March 16, 2015
Dust Off Your Clubs: The 2015 DCR Golf Classic is Right Around the Corner!

As the weather reaches almost 60 degrees this week, we know some of you are getting those clubs out and booking your tee times. In the spirit of golfing season, we invite you to join us and mark your calendars for this year's 2015 Golf Classic on Monday, June 15th. Always a sell-out, your Chamber's golf tournament will be held at Mendakota Country Club beginning with a BBQ luncheon and shotgun start at 12:00 noon; and finishing up with dinner and great prizes.  Learn more about sponsorships and register today.  

If you are interested in being a member of our 2015 Golf Classic Committee, please email Chelsea. This committee meets 1-2 times per month and works on improving the tournament by getting donations, sponsorships and helping organize the event. This year's Golf Classic Committee Chair is Michael Kinderman from Home Federal Savings Bank. We hope you will join us!
Committed to Business... for YOU.

Workforce Development - Is this a Challenge Facing Your Business?

 

A well-prepared workforce is vital to Minnesota's economy.  However, we hear every day that employers continue to face challenges finding skilled workers due to changing demographics and skills gaps in the labor market.

 

Your Chamber's education and workforce development efforts focus on legislative and private-sector solutions to address both the immediate need for a greater supply of skilled workers and the overall strength of the education-to-workforce pipeline.

 

Here's our 2015 Legislative To-Do List:

  • Accelerate workforce training efforts by leveraging customized training and apprenticeship programs.
  • Help high school students earn college credit before they graduate by expanding dual-credit programs.
  • Continue efforts to reform teacher tenure to keep the best teachers in the classroom, regardless of seniority.  (The GOP-led House last Thursday approved legislation (HF2) that would require school districts to consider performance, not just seniority, when laying off teachers.)
  • Expand high-quality charter schools, and reform struggling charter schools.
  • Restructure testing.

For more information, please contact Vicki Stute.

 

(Register today for your Chamber's Legislative Breakfast on April 3 when MNSCU Chancellor Steve Rosenstone and others will discuss the Future of Higher Education in Minnesota.)
3 State of the City Addresses Remaining, Planned for March

Your Chamber is hosting State of the City Addresses in our local communities. Each mayor reflects on the past year and shares their vision for the future. This is a great opportunity to learn about the communities where you live, work, and play.
  • Farmington: Wednesday, March 18th from 8:00am - 9:30am at Farmington City Hall, 340 3rd Street, Farmington. Keynote by Mayor Todd Larson. Free to attend.Click here to RSVP.
  • Eagan: Thursday, March 19th from 7:30am - 9:00am at the Market Hall in Twin Cities Premium Outlets (Eagan Outlets Parkway, Eagan). Keynote by Mayor Mike Maguire. Free to attend. Click here to RSVP. 
  • Rosemount:   Wednesday, March 25th from 7:30am - 9:00am at the Community Center Banquet Hall (13885 South Robert Trail, Rosemount). Keynote by Mayor Bill Droste.  Sponsored by SKB Environmental.  Free to attend. Click here to RSVP. 
2015 WomEn's Conference: A Great Success, Thank You To Our Members

On Thursday, March 12, we held our 5th annual WomEn's Conference at Lost Spur Golf and Event Center. This year, we had record attendance, with almost 200 professsional businesswomen (and a few men!) in attendance. Our three speakers were Energizing, Empowering and Educational; we thank everyone who helped make this event a success, including our valued sponsors and committee members. Visit our WomEn's Conference Facebook page here to view pictures from the event, or visit our twitter here to see a feed from our attendees tweeting and posting during the event. 
Furniture for Sale, Chamber Announces Office Open House 

For Sale:  Furniture and Equipment 

A couple of weeks ago, your Chamber announced its office relocation to effective April 1 to 3352 Sherman Court, Suite 201 in Eagan.  The new office provides many professional amenities including easy access from 35E and Pilot Knob Road, free parking, conference and meeting space, state-of-the-art technology, volunteer/member workspace, and growth and expansion for the coming years.  


 As part of our move we will be replacing some of our furniture.  If you are looking for gently used office furniture (tables, chairs, desks, cabinets), let us know.  A full list is available for review on our website or stop by the office. Additionally please mark your calendar for the Open House on May 12 (Please note the change from the announcement last week) from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.! 
 
Events Calendar
 
 
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1617
Noon
18
7:30 a.m.

8:00 a.m.
19
7:30 a.m.
20
2324
8:00 a.m.
25

7:30 a.m.

8:00 a.m.

Noon

4:00pm
26
7:30 a.m.
27
30311
4:30 p.m.
23
7:30 a.m.
67
8:00 a.m.
8
8:00 a.m.
Noon

9
8:00 a.m.
10
March's Breakfast With Champions to Focus on Social Media 
Speakers Offering Free Social Media Audit for Attendees

Join us this for this month's "Breakfast With Champions" featuring speakers Bernie Laur and Melissa Budensiek from Hubbard Interactive. In this month's event, these speakers will be discussing the importance of social media, show you what a typical social media campaign looks like and perform a social media audit with ideas and strategies that your business can use today! As an additional benefit, all attendees will receive a free social media audit for their business. Click here to register!

