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P21-2940 Business Central NewCompany 8.25x10.75 KLOL.pdf 1 2/6/12 12:22 AM

Profit

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

10 Book ReviewThe 3rd Alternative: Solving Life’s Most Difficult Problems by Stephen R. Covey

12 Your Voice In GovernmentJust a Shell Game? In 2011 the Legislature replaced the Market Value Homestead Credit program with a Homestead Market Value Exclusion. So what changed?

15 People to Know

16 The Trouble with Business Profit Killer The cost of employee turnover isn’t just time and training. There are also hard costs that can hurt your bottom line.

UpfrontNEtWorK

GroW

Profit

22 EntrepreneurismBuilding Investor ConfidenceSpend the time, effort and money to communicate realistic financial statements clearly and convincingly. It can be the key to successfully finding an investor.

24 TechStrategiesTalent.me This new professional networking app on Facebook helps professionals leverage their friend network to advance their careers and showcase their skills.

25 Tech News

26 Going Green

28 Economy Central presented by Falcon Bank

43 Commercial Construction, Real Estate and Leasing

BusinessTools

Special Section

•• Maximizing Twitter

•• Six key trends for innovation

•• Creating a business plan

•• Great business ideas to start today

ONLY ONLINE

www.BusinessCentralMagazine.com

Profit

38 FeatureChanging FacesIgnoring one out of every 10 potential customers is not a good recipe for business success.

42 Special FocusPreparing Your Business for Sale

46 Business SpotlightBeth Huber, The Quick Fix Massage Shop

This Issue

32 COVER STORYHOmE WORKFor Dianne Tuff and Murdoch Johnson, working from home – together – is the perfect blend of business and pleasure.

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GROW • NETWORK • PROFIT MarCh/april 2012

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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 •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

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NETWORK

Teresa BohnenPresident

Are We There Yet?

Recently I attended a

presentation about

Minnesota’s recovery

from “The Great Recession of

2009.” The question was asked,

‘when will we get there?’

The presenter patiently

explained that the question

reminded him of a similar inquiry

from his preschooler as they pulled

onto 35E in St. Paul on their way

to a family cabin along the North

Shore, “Dad, are we there yet?”

This may be a long journey.

Depending on where you think

“there” is, we may never arrive.

However, reason for optimism is all

around us. Consider the evidence

of economic recovery.

Area restaurant facilities that

were closed and vacant have

reopened, and new options

have joined their ranks. Texas

Roadhouse is a year old, and

you still cannot get in the door

on Friday and Saturday nights.

Boulder Tap House recently

opened, and the craft beer

selections are incredible. That new

western-themed place downtown

that isn’t a Chamber member

yet has renovated two historic

downtown buildings and created

a new venue for residents and

visitors alike.

The newly expanded River’s

Edge Convention Center is booking

conferences that we have never

before been able to accommodate.

We just booked the Republican

State Convention for May. That

means the downtown businesses,

hotels and parking meters will be

humming with activity.

Employers are talking about

investment, capital expenditures

and expansion opportunities. The

unemployment rate (depending

upon which one you believe),

is dropping. At the time of this

writing, the stock market closed up

four weeks in a row.

Then there are the “soft”

indicators that the economy is

good. These are more personal in

nature:

•• My shoe size is already gone at

all the end-of-season boot sales.

••Caribou Coffee is bursting at the

seams every morning and I have to

wait longer for my skinny latte.

••More people are talking about

their spring vacations to warm

places.

•• Have you noticed that people

seem more light-hearted? They are

walking with more spring in their

steps.

Our Chamber is having our

best membership year since 2008.

Our volunteers and members

are optimistic, energetic and

excited. Attendance at Chamber

Connection has increased to an

average of 130 people per week.

We have 340 Farm Show

booths this year, compared to

190 last year (partly due to more

space in the Convention Center).

And the farmers who will visit

have lots of money to spend after a

successful growing season.

We may not be there yet, but

we are on our way. It’s a fun,

exciting and ever more profitable

time to do business in Central

Minnesota!

Our Chamber is having our best membership year since 2008. Our volunteers and members

are optimistic, energetic and excited.

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

Communications & Workforce Development Coordinator | Whitney Bina

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

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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8 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

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Each time I arrive at a Business

Central deadline I am

reminded that I do not have

the constitution to work from home.

Frankly, I am astounded at how

interesting laundry becomes when

I should be sitting at the computer

writing my Editor’s Note. And

dusting? If you’re a regular reader

of this column (with a particularly

good memory), you know that my

theory on dusting is that if you don’t

move it no one will notice. But put

me in front of our home computer

and dust-bunnies beware! I’m a

cleaning machine.

My friend, Diane Hageman, the

director of media relations for the

College of Saint Benedict, owned

her own communications consulting

firm for seven years. A few years

ago I asked her how she managed

to be so disciplined at home. She

couldn’t understand the question.

For her, it was an office. She

worked out at the YMCA first thing

in the morning, came home and

showered, walked into her home

office and went to work.

Not me. But I keep trying,

because eventually I do settle down

to work and, uninterrupted, I can

cut hours off the time spent writing

and editing Business Central. It’s that

“settling down to work” piece that

I struggle with.

Spouses Dianne Tuff and

Murdoch Johnson, owners of

UpFront Consulting, (see the cover

story on page 32) say they love

working from home. I asked if they

had a few suggestions for anyone

contemplating a move to a home-

based business. They pointed out

the usual things: a married couple

should feel financially secure before

they both give up the office job; it’s

good to have a dedicated space that

serves as the office and only as the

office; if you’re an extrovert make

sure you build in people-time.

Then there’s the coffee break.

Don’t forget the coffee break,

Dianne said. Every day at 9 a.m.

Murdoch commutes from his office

in a converted shed just outside

the house to the kitchen where he

makes coffee for the two of them.

While they wait for the water to boil,

Murdoch plays his guitar. “I just love

it when Murdoch plays his guitar in

the morning,” Dianne said.

Now there’s a thought. Maybe

I would do better at home if I had a

coffee break like that. Listening to

the guitar and drinking fresh coffee

beats vacuuming any day.

Until next issue,

NETWORK

It’s good to have a dedicated space that serves as the office and only as the office; if you’re an extrovert make sure you build in people-time.

Office Work

Editor Dianne Tuff and

Murdoch Johnson teach

Editor Gail ivers the finer

points of working from

home.

pho

to b

y Jo

el B

utko

wks

i/BD

i

Gail iversVice president

Editor

Publisher Teresa Bohnen

Managing Editor Gail Ivers

Associate Editor Dawn Zimmerman

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSWhitney Bina

St. Cloud Area Chamber of CommerceKelley Burfeind

Doherty Staffing SolutionsMary E. Edwards

retired, St. Cloud State UniversityFred Hill

St. Cloud State UniversityLisa Gambrino

sbaSTRATEGIES Patti GartlandCity of Sartell

Gail IversSt. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

Sharon HenrySt. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce

Mike SchmittColdwell Banker Commercial-Orion

Larry SchumacherWordbender Communications, LLC

Dawn ZimmermanThe Write Advantage

ADVERTISINGAssociate Publisher/Sales

Wendy Hendricks, Hendricks MarketingAd Traffic & Circulation

Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree Media

ARTDesign & Production

Yola Hartmann, Hazel Tree MediaCover Photo

Joel Butkowski, BDI Photography

ACCOUNTINGAccountant Judy Zetterlund

WEBSITEVicki Lenneman

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 2012 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.

An innovative school for motivated students.Rigorous academics.

Spiritual growth.

Unique academic environment.

Your experience at Saint John’s Prep prepares you for your next step in life. What you learn here applies everywhere you go, and where you go is entirely up to you.

We’ll help you get there.

It’s time to get ready for your future. Apply now for the 2012-13 school year.

We’re proud to be an IB World School. Learn more about our IB Diploma Programme at sjprep.net.

320-363-3321 • sjprep.net • 800-525-7737

Prepared for .

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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 •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

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New and ImprovedThe 3rd Alternative is not just about compromise. It’s about breaking through to new and amazing results. reviewed by Fred E. hill

BooK rEViEW

In any conflict, the 1st Alternative

is my way and the 2nd Alternative

is your way. The fight usually boils

down to a question of whose way

is better. There are many methods

of ‘conflict resolution,’ but most

involve compromise, a low-level

accommodation that stops the

fight without breaking through

to amazing new results. The 3rd

Alternative is about more than just

an armistice – it’s about creating a

new and improved reality.

– From the dust cover of

The 3rd Alternative

Stephen Covey has spent

almost a lifetime studying

those people who lead truly

effective lives. He calls the 3rd

Alternative our way, saying

that it is the highest and most

important insight he has

garnered from his studies.

The 3rd Alternative has

separate chapters addressing

the benefits of using 3rd

Alternative strategies at work,

home, school, the law, in

society, and in the world. One

of the concluding chapters

addresses a 3rd Alternative

Life. If one is at a point of being

able to keep working (1st

Alternative) or retire to leisure

(2nd Alternative) why not

choose a 3rd Alternative, Covey

asks, of making a meaningful

contribution to family and

society. There are opportunities

and needs for doing so.

The final chapter, Inside Out,

provides a list of 20 things

Dr. Covey has found to be

helpful in developing the inner

strength and security to

create 3rd Alternative solutions.

In brief, they are:

•• Beware of pride

•• Learn to say I’m sorry

•• Forgive perceived slights

•• Make and keep small

promises

•• Spend time in nature

•• Read widely

•• Exercise often

•• Get enough sleep

•• Study inspiring or

sacred literature

•• Express love and

appreciation

•• Practice being generous

with others

•• Avoid comparing yourself

to others

•• Be grateful and express it

•• Discover how to create

great wins for others

•• Smile a lot

Dr. Fred E. hill is a professor of

learning resources and Technology

Services at St. Cloud State university.

The 3rd Alternative: Solving Life’s Most Difficult Problems by Stephen R. Covey, Free Press, New York, 2011ISBN 978-1-4516-2626-1

Helgeson featured as “Economy Builder”Mike helgeson, CEO of GNp Company, was featured in the December issue of Twin Cities Business as one of the “200 Minnesotans You Should know” under the category “Builder of the Outstate Economy.”

Rice Building Systems adds project managerDave panek has joined the rice Building Systems team as a project manager and safety director. panek has over 33 years experience in commercial construction and a Building Official Certification.

Patton honored for 50 years in unionMal patton, Sartell, one of the founders of heartland Glass in 1980, recently retired from glazing. patton was recognized by his co-workers and members of local 1324 Glaziers, Glassworkers and architectural Metals in a small ceremony where he was presented with a gold watch, a gold union card and a plaque recognizing his 50 years of membership in the Glaziers union.

