Your local provider of document management solutions

Systems, LLC
Welcome to our New Members Sol-Information
19329 Elkridge Trail, Farmington
Apple Title
15040 Canada Ave, Suite B, Rosemount
651.322.4001
www.appletitlellc.com
Contact: Katie Anderson
Real Estate - Commercial
Real Estate - Residential
Corner Piece Web
12411 Birnam Court, Burnsville
952.232.6525
www.cornerpieceweb.com
Contact: Alan Bengtson
Web Site Design/Development
Law Office of Diane Kaer
3480 Upper 149th Street W, Suite 101,
Rosemount
651.322.9244
www. kaerlaw.com
Contact: Diane Kaer
Attorneys
M&I Bank
522 Snelling Ave S, Saint Paul
952.698.1447
www.MIbank.com
Contact: Joe Veliz
Banks
Midrange Operations Inc.
3304 10th Avenue South, Minneapolis
612.718.0148
Contact: Sean Hokland
Consultants
Northwood Dental
1227 Northwood Parkway, Eagan
651.687.0789
www.northwooddental.com
Contact: Loren Taple
Dental Clinics
Pawn America Minnesota LLC
1399 South Robert Street, West St. Paul
952.646.1776
www.pawnamerica.com
Contact: Dan Kealey
Retail Store
PCE Packaging, Inc.
2520 151st Court West, Rosemount
651.322.7577
www.pcepackaging.com
Contact: Laura Thornton
Packaging Supplies
DCR STAFF
President
Ruthe Batulis
rbatulis@dcrchamber.com
Direct Dial: 651.288.9201
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair Scott Swenson
Home Federal Bank
Director of Community Affairs
Amanda Franklin
afranklin@dcrchamber.com
Direct Dial: 651.288.9202
Chair Elect Meghan McDaniel
Koch Companies Public Sector
Manager of Business
Development and Events
Michelle Tighe
mtighe@dcrchamber.com
Direct Dial: 651.288.9203
CONTACT DCR
Dakota County Regional
Chamber of Commerce
1121 Town Centre Drive
Suite 102
Eagan MN 55123
P: 651.452.9872
F: 651.452.8978
www.dcrchamber.com
612.616.8530
www.sol-is.com
Contact: Troy Solis
IT Service and Consulting
Treasures From Home
1409 Lower Heritage Way, Farmington
651.460.2621
Contact: Keith Foslien
Antiques and Used Furniture
USA Values, LLC
7879 Sommerset Court, Woodbury
651.735.3018
www.usavalues-character.com
Contact: Tom Wolfgram
Advertising
Director Greg Konat
Community Action Council
Director Beth Krehbiel
Fairview Ridges Hospital
Director Matt Miller
Interstate Partners
President Ruthe Batulis
Dakota County Regional Chamber of
Commerce
Director Dan Motoyoshi
American Bank
Director Ryan O’Gara
SKB Environmental
Director Rob Armfield
TDS Metrocom
Director Roz Peterson
Cerron Commercial Properties
Director Sara Butruff
Travel Leaders
Director Phillip Porter
CTi
Director Paul Eggen
State Farm Insurance
Director Phil Stalboerger
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
Director Greg Hansen
Ecolab, Inc.
Director Leslie Strohm
ProTec Environmental Consultants, Inc
Director Jennifer Hauschildt
Thomson Reuters
Ex Officio Director Cathy McCoy
ProAct, Inc.
Chair, DCR Foundation
Director Gary Huusko
Severson, Sheldon, Dougherty &
Molenda, PA
October/November 2009 • VOL. XVI NO. 1
Home Federal Bank
Touching Hearts at Home
4640 Slater Road, Suite 110, Eagan
651.452.7900
www.touchinghearts.com
Contact: Bill Wilken
Home Health Care Services
Wyndham Hills Development
Between 15th Street & Cty Rd 46, Hastings
www.wyndhamhillsofhastings.com
Contact: Roberta Sjodin
Real Estate - Residential
Past Chair Mark Kragness
Anchor Bank Farmington
THE COMMENT
Personalized Service & Customized Solutions
THIS ISSUE
Featured Business:
Home Federal Bank
2009 Business
Excellence Award
Winners
Member News
Personalized service with a focus on
customized solutions for financial needs is
the best way to describe what sets Home
Federal Bank apart from its competitors.
