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2012-09-01 Eagan Business NewsJ O U R N A L O F T H E E A G A N B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I T Y Third Quarter 2012 Vol. 11 No. 3 BusinessNewsEagan C 7 page 2 Briefly: Eagan businesses in the news i n s i d e t h i s i s s u e ( page 3 3M makes a splash continued on page 2 page 1 Offering benefits that matter Not on our email list? To subscribe to Eagan Business News or E-Biz,our online publication, visit www.cityofeagan.com/EBN. With the national unem- ployment rate hovering around 8.1 percent, an employer’s market continues to hold in many sectors, bringing all that this means: well- qualified employees who are grateful for their jobs and who will work hard to keep those jobs. So why worry about providing benefits that retain employees? Employers understand that eventually this employer-employee imbalance will tip the other way and companies will need to offer competitive benefits packages both to attract and retain workers. Smart business owners do that already — and not every company currently benefits from the employer’s market advantage. Drew Gorton,founder and CEO of Gorton Studios, an award-winning web design firm in Eagan, is among them. “We work in an industry that’s growing quite rapidly with a pretty significant talent shortage,” he says. “Probably everybody here could find them- selves being recruited by other firms. If they’re going to stay here, there needs to be a reason to stay here.” The founder of this eight-person shop doesn’t mean the obvious. “Money and benefits don’t motivate people to stay,” he says. “They motivate people to leave. Everyone needs to earn a living, but it’s all of the other things that count: someone taking you seriously, having a sense of ownership.… the golden rule — you don’t need a management consultant to tell you to be nice.” Eagan: “A best place to live” — again For the fourth time in a row, Eagan has been named among the top 20 cities in Money magazine’s list of Best Small Cities in America. The magazine ranks cities with more than 50,000 residents on a variety of factors to establish its list. Eagan came in at No. 14 this year after previous rankings of 17, 15, and 12. “We’re proud to once again be in the top 20,” says Eagan Mayor Mike Maguire. “Year-in and year-out, Eagan is a consistent top performer.” Money considers a variety of factors including job growth, home affordability, safety, school quality, health care, arts and leisure, diversity, ease-of-living criteria, the fiscal strength of state and local governments, plus jobs, housing, health care, and happiness. Eagan is the only Minnesota city to be named four consecutive times to the magazine’s top 20 list. Offering benefits that matter Why providing a package in tune with your employees is important now. A flexible work environment, respect for one another and a drive to produce high-quality work are three elements that characterize Gorton Studios. “Probably everybody here could find themselves being recruited by other firms. If they’re going to stay here, there needs to be a reason to stay here.” — Drew Gorton, founder and CEO of Gorton Studios These days, one major benefits trend is flexibility. At Gorton Studios, that certainly rings true, with a nonexistent dress code, a relaxed work environment and a modern 2 Eagan Business NEWS J O U R N A L O F T H E E A G A N B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I T Y Offering benefits continued from page 1 Third Quarter 2012 approach to time off: “If you need a haircut, get a haircut. If you need to go to the doctor, go to the doctor,” he says, pointing out that while schedules are flexible, employees do sometimes work late to meet deadlines. Ergotron, a manufacturer of ergonomic computer workstations, also takes a flexible approach. “We have eliminated tracking various reasons for taking time off, like sick time, vacation, or conferences,” says Diane Kaufman,senior vice president, Global Human Resources. “We simply say, ‘Take what you need to accommodate your work-life balance, work it out with your manager and be responsible.’” Flexibility even extends to Ergotron’s performance review policy — or, more specifically, its lack of one. “We asked ourselves a long time ago, ‘When is the last time a written performance review helped your career, your development, or your management of projects?’ We decided simply to talk to each other.” Rather than producing “cumbersome reviews with ratings and rankings, we communicate daily. Our people know where they stand every day.” In addition, this global company offers every U.S. employee five weeks of paid time off. “Everyone works as hard as everyone else — we just have different jobs. So why would some employees get more vacation than others?” asks Kaufman. “This is one of the most valued benefits Ergotron offers and our people love it.” At Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, one of Eagan’s largest employers, it’s no surprise that wellness — another major trend in benefits — is paramount. “Many new employees are pleasantly surprised by the choice of health plans we offer and what they have to pay,” says Diane Pozdolski,vice president of Compensation, Benefits and HRIS. Yet wellness as a corporate value extends far beyond health plans, and the proof is in the (low-fat) pudding: Year to date, Blue Cross Blue Shield boasts just a 5.7 percent employee turnover. Offered on Eagan’s campus is a free fitness center and a childcare center — important for new parents “who might like help with work-family balance.” Employees can check out bikes for lunchtime rides, avail themselves of walking paths or choose decorated stairwells, instead of elevators, to get to meetings. Healthful menu selections are offered in the cafeteria, and Weight Watchers’ meetings are available on site, as are health screenings and free flu shots. If an employee (or a dependent) feels under the weather, online physicians are available to chat. In addition, the company’s commitment to its communities is valued by its employees. That’s why each employee can volunteer up to 20 hours each year on company time. Last year, Governor Mark Dayton even recognized its volunteering employees with an official declaration of Heart of Blue Day. “At Blue Cross Blue Shield, employees can make a real difference for themselves, others and our communities,” says Pozdolski. “It’s the whole package.”■ • PEOPLE:Paul and Leslie Arazny,owners of Insty-Prints in Eagan, were honored with the prestigious Operational Excellence Award from the Allegra Network for excellence in managing their business.… All In One Accounting in Eagan has hired Brian Bagley as chief financial officer.…Eagan dentist Nicholas Geller, DDS,of Now Care Dental, was honored with a Talk of the Town Award for excellence in serving patients and patient satisfaction.… Scott Lynch,senior vice president and chief legal officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, is serving as interim CEO during a search for a replacement for Kenneth Burdick.… Sharon Rollefson has been named Toastmasters’ new District 6 Lieutenant Governor of Education and Training for 280 corporate and community clubs in Minnesota and a portion of Ontario, Canada.… The YMCA in Eagan has welcomed the following new Community Board members: Greg Buck, owner of Buck Financial Services, LLC; Wendy Feigal,an IT executive with Prime Therapeutics; Trudy Matthys,a Walgreens pharmacist; Mike Scott,chief of the Eagan Fire Department; and Mark Youngdahl,home builder and owner of Red Brick. Briefly:Eagan businesses in the news Diane Kaufman senior vice president, Global Human Resources, Ergotron Diane Pozdolski, vice president of Compensation, Benefits and HRIS, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota continued on page 2 Third Quarter 2012J O U R N A L O F T H E E A G A N B U S I N E S S C O M M U N I T Y For 38 years, 3M — one of Minnesota’s premier companies — has had a strong presence in Eagan. Stepping inside the doors of this 124,000-square-foot, single-story building on Lexington Avenue a few decades ago, you would have found busy sales managers process- ing orders sent via snail mail and warehouse workers shipping a wide variety of mostly office supplies to customers all over the Midwest. Today, the Eagan branch of this innovative global company is still vital, yet its business is completely different. Six years ago, 3M bought Connecticut-based Cuno, a water-filtration company, which, interest- ingly enough, had purchased an Eagan-based water-filtration company, PentaPure, just one year prior. While 3M had produced a number of products for the water-filtration market, with Cuno’s purchase, “now we had a core business to build from,” says Steve Hendrick,business leader, custom engineered products. Today, more than 240 employees work at 3M Purification, Inc., in Eagan, growing its water-filtration business in a variety of capacities — research, marketing, sales, manufacturing and more. While some may consider it a bit old-school to locate all business emphases under one roof, Hendrick calls this approach to collaboration “easier and more productive.” Just steps from Hendrick’s office is the research-and-develop- ment lab where chemical and mechanical engineers, chemists, biologists and lab technicians develop water-filtration products for industrial, commercial, residential and custom applications. At some point, almost every- thing is filtered, says Hendrick, offering exam- ples from milk and orange juice to paint and gasoline. “At 3M we know how to combine all the required components, including carbon and membranes, plus how to look at each application to develop the appropriate product.” (See photo insets for examples of such products.) 