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2017-03-01 Eagan Business NewsEAGAN BUSINESS NEWS | FIRST QUARTER 2017 1cityofeagan.com EAGAN JOURNAL OF THE EAGAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY BUSINESS NEWS Did you know attendees toured Bald Man Brewing after the State of the City presentation? No, flights of beer weren’t sampled. Speaking of beer, Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill to legalize Sunday liquor sales beginning in July. Eagan has 17 liquor stores. State of the City Bald Man Brewing proved to be an inspired choice for the 2017 State of the City event. After all, Mayor Mike Maguire pointed out, “it was only a few short years ago that some people were suggesting Eagan lacked a night life—a vibe after hours.” Attracting the city’s first brewery last fall is just one sign that Eagan is on the verge of a new phase. That was the heart of the message Maguire delivered to nearly 100 elected officials, business leaders, invited guests and city staff members on Thursday, March 16. And while the morning crowd drank coffee, not beer, their spirits were lifted by news of Eagan fast becoming a destination city, not just for things to do, but for new healthcare facilities, new retail development and new corporate consolidations; it adds up to $89 million when all commercial/industrial construction, additions, alterations and interior improvements are included. In the last year, the Minnesota Vikings broke ground on their new headquarters and indoor practice facility. Eagan’s Central Park Commons development accounted for 33% of all new retail development in the Twin Cities in 2016, according to Colliers International. And the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal says, “Eagan has quickly become the hottest Twin Cities suburb for hotel development.” Comparing Eagan’s recent growth to watching a child grow up, the mayor dubbed what’s coming the “next growth spurt” and one that will require “our soundest thinking”— before the Minnesota Vikings begin operations and before the City fully realizes its 20-year vision. “We are no longer what we once were— just another suburb of the Twin Cities—but we are not yet completely what we are fast FIRST QUARTER 2017 VOLUME 15 NUMBER 1 Destination Eagan MARK YOUR CALENDAR SUBSCRIBE ONLINE City of Eagan 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan, Minnesota 55122 To subscribe to Eagan Business News or our online publication, E-Biz, please visit us at cityofeagan.com/EBN. Cheers! There are many reasons to raise a glass to Eagan this year, including new retail, restaurants and healthcare facilities—plus construction is underway at Minnesota Vikings’ new campus. That said, every city has its challenges, and Mayor Mike Maguire named a few during his 11th-annual State of the City address on March 16. For example, the Twin Cities will face a serious labor shortage in the coming years. That’s why both the City and its employers are making efforts to be a desirable location to work and live. Read about four of those strategies on page 3. And be sure to check out the latest business and government news items in Briefly (beginning on page 2). APRIL 7, 2017 Legislative Breakfast – 7:30 to 9 a.m., hear directly from lawmakers and industry experts about legislation that could affect the bottom line. Register at dcrchamber.com. APRIL 18, 2017 Open to Business – Eagan entrepreneurs and current business owners are invited to access Open to Business for services and loan packages. Visit City Hall Tuesday, April 18, 1–3 p.m., or the third Tuesday of any month; visit cityofeagan.com/OTB; or contact Laurie Crow at crow@mccdmn.org. APRIL 20, 2017 Speak N Eagan – This local Toastmasters group welcomes members and visitors alike to Think Mutual Bank for its Thursday-night get-togethers at 6:30 p.m. Visit speakneagan. toastmastersclubs.org for more information. FROM THE EDITOR State of the City CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Photo by Kim ChristensonBy the numbers 1 2.8 79 97 98 98 Percentage of cities, including Eagan, that boast Triple-A Bond ratings from both Moody’s and Standard & Poors Eagan’s unemployment rate— the national rate is 4.8 percent Dollars a month the owner of a median-valued Eagan home pays in city taxes for such services as police, fire, snow plowing and more Percentage of residents who feel safe in commercial areas Percentage of residents who feel safe in neighborhoods Percentage of Eagan residents who would recommend others move here EAGAN BUSINESS NEWS | FIRST QUARTER 20172 cityofeagan.com becoming: a destination city.” To that end, Maguire posed challenging questions, among them: How do we make sure there is room for both older residents and new families? How do we make sure future generations want—and can afford—to live here? How can we continue to attract new businesses and revitalize existing ones? How do we stay on a successful trajectory? How do we harness our full potential? “It’s an important conversation to have if Eagan is to continue to be that location