Logo  
The Weekly Update
Good Morning From The Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce!

 

Greetings!

Keep up-to-date with all the happenings at the DCR Chamber and in your community by reading the Weekly Update every Monday!  Have some great business news that you would like to announce?  Let us know so we can spread the news to the rest of our members!

 

DCR Chamber Seeking Membership Services Director

The DCR Chamber is currently looking to hire a Membership Services Director. The Membership Services Director is responsible for the sales of new memberships within the DCR Chamber as well as retention of existing members. This position implements strategic direction for the organization's growth within the membership area. The Membership Services Director will develop and direct the annual planning within the department relating to membership growth, membership retention and expansion of the Chamber's BundleUp!. The position reports directly to the Chamber's president.  For more information on this position, click here. 

DCR Chamber Events Calendar    
  
Tuesday, August 27th at 4:30pm
TOPS Restaurant and Bar
14533 Dodd Boulevard, Rosemount
 
Wednesday, August 28th at 8:00am
DCR Chamber
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102, Eagan
  
Wednesday, August 28th at Noon
DCR Chamber
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102, Eagan
  
Thursday, September 5th at 7:30am
DARTS
1645 Marthaler Lane, West Saint Paul
 
Tuesday, September 10th at 8:00am
Medi-CAR Auto Repair
14555 South Robert Trail, Rosemount
  
Wednesday, September 11th at 8:00am
DCR Chamber
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102, Eagan
  
Wednesday, September 11th at Noon
Associated Bank
1270 Yankee Doodle Road, Eagan
  
Thursday, September 12th at 8:00am
Eagan Resource Center
3904 Cedar Grove Parkway, Eagan
  
Tuesday, September 17th at Noon
DCR Chamber
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102, Eagan
  
Wednesday, September 18th 7:30am
Anchor Bank Farmington
324 Oak Street, Farmington
  
Wednesday, September 18th at 7:30am
DCR Chamber
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102, Eagan
  
Friday, September 20th at 7:00pm
Dodge Nature Center - Farm Education Building
1701 Charlton Street, West Saint Paul
  
Tuesdsay, September 24th at 7:30am
Argosy University
1515 Central Parkway, Eagan
 
Wednesday, September 25th at 8:00am
DCR Chamber
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102, Eagan
  
Wednesday, September 25th at Noon
DCR Chamber
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102, Eagan
  
Thursday, September 26th at 7:30am
Holiday Inn Express
1950 Rahncliff Court, Eagan
Ribbon Cuttings
Opening a new business or remodeling your current business?  Let us know and we can schedule a ribbon cutting!  It is a great way to advertise your new store and meet a few DCR Chamber members!    
  
Affinity Plus, Eagan
Ultimate Fleet Repair, Eagan
Upcoming Ribbon Cuttings
We invite you to attend these ribbon cuttings to support
your fellow Chamber members!
  
No ribbon cuttings currently scheduled.
  
Call Jessy at 651.288.9202 to schedule yours today!

Advertise In The Weekly Update        

    

Advertising Options

New Member Ad - New members can run an advertisement at a discounted rate of 50% off. This advertisement should be business card size. This is a great way for new members to introduce their company to other members of the chamber.  $50 per ad, per week

 

Basic Ad - 545(w) x 245(h) pixel area to advertise your news, event, sale, etc. displayed on weekly update. This ad is typically placed in the middle of the weekly update.  $100 per ad, per week

 

Weekly Update Sponsorship - 545(w) x 245(h) pixel area to advertise your news, event, sale, etc. displayed on weekly update. This ad is typically placed in the middle of the weekly update. Additionally, your company logo and web address will be displayed in the top left corner of the weekly update for quicker access to your website and company information, as well as being noticed instantly by all viewers.  $150 per ad, per week


 

Contact Jessy at [email protected] or 651.288.9202

to reserve your space.

 
Action Central 
This section contains items that may require YOU to take action, such as RSVP'ing for an event!         
  
2013 Member and Volunteer Celebration: Barnyard Bash
EARLY BIRD RATE ENDS THIS WEEK - REGISTER TODAY!
Join the Dakota County Regional Chamber and its members at the 2013 Member and Volunteer Celebration: Barnyard Bash on Friday, September 20th from 7:00pm - 10:00pm at the Dodge Nature Center (1701 Charlton Street, West Saint Paul) as we gather to celebrate our volunteers and members who have so kindly donated their time, effort, and monetary support to the Chamber on a daily basis. This will be a FUN evening including games, live band, food and beverages, a bonfire, wagon rides and much more! So giddy up and kick up your heels at the Barnyard Bash.