 

Attendees will come away with:
  • An in-depth overview of the different social media networks and how to utilize them
  • Detailed instructions on how to optimize your current business profiles and how it benefits your business
  • A step-by-step audit on tactics you can use now to grow your brand online
Bernie Laur: Bernie Laur has been the Digital Sales Manager for the Hubbard Radio Group - Twin Cities since October of 2008.  Since arriving at Hubbard, Bernie has been instrumental in launching points-based listener clubs for the radio stations, maximizing client gift card promotions and auctions, and, most recently, helping create Hubbard Interactive's Social Media Management and Marketing platform.  

Melissa Budensiek: As the Digital and Social Media Consultant for Hubbard Interactive, Melissa Budensiek's position entails working with some amazing clients and team members to drive social media strategy and lead initiatives to  identify n

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Did You Know?

According to research done by Tanya Lewis from LiveScience, wearing green has become a staple of St. Patrick's Day, but the holiday was originally associated with the color blue. It's thought that the shift to green happened because of Ireland's nickname "The Emerald Isle",  the green in the Irish flag and the shamrock, or clover.  Legend has it that wearing green makes a person invisible to leprechauns that will pinch someone if they see them. Source

    

Local Focus: Find Out What's Happening In Your Community


Eagan City Council meets March 17 - see the agenda.
Rosemount Port Authority meets March 17- see the agenda.

Rosemount City Council meets March 17 - see the agenda. 

Mendota Heights City Council Work Session meets March 17 - see the agenda. 

Farmington City Council Work Session meets March 16 - see the agenda. 

DCR Chamber Releases Grow! Minnesota Business Survey: Community & State Ratings

 

Your Chamber is proud to offer you Grow Minnesota! Business Survey: Community & State Ratings.  Grow Minnesota is a program of the Minnesota Chamber along with 76 local chambers and economic development organizations working together on business retention and expansion efforts throughout Minnesota. 

 

  • All Minnesota businesses are invited to complete the brief survey. The responses from business owners, directors, and managers will help Grow Minnesota! partners better understand how Minnesota companies feel about their community and our State as a place to operate a business. The feedback will help us continue to work statewide to improve Minnesota's business climate for all.
  • Your time and comments are sincerely appreciated. Responses are confidential and only aggregate feedback will be shared. Your contact information and business name are optional. Multiple people per business are allowed to respond.
  • All of your answers will be aggregated with the responses from other business people throughout Minnesota, and the results will be shared with local Grow Minnesota! partners and via local media outlets.
  • If your company has facilities located in multiple Minnesota communities, please share this with each location so that they may also respond to the survey.
  • Submit your survey by clicking on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the survey. Please complete your survey as soon as possible.

Start Survey
 
New Members
We welcome the following new members!



 

Prime General Contractors LLC
1710 Alexander Road
Eagan, MN 55121
Contact: Larry Raasch
952.746.3636

 

Prime General Contractors LLC is a mid-size commercial general contractor based in Eagan, Minnesota.  Established in 2005, we offer full service general contracting.  We establish long-term relationships with our clients based on value, trust and our ability to follow through and successfully complete projects.  Our experience, leadership and safety record show our dedication and commitment to our clients.


 

 

 

 

Our Town America

11468 Avery Drive

Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077

Contact: Bill Hanson

651.383.4798

www.ourtownamerica.com 

 

Our Town America welcomes families and individuals who have recently moved into neighborhoods.  We connect these new movers to local businesses that want to reach out to these potential new customers and introduce them to their products and services.  Our goal is to create new long term customers for you through our program.  

 

Exclusivity is one of our key features.  If you decide to work with us in a particular zip code,your locationwould be the only business in your category represented in the Welcome Package mailed to the new movers in that zip code. 

 

 

 

 

 New Heights Physical Therapy

750 Main Street

Suite 206

Mendota Heights, MN 55118

Contact: Kari Lind

651.905.9000

www.newheightsperformance.com

 

Our physical therapy practice integrates Postural Restoration (PRI) concepts into a wellness and fitness program to meet our patient's needs and expectations.  We pride ourselves in assisting our patients with a full continuum of care from initial injury to return to sport, work and life.  Our PRI treatment philosophy focuses on restoring balance within our system so that we can function without compensation or pain.

 

We incorporate exercise programs to help our care to facilitate muscles that may be weak and inhibit those that are overworked and strained.  We combine years of clinical experience, manual therapy, neuromuscular retraining, postural education and modalities to help guide or patients back to full restoration. 

 

 


 

RE/MAX Advisers

11995 County Road 11

Burnsville, MN 55337

Contact: Debrah Safi

612.267.3018 

 

Remax Advisors has been in business in Burnsville since 1994.  We serve the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area but focus on the Southern Metro.

We believe in striving  to be the best through education, service and effort.  At Remax our agents are in business for themselves but not by themselves. 

We have outstanding agents and outstanding success. 

Our company is also a proud sponsor of the Children's Miracle Network and work to bring a caring touch to all aspects of our company.

 

Member News
News on what's happening with our members and in the community!

 

 

Did you know? Member benefits are everywhere!


 

You can submit your news to us and we will include any information about your organization in our next Weekly Update. This includes recent hires, upcoming events, new staff, hiring needs, and more. Just email Chelsea to let her know of your business news and we will do our best to accommodate your needs! 

 


Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102
Eagan, MN 55123
651.452.9872