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GROW • NETWORK • PROFIT JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012

President’s Letter Editor’s Note Business Calendar Network Central Top Hats

6 8 14 1918

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AMBE

R ENDORS

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PROFIT

10 News ReelWhat’s happening and who’s moving. Business news from around Central Minnesota.

10 Book ReviewThe Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line, by David Horsager

12 Your Voice In GovernmentThe New Normal Changing demographics demand that government examine and restructure its operations.

13 People to Know

16 The Trouble with Business Partners The best partnerships start with a written agreement.

UpfrontNETWORK

GROW

20 TechStrategiesClean Your House Before the Party Developing, organizing and implementing user-focused content is the first step to increasing search engine rankings for your website.

22 Management Tool KitGame-ChangerA new report from the National Labor Relations Board suggests social media policies often go too far and are not enforceable.

24 Plan Now for CompliancePrivate employers—unionized or not—must soon post the NLRB notice of collective bargaining rights.

26 Economy Central presented by Falcon BankHolding SteadyCentral Minnesota’s cost wof living remains below national average. NEW! A graphical look at Central Minnesota’s economy.

BusinessTools

•• Fascinating People You’ve Never Heard Of

•• Traits of a Successful Entrepreneur

•• Mini-Trends

•• Top 10 Technologies of the 9/11 Age

ONLY ONLINE

www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com

PROFIT

36 FeatureWhat’s Your Plan?Companies should plan ahead to avoid the potentially crippling impact of unexpected events.

40 Special FocusRethinking Risk

46 Business SpotlightMCI Carpet One Floor & Home

Special Section41 Health Care

This Issue

30 COVER STORY MUSIC MEN Managing Bobby Vee’s career and traveling the world in his band turned out to be more than just a good time for his sons, Jeff and Tommy Velline. It also turned out to be good business.

IN EVERY ISSUE

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6 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

I t seems as if everyone is talking about

economic development these days.

A great approach is for community partners

to assume responsibility for the chunk of the

economy they can most effectively develop,

and do it as well as possible.

The City of St. Cloud has established an

Economic Development Authority, chaired

by Stearns Electric Association District

Manager David Gruenes, with a new City

Director of Economic Development, Cathy

Mehelich. This department now assists

businesses with technical tools and financing

alternatives that make it easier to build and

expand. The department must be housed in a

unit of government (city or county) to apply

for available government funding.

The Greater St. Cloud Development

Corporation hired John Kramer as its CEO.

At the top of its strategy to develop our area

economy: re-establishing air service to the

St. Cloud Regional Airport. The organization

markets our entire region to businesses

outside of our area as a great place to live,

work and do business.

Your Chamber pursues economic

development, too. Our mission is to create,

enhance and maintain a healthy business

environment, which means developing our

economy through the expansion and growth

of our member businesses.

In this issue of Business Central we are

introducing two pages of graphs that

benchmark and track economic trends in

Central Minnesota. You can search out the

information in these charts – it’s all public

information – but we’ve decided to do it for

you. We’re putting it here to make it easy for

you to find and follow.

Why are we doing this? During past

Grow Minnesota! business retention calls,

we have heard business owners discuss

how important this information is to them.

The charts provide an easy and useful way

to track trends that aid in good business

decisions. We hope you find them helpful.

Another way your Chamber assists with

developing the area economy is by bringing

conventions and tourists to our community

through the services of our Convention

and Visitors Bureau. Our pursuit of funding

for the expanded Rivers Edge Convention

Center furthers the goal of bringing more

people here to spend the night and spend

their money.

We advocate for business-friendly

legislation and ordinances at local, state

and national levels of government. We

help business owners understand and

sometimes cut through government red tape.

We provide the best business-to-business

networking in our community, and we

present cost-effective training options for

small business owners and their employees.

Economic development is like a puzzle

with all community partners putting forth

their best efforts to make sure their pieces

keep Central Minnesota a strong, vibrant and

growing area.

Teresa BohnenPresident

Main Phone | 320-251-2940

Automated Reservation Line | 320-251-2940, ext. 126

Program Hotline | 320-251-2940, ext. 125

www.StCloudAreaChamber.com

email: information@StCloudAreaChamber.com

ST. CLOUD AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STAFF

President | Teresa Bohnen, ext. 104

Vice President | Gail Ivers, ext. 109

Director of Administration | Judy Zetterlund, ext. 106

Special Events Coordinator | Virginia Kroll, ext. 105

Membership Sales Specialist | Wendy Franzwa, ext. 134

Administrative Assistant | Vicki Lenneman, ext. 122

Administrative Assistant | Cindy Swarthout , ext. 100

Administrative Assistant | Sharon Henry, ext. 124

Communications Intern | Alexa Sandbakken

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU STAFF

Executive Director | Julie Lunning, ext. 111

Sales Manager | Lori Cates, ext. 113

Director of Sales & Marketing | Judy Okerstrom, ext. 112

Director of Sports & Special Events | Kelly Sayre, ext. 128

Director of Visitor Services | Jean Robbins , ext. 129

Receptionist | Nikki Fisher, ext. 100

2011-12 BOARD MEMBERS

Jim Beck | Minnesota School of Business

Gary Berg | G.L. Berg Entertainment, Performing Artists & Speakers

Craig Broman | St. Cloud Hospital/CentraCare Health System, Board Vice Chair

Linda Feuling | Westside Liquor

Neil Franz | Neils-Franz-Chirhart, Attorneys at Law

Todd Fritz | InteleCONNECT, Inc.

Jayne Greeney Schill | St. Cloud Area School District #742

Diane Hageman | College of Saint Benedict

Steve Hahn | HahnMark, LLC

John Herges | Falcon National Bank

Scott Johnson | Times Media

Dolora Musech | Batteries Plus

Kris Nelson | Custom Accents, Inc.

Bernadette Perryman | Past Board Chair

Rick Poganski | Principal Financial Group

Dr. Earl Potter, III | St. Cloud State University

Jodi Speicher | The Good Shepherd Community

Bill Winter | St. Cloud Federal Credit Union,Board Chair

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NETWORK

Economic Development:Everyone’s Responsibility

Our mission is to create, enhance and maintain a

healthy business environment, which means developing

our economy through the expansion and growth of our

member businesses.

February 29 - March 1, 2012 | St. Cloud, Minnesota

Green Economic GrowthHow Natural Resources Will Shape Our Economy & Community

This year’s exciting program features:

• Keynote speeches by

• Our annual economic outlook panel withScott Anderson, Wells FargoKing Banaian, St. Cloud State UniversityJames Hamilton, University of California, San DiegoSteve Hine, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

• A new business panel “Going Green: The Whys and the Hows” with regional entrepreneurs and innovators

• A luncheon speech with Chris Farrell, Economics Editor, Marketplace Money, American Public Radio

For more information about our program and registration, please visit

www.stcloudstate.edu/winterinstitute

Richard Morgenstern Resources for the

Future & Former Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Lynn Scarlett Resources for the Future

& Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior

James Hamilton University of California,

San Diego, & co-author of the blog Econbrowser

8 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

Gail IversVice President

Editor

Last spring I found myself standing outside

the locked doors of Rockhouse Productions

(see the story on page 30) with no way to

reach the proprietors. I thought we had an interview

appointment, but unable to confirm, I was at a loss.

I knew that Jim McAlister, owner of Tell-A-Vision

Productions, had an office in the basement of the

Rockhouse Productions building. I wandered to the

back of the building, pushed open the basement door

and headed down the stairs calling out Jim’s name.

It was my good fortune that Jim had attended

Chamber Connection that morning and then

proceeded to his office following the meeting.

I explained the reason for my unexpected arrival

and without a pause, Jim pulled out his phone

and called Jeff Velline. Yes, Jeff knew he had an

appointment. He was running late. Could I wait?

He’d meet me in about 15 minutes.

Gratefully I thanked Jim and proceeded to leave,

planning to wait for the Vellines at the local coffee shop.

Jim would have none of that. “Stay Gail. Have

some toast. I won a loaf of Johnny Bread today at

Chamber Connection and I was just going to have

a piece of toast. Here, have some orange juice. How

about jam?” And with that Jim turned my awkward

moment into an entertaining coffee break.

This simple kindness reminded me of a camping

trip I took to Yellowstone National Park following

high school graduation. My friend, Jennifer, and I

had planned that trip since we were in 6th grade.

It involved a stop in the Badlands, two days in the

Black Hills and a week in Yellowstone.

Our second night out as we prepared supper,

the tiny kerosene camp stove we brought along

refused to light. Veterans of campfire cooking,

we were stumped.

As we struggled and fussed over the stove,

finally determining we would have to buy firewood,

a neighboring camper strolled up. A former

Minnesotan, he remarked about noticing our

Minnesota license plate and we chatted about places

we knew in common. Then he asked us what the

problem with the stove was. We explained and he

suggested putting a little cooking oil on the plunger

used to pump the tank. We tried and the stove

immediately started working.

We thanked him and asked how we could possibly

repay him.

“The best way to repay a kindness,” he said,

“is to pass it on.”

Random Acts of Kindness

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NETWORK

“Stay Gail. Have some toast. I won a loaf of Johnny Bread today at Chamber Connection and I was just going to have a piece of toast.

Here, have some orange juice. How about jam?”

Phot

o by

Joe

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BD

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Jim McAlister,

Tell-A-Vision

Productions

shares a cup of

coffee with editor

Gail Ivers.

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 9

Publisher Teresa Bohnen

Managing Editor Gail Ivers

Associate Editor Dawn Zimmerman

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSFred Hill

St. Cloud State University

Gail Ivers St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

Sharon Henry St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

Mikaela Krenzen The Flint Group/Hatlingflint

Dorraine A. Larison and Mark S. Mathison Gray Plant Mooty.

David Olson Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

Alexa Sandbakken St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

Larry Schumacher Wordbender Communications, LLC

Dawn Zimmerman The Write Advantage

ADVERTISINGAssociate Publisher/Sales

Wendy Hendricks, Hendricks Marketing

Ad Traffic & Circulation Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media

ARTDesign & Production

Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media

Cover Photo Joel Butkowski, BDI Photography

ACCOUNTINGAccountant Judy Zetterlund

110 Sixth Avenue South P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487

Phone (320) 251-2940 • Fax (320) 251-0081 www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com

For advertising information contact Wendy Hendricks,

(320) 656-3808, 110 S. 6th Ave., P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487.

Editorial suggestions can be made in writing to: Editor, Business Central,

P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487. Submission of materials does not guarantee publication. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped,

self-addressed envelope.

© Copyright 2011 Business Central LLC

Business Central is published six times a year by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce,

110 Sixth Avenue South P.O. Box 487, St. Cloud, MN 56302-0487

Phone (320) 251-2940 • Fax (320) 251-0081Subscription rate: $18 for 1 year.

Phot

o by

Joe

l But

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ski,

BD

I Pho

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aphy

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10 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

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The Currency of BusinessIf trust is the currency of business, then it might well determine the success of an enterprise.

BOOK REVIEW

By Fred Hill

The dust cover on

The Trust Edge reads:

“[David] Horsager writes

that trust is a quantifiable

competency that brings

dramatic results. The lower

the trust, the more time

everything takes, the more

everything costs, and the

lower the loyalty of everyone

involved.”

It has been said that trust,

not money, is the currency of

business and life. If this is so,

then trust as a quantifiable

competency might well

determine the health and

success of an enterprise.