The Eagan branch is managed by Scott O.
Swenson, newly elected board chair for
the Dakota County Regional Chamber, and
Janet Alland.
Having worked together at a previous
bank, Scott and Janet shared a commitment
to customer service and success. When
the opportunity surfaced in 2007 to open
a Twin Cities Branch for this Rochester
based bank Scott and Janet accepted the
challenge.
Early on Eagan was front runner as the
community choice for the new location.
After researching options and considering
alternatives, it was decided to open the
branch in the Grand Oaks Office Park in
northeast Eagan.
One of the many attractions of joining
Home Federal Bank was the organization’s
commitment to community. The Eagan
office has continued the tradition of
community involvement through
volunteerism and financial contributions
to community organizations.
Scott has been active in the community
for many years and is a well known
community banker. In addition to starting
his term as the Dakota County Regional
Chamber Chair October 1, Scott has been
a past president of the Eagan Rotary,
All Saints Lutheran Church, the Eagan
Citizens for Crime Prevention Association
and a past board member of the Eagan
Athletic Associations.
A commitment to community is a long
term approach for businesses.
Continued on Page 3
Below: The Staff of Home Federal Bank
Minnesotans Expect
Better Return on
Taxes
New and Renewing
Members
Ex Officio Director Brent Cory
Executive Director, Eagan Convention &
Visitors Bureau
Visit us online www.dcrchamber.com
www.dcrchamber.com
01
Thank you for your Continued Support
Member News
Every issue of The Comment will recognize members that have renewed their investment with Dakota County Regional Chamber in
the past months. In this issue, we list members who renewed their membership in August and September 2009. Thank you for
your continued investment in your local chamber of commerce.
50+ years
Langer Construction, West Saint Paul
45 - 49 years
Anchor Bank, West Saint Paul
McDonald’s Restaurant, Mendota
Heights
31 – 35 years
Twin City Wire MFI Inc., Eagan
26 – 30 years
Gopher Resource, Eagan
Jim Cooper’s Tire and Auto Service,
Eagan
Lifeworks Services, Eagan
Mendakota Country Club, Mendota
Heights
MFC Properties Corporation, Eagan
21 – 25 years
Mahoney, Ulrich, Christiansen & Russ,
Saint Paul
Mendota Plaza & Doddway Shopping
Center, Mendota Heights
Minnesota Energy Resources,
Rosemount
Tesseract School, Eagan
16 – 20 years
Coldwell Banker Burnet, Eagan
DART Transit Company, Eagan
Expeditors International, Eagan
Royal Cliff/Brianno’s, Eagan
11 – 15 years
Acu Chiropractic Wellness Center, PA,
Eagan
CF Industries, Rosemount
Community Action Council, Burnsville
Dakota County Agricultural Society,
Farmington
DARTS, West Saint Paul
DHL Global Forwarding, Eagan
Thomas F. Heinen and Associates,
Eagan
Houlihan’s, Eagan
Metro Sales, Inc., Minneapolis
Minnesota Valley Humane Society,
Burnsville
Professional Export Services, Eagan
Southern Twin Cities Association of
Realtors, Eagan
6 – 10 years
Loucks Associates, Maple Grove
North Star International, Eagan
Panera Bread, Eagan
TAJ Technologies, Mendota Heights
1 – 5 years
AdviCoach, Saint Paul
Christianson and Co., Eagan
Dowell Stute & Associates, Saint Paul
Edward Jones – Stacey Brown,
Rosemount
Fairview Clinic, Farmington
FastFrame, Eagan
Granite City Food & Brewery, Eagan
Heartland Credit Union, Inver Grove
Heights
Huebsch Services, Eagan
Michael Wold Associates, Eagan
Minnesota Mailing Solutions, Golden
Valley
NorthMarq, Bloomington
Obermueller, Mike, Eagan
Superior Express, Eagan
Trinity School at River Ridge, Eagan
Twin City Homes, Rosemount
Ultimate Car Care – Goodyear, Inver
Grove Heights
US Group Consolidators Inc., Eagan
2009 DCR Business Excellence Awards Winners
The winners of the 2009 DCR Business Excellence
Awards were announced at a breakfast event
featuring Patrick Geraghty, president & CEO of Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, on August 19 at the
Eagan Community Center.
