2010-06-01 Eagan Business NewsSecond Quarter 2010 Vol. 9 No. 2
Business ews
•
JOURNAL OF THE EAGAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY
Freebies, special events and advertising
New businesses cook up creative grand openings
It's a rare day that finds Mike Maguire
grilling hamburgers in a "fast -casual"
eatery. But this was the grand opening of
Smashburger, a new business in Eagan,
and the City's mayor had been called on to
"christen" the grill.
"At each of our openings, we ask a local
dignitary to do a 'ceremonial smash' on our
grill," says Greg Creighton, Smashburger's
executive vice president of operations. "It is
a means for Smashburger to involve the
community from the very beginning."
But Smashburger didn't stop there, Panda Express participated in the food donation for
donating one dollar from every "Twin Cities Eagan's Sesquicentennial food drive.
Burger" sold during the grand opening to a local charity and inviting the community to a "sneak
peek" party where business people and residents sampled the entire menu on the house.
While a retail or restaurant grand -opening event is a rarity these days in many communities,
Eagan has seen half a dozen since the first of the year, thanks to the opening of the former
Ethan Allen building transformed into a go -to retail center.
Smashburgers' neighbors pulled out all the stops for their openings as well: Panda Express
invited 1,000 customers to drop off a food donation for Eagan's Sesquicentennial food drive
and gave each a free meal and drink. Pearle Vision kicked off a direct-mail campaign with
savings on everything in the store. And Sport Clips, a sports -themed salon for men and boys,
gave its haircut prices a generous clipping from $16 to $8 for its first two weeks in business.
Each first-time client also enjoyed, for free, the salon's MVP services—a shampoo, neck -and -
shoulder massage and steam towel.
According to the business owners interviewed,
advertising is key to driving any successful grand
opening: Smashburger hired a local public -relations
firm, which was "tasked with getting the media and
the community engaged." Sport Clips mailed out
thousands of coupons and advertised locally,
continued on page 2
Thanks to haircut deals, free coupons and concentrated
advertising during its grand opening, Sport Clips
initially averaged 400 customers a week right off the
bat, says manager Ellie Harmsen (left).
Second Quarter 2010
New businesses
continued from page 1
sharing marketing with its
Burnsville store.
Mike Criego, co-owner of
Batteries Plus on Town
Centre Drive, which opened
in November, recommends
doing "as much local adver-
tising as you can afford to
let your customers know
where you are. We do
television, radio, print
advertising, billboard and
movie -theater advertising
to let the local community
know our location, our
service and our products.
"Once you get customers
in the door," he says, "treat
them with the best product,
customer service and
expertise possible, so they
return and suggest your
business to their friends.
There is no better advertis-
ing than word of mouth."
Ellie Harmsen, manager
of Sport Clips, agrees:
"Make sure everything
inside your four walls is
functioning correctly
and give your best, so
customers can go out and
spread the good word." ■
2 Eagan Business NEWS
JOURNAL OF THE EAGAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY
The business of water
No spring in recent memory has kicked off tending lawns and landscaping
earlier than this one. That's true for businesses as well. Outdoor water
usage by businesses affects expenses, curb appeal and the future of our
community's lakes and streams.
With inflow -and -infiltration business inspections beginning at the end of May
and a new water pricing structure starting July 7, it's time to get water savvy.
Inspecting for Inflow/Infiltration
Does your business inadvertently direct
"clear water"—i.e. rainwater, ground water
or snowmelt—into the wastewater treatment
system via an improperly connected sump
pump, an improper foundation drain or roof
gutter connections? If so, that's called
Inflow/Infiltration, and it's a big problem
throughout the Twin Cities.
The Metropolitan Council Environmental
Services penalizes cities for contributing too
much clear water 1/1 into the wastewater
treatment system. Over five years, from
2007 to 2012, Eagan and its taxpayers will
pay nearly $1.8 million in surcharges; if the
problem isn't fixed, an annual surcharge will
become permanent.
To comply with environmental mandates,
plus a local ordinance, "it's necessary to
inspect properties to locate the problem's
sources," says Wayne Schwanz,
Superintendent of Utilities. Because so many
potential sources exist, the City's Utilities
Division plans 2,400 inspections this year
alone, focusing on three areas with high 1/1
concentration. While one-third of the
residential inspections are complete,
business inspections got underway in May.