 

This guarantees to be a fun and affordable night out for just $40 per person (Early Bird Rate - By August 31, 2013) or $50 per person (Regular Rate - Starting September 1, 2013)! This includes dinner, beverages and entertainment. This is a 21+ event and you are welcome to bring non-chamber member guests. Click here to register online or return this form to Jessy at [email protected] or fax it to 651.452.8978.

Interested in sponsoring this event? A sponsorship is a perfect opportunity for you to get your company in front of these business professionals and create additional traffic to your business. Participants will remember those that generously sponsored, long after the event ends. Click here to view sponsorship opportunities.

  
  

Confused About Health Care?  We Are Too!

The Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce brings together a panel of experts for an informational health care discussion and to answer many of your employer-related questions. Learn more about policies affecting employer decisions, changes to the health care delivery system; access, readiness and potential impact on premiums; and the nuts and bolts of implementation.


Panelists include Lin Nelson, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota; Joan Kohl, Gallagher Benefit Systems; and Beth Krehbiel, Fairview Ridges.

Human resource managers and employee benefit personnel should attend, along with business owners and managers and anyone interested in finding out more about the Health Care Reform Act and its implications.

Join us on Tuesday, September 24 from 7:30am to 10:30am at Argosy University (1515 Central Parkway, Eagan).

Cost to attend is $20 for Chamber members; $35 for non-members. Investment includes breakfast and program.  To register, contact Jessy at 651.288.9202 or [email protected] or register online here.

 

 

2013 County Wide Chamber

Small Business Expo and Business After Hours

Join us at the 2013 County Wide Chamber Small Business Expo and Business After Hours on Thursday, November 14th from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Mendakota Country Club (2075 Mendakota Road, Mendota Heights) to network with other chamber members from Dakota County. This event includes complimentary hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar and exhibits by members from each of the participating chambers.

 

The cost to reserve an 8' table is $150, which includes table skirting and electricity. The fee for a free standing display is $150, which includes electricity. The fee for a � 8' table is $90, which includes table skirting and electricity. Please specify if you have a floor display or if you need electricity for your booth. Each vendor is asked to provide their own signage. To reserve your space, please return this form to Jessy Annoni by email at [email protected] or by fax at 651.452.8978 by Friday, October 25th. Space is limited!

 

 

 

Opportunities to Promote Your Business

The DCR Chamber is looking for member's to host future networking events. Hosting an event like "Why Not Wednesday" Business After Hours, Coffee Break, Farmington Brew HaHa, and The Rosemount Connection are a great way to bring customers into your business. Limited availability. If you are interested in hosting one of these events or would like more information, please contact Jessy at 651.288.9202 or [email protected].

 

 

DCR Chamber Internship Opportunity
Do you know anyone who would be interested in interning at the DCR Chamber this summer?  We are looking for someone with experience in customer service.  For more information, contact Vicki Stute at 651.288.9201 or [email protected]
 
 
Looking for a Lead/Referral Networking Group?  Join ChamberNet Two! 
The ChamberNet Two group operates as a lead/referral networking group that utilizes a non-competing core of business people to build relationships and generate additional business leads for one another.  Currently, the ChamberNet Two group, which meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 7:30am - 8:45am, is seeking more active members to join the group.  For more information, contact Jason Madson at 651.405.2000 or [email protected].  
   

 

Did you know?

As a member of the DCR Chamber, you have access to many things on our website.  You can post events, job openings, hot deals, and register online for events that the chamber is hosting.  An online directory of our members is also available for your access.  All you need to do is go to the DCR Chamber Website, click "members only" on the left side, and log in with your company's login information.  If you don't have this information, Jessy can provide it to you, call 651.288.9202 or email [email protected].  This is a great resource for our members to use! 

 News You Should Know

 

Who Are The Most Active DCR Chamber Members?

To get the most value out of your Chamber membership, remember that it is important to be actively involved.  So make sure you are attending events!  The following members sure are taking advantage of the opportunities available to them.  Let's congratulate our Top 10 Most Active Members!