Ruthe Batulis, President, DCR Chamber and Mark
Kragness, Anchor Bank and DCR Board Chair flank
the award recipients in the photo. The winners,
pictured left to right, include:
* Pat Kaplan, Coldwell Banker Burnet *
* Kathy Harrington, Heartland Credit Union *
* John Tapper, Gopher Resource Corp. *
* Greg Miller, Dakota Electric Association *
* Mark Toombs, Rosemount National Bank *
The Washington DC based Jefferson
Awards appointed Patrick Geraghty, president
& CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Minnesota, to its board of selectors. The
60-member board picks award winners that
recognized community and public volunteerism in America.
Ecolab Inc. announced than its corporate
research, development and engineering
facilities on the Eagan campus have been
awarded LEED-EB Gold Certification by
the US Green Building Council.
Ecolab Inc has signed a memorandum of
understanding with the Chinese government
to build a regional headquarters in Shanghai,
and committed to making incremental
investments of $30 million within the
country.
Signal Garage, West St Paul, gave free
brake jobs to customers who donated a
full bag of groceries or school supplies in
August and September. For the 5th year,
Signal Garage held the promotion to help
Neighbors Inc, South St. Paul and Neighborhood House, St Paul., “We’ve been
extremely, extremely busy,” said Rami
Dehry, owner of Signal Garage, at the
end of August adding his shop averaged
10 brake jobs a day on top of other work.
“We’re booked through the end of September,
and we’re taking names for cancellations.”
Heartland Credit Union earned firstplace honors in the statewide Dora Maxwell
Social Responsibility program for credit
unions. Heartland will now advance to the
national competition where they will compete
with other credit unions from across the
country in their respective award and asset
categories in September. The award,
sponsored by the Minnesota Credit Union
Network and the Credit Union National
Association, recognizes credit unions for
helping others and/or strengthening the
structure of a community.
NorthMarq Real Estate Services,
Bloomington, secured a 10-year lease with
Bethel University in Bloomington and
Clearwater Mortgage in a lease for a
Congratulations to the 2009 recipients of the DCR
Business Excellence Awards!
www.dcrchamber.com
02
Minnetonka office building.
JBL Companies, Inc. announced that
company president, Jeffery B. Larson,
was named to the list of “FIVE STAR:
Best in Client Satisfaction Commercial
Real Estate Agents” by Crescendo Business
Services, an independent research. In
December 2008, Crescendo conducted
a survey of 1,100 real estate agents and
8,000 TCB magazine subscribers based
on the criteria of market knowledge,
negotiation skills, communication,
understanding of client needs, ethics,
representing the client’s best interest, value for fee, post-transaction service and
client satisfaction. This award is limited
to seven percent of all professionals within
a specific industry and market area.
KLC Financial recently approved
transactions:
- $5,000 Point of sale system for start up
retailer
- $40,000 office furniture for an established
mortgage broker
- $75,000 medical technology equipment
for a startup non doctor
- $80,000 sale leaseback for a commercial
printer with previous year losses
- $25,000 server optimization software for
an IT company
- $40,000 used semi-truck for a start up
owner operator
- $400,000 FF&E for an established retailer
Xcel Energy Inc. promoted Benjamin
Fowke III to the position of president
and chief operating officer. Fowke most
recently served as Xcel’s executive vice
president and chief financial officer.
DCR Chamber members Ecolab, Inc,
HealthEast, and NorthMarq were all
named to the Business Journal’s 11th
annual Best Places to Work list.
Home Video Studio Eagan recently won
2 Hanley awards at the 9th annual Home
Video Studio (HVS) Getaway in Las Vegas.
The Hanley Awards are HVS version of
the Oscars, which recognize achievement
in the movie industry. Studio owner Kirk
Douglas submitted his video work in 14
of the 33 Hanley award categories and
received 6 nominations which placed his
work in the top 3 of six categories. Home
Video Studio Eagan won the top award
for its work in the Best Sports Scholarship
Video and Best Use of Motion categories.
