2011-06-01 Eagan Business NewsSecond Quarter 2011 Vol. 10 No. 2
Business ews
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JOURNAL OF THE EAGAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY
Eagan: A winner for executive recruiters?
Presented with a new executive or
managerial position in Eagan —
especially in this competitive
job market — is a candidate's
acceptance nearly guaranteed?
That depends, say recruiters.
"In general, if people are relocating
from outside of this market, it's easier
to sell Eagan," says Steve Yakesh,
vice president of the McKinley Group,
an executive -search firm in St. Paul.
Roughly 60 percent of Twin Citians
automatically take themselves out of
the running, he says, because of
what they perceive to be a long
commute. For people relocating
from outside of the Twin Cities, the
commute is a non -issue: They generally
purchase homes in the vicinity of Eagan
Eagan's Cascade Bay is among the many features that make
the City an attractive place to relocate.
That was true for Paul Doncaster, a
Thomson Reuters executive recruited internally,
to move from Boston to Eagan in 2007.
"I'm a bona fide city boy who had lived in the
Midwest before," says Doncaster, "while my
wife is from the outer suburbs and had never
really left the Northeast. So it was striking
how we both became fairly enamored with the
area right away."
"Eagan is a very attractive community,
and it's easy to sell that."
— Lynda Averette Paulson, Thomson Reuters
Eagan has a lot going for it, recruiters say.
After all, the City has been recognized three
times in Money magazine's "Best Places to
Live" list, most recently in 2010. And last fall,
an independent research firm that surveys
more than 40 Twin Cities' communities found
Eagan received far -and -away the highest
marks for citizen satisfaction.
"At the executive or mid -management level,
typically candidates have families, and the
environment for their kids is important,"
Yakesh says, acknowledging that's a huge
positive for Eagan. Lynda Averette Paulson,
recruiting team lead for Thomson Reuters,
agrees, adding "schools are number one."
Job recruits will often spend time visiting
schools and talking to administrators. The
fact that Eagan schools regularly rank highly
is another key advantage for the City.
Home values, space per square foot and
property taxes also weigh on a job candidate's
decision. "The perceived value in Eagan is
you're getting more house for the dollar,"
Yakesh says. Other factors that can help tip
a recruit's decision positively toward Eagan
include cost of living and outdoor activities.
continued on page 2
Second Quarter 2011
JOURNAL OF THE EAGAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY
Doing the environmentally right thing:
Financial savvy or too expensive?
Sure, your company is recycling office
paper and newspapers, plus printer and
photocopier cartridges. That's a given.
But there's much more you
can do to both help
the environment
and increase
your company's
bottom line.
Ask Tom Trutna, president
of Eagan -based Big Ink
Display Graphics.
"It's not about being green,"
he says bluntly, recognizing
that most companies
do negatively affect the
environment. "It's about
Green done right. The cities of Eagan, Apple
Valley and Burnsville offer Awards for Reduction and
Recycling of Waste, or ARROW, a free program designed
to recognize local businesses that make environmentally
friendly choices in managing their resources. Member
businesses, schools and organizations are connected
to resources to assist their green efforts. For more
information, visit www.dakotavalleyrecycling.org/ARROW.
• Its employee "green team" is instrumental in making
informed decisions, e.g. reusing all of its furniture from its
former site.
i • More importantly, Big Ink's daily business practices include
f . ¢ a Zero -Waste Graphics Recycling Program and Eco -Green
customer choices, including printable materials and water-
based inks.
Tom Trutna, president of Eagan -
based Big Ink Display Graphics
what spectrum of gray you are. Is it a passion or just a
marketing thing?"
Trutna began his ecological efforts by wanting to reduce his
company's waste -disposal and materials' costs. But Big Ink's
emphasis on environmental responsibility has grown to
become a corporate value:
• When the company refurbished its newly purchased
headquarters, it added energy -efficiency lighting, used
low-VOC paints and added a white energy-saving roof, among
other things.
Executive recruiters continued from page 1
What weighs against Eagan? "A lack of access points to get
north of the river," limited restaurants and major shopping
farther away, says Yakesh. But the largest negative is winter
Of course, that's a strike against Minnesota in general, not
just Eagan.
"We tell them that we have lovely coats available at Mall of
America," jokes Paulson. "And at Thomson Reuters, we prom-
ise to shuttle them from the parking lot on the coldest days."
Acknowledging the weather challenge, Yakesh notes that once
people relocate to the Twin Cities, they rarely leave. "If they
do, in three to five years, they're wanting to come back."
2 Eagan Business NEWS
"During the recession, sustainability went away — it all
became about price again," Trutna says. "But interest in
sustainability is coming back. That's the thing to overcome
— the idea that it's somehow more expensive to do the
environmentally right thing."
Small steps
Like Big Ink, most companies don't jump into green practices
with both feet. Rather, they begin with small steps. For
example, Wings Financial Credit Union, with a branch in
Eagan, turned in May to Dakota County's Recycling Zone
(www.co.dakota.mn.us/EnvironmentRoads/RecyclingZone/
ForBusinesses.htm), operated by Gopher Resource.
Doncaster was actually relocated back to Boston earlier this
year and says his family already misses multiple aspects
of the Twin Cities. "Above all, we miss our neighbors and
work colleagues," he says. "And we will definitely miss the
temperate summers, even if they don't last long enough."
Given the tough job market, the growing use of social
media to post job openings and the many local qualified
candidates, recruiting outside of the Twin Cities — and pay-
ing for relocation costs — isn't as common as it once was.
Says Paulson: "We have a wonderful talent pool here." ■
JOURNAL OF THE EAGAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY
"We had a ton of paint and didn't have room for
it anymore," says Dave Menz, director of
facilities and purchasing. "It's amazing how
much the Recycling Zone takes in," he adds,
pointing out that the cost to properly manage
hazardous waste is small compared to fines
imposed on businesses that try to skirt
environmental rules.
