June 6, 2016
Small Business University is Coming to You! 
 
Small Business University is a new, day-long seminar focused on small businesses which will be held on Thursday, September 22 at Lost Spur Golf & Event Center from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.  We are very excited to announce that it will feature keynote speaker, John Puckett, founder of Caribou Coffee and Punch Pizza. There will also be three breakout sessions on topics that are important to small businesses. Topics may include creating marketing plans, attracting and retaining workforce, leadership development, social media, creating business plans, cyber security, how to network, time management, public/media relations, employee engagement and more. Watch for more information to come!

Sponsorship opportunities are currently available. Click here for more information on investing in small business and this topnotch event. Please contact Emily Corson, 651.288.9202, with questions.

              Thank you to our sponsors!               

 
Committed to Business... for YOU.
Wrapping Up the Legislative Session 

Last Friday, your Chamber hosted a legislative panel discussion to wrap-up the 2016 Legislative Session. Discussion included the anticipated Special Session and there was general agreement that Minnesota will know much more today based on the Governor's action on the tax bill: if he signs it, we will likely see a Special Session focused on bonding and transportation bills. If he vetoes it, everyone goes home. Stay tuned for special updates and action alerts. 
 
Special thanks to Senator Clausen and Representatives Peterson, Hansen and Garofalo for spending time with Chamber members. Also pictured, Dakota County Regional Chamber President, Vicki Stute. 
Sick and Safe Leave Passes  
 
The Minneapolis City Council made history by passing the first-ever sick and safe leave mandate in the State of Minnesota.  Moreover, the ordinance is also the most restrictive in the nation.  We believe the City of Minneapolis has over-reached on this issue and are extremely concerned for the regional business community.  Read the ordinance
 
Your Chamber is very involved in this issue through a number of channels, including serving as secretary/treasurer of the Metropolitan Advocacy Coalition of Chambers (MACC), a group of 21 chambers of commerce throughout the Twin Cities metro area, with a combined membership of more than 10,000 businesses.  Read more about MACC's position on this as reported in the Star Tribune. 
 
If you would like to be part of your Chamber's Labor Action Group, contact Vicki Stute.     
Night Out with the St. Paul Saints 
 
Your Chamber invites you to a night out at CHS Field to watch the St. Paul Saints take on the Fargo Moorhead Redhawks on Thursday, August 4. It will be a great night of baseball, networking and fun!  The game will begin at 7:05 p.m. Bring your spouse, colleagues or the whole family! Tickets must be purchased by Friday, July 1. Register today.  
 
Events Calendar
 
 
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
6

7:30 a.m.
Executive Committee
7

11:30 a.m.
SMYPro Steering Committee

4:00 p.m.
8

8:00 a.m.
9

8:00 a.m.
10
13
14
15

16

4:30 p.m.
17
20

10:00 a.m.
21

7:30 a.m.
Board of Directors

9:00 a.m..
Communications Committee

Noon
22

8:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
SMYPros

Noon

23

 

7:30 a.m.

Government Affairs Committee


4:30 p.m.

Membership Campaign Celebration

24
27

7:30 a.m.
PAC Board
28

8:00 a.m.
29

7:30 a.m.
PAC Board
30
1
Did You Know?
Are you looking for talented individuals to join your staff? You can post job openings on your Chamber's website. Simply log in to your account on www.dcrchamber.com, click on "Job Postings" on the left hand side, then click on the blue "Add Job Posting" button, fill in the details and you are all set. 
City of Eagan Names New Community Development Director 
  
Please join us in welcoming Eagan's new Community Development Director, Jill Hutmacher. Jill comes to Eagan with a great deal of experience and a master's degree in urban planning. For the past six years, she has served as Community Development Director for the City of Arden Hills. Previously, she worked for the Bloomington Port Authority and the Dakota County Community Development Agency, touching such projects as Radisson Blu at the Mall of America, the 28th Avenue Park & Ride and the American Boulevard Light Rail Transit Station.

Jill will oversee a $2.3 million budget and 19 employees in community development, planning, building inspections and code enforcement. She is succeeding Jon Hohenstein, who retired in late May.
Local Focus: Find Out What's Happening In Your Community
 
Farmington City Council meets June 6 - see the agenda
Rosemount City Council meets June 7 - see the agenda  
Eagan City Council meets June 7 - see the agenda 
Mendota Heights City Council meets June 7 - see the agenda
Dakota County Board of Commissioners meets June 7 - see the agenda 
Member Spotlight: Networking an Essential Part of Growth  
  
Anne McClimon
At The UPS Store, we work closely with our clients and we identify solutions for all of their printing and design needs. We help our clients to stand out from their competition and leave a lasting impression. Dakota County Regional Chamber is a great place to meet other business owners who feel the same way about their clients. We bought The UPS Store in Eagan three years ago and joined the Chamber right away. Being a franchise, networking with other business owners and employees is an essential part of growing our store. We work with businesses of all sizes, supporting organizations from start-up companies to large corporations. We can do everything from designing logos to creating a new unique brand, taking one step further and designing a consistent look for all of your business needs. Our goal is to do more than earn your business; our goal is to be an extension of your team.
We Need You!
 
Team Mark regained the lead last week by adding two new members! There are less than three weeks left in the membership campaign and we need your help to add more new members and to continue to grow your Chamber. Please share your prospective member leads through this easy online form and also don't forget to join a Member Madness team - Team Cindy or Team Mark by contacting Vicki Stute. Need more details? Click here.
 
 
 
New Members
We welcome the following new members!
 

St. Paul Saints
Park Dental Rosemount
Auxilium Solutions, LLC
Minnesota Zoo
Angie Craig for Congress
Jay Gubrud, Inc.

Shamrock Wealth Management

Watch for more information about these fine companies in upcoming Weekly Updates.
 
Celebrate Business Success
News on what's happening with our members and in the community!


Your Chamber Ambassadors helped celebrate the opening of Studio Vibe in Eagan with a ribbon cutting. Thank you to our ribbon cutting sponsor, Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union.


Congratulations to Anchor Bank, Living Well Disability Services and MRCI Worksource on receiving the Employers of Excellence Award last week presented by the Dakota and Scott counties. They were recognized for their success in employee training and development, hiring and retention, and compensation.
                                           

Marco, a leading technology services provider in the United States, announced last week that it has purchased Paragon Solutions Group, Inc., a business IT services company located in Plymouth, MN. Congrats to Marco on their continued growth!

Congratulations to Vanguard Cleaning Systems of Minnesota, a business specializing in Commercial Cleaning Franchise Sales, on receiving national re-certification as a Women's Business Enterprise by  the Women's Business Enterprise National Council - Chicago.

 Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce
3352 Sherman Court, Suite 201
Eagan, MN 55121
www.dcrchamber.com
651.452.9872