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2014-09-01 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 2014 Vol. 13 No. 3 BusinessNews Eagan’s total number of businesses leapt by over 100 when Twin Cities Premium Outlets opened its doors on Thursday, Aug. 14. The City’s new “gateway,” long envisioned by community leaders, opened with a great deal of fanfare, including a visit by Governor Mark Dayton,who joked about keeping his remarks short so that his staff could shop. Throughout the grand-opening weekend, the $100 million Paragon Outlet Partners development welcomed thousands of visitors. “The grand opening went beyond anyone’s expectations,” says Peter Lund,general manager of Twin Cities Premium Outlets for Simon Malls. “Obviously, the shoppers and retailers were really pleased.” Count Wilsons Leather among the happy retailers. “We had the highest opening weekend for our company,” says store manager Karisa Sorensen, referring to Wilsons’ umbrella company, the AM Retail Group. “It was cool to be part of that.” The Le Creuset team is glad to be part of Twin Cities Premium Outlets as well. “The food scene in the greater Minneapolis area keeps growing, and where there are lots of foodies, there are a lot of people who love our cook- ware,” says Diane Foster, vice president of retail, who commends the mall’s top-notch build out and the mix of continued on page 2 Retailers welcome shopping crowds Twin Cities Premium Outlets opens its doors Eaga n i n s i d e t h i s i s s u e C ( T page 3 Internships: good for interns, good for businesses page 4 Briefly: Eagan businesses in the news page 2 Successful traffic plan identifies best practices Not on our email list? To subscribe to Eagan Business News or E-Biz,our online publication, visit www.cityofeagan.com/EBN. 6page 1 Twin Cities Premium Outlets opens its doors After years of hard work and persistence, Mayor Mike Maguire (right) shook hands with Peter Lund, general manager of Twin Cities Premium Outlets for Simon Malls, in celebration of Cedar Grove’s major retail development. Governor Mark Dayton was among the dignitaries who welcomed shoppers to the upscale outlet mall on opening day. 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 Twin Cities Premium Outlets continued from page 1 Third Quarter 2014 retailers. “Shoppers are so surprised by the caliber of brands represented here.” Other popular stores — some of which are new to Minnesota — include 7 for all Mankind, Armani Outlet, Calvin Klein, Coach, Filson, Pendleton, Swarovski, Vera Bradley and many others. At over 400,000 square feet, the new mall accounts for 34 percent of all new Twin Cities retail this year, according to Colliers International, a global commercial real estate company. Plus, the center is attracting another $57 million worth of private investment, including Home2 Suites by Hilton, the first hotel in Cedar Grove; an upscale apartment complex called The Flats; and more retail. So, how did the new mall’s grand opening compare to those of other Simon outlet centers? “Sales continue to be really strong,”says Lund. “It’s among the best openings that we’ve had.” ■ While thousands of shoppers awaited the grand opening of Twin Cities Premium Outlets, some residents worried about potential traffic and parking challenges. Fortunately, “traffic flowed much better than Simon, the mall- management company, has experienced at other recent and busy openings,” says Russ Matthys,public works director. That’s despite the fact that the opening weekend may have experienced the greatest amount of traffic. “We had a great plan that was executed very well,” says Peter Lund,general manager of Twin Cities Premium Outlets, referring to the Travel Demand Management Plan (TDMP) that the City Council had authorized. “As lots filled, we directed parkers to other places. It all worked out very, very well.” Successful traffic plan identifies best practices Opening-day customers flocked to Le Creuset (above), Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th (top) and G.H. Bass & Co. (right), among others. While there were no backups on the freeways, the weekend was not without challenges, Matthys says. He notes that several times over the weekend, more drivers desired to park than spaces were available — a sign of the new retail destination’s popularity. Now that the mall’s first days are in the rearview mirror, the team is focusing on mall special events, like Black Friday. “The City’s plan worked well,” says Dave Osberg, City of Eagan administrator. “Now, as Simon prepares for future busy days, we trust it will continue to use the best practices identified in the traffic plan.” Adds Lund: “We’ll continue to figure out the traffic patterns and what works best for the center.” ■ that she likes a project that has open parameters — one that lets me “run with it, see where it takes me and turn it into something” beyond what was imagined. Such latitude isn’t something businesses frequently give interns, she says, so she appreciates Blue Cross Blue Shield’s faith in them. Regan also credits Nordling for her great experience. “My manager has been amazing in letting me run with things.” The satisfaction is found on both sides. “It’s really important to align the company’s business needs with the intern’s needs,” says Nordling. “There needs to be a match there. Interns are not cheap labor: Most are looking for meaningful, real-world