Zaffiro’s Pizza opens Zaffiro’s pizzeria & Bar opened in January at the parkwood Cinema in Waite park. in addition to pizza, there is a full-service bar, patio seating and carryout service.

NEWSrEEl

    CH

AMBE

R ENDORS

ED

    BU

SINESS APP

ROV

ED

    CH

AMBE

R ENDORS

ED

    BU

SINESS APP

ROV

ED

He calls the 3rd Alternative our way, saying that it is the highest and most important insight

he has garnered from his studies.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Book review point of View Your Voice in Government it happened When? Business Calendar people to know The Trouble with Business

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

PoiNt OF ViEW

Business Central asked readers:

“What is your favorite memory from your first professional job?”Dean FladmoVacuum Center & Sewing room

“i was hired in sporting goods at k-Mart which was right up my alley because i loved fishing. it was fun to have old timers come in to ask questions when i should have been the one asking them.”

Mike Johnson Conway, Deuth & Schmiesing

“i’ve always been in accounting. i guess the best first memory was when i reached the point that somebody would come in and thank me for helping them out.”

Gary Berg G. l. Berg Entertainment, performing artists & Speakers

“The best part was the excitement of completing school, getting a paycheck and doing things in the work force. i also met my wife. and i worked with good people – i had some great mentors.”

“Polly Piotrowski Townsquare Media

i won an award for top sales my first year at Fingerhut. i worked in telemarketing. i was awarded rookie of the year and top seller of the year.”

Carin Bzdok Mastey Financial Group

“My first job was at the Chamber of Commerce. My favorite memories are when we were all in the conference room before a banquet working on name tags or getting the programs put together. Banquets were always fun.”

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

COUNT US IN.

If you’re looking for a financial partner who’s tuned into your business, count us in. We take the time to know you – and your needs – and find the best ways to help you get where you want to go. There’s a Bremer banker near you with the financial resources to help, and the power to say “yes.” Talk to a Bremer business banker today.

BRE1006A4BCM-4pt875x7pt375.indd 1 12/21/11 3:17 PM

12 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

YoUr VoiCE iN GOVErNMENT

Alf joins Charter MediaEric alf joined Charter Media as an account executive for

the St. Cloud area and the surrounding communities. he will work closely with clients for their television, internet and mobile advertising campaigns.

Bina hired at Chamber of CommerceWhitney Bina joined the St. Cloud area Chamber

of Commerce as the communications and workforce development coordinator. She graduated from St. Cloud State university in May 2011 with a degree in public relations.

Schueller elected managing partnerSteven J. Schueller, Cpa, has been

elected as the managing partner of Schlenner Wenner & Co. Schueller, a graduate of St. Cloud State university, joined the firm in 1988 and became a partner in 1998.

Roth completes certificationMike roth, owner of Northland Business Development Network, recently completed Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) training. roth is now an EOS implementer.

Ameriprise practice honoredJohnson, Carriar, kruchten, anderson & associates has been included in the NaBCap premier advisors list in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. To qualify, the practice was reviewed against a long list of peers from all industry channels and firms.

NEWSrEEl

Just a Shell Game? In 2011 the Minn. legislature replaced the Market Value Homestead Credit program with a Homestead Market Value Exclusion. So what changed? By patti Gartland

When Minnesota property

taxpayers received

their “Proposed Property Tax

Statements” several weeks

ago, the full effect of ending

last summer’s government

shutdown became more

apparent. Unfortunately, part

of the state’s budget solution

included a property tax change

that received little public

discussion. Initially it sounded

pretty painless, but it turned

out to be anything but.

To understand the changes

made in 2011 one needs to

look at the past. In 2001 the

state made changes to the

property tax system, including

lowering the class rate (the

percentage of value actually

taxed) on some types of

properties. This change would

have increased taxes on lower

valued homes, so the state

created the MVHC program to

reduce property taxes for these

homeowners.

Under MVHC, the state

reduced the amount certain

properties would actually pay

after local units of government

adopted their levies. The state

was buying down the cost of

local government for certain

homestead properties and then

reimbursing the local units

of government to keep them

whole. At least that was the

intent. But, in all but one year

of the program’s existence,

the state provided the credit to

homeowners but reneged on

fully reimbursing at least some

local units of government.

In 2011, in order to help

balance the state’s budget, the

state converted MVHC from a

state – paid credit to an exclusion

program. Homeowners

previously receiving the credit

would now have part of their

home value excluded from

taxation, thus simulating the

impact of the credit.

However, unlike the

state-paid credit that actually

reduced property taxes, the

market-value exclusion shifts

tax burdens away from lower-

valued homes to businesses,

apartments and all other

properties, regardless of local

levy changes. The exclusion

also lowers the total tax base of

a jurisdiction which forces tax

rates up, even if local levies are

not increased. With higher tax

rates, even some homeowners

receiving the value exclusion

may see property tax increases,

but they will be less than

properties without the benefit

of the value exclusion.

In other words, the results

of removing $260 million in

property tax credits are simple:

Property taxes have to rise to

make up the difference. The

use of a value exclusion simply

pushes more of the pain onto

businesses, apartments and

higher-valued homes in order

to limit taxes on lower-valued

homes, and the impact is twice

as hard on greater Minnesota

businesses as those in the

metro. When you couple

it with the repeated cuts to

the Local Government Aid

program over the past decade,

the burden being shouldered

in greater Minnesota only

grows. BC

Mather

Bina

Schueller

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NETWORK

About the writerPatti Gartland is the city administrator for

the City of Sartell, Minn.

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

it HAPPENED WhEN?

February 11, 1942Over 70 Years in the Making

On February 11, 1942, Francis J. Bernick became Chairperson of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, leading the local business community for the next 12 months. Francis Bernick was the son of Charles A. Bernick and wife Elizabeth, who bought Granite City Bottling Works in 1916.

Today, Bernick’s is still a family-owned company. Now operated by third, fourth and fifth generation family members, the company’s owners and employees remain active in the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce.

TIMELINE1933-1934: Became one of the first distributors of legal beer in Central Minnesota with The Jacob Schmidt Brewing Company 1940s: Growth Continues•• Dr. Pepper and Orange Crush franchises acquired•• Carbonation of beverages became automated•• Expansion and production increased throughout World War ii

1950: Over 1,300 accounts serviced

1937

(pictured above are: ray W. halstead, handing gavel to Francis J. Bernick. Secretary Edward Stockinger is in the center. left to right are W. Elmer pothen, Dr. W.T. Wenner, William Bohmer, George Meinz, harold Froeling, N.M. ahles, and lloyd pelley

Francis J. Bernick

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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

14 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

Pawn America recognized for successpawn america is recognized by Twin Cities Business Magazine as a top 2011 “Small-Business Success Story” honoree. pawn america was one of 10 companies featured in the January issue.

Doherty Staffing receives top rankingDoherty Staffing was ranked the No. 1 Temporary Employment Firm in Minnesota in the Minneapolis-St. paul Business Book of lists for 2012.

Berg receives certificationGary Berg, owner and CEO of G. l. Berg Entertainment,

performing artists & Speakers, received a Certificate in Festival & Event Management (CFEM) from the university of Minnesota Tourism Center and the Minnesota Festival and Events association in January. To successfully complete the requirements for the certificate, Berg had to complete about 40 hours of formal classroom work and a 10-page paper looking at all aspects of a festival.

Bremer promotes Peterson Jim peterson, a raymond Jamesinvestments

advisor for Bremer investment Services, was recently promoted to vice president. peterson has been part of the St. Cloud Bremer Bank for 17 years, all in the investment services business.

NEWSrEEl

Berg

Peterson

mARCH 7 & APRIL 4

Lunchtime LearningNoon-1 p.m. Educational

networking events that give busy

professionals a chance to stay on the

cutting edge.

March 7: “Generations in the

Workplace” by Melanie Hartman,

High Impact Training, sponsored

by Synergy Chiropractic and

Wellness.

April 4: “Developing a Social

Media Policy for your Workplace”

by Melinda Sanders, Quinlivan

and Hughes, sponsored by Super

Consulting Services.

Location: Chamber office,

110 S 6th Ave. Registration is

required: $15 for Chamber members,

$22 for the general public.

mARCH 21, APRIL 18 & 26

Waite Park Chamber11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. For businesses interested in

doing business in Waite Park.

Lunch is provided by the host

when you register at least two

days in advance.

March 21: hosted by

Premier Real Estate Services,

Moose Family Center

April 18: hosted by Marcus

Theaters on-site, 1533 Frontage

Road N, Waite Park

April 26: Waite Park Chamber

After Hours at LaCasita,

314 Division St., Waite Park.

mARCH 22

Sauk Rapids Chamber11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. For businesses interested in doing

business in Sauk Rapids. Lunch

is provided by the host when

you register at least two days in

advance.

March 22: hosted by

PineCone Vision Center with

guest speaker Brent Fair,

“CB Drug & Gang Task Force.”

Location: Good Shepherd

Fellowship Hall, 1115 4th Ave. N,

Sauk Rapids

mARCH 22 & APRIL 10

Business After Hours4:30 - 6:30 p.m. A complimentary open house for

Chamber members and guests.

Bring lots of business cards and

prepare to grow your network!

March 22: hosted by Country

Inn & Suites St. Cloud East,

120 7th Ave. SE.

April 10: Business After Hours-

EXTRA!, hosted by St. Cloud

Area Chamber of Commerce

and co-sponsored by over 50

businesses, Kelly Inn, 100 4th

Ave. S.

APRIL 26

Sauk Rapids Citizen of the Year11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School.

Cost: $15, open to the public.

St. Cloud Area Evening at the CapitolGet to know your legislators in a comfortable, relaxed setting.

5-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 13 at the St. Paul Hotel. Registration is $50 per person call Sharon Henry at (320) 656-3824.

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NETWORK

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

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mARCH 13

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

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

PEoPLE to kNOW

Pam McIntoshRasmussen College(320) 251-5600pamm@rasmussen.eduChair: St. Cloud area leadership

This nine-month adult leadership program is designed to help current and emerging leaders understand the dynamics of the community and the role leadership shares in building healthy communities.

Todd FritzInteleCONNECT, Inc. (320) 257-1701todd@inteleconnect.net Chair: Top hatters Club

The Top hatters are the Chamber’s ambassadors, welcoming new members, congratulating members who have expanded or relocated, and serving as greeters and hosts at Chamber events.