1.  SKB Environmental, Inc.

2.  Home Federal

3.  Dakota Electric Association

4.  TDS

5.  Eagan's July 4th Funfest

6.  Gateway Bank

7.  Velocity Telephone, Inc.

8.  Eagan Convention and Visitors Bureau

9.  The Wallace Group

10. Sherrill's Interiors

  

  

Velocity Telephone, Inc. Becomes New AccessEagan Provider

The City of Eagan and Velocity Telephone, Inc. announces that they have partnered to give the Eagan business community additional options for Internet, phone and data solutions.  As a service provider of the AccessEagan fiber network, Velocity offers a wide variety of business solutions wiht flexible, scalable and secure solutions including Ethernet, Hosted Voice - Virtual Office, Data Bake-Up, Colocation and managed Internet access.  Velocity Network Services include unique products in the Twin Cities for connecting businesses including Data Aggregation that allows businesses to seamlessley connect to various Network Providers in the Twin Cities and redundant backbone connections to major Tier 1 Internet providers.  Velocity is the third telecommunications provider to sign a master agreement with AccessEagan, the City's wholesale fiber network.  With this partnership, businesses can work directly with Velocity for seamless data transfer.  Read more here.

 

 

We Tip Our Hat to Existing Businesses, Too

By David C. Olson, President of the Minnesota Chamber

A newsletter from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development declared "jobs" as "the big winner" this legislative session: "DEED is thrilled that the Minnesota Legislature approved (and Gov. Dayton signed) more than $95 million in economic development funding along with tax incentives that will help businesses expand and create jobs."

 

From my perspective, the Legislature's first priority should be to make our business climate more competitive for all businesses. I find it troubling that while providing incentives to a few specific businesses, this same Legislature raised taxes and fees by $2.3 billion, much of which will fall on businesses statewide.

 

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and our statewide network of local partners work tirelessly to strengthen the business environment for all types and sizes of companies no matter where they are located. That is what our team of lobbyists did at the Capitol every day during the 2013 session. That work is also at the heart of Grow Minnesota!, our distinctive private-sector initiative dedicated to helping businesses stay and expand in our communities.

 

Grow Minnesota! recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. With 60 local chamber partners, our 10-year partnership has resulted in face-to-face conversations with well over 7,000 Minnesota companies and provided direct assistance to more than 1,000 businesses. Our retention efforts have protected close to 15,000 jobs. Our portfolio of company profiles identifies business challenges and trends that help shape and support the Minnesota Chamber's public policy agenda at the Capitol.

 

We welcome all partners, private and public, in developing Minnesota's economy. It takes hard work. We won't be successful unless we pay as much, or even more, attention to existing businesses as we do to offering incentives to companies to relocate or expand in Minnesota. Bottom-line dividends depend on checking in regularly with local business owners and managers.

 

Legislative leaders are quick to promote this year's economic development package as an investment in the economy and Minnesota's future - but we remind policy-makers to not lose sight of the cumulative impact of their actions on the businesses that already line our main streets, commercial districts and industrial parks.

 

Business retention is painstaking work. However, these last 10 years have proven at least two things: First, that it is critical to the development of our economy and job growth; and, second, that the work of programs like Grow Minnesota! is more important than ever. We need to reach more Minnesota businesses - always thanking them for being here and helping them stay and grow in Minnesota.

 

Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce has been a proud partner of Grow Minnesota! since its inception.  

 

  

Hot Deals

Check out the Hot Deals section of the DCR Chamber website for new and exciting specials offered by fellow members. Want to add your own Hot Deal? Login to your "Members Only" section here.

Business Briefing 
News on what's happening with our members or businesses in the community!   
 

The Lakeville campus of Minnesota School of Business is hosting a Holistic Health Fair on Saturday, October 26th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The goal of the event is to inform the public of the benefits of holistic healthcare and its role in integrative medicine; as well as provide the public with products and services to gain overall health and wellbeing. The event will feature informational sessions from local guest speakers, holistic products, free health screenings, drawings/giveaways, and free classes in various fitness programs. All of these elements are designed to attract a diverse crowd and draw people to your booth.  Free to participate. Apply by Friday, September 13th, 2013. Contact Stephanie Strand at [email protected] or 952-892-9036 for more information or click here receive a vendor form.

 

 

SERVPRO� of Eagan/Apple Valley Offers a Two-Step Approach to Disaster Readiness Local disaster recovery specialist urges Eagan property and business owners to take advantage of free readiness resources as National Preparedness Month approaches.   As a National Sponsor of the American Red Cross Ready Rating ProgramTM and the originator of SERVPRO's Emergency READY Program, SERVPRO� is uniquely positioned to offer Eagan area home and business owners guidance on a robust, two-step approach to disaster planning and recovery, encompassing both readiness and recovery planning, according to Holmdahl.