of choice,” he said, noting that the city will or will not thrive based on the decisions its leaders make together. Maguire noted that over the years, the city’s evolving needs have required changing approaches—first, building infrastructure; second, creating police and fire departments; then, expanding schools, establishing parks and constructing a library; after that, offering amenities (like Cascade Bay) to establish a civic identity and pride; and, all along the way, attracting both needed and desired businesses. Today, he said, the City can take the next step—toward the top of Maslow’s pyramid, self-actualization. Put another way, Eagan has the chance to become a “thinking city,” one that both preserves what makes it successful and explores potential land uses, partnerships and ideas to become the city it aspires to be. Perhaps, suggested Maguire, this approach could be taken with the Comprehensive Guide Plan, to be submitted in 2018. “Yet with all the momentum we have created,” he said, “look around. There’s still work to be done to make all of Eagan’s businesses vibrant and inviting. What can each of us do to freshen the appeal of working and shopping and living in all parts of Eagan?” Maguire also called out the need for ongoing infrastructure upkeep, modernizing some city facilities, and questioned whether staff size can remain the same given the growing demand for city services. “As we prepare for that next stage of development and redevelopment, we want a city, I think, that is both solid and agile; a city that has the skills, the people, and the vibrancy to adapt to and drive a changing world.” EBN BRIEFLY BUSINESS: Chick-fil-A plans to open its first Eagan entry with a 5,000-square-foot restaurant near CityVue Apartments. The City Council approved a planned development amendment for the project, which includes a drive-through and an outdoor patio. v Designer Shoe Warehouse, better known as DSW, opened in Central Park Commons in March. Three fast-casual restaurants—Naf Naf Grill, Piada Italian Street Food and Punch Pizza—also plan to open this spring at Central Park Commons. v The Minnesota Vikings are making headway on their 40-acre campus in Eagan. According to Lester Bagley, executive vice president of public affairs and stadium development, 17 Minnesota-based contractors and subcontractors, and 100 construction workers are currently at work on the headquarters and indoor practice facility. Additionally, the team plans to begin work this spring on the Twin Cities Orthopedics 78,000-square-foot medical office building and 55,000-square-foot sports-medicine training center. GOVERNMENT: A June grand opening is scheduled for the new pedestrian platform at Cedar Grove Transit Station. The expansion will enable METRO Red Line commuters to board and exit buses in the middle of Cedar Avenue, and arrive up to 10 minutes earlier to their destinations. v Once again, Moody’s Investors Service has given the City of Eagan a triple-A rating for its general-obligation, capital- improvement plan bonds and its general- obligation unlimited tax debt. EBN State of the City CONTINUED FROM COVER Photo by Kim ChristensonPhoto by Kim ChristiansonMillie Gignac, 96—pictured here with daughter Randa Tchelebi—was the first female director at Sperry Univac in the Twin Cities. Gignac was honored at the State of the City event for her decades of volunteerism in Eagan. In addition to leading various state and local historical organizations, she chaired the board for what is known today as Dart Transit, mentored business owners, volunteered for the Friends of the Eagan Library, served on the board that created the Art House, and much more. As our population ages, as people drop out of the workforce, you need to make sure that you are in a community that is constantly attracting new residents, young families. And I see that in Eagan. Dawn Stucky, owner, Nothing Bundt Cakes For more perspectives see: cityofeagan.com/SOTC [Eagan] is business friendly. They have an environment and really a fundamental constitution to get things done in a positive manner, in an expeditious manner. Kevin Warren, chief operating officer, Minnesota Vikings EAGAN BUSINESS NEWS | FIRST QUARTER 2017 3cityofeagan.com During the State of the City event, Mayor Mike Maguire noted a serious challenge—the need for the City of Eagan and its employers to roll out the welcome mat to all workers, both Americans and immigrants. “On our own, we are simply not producing enough doctors, enough high- tech workers, mechanics, laborers and restaurant workers to sustain our economy, much less grow it.” Being a welcoming community is a matter of economic survival, he asserted. In fact, according to the nonprofit Greater MSP, the Twin Cities region will experience a shortage of 114,000 workers by 2020. And if something doesn’t change in terms of migration, the decade following 2019 will see a severe labor-supply shortage, says the Minnesota State Demographic Center. So, how are Eagan companies getting ahead of this trend and attracting top-notch