Jim SchroederGray Plant Mooty Mooty & Bennett, P.A.(320) 252-4414jim.schroeder@gpmlaw.comChair: Business Development Council

The purpose of the Business Development Council is to provide training and education for Chamber members and their employees to help their businesses survive and thrive. programs include Executive Dialogue Groups and a variety of seminars, workshops, and certificate programs.

Jessica FiliaggiAIS Planning (320) 252-6552jessica@aisplanning.comChair: NEXT-St. Cloud

Designed for the “Next” generation of Central Minnesota business leaders, Next-St. Cloud members meet monthly for personal and professional development, training and networking opportunities.

Sauk Rapids1301 2nd St N.

320.252.5121

Pierz80 Main St. 320.468.6422 fmpierz.com

Because Community Still Counts…Genuinely local, genuinely committed. At Farmers and Merchants State Bank, we care about this area because it’s our home, too. Locally owned for over 100 years, our community involvement runs deep — in banking relationships that span generations, and in our participation in organizations that make this community strong and vibrant.

From full-service personal and business banking, to proven lending power with fast, local decision-making, we’re known for friendly service and for greeting you by name. And with us, your money is safe, secure, and kept working right here at home for the good of our communities.

If that’s the kind of local commitment you’re looking for, let’s talk.

Serving Sauk Rapids since 1995, and a part of Pierz since 1908.

Scott W. AndersonStatewide Property Inspections (320) 761-2100scott@statewidepropertyinspections.comChair, Chamber Connection

Chamber Connection is the premier networking event for businesses in Central Minnesota. hosted by a different Chamber member every Friday morning, Chamber Connection attracts 120 -150 people each week to network and share information about their businesses, all for the price of $1 at the door.

16 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

tHE troUBLE WiTh BuSiNESS

CentraCare receives training fundsThe Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded CentraCare health System - long prairie a $178,406 grant under the Minnesota Job Skills partnership to train 279 workers.

Engelbrektson, Hoffman, Neu join HealthPartnerskara Engelbrektson, Doctor of Dental Surgery; ruth hoffman, certified physician’s assistant; and anna Neu, certified nurse practitioner, joined the staff of healthpartners Central Minnesota Clinics.

Engelbrektson graduated from the university of North Dakota in Grand Forks and completed

her doctorate degree at the university of Minnesota School of Dentistry.

hoffman graduated from Boston university and has a Masters of Medical Science from Midwestern

university in Downers Grove, il.

Neu is a graduate of Concordia College, Moorhead, and received her Family Nurse practitioner

Certification from the university of Minnesota in Minneapolis. She also has a Master’s of Science as a Family Nurse practitioner from the university of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Compiled by Whitney Bina

For consideration in Business Central’s News Reel, please send press releases to Gail Ivers, Editor at givers@StCloudAreaChamber.com

NEWSrEEl

Profit KillerThe cost of employee turnover isn’t just time and training. There are also hard costs that can hurt your bottom line. By kelley Burfeind

Your Executive Assistant, Margaret, leaves

voluntarily, and suddenly the company

is missing $28,000. But you can’t yell “Thief!”

and you can’t call the police – because

that $28,000 you lost is simply the cost of

Margaret’s departure.*

Studies by the American Management

Association estimate the cost of employee

turnover to be between 25 percent and 250

percent of the annual salary per exiting

employee, depending on the type of position.

Employee turnover is a profit killer, and it’s

especially lethal when you’re not aware of the

hard and soft costs associated with replacing an

employee. For instance, hard costs can include:

•• Advertising the job opening

•• Wages and benefits paid to the

departing employee

•• Wages to the administrative staff helping

with termination paperwork

•• Wages for coworkers or temporary

workers who will cover the work

•• Time spent interviewing

•• Time spent on orientation and

for training

•• Cost of creating and/or printing

forms or manuals

•• Screening/testing fees

Soft costs are usually a bit harder to

quantify, but shouldn’t be ignored. These

mainly include losses in productivity that

occur during and after the transition – whether

it be an exiting employee not working as

diligently as he or she did before, or coworkers

or managers putting their own work aside in

order to cover the impending absence.

Now that you’re aware of how much saying

“So long!” to Margaret can cost – how can you

prevent it from happening again?

1 Get the right people. It sounds easy enough, but even though

millions of Americans are without a job, it

has been widely publicized that employers

are having a tough time finding qualified

candidates.

•• Start by defining the skills and qualities

you want in an employee for the position,

and make sure the job description is up

to date. Once you’ve identified the ideal

candidate, use resources like social media or

referral programs to find the right person.

•• Consider outsourcing your search. A

staffing agency that offers temp-to-hire

solutions lets you observe the work of an

employee before making the commitment

to fill the opening. This trial period is a great

way to make sure a candidate has the right

skills and personality for the job.

2 Give them good reasons to stay. For many people, a steady income isn’t

enough to make them stay put, and rightfully

so. Policies and programs that improve job

Engelbrektson

Neu

Hoffman

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NETWORK

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

quality “lead to improved employee

loyalty and morale, and can make a

significant difference for workers and

for businesses,” according to Andrea

Lindemann, analyst at the Center for

Law and Social Policy.

Paid Time Off (PTO), benefits,

competitive wages, new hire on-

boarding, career development – these

things matter to employees, and are a

fundamental part of retaining them.

The bottom line is that voluntary

employee turnover ruins your bottom

line. To find the best employees, make

sure you carefully consider how their

skills and job goals fit the position,

and your company as a whole. To

keep them, remember to make sure

the pros of staying override the cons

of leaving. In the end, you’ll have

happier employees – and be saving

money. BC

kelley Burfeind is the marketing communications specialist at Doherty Staffing Solutions.

*Figures are according to the CLASP-CEPR

Turnover Calculator, based on an annual

salary of $52,000.

CALENDAr OuTiNGS

St. Cloud goes to Washington D.C.April 16-19: Join us as St. Cloud goes to Washington D.C. Meet with Minnesota senators and representatives, receive business briefings from the u.S. Chamber of Commerce and sight-see in historic Washington D.C.

For details, contact Chamber President Teresa Bohnen, 320-656-3804.

18 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

Patti Gartland, City of Sartell (L); Teresa Bohnen, St. Cloud Area Chamber; Tom Wolke, Sunray Printing

(From left) Marty Mahowald, Mahowald Insurance; Gary Osberg, Minnesota Public Radio; Diane Larson, St. Cloud Camera & Photo; Rick Wildtraut, Country Financial Services; Chad Houg, Transport Graphics; Inese Mehr

Michelle Williams, Williams Integracare Clinic (L) and Kristin Darnall, Catholic Charities

(L) Hailey Harren, Gray Plant Mooty; Betsey Lund, Neils-Franz-Chirhart Attorneys at Law; Hayden Creque, Creque Law, LLC.

(From left) Sheri Moran, Jessica Filiaggi, AIS Planning, Ashley Hahn, United Way, and Tirzah Van Sloten, Schlenner Wenner & Co.

Chamber Top Hatters at work Shannon Templin, Minnesota School of Business (L); Dolora Musech, Batteries Plus; Rich Gallus, Servicemaster Professional Services; Rick Poganski, Principal Financial Group

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

NETWORK CENTRAL

Network!Business After Hours hosted by Williams Integracare Clinic

Network!Business After Hours hosted by Stride Academy

Grow!NEXT-St. CloudHayden Creque discusses the legal aspects of social media in the workplace at NEXT-St. Cloud.

NEtWorK CENTral

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

Tami Lubowitz, TJ Enterprises (L) and Rachel Lolmasteymaugh, Central Minnesota Wellness Expo

College of Saint Benedict/St. John’s University; College of Saint Scholastica, Minnesota School of Business, Rasmussen College, St. Cloud Technical & Community College, and St. Cloud State University teamed up to host Chamber Connection in December.

Pam McIntosh, Rasmussen College, led a challenge game to learn who knew the most about the hosts.

Carrie Tripp, Birthline (L) and Karen Miller, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann’s office

Greg Theis, Greg E. Theis Remodeling (L) talked with Addie Turkowski, SCSU before the meeting started.

Network!Chamber Connection

20 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

McCann’s Food & Brew, 3320 3rd St. N, St. Cloud. Pictured: Shannon Templin, Matt Indieke and Dolora Musech.

Super Smokes, has a second location at 108 E Saint Germain St., St. Cloud. Pictured: Inese Mehr, Nate Zirbes and Diane Ohmann.

Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, fast casual dining, 2956 W Division, St. Cloud. Pictured: Rich Gallus, Dan Stuttgen, Sheila Tepley and Chris Panek.

Marty Czech, Realtor, 1926 W Division St., St. Cloud. Pictured: Bob Lien, Marty Czech and Owen Peterson.

FaceTime Business Resources, a single source for many business solutions, 811 10th Ave. N, Unit 7, St. Cloud. Pictured: Bob Lien, Christopher Dolney and Roger Schleper.

Viking Land Harley Davidson, Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership, full line of parts, motorcycles, motor clothes and service, 3555 Shadowwood Drive NE, Sauk Rapids. Pictured: Jill Magelssen, Seth Walton, Dan Walton, Inese Mehr and Kris Hellickson.

Saint Jude Hospice, a Medicare/Medicaid certified care provider for individuals and families facing life-limiting illnesses, 2330 Troop Drive, Suite 102, Sartell. Pictured: Inese Mehr, Julie Schaefer, Nathan Grove and Shannon Templin.

Ness Plastic Surgery, plastic surgeon and medical spa, 2805 Connecticut Ave. S, Sartell. Pictured: Tauna Quimby, Kristin Storm, Dr. John Ness and Luke Cesnik.

Tully Tube Network, indoor video advertising, PO Box 7262, St. Cloud. Pictured: Diane Ohmann, Christine Tollefson and Tauna Quimby.

toP haTS | New locations, New Ownerships & Expansions

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!

866.374.9066www.jdb.com

Featured Project Arise Home Health Care

Highlights:Fresh New DesignOn-Line Application FormsContent Management Solutionwww.arisecares.com

Call today for all your IT needs:• Web Site Design and Development• Content Management Systems (CMS)• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)• E-commerce

• Custom Applications Development• Dashboards and Reporting• Project Management• Network Design and Support

HARNESSING TECHNOLOGY. UNLEASHING

YOUR POTENTIAL.

NOT A CHAMBER MEMBER

YET? Call Wendy Franzwa,

Membership Sales

Specialist at (320) 656-3834

for more information.

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

Cold Spring Brewing Co., a leader in making and selling high quality beer and non-alcoholic beverages. 219 Red River Ave. N, Cold Spring. Pictured: Inese Mehr, Mike Feldhege and Shannon Templin.