This book is organized

into five parts: The Case for

Trust, The Eight Pillars of

Trust, Transforming Trust,

Deep Trust in a Flat World

and Courageous Trust. Part

II, The Eight Pillars of Trust,

might be particularly useful.

They are Clarity, Compassion,

Character, Competency,

Commitment, Connection,

Contribution, and Consistency.

Pillar Three, Character,

seems to be especially

insightful. Horsager notes

that “people notice those who

do what is right over what is

easy.” Business and political

discussions — wherever one

goes — seem to consistently

make the point of doing what

is right. It should be an easy

choice to make. Sadly, it often

is not.

David Horsager tells of the

two dimensions of trust. They

are time and depth.

He says, “Deep trust is

generally established over

time. It can withstand adversity

and is often born of personal

experiences.” Time and depth

are in constant interplay and

have a huge influence on the

strength of trustworthiness.

Trust is always a risk.

Horsager discusses 12 barriers

to overcome in building

trust. They include conflicts

of interest, technology, fear,

and negative experiences.

Each of the 12 might not

be found at every location.

Moreover, certain ones could

have priority over others. But,

they are there and they can

be overcome. This book has

an abundance of help and

support to do so.

Horsager has written an

excellent work, with many

pages of things to discuss,

think about, and apply.

There are also 14 pages of

references, including many

websites, magazines, and

trade journals. BC

Dr. Fred E. Hill is a professor of

Learning Resources Services at

St. Cloud State University.

The Trust Edge:

How Top Leaders Gain

Faster Results, Deeper

Relationships, and

a Stronger Bottom

Line, by David Horsager,

Summerside Press,

Minneapolis, MN • 2010 •

ISBN 978-1-60936-133-4

Strack Companies promotes staffJohn D. Nack has been named Chief Operating Officer of Strack Companies and will assume corporate management duties of the St. Cloud-based firm. As COO, Nack will direct the firm’s daily operations. Matthew S. Strack has been named vice president. Strack Companies currently operates in four states serving the private commercial and industrial markets with projects in all segments with special emphasis in health care and food processing.

Doherty Staffing Solutions earns CertificationDoherty Staffing Solutions is the first in Minnesota to be awarded Workers’ Compensation Risk Certification (WRC). WRC recognizes staffing companies that practice best-in-class risk management to reduce workplace injuries and related costs.

GNP Company wins Meatingplace’s 2011 Jesse Jewell Award Gold’n Plump Poultry grew, changed its name to GNP Company, and now has won the Jesse Jewell Award given by industry publication, Meatingplace. Each year, the Jesse Jewell Award is given to “a poultry processor whose products, processes or overall approach to marketing or management have improved not only its own bottom line, but raised the standard of excellence for the entire poultry industry, just as Jesse Jewell did.”

NEWSREEL

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AMBE

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10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Book Review Point of View Your Voice in Government People to Know Business Calendar It Happened When? The Trouble with Business

Nack Strack

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 11

If you’re looking for financial resources to take your business to the next level, count us in. For decades, Bremer bankers have been helping movers and shakers all across the region. We have the resources and the business savvy to help you get where you want to go – locally or globally. Talk to a Bremer business banker near you.

NO MORE STATUS QUO.JOIN ME.

COUNT US IN.Downtown St. Cloud • 251-3300 West St. Cloud • 656-3300Sauk Rapids • 252-1938 Sartell • 255-7121 Rice • 393-26001-800-908-BANK (2265) Bremer.com Member FDIC. © 2012 Bremer Financial Corporation. All rights reserved.

BRE1006A6BCM 4.875x7.375.indd 1 11/28/11 3:06 PM

POINT OF VIEW

Business Central asked readers:

“What kind of person would you consider to be the ideal networker?”Shari WahlinBig Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Minnesota

“Somebody who is easy to approach and is comfortable approaching others.”

Chris LeDucSt. Cloud Area Family YMCA

“Someone who can move gracefully through multiple conversations while making everyone feel important.”

Corey BoeCartridge World

“Someone who is willing to talk to people and put themselves ‘out there.’”

Justin WackerSteam Brothers/SB Restoration

“A very outgoing individual- someone who’s not shy and is willing to take chances.”

Laura Tangen Edina Realty

“The ideal networker is outgoing, friendly, likes to talk to new people, and is confident about the business he or she works for.”

12 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

Convene a conversation

with Tom Stinson or

Tom Gillaspy, and the

“New Normal” is likely

to quickly surface. For years,

the state economist and state

demographer have warned that

changing demographics demand

that government examine and

restructure its operations.

Now you can add the

voice of the statewide

business community to the

call for greater government

efficiency, as revealed in the

annual Minnesota Business

Barometer Survey conducted

by the Minnesota Chamber

of Commerce and Himle

Horner, Inc. No one suggests

that government redesign

alone can solve the cycle of

budget shortfalls. But four in

10 respondents believe that

restructuring services can make

a significant dent.

Stinson and Gillaspy were

in unison as they described

the New Normal at a session

of Leadership Minnesota, a

Minnesota Chamber program

that focuses on the state’s

changing economy and the

issues that will shape its future.

What does this all mean? We

are presented a whole new set

of opportunities, Stinson and

Gillaspy say. Government at

all levels must embrace a new

mind-set as it examines what

products and services to provide

and how to deliver them. We

must meet the challenge to

preserve the Minnesota quality

of life.

Initial steps were taken

at the 2011 legislature, and

more work remains if we are

to restore long-term stability

to Minnesota’s balance sheet.

Reform will be a common

thread in the Minnesota

Chamber 2012 agenda. Among

our preliminary initiatives:

Adopt priority-based budgeting.

Examine all public programs and

services and stop simply building

a budget based on past practices.

Implement the federal waivers in the

Medicaid system as a follow-up to

the 2011 legislation.

Purchase services through

competitive sourcing. Evaluate those

commercial services performed

by government agencies on the

basis of efficiency and customer

service.

Reform the prevailing wage law.

The current calculation tends

to increase taxpayer costs for

state-funded projects.

Evaluate highway projects. Ensure

management systems are in

place so taxpayers receive

the greatest value for their

transportation dollars.

Reform public employee

compensation and benefits. These

systems must align more closely

with what is provided in the

private sector.

Creativity and innovation

have enabled businesses to

survive the recession and,

in many instances, emerge

stronger. Similar principles

must guide government if

Minnesotans are to adjust to

the New Normal. It won’t be

easy, but as Stinson and Gillaspy

suggest, “Creative destruction/

disruptive innovation will

change the way we deliver

services.”

NEWSREEL YOUR VOICE IN GOVERNMENT

The New NormalChanging demographics demand that government examine and restructure its operations. By David C. Olson

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NETWORK

Wolf joins BirthlineSara Wolf has joined Birthline, Inc. as director of development. Birthline is a local

nonprofit organization serving women and men facing an unexpected pregnancy.

Kellen named Minn. Transit Professional of the YearTony Kellen, director of operations and

technology for Metro Bus, was named Minnesota Transit Professional of the Year at the Minnesota Public Transit Association annual conference in St. Paul. This award is presented to individuals who have designed and implemented specific programs demonstrating innovative concepts or effective problem-solving techniques of proven value.

Nurse practitioner joins HealthPartnersNicole Marti, Certified Nurse

Practitioner, joined HealthPartners Central Minnesota Clinics. Marti is a graduate of Minnesota State University in Moorhead and received her Family Nurse Practitioner Certification from Minnesota State University in Mankato.

PineCone Vision Center staff attain certification, join committeeDr. Nicolas Colatrella and

Dr. Stacy Hinkemeyer of PineCone Vision Center have attained American Board of Optometry Certification. This voluntary process establishes standards demonstrating that the doctor has exceeded basic requirements and maintains the appropriate knowledge, skills, and experience needed to deliver quality patient care. Jennifer Novak, practice administrator at PineCone Vision Center, has joined the American Optometric Association’s Para Optometric Awards and Recognition Committee.

Wolf

Kellen

Marti

Novak

About the writerDavid Olson is president of the Minnesota

Chamber of Commerce. For more information,

visit www.mnchamber.com.

What is the New Normal?•• An aging population and more diverse workforce.

•• Slower economic growth. Scarcity of labor and talent.

•• Greater demand for public services.

•• Chronic government deficits and cuts in service.

The statewide business

community stands ready to

help government rethink how

it can deliver services at lower

per-capita cost and still preserve

Minnesotans’ quality of life. BC

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 13

PEOPLE TO KNOW

DAVE BORGERTSt. Cloud Hospital/CentraCare Health SystemPhone: (320) 229-4978E-mail: borgertd@centracare.comChair, Government Affairs Committee, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

–––––––––––The Government Affairs Committee researches legislative issues, makes recommendations to the Board of Directors regarding legislative policy positions, organizes trips to the Capitol and legislative updates during the session, and maintains contact with area legislators and other elected officials throughout the year.

ROGER SCHLEPERPremier Real Estate ServicesPhone: (320) 259-4554Email: Roger@PremierHomeSearch.comChair, Membership Division, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce–––––––––––

The Membership Division is responsible for all marketing and membership activities, including workforce development, networking programs and all of the Chamber’s special events.

TAMMY HANSENMinnesota School of BusinessPhone: (320) 257-2000Email: thansen@msbcollege.eduChair, VIP Committee, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce–––––––––––

The VIP (Value Information Promotion) Retention Committee calls on Chamber members to share information about coming events, inquire about membership satisfaction, and encourage businesses to take full advantage of their membership.

GREG THEISGreg E. Theis RemodelingPhone: (320) 253-2312E-mail: grege@GETRemodeling.netChair, Central Minnesota Farm Show Committee, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

–––––––––––This committee is responsible for planning and organizing the Central Minnesota Farm Show, the largest agri-business expo of its type in the Upper Midwest. The annual three-day show starts the last Tuesday in February at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud.

MATT KILIANInitiative FoundationPhone: (320) 632-9255E-mail: mkilian@ifound.orgChair, Marketing Committee, St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce–––––––––––

The Marketing Committee is responsible for the over-all marketing efforts of the Chamber of Commerce, including communication materials, advertising, publications, the website, promotional programs, and organizational research.

Now onlineVisit www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com

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Find out how Marco helped a university attract athletic recruits from around the world with state-of-the-art A/V technology. For more information, visit www.marconet.com/GetNoticed

You’ve got a great message but is it being seen? Can it be updated easily or better yet, changed in real-time? Marco’s team of audio/video specialists can design and implement a digital signage system that gets your message noticed. We’ll start by listening closely so we’re able to hear what you want

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If you’ve got information to be shared, we’re all ears!

It’s All in The DeliveryAdd Impact To Your Communications

14 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••UPFRONT

NETWORK

BUSINESS CALENDAR

Government AffairsA discussion of local government issues on the second Friday of the month

7:30 - 9 a.m

Location: Chamber office, 110 S 6th Ave.January 13: “The River’s Edge Convention Center – Expansion Update and Bonding Progress”Special Event, January 24: Session Priorities Banquet with the Minnesota Chamber at River Center, St. Paul, MN, from 4-9 p.m.

Waite Park Chamberor businesses interested in doing business in Waite Park. Lunch is provided by the host when you register at least two days in advance.

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Location: Waite Park City Hall, 19 13th Ave. N, Waite Park.