 

Step 1: Readiness Planning

Knowledge is power, and the American Red Cross Ready Rating™ program is designed to help home and business owners assess their level of preparedness for weather-related or other emergencies in advance. This free, web-based program, available at readyrating.org, walks responsible parties at businesses, organizations and schools through a 123-point self-assessment of their establishment's level of preparedness for weather-related or other emergencies, and then offers tips and best practices to help improve their readiness.

 

Step 2: Recovery Planning

Through SERVPRO's Emergency READY Program, local schools, businesses and other establishments can arrange for a SERVPRO� of Eagan/Apple Valley disaster recovery professional to establish an Emergency READY Profile� (ERP) for their facility, at no charge. The ERP is a comprehensive document containing critical information about the business, including emergency contact information, shut-off valve locations and priority areas. In the event of an emergency, the ERP can help minimize business interruption by ensuring there is an immediate plan of action already in place for the facility. If disaster strikes and damages the business, the ERP can save the property owner both time and money during the recovery period.

 

SERVPRO� of Eagan/Apple Valley specializes in disaster restoration, cleanup and repair services, helping to remediate damage, making it "Like it never even happened," for both commercial and residential customers. Eagan area residents are encouraged to contact Mike Holmdahl of SERVPRO� of Eagan/Apple Valley at (651)330-7271 or [email protected] or visit www.SERVPRO.com for information on readiness resources including SERVPRO's free READY Plan Mobile Application, available on all smartphones. For more information about the app, visit www.servpro.com/ready. For more information on the Red Cross Ready Rating program, please visit http://readyrating.org/.

  

 

WSB & Associates is pleased to announce the promotion of Penny Rolf to Right of Way Group Manager.  Rolf has been a member of WSB's Right of Way Group for nearly two years. She has 20 years of real estate experience, with the last 13 years exclusively focused on acquiring right of way and providing relocation assistance on projects for utility companies, counties, cities, and the Minnesota and Wisconsin departments of transportation.  In 2012, Rolf was named Professional of the Year by the North Star Chapter 20 of the International Right of Way Association. The award recognized her service to the chapter and to the organization as a whole.  WSB & Associates, Inc. is a professional consulting and design firm providing engineering, planning, environmental, and construction services. Our experts continually elevate thought and practice by applying advanced knowledge in the areas of strategy, technology, and innovation.

 

 

Mahoney Ulbrich Christiansen Russ has been honored with the 2013 Alfred P. Sloan Award for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility for its use of flexibility and other aspects of workplace effectiveness as a workplace strategy to increase business and employee success. This prestigious award, part of the national When Work Works project administered by Families and Work Institute (FWI) and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), recognizes employers of all sizes and types in the greater Twin Cities and across the country. Workplace flexibility - such as flextime, part-time work and compressed workweeks - has been demonstrated to help businesses remain competitive while also benefiting employees. Flexibility in combination with other aspects of an effective workplace-such as learning opportunities and supervisor support for job success-can have a powerful impact on employee engagement and motivation. The Sloan Awards are unique for their rigorous, two-step selection process, which involves an evaluation of employers' flexibility programs and practices, and a confidential employee survey on the key ingredients of an effective and flexible workplace. All applicants are measured against national norms from the National Study of Employers. When Work Works is a national project to educate the business community on the value of workplace flexibility by sharing research and promising practices, and conducting the annual Sloan Awards. It is an ongoing initiative of FWI and SHRM. For more information about the When Work Works initiative and the Alfred P. Sloan Awards for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility, visit www.whenworkworks.org.

 

 

ProAct, Inc. hosted their annual Golf Classic this past week. A threesome with TDS Metrocom led by Rob Armfield won the tournament with a "best ball" score of 60, or 12 under par, at Hastings Country Club on August 19.  Proceeds from this tournament benefit people with disabilities at ProAct, which has locations in Eagan, Red Wing, Zumbrota and Hudson, Wis.  ProAct is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit corporation which has served the needs of people with disabilities and other challenges for more than 40 years.

 

 

 

Want to get more Internet bang for your business buck? A free informational seminar is being held by the City of Eagan and the three telecommunications providers on the new AccessEagan fiber optic network in Eagan. The session is particularly appropriate for those businesses located in central and northern Eagan as well as in Cedar Grove along the 16-mile AccessEagan route. The seminar will be held first thing in the morning, Wednesday, September 25th, from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Eagan Community Center, 1501 Central Parkway. Seminar topics include why higher speed fiber broadband connections are important to your business, why it is important to think about in route redundancy and the cost to your business if your data connections are severed, and understanding why your business may want or need to go to the Cloud. To RSVP to this important free event, email [email protected] 

 

 

Join Signal Garage for their 10th Annual Food Shelf Promotion.  Bring a grocery bag full of food or school supplied during the month of August and get FREE BRAKES.  This year's goal is to collect 5 tons of goods!  Signal Garage is offering free brake inspection, free brake pads or shoes (most cars) and free installation of the pads or shoes.  Schedule your appointment in advance by calling the West Saint Paul location at 651.457.2668 or the Saint Paul location at 651.690.1487.  Learn more here.