Quiet Oaks Hospice House, a non-profit home for residents and families facing terminal illness, 5537 Galaxy Road, St. Augusta. Pictured: Jason Bernick, Joe Bauer and Owen Peterson.

ARRO Land Surveying, locally owned land surveying company that does boundary, construction, GPS, land subdivisions, elevation certificates and topographic surveys, 217 1st Ave. N, Waite Park. Pictured: Tauna Quimby, Mark Downing and Diane Ohmann.

Cartridge World St. Cloud, ink and toner refill and recycling, 655 2nd St. S, Waite Park. Pictured: Diane Ohmann, Corey Boe and Jayne Greeney Schill.

Midwest Compliance Inc., helping businesses operating commercial motor vehicles comply with Department of Transportation regulations. 100 2nd Ave. S, Suite 104, Sauk Rapids. Pictured: Inese Mehr, Sandra Brakstad, Billy Woolsey, and Jason Bernick.

ePromos Promotional Products, promotional products, custom apparel and corporate gifts to help increase brand recognition, 916 St. Germain, St. Cloud. Pictured: Inese Mehr, Sheila Johnshoy, Jeanette Lucciola, Jason Robbins, Cyd Reuter and Jill Magelssen.

Star of India, restaurant and catering, 2812 W Division, St. Cloud. Pictured: Jayne Greeney Schill, Jagjit Singh, Tajinder Singh, Karanjit Sidhu and Tauna Quimby.

American Family Insurance District Office, 3315 Roosevelt Road, Suite 500D, St. Cloud. Pictured: Mike Quesnel, Jennifer Roche and Jill Magelssen.

toP haTS | New Members

S Sandler Training Finding Power In Reinforcement (with design) and Sandler Training are registered service marks of Sandler Systems, Inc. © 2012 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.

Short-term sales training

is good for one thing.

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

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

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grandcasinomn.com

22 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

f or most business owners and

entrepreneurs, preparing and

communicating the financial

statement section of your business

is difficult. Preparing business plan

financial statements often requires expert

knowledge of double-entry accounting,

taxes, merger and acquisition accounting,

and finance. These are skills most

entrepreneurs don’t possess.

Presenting the numbers will require

that you understand how your plan

translates into cash, what the potential

financial risks for the business are, and

how you’ll minimize them. If you can’t

demonstrate this to investors, they will

quickly lose interest.

Get help early. Hire a qualified CPA or accountant. If you

can’t afford to hire someone, reach out to

your local Small Business Development

Center or college. Experienced financial

advisors can assist you in putting together

the required financial statements and help

you understand the numbers.

Know what kind of investor you are seeking. A banker puts more weight on the business’

liquidity, collateral and ability to converts

assets into cash quickly if the business runs

into trouble. A venture capitalist is interested

in how quickly your business can grow,

the future cash flow it can generate, and

the potential for cashing out at an amount

much higher than the initial investment.

Present only the key numbers and measures in the body of your business plan. Save the detailed financial statements for

the appendix and due diligence stage. It

is important to have detailed financial

statements and projections to support your

business plan, but you don’t need to share

it upfront.

Limit the number of graphs and tables.Graphs are great for presenting trends and

comparisons, but keep them simple. Only

use graphs and tables for key information

providing a quick and clear message.

Double check your numbers. Just like typos, a wrong number can ruin

your credibility instantly. Verify that the

numbers in your business plan agree with

all supporting documents.

Include a statement of sources and uses of cash.The statement of “Sources and Uses” tells

investors how you plan to use their money.

The “Sources” accounts for all the money

coming into the project, whether it is a bank

loan, a note from the seller, personal cash,

cash proceeds from sale of stock, etc. The

“Uses” tells the investor how you intend to

ENtrEPrENEUriSm

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Entrepreneurism Tech Strategies Tech News Going Green Economic review

22 24 25 26 28

Building Investor ConfidenceSpend the time, effort and money to communicate realistic financial statements clearly and convincingly. It can be the key to successfully finding an investor. By lisa Gambrino

About the writerLisa Gambrino is the owner of sbaStrategies, a Certified SBa lender Service provider and a business consultant at the Central Minnesota Small Business Development Center.

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

BY tHE NUmBERS

VC funding hits 10-year high

$7.6 billion

venture capital funding in the last quarter of 2011

$30.6 billiontotal VC funding

world-wide in 2011

3,000the number of deals receiving

VC funding in 2011

$23.7 billiontotal VC funding

world-wide in 2010

$30.1 billiontotal VC funding in 2007, the second highest in the

last 10 years

use the money, whether it is to buy

an existing business, buy assets, payoff

existing debts, purchase inventory,

or pay start-up liabilities, fees and

expenses.

Include all three fundamental financial statements.You should provide an income

statement, balance sheet and

statement of cash flow. You will

want to include at least three years of

actual historical financial statement

information, if available, and at least

three years of projected financial

statements. Projections provide

insight into your thought process,

assumptions, and understanding of

the business.

Use footnotes and descriptions to

explain the numbers. Keep footnotes and descriptions short

and to the point. Footnote only key

numbers and unusual items. BC 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

Stop searching for talent. Start finding it.Manpower can find it for you faster. With unmatched know-how, perfected processes and access to qualified candidates, we can find the talented people you need. For temporary, temporary-to-permanent or permanent placements. We’ll deliver what you’re searching for.

425 E Saint Germain St, Suite 103St. Cloud MN 56304320-251-1924us.manpower.com

Dan_Deavel_Ad_012512.ai 1 1/25/2012 12:21:33 PM

Sour

ce: C

NE

T N

ews

24 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

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

Do you know which companies your

Facebook friends have worked for?

Do you know if any of your friends

work at a company where you would like

to get a job? What are the talents that

make you stand out in the working world?

Those are the questions Talent.me, a

new (free) professional networking app on

Facebook, aims to answer.

While the concept is similar to LinkedIn

at the surface, it focuses more on talents

and networking with friends and family. It

is quickly gaining momentum because of

its ability to allow members to tap into their

Facebook friend network.

FeaturesTalent.me provides another place you

can build an electronic resume of sorts,

allowing you to communicate your

education, professional experience,

certifications and contact information.

The real value of this app comes from

the time you take to identify your talents

(social media), your proficiency (beginner,

intermediate, advanced, expert) and years

of experience. The features include:

•• Search jobs that require your talents, and then apply or share the job opportunity on Facebook or Twitter with a click.

•• Send private messages to your Talent.me connections.

•• Suggest talents to your friends and help them update their profiles.

•• Give or get endorsements for specific talents.

•• Post status updates from your Talent.me account.

•• Find people you know from your current and previous employers.

•• Share your professional profile with your network using Facebook and Twitter share buttons on your profile page.

•• register and send your unique Talent.me url

Getting StartedCreating a profile takes just a few

moments because the app incorporates

the information you already have on your

personal Facebook page. You are able to

have two separate profile pictures so feel

free to keep the casual picture on your

personal Facebook page and then upload

a professional photo just as you would on

LinkedIn. Then, claim your URL before

someone else does. BC

EDitor’S NotE: We’d like to hear from you! If you have a question about social media please email it to editor Gail Ivers at givers@StCloudAreaChamber.com and we’ll plan to discuss it in a future issue of Business Central. Please put “Social Media Q” in the subject line.

tECH STraTEGiES

Talent.me

About the writerDawn Zimmerman is CEO of The Write advantage, a St. Cloud-based

communications company that specializes in social media.

This new professional networking app on Facebook helps professionals leverage their friend network to advance their careers, and showcase their skills. By Dawn Zimmerman

KNoW tHE SOurCE

Who’s Behind It although the app integrates with Facebook, it was not created by Facebook. Talent.me was developed by Sidd pagidipati and lewis howes, both self-described serial entrepreneurs with notable professional accomplishments.

They developed the app on the premise that during transitional phases of a career, professionals most often lean on their friends and family to land a job or promotion. They are focused on developing a platform where members can connect, interact and grow professionally.

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

I WANT ONE!The 3D printer that creates three-dimensional items out of plastic is old news. Enter — the 3D printer that allows any material that can be extruded from a syringe to be “printed.” Essential Dynamics’ Imagine 3D Printer

uses its unique syringe-based design to print using a variety of materials including silicone, epoxy, and our

personal favorite, chocolate. oNLiNE NOW Check out the video at BusinessCentralMagazine.com

Sour

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tECH NEWS

Sour

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Only 10? When asked how many times a day they checked their email,70 percent of Smart Brief on Entrepreneurs’ readers said 10 or more times. Despite the fact that experts say electronic interruptions are shortening our attention span and making it harder to get anything done we can’t seem to stay away from the siren’s song. How many times a day do you check your e-mail?

10 times or more69.91%

1 time2.43%

2-3 times9.07%

4-9 times18.58%

tECH NEWS

Worth the waitIf the typical worker in 1982 wanted to purchase something with the computing power of an iPad2, it would have cost more than 360 years worth of wages.

WORKING WITH PEOPLE,NOT JUST NUMB3RS

MIKE WENNER, Partner, C.P.A. and SHELLEY GAETZ, C.P.A.with Jeff and Barb Larson of Guardian School Bus

“Working with Schlenner Wenner & Co. has been a long-term commitment for us. For the past 20 years, Mike, Shelley, and their team have made us feel comfortable and always put things in terms we can understand. In this complicated world, it’s nice to have a relationship that is easy.” -Barb & Jeff Larson

www.swcocpas.com

St. Cloud630 Roosevelt Rd. Ste. 201P.O. Box 1496St. Cloud, MN 56302320.251.0286

An Independently Owned Member, McGladrey AlliancemyCMCU.org | facebook.com/mycmcu

&– Steve Anderson, The Apothecary

There’s a

”comfort level trust

When Steve Anderson, owner of The Apothecary in Sartell, needed to build a new facility, one of the first steps he took was to contact CMCU Senior Business Lender Dennis Waldvogel. “There’s a comfort level and trust when working with Dennis and the Credit Union.”

“

Get customized solutions tailored for your business! Talk to one of our lending experts today–888.330.8482

when working with Dennis and the Credit Union.

