-6663


Website: www.css.edu

Rasmussen College offers more than 55 programs in 5 different schools of study.

• School of Business

• School of Technology & Design

• School of Health Sciences

• School of Justice Studies

• School of Education

START YOUR STORY

CALL TODAY! 320-251-5600

St Cloud Campus: 226 Park Avenue SouthSt. Cloud, MN 56301www.Rasmusen.edu

Rasmussen has a corporate partner program that provides benefits and reduced tuition for your employees. Contact Pam McIntosh, Professional Education Manager.

http://www.rasmussen.edu



Carolyn Olson leads SCTCC’s growing nursing programs, including its new LPn to Associate Degree (Rn) mobility program. Carolyn has been instrumental in the delivery of web-based nursing education and offering Practical nursing Programs. She is known for her ability to work closely with the community to respond to educational needs. A certified nurse practitioner, Olson joined the college after gaining experience at a variety of health care facilities, including St. Cloud Hospital and MeritCare in Fargo.

St. Cloud Technical & Community College

Carolyn OlsonDean of Nursing

Phone: (320) 308-5156


Website: www.sctcc.edu

Kristina George serves as the new Director of Development for the St. Cloud Technical & Community College Foundation. Kristina, a St. Cloud native and graduate of the College of St. Benedict, brings energy and extensive skills in com-munity relations. Kristina works closely with the board of directors to grow the foundation’s scholarship programs and community impact. The Foundation partners with donors to invest in SCTCC students and programs to foster educational success and economic strength in Central Minnesota and beyond.

St. Cloud Technical & Community College Foundation

Kristina GeorgeDirector of Development

Phone: (320) 308-5980


Website: www.sctcc.edu

Whether climbing the corporate ladder, or trying to escape...

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING.Where You Want It.When You Want It.How You Want It.

www.resourcetraining.com(320) 255-3236

http://www.sctcc.edu



www.scsutraining.com

Corporate eduCation & outreaCh the training you need for the job you do.

Workshops | Seminars | Conference Planning Soft, Hard or Technical Skills

Topics designed for your business needs

C E OCorporate Education & Outreach

Gail [email protected]

Tammy [email protected]

320.308.4252

Become a Business Alliance Partner

Minnesota School of Business invites St. Cloud employers to enjoy the benefits of our Business Alliance program:

• Free custom seminars at your site

• Employee scholarships

• Career fairs

• Job candidate screening

For more information, contact: Jim Beck, Campus Director [email protected] 320-257-2000

CORPORATE EDUCATION & OUTREACH… the training you need for the job you do!CeO offers a wide variety of training and educational options to individuals and to business, industry, and non-profit organizations! • Specialized training • Workshops • Seminars • Conference Planning See our menu of training opportunities on our website or we can develop a training package designed for your needs.

St. Cloud State University

Gail RuhlandDirector of Training

Phone: (320) 308-5759


Website: www.scsutraining.com

At the Minnesota School of Business we focus on changing lives one student at a time: “I had a great experience at MSB. The instructors are knowledgeable. The staff were friendly and a great help: instructors, admissions, education, librarians, receptionists, financial aid, and career services! everyone at MSB has a smile on their face and a genuine desire to see you succeed.” —MARSHALL WILLIAMS, 2008 MSB GRADuATe

Minnesota School of BusinessSt. Cloud Campus

Jim BeckCampus Director

Phone: (320) 257-2001


Website: www.msbcollege.edu

http://www.msbcollege.edu


In 1857, five monks and brothers opened Saint John’s Prep School—the first school in central Minnesota.154 years later, Saint John’s Prep is

first school in central Minnesota again–this time, it’s the first school accepted by the International Baccalaureate (IB) World Organization to offer the IB Diploma Programmé. In fact, Saint John’s Prep is the only Catholic and boarding school in Minnesota to offer the IB Diploma Programmé. “The IB Diploma Programmé enriches our existing college-preparatory curriculum,” says Fr. Timothy Backous, OSB, headmaster at Saint John’s Preparatory School. “Combined with our deep commitment to Benedictine and Catholic values, we’re able to help students better prepare for college and life in the 21st century.”

Continuing the LegaCy The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programmé is an optional two-year study for motivated students during their junior and senior years. “It takes the best practices of our educational processes and melds them with each student’s interests and gifts,” Fr. Tim says. “I’m confident this program will make a significant contribution to the educational horizon in central Minnesota.” Admission Director and Financial Aid Coordinator Jennine Klosterman

agrees. “We’ve always been known for our innovative programming and curriculum. The IB Diploma Programme is just one more way we can help our students enhance their education to become global leaders.”

PreParing the Student Over the course of two years, students become critical thinkers, critical readers, and effective verbal and oral communicators. The curriculum covers six areas of study: language, second language, mathematics, science, individuals and society, and visual arts. The program also has three core requirements that broaden student’s educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and understanding: Extended Essay

Students independently research a topic relating to a subject they study.

Creativity, Action, Service Students learn from experiences by engaging with the community outside the classroom.

Theory of Knowledge Students examine and reflect on the nature of knowledge.