work. “I want to provide work that can help drive our organization, not petty transactional work,” she continues. “I’m looking at [interns] as potential employees.” Ultimately, says both Cheng and Nordling, that’s the goal: to convert interns into employees. ■ It’s fairly obvious what a student desires in an internship: a foot in the door, some real-world experience, networking, and, of course, a paycheck. But what’s in it for a company, why do some companies devote so much time and energy to internship pro- grams, and what tips might they offer other such companies? Asha Cheng,a talent acquisition associate, devotes 99 percent of her time to oversee- ing the internship program at Thomson Reuters. It’s a new role for the company. But given the fact that it hires over 100 interns each summer, dedicating one employee to the program makes sense. “An internship program is a nice pipeline,” says Cheng, who says her heavy recruit- ment happens in December and January. “We train interns, we give them our resources and, if it works well, we hire them full-time on graduation.” Cheng herself served as an intern twice. “Having been in those shoes, I’m very passionate about internships,” she says. She also understands what it takes to ensure interns are success- ful. “You can only sit at a desk for so long. Getting experience is crucial. So is having a mentor, networking with other interns, having a manager there for you.” Engagement is key, she says. Shelby Regan is also a two-time intern. While she had planned to wrap up her human resources internship in August at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota in Eagan, her tenure has been extended through December. That’s because Regan “is a go-getter — she’s fearless,” says manager Kristin Nordling.She says Regan often asks questions about the way things are done — questions that make Nordling’s team step back and rethink things. It’s great to get a “different perspective from a younger generation,” Nordling says. For example, one challenge brought together teams of interns to find a solution to a Blue Cross Blue Shield case study. Regan urged fellow team members to provide a strategic approach. “We came up with a four-pillar strategy, all utilizing our data,” says this University of Minnesota senior. Their award-winning presentation wowed company leaders. “It was more tangible for them — they could see how it affected each business group,” she says. What will Regan take away from her latest internship? “Ambiguity is a positive, not a negative,” she says, explaining Third Quarter 2014J 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 Internships: good for interns, good for businesses Eagan Business NEWS 3g EBN is printed on paper which contains a minimum of 10% post consumer fiber. Advice for companies: 1.Ensure your company’s needs and interns’ needs are aligned. 2.Provide interns with real-world, strategic work. 3.Encourage interns to ask questions and value what they say. 4.Invite interns to meet with people at all levels of your organization. 5.Regularly touch base with interns. 6.Pay interns a fair wage. 7.Give interns the tools and resources needed to make hires out of them. Advice for interns: 1.Learn what you’re going to do on a day-to-day basis — before taking an internship. 2.Once hired, be open-minded and ask lots of questions. 3.Don’t wait: Ask for real-world, strategic work — and then deliver. 4.Work with your manager to ensure you’re meeting his or her expectations. 5.Network with your manager, other employees and other interns. 6.Keep in touch with contacts after your internship, so they know when you’re ready to graduate — and land that first job. Kristin Nordling Asha Cheng Shelby Regan “I want to provide work that can help drive our organization, not petty transactional work. I’m looking at [interns] as potential employees.” — Kristin Nordling, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Eagan 4 Eagan Business NEWS Business News 3830 Pilot Knob Road ●Eagan, MN 55122 Editor Karin B. Miller, Working Words, Inc. Designer Brent Kastler, Kastler Art & Design LLC Send comments and story ideas to EBN@cityofeagan.com. 6 T page 1 Twin Cities Premium Outlets opens its doors page 2 Successful traffic plan identifies best practices C page 4 Briefly: Eagan businesses in the news (page 3 Internships: good for interns, good for businesses i n s i d e t h i s i s s u e •PEOPLE:William Gerardi, M.D., has been named chief medical officer and senior vice president of health management for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. •BUSINESS:Transport America plans to increase pay for its drivers beginning Sept. 1; the Eagan company is one of its industry’s pay leaders “among the larger fleets.” •GOVERNMENT:According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development,Dakota County’s unemployment rate for July was 4.1 percent, dropping from 4.4 percent in June; Eagan’s unemployment rate for July was 3.9 percent, dropping from 4.3 percent in June.■ Briefly:Eagan businesses in the news Standard U.S. Postage PAID TWIN CITIES, MN Permit No. 4902 Larry Lehman, Marty Stapleton, ProAct CEO Steven Ditschler and Terry McCloughan (from left) were among many participants in the ProAct Golf Classic, the annual fundraiser for the organization, which serves the needs of people with disabilities and other challenges in Eagan, Red Wing, Zumbrota and Hudson, Wis.