 

 

Loucks Associates is happy to announce Henry Nelson, PLS has joined the firm as a Senior Project Surveyor. During his 36-year career, Henry has managed a variety of surveying projects for commercial and residential developments, including Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove, Excelsior and Grand in Saint Louis Park, CityWalk in Woodbury, and Cedar Grove Redevelopment in Eagan. In his new role at Loucks Associates, Henry will direct surveying projects and collaborate with senior leadership in the areas of business development and client relations. Henryadds to Loucks Associates'wealth of knowledge about boundary surveys, ALTA / ACSM land title surveys with topography, platting, CIC plats, construction staking, and as-builtsHe is especially skilled at working with city leaders and attorneys to resolve ownership and title disputes. His previous experience includes positions with MFRA, EVS, and most recently Survey Operations Manager at the former RLK Incorporated. Henry has held several leadership roles with the Minnesota Society of Professional Land Surveyors, including board member and past president. Henry may be reached at 763.496.6754 or [email protected].

 

  

White Pine Senior Living (745 South Plaza Drive, Mendota Heights) invites you to a special presentation, "Basics of Dementia" on August 27th at 6:30pm.  A speaker from St. Croix Hospice will be at White Pine to share information about the basics of dementia, geared towards family caregivers.  We will also be discussing our participation in the annual Walk to End Alzheimer's which is in late September.  Come to learn more about how you can join or support our team.  For more information, call 651.788.7010 or email [email protected]

August 26, 2013
Weekly Update Sponsor
 
 
In This Issue
Events Calendar
Advertising
Action Central
News You Should Know
Business Briefing
New Members
Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc.
2600 Eagan Woods Drive, Suite 260, Eagan
701.746.8087
Contact: Andrea Boe
Engineering Firm
  
Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union
1642 Diffley Road, Eagan
651.312.9769
Contact:  Natalie Okonek
Bank
 
Ayars & Ayars, Inc.
21900 Kenrick Avenue, Lakeville
952.469.0929
Contact: Mark Mueller
Design Build General Contractor
 
Comcast Business
9705 Data Park, Minnetonka
1.800.391.3000
Contact:  Chris Leaf
Telecommunications/Internet Provider
  
Fred Astaire Dance Studio

1975 Seneca Road, Suite 700, Eagan

651.451.6300

Contact: Chad Lessard

www.fredastairemn.com

Dance Studio

 

Hooker and Company

165 Western Avenue North, Suite 12, Saint Paul

651.659.9648

Contact:  Dan Foote

www.hookerandcompany.com

Marketing/Advertising

 

Jeannine Marie Photography

275 East 4th Street, Suite 100, Saint Paul

651.434.1578

Contact: Jeannine Pohl

www.jeanninemarie.com

Photography

 

Liberty Mutual Insurance

14985 Glazier Avenue, Suite 645, Apple Valley

952.891.6363

Contact: Gayle Peter

www.libertymutual.com/gayle-peter

Personal Lines Insurance

 

Re/Max Results- Homes of Minnesota

3348 Sherman Court, Suite 102, Eagan

612.584.9799

Contact:  Aaron Like

www.homesofminnesota.com

Real Estate Services

 

Senator Dan Hall

12936 Portland Avenue, Burnsville

612.790.2000

Contact:  Senator Dan Hall

Legislator

 

Ultimate Fleet Repair

920 Aldrin Drive, Eagan

651.454.8775

Contact: Kim Zarbo

www.ultimatefleetrepair.com

Automobile Repair

 

Winters Pediatric Dentistry

3410 151st Street West, Rosemount

651.322.5788

Contact:  Kerry Winters, DDS

www.winterspd.com

Pediatric Dentistry  

 Are You Connected?

Join Our Mailing List 

Like us on Facebook

 

Follow us on Twitter

 

Find me on Pinterest

 

View our videos on YouTube

 

Visit our blog 

 

 Find us on Google+

 

 View our photos on flickr

Jessy Annoni 

Communications and Events Manager

Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102, Eagan

[email protected]

651.288.9202