3M makes a splash Water filtration is 3M’s growing business in Eagan. In the lab, 3M products are also thoroughly tested to ensure reliability and safety. “We try to make products fail every possible way in the lab, so they won’t fail for the customer,” says Ty Renner, manager of Product Development. Among its products, 3M Purification makes many residential water filters — both for total-home filtration and for appliances, including refrigerator filters made to the specifications of major appliance manufacturers; those filters are then sold under private label. In addition to making water taste better, 3M water filters help remove such harmful contaminants as lead, mercury, herbicides, pesticides and even pharmaceuticals — a growing concern. “The challenges of water filtration are always changing,” he says. “A current global megatrend has to do with sufficient supplies of safe drinking water,” Hendrick says. “The environment is changing and there’s only a certain amount of water. The more we put into it, the harder it is for nature to filter it. Our Eagan-based team feels good about being part of a business that provides people with better drinking water.”■ Don’t miss the next issue of E-Biz Subscribe to E-Biz: The Online Journal of Eagan Business News for timely business features, news and information relevant to Eagan businesses and business leaders. This online newsletter augments our printed publication, Eagan Business News.To receive E-Biz in your inbox, visit www.cityofeagan.com/EBN. Eagan Business NEWS 3g EBN is printed on paper which contains a minimum of 10% post consumer fiber. “The challenges of water filtration are always changing.” — Steve Hendrick, business leader, custom engineered products, 3M Purification, Inc. Eagan 4 Eagan Business NEWS Business News (page 1 Offering benefits that matter C page 2 Briefly: Eagan businesses in the news 7 page 3 3M makes a splash i n s i d e t h i s i s s u e 3830 Pilot Knob Road ●Eagan, MN 55122 Editor Karin B. Miller, Working Words, Inc. Designer Brent Kastler, Illumine Associates, Inc. Send comments and story ideas to EBN@cityofeagan.com. Briefly continued from page 2 • BUSINESS:CherryBerry,a frozen yogurt bar, opened in the Eagan Promenade on Aug. 30.… The Eagan Advisory Planning Commission unanimously approved a subdivision request by develop- er Kurt Manley for his Eagan Car Club.The $4.3 million storage facility for collectible cars would require the City to subdivide a six- acre site into nine parcels. If approved by the City Council, construc- tion could start as early as 2012.… The Eagan City Council has approved a conditional-use permit for a freestanding car wash at a Holiday gas station (4595 Nicols Rd.).… St. Paul-based developer Interstate Partners got the go-ahead from the Eagan City Council on Sept. 4 to construct a roughly 60,000-square-foot, single-story office and data center on a 4.83-acre site in Eagan’s Boulder Lakes Business Park development. Moving from St. Paul to the new facility in 2014 — and bringing 90 jobs — is Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO),a regional electrical transmission operator serving 13 states and the Canadian province of Manitoba.… Stream Global Services,a tech support firm, is pursuing state funds from the Minnesota Department of Economic Development for renovations in hopes of moving its headquarters from Boston to Eagan, bringing up to 50 corporate jobs to the City along with the development of a call center with 350 jobs.… SuperLawyers,a Thomson Reuters’ service, now enables its designated attorneys to establish an online video presence to con- nect with potential clients.… Andiamo Italian Ristorante and Ansari’s Mediterranean Grill & Lounge are just two of the Eagan restaurants participating in ZEST! A Local Event of Global Cuisine,which benefits the Eagan and Lakeville Resource Center food shelves and Cheerful Givers. The “liveliest night in town” is scheduled to take place at the Lost Spur Golf and Event Center on Thursday, Sept. 20, 6 to 10 p.m. For more information or to order tickets, visit http://nan806.wix.com/zest#!home/mainPage.■ Standard U.S. Postage PAID TWIN CITIES, MN Permit No. 4902 CaringBridge celebrated its 15th anniversary in a big way — with a 30-foot-tall by 40-foot-wide card for anyone to sign at the Mall of America. The Eagan-based national charity got help from Eagan’s BigInk Display Graphics. The two firms set records for the world’s largest card and the greatest number of signers (more than 2,200) of a single card.