PCL Construction Services, Inc. hired
Joy Jayaram as senior project manager. Jon
Stoeckman, Matt McColloh and Matthew
Wenthe achieved LEED certification.
WSP & Associates Inc. is pleased to
announce staff appointments to the
Ownership, Associate and Technical
Associate Groups. These appointments
demonstrate WSB’s continued commitment
to build on existing success and support
the increasing challenges and efficiencies
of the engineering and environmental
industry. Andrea Moffatt and Jupe Hale
were appointed to the Ownership Group;
John Mackiesicz and Jock Forslund were
appointed to the Associates Group.
Appointments to the Technical Group
include: Chuck Kochmann, Dave Vincent,
Jeff Michniewicz, Merl Jewell, Mike
Malszycki, Mike Molitor, Pete Helder,
Phil Tipka, Rick Hauser, Scott Niemann,
Ted Witkowski and Tim Cartony.
PCL Construction Services Inc.
completed a buffet expansion at Black
Bear Casino Hotel in Carlton.
In response to requests from riders, the
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority is
launching a new express bus service Route 478 - between the Rosemount
Community Center and downtown
Minneapolis beginning September 14,
2009. The service starts its route at 145th
& Diamond Path, travels to the RCC and
then directly to downtown Minneapolis.
Communicate your company news with
the business community by sharing your
news in “The Comment.”
Please add Amanda Franklin to your
media release list or send her your news
at afranklin@dcrchamber.com
www.dcrchamber.com
05
Home Federal Continued
Itt can be difficult for organizations to
see a short term payback for community
involvement and as a result they may be
unable or unwilling to make the long term
commitment. One of the keys to the early
success of the Eagan Home Federal branch
has been the banks commitment to
community and the support the team
members have in making a difference.
Home Federal is currently celebrating its
75th anniversary.
Please stop by to meet the Home Federal
Team and to learn about the Home Federal
difference.
Another key to the success of the branch
has been the team assembled to serve the
customers. Scott and Janet were very
deliberate in recruiting team members
with strong experience and a commitment
to customer service. The team is
dedicated to high standards of service.
Left: Scott Swenson, Home Federal
Bank Branch Manager and 2009-10
DCR Board of Directors Chair
Home Federal is a $1.1 Billion dollar bank
with a full range of services for businesses
and individuals. Offering the latest in
technology and cash management, Home
Federal is able to serve customers all over
the metro from the Eagan location.
Remote capture technology allows
customers to make check deposits using
secure internet scanning technology.
Your local provider of document management solutions
Ready for color?
Let me show you a how a Ricoh solution not only adds
impact to your documents, it adds efficiencies to your
workflow. Give Matt Hanson a call for a free cost analysis
or for more information.
Matt Hanson
651.294.2656
matt.hanson@ricoh-usa.com
www.dcrchamber.com
03
Thinking about advertising?
2010-2011 DCR Membership & Resource Guide & Online Opportunities are here
It’s that time again. The 2009-2010 DCR
Membership & Resource Guide advertising
sales will start later this fall with plenty
of amazing opportunities for members to
be highlighted in print and on the DCR
website.
With 1,200 copies of the directory printed,
the book sits on every member’s desk as a
handy reference. The printed directory is
also used as a marketing piece and is seen
by business leaders and residents all over
the metro area.
The online opportunities are robust. The use
of the DCR online directory and website
continues to grow. Web advertisors on
www.dcrchamber.com have seen an increase
of 47% to their ad views from April to
September. Members, business leaders,
residents and even people out of state are
using the DCR Chamber website for information
on local business, local communities and
initiatives that are impacting the area.
You can learn more about these opportunities
at www.dcrchamber.com and check out the
Enhance Your Listing page.
Michelle Tighe will spearhead this project
and will be contacting members in the
upcoming months. If you’d like more
information on this amazing marketing
opportunity, call Michelle at 651.288.9203
or mtighe@dcrchamber.com
There is limited space in the printed
directory but the online ads are limitless.
Don’t miss out on this affordable and
effective marketing opportunity.