January 18: Hosted by Rejuv Medical with

guest speaker King Banaian, St. Cloud State University, discussing Central Minnesota’s economy. February 15: Hosted by Minnwest Bank

Sauk Rapids ChamberFor businesses interested in doing business in Sauk Rapids. Lunch is provided by the host when you register at least two days in advance.

11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m

Location: Good Shepherd Fellowship Hall, 1115 4th Ave. N, Sauk RapidsJanuary 26: Hosted by BankVista with guest speaker Julia Krengel, Rejuv Medical, presenting “Post Holiday Plan: Realistic Health Goals and Nutrition Tips.” February 23: Hosted by Liquid Assets/Westside Learning & Events Center with guest speaker Lisa Braun, City of St. Cloud, discussing the Community Emergency Response Team

Business After HoursA complimentary open house for Chamber members and guests. Bring lots of business cards and prepare to grow your network!

4:30-6:30 p.m.

Can’t-miss opportunities to influence, promote, and learn JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012

Visit events.StCloudAreaChamber.com for a detailed calendar.

NEWSREEL

KDV expands with merger David B. Campbell, Ltd. Has merged with KDV. The merger broadens KDV’s portfolio of expertise, services and clients as it strengthens its presence in the Twin Cities. Because of the merger, KDV is now one of the largest accounting and consulting firms in Minnesota.

Brewington appointed to BoardJared A. Brewington, Green Energy

Products, was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of Compatible Technology International.

Clifton Gunderson, LarsonAllen announce mergerClifton Gunderson and LarsonAllen, ranked as two of the nation’s top 20 certified public accounting and consulting firms, announced plans to merge and form one of the top 10 accounting firms in the United States. The merger took effect Jan. 2, 2012. The new firm is called CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA).

CLA has more than $550 million in combined revenue, employs more than 3,600 professionals, including 500-plus partners, and operates from 25 states and Washington, D.C.

Big Brothers Big Sisters receives $300,000 donation The Federated Insurance Foundation donated $300,000 to BBBS of Central Minnesota. The donation comes from funds that were raised at the Federated Challenge for Kids of Minnesota (FC). Since 2005, BBBS of Central Minnesota has received $1.6 million from the FC, which represents the largest single source of funding in the organization’s history.

Brewington

Lunchtime LearningEducational networking events that give busy professionals a chance to stay on the cutting edge. Meets the first Wednesday of the month, noon-1 p.m. at the Chamber office, 110 S 6th Ave.

January 4 •• Sponsored by Executive Express with speaker Sharon Sorenson, Heartland Organizing, presenting “Get Organized Month: Learn to A.C.T. (audit, commit, tackle)” Registration is required: $15 for Chamber members, $22 for the general public.

January 12: Hosted by Northwest Professional Center, at 2351 Connecticut Avenue, SartellFebruary 16: Hosted by Gaslight Creative, LLC, at 501 West Saint Germain, Suite 304

For information on these or other business events, call 320-251-2940

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 15

IT HAPPENED WHEN?

March 1977

•• The Material Handlers Show is now known as The Central Minnesota Farm Show. This show has grown to be the largest show of its kind in the Upper Midwest. In 2012, the show will take place at the St. Cloud River’s Edge Convention Center, featuring 300 booths and over 4,000 attendees.

•• Jerry “Peanut” Hagemeier (L) and Ron Theisen of Traut Well Drilling also appeared at the Material Handlers Show in March 1977. When the original owners dissolved the company in 1982, Mark and Dave Traut revived the business, calling

it Mark J. Traut Wells. Best known as Traut Companies, the company now drills nationwide, and was named “St. Cloud Area Small Business of the Year” in 1998.

•• St. Cloud Area Vocational Technical Institute, now known as St. Cloud Technical and Community College, advertised the programs at the school at the Material Handlers Show in 1977. Today, the college has 90-plus majors and serves over 12,000 students each year.

What’s in a name? Crossroads Center was the site of the Material Handlers Show in March 1977. What’s changed since then?

16 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

There can be huge advantages to a business

partnership. You can work together to make

something better than you could have

individually, and you can build off each other’s

strengths. Starting a new business requires many

different skills in the areas of invention, marketing,

sales, accounting, and much more. How do you

know if you should enter into business with a

partner?

According to the “Starting a Business Guide” in

the Wall Street Journal, “taking on business partners

should be reserved for when a partnership is

critical to success,” whether because of finances,

connections, or skills. Consider whether it might be

better to hire the other person as an employee or

contractor instead.

If you decide to move forward with a

partnership, you need to have an attorney draft

a legal agreement spelling out the arrangement.

In addition to outlining financial issues, it should

explain the roles and responsibilities of each

partner, how the workload will be divided, how

conflict will be handled, and how a partner can

leave. If it’s down on paper, you won’t have to

worry about this later.

If you decide to partner in business with a

friend, make sure you both realize that you will

now have a business relationship. You’ll need to

establish firm ground rules. Your “values, goals

and personalities need to be aligned toward profit,”

explains Brad Sugars, author of What to Consider

Before Teaming Up With a Partner.

As partners, you’ll need to have shared vision

about your company’s short-term and long-term

goals. What do you want to happen in one year?

What about in five or ten years? As the business

PARTNERS

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NETWORK

THE TROUBLE WITH BUSINESSNEWSREEL

Jewell joins Quinlivan & HughesSarah R. Jewell recently joined the law firm of Quinlivan & Hughes, PA.

Jewell started as a law clerk with the firm in June 2010 and was admitted to the Minnesota Bar in October 2011. She received her J.D. from Hamline University School of Law.

CSB, SJU are No. 1 in study abroad participationFor the second consecutive year, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are ranked No. 1 nationally among baccalaureate institutions with students who participate in mid-length study abroad programs, according to a report by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Compiled by Alexa Sandbakken

Jewell

The best partnerships start with a written agreement. By Alexa Sandbakken

HEALTHCARE CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING SPECIALISTS

320.393.3185 | www.boserconstruction.com

At Boser, we deliver a single-source construction solution. From design to move in, we effectively coordinate and deliver

results for a variety of healthcare new construction & remodeling projects. But it is our certifications, thoughtful planning and attention

to detail that has made Boser Construction a leader in the commercial construction industry for 15 years.

WE TAKE HEALTHCARE CONSTRUCTION SERIOUSLY.

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J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 17

Think it ThroughCherie Burbach, author of 5 Things to Ask Yourself Before Going Into Business With A Friend, recommends that you consider the following before developing a business partnership:

How well do you and your future partner resolve conflict? If your potential partner clashes with you over simple disagreements, think about how work conflicts will be resolved. You might decide to have an impartial third-party to act as a mediator for arguments.

Does your partner have habits that annoy you? Just like in marriage, it’s the little things that can aggravate you the most. Is your partner lazy, disorganized, or a procrastinator? How will these

traits affect the business and your partnership? You need to decide how to get past the little things in order to prevent them from becoming big things.

How much time will you put toward the business? A new business takes a lot of time and hard work. How much time can each partner put toward the business? How will this affect other obligations? Be on the same page with your partner about time expectations.

grows, how will you adjust? Your partner may have

different ideas about success for your company. Make

sure you have shared expectations and goals.

You’ll also want to determine each person’s

strengths and weaknesses. Do you have the same

kind of work ethic and values? Good communication

is one of the keys to success. You must be able to

share honestly and openly with your partner,

about both the good and the bad.

Finally, you’ll need to have strategies in place for

people to enter and exit the partnership. As your

business grows, family members such as spouses or

children may wish to join. How will they become

part of the business plan? Exit strategies are also

important. Decide how things will be divided if or

when a partner leaves as well as how each partner

will be compensated. Having a plan in place ahead of

time will prevent problems. BC

Alexa Sandbakken was the communications intern at the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce in fall 2011.

18 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

Grow!St. Cloud Area Chamber Leadership Program participants spent two days earlier this year learning about leadership styles, ethics, and each other.

Profıt!The Chamber’s annual Technology and Education Conference gives vendors the opportunity to show off their latest products and services, while providing valuable information to participants.

Network!Team Daylily Spa Salon won the networking challenge at the 2011 Chamber Connection birthday party. Daylily was one of several birthday party sponsors.

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NETWORK

NETWORK CENTRAL

Larry Logeman, Executive Express, helped class members develop a personal mission statement.

Dr. Julia Espe, St. Cloud School District 742, discussed ethical leadership and the behaviors that make for ethical leaders.

Bruce Miles, The Big River Group, helped class members determine their leadership styles.

The Leadership program involves group interaction, discussion, and plenty of networking

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 19

One Hour Heating & A/C, 2 21st Ave. S, St. Cloud. Pictured: Owen Peterson, Don Opheim and Shannon Templin.

The Apothecary, pharmacy, compounded and natural medications, 165 19th St. S, Suite 102, Sartell. Pictured: Chris Panek, Steve Mareck, Steve Anderson and Jason Bernick.

Cooking for Fun! Recreational cooking school for kids and adults, 408 Great Oak Drive, Waite Park. Pictured: Inese Mehr, Russ Panek, Chris Panek and Tauna Quimby.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, financial services, 49 2nd Ave. N, Waite Park. Pictured: Roger Schleper, Erik Hanson, Steve Reetz and Brenda Eisenschenk.

IRET Properties, owner and operator of apartment communities and commercial properties in the St. Cloud and surrounding area, 4150 2nd St. S, Suite 410, St. Cloud. Pictured: Owen Peterson, Claudia Notermann, RoseAnn Wong, Andy Martin, Angie Janni, Chad Bloom, April Jacques and Roger Schleper.

The Good Shepherd Community, a comprehensive senior retirement community and nursing home, 1115 4th Ave. N, Sauk Rapids. Pictured: Diane Ohmann, Jodi Speicher, Good Shepherd Community board member Terry Kurash, Roger Schleper, Chad Spoden, and Rhonda Pohl.

St. Cloud Camera & Photo, camera equipment and services, including photo processing, 212 Waite Ave. S, St. Cloud. Pictured: Bob Lien, Diane Larson and Brenda Eisenschenk.

Uncle Sam’s Flag & Pole, full service flagpole business offering residential/commercial sales and installation, 1413 W Division St., Waite Park. Pictured: Roger Schleper, Rick Zimmer, Aaron Kranz and Inese Mehr.

The Legends at Heritage Place, senior campus for 55+, independent living, assisted living townhomes, 673 Brianna Drive, Sartell. Pictured: Kris Nelson, Jodi Dotson, Melinda Fast, Lynn Johnson, David Muellner and Jason Bernick.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, financial services, 549 25th Ave. N, St. Cloud. Pictured: Roger Schleper, Tim Ronning and Bob Lien.

TOP HATS | New Locations, New Ownership & Expansions

TOP HATS | New Members

TOP HATS | New Businesses

St. Cloud Surgical Center1526 Northway Drive • St. Cloud • 251-8385 • 800-349-7272

www.stcsurgicalcenter.com

We are here when you need us!

Accredited byAccreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc.

We are here when you need us!

Continuing to Make a Difference!

Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence

in Caring for You!

Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence

in Caring for You!

INFORMATION

Job Number 364-11190 Trim 3.625” x 4.875” December 16, 2011 12 p.m.