At the end of their junior and senior years, students take final, essay-based examinations to receive the IB diploma. In addition, overall performance assessments are taken into consideration. “That’s how this program differs from

Advance Placement (AP) courses,” Matt Reichert, IB Diploma Programmé Director at Saint John’s Prep says. “The final exams are essay-based, not multiple choice. The program focuses on students comprehending what they’ve learned, not just if they remember facts and information.”

SuPPorting the MiSSion The IB Diploma Programmé gives students a significant advantage. Graduates routinely gain admission to some of the most prestigious universities in the world. Many colleges have established recognition policies for the IB diploma–like active recruiting, waving certain pre-requisites, or awarding credit or scholarships. Kathy Kockler, principal of Saint John’s Preparatory School, sees the advantages for participating students. “Its world-class academic standards are accepted by prestigious universities,” Kockler says. “It truly is a passport to higher education.”

Call Saint John’s Prep today to learn more about the IB Diploma Programmé.

Internationally Recognized Curriculum Now Offered at Saint John’s Prep

“I’m confident this program will make a

significant contribution to the educational horizon in central Minnesota.”

- Fr. Timothy Backous, OSB Headmaster,

Saint John’s Preparatory School

320-363-3321 • 800-525-7737SJPrep.net

SPeCiaL adVertiSeMent

SJP Business Central_May.indd 1 3/30/11 10:29 AM

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http://www.sjprep.net


In 1857, five monks and brothers opened Saint John’s Prep School—the first school in central Minnesota.154 years later, Saint John’s Prep is

first school in central Minnesota again–this time, it’s the first school accepted by the International Baccalaureate (IB) World Organization to offer the IB Diploma Programmé. In fact, Saint John’s Prep is the only Catholic and boarding school in Minnesota to offer the IB Diploma Programmé. “The IB Diploma Programmé enriches our existing college-preparatory curriculum,” says Fr. Timothy Backous, OSB, headmaster at Saint John’s Preparatory School. “Combined with our deep commitment to Benedictine and Catholic values, we’re able to help students better prepare for college and life in the 21st century.”

Continuing the LegaCy The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programmé is an optional two-year study for motivated students during their junior and senior years. “It takes the best practices of our educational processes and melds them with each student’s interests and gifts,” Fr. Tim says. “I’m confident this program will make a significant contribution to the educational horizon in central Minnesota.” Admission Director and Financial Aid Coordinator Jennine Klosterman

agrees. “We’ve always been known for our innovative programming and curriculum. The IB Diploma Programme is just one more way we can help our students enhance their education to become global leaders.”

PreParing the Student Over the course of two years, students become critical thinkers, critical readers, and effective verbal and oral communicators. The curriculum covers six areas of study: language, second language, mathematics, science, individuals and society, and visual arts. The program also has three core requirements that broaden student’s educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and understanding: Extended Essay

Students independently research a topic relating to a subject they study.

Creativity, Action, Service Students learn from experiences by engaging with the community outside the classroom.

Theory of Knowledge Students examine and reflect on the nature of knowledge.

At the end of their junior and senior years, students take final, essay-based examinations to receive the IB diploma. In addition, overall performance assessments are taken into consideration. “That’s how this program differs from

Advance Placement (AP) courses,” Matt Reichert, IB Diploma Programmé Director at Saint John’s Prep says. “The final exams are essay-based, not multiple choice. The program focuses on students comprehending what they’ve learned, not just if they remember facts and information.”

SuPPorting the MiSSion The IB Diploma Programmé gives students a significant advantage. Graduates routinely gain admission to some of the most prestigious universities in the world. Many colleges have established recognition policies for the IB diploma–like active recruiting, waving certain pre-requisites, or awarding credit or scholarships. Kathy Kockler, principal of Saint John’s Preparatory School, sees the advantages for participating students. “Its world-class academic standards are accepted by prestigious universities,” Kockler says. “It truly is a passport to higher education.”

Call Saint John’s Prep today to learn more about the IB Diploma Programmé.

Internationally Recognized Curriculum Now Offered at Saint John’s Prep

“I’m confident this program will make a

significant contribution to the educational horizon in central Minnesota.”

- Fr. Timothy Backous, OSB Headmaster,

Saint John’s Preparatory School

320-363-3321 • 800-525-7737SJPrep.net

SPeCiaL adVertiSeMent

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ADVERTISER INDEx

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American Heritage National Bank ................................8Bernick’s - Beverages & Vending............................... 49Birthline, Inc. ................................................................. 32Bremer ........................................................................... 13Central Minnesota Federal Credit Union ................... 25Charter Communications ...............................................2Coldwell Banker Commercial - Orion ....................... 31College of Saint Scholastica ........................................ 11Country Gallery Photography Studio, Inc. .................. 31CRTechnical .....................................................................5Falcon National Bank ......................................................3Grand Casino Mille Lacs .............................................. 23JdB Associates ............................................................ 43Jennings Insurance ...................................................... 43LarsonAllen LLP ........................................................... 43Marco, Inc. ..................................................................... 15Miller Architects & Builders, Inc ................................ 27Minnesota School of Business .................................... 47Rasmussen College ..................................................... 45