Menz now plans to donate Wings' used
electronics, ballast and light bulbs as well.
Previously, the company paid a service to
pick up used light bulbs — much costlier than
bringing its own light bulbs to the Recycling
Zone, he says.
For over a decade, the Recycling Zone has
"encouraged businesses to do the right thing,"
says manager Laura Villa. She adds that "we
offer a very low-cost way to get rid of hazardous
2011 Second Quarter
Big Ink's fabric banners, like this one for Abbey's Hope Charitable Foundation, creates a
fraction of the amount of waste in a landfill and breaks down much more quickly than
plastic banners.
waste." For example, recycling a four -foot light
bulb costs 25 cents while recycling electronics
runs 35 cents per pound. "Our contracts get a price much
better than a company could get on its own," she says.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
As your company broadens its environmental efforts, consider
the old motto: reduce, reuse and recycle. While recycling is a
good thing, reducing and reusing are equally important. As
Sheryl Eisenberg of the National Resources Defense Council
says, "Buying nothing is better for the earth than buying
green." Or buy used: When Big Ink added a garden to its
headquarters this summer, Trutna found all of his garden
supplies and patio furniture on Craigslist.
"Craigslist has been an amazing resource for us."
— Tom Trutna, Big Ink
Of course, that popular website works both ways: Big Ink often
uses it to advertise free nonrecyclable MDO (medium -density
overlay) plywood. "It's always snapped up within an hour and
used for building deer -hunting shacks and sheds all over the
state," he says. "We save hauling costs, and the more we keep
out of the dumpster, the less it costs us."
In addition, Big Ink donates extra materials like tubing and
paper to local schools and used pallets to Twin City Pallet &
Mulch, which reprocesses the pallets into landscaping mulch.
"All of this is becoming second nature," Trutna says. "Typically
the right choices for the environment tend to be the right
choices for business. They're not mutually exclusive." ■
More green ideas to save your
business some green:
• Upgrade your computers, instead of replacing them,
for a fraction of the cost. Or if you must replace your
computers, donate them to Minnesota Computers for
Schools (www.mncfs.org), which has donated well over
52,000 computers to K-12 schools in Minnesota since
1997. Or you could donate your computers to the
National Cristina Foundation (www.cristina.org), which
directs used computer equipment to nonprofits, schools
and public agencies.
• Need to get rid of old furniture? Save on recycling and
hauling costs by giving it away for free (or selling it
cheap) on Craigslist.
• Donate old company cell phones to the military.
Contact www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.
• Donate industry publications, magazines and other art
materials to schools, daycare centers or ArtScraps,
an arts studio in St. Paul.
• Learn more: Send a company representative to the
2011 Corporate Recycling and Waste Conference in
September in Orlando, Fla. (crwcconference.com).
• Check out the Recycling Zone's Very Small Quantity
Generator (VSQG) Program, which helps businesses that
produce less than 220 pounds (or about
22 gallons) per month of hazardous waste. More than
90 percent of businesses qualify. Visit www.co.dakota.
mn.us/Locations/EnvFac/RecyclingZone.htm. Or call
651-905-4520.
• For more ideas in Dakota County, visit www.co.
dakota.mn.us/EnvironmentRoads/default.htm. ■
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: Matthew Marek has been named vice president of
sales for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota; he previously
served as vice president of community accounts.... Rod Brewer,
vice president of marketing and product development at Eagan -
based Mid Continent Cabinetry, was featured this month in
Kitchen & Bath Design News.
• BUSINESS: Eagan -based Biothera received a "novel food"
approval for its Wellmune WGP� from the European Food Safety
Authority Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies.... As
part of its commitment to health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Minnesota has launched BlueCycle, a free bike -sharing program for
its employees, and is issuing its popular "do" messages as posters
in Spanish (do-groove.com).... Buffets, Inc., the Eagan -based
restaurant company, is considering multiple strategic avenues,
including its sale, to increase shareholder value.... CSM Eagan,
L.L.C., has closed on the acquisition of the 51 -acre Lockheed Martin
property in Eagan. While the defense contractor will continue to
occupy the 623,000 square foot facility until March 2013, CSM
plans to propose a large-scale, mixed-use redevelopment of the site
for City consideration.... Factory Motor Parts, Ford's and GM's
largest aftermarket distribution partner, is opening its ninth
Minnesota location in Rochester this year; the multigenerational
4 Eagan Business NEWS
Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
St. Paul, MN
Permit #7732
Eagan family business has nearly 90 locations in 17 states....
Instructor Chad Zwadlo and Gleasons Gymnastic School in Eagan
are popularizing parkour, a fun and physically demanding sport that
involves negotiating physical obstacles, using flips, leaps and rolls,
along an outdoors route — "like skateboarding without the skateboard"
(City Pages, May 18, 2011).... NACR, a national provider of end-to-
end communications solutions for all types of organizations, was
named Enterprise Business Partner of the Year by Catalyst Telecom in
May.... WestlawNext, Thomson Reuters' "next -generation legal
research service" now provides folder sharing among users across
multiple organizations; it is the only legal research platform to do so....
Wyde Corporation, a provider of core insurance systems, has joined
the ISO Electronic Rating Content Associates Program, enabling its
customers to stay up to date with ISO's myriad program changes.
• GOVERNMENT: Jeff Ongstad and the Eagan Television staff
won both the Informational Video and Best of Show categories for
their Founder's Day historical reenactment video at the Minnesota
Association of Government Communicators Northern Lights Awards
event. In addition, another E -TV video by Fred T Miller won an award
of merit for his feature of an "Old Fashioned Holiday" at Historic
Holz Farm. ■