Federally Insured by NCUA

26 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

GOING GREEN

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

TExT THISFord Motor Company has developed a new lane-keeping technology. The system “looks” down the road, monitoring lane lines to determine that the car is on course. Drowsy – or distracted – drivers will experience a steering wheel vibration if the vehicle drifts too close to lane markings. If that doesn’t work, the system will actually apply pressure on the steering to help bring the car back into proper lane position. It isn’t perfect, but watch for it this year in the Ford Fusion. Source: Ford Motor Company

tECH NEWS

11/2011 for more information, go to media.ford.com

Lane Keeping Technology:Helps Drivers Stay Between the Lines Ford will introduce in early 2012 an innovative Lane Keeping System with three unique features designed to help drivers stay in control behind the wheel, including a Driver Alert System that can notify drivers if it detects signs of drowsiness. In this case, a coffee cup light will appear on the dashboard instrument cluster to suggest the driver take a break.

Customizable choices

A forward-facing camera, mounted at the vehicle centerline, detects lane markings. The camera module is integrated with the rearview mirror and communicates to the steering system.

Extra eye

The Driver Alert System is designed to help alert drowsy drivers by monitoring the vehicle’s movement compared to lane markings that are tracked by a camera mounted on the windshield. If the system detects a driving pattern consistent with a drowsy driver, a first-level chime will sound and a coffee cup warning will appear on the dashboard instrument cluster to recommend the driver take a break.If the driver does not respond to this alert and the system continues to sense the driver is fatigued, another warning and chime will be issued. Drivers can monitor their condition on the dashboard at any time.

Driver Alert System

When the system detects the vehicle drifting close to lane markings, the Lane Keeping Alert will notify drivers through a vibration in the steering wheel to correct their course. The Lane Keeping Aid takes this technology even further by providing steering torque to steer back toward the center of the lane.

Lane Keeping System

Lane assist is accessed in the left-hand cluster display using the left-hand five-way steering wheel switch. Selections can be customized so drivers can choose which features they want, where in the lane a warning is provided, and how intense they want the feedback from the steering wheel.The sensitivity of the setting can be adjusted between normal and increased, which moves the warning zones in closer to the center of the lane. The intensity of the steering wheel vibrations can be adjusted as well between low, medium and high.

Money-saver You’d be surprised how much energy can be saved simply by reviewing efficiency steps you’ve taken in the past. Check your computer power settings and thermostat to make sure they’re set where you want. are the signs still posted by light switches encouraging people to turn off lights when they exit? are there reminders on your 2012 calendar to change the filter in your furnace during cold months? You’ll find these really add up! Source: Energy Smart

A STARTING POINTRenewable energy is expected to be the fastest growing source of primary energy over the next 25 years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The upshot? Even though renewable energy consumption will rise 2.8 percent per year, its share of total energy use will only be 15 percent by 2035. Source: Smart planet

Featuring: Learning to Lead • Face oF Leadership proFiLes • Work-based Learning

TO ADVERTISEContact WENDY HENDRICKS associate publisher, Business Central MagazineDirect: 320.656.3808 or by e-mail:whendricks@BusinessCentralMagazine.com

DEADLINE: MARCH 23, 2012

MAY ISSUE SPECIAL SECTION: Business Education, Training & Consultants

receive a FREE listing (an $800 value) with purchase of 1/3 square ad or larger

Check us out online. View our new digital format. It’s worth a visit.

BusinessCentral Magazine.com

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

GOING GREEN

tECH NEWS

Failure is not an option …except in the world of technology. here the need for constant innovation breeds an environment where failures can occur – some more spectacularly than others. remember the playStation network hacking that breached Sony security and shut down the site for a month? how about 3D TV – hyped by the industry while watchers yawned and directed their money elsewhere. pC World has 13 more for anyone who wants to gloat. Source: pC World

oNLiNE NOW The entire list can be found atBusinessCentralMagazine.com

MN native & author DaviD Horsager presents:

The Trust Edge: Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships,

and a Stronger Bottom Line

May

10, 2

012 •

8 - 1

0 am

• $25

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ommu

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scsutr

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Trus

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C E OCorporate Education & Outreach

Good-bye T12T12 fluorescents, the thicker, less-efficient fluorescent tube lights, are being phased out by the federal government and will become harder to purchase by mid-2012. Businesses and organizations should replace any T12s in their facilities before that happens.

Already, some Minnesota utilities are planning to discontinue rebates for replacing T12s with the more-efficient T8 or T5 fluorescents. If you have T12 lights at your business, contact Energy Smart at (651) 292-4652 or info@mnenergysmart.com for information on how to take advantage of utility rebates before they disappear.

Source: Energy Smart, a program run through Minnesota Waste Wise, a nonprofit affiliate of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. Services are provided at no charge.

28 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

Growing a region is like growing a firm.

For an individual firm, using more

capital or labor expands output. To

be more productive, firms can hire more

workers or increase productivity by investing

in more equipment or incorporating cutting-

edge technology. Firms enhance technology

not only by updating their equipment and

upgrading the software (once the bugs are

pretty much out), but also by promoting

lifelong employee training.

Regions also grow by investing in capital,

labor and technology. For example:

Sound infrastructure and reliable public services in a locality create the capacity for

the economy to grow faster than those in

areas that cut such amenities.

Local schools, from pre-kindergarten through high school must be top quality. Districts rightfully worry that an investment

in quality schools causes a local brain drain

if no employers are willing to meet the

wages necessary to hire their graduates.

Taxpayers of such school districts subsidize

growth in larger metropolitan areas.

However, municipalities that do not support

schools’ quest for excellence create workers

who cannot find acceptable employment.

Regions with four-year colleges and universities add a potential to benefit from the diffusion of technology, possibly without divulging trade secrets. Universities not only

provide professional expertise but also interns

who both solidify linkages between professors

and the business community and become

dynamic, innovative contributors to their team.

Expanding local economies does not mean less government. Alternatively, it means

government investing in local goods and

services designed to decrease the cost of

doing business in the area or create an

advantage accessible primarily for firms that

locate nearby. Cost decreases come from

reliable infrastructure and a strong supply

of quality labor, even at competitive wages.

Benefits come from a sustainable culture that

promotes collective learning by partnerships

between colleges and universities and local

businesses. BC

Mary E. Edwards, phD., is professor Emeritus,

Economics Department, St. Cloud State university

Expanding an Economy

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••ECONOmY CENTRALPRESENTED BY FALCON BANK

Economy Central presented by

miNNESotA’S mANUfACtUriNG iNDUStrY iS oPtimiStiC for 2012 • 2.9% the percent increase in manufacturing employment in Minnesota during the first half of 2011 • 30% the percent of manufacturers that experienced an increase in profits in 2011

Source: Manufacturing Business Conditions Survey, Minnesota Office of Employment and Economic Development.

toP HONORS

St. Cloud has been named one

of the Top 10 Winter Cities by

livability.com, a national website

that highlights more than 500

of america’s best places to live.

Editors looked at cities that adapt

well to wintry weather, embrace

the cold and even view it as a

valuable commodity. St. Cloud was

chosen because it also ranks high

for other livability factors, such

as ample outdoor recreational

opportunities, arts and cultural

offerings, affordable housing and

unemployment rates lower than

the national average.

Now onlineFind the entire story at

BusinessCentralMagazine.com Sour

ce: l

ivabi

lity.c

om

Regions with a reliable infrastructure and strong labor supply have a competitive advantage. By Mary E. Edwards

M a r C h / a p r i l 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 29

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-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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX$3

,105

,391

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

ECoNomiC iNDiCAtorS & TRENDS

Residential Building Permits Commercial Building Permits

Employment

Economy Central presented byEconomy Central presented by

Source: Manufacturing Business Conditions Survey, Minnesota Office of Employment and Economic Development.

Sources: Building departments for the following cities: St. Cloud, Sauk rapids, Sartell, Waite park, St. augusta, and St. Joseph.

Source: www.positivelyminnesota.com Source: www.positivelyminnesota.com

= exceeds chart scale

Compiled by Sharon henry, data current as of 2/17/12

30 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

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$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

ECoNomiC iNDiCAtorS & TRENDS

Housing/Real Estate

Commerce/Services

Gross Domestic Product

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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.

$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 58 136 224 200 233 256 241 206 106 62 No. of permits 12 10 14 38 44 37 41 121 152 141 59 42 No. of permits 5 6 13 23 44 39 40 43 55 52 27 37 No. of permits 5 5 3 0 6 5 3 2 4 4 8 2 No. of permits 7 3 4 10 19 19 12 23 27 17 4 6 No. of permits 16 11 19 22 44 147 17 45 44 50 27 7

$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

$1.5M

$2M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Waite ParkCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$1M

$2M

$3M

$4M

$5M

DNOSAJJMAMFJ

St. AugustaCOMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMITS, CONSOLIDATED

$0

$.5M

$1M

$1.5M

$2M

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 31 41

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

2.5

3.0

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

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulMinnesotaUnited States

$0

$50,000

$100,000

$150,000

$200,000

J12DNOSAJJMAMFJ

Median Housing PricesMINNESOTA

St. CloudMinneapolis/St. PaulRochester

0.4%

1.3%

1.8%

2.8%

$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

$23,

294,

590

$3,4

25,3

16

$4,430$900

= exceeds chart scale

XXXXXXXX

XXXXXXXX

$3,1

05,3

91

$8,990

the St. Cloud area experienced an average cost of living during

2011, according to the ACCRA Cost of Living Index. The 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 50,000 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.

CITY0 50

100

150

200

250

New York (Manhattan) NY 218.8

New York (Brooklyn) NY 182.7

honolulu hi 167.8

San Francisco Ca 162.7

New York (Queens) NY 153.9

San Jose Ca 150.3

Stamford CT 147.4

Truckee-Nevada Cty Ca 145.5

Washington, D.C. 143.3

Nassau County NY 142.7

Cost of Living - Minnesota

Annual Average Data - 2011Minnesota and other upper Midwest Cities of Comparable Size to St. Cloud

St. Cloud, mN 95.6 103.9 78.5 102.2 101.1 103.3 102.4

Minneapolis, MN 110.6 108.1 118.7 100.7 104.8 103.2 110.6

St. paul, MN 110.5 107.1 115.4 101.3 107.6 104.0 112.5

rochester, MN 104.7 93.3 103.1 114.6 107.9 108.7 105.9

Cedar rapids, ia 93.6 97.3 78.7 101.3 96.6 94.7 101.6

Eau Claire, Wi 90.2 96.9 84.1 79.9 101.0 105.9 90.6

Wausau, Wi 96.2 100.5 87.5 106.1 98.1 103.5 97.3

All Ite

ms

Groce

ry

Item

s

Housin

g*

Utiliti

es

Health

CareTr

ans-

po

rtatio

n

Goods

/ Ser

vices

Source: C2Er - The Council for Community and Economic research.

*includes single-family and multi-unit residential housing

Economy Central presented by

32 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

Dianne Tuff is a nurse. Murdoch Johnson is

a musician.