If your business is located in one of these
areas, you should have received a letter
in January. A second letter will arrange
an inspection at your convenience; the
duration of the inspection—conducted by
engineering consulting company Short
Elliott Hendrickson—depends on the
property's size.
"By fixing this problem," says Schwanz,
"we can eliminate hundreds of thousands of
gallons going into the wastewater treatment
system, and that could lower rates
for everyone." Questions? Contact the
Anchor Bank created Anchorage park out of an
adjacent empty parking lot six years ago. Today,
the green space is a welcome respite, drawing
visitors to its Duckwood Drive location.
Utilities Division at 651-675-5200 or visit
www.cityofeagan.com/Inflow.
Planning a green lawn?
The 2008 Minnesota Legislature passed
a law requiring public water suppliers
serving more than 1,000 people to use
conservation pricing. That means that
a city with a water utility, including Eagan,
must adopt a rate structure that encourages
water conservation.
Beginning July 1, Eagan residents will pay
for water based on a two-tier system, while
businesses will pay different rates for indoor
and outdoor water. For businesses, water
traveling into a building will be charged
$1.40 per thousand gallons; water used
for irrigation or other outside uses will be
charged $1.75 per thousand gallons.
That means unless monitored, a business's
water fees could jump significantly this sum-
mer. "One of the biggest things a business
can do to affect its outdoor water usage is
to add a rain detector to its system," says
Schwanz. "It's amazing to drive around the
city and see how many large systems are
running when it's pouring outside." He also
suggests adjusting water heads to ensure
JOURNAL OF THE EAGAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY
you're not sprinkling sidewalks and drive-
ways. "You're paying for that water — you
want the benefit."
A business owner also may want to consider
"smart" irrigation controllers, which can
monitor rain, wind, soil moisture and more.
Then, based on a monitor's readings, the
sprinklers apply the correct amount of water
to maintain healthy growing conditions.
Businesses' water usage can drop
significantly. Upgrading an older system
"may pay for itself very readily," says
Schwanz. For more information, visit the
Irrigation Association's smart -sprinkler page,
www.irrigation.org/smartwater/businesses.
Conserving water
Water conservation is paramount in Eagan.
"Odd -even watering applies to everyone,
including businesses," says Schwanz.
Property owners with even -numbered
addresses may only water on even -numbered
days; business owners and homeowners
with odd -numbered addresses may only
water on odd -numbered days. There are
three exceptions: Odd -even watering
compliance isn't required the first three
weeks for new sod, seeding or landscaping.
Observing water -conservation rules helps
the City preserve its water resource for
emergency needs and cuts the amount of
water used on any given day. Eagan's Parks
Department recommends running sprinklers
between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Not only
are those hours off-peak, but there is no
evaporation and generally little wind at night
For more information about the new
rate structure or tips on how
to reduce your water usage, visit
www.cityofeagan.com/waterconservation. ■
Ensuring water
quality today and
tomorrow
"So many of us have
wonderful childhood
memories of swimming
2010 Second Quarter
Lockheed's water gardens dramatically improve
in Minnesota's lakes and stormwater runoff.
ponds," says Russ
Matthys, City Engineer. "Today we may see lakes and ponds that don't
look like our memories." There's a reason for that, he says, and it has to
do with our treatment of water. "There are also solutions that include all
of us as well."
Taking care of the water that enters our lakes and ponds is crucial to main-
taining water quality—in Eagan and beyond. Lockheed Martin has taken
that idea to heart, installing rain gardens (above) and stands of trees,
replacing 17,000 square feet of parking lot to cut stormwater runoff by 93
percent, and improving the filtration of the water that continues to run off.
"It's nice when a business does something that not only benefits what
happens on site," says Matthys, "but serves as a billboard for others to
see and emulate."
The City is supporting that effort as well. One example? During the last
two years 50 rain gardens have been installed in residential neighborhoods.
Says Matthys, "Rain gardens filter and recharge the ground water that
ultimately gets down to our water sources."
Other tips he recommends include the following:
• Let grass grow a while; tall grass provides filtration.