Minnesotans Expect Better Return on Taxes
By David C. Olson
Most Minnesota
businesses are
optimistic about
the future despite
the toll of the
recession. Equally
important, they
emphasize that a
friendlier tax policy is
integral to speeding up the state’s economic
recovery.
Reducing the tax burden, as well as receiving
greater value for taxes, are longstanding
priorities of the Minnesota Chamber of
Commerce. This year the message is even
stronger among employers and employees
alike.
The findings of two statewide polls recently
commissioned by the Minnesota Chamber
underscore the urgency for policy-makers to
take action. The surveys were taken as
Minnesota and the nation are climbing out
of a recession, and the 2010 Legislature is
ready to wrestle with another multibilliondollar shortfall in the general fund.
These polls are in addition to the annual
survey of our own members. Once again,
we have reinforcement that the Minnesota
Chamber priorities fundamentally reflect the
concerns of Minnesotans.
Taxes are the No. 1 barrier to businesses
investing in Minnesota, and taxes are the
issue business believes the Legislature
needs to address, according to a survey of
the general statewide business community
– Chamber and non-Chamber members.
More than 60 percent of the respondents
cited high taxes as the biggest barrier to
creating jobs in Minnesota; no other factor
hit double digits.
The business tax burden, especially
property taxes, has been increasing – even
during the recession. More than 40 percent
of those surveyed said taxes were a greater
burden than five years ago. Nearly 60
percent reported a growing tax burden and
not a single business among more than 350
surveyed reported lower taxes.
The anti-tax message resonates as well with
the general public. The majority of
respondents in a separate statewide poll
said state government should not raise
taxes, and nearly two-thirds advocated
cutting overall government spending to
balance the state budget.
Equally revealing in this poll of the
citizenry is that Minnesotans gave poor
marks for the return on their investment
(read: taxes), and the sentiment was uniform across all levels of government. Cities
fared the best among local
government units when respondents were
asked whether property taxes were
delivering their desired results, and still
only 50 percent approved. Respective
numbers for school board and county
government were 46 percent and 43
percent. Only 29 percent said their income
and sales taxes paid to fund state government
were achieving their expected results.
The message is clear than Minnesotans
demand greater value from their tax
dollars. Coupled with the prospects of
another big-time budget shortfall, the
Minnesota Chamber is committed to
researching and forwarding significant
spending reform and taxing reform
packages for consideration by the 2010
Legislature. We also intend to offer an
orderly process for reviewing expenses
and income in order to avoid the 11th-hour
train wreck which has become all familiar
in recent years.
It’s easy to criticize and is always more
difficult to offer solutions. The Minnesota
Chamber is committed to advancing a
constructive debate on the state budget in
2010.
David C. Olson is president of the
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. For
more information, visit the Web at
www.mnchamber.com
www.dcrchamber.com
04
Thank you for your Continued Support
Member News
Every issue of The Comment will recognize members that have renewed their investment with Dakota County Regional Chamber in
the past months. In this issue, we list members who renewed their membership in August and September 2009. Thank you for
your continued investment in your local chamber of commerce.