talent? EBN posed that question to four local companies named to the 2016 Best Companies to Work For list in Minnesota Business. Read on for their answers. EBN Q&A: How does your company attract top-notch talent? Eagan’s first brewery isn’t the only new nightlife draw. Burgers and Bottles (1278 Lone Oak Road), owned by Tony Donatell, is pulling in folks for its handcrafted burgers and fries, natural-sugar sodas like Big Red and Sun Drop, and bottled beers, including Bald Man. Plus, walk through an unmarked red door in the back and you’ll find yourself in Volstead House, also owned by Donatell. This clubby speakeasy offers Prohibition-era cocktails, plus 80 types of whiskey. Meanwhile, New Bohemia Wurst + BierHaus (1278 Town Center Drive) offers a German-themed experience with 50-plus beers and nearly 25 types of brats, including mac-and-cheese and Thai kimchee vegan. Trivia nights, happy hours and Surly Game Days are three more reasons customers return to this year-old Eagan hot spot. “Eagan has a really cool vibe to it,” says Jacobs, a Minnetonka native who plans to move to Eagan soon. He likes its small-town feel and new amenities, including Twin Cities Premium Outlets and upcoming Minnesota Vikings headquarters. “It seems like a cool, thriving place to be.” EBN New Restaurants CONTINUED FROM BACK COVER Candidates can only tell so much from a website or posted job description. It is firsthand references from employees that really make an impact. In a recent employee survey, 96 percent of our employees would refer someone to the company and over 50 percent have referred someone. These days, most new-hires come directly from our employees. By focusing on our employees’ satisfaction and happiness, we address both the challenges of attracting and retaining top-notch employees. For individuals who want to contribute at a high level yet have a part-time focus, All In One Accounting is great place to land. Flexibility and part-time work are the factors that have grown our team to 35 professionals. An employee can work, onsite or remotely, with one client or as many as 20 clients. From our first interaction with a prospective employee, we ensure we have core- value alignment. And we offer robust benefits that compete with or exceed other companies’ benefits. We try to be different in a way that matters. For example, we offer a three-month paid sabbatical for every seven years of service. We strive to offer a flexible work environment and back this up with a $1,500 bonus on an employee’s first day so they can equip their home office with whatever is needed to make them as effective working at home as they are at work. Two keys to our success in attracting talent are our core values—respect, engagement, home life, safety and technology— and our efforts to create a great culture. Our employees and the awards that we’ve won recognize our positive culture. This recognition has helped us attract top-notch talent. We’re also committed to developing our current employees. Over 60% of our roles are filled by internal candidates through promotions, transfers and job changes. John Long CEO, Avionte Becky Lewis COO, All In One Accounting Tom Salonek CEO, Intertech Keith Klein CEO/President, Transport America EAGAN BUSINESS NEWS | FIRST QUARTER 20174 www.cityofeagan.com STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES, MN PERMIT NO. 4902 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan, Minnesota 55122 IN THIS ISSUE Design & Layout Cory Laux Overdog Art Editor Karin B. Miller Working Words, Inc. It’s an expensive undertaking with plenty of hurdles. But that didn’t stop Tristan Kusneriek, a.k.a. the Bald Man, and Dan Jacobs. The friends and relatives (by marriage) teamed up to open Bald Man Brewing (2020 Silver Bell Road) in Eagan last fall, and fans of their beer and brewery have been packing the place nightly. “City councilmember Paul Bakken had already worked to pass local laws that made opening a brewery attractive,” says Jacobs, who adds that the city council voted unanimously to zone the Cedar Grove location—“right on the highway in a high-traffic area”—as industrial for the production brewery. “Breweries are becoming destinations,” he says. “We’re drawing really strong south of the river—from Eagan, Burnsville, Lakeville, Rosemount, Apple Valley.… This community needed something like ours, a community hangout spot.” New restaurants on tap in Eagan Plenty of people dream of making beer for a living, but that’s where the dream usually ends. New Restaurants CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 p1 Destination Eagan p3 Q&A: How does your company attract top- notch talent? p4 New restaurants on tap in Eagan IN ADDITION TO BURGERS & BOTTLES, VOLSTEAD HOUSE (TOP) AND BALD MAN BREWING (BOTTOM), EAGAN HAS SEEN OTHER RECENT ADDITIONS, INCLUDING WYATT’S TWISTED AMERICANA (1965 CLIFF LAKE ROAD), TERESA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT (1008 DIFFLEY ROAD) AND HY-VEE MARKET GRILL (1500 CENTRAL PARK COMMONS DRIVE). FOR THE FULL DINING LIST, VISIT EAGANMN.COM/DINING.