Together they have created a consulting

firm that is in demand – not just in

Minnesota … not just in the Midwest…

but as far away as California.

What do healthcare and music have in

common with organizational development

and business consulting? Nothing.

HISBy the time Johnson was a junior in college

he knew he would not be a music teacher.

“I realized pretty early on that I was

studying my hobby,” he said. All the same,

he has drawn on his liberal arts background

throughout his work life.

Entering the business world through

sales, Johnson developed an interest in

demographics and decision-making as

part of his sales technique. At the time,

he worked for Meyer Marketing, an

advertising agency run by long-time

St. Cloud business owner Peggy Meyer.

“Peg saw I was interested in the research

and analytical part of the business,”

Johnson said. “The agency had a need so

I sort of worked my way into a job.”

That was in the 1980s. Most of the

research at that time was quantitative –

surveys and number crunching. “As that

part of the business grew, we did get into

qualitative work, too,” he said. “We had

a focus group facility in our building –

complete with a two-way mirror so clients

could watch. Companies from the Twin

Cities would come here and use it.”

An introvert by nature, Johnson admits

sales wasn’t really his strong suit. “I was

an account executive at Meyer when I first

started. I’m pretty good at working with

people one-on-one. I think if I’d had a

techy job right out of college I might have

been one of those guys who couldn’t come

out from behind a computer.”

HersDianne Tuff spent 10 years working

as a registered nurse and adult nurse

practitioner in the Twin Cities and in

Long Prairie. Her path eventually led her

to St. Cloud Hospital where she was a

For Dianne Tuff and Murdoch Johnson, working from home – together –

is the perfect blend of business and pleasure.By Gail ivers / / PhoTos By Joel BuTkowski / BDi

Homework

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

upFront organization Development Consultingaddress: 9752 380th stst. Joseph, MN 56374-9732

phone: (320) 255-9657

web: upfrontconsultingmn.com

owners: Dianne Tuff and Murdoch Johnson

opened: 1985

business description:

upFront provides services to help organizations be more effective, including planning, team and work group building, research and program evaluation. The company focuses primarily on working with not-for-profit organizations, education and government.

number of employees: None

why “upfront?”: upFront is committed to helping clients do the up-front work that drives effective planning and change.

business profile

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

34 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

community health education coordinator,

then to St. Cloud State University Health

Services in 1979.

In 1984, she moved to California to

pursue a Master’s Degree in Organizational

Management at Pepperdine University. A

year later, she returned to St. Cloud, degree

in hand, and started UpFront Consulting.

Her hope was to be an independent

consultant, but she felt she needed to work

for someone else to help her get started.

She taught part time at St. Cloud State and

the College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s

University. The rest of the time she worked

with consultant Kenzie Phelps, who owned

Learnex Consulting in St. Cloud. “I did that

for about six months,” Tuff said, “and then I

decided to go on my own.”

Phelps did more than help Tuff get her

start as a consultant. He also recognized a

good team when he saw one. Phelps had an

office in the Meyer building. “Kenzie was

consulting with Meyer,” Tuff said. “He said,

‘You’ve got to meet Doc.’ That’s what they

called Murdoch in those days – Doc. One

day I was in the office and I heard his name

at the front desk,

so I went out and introduced myself.”

Johnson suggested they go to lunch

sometime. “But nothing happened,” Tuff

said, “so I called him and said let’s go to

lunch.” Their first date was at the OK Café

in downtown St. Cloud. Johnson, a country

western singer at heart, ate a high-fat, high-

sodium lunch and was a two-pack a day

smoker. Tuff, a missionary’s daughter, ate

healthy and decided to overlook the smoking.

There were married within six months.

Tuff continued to work as an

independent consultant, building UpFront

Consulting. It was hard at first to get into

organizational development companies, she

said, “or, honestly, companies run by men.

Believe me, it started slow.”

Johnson laughed. “My first present for

Dianne was four tires for her car. They were

so worn the fabric was showing.”

Tuff’s years in health care and health

education had given her many contacts

in the not-for-profit communities. It

wasn’t long before she discovered that

was where her real interests lay. “I made

the assumption that I’d have to work with

business clients,” she said. “I was beating

my head against the wall to get business

clients, and I did get some, but it didn’t

feel right. Then I started to get health care

clients. Working with the United Way,

St. Cloud Hospital, St. Benedict’s Center –

these fit my values so much better.”

As she developed her client base, she also

shifted her approach. “I used to spend most

of my time in strategic planning and team

building work,” Tuff said. “But that shifted

awhile back to research and evaluation. It’s

quite different. I’m not in front of groups

as often and when I am it’s more about

processes, planning, and change efforts –

are we accomplishing what we want to

accomplish and how can we tell.”

Johnson stayed on at Meyer Marketing.

“We hired Dianne to do our focus groups,”

he said. Tuff, in turn, hired Johnson as a

sub-contractor to help with her research.

“Dianne did her first evaluation in 1986.

It was for the State Arts Board,” Johnson

said. “We did more and more work together

until 30 to 40 percent of my work at Meyer

was for Dianne.”

theirsIn January 2001, Peg Meyer sold her

advertising business to some of her

employees. Tuff had encouraged Johnson

for several years to join her in UpFront

Consulting. Now seemed like the time. “The

business was transitioning, the opportunity

was there, it just made sense,” Johnson

said. “We still do a lot of work with Meyer –

or Agency 128 now.”

Working so closely together – day in

and day out, in the same house, on the

same projects – never concerned the couple.

“We went on a four-month trip before we

started working together,” Johnson said.

“People said, ‘It will ruin your marriage.’

We traveled around the U.S. in a tiny pop-

up camper. It was the best time of our lives.”

“I wish we could do it again,”

Tuff agreed.

1976-77Dianne Tuff comes to st. Cloud as the Community health education Coordinator at st. Cloud hospital

1979Tuff moves to st. Cloud state university as an adult nurse practitioner

1984• Tuff receives her Master’s Degree in organizational Development from Pepperdine university in California• Johnson begins working at Meyer Marketing

1985• Tuff starts UpFront Consulting• Tuff and Murdoch Johnson meet. They marry within six months.

1986Tuff begins work on her first evaluation program for the Minnesota state arts Board.

1992Tuff begins regularly hiring Johnson as a subcontractor to work on research and evaluation projects

Jan. 2001Johnson joins Tuff as a full partner in upFront organizational Development Consulting

2006Johnson receives an advanced Certificate in Program evaluation from Claremont Graduate university

timeline

“I started to get health care clients. Working with the United Way, St. Cloud Hospital, St. Benedict’s Center – these fit my values so much better.” –DiaNNe TuFF

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

“We built our house together. People

said ‘It will ruin your marriage.’ We did all

the planning. We did all the physical work.

We hired the contractors we needed. We

never had a problem. We weren’t worried

at all about working together.”

“Working together really appealed to

me,” Tuff said.

What they did worry about was having

enough work. “That was Murdoch,” Tuff

said. “I wasn’t ever worried about that.”

“It’s never been a problem,” Johnson

admitted. “But I worry. Even this spring I

thought we wouldn’t have enough, but the

number of projects is phenomenal.”

Tuff shakes her head with regret.

“We even turned one down that I

really wanted to do. It was such a good

project. But Murdoch made me look at it

realistically and he was right, we just don’t

have the time to devote to it.” Such give-

and-take has turned out to be a hallmark

of their business relationship. Decisions

are made together and both defer to the

other based on whose expertise is most

relevant to the decision.

“It’s nice to have someone to bounce

ideas off of,” Tuff said. “We edit each other’s

reports. I can check in with Murdoch and

say ‘I know nothing about …’ and he can

help. He has smarts about these things.”

Johnson agrees. “We have different

skills, a different way of looking at things.

I’ll be talking about a project and Dianne

will say, ‘Have you thought about the

human side of things?’”

Tuff laughed. “I’ll ask, ‘Do you want to

ask their opinions on this?’”

Warming to the subject of working

together, Johnson admits that he may have

stayed at Meyer too long. “I might have

jumped over to UpFront earlier,” he said.

“I’m just so security conscious. I maybe

stayed longer than I should have. I really

like working from home.”

“I think one of the reasons you waited

is because you were worried you wouldn’t

be able to concentrate,” Tuff said.

Johnson agreed. “I can’t concentrate if

there’s lots going on. I always had to close

my door at Meyer. That’s just not a problem

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

Murdoch Johnson title: Partner, upFront organizational Development Consulting

age: 58

hometown: hot springs, sD

education: Ba, in Music education, st. olaf College, 1975; advanced Certificate in Program evaluation, Claremont Graduate university, 2006

work history: Cook/chef 5 years; truck driver 2 years; variety of sales jobs 8 years; magazine editor part-time 4 years; researcher part-time 5 years, full-time 8 years (Meyer Marketing); partner at upFront 11 years

family: Dianne, father, one sister and one brother/spouse, one niece. Family reunions can be held comfortably in a mini-van.

hobbies: Music, outdoors (hiking, camping, birding, travel), aerobic exercise (run, bike, cross country ski, kayak, swim, etc.), reading

advice to a would-be entrepreneur:

Find a great entrepreneurial partner like Dianne, who is always positive and amazingly optimistic!

best advice: My favorite boss, the head chef in the dining room at Mt. rushmore National Park, a swedish immigrant, said (many times), “Murdoch, you’ve got to use your head!” sometimes with added expletives.

Dianne Tufftitle: Partner, upFront organizational Development Consulting

age: 60

hometown: “when i was 10, we moved from st. Paul to the other side of the world, to Papua New Guinea, a beautiful country on the equator, north of australia. Culture shock? yes, but for a 10 year old, an exciting, eye-opening exposure to another culture. i learned to value differences and knew i wanted to help people as my parents did. and the beauty of New Guinea’s mountains, tropical rain-forests, birds, and flowers helped me appreciate the natural world and to want to help in its preservation in small ways. i lived in PNG for six years, attending boarding school there and in Brisbane australia.”

education: Master’s Degree in Organization Development, Pepperdine university, California; Bachelor’s in Elective Studies-Communication & Management, st. Cloud state university; associate Degree in Nursing, Metropolitan state, Minneapolis, and adult/Geriatric Nurse Practitioner Certificate, university of Minn.

work history: upFront since 1985; sCsu health service; st. Cloud hospital Community health education, and various hospital and public health positions.

family: Murdoch! Mom and Dad and four siblings, three living; nieces and nephews plus a grand-nephew who is three and a perfect, curious, funny boy.

hobbies: Gardening and making jam and jelly, birding, cross-country skiing, reading (some professional and self-improvement, but mostly mysteries!)

advice to a would-be entrepreneur:

have a clear vision of your business, especially of how you want to make a difference in the world through your service or product. stay flexible as you move forward – be aware of your business environment, including your clients’ changing needs, and be ready to change as the situation around you changes.

best advice: sam Miller, a friend and colleague first in st. Cloud and later in California during the Master’s program said: “Don’t SHOULD on yourself.” I still tell myself i shoulD do this or that — but not nearly as often as i used to!

personal profiles

36 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

here. I like my commute. I walk about 10

yards out the door, coffee cup in hand, to

my office.”