Client Grand Casino Bleed 3.875” x 5.125” Output Date 12/16/11

Description Mtg & Con. Ad Quarter Page Live % Printed 100

File Name 364-11190 Meeting & Convention Print Ad [3.625x4.875]

SIGN-OFF

[ ] CD Chris Preston

[ ] AD Anne Taylor

[ ] CW Terry Thomas

[ ] AM Laura Linn

[ ] AS Mark Jenson

[ ] PM Krista Kraabel

Notes

Quarter page ad

1

We’ll make sure your meeting hits the jackpot.

Let us make your next meeting, banquet, or special event truly memorable. With two spacious casino

hotels, 24-hour gaming action and award-winning dining, we

Grand Casino Mille Lacs Events & Convention Center

For more details, call800-626-5825, ext. 8515

Grand Casino Hinckley Events & Convention Center

For more details, call877-447-2631

grandcasinomn.com

20 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

Search engine optimization (SEO)

has two major divisions. On-page

SEO employs optimizing techniques

on your website pages — using keywords

in page titles and copy is one common

technique. Off-page SEO involves driving

traffic to your website and increasing your

popularity. Generating links from trusted

websites greatly boosts off-page SEO

performance.

For this article, I’ll focus on the former

category. I firmly believe you need to clean

up your house (in this case–your website)

before you can invite people over. While

off-page SEO factors can often have a

quicker, more significant impact on your

search rankings, it won’t serve any good if

you don’t have the music (or content) to

entertain your guests. Build your on-page

elements first, then work on sending your

invitations.

Do your research

Research is necessary to develop an

effective search strategy. What keywords

would you like people to use to find your

content? Start by developing a seed list of

all the relevant terms that come to mind.

To refine it further use a free tool, such as

Google AdWords external keyword tool to build

a list of attainable keywords to include in

your website.

Organize your contentContent themes should be broken into

separate pages within your site architecture,

but there must be enough valuable

content to support a full page. Since critical

keyword placements are limited, separate

pages can maximize exposure for the

keywords.

ImplementOnce your research and site architecture

are complete – get to work! Create separate

pages for each theme and start plugging

target keywords (1-2 per page) into these

trigger locations:

Include selected keywords in the HTML page title and page URL. Located near the top of

the page, these locations will be a first stop for 

automated web crawlers. Both are included on

the search results page – with bolded keywords,

if you play your cards right.

Remember keyword inclusion in your copy. Headlines and sub-heads are important placements for keywords. You should also

include references within the body copy

and in anchor text of cross-links that exist

elsewhere on the site. Another great spot

for keywords is an alt tag associated with a

photograph, as long as it represents the

image accurately.

Include target keywords in the meta keyword and meta description tags. Many have denounced the importance of

these tags; however, they should not be

disregarded entirely. Although the meta

keywords tag is hidden to the average user,

it helps set the tone for the page and

establishes a guideline for copywriters.

The meta description tag will display in some

search results and allows you to control the

message delivered to potential customers.

Don’t force it! If it feels and sounds unnatural, then

search engine crawlers and site visitors will

probably interpret it the same way. Find

a healthy balance between on-page SEO

elements and readable, valuable content

– keeping in mind that the latter is most

critical to a website’s success. BC

Mikaela Krenzen is a digital/interactive

strategist with the Flint Group/Hatlingflint.

Her focus is on search engine optimization

(SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM).

She is certified in Google AdWords.

TECH STRATEGIES

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Clean Your House Before the PartyDeveloping, organizing and implementing user-focused content is the first step to increasing search engine rankings for your website. By Mikaela Krenzen

Tech Strategies Tech News Game-Changer Working Well Compliance Economy Central presented by Falcon Bank

20 21 22 23 24 26

Now onlineFor more information visit www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com.

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 21

NOT YOU FATHER’S VENDING MACHINEVending machines are becoming interactive. Accepting credit cards is just the beginning. Now you can purchase in bulk with just one payment or use a touch screen to find out the nutritional information about your desired purchase. 

Android users love their apps!

BY THE NUMBERS DID YOU KNOW?

1 billion the number of Android apps that were downloaded by 2010

2 years the length of time it took to download the first billion Android apps

60 days the length of time it took to add the most recent billion download

4.5 billion the total number of Android apps that have been downloaded Source: Tech News Daily

TECH NEWS

A NEW KIND OF TOUCHSCREENNew technology called OmniTouch can turn any surface into a touchscreen. First, you create a screen wherever you want – an arm, hand, pad of paper. Then, just like any touchscreen, you use your fingers to navigate it. Think: dialing a phone number on the palm of your

hand. Figuring out how to get the system to understand fingers was the biggest hurdle. Now, making it small enough – and affordable – is next. Source: www.Smartplanet.com

Federally Insured by NCUA

Equal Opportunity Employer

myCMCU.org | facebook.com/mycmcu

&– Tom Griffin, Quarry Cinema

I was comfortable with their

”approach ideas.

Tom Griffin saw the need for another family entertainment option in the

Cold Spring area. This vision materialized in 2005 when the Quarry Cinema 5 opened.

To help fulfill his dream, Tom sought financing from Central Minnesota Credit Union. “I was comfortable with their approach and ideas. Roger Hansen was down-to-earth yet professional. He took the time to get to know me and my business needs plus my long-term goals,” stated Griffin.

“

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What an employee can – and cannot – say on Facebook has been debatable over the past

few years. Court cases about employees being fired because of a post they made put the fear in most employees – and made employers believe they had the ability to limit negative comments about the company.

But a new report from the National Labor Relations Board on case developments related to social media has some striking findings that are changing the way businesses can react.

I sat down with Hayden Creque, principle attorney at Creque Law, a full-service St. Cloud-based law firm that specializes in business, employment privacy, information security and internet law, to unwind the legal speak and gain a better understanding of what it means to employers.

Q What do you see as the biggest takeaway from the report? A: It is unlawful to discharge – or even

discipline – employees who use a social

network platform to engage in or initiate

discussions with other employees related

to working conditions or terms of

employment. Such a discussion may be

protected activity even when it includes

related criticisms, sarcasm, and swearing.

Q How far can it go? A: An employee’s

criticism of supervisory actions, when they

reflect several employees’ concerns, is

protected. That means posting to Facebook

or another social networking platform may

be protected even when the employee

engages in egregious name-calling. The

employee crosses the line when it becomes

maliciously false.

Q This seems to be somewhat one-sided. Is the employer protected at all? A: Although the protections

afforded employees are broad on their face,

they actually are quite narrow in scope.

Employees are only protected to the extent

that it is a “concerted activity.” That means

individual gripes or comments made for

the employee’s personal amusement are

not protected. Employers can take action –

and many have.

Q What role do the social media usage policies created by employers play in all of this?

A: It has become common for employers

to institute social media policies to outline

certain conduct, but they often go too far

and are not enforceable.

Q What are some examples of social media policies that go too far?

A: Employers often include broad

prohibitions on disparaging comments,

inappropriate discussions, and the use of

generally offensive language. In many

cases, the policies do not contain limiting

language or examples to inform employees

that the policy excludes protected

activities.

Q What is the best piece of advice you have for businesses given this report? A: There is nothing in the report

that precludes an employer from having

a social media policy. Businesses should

see this as their opportunity to review

and revise their social media policies.

Businesses that do not have one should

create one. Reference specific employee

rights and provide detailed guidelines on

monitoring employer-related comments

and the respective disciplinary action. At

minimum, every employee handbook

should include a “catch-all” provision like

‘Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing

in this policy shall be construed to limit, in

any way, your rights under any applicable

federal, state or local laws.’ BC

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Game-ChangerA new report from the National Labor Relations Board suggests social media policies often go too far and are not enforceable. By Dawn Zimmerman

22 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

About the writerDawn Zimmerman is Chief Executive Officer of The Write Advantage,

a St. Cloud-based communications company that specializes in social media.

MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 23

WORKING WELL

AHHHHHHHHHH-CHOO

Keep the flu out of the office this winter  with a few simple steps.

PREVENTIONSupport flu vaccination in the workplace

in order to ensure productivity all year

long. The flu season occurs over cold-

weather months – for many reasons,

including close proximity indoors during

school days and dryer air, impeding the

body’s ability to hydrate and cleanse itself.

The easiest way to prevent illness is

to tell employees how they can access no

or low cost vaccinations. Have you ever

been sick the day after a vaccination?

It takes two weeks for protection to

develop in the body. Employees can even

spread the flu 24 hours before symptoms

develop.

CONTROL MEASURESIf you do come down with an illness,

stay home in order to avoid infecting

others. Flu germs are easily passed

through tiny droplets of fluid that

transfer from one person to another.

Cover your mouth and nose thoroughly

when you sneeze and wash your hands

thoroughly. Do not rub your eyes or

nose or touch your mouth.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

IN THE NEWS

Honoring the Hill Museum & Manuscript LibraryThe Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML) at Saint John’s University has been awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor for libraries and museums and is sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) nominated HMML for the award.

The 2011 award winning libraries and museums will be honored at a Washington, D.C. ceremony. Each library and museum also receives an honorarium of $10,000.

Featuring: • Keynote speeches: Lynn Scarlett James Hamilton Richard Morgenstern • The annual economic outlook panel • A new business panel “Going Green: The Whys & the Hows” with regional entrepreneurs and innovators • A luncheon speech with Chris Farrell

February 29 - March 1, 2012www.stcloudstate.edu/winterinstitute

Corporate Education & Outreach is pleased to offer our conference planning services to this dynamic

conference as a partner of SCSU’s Winter Institute.

C E OCorporate Education & Outreach

www.scsutraining.com

Green Economic GrowthHow Natural Resources Will Shape Our Economy & Community

24 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••BUSINESS TOOLSGROW

Non-unionized private employers, as

well as employers with unions, will

be required to post for employees a

notice of union-related collective bargaining

rights beginning January 31, 2012. The

new requirement from the National Labor

Relations Board (NLRB) has created a storm

of controversy.

The NLRB’s final rule is currently

the subject of three lawsuits from the

business community seeking to block its

implementation. Because the likelihood

of a blocking court order cannot be

predicted, employers should begin planning

for compliance now, including training

managers on the employer’s position on

unions and on how to respond lawfully to

employee questions about the posting.

Many employers subject to this new

notice-posting requirement have not

understood that it applies to them. With

limited exceptions, both union and non-

union employers must post the 11x17

notice, which is available from the NLRB

at its regional offices and also available

for download at https://www.nlrb.gov/sites/

default/files/documents/1562/employee_rights_

nlra.pdf.

The notice must be posted where other

workplace notices are typically posted.

Plan Now for CompliancePrivate employers—unionized or not—must soon post the NLRB notice of collective bargaining rights. By Dorraine A. Larison and Mark S. Mathison

MANAGEMENT TOOLKIT

S Sandler Training Finding Power In Reinforcement (with design) and Sandler Training are registered service marks of Sandler Systems, Inc. © 2009 Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Sandler Training® utilizes continual reinforcement through ongoing training and individual coaching sessions not only to help you learn but also to ensure your success. With over 200 training centers worldwide to provide support, you won’t fail…because we won’t let you.

Want some good old-fashioned sales training?Don’t call us.

Brian Hart220 Park Avenue South, Suite 100St. Cloud, MN • 320-224-2121www.brianhart.sandler.com

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 25

A Bright IdeaThe new Philips 10-watt LED light bulb is officially the greenest replacement for a 60-watt bulb. It passed a number of rigorous tests and won Philips $10 million in the Department of Energy’s L Prize competition, which sought “high performance, energy-saving replacements” for the incandescent bulbs most of us still use.