Regional diagnostic Radiology & The Vein Center ... 25Resource Training & Solutions ................................... 46Rice Building Systems, Inc. ......................................... 29Schlenner Wenner & Co., CPA’s ................................ 22St. Cloud Hospital/CentraCare Health System ............7St. Cloud Medical Group .............................................. 17St. Cloud Orthopedic Associates, Ltd. ........................ 19St. Cloud State University ............................................ 47St. Cloud Surgical Center ............................................ 22St. Cloud Technical & Community College ............... 46St. John’s Prep. School ................................................ 48Stearns Bank ................................................................. 31Strack Construction Co. Inc......................................... 27Tri-County Abstract & Title Guaranty, Inc. ................ 23US Bank ......................................................................... 51Wells Fargo ................................................................... 52Westside Liquor ............................................................ 49

EDUCaTION & TRaININGCollege of St Scholastica ............................................. 45Minnesota School of Business .................................... 47Rasmussen College ..................................................... 45Resource Training & Solutions ................................... 46St. Cloud State University ............................................ 47St. Cloud Technical & Community College ............... 46St. Cloud Technical & Community College ............... 46St. John’s Prep. School ................................................ 45

SMaRT BUSINESS PROFILEBirthline, Inc. ................................................................. 32

http://www.bernicks.com


Business Central: How did you get involved in the business?Dee Rengel: I didn’t want to

come here, but John said he

needed help.

Pete Rengel: As a kid on

Sundays we’d go to church, go

to brunch, then go to the shop

and sweep the floors. When I

graduated, I left town for six

years and worked somewhere

else. In April 2004 Dad called

and said, “Do you want to buy

this business? Because if you

don’t I’m going to sell it to

someone else.”

BC: What’s been the biggest challenge?Dee: We used to do a lot of

work for Creative Memories.

They pulled one job from us

and suddenly I had to make

up $500,000 in a year. We had

purchased new equipment that

we were making payments

on. I had some real sleepless

nights over that. •• Now we’re

so diverse. Last year we had

800 customers. Now we’re in a

position where we can absorb

the loss of a customer.

Pete: Family business can

be hard. When I bought the

business my sister, Joy, was

managing the sales force. She

broke us out of what we were

doing. She set us up for much

of our growth. But in the end, it

just didn’t work to have both of

us here. She’s at Wolters Kluwer

now and doing well. •• My

wife LeRae is in the business. I

couldn’t do it without her. But

we’ve learned that if something

bothers us we talk about it right

away. Same with Dee.

BC: Did the recession have an impact on you?Pete: By then we’d been in a

recession for three years. We

were already practicing.

Dee: Actually the last three years

we’ve seen good growth.

BC:What do you like best about the business?Dee: I’m pleased we’re in a

position where we’re able to help

with some community projects.

Pete: I look forward to the

challenge. I never get burned

out on the work. There’s

nothing better than servicing

customers. BC

Lessons LearnedIt hasn’t always been easy running Rengel Printing, but Pete and dee Rengel agree that the business is stronger now than ever before. By Gail Ivers

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TimelineFebruary 2, 1921 Goedert & Rengel opens on the 2nd floor of the Journal-Press building on 5th Ave. S in St. Cloud

1929 The company moves across the street to the Farmers Bank; their primary business is printing canning labels for St. Cloud Canning Co.

1930 The company moves to the Mission Building on 8th Ave. S

1951 Bankers Systems becomes Rengel’s major client, accounting for about 90 percent of their business until the 1980s

1953 Rengel purchases the business from Goedert

1956 The company moves to 1206 St. Germain; they have six employees

1960 John Rengel joins his father in the shop.

1975 John Rengel purchases Rengel Printing from his father

1978 Dee Rengel, John’s wife, begins working in the office

1979 The business needs space to accommodate growth; production moves to 1922 7th Ave. N. The office and sales remain on St. Germain.

1980 The rest of the business moves to the 7th Ave. N location; the company has 12-15 employees

1987 The Rengel’s add a warehouse to their existing building; the company has 24 employees

1993 Dee Rengel purchases 49 percent of the business

2004 Pete Rengel, Dee’s son, purchases John Rengel’s shares

2009 Pete purchases Dee’s shares

At a GlanceRengel Printing Company1922 7th St. N • PO Box 124 St. Cloud, MN 56302 (320) 251-5951 www.rengelprinting.com

Owner: Pete Rengel

Number of employees: 20

Started: February 2, 1921

Chamber member since 1972

fUN FaCTThe first press came from the Pan Motor Co. It can still be seen by the front door to Rengel Printing.

http://www.usbank.com

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Helping you build your business with confidence

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Whether you’re starting or growing your business, our local bankers have the resources and knowledge to help you reach your financial goals. To support the growth of women-owned businesses, we offer financial guidance and educational tools that allow you to put your ideas into action.

To learn more about Women’s Business Services, visit us at wellsfargo.com/biz/women.

Contact me today! Eric Albrecht, Business Banking Manager400 1st St SSt Cloud320-259-3141

* Women’s Business Services does not influence lending decisions in any way; all lending applications are subject to credit approval.© 2011 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (462007_01295)

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May/June 2011

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