50+ years
Langer Construction, West Saint Paul
45 - 49 years
Anchor Bank, West Saint Paul
McDonald’s Restaurant, Mendota
Heights
31 – 35 years
Twin City Wire MFI Inc., Eagan
26 – 30 years
Gopher Resource, Eagan
Jim Cooper’s Tire and Auto Service,
Eagan
Lifeworks Services, Eagan
Mendakota Country Club, Mendota
Heights
MFC Properties Corporation, Eagan
21 – 25 years
Mahoney, Ulrich, Christiansen & Russ,
Saint Paul
Mendota Plaza & Doddway Shopping
Center, Mendota Heights
Minnesota Energy Resources,
Rosemount
Tesseract School, Eagan
16 – 20 years
Coldwell Banker Burnet, Eagan
DART Transit Company, Eagan
Expeditors International, Eagan
Royal Cliff/Brianno’s, Eagan
11 – 15 years
Acu Chiropractic Wellness Center, PA,
Eagan
CF Industries, Rosemount
Community Action Council, Burnsville
Dakota County Agricultural Society,
Farmington
DARTS, West Saint Paul
DHL Global Forwarding, Eagan
Thomas F. Heinen and Associates,
Eagan
Houlihan’s, Eagan
Metro Sales, Inc., Minneapolis
Minnesota Valley Humane Society,
Burnsville
Professional Export Services, Eagan
Southern Twin Cities Association of
Realtors, Eagan
6 – 10 years
Loucks Associates, Maple Grove
North Star International, Eagan
Panera Bread, Eagan
TAJ Technologies, Mendota Heights
1 – 5 years
AdviCoach, Saint Paul
Christianson and Co., Eagan
Dowell Stute & Associates, Saint Paul
Edward Jones – Stacey Brown,
Rosemount
Fairview Clinic, Farmington
FastFrame, Eagan
Granite City Food & Brewery, Eagan
Heartland Credit Union, Inver Grove
Heights
Huebsch Services, Eagan
Michael Wold Associates, Eagan
Minnesota Mailing Solutions, Golden
Valley
NorthMarq, Bloomington
Obermueller, Mike, Eagan
Superior Express, Eagan
Trinity School at River Ridge, Eagan
Twin City Homes, Rosemount
Ultimate Car Care – Goodyear, Inver
Grove Heights
US Group Consolidators Inc., Eagan
2009 DCR Business Excellence Awards Winners
The winners of the 2009 DCR Business Excellence
Awards were announced at a breakfast event
featuring Patrick Geraghty, president & CEO of Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, on August 19 at the
Eagan Community Center.
Ruthe Batulis, President, DCR Chamber and Mark
Kragness, Anchor Bank and DCR Board Chair flank
the award recipients in the photo. The winners,
pictured left to right, include:
* Pat Kaplan, Coldwell Banker Burnet *
* Kathy Harrington, Heartland Credit Union *
* John Tapper, Gopher Resource Corp. *
* Greg Miller, Dakota Electric Association *
* Mark Toombs, Rosemount National Bank *
The Washington DC based Jefferson
Awards appointed Patrick Geraghty, president
& CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Minnesota, to its board of selectors. The
60-member board picks award winners that
recognized community and public volunteerism in America.
Ecolab Inc. announced than its corporate
research, development and engineering
facilities on the Eagan campus have been
awarded LEED-EB Gold Certification by
the US Green Building Council.
Ecolab Inc has signed a memorandum of
understanding with the Chinese government
to build a regional headquarters in Shanghai,
and committed to making incremental
investments of $30 million within the
country.
Signal Garage, West St Paul, gave free
brake jobs to customers who donated a
full bag of groceries or school supplies in
August and September. For the 5th year,
Signal Garage held the promotion to help
Neighbors Inc, South St. Paul and Neighborhood House, St Paul., “We’ve been
extremely, extremely busy,” said Rami
Dehry, owner of Signal Garage, at the
end of August adding his shop averaged
10 brake jobs a day on top of other work.
“We’re booked through the end of September,
and we’re taking names for cancellations.”
Heartland Credit Union earned firstplace honors in the statewide Dora Maxwell
Social Responsibility program for credit
unions. Heartland will now advance to the
national competition where they will compete
with other credit unions from across the
country in their respective award and asset
categories in September. The award,
sponsored by the Minnesota Credit Union
Network and the Credit Union National
Association, recognizes credit unions for
helping others and/or strengthening the
structure of a community.
NorthMarq Real Estate Services,
Bloomington, secured a 10-year lease with
Bethel University in Bloomington and
Clearwater Mortgage in a lease for a
Congratulations to the 2009 recipients of the DCR
Business Excellence Awards!
www.dcrchamber.com
02
Minnetonka office building.
JBL Companies, Inc. announced that
company president, Jeffery B. Larson,
was named to the list of “FIVE STAR:
Best in Client Satisfaction Commercial
Real Estate Agents” by Crescendo Business
Services, an independent research. In
December 2008, Crescendo conducted
a survey of 1,100 real estate agents and
8,000 TCB magazine subscribers based
on the criteria of market knowledge,
negotiation skills, communication,
understanding of client needs, ethics,
representing the client’s best interest, value for fee, post-transaction service and
client satisfaction. This award is limited
to seven percent of all professionals within
a specific industry and market area.