“I like our coffee breaks,” Tuff said.

“Murdoch comes in from his office every

day at 9 a.m. and fixes coffee for us

and plays the guitar. I love listening to

Murdoch play his guitar.”

While those are the perks of a

home-based business, it is not without

challenges. “It’s awful easy to spend all

your time working,” Johnson said. “You

don’t pick up a book after dinner. You

go out and turn on the computer and

answer your email or wrap up a report.”

Finding a place to meet with clients

can be a challenge as well, especially

for this couple who live on 55 acres of

wooded property south of St. Stephen.

“But our kind of work doesn’t require

lots of client meetings,” Tuff pointed out.

“We prefer to go to the clients anyway.

We like to see where people work, see

them in their own environment.”

“And technology has helped,”

Johnson added.

evaluation is not research

Ask Dianne Tuff and Murdoch Johnson to define evaluation and you’ll hear words like “formative,” “summative,” constructivists,” and “positivists.” Pay attention and you’ll learn that evaluation uses research to help determine whether or not a business or organization is reaching their desired outcomes. “It’s not just about the number of people served or the number of programs you offer,” according to Tuff, who along with Johnson, own upFront organizational Development Consulting. “It’s about the number of people who became self-sufficient or the improvement in reading scores that matters.” research, according to Johnson, has a fairly narrowly defined audience. evaluation looks at all the stakeholders and tries to get as many as possible involved in the process. research is always a tool of evaluation. in fact, multiple forms of research are often used during a comprehensive evaluation. evaluation is not always part of research. research makes no judgments. evaluation makes judgments of value or worth. “We’re currently working with two arts groups that are providing arts programming in the schools,” Tuff said. “They want to know if they are reaching the students in the right way. They’re asking if the students are learning what the groups intend them to learn and can they legitimately tie it to the Minnesota state arts standards.” Quantitative research is preferred by positivists. For them, the world is yes and no. Quantitative data and hard numbers are what they look for when making a decision. “white european males are often positivists,” Johnson said. “Think politicians spouting data.” Constructivists, those who believe that we are ever-changing and that new information can cause us to change, prefer the qualitative data that is so much a part of evaluation. “some cultures are totally constructivist,” according to Johnson. “if you want to inform people in a culture with an oral, story-telling tradition you should use the communications tool that they would use themselves.” Meaning, you can do quantitative research, he said, but the trouble is getting them to understand the findings when it may be very alien to their way of thinking. “For all the quantitative data i see and the quantitative research i do, the more i do this work the more constructivist i become,” Johnson said.

Evaluation looks at all the stakeholders and tries to get as many as possible involved in the process. Research is always a tool of evaluation.

“I like my commute. I walk about 10 yards out the door, coffee cup in hand, to my office.”

–MurDoCh JohNsoN

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“I’m not sure we could do

this from home if we didn’t

have the access to technology

that we do.”

As their business has

evolved, it has become more

mission driven. They refer

to their logo of a pine tree as

a symbol of their values of

social responsibility. Tuff says

attention to values comes

to her naturally because of

her family background. For

Johnson, it has been

an evolution.

“I was a late bloomer,” he

said. “I think lots of adults

develop a social conscious

later in life.” As a result, no

conversation with the two –

whether together or separately

– can end without multiple

references to their clients.

“We work with the best

clients and on all sorts of

projects – robotics, chemical

dependency, mental health,

nursing, the arts,” Johnson

said. The two have helped

evaluate a program that shows

efforts to increase the number

of nursing students interested

in geriatric nursing in Central

Minnesota is working. One of their clients is an agency that’s

helping women who are pregnant stay sober. “They have great

stories about women who stay sober and become self-sufficient

in truly horrendous circumstances,” Johnson said.

“These not-for-profit organizations are working with people

and really trying to make a difference,” Tuff said. “They are trying

to change people’s lives. They do it day-to-day and we get to step

in and help in a small way.”

“We are extremely lucky, we say that all the time,” Johnson

said, as Tuff nodded in agreement. “We have a wonderful job. We

get paid to do what we love. But our clients are the real heroes.” BC

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

walking the talk

Following are some examples of how upFront Consulting has helped organizations evaluate their programs and apply what they’ve learned:

a residential program found, through focus groups and surveys, that clients were having a hard time the first few days understanding the program and what was expected of them. The program expanded its intake/orientation process. almost immediately, clients started reporting an easier transition.

a youth intervention program was able, through research-based intake surveys and interviews to determine a course of action with the child “on the fly.” This made maximum use of the minimal time they had with the youth.

a consortium of three organizations was able to improve the way partners worked together. although the evaluation measured client outcomes, it also used a couple of tools to measure how well the partnership worked. This was important both to the partners and to the funder.

38 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

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“As the community has changed,

providers are learning to be aware of

different groups and their cultures so we

can provide culturally appropriate care,”

said Rosemond Sarpong Owens, CentraCare

Health System’s health literacy and

cultural competency specialist. “Recruiting

employees from these communities furthers

that effort.” Owens, an immigrant from

Ghana, was hired by CentraCare in 2008

to help the nonprofit health provider make

inroads among the area’s growing nonwhite

communities. “We believe that diversity

leads to a multiplicity of talent. Why

wouldn’t we want to increase the pool we

draw from?” she added.

Census figures paint a picture of a St.

Cloud area that is becoming less ethnically

and racially homogenous. Almost one in

10 of the area’s residents in the 2010

Census was nonwhite, with growing Latino

and Somali communities transforming

everyday life in an area historically settled

by German immigrants.

What that means for businesses in the

St. Cloud area is that there are new,

untapped markets that offer growth

possibilities. But they require a deeper

understanding of other cultures in order to

be effectively tapped, said Dr. Diana Lawson,

Dean of the Herberger Business School at

St. Cloud State University. These markets

also offer the key to meeting the next

generation of labor needs, Lawson said.

“While the population as a whole

is aging, and the Boomer generation

is nearing retirement, the diversifying

population is very young and will be

an increasingly important part of the

workforce in coming years,” she said. “It’s

going to be increasingly important that

these groups build the necessary skills in

school and in the workplace to succeed

here, if the larger community is to succeed.”

Reaching customersAt the Waite Park Cash Wise, a growing

international foods section now offers

roughly 500 food products targeted toward

Latino cuisine, 450 Asian cuisine products

and 60 Indian cuisine offerings. Other

Coborn’s Inc.-owned grocery stores now

feature fresh-made sushi as well.

Growth in the variety of food products

offered at the grocery chain has been gradual

and steady, said Emily Coborn, manager of

communications. It reflects a realization that

the store’s customer base is changing as the

area diversifies. “Food is central to everyone’s

lives,” she said. “It brings everyone together,

regardless of heritage. But the different

heritages we’re seeing in our customer

base now encouraged us to work with our

gourmet and ethnic food supplier to look at

opportunities to expand our offerings.”

Each Coborn’s store accepts cuisine

requests to stock particular new products,

whether they are ethnic specialties such

as Coca-Cola sweetened with cane sugar

instead of corn syrup (popular in Mexico) or

the newest variety of gourmet bratwurst. The

store will be making extra efforts in 2012

to broaden and diversify its food stocks to

satisfy growing ethnic communities, Coborn

said. “We want to make sure we have the

products on our shelves that our customers

want to buy, including staples and brand-

name items.”

By lawrence Schumacher

St. Cloud-area businesses are looking at the area’s growing ethnic and racial diversity and finding that a new approach is needed to attract customers and find employees from the

surging populations of Latino, Asian, African-American and African immigrant communities.

Ignoring one out of every 10 potential customers is not a good recipe for business success.

ChangIng FaCES

M a r C h / a p r i l 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

At CentraCare, where patients have

requested interpretive services for more

than 60 languages, English, Somali, Spanish,

Vietnamese and Hmong are the most common

languages, with Chinese, American Sign

Language and French also in the running.

CentraCare has worked to make its health

and procedure handouts available in several

of those most-requested languages, and is

also working on providing information and

services on the web in a way non-native

English speakers can benefit, said Shannon

Dunham, a registered nurse and education

specialist for the Women’s and Children’s

program. “It really does take some extra effort

to reach out to a diverse population,” she said.

“It takes a commitment to build a relationship

with a population.”

Staffing and recruitmentPart of reaching out to those new populations

meant creating new positions at CentraCare

for cultural outreach specialists for the Somali

and Spanish-speaking communities, Dunham

said. Those positions – funded by grants from

the CentraCare Health System Foundation

– are tasked with contacting key leaders and

organizers within those communities to find

out what their needs and concerns are. “One

change as a result of the outreach specialists

is that now we provide Somali and Spanish-

language DVDs for patients to take home and

play while they’re on bed rest or in recovery

that helps with follow-up care guidance,”

she said.

But initial connections with diverse

communities don’t deepen and strengthen

unless patients interact with staff that can

relate to their needs, said David Waage,

CentraCare’s director of employment. While

CentraCare recruits many international

doctors, recruitment efforts to hire

professional staff – nurses, technicians and

other support positions – have not been as

successful, he said.

The nonprofit hopes to remedy that by

partnering with the St. Cloud School District

to recruit students from the local population,

mentor them, and encourage an interest

in health care careers. The program has

mentored more than 100 students in the past

two years, Waage said. “We want to match the

population of the local community, and the

only way we’re going to do that is by getting

people who might not consider careers with us

to give us a look.”

Businesses in the area are starting to realize

they need more diversity in their workforce,

too, but it may be difficult for them to know

where to start, Lawson said. Recruiting interns

from diverse cultures is one way to ease into it,

offering a low-cost way to see what steps need

to be taken to integrate people from different

cultures into a particular business culture.

“It’s the businesses that have an educated

workforce that have the hardest challenge

in this regard,” she said. “Integration and

recruiting at the professional level – medical,

legal, accounting, banking – those are moving

slower right now than manufacturing, retail,

and other less-skilled industries.”