But get ready – the price will most likely top $40 per bulb. If everyone switched to these more efficient bulbs, we’d save $3.9 billion in electricity a year. Plus, the 60-watt bulbs we use now generally last for only 1,000 to 3,000 hours, which means you have to change each light bulb every year or two. If this new bulb lasts for the anticipated 25,000 hours, you could use it for about 35 years without buying a new one. Source: GOOD: www.good.is

GOING GREEN

A fact sheet with further information

about the new notice-posting rule

is available on the NLRB Website or

at www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com.

Employers with questions or concerns

about the posting requirement should

seek counsel from an attorney practicing

in labor law. BC

Dorraine Larison and Mark Mathison are

attorneys with the law firm of Gray Plant 

Mooty. Larison offices in St. Cloud and can 

be contacted at dorraine.larison@gpmlaw.

com or (320) 202-5331. Mathison offices in 

Minneapolis and can be contacted at mark.

mathison@gpmlaw.com or (612) 632-3247.

CHECK OUT OUR NEW DIGITAL FORMAT.

www.BusinessCentral Magazine.com

www.scr-mn.com

Formerly St. Cloud Refrigeration

RefRigeRation HVaC SeRViCe Building automation food SeRViCe

CentRal | metRo diViSionSt. Cloud 320-251-6861

MetRo 800-827-1642

noRtHeRn diViSionBaxteR 800-273-9071

SoutHeRn diViSionRoCheSteR 877-399-4546

Mankato 800-447-3259

26 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

EDITOR’S NOTE

Beginning with this issue we are offering a

graphical look at economic activity in Central

Minnesota. We hope that the charts and graphs

on these pages will help you follow local business

activity and make well-informed decisions for

your own organization. If there is information

missing that you would like to see here,

please let us know!

The St. Cloud area continued its

trend of below average cost of living

expenses as we headed into the final

quarter of 2011. The results of the ACCRA

Cost of Living index showed St. Cloud’s

“All Items” index at 96.0, or 4 percent

below the national average of 100 for the

third quarter of 2011. This matched closely

the previous two quarters when St. Cloud

had an all items index of 96.1 in the first

quarter and 94.0 in the second quarter.

Overall, the area is on track to have a

lower cost of living than in 2010, when the

all items index was 98.3 for the year.

As with previous quarters, the cost of

housing in Central Minnesota remains low

compared to other communities. During

the third quarter of 2011, the region’s

cost of living index for housing was 70.0,

compared to Minneapolis at 120.1 or

Eau Claire, Wisconsin at 83.8.

Not all expenses are low in Central

Minnesota. Grocery items showed an

index of 108.1, just 1.2 percent behind

Minneapolis (109.3), and 12.1 percent

above Eau Claire (96.0).

HOLDING STEADYCENTRAL MINNESOTA’S COST OF LIVING REMAINS BELOW NATIONAL AVERAGE.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••ECONOMY CENTRALPRESENTED BY FALCON BANK

Economy Central presented by

Cost of Living - Minnesota

All Ite

ms

Groce

ry

Item

s

Housin

g*

Utiliti

es

Health

CareTr

ans-

po

rtatio

n

Goods

/ Ser

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The Cost of Living index measures regional differences in the cost of consumer goods and services, excluding taxes and non-consumer expenditures, for professional and managerial households in the top income quintile.

It is based on more than 90,000 prices covering almost 60 different items for which prices are collected quarterly by the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce. Small differences should not be interpreted as showing any

measurable difference, according to ACCRA. *Includes single-family and multi-unit residential housing

Third Quarter 2011Minnesota and other Upper Midwest Cities of Comparable Size to St. Cloud

St. Cloud, MN 2010 Annual Average 98.3 101.6 80.5 117.4 99.9 101.8 105.8

St. Cloud, MN (1st Qtr) 96.1 99.4 79.9 106.5 105.4 102.5 102.3

St. Cloud, MN (2nd Qtr) 94.0 104.0 77.3 100.2 99.9 102.6 100.0

3rd Quarter 2011

St. Cloud, MN 96.0 108.1 70.0 99.8 98.2 104.3 104.1

Minneapolis, MN 111.8 109.3 120.1 101.5 107.5 105.5 110.9

St. Paul, MN 110.8 107.9 116.0 100.3 108.4 106.5 111.9

Rochester, MN 105.4 96.3 104.2 116.9 108.3 108.5 105.2

Dubuque, IA 94.7 99.8 89.4 94.5 101.5 100.9 94.7

Eau Claire, WI 91.0 96.0 83.8 78.5 102.3 107.6 93.6

Wausau, WI 94.8 101.6 85.8 103.4 97.8 101.7 95.6

Among the 309 urban areas participating in the third

quarter report, the after-tax cost for a professional/

managerial standard of living ranged from more than

twice the national average in New York (Manhattan)

NY to almost 20 percent below the national average in

Harlingen, TX.

ACCRA COST OF LIVING INDEX

Manhattan NY 223.9

Brooklyn NY 185.5

Honolulu HI 167.1

San Francisco CA 161.3

Queens NY 154.4

San Jose CA 152.4

Truckee-Nevada County CA 148.4

Washington, D.C. 147.5

Nassau County NY 143.5

CITY

A GOOD TIME TO BORROW The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program lent a record $2.59 billion in fiscal year 2011 to small businesses. That’s a 63 percent increase over last year’s $1.59 billion.

Source: The U.S. Small Business Administration

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 27

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SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

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SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

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United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

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Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

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4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

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Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

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Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

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Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

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Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

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DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

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Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

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SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

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United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

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Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

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4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

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Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

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Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

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8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

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Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

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217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

Non Farm Jobs2011 COUNTRY WIDE - % CHANGE

Benton & Stearns CountiesMinnesotaUnited States

-2.0%

-1.5%

-1.0%

-0.5%

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

DNOSAJJMAMF

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

ECONOMIC INDICATORS & TRENDS

Residential Building Permits Commercial Building Permits

Employment

Economy Central presented byEconomy Central presented by

Sources: Building departments for the following cities: St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Sartell, Waite Park, St. Augusta, and St. Joseph.

Source: www.positivelyminnesota.com

= exceeds chart scale

28 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A$

2,84

1,23

8

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

0

10

20

30

40

50

Oct-11Oct-10Oct-09Oct-08Oct-07Oct-06

Number of IncorporationsST. CLOUD AREA

2006

-3.0%

-2.5%

-2.0%

-1.5%

-1.0%

-0.5%

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

2.5%

3.0%

3.5%

Annual change in real GDP COUNTRY WIDE

St. CloudMpls/St.PaulMinnesotaUnited States

2007 2008 2009 2010

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

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$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

ECONOMIC INDICATORS & TRENDS

Housing/Real Estate

Commerce/ServicesGross Domestic Product

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Economy Central presented by

Expect the unexpectedEntrepreneurs share their opinions about starting and staying in business.

BY THE NUMBERS

83% expect utility costs to rise

25%say rising raw material prices pose their biggest challenge

23%say increasing healthcare costs pose their biggest challenge

73% say they would start their business again even if they knew then what they know now

64% would recommend entrepreneurship as a career to their children

Source: Citibank small business survey 2011

Now onlineVisit www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com

Sources: Tax Collections – City of St. Cloud Incorporations - MN Secretary of State, Graph courtesy of SCSU

Housing/Real Estate sources: St. Cloud Area Association of Realtors, http://stcloudrealtors.com/pages/statistics; Benton County Sheriff’s Civil Process; Stearn’s County Sheriff’s Office; http://thething.mplsrealtor.com/

Sources: Minnesota Compass led by Wilder Research; Bureau of Economic Analysis - www.BEA .gov.

DID YOU KNOW?

ENTREPRENEURSHIP DECLINESThe US ranks third among top entrepreneurial performing countries, behind both Denmark and Canada, according to a report from the US Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy. According to the report, the US ranks first in entrepreneurial aspirations, sixth in entrepreneurial attitudes, and eighth in entrepreneurial activity. Source: Citibank small business survey 2011

$0

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$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellRESIDENTIAL BUILDING PERMITS

No. of permits 43 41 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sauk RapidsCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. CloudCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

$600,000

$700,000

$800,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. JoeCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

SartellCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

No. of permits 27 32 51 30 40 41 35 45 41 42

0

5

10

15

20

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsBENTON COUNTY

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Sheri� ’s Foreclosure AuctionsSTEARNS COUNTY

-1.0

-0.8

-0.6

-0.4

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

United States Nonfarm JobsUNITED STATES - MONTHLY % CHANGE

-0.2

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Local Nonfarm JobsBENTON AND STEARNS COUNTY - MONTHLY % CHANGE

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

4th Quarter3rd Quarter2nd Quarter1st Quarter

Gross Domestic Product2011 QUARTERLY % CHANGE IN REAL GDP

0

30

60

90

120

150

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Home Sales Closed - TotalST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Lodging Tax DollarsST. CLOUD

$0

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Food & Beverage Tax CollectionsST. CLOUD

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Minnesota Nonfarm JobsMINNESOTA - MONTHLY % CHANGE

4%

6%

8%

10%

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Unemployment RatesCOUNTRY WIDE

No. of permits 7 9 10 5 5 1 3 8 28 31 No. of permits 2 1 5 0 1 3 3 11 3 0 No. of permits 5 5 5 0 13 4 6 5 11 14 No. of permits 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 No. of permits 3 3 2 3 12 23 5 10 7 10

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

2.0%

N/A N/A

$2,

841,

238

$2,0

76,3

02

$2,5

44,0

33

$10,

914,

217

$23,

240,

100

$5,1

73,5

00

$5,4

34,8

57

$4,430

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

Economy Central presented by

Music Men

“Everything we do is

about music.” –Jeff Vee[ ]

30 B u s i n e ss   C e n t ra l   M a g a z i n e   • • JA N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

[ ]“This business is all about relationships.”

–Tommy Vee

Rockhouse Productions, LLCADDRESS: 23 W Minnesota St. PO Box 757 St. Joseph, MN 56374-0757

PHONE: (320) 363-1000

FAX: (320) 363-0722

EMAIL: info@rockhousepro.comWEB: www.rockhousepro.com

OWNERS: Bobby, Jeff and Tommy Vee

STARTED: 1989NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: Four, including Jeff and Tommy Vee who work in the business full timeBUSINESS DESCRIPTION: Entertainment and event production; audio and video recording; artist management, development and booking.

REVENUE BREAKOUT: 50 percent from events; 50 percent from artist management; less than 1 percent from the recording studio.

WHERE THEY WORK: Rockhouse Productions’ events include: an annual fundraiser for the Hospice of South Central Indiana; the Clovis, NM Music Festival; Lamar State University’s annual fundraiser in Port Arthur, TX; The Halfway Jam, Royalton, MN; and the July 4th JoeTown Rocks Concert, St. Joseph, MN.

BY GAIL IVERS / / PHOTOS BY JOEL BUTKOWSKI / BDI

Managing Bobby Vee’s career and traveling the world in his band turned out to be more than just a good time for his sons, Jeff and Tommy. It also turned out to be good business.

PROLOGUEIt’s the stuff of legends.

International rock stars die unexpectedly

while in route to a performance in the

Midwest. Local musician with big dreams

volunteers to fill in. A star is born and a

career is launched.

In a nutshell that’s what happened to

Fargo native Robert Velline, known today as

Bobby Vee.

Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The

Big Bopper were on their way to a concert

in Moorhead when their plane crashed in

Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all three. Velline was

only 15, but a week earlier, he had pulled

together a small group of friends to form a

band. Calling themselves The Shadows, they

answered a plea by the local radio station to

fill in for the rock and roll legends. Velline

was on his way.

Buddy Holly died in 1959. That same

year Bobby Vee made his first single, “Suzy

Baby,” that brought him to the attention

of the major record labels. By 1961 he was

topping the charts in the United States, UK,

Australia and Asia.

In December 1963 he married Karen

Bergen of Detroit Lakes, whom he had met

at the Detroit Lakes Pavilion in 1960 when

he was just starting out. They moved to

California and started raising their family

while Bobby built his career. But there was

something about the Midwest that never left

Bobby and Karen’s bones.

They went home to Minnesota regularly

in the summers to the family cabin. Their

children thought of Minnesota as their

second home. When their eldest son, Jeff,

was 16, Bobby and Karen decided it was

time to leave California.

“It probably would have been better for

Dad’s career if they had stayed in California,”

Jeff Vee said. “But they wanted us to have

those Midwest values.”

STAGE ONEWhen Jeff was in college, Bobby separated

from his management company. “Things

hadn’t been going that well with the

management company. He’d always been

really involved in managing his own career,”

Jeff said, “but when he had a tour of

England fall apart abruptly, their agreement

came to an official end.”

Bobby turned to his sons, Jeff and

Tommy, to help put the tour back together.

That was in 1992 and the threesome have

been a family team ever since.

“We managed to put the tour back

together in two years,” Tommy said, “which

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 31

32 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

was really quick. We had to interview

locations, set up new relationships, make

plans – it takes a lot of time.” But the two

showed that they had what was needed to

manage the career of a major star.

“It helped that it was massively

successful,” Jeff said. The brothers added

an Australia tour to Bobby’s schedule, a

venue he had not been doing. Then came

Branson for three years, followed by two

years on the road with the Branson show.

Not only were they managing Bobby’s

career, they were part of the show.

Talented musicians in their own right, Jeff

and Tommy played in Bobby’s band from

the 1990s until just this past year when

Bobby retired. “Dad could get us on stage,”

Tommy said, “but if we couldn’t handle it

we wouldn’t have been able to stay.”

The exhilaration of performing on stage

in large international venues can’t be beat,

the Vees agree. “It’s hard letting go of the

music,” Tommy said. “There’s no way to

duplicate that experience.”

“We still perform,” Jeff said.

“Sometimes for fun, like at JoeTown rocks,

sometimes for money, sometimes for both.

But it’s different from what we were doing

with Dad.”

“I suppose it’s like major league baseball

versus a local pick-up game,” Tommy said.

“They’re both fun, but they aren’t the same

thing. It’s hard to perform successfully at

that level and run this business, too.”

STAGE TWOManaging their father’s career and traveling

the world in his band turned out to be

more than just a good time. The younger

Vees watched their father interact with

international companies. They learned how

to develop relationships that were reliable

and would last. They discovered what made

the difference between an exceptional

event experience and an adequate one.

In 1996 Jeff and Tommy turned their

event participation experience into an

event planning business. Today, organizing

and planning major musical events across

1959Buddy Holly dies in a plane crash and Bobby Vee takes his place on stage in Moorhead.

1960Bobby Velline, now known as Bobby Vee, tops the charts in the U.S.

1961Bobby Vee has his first No.1 hit.

1963Bobby Vee and Karen Bergen marry; they move to California for Bobby’s career.

1980Bobby and Karen move their family from California to St. Cloud.

1981Bobby and Karen Vee start a fundraiser for Cathedral High School that eventually becomes known as the Rock Around the Clock. This annual event continues for 24 years.

1989Bobby, Jeff and Tommy Vee build a recording studio onto the family home and establish Rockhouse Productions.

1992Jeff and Tommy Vee begin managing their father’s career; Jeff, Tommy, and their younger brother, Robby, join their dad’s band. Touring over the next 15+ years takes them to the UK, Australia, the Far East and all across North America many times over. 

1996Jeff and Tommy expand the business to include major concert event planning and management.

1999The Vees co-produce “Buddy Holly Week” at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC with Paul McCartney.

2000Jeff and Tommy purchase the old First State Bank building in St. Joe and relocate the business, expanding the studio and multi-media services.

“We have that good small town Minnesota work ethic – we say what we mean and we do

what we say. We learned that from Dad.— JEFF VEE

[ ]

Rockhouse Productions family: Tommy, Bobby and Jeff Vee.

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 33

the U.S. accounts for about 50 percent of

their work.

“We know how events need to be run,

how to make money and save money,” Jeff

said. “Based on years of relationships, we

know what it should cost. People who put

on events one time a year are really naive –

and I don’t mean that in a mean way. They

just have no way of knowing what top level

performers should cost. We know when

we’re getting the best deal possible.”

A few years ago, the organizers of

the Halfway Jam in Royalton, Minn.,

approached them for help. “We got a sense

that if it was done right it could grow,”

Tommy said, “so we agreed to work on it.

It’s in the seventh season – different bands,

classic rock theme, and people love it.”

The two also provide all the

entertainment for two casinos: WinnaVegas

Casino in Sioux City, IA, and Cher-Ae

Heights Casino in Eureka, CA. Talking

about the casinos caused the Vees to

point out that the music business is not

all fun and games. Last spring Sioux

City experienced severe flooding. The

WinnaVegas Casino was shut down for

three months. “We had to cancel $3 million

in contracts,” Jeff said.

“All the artists sent their deposits

back,” Tommy said. “This is where those

relationships really matter. We gave the

money back to the casino. It hurt, but it

didn’t kill us. There were people down

there who hurt a lot worse because they

lost their jobs for three months.”

STAGE THREEWhen Bobby told his sons he wanted to

cut back, it gave them pause. Not only did

this mean a lifestyle change for everyone, it

meant a change in their business model.

“Strategically Dad was over half of our

income,” Jeff said. “We needed to come

up with other work. I guess that made us

more open to working with the Broadway

programs.”

By Broadway programs, Jeff means

specifically The Midtown Men and The

Broadway Dolls, two shows that Rockhouse

Productions has been working with

extensively. By far, the biggest growth in

the company has been associated with The

Midtown Men.

“Broadway wasn’t a circle we were

running in,” Jeff said.

Tommy laughed. “It’s a long way from

St. Joe, Minnesota to Manhattan.”

The Midtown Men are the four stars from

the original cast of Broadway’s Jersey Boys.

The Vees hired the group for an event. “They

were struggling with their management,”

Tommy said. “They were Broadway trying

to enter the Rock and Roll world.” The

Midtown Men asked the Vees if they would

be interested in managing the group.

“We thought they were crazy,” Jeff said.

“But we took a closer look and found we

could answer their questions. Then it was

just a matter of whether or not we wanted

to do it.”

“With Dad’s retirement we had the

time,” Tommy said. “And it does take all

of Jeff’s time. We’re booking these guys

and handling their PR – you’d never hear

of such a thing normally. It’s much more

common to have two different companies

handling those two functions.”

2004•Rockhouse Productions, in cooperation with Wirth School of Music and St. Cloud Community Education, create “School of Rock” Day Camp for children ages 11 – 16•The Vees co-produce “At the Drive In” televised concert with Austin City Limits/PBS

2006•The Vees create The Original Stars of American Bandstand show featuring Bobby Vee, Fabian, and other stars from the 60’s. The show runs for three years in Branson,

then goes on the road for two more years.•Rockhouse Productions begins working on Halfway Jam in Royalton, MN, and creates JoeTown Rocks in St. Joseph, MN

2009Rockhouse Productions organizes a 50th Anniversary celebration of Bobby Vee’s career, in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. It is at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, IA and lasts five days.

The show includes guest performances by Graham Nash, Los Lobos, The Crickets and others. In conjunction with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Austin City Limits, Rockhouse co-produces the film 50 Winters Later.

2010Rockhouse Productions begins managing The Midtown Men, a show featuring four stars from the original cast of Broadway’s Jersey Boys.

Early 2012 (anticipated) – The Vee family creates a new album they are calling a family scrapbook. “We recorded 10 tracks in the garage – new tunes and family favorites,” said Jeff Vee. “We’re doing it entirely for ourselves, and everyone is involved – Mom, Dad, brother Robby, our sister Jennifer, and our brother-in-law, Barron. We don’t care if we sell a single one…but we will, of course, because it’s Dad.”

JOETOWN ROCKSJeff and Tommy Vee have travelled around the world performing with their famous dad, Bobby Vee. They talk daily with Broadway stars. They set up musical events that draw thousands. And yet they call St. Joseph, Minn., home.

“We’re proud to be part of this community,” Jeff Vee said. “We have no intentions of changing that.”

“If we hadn’t travelled so much already, probably we would have moved away,” Tommy Vee said. “But the fact is that this is a nice place to come home to.”

This isn’t just lip service. The Vees have played a critical role in creating JoeTown Rocks, a local summer festival that has been headlined by Bobby Vee. Even though Bobby is retiring, Jeff and Tommy are still committed to the event. “We do JoeTown Rocks because this is home, it’s fun, and we want it to work,” Tommy said.

34 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

But it’s worth it right now for the Vees

who believe the Midtown Men “are on the

edge of what could be a substantial ride,”

Jeff said. For instance, they are talking

with symphony orchestras, many of which

are struggling and turning to pop music to

bring in new audiences.

The Midtown Men plan to commission

musical charts to be written that combine

their 60’s music with instrumentation for

a symphony to create a 90-minute show,

Jeff explained. At $1,000 a minute, it’s a

substantial investment, but one the Midtown

Men will recoup by performing the show at

multiple venues. The group recently signed

on to perform with the Houston, Omaha

and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras and is

exploring television opportunities.

“That’s the kind of thing we’re talking

about,” Jeff said. “There could also be a PBS

special and many album projects. These

guys have that kind of potential.”

More in the development stage are

The Broadway Dolls. This group of female

Broadway stars developed their show

around songs they have actually sung

on Broadway…not necessarily on the

most popular tunes from their shows.

While this makes for a fine theme, it

doesn’t necessarily make for a great show,

according to the Vees.

“Just because they’re creditable

Broadway singers isn’t enough,” Jeff

said. “People go to Broadway for a play.

They go to Vegas for a revue. A revue

takes a story…a theme…that speaks to a

broader audience.”

“The Broadway Dolls have an act that’s

good enough for New York, but not for

the Midwest,” Tommy explained. “Their

repertoire is their biggest problem – the

audience needs to know the music. And

their wardrobe needs work – you don’t

want to be as racy in Nebraska as in New

York or LA.” But they haven’t given up

Tommy VeeTITLE: Owner/Producer

HOMETOWN: St. Cloud AGE: 44

EDUCATION: Graduated from Cathedral High School in St. Cloud in 1984. Attended 2.5 years at SCSU, got so busy performing never finished

WORK HISTORY: Performing musician since high school. Rockhouse Productions since 1992

FAMILY: Wife, Kathy, works at Reach Up/Headstart in St. Cloud. They met at a show in Rochester, Minn. They have two sons: Bennett, 9 and Liam, 7

HOBBIES: Fishing

INSTRUMENT: The bass

FAVORITE SONG: “The Maker” by Daniel Lanois

ADVICE TO A WOULD-BE ENTREPRENEUR: Try to find a way to make money doing what you love. If it works you will never work a day in your life (Corny, but true.)