KLC Financial recently approved
transactions:
- $5,000 Point of sale system for start up
retailer
- $40,000 office furniture for an established
mortgage broker
- $75,000 medical technology equipment
for a startup non doctor
- $80,000 sale leaseback for a commercial
printer with previous year losses
- $25,000 server optimization software for
an IT company
- $40,000 used semi-truck for a start up
owner operator
- $400,000 FF&E for an established retailer
Xcel Energy Inc. promoted Benjamin
Fowke III to the position of president
and chief operating officer. Fowke most
recently served as Xcel’s executive vice
president and chief financial officer.
DCR Chamber members Ecolab, Inc,
HealthEast, and NorthMarq were all
named to the Business Journal’s 11th
annual Best Places to Work list.
Home Video Studio Eagan recently won
2 Hanley awards at the 9th annual Home
Video Studio (HVS) Getaway in Las Vegas.
The Hanley Awards are HVS version of
the Oscars, which recognize achievement
in the movie industry. Studio owner Kirk
Douglas submitted his video work in 14
of the 33 Hanley award categories and
received 6 nominations which placed his
work in the top 3 of six categories. Home
Video Studio Eagan won the top award
for its work in the Best Sports Scholarship
Video and Best Use of Motion categories.
PCL Construction Services, Inc. hired
Joy Jayaram as senior project manager. Jon
Stoeckman, Matt McColloh and Matthew
Wenthe achieved LEED certification.
WSP & Associates Inc. is pleased to
announce staff appointments to the
Ownership, Associate and Technical
Associate Groups. These appointments
demonstrate WSB’s continued commitment
to build on existing success and support
the increasing challenges and efficiencies
of the engineering and environmental
industry. Andrea Moffatt and Jupe Hale
were appointed to the Ownership Group;
John Mackiesicz and Jock Forslund were
appointed to the Associates Group.
Appointments to the Technical Group
include: Chuck Kochmann, Dave Vincent,
Jeff Michniewicz, Merl Jewell, Mike
Malszycki, Mike Molitor, Pete Helder,
Phil Tipka, Rick Hauser, Scott Niemann,
Ted Witkowski and Tim Cartony.
PCL Construction Services Inc.
completed a buffet expansion at Black
Bear Casino Hotel in Carlton.
In response to requests from riders, the
Minnesota Valley Transit Authority is
launching a new express bus service Route 478 - between the Rosemount
Community Center and downtown
Minneapolis beginning September 14,
2009. The service starts its route at 145th
& Diamond Path, travels to the RCC and
then directly to downtown Minneapolis.
Communicate your company news with
the business community by sharing your
news in “The Comment.”
Please add Amanda Franklin to your
media release list or send her your news
at afranklin@dcrchamber.com
www.dcrchamber.com
05
Systems, LLC
Welcome to our New Members Sol-Information
19329 Elkridge Trail, Farmington
Apple Title
15040 Canada Ave, Suite B, Rosemount
651.322.4001
www.appletitlellc.com
Contact: Katie Anderson
Real Estate - Commercial
Real Estate - Residential
Corner Piece Web
12411 Birnam Court, Burnsville
952.232.6525
www.cornerpieceweb.com
Contact: Alan Bengtson
Web Site Design/Development
Law Office of Diane Kaer
3480 Upper 149th Street W, Suite 101,
Rosemount
651.322.9244
www. kaerlaw.com
Contact: Diane Kaer
Attorneys
M&I Bank
522 Snelling Ave S, Saint Paul
952.698.1447
www.MIbank.com
Contact: Joe Veliz
Banks
Midrange Operations Inc.
3304 10th Avenue South, Minneapolis
612.718.0148
Contact: Sean Hokland
Consultants
Northwood Dental
1227 Northwood Parkway, Eagan
651.687.0789
www.northwooddental.com
Contact: Loren Taple
Dental Clinics
Pawn America Minnesota LLC
1399 South Robert Street, West St. Paul
952.646.1776
www.pawnamerica.com
Contact: Dan Kealey
Retail Store
PCE Packaging, Inc.