Entrepreneur classMany business-minded members of

immigrant communities are starting up

their own businesses to fill a void created

by the growth of those communities and

the relatively slow adaptation by established

businesses to the new demographics, Lawson

said. “You see it in the number of ethnic

grocery stores, the new restaurants, and in

people who provide business services to those

communities in a way that they are more

accustomed to,” she said.

Many immigrant entrepreneurs start

their businesses with little or no funding

from traditional sources of capital, keeping

their debts within an extended family,

said Barry Kirchoff, director of the Central

Minnesota Small Business Development

Center. “They may not have a formal

balance sheet or practice formal accounting

methods, but they know how to make a

profit and leverage family ties to keep their

costs down,” he said. “It just presents an

extra challenge for them to access typical

routes of assistance that other small business

owners have available to them.”

Nonprofits based in the Twin Cities such

as the Latino Economic Development

Corporation and the African Development

Center provide some tailored counseling and

resources, but there are few formal sources

of help for this new wave of entrepreneurs

in the St. Cloud area, Kirchoff said. “But

there are a ton of cottage industries out there

already, and many of them are going to be

successful and grow and eventually become

the new establishment,” he added. “From

daycare to medical transportation, food, retail,

you name it, the demand is there and someone

is going to figure out how to fill it. 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.

Now onlineFor the sources and contacts used it this story, visit Business CentralMagazine.com

Almost one in 10 of the area’s residents in the 2010 Census was nonwhite, with growing Latino and Somali communities transforming

everyday life in an area historically settled by German immigrants.

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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 •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

M a r C h / a p r i l 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 41SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT

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42 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

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By Mike Schmitt

if you have decided the timing

is right to sell your business,

one of the first things you

should do is make sure all the

equipment included in the sale

works. A buyer will require you

to warrant that all of the equip-

ment is in good working order

when he or she takes over.

If you are leasing your

building, be sure your lease is in

good standing with the landlord

in every respect. If the lease is

about to expire, try to negotiate

a longer term lease with the

landlord so the buyer has a

secure location for at least five

years, preferably with options to

renew.

If the real estate is included

in the sale, be sure the property

meets all existing zoning and

environmental codes. Be sure

to address any problems before

the business is advertised.

Buyers don’t like surprises and

hidden problems are certain to

derail a sale.

The most important item is

to keep good financial records.

The first thing a potential buyer

will request is the financial

statements for the past three

years. You can require the

buyer to sign a Letter of

Confidentiality before providing

any information. If you have

incomplete or inaccurate records,

the chance of selling your

business decreases dramatically.

A business buyer is not

looking to buy a collection of

used equipment. He or she is

looking to buy a business that

generates income. The higher

the income, the higher the value

of your business. Be prepared

to answer questions about

income and expenses. Most

buyers are sophisticated and

will scrutinize the information

you provide. They may have an

accountant help them analyze

the information. If you are able

to provide accurate financial

information you will be able

to maximize the value of your

business and increase the

chances of selling it.

Assemble a team of

professionals to help you with

the selling process. This team

should include an accountant,

an attorney and an experienced

business broker. Each of these

For SaleWhen preparing to sell your business, careful planning will help ensure a smooth sale and a good price.

Minnesota construction companies

speak out about the economy.

45 percent say the market conditions in

Minnesota are neither helping

nor hurting their companies

17 percentsay they plan some

hiring in 2012, compared to

10 percent who planned to hire

in 2011

54 percent say they were

somewhat affected by the government shutdown in July;

15 percent say they experienced a significant impact.

Source: Construction Industry Assessment 2011-2012 conducted by the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota.

BY tHE NuMBErS

ProGrESS rEpOrT

A rebound…of sortsaided by warm, dry weather in October, construction employment increased 1,700 for the month. The vast majority of the gain came in specialty trade contractors. The warm weather didn’t hold and as the cold of November finally arrived, construction employment was off by 1,600. This counterbalanced October’s gain.

On the plus side, October’s strong performance and the warm-weather delay in seasonal lay-offs helped push annual growth into positive territory for the first time since april 2006, with an estimated total gain over the past year of 400 jobs.

M a r C h / a p r i l 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 43

professionals will lend

expertise to the transaction

so that all issues are covered.

For instance, determining the

allocation of the purchase

price can have significant

tax implications and is an

important element of the

transaction. You will need to

allocate values for different

components of the sale for

tax purposes. If your business

sold for $500,000, how much

of that value is tangible asset

value, how much is goodwill

or blue sky value, what

value is the covenant not to

compete, etc. You will need

professional input from your

accountant to handle this

properly.

Your attorney will need

to prepare contracts and

other legal documents. The

purchase agreement sets the

terms and conditions of the

sale and needs to be drafted

by an experienced business

attorney.

Your business broker

will help you determine

value, establish a marketing

program and negotiate the

sale on your behalf.

With the proper people

in place, you can expect a

smooth sale at a price that

meets your expectations. BC

Mike Schmitt is broker/owner of Coldwell Banker Commercial Orion real Estate in Waite park, Minn.

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

CommErCiAL CONSTruCTiON

Good things are happening in Central minnesota’s

construction industry! Find out more on the following pages.

Strack CompaniesRiver’s Edge Convention Center

Location Downtown St. Cloud

GEnERaL contRactoRStrack Companies

aRcHitEctHagemeister & Mack Architects

PRoJEct coMPLEtionDecember 2011

WEBSitE www.strackcompanies.com

DEScRiPtion 80,000 square foot expansion to the existing River’s Edge Convention Center to include new entrance, pre-function area and exhibit halls.

44 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

Single source.Superior service.

Remarkable results.

BC MarApril Ad_Layout 1 1/30/12 4:47 PM Page 1COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

Miller Architects & Builders Stearns Electric Association

Location St. Joseph, MN

GEnERaL contRactoRMiller Architects & Builders

aRcHitEctMiller Architects & Builders

PRoJEct coMPLEtionOctober 2011

WEBSitE/EMaiL www.millerab.com/mktg@millerab.com

DEScRiPtion 35,032 sf. with 23,771 sf. of warehouse and vehicle storage, 2,821 sf. equipment and lineman space, and 8,440 sf. office, meeting rooms and space for future growth.

Rice Building Systems, Inc. 5th Avenue LIVE! 200 West Redevelopment

Location 211 - 5th Avenue South, Downtown St. Cloud

GEnERaL contRactoRRice Building Systems, Inc.

aRcHitEctRice Building Systems, Inc.

PRoJEct coMPLEtionFebruary 2012

WEBSitE www.ricebuildingsystems.com

DEScRiPtion 9,300 SF Redevelopment of the Tenvoorde Ford Building on the corner of 5th Ave & Division Street downtown St. Cloud. Tenants include: Chipotle, Noodles & Co., and others.

Building Relationships Since 19531019 Industrial Drive South, Sauk Rapids, MN 56379 • 320.252.0404

www.ricebuildingsystems.com

You can depend on Rice Building Systems to handle everything from concept and

design all the way through the completion of your project. When you choose

Rice Building Systems, you also have the peace of mind that comes

with knowing your project is guaranteed for years to come.

We call it The Rice Difference.

A Tradition of Building Success for Almost 60 Years

BB-9836_Rice_Marco_BusCent_Ad_km_SQ.indd 1 12/5/11 1:40:00 PM

M a r C h / a p r i l 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 45

COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION

“without a doubt, this

has been one of our best

experiences with a real estate

management company.

“

HealthPartners, Central Minnesota Clinics

Andrew J. Vinson, Executive Director

We Want Your Business Too!call us for a detailed management proposal today

www.GraniteCityRealEstate.com • 253-0003 58 10th Ave S • Waite Park, MN 56387

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46 B u s i n e s s C e n t r a l M a g a z i n e •• M a r C h / a p r i l 2 0 1 2

Self-described serial entrepreneur Beth Huber has found the perfect mix: a business that lets her stretch her entrepreneurial muscles and still be home when her kids get off the bus.

By Gail ivers

Business Central: Why did you move back to Minnesota from New York?Beth Huber: I came back for a summer because I had 11 weddings to attend. I met a man at DeSoda’s [a bar in Midtown Square that is now closed] who is now my husband. That’s it. I fell in love and I knew I didn’t want to raise children in New York.

BC: how did you get the idea for Quick Fix?Huber: I’d had a massage at the

Minnesota School of Business from

someone who was graduating the

next day. She said she didn’t have

a job because there was no place to

work. At the time there were three

local schools training therapists and

they had no place to work.

I had this thought that I could

build a place where massage

therapists could rent space and

build their own businesses. I asked

Denise (Molesky) if she thought it

would work and she said not only

will it work, but I’ll be your first

therapist.

BC: What’s next for the serial entrepreneur?Huber: It’s so cool now because

we’re a chain! We just opened our

first licensed Quick Fix in Fargo.

I don’t have any ownership, but it

lets us experiment and figure out

what works and what doesn’t. I’m

not afraid about whether it will

work – I know it will work. And

if it doesn’t, we’ll have learned

something for the next try. I have

no fear. That’s really my story –

no fear. I’d like to have three more

Quick Fixes. I’d like to do that

through licensing, or maybe have

some ownership. BC

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The Quick Fix Massage Shop28482nd St. S, suite 135

St. Cloud, MN 56301

320-253-8244

thequickfixmassage.com

President: Beth huber

Ownership: 60% Beth huber

25% huber’s husband ryan

15% massage therapist

Denise Molesky

Started: September 2006

Business Description: Massage therapy facility.

independent massage

therapists rent the rooms;

huber provides all the

necessary infrastructure

and amenities.

Number of massage therapists: 13

Number of rooms: 5

Average number of clients per day: 30

Chamber member since 2006

At A GlaNCE no Fear

PErSoNAL prOFilE

Beth Huber

Hometown: albany, MN

Education: Moved to NY after high school to attend theater school at the herbert Berghof Studio in Greenwich Village; studied method acting.

Work History: a self-described serial entrepreneur • started a website development company with a friend • started a company called Scentlets with another friend. Scentlets are plastic bracelets infused with scented oil. They patented the process, manufactured and sold 20,000+

Family: husband ryan who works at heartland Glass and children harrison, age 10 and lily age 8

Hobbies: “i create businesses.” Scrapbooking, attending concerts, drinking wine with friends. “i’d like to do some acting, but it’s all about time.”

BiG NEWS

Huber has licensed the concept of The Quick Fix Massage Shop and

helped open a new location on February 6,

2012 in Fargo

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Contact Us for Professional & Personal

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West St. Cloud2915 Second Street South (320) 654-9555

East St. Cloud525 Highway 10 South

(320) 257-5000

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