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED: “It’s all Peggy Sue” by Joe B Mauldin/The Crickets. It’s another way of saying: Keep it simple.

Jeff Vee TITLE: Owner/Producer

HOMETOWN: Avon, Minn. AGE: 46

EDUCATION: Graduated from Cathedral High School in St. Cloud in 1983. Business Degree from Concordia College in St. Paul, 1993

WORK HISTORY: Recording and touring musician. Event/concert production, booking and artist management. Teaching “Audio Production” in the Mass Communications Dept. at St. Cloud State University (2001-2006)

FAMILY: Wife, Cindy, contract administrator for the Major League Baseball Players Association, offices in St. Joseph, Minn.; they met at a show in Clovis, New Mexico. Daughter, Saima Rose, 4

HOBBIES: Music, “It’s a hobby, too!” Fishing, cross-country skiing, barn dances – polka bands. Looking for a trailer for my tractor so I can give hay rides.

INSTRUMENT: Drums

FAVORITE SONG: “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan

ADVICE TO A WOULD-BE ENTREPRENEUR: It helps to love what you do. Have passion – keep an eye on the long road and form lasting, mutually beneficial relationships.

BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED: Honesty, integrity matter. Treat people well. Give it your all and that is the reputation that will follow. Take nothing and nobody for granted. Enjoy the journey. I suppose this came mostly from my dad – noting how he does his life and business.

The Midtown Men is a broadway program comprised of singers, Christian Hoff, Michael

Longoria, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer. By far Rockhouse Production’s biggest growth

has been associated with The Midtown Men.

This business is all about relationships. If this isn’t the right opportunity now, that doesn’t mean it won’t come back and be the right opportunity later.

— TOMMY VEE

PERSONAL PROFILES

[ ]

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 35

on The Broadway Dolls. “We

have a lot of eggs in very few

baskets,” Jeff said. “We talk

about that a lot and what we

should do about it.”

Agreeing to work with just

any performer or event isn’t

the answer for the brothers.

“We don’t want to just be sales

guys,” Tommy said. “We want

to really be part of the show.

The musical experience, the

magic that got us into this

business in the first place is

what’s important to us.”

“If it was just about business,

we’d have more acts and do

less with them,” Jeff agreed.

“But our focus is to have a few

shows and have a bigger hand

in their careers.”

STAGE FOURRockhouse Productions started

in 1989 as a recording studio put

on the back of the Vee’s family

home. “It’s a sandbox for our family to play in – a passionate hobby,”

Jeff said. “It needs to pay for itself and pay for the building. It’s by far

the smallest part of the business.”

And yet this incidental portion of the company could be the

doorway to their next big client, a singer named Emma Kay.

“She lives in St. Cloud,” Jeff said. “She just walked in the door one

day with one of our recording studio flyers in her hand. She has

the potential to be the next big thing…and I mean big.”

“She doesn’t have the pizzazz of the Broadway Dolls,” Tommy

said, “but she has soul. She’s soul food. We need that. It helps us

do some of the other projects. We do music back-up for her. She

writes great lyrics.”

But that isn’t enough, according to the Vees. “We’re helping

her learn,” Jeff said. “To be successful in this business you have

to be active in your own career. We can’t make you into a

star – you have to have it already. But we can help make you

successful. Emma Kay has all the ingredients. If something hits

with her, it could really change our direction as a company.” BC

Gail Ivers is the vice president of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce and managing editor of Business Central Magazine.

SCHOOL OF ROCKEvery August for two

weeks Jeff and Tommy

Vee introduce kids to rock

and roll. Since 2004, the

two owners of Rockhouse

Productions have partnered

with the Wirth School

of Music and St. Cloud

Community Education to

create the “School of Rock.”

“It’s a day camp for kids,”

Jeff Vee said. “We have

about 60 kids, ages 11 to 16.

All the instructors have had

professional careers in rock

and roll.” Participants need

a working knowledge of an

instrument, but they don’t

need to be proficient. The

highlight of the two weeks

is when the students, now

grouped into ten bands,

perform two songs each.

“It’s one of my favorite

things to do in the

community,” Tommy

Vee said.

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36 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

WHAT’S Your Plan?

Companies should plan ahead to avoid the potentially crippling impact of unexpected events

By Lawrence Schumacher

You’d think the destructive tornadoes in Wadena and Minneapolis would be a

wake-up call. Or that the flooding in Moorhead and southwestern Minnesota in recent years would be enough to focus businesses on planning for disaster. But John Unger says you’d be wrong.

Especially in outstate Minnesota, businesses are less likely to take steps in advance to ensure that a natural or man-made disaster doesn’t close their doors, said Unger, president of Vaultas, a Minnetonka-based business with locations in St. Cloud and Alexandria. The company specializes in providing secure data storage for businesses.

“If a business closes its doors for five to 10 days following a natural disaster, there’s a 93 percent chance it will never reopen or will file for bankruptcy in the following 12 months,” he said. “And I’m not just talking about tornadoes.

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 37

Extended power outages, a roof collapse from snow, a chemical spill, these things happen every day.”

More businesses are moving toward disaster preparation and planning, largely because banks and other financial backers are insisting upon it, said Chris Shorba, partner at KDV, a business, financial and technological consulting firm with locations in St. Cloud and Bloomington.

“It’s market-driven, more than advisory or awareness,” he said. “Financers who extend large amounts of credit to a business want to know what their plan is if something

forces them to close their doors suddenly.”

GETTING STARTEDThe good news is there are simple things businesses can do before disaster strikes to minimize their exposure or shorten the down time following a disaster, said Marvin Klug, Stearns County’s director of Emergency Management.

“The first thing any business needs is a continuity

of operations plan,” he said. “That means identifying the potential hazards your business may be exposed to, identifying the critical functions of your business and identifying which employees are essential to performing those critical tasks.”

Putting together such a plan is not something to take lightly, however. Owners of many small businesses have a do-it-yourself attitude

that serves them well most of the time, but disaster planning and preparation is about making sure all your employees are involved, know what to do, and can help to keep the plan current, Klug said. “You can have a plan, but if you write it yourself and put it away, it’s not really a plan.”

DATA BACKUPOne mistake many businesses make is not backing up

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38 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

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electronic records to a secure location, according to Unger. Many businesses don’t back them up at all, or back them up on a separate hard drive at the same location as their primary systems.

“Anybody who relies on data to produce their product, service their customers, or keep track of their finances can find themselves out of business for a long time if their data is lost,” Unger said. “The cost has come down so far for data storage in the past three years that you can now prevent catastrophe for as little as $50 a month.”

In the process of auditing a business, KDV informs clients when they need to reduce their exposure to disasters or beef up their disaster recovery planning, Shorba said. The company’s technology services division provides technology support, including reducing security risks and preventing equipment failure. One client had spent a lot of money on a state-of-the-art server room, but had no secure, off-site data storage, he added.

KDV also helps businesses assess the risk to “human systems,” employees and their ability to continue carrying out job duties in the wake of a disaster.

OTHER STEPSIf a company plans ahead, it can have telephone lines up and running over the Internet within a day so that calls can continue coming through to an existing phone

line, Unger said. Employees working from a laptop at home can continue to do most of their business, even if the office is in ruins. “There was a telephone company that lost its central office due to a fire. It was offline for five weeks,” he said. “It supported 2,900 small businesses, and of those, 1,900 never came back because their phone lines were down.”

Other advance steps can also help, such as keeping an up-to-date employee contact list in a secure location, knowing which vendors can help you replace lost equipment quickly, and finding a commercial real estate agent in the area who can provide information about temporary relocation sites for your business, Stearns County’s Klug said.

NO EXCUSESDisaster preparation has been a growing industry since at least the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Shorba said. The lessons learned from watching Manhattan businesses try to recover from catastrophic loss prompted a lot of thought on how to minimize risks from disruption.

And with so many businesses now offering services that help companies prevent or recover from disruption, there is no excuse for businesses to be caught flat-footed, Unger said.

“It’s just a basic business responsibility for owners to provide themselves with some

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J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 39

level of protection,” he said. “And it makes financial sense now. Having a recovery plan can get you a break on your insurance costs that more than makes up for any other expenses.” BC

Larry Schumacher is the

creator and owner of

Wordbender Communications

LLC, a communications

consulting and freelance writing

firm. He lives in St. Cloud with 

his wife and two children.

LEARN MOREHere are some of the tips FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and other business experts recommend to minimize the disruption to your business:

Keep a master list of emergency documents, including insurance coverage, financial records, equipment and inventory, employee information, customer and vendor lists.

Keep one copy of those crucial documents in a waterproof, fireproof, portable container and another off-site.

Create a crisis communications plan with an eye toward communicating with customers, vendors, employees, the public, and government.

Review insurance policies on a regular basis with an eye toward physical losses, flood coverage and business interruption.

Establish a plan for paying employees and vendors during a disruption.

Prepare a continuity of operation plan for serving customers if your facility is not available.

Keep an eye on suitable vacant industrial and commercial buildings and real estate contact information.

Keep first aid kits on hand and have emergency response and evacuation plans in place and practiced to help minimize employee injury.

Contact FEMA, the Small Business Administration or the Farm Service Agency following a disaster to learn more about low-interest business disaster loan options.

For information about state and national disaster relief resources, visit www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com.

“The Schlenner Wenner accounting firm is like family to us. We can call anytime we need to and they are right here if we have any questions from business to setting up of corporations, or tax questions and so on. The rock of our business success is Schlenner Wenner.” – Jim Hilmerson, Hilmerson R.V.

BRIAN MACKINAC & STEVE SCHUELLER, C.P.A.’Swith Jim and Linda Hilmerson of Hilmerson RV

WORKING WITH PEOPLE,NOT JUST NUMB3RS.

Little Falls320.632.6311Albany320.845.2940

Maple Lake320.963.5414Monticello763.295.5070

St. Cloud320.251.0286

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40 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

Over a decade ago, many leaders in the biomedical industry grew to dislike the risk that came with

research and development for drugs. Since then, new drugs have been harder to come by, leading many to believe that biomedical companies need to return to the times of risk and innovation and start discovering new medical therapies again.

The industry used to be led by creativity and exploration. Now, most biomedical companies function on the same processes they have used for the past 15 years. Cardiologist Andrew Marks, a founder of the Wu Center for Molecular Cardiology at Columbia University, claims that academic institutions and the National Institutes of Health have moved away from innovation, turning away from ideas with higher risk attached. According to the Council for American Medical Innovation, “there is

a palpable fear of new technology doing harm or costing more.”

Bernard Munos, founder of the InnoThink Center for Research in Biomedical Innovation in Indianapolis, Indiana, explains that “the impact on innovation has been severe: new drug approvals have steadily declined; 22 of the 25 most prescribed drugs are now generic; and 78 percent of prescriptions were filled by generics in 2010 (up from 46 percent in 2001).” According to Jeremy Hsu, author of “Fear of Risk Threatens Medical Innovation,” the Food and Drug Administration received 45 applications for new drugs in 1996 and only 23 applications in 2010.