2520 151st Court West, Rosemount
651.322.7577
www.pcepackaging.com
Contact: Laura Thornton
Packaging Supplies
DCR STAFF
President
Ruthe Batulis
rbatulis@dcrchamber.com
Direct Dial: 651.288.9201
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chair Scott Swenson
Home Federal Bank
Director of Community Affairs
Amanda Franklin
afranklin@dcrchamber.com
Direct Dial: 651.288.9202
Chair Elect Meghan McDaniel
Koch Companies Public Sector
Manager of Business
Development and Events
Michelle Tighe
mtighe@dcrchamber.com
Direct Dial: 651.288.9203
CONTACT DCR
Dakota County Regional
Chamber of Commerce
1121 Town Centre Drive
Suite 102
Eagan MN 55123
P: 651.452.9872
F: 651.452.8978
www.dcrchamber.com
612.616.8530
www.sol-is.com
Contact: Troy Solis
IT Service and Consulting
Treasures From Home
1409 Lower Heritage Way, Farmington
651.460.2621
Contact: Keith Foslien
Antiques and Used Furniture
USA Values, LLC
7879 Sommerset Court, Woodbury
651.735.3018
www.usavalues-character.com
Contact: Tom Wolfgram
Advertising
Director Greg Konat
Community Action Council
Director Beth Krehbiel
Fairview Ridges Hospital
Director Matt Miller
Interstate Partners
President Ruthe Batulis
Dakota County Regional Chamber of
Commerce
Director Dan Motoyoshi
American Bank
Director Ryan O’Gara
SKB Environmental
Director Rob Armfield
TDS Metrocom
Director Roz Peterson
Cerron Commercial Properties
Director Sara Butruff
Travel Leaders
Director Phillip Porter
CTi
Director Paul Eggen
State Farm Insurance
Director Phil Stalboerger
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota
Director Greg Hansen
Ecolab, Inc.
Director Leslie Strohm
ProTec Environmental Consultants, Inc
Director Jennifer Hauschildt
Thomson Reuters
Ex Officio Director Cathy McCoy
ProAct, Inc.
Chair, DCR Foundation
Director Gary Huusko
Severson, Sheldon, Dougherty &
Molenda, PA
October/November 2009 • VOL. XVI NO. 1
Home Federal Bank
Touching Hearts at Home
4640 Slater Road, Suite 110, Eagan
651.452.7900
www.touchinghearts.com
Contact: Bill Wilken
Home Health Care Services
Wyndham Hills Development
Between 15th Street & Cty Rd 46, Hastings
www.wyndhamhillsofhastings.com
Contact: Roberta Sjodin
Real Estate - Residential
Past Chair Mark Kragness
Anchor Bank Farmington
THE COMMENT
Personalized Service & Customized Solutions
THIS ISSUE
Featured Business:
Home Federal Bank
2009 Business
Excellence Award
Winners
Member News
Personalized service with a focus on
customized solutions for financial needs is
the best way to describe what sets Home
Federal Bank apart from its competitors.
The Eagan branch is managed by Scott O.
Swenson, newly elected board chair for
the Dakota County Regional Chamber, and
Janet Alland.
Having worked together at a previous
bank, Scott and Janet shared a commitment
to customer service and success. When
the opportunity surfaced in 2007 to open
a Twin Cities Branch for this Rochester
based bank Scott and Janet accepted the
challenge.
Early on Eagan was front runner as the
community choice for the new location.
After researching options and considering
alternatives, it was decided to open the
branch in the Grand Oaks Office Park in
northeast Eagan.
One of the many attractions of joining
Home Federal Bank was the organization’s
commitment to community. The Eagan
office has continued the tradition of
community involvement through
volunteerism and financial contributions
to community organizations.
Scott has been active in the community
for many years and is a well known
community banker. In addition to starting
his term as the Dakota County Regional
Chamber Chair October 1, Scott has been
a past president of the Eagan Rotary,
All Saints Lutheran Church, the Eagan
Citizens for Crime Prevention Association
and a past board member of the Eagan
Athletic Associations.
A commitment to community is a long
term approach for businesses.
Continued on Page 3
Below: The Staff of Home Federal Bank
Minnesotans Expect
Better Return on
Taxes
New and Renewing
Members
Ex Officio Director Brent Cory
Executive Director, Eagan Convention &
Visitors Bureau
Visit us online www.dcrchamber.com
www.dcrchamber.com
01