• Select grasses, shrubs and trees that require less watering.
• Use pervious parking lot options to return water to the soil and prevent
stormwater runoff.
• Increase your business's curb appeal by shrinking the size of your
parking lot and adding plantings and rain gardens; simply eliminate
unnecessary spaces or reduce size of spaces. City staff can work with
you to obtain approval.
"These are simple, old-fashioned ideas," Matthys says. "Our goal is to get
businesses to think differently about their needs and, as a benefit, improve
the water quality of our lakes and ponds. That's better for everybody." ■
Looking for affordable off-site data storage?
A new colocation facility may be in the works for south of the river. Mayor Mike
Maguire and City of Eagan staff welcomed dozens of local information -technology
professionals and business executives on Wednesday, May 26, to convene a discus-
sion about locating a state-of-the-art colocation facility, or "carrier hotel," in Eagan.
Among the issues discussed were increased redundancy, reduced access costs and
disaster recovery. Planning is on a fast track with the local business community to
report back colocation options and recommendations later this year. If you missed
the meeting and would like to know more, please call the City at 651-675-5008. ■
® EBN is printed on paper which contains a minimum of 10% post consumer fiber.
Eagan Business NEWS 3
City of Evan
3830 Pilot Knob Road • Eagan, MN 55122
Editor Karin B. Miller, Working Words, Inc.
Designer Brent Kastler, Kastler Art & Design
Send comments and story ideas to
EBN@cityofeagan.com.
Briefly
• PEOPLE: Jade Logistics of Eagan has been
selected as one of the top 10 minority businesses
in 2010 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business
Journal. "Being the recipient of this award," says IP
Ni Suphavong, "is testimony that no matter your Ni Suphavong
race, gender or where you came from — in my case,
Laos — anything is possible in America."... With her invention selected
as "Showcase Technology" to the Invention and Ideas Show in
Redwood Falls this month, Deborah Yungner is getting lots of
attention for ERBUS, or Emergency Response
IDBackup Utility System. Her "building in a bag," she
says, offers backup power, potable water, air con-
ditioning or heat, communications (satellite and
WiFi) and first -responder gear. Eagan -based
Northern Power Products has been working
with Yungner's company, also named ERBUS,
Deborah with assembly operations, procurement and
Yungner getting her invention to market. ERBUS is moving
to Eagan this month.... Dan Schintz has been
named director of Operations for BIG INK Display Graphics; he will
not only oversee operations but grow the lean and sustainability
aspects of the company's mission.
• BUSINESS: Ergotron is suing Rubbermaid for "willful, deliberate
and intentional" patent infringement of its "Style View' lift system.
4 Eagan Business NEWS
Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
St. Paul, MN
Permit #7732
The Eagan -based company has asked the U.S. District Court in
Minnesota to bar Rubbermaid from further infringement, plus an award
of damages, attorney fees and litigation costs.... Graham
Construction Services of Eagan and Holte Contracting are completing
a $3.1 million project in Brekenridge, Minn., with the help of U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers.... In positive economic news, construction is
happening all over Eagan. Among the businesses taking on build
and/or remodel projects are Alexander Mobility Services (interior
expansion), Factory Motor Parts (headquarters), Target (Cliff Lake
remodel), Think Mutual Bank (new build at Diffley Plaza) and White
House Custom Color (interior expansion).... The Cedar Grove
Transit Station, which features a 164 -space lot, welcomed Eagan
commuters this spring. Operated by the Minnesota Valley Transit
Authority, the station will eventually play an important role along the
Cedar Avenue Corridor as part of the Bus Rapid Transit.... Thomson
Reuters has launched Reuters Insider, a new premium subscription
service that provides an interactive on -demand video platform with
original and exclusive programming from Reuters and more than
150 content partners.... In other Thomson Reuters news, at its Eagan
location employees are converting 10 acres of land to native prairie....
Thanks to National Emergency Grants under the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor
announced a $2.6 million grant to provide training and employment
services to more than 600 Northwest Airlines workers affected by
layoffs.... EZ Air Park, which is celebrating 25 years in business,
now offers year-round outdoor storage for RVs, boats, boat trailers,
jet skis, snowmobiles and more. ■