Yet, there are many new ideas in the works in the biomedical field today. Scientists currently could be exploring “synthetic biology, tissue engineering,

nanotechnology, stem cells,” and more, Munos explained. Steve Burrill, President and CEO of Burrill & Co., said there are over 4,000 biomedical companies today, but the “financial criteria by which new drug candidates are assessed make it very difficult for the products of this new science to compete against ‘safe’ projects.” Burrill explained that returns on safer products come with less risk than financing the next “speculative breakthrough.”

Turning to educational institutions may be the answer. St. Cloud State University is partnering with local companies to combat the growing trend against medical innovation. On Oct. 27, Governor Mark Dayton helped break ground on the final part of St. Cloud State’s Science Initiative, a new 100,000-square-foot Integrated Science and Engineering

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RETHINKING Risk

For the past several years businesses and organizations have been turning

away from ideas with higher risk attached. Now St. Cloud State

University is partnering with local companies to combat the growing trend

against medical innovation. By Alexa Sandbakken

J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2 • •   w w w. B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e . c o m 41

Laboratory Facility (ISELF). According to the St. Cloud State University Facilities Management website, ISELF is set for completion in 2013, and will “support Minnesota companies that are global leaders in medical devices, pharma/biologics, animal science, bio-agriculture and renewable energy.” David DeGroote, dean of the College of Science and Engineering, believes this new facility will help bridge the gap between academia and private enterprises by allowing St. Cloud State University faculty and students to “do more collaborative research with businesses and earn more National Science Foundation grants.”

One interested local business is Microbiologics, Inc., a company that specializes in producing lyophilized microorganism preparations for use in

the clinical, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, dietary supplement, food, water, environmental and educational industries. Brad Goskowicz, CEO, explained that his company has been partnering with SCSU in many areas. According to Goskowicz, SCSU and Microbiologics currently work together to develop products and new technologies, and ISELF will help that partnership expand.

At the groundbreaking ceremony for ISELF, SCSU biology professor Matt Julius explained how educational

institutions can help curb the growing tide of fear regarding medical innovation. Julius emphasized that the purpose of ISELF “is to bridge those barriers that crop up, for whatever reason, between the community, the private sector, and academia.” With this new building, Central Minnesota is taking the next step in medical innovation. BC

Alexa Sandbakken was the communications

intern at the St. Cloud Area Chamber of

Commerce in fall 2011.

HEALTH CARE & MEDICAL SERVICES

Turn the page to learn more about the variety of Health Care & Medical Services available to businesses in Central Minnesota.

reflexStCloudOrthopedics.com 320.259.4100

Bend without breakingGeneral Orthopedics • Sports Medicine • Joint Replacement • Trauma

Knee & Shoulder • Hand Center • Spine Center • Foot & Ankle

APR Bus Central_HWANG.indd 1 4/11/11 2:55 PM

HEALTH CARE & MEDICAL SERVICES

42 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

HEALTH CARE & MEDICAL SERVICES

St. Cloud Orthopedics

Dr. Timothy Hiesterman D.O.

General OrthopedicsOrthopedic Trauma Surgery

320-259-4100 www.stcloudorthopedics.com

D r. Timothy Hiesterman D.O. is the latest addition to St. Cloud

Orthopedics, expanding the specialty of Orthopedic Trauma Surgery. Dr. Hiesterman treats fractures of the upper and lower extremities, pelvis and acetabular fractures, malunions, and nonunions. He also provides orthopedic care for hip and knee replacements, arthroscopic surgeries, and sports-related injuries. He brings an extensive knowledge of musculoskeletal care and orthopedic trauma to St. Cloud Orthopedics and is now accepting appointments.

Certif ied HealthcareConstructor

Douglas J. Boser

Boser Construction, Inc.www.boserconstruction.com

C ongratulations to Douglas, J. Boser who

has brought Boser Construction, Inc. to

the next level by attaining Certified Healthcare

Constructor status through the American

Hospital Association. As the business owner,

Doug has created a thriving construction

company over the past 15 years that has

become an area leader in Commercial, Medical

and Institutional construction. His dedication

to the medical construction industry is evident

through his processes, employee training and

continued education in this field.

Arminte Coleman

Center DirectorSpecializing in Weight Control

320-281-5201stcloud@mymedifast.net

www.medifastcenters.com

A t Medifast it’s all about you!

You’ll meet with someone

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HEALTH CARE & MEDICAL SERVICES

StCloudMedical.com

South Campus1301 33rd Street South

251-8181

Northwest Campus251 County Road 120

202-8949

Clearwater Clinic615 Nelson Drive

558-2293

Cold Spring Clinic402 N Red River Avenue

685-8641

Family Practice + OB/GYN + Pediatrics + Express Care Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation + Occupational Medicine + Surgery

It’s the genuine care and respect we have for our patients that makes the difference.

It’s the genuine care and respect we have for It’s the genuine care and respect we have for

Not the biggest—but

one of the best.

At St. Cloud Medical Group, you’re a neighbor—

not a number. So from the front desk to the

examination room, we make sure you feel

comfortable. Our compassionate staff of

physicians and specialists gives you personal

attention every time you visit. The relationships

we form with our patients are the most

important and rewarding part of our care.

And it shows—99% of our patients would

recommend our clinic to family and friends.

BusinessCentral[Scale].indd 1 2/28/11 5:17 PM

St. Cloud Medical Group

Dr. Ann Lee

Board Eligible Family Medicine320-240-2180

www.stcloudmedical.com

D r. Ann Lee received her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree

from Lake Eric College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency at the St. Cloud Hospital Family Medicine Residency program. Dr. Lee sees patients of all ages. She has special interests in women’s health, obstetrics, and osteopathic manipulation. Appointments with Dr. Lee can be made at the St. Cloud Medical Group South Campus at 1301 33rd St. South by calling (320) 240-2180.

We are committed to providing the highest quality biomaterials

for a safer, healthier world.

Microbiologics is a Granite Equity Company

Growing with St. Cloud

www.microbiologics.com

44 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

HEALTH CARE & MEDICAL SERVICES

The non-surgical laser procedure for varicose veins.Ask about our cosmetic treatments.

Call The Vein Center today for your Complimentary Consultation.

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No Varicose Veins.No Surgery.No Down Time.

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CCE Certified Clinical Esthetician320-230-NESS (6377)

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At SkinFitNessMD, healthy skin is never out of style. We are not your typical

spa. The MD in our name means that all of the treatments and products we offer are Medically Directed. At SFNMD, we transform unhealthy, lazy skin by using the most clinically proven and safe technologies and treatments. Under the skillful direction of our Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. John Allan Ness MD, and our Certified Clinical Esthetician, Maretta Johannes, we will develop a cosmetic treatment plan to exercise and transform unhealthy, lazy skin to beautiful, healthy and radiant skin. Please call for a personalized complimentary consult.

The new River’s Edge Convention Center expansion will enhance the former

St. Cloud Civic Center Farm Show venue with:

• 35,000 square feet of new exhibit space

• 13,000 square feet of additional pre-function space and convenient

on-grade load-in access

• More flexible space for exhibits of all types

• Same convenient location in Central Minnesota

• Familiar staff members who take great care of exhibitors

• Bigger entrance doors

• Wash bay

Booth space NOW available. For more information, please visit www.StCloudAreaChamber.com or call 320-251-2940, ext 105.

NEW NAME. NEW SPACE. SAME GREAT LOCATION.ALL NEW CENTRAL MINNESOTA FARM SHOW 2012.

2012

www.StCloudRiversEdgeConventionCenter.com www.GraniteCountry.com

46 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e • • J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

Lessons Learned

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTPROFIT

The Great Recession took its toll on local retailer MCI, but they are returning stronger than ever with an eye on growth. By Gail Ivers

Timeline1976 Rick Lindmeier and Warren “Nik” Nikodym start Multiple Concepts Interiors in Waite Park

1984MCI expands into the Twin Cities, creating the Metro Division which focuses on residential sales.

At its peak it accounts for one-third of MCI’s volume and has 25 employees.

1985 Harold Loch joins MCI

1993MCI joins the Carpet One Floor & Home Cooperative

1997 Brian Poepping joins MCI

2000 The first phase of  the ESOP sale starts

2003 Ryan Corrigan joins MCI

2004The second phase of the ESOP sale takes place

2005-06MCI remodels, replacing the former warehouse with a lighting showroom

2006Lindmeier and Nikodym retire, selling their remaining shares to key managers outside of the ESOP

2009 MCI experiences the worst of The Great Recession from

4th Quarter 2009 to 4th Quarter 2010. They close the Metro Division and let all of the employees go.

2011 MCI opens a commercial sales office in  Sioux Falls.

BC: What was the hardest part of the recession for you?Ryan Corrigan: Closing the Metro

Division was a hard, big decision

for us as a management team.

When they crashed, they just

couldn’t recover. We had to focus

on being profitable as a smaller

company.

BC: When did things turn around?

Corrigan: We’ve seen steady

and continued growth since the

beginning of 2011. We spent a

full year at the bottom. If business

hadn’t started coming around

when it did we don’t know how

much longer we could have stuck

it out. You get so burned out just

trying to hold on, to keep the

business open. ‘

BC: You had to downsize.Corrigan: We were part of the

housing boom. We had grown

so substantially it was not

sustainable. We went from

$28-$30 million to $36 million

in a couple of years. Today we’re

at $22 million in sales – about

where we were 10 years ago.

At our peak, we had 80

employees. Today, we have 56.

BC: But now you’re expanding.Corrigan: The industry has

changed so much you can’t

sit back. You have to be on

the move. We dealt with the

recession, dealt with the business

fall out, and learned to do

business in that environment.

Now we feel we’re in a position

to expand and we’re targeting

Minnesota and the Dakotas.

BC: Were there any particular lessons?Corrigan: If we had not

been diversified, we may not

have made it. We were diversified

not just with residential and

commercial, but within those

segments. That made it possible

to focus on the segments that

weren’t hit as hard, like hospitals

and long-term care. BC

FUN FACT Before MCI joined the Carpet One coop, their mascot was a hippo. Lindmeier picked the hippo because “it was big – big savings, big store, big deal.”

At a Glance MCI Carpet One Floor & Home26 1st Ave N

Waite Park, MN 56387-1299

(320) 253-5078

Fax: (320) 253-9458

www.mcicarpetone.com

Started: 1976 as Multiple Concepts

Interiors by Rick Lindmeier and

Warren “Nik” Nikodym

Current Ownership: 66.5

percent owned by the ESOP; the

rest is divided equally between

Ryan Corrigan, CEO/CFO; Brian

Poepping, senior vice president

in charge of commercial sales

and business development; and

Harold Loch, senior vice president

in charge of residential sales and

business development

Number of employees: 56

Business Description: Providing

interior design products and

services for residential and

commercial customers in five

states. Products include, but are

not limited to: floor coverings, wall

coverings, window treatments,

lighting fixtures, and home

accessories

Sales: $22 million

Service Area: 75 percent of MCI’s

business is commercial work in a

five state area

Joined the Chamber in 1976

Harold Loch, Brian Poepping, and Ryan Corrigan

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With you when one relationship brings one possibility after another

All credit decisions are subject to approval.© 2011 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. (688806_03730)

Eric Albrecht320-259-3141

Cash Management

Commercial Lines and Loans

Payroll Services

Equipment Financing

Foreign Exchange

Commercial Real Estate Financing

With service as robust as our resources, you can rely on your local

Wells Fargo Business Banker to help your business succeed financially.

Your business banker will proactively work with you to deliver the

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