Member Announcements
 The Chamber is proud of our members’ accomplishments as they grow their businesses. Do you have a recent accomplishment you want to share with the TwinWest membership? E-mail your news to info@twinwest.com, and we'll post it here.
July 2 - Intercongregation Communities Association (ICA) is pleased to announce the appointment of ICA volunteer Kathy Maes to interim director. An active volunteer in the community, Maes brings a wide array of skills to the position including knowledge of technology, business and volunteerism. ICA looks forward to her leadership during the transitional period.
June 19 - Mintáhoe Hospitality Group has been named the exclusive catering provider at downtown hot spot Epic Event Center. Clients at Epic can enjoy the menu offerings of Mintáhoe’s ‘Apples Catering’ division, famous for featuring the latest in culinary currents and customization. The announcement comes on the heels of Mintáhoe’s recent “Best On-Premise Catered Event of the Year” award from NACE (National Association of Catering Executives), Twin Cities chapter.
| June 19 - The Eden Prairie law firm of Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC today announced attorney Jennifer C. Toohey has joined the firm. Toohey concentrates her practice in the areas of real estate and business law. An adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law, Toohey sits on the board of directors of the Twin Cities Housing Development Corporation, and is active in Minnesota Commercial Real Estate Women (MNCREW) and the Real Property Sections of the Hennepin County and Minnesota State Bar Associations. |  |
 | June 17 - Americana Community Bank (ACB) today announced it has hired David Wagner, Jr. as business banking manager for its Maple Grove branch. Energetic and passionate about serving customers and their financial needs, Wagner is eager to begin building relationships with Maple Grove customers and to become a part of Americana Community Bank's community-centered environment. |
June 17 - Introducing itself as "your hometown bank" with the "hometown service," Center National Bank opened its doors in Plymouth on June 2. The new branch is located at 37th Avenue and Vicksburg Lane. Center National Bank dates back to 1891, when it first opened in Litchfield, Minn., and has been a family-owned business since 1987.
| June 13 - Kaposia, inc., a St. Paul-based nonprofit corporation and a national leader in employment and retirement services for persons with developmental disabilities and other challenges, has named Jon Alexander CEO. Alexander assumes the role on July 1 with the retirement of Jackie Mlynarczyk, who served as CEO for 35 years. Alexander has served as director of operations of Kaposia for the past 10 years and has a long career in supported employment and working with individuals with disabilities. |  |
June 10 - Creative Corporate Catering is excited to announce Director of Operations, Teri Dullnig, has been elected treasurer to the Board of Directors for the Restaurant Marketing and Delivery Association (RMDA). Additionally, the company was awarded the first annual Robert Lapkin Award for Excellence (named for CCC’s founder) at RMDA’s annual conference.
June 10 - Coordinated Business Systems, Minnesota’s premier Office Technology Company, announced it has achieved the Premier Dealer Award and the Diamond Premier Dealer Level by Kyocera Mita America. “It’s a significant honor to achieve these two awards,” said Jim Oricchio, president of Coordinated Business Systems. “It’s a tribute to our hard working employees and innovative management who continually strive to be proactive and grow our company while maintaining outstanding customer service.”
 | June 10 - Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC today announced that attorney Joel A. Hilgendorf was certified as a Real Property Law Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association. Hilgendorf brings his unique expertise to structuring commercial and residential real estate transactions, landlord/tenant issues, quieting title defects, creditors' rights, bankruptcy issues and navigating real estate disputes over contracts, boundaries, ownership, easements and other real property interests. |
| June 9 - Art Holdings has hired Mark Spencer as its director of business development. Spencer’s responsibilities will include expanding the company’s national reach by focusing on Fortune 1000 firms with multiple facility needs. In addition, he will be integrating the company’s services into the offerings of local real estate firms and office furnishings dealers. |  |
June 5 - Americana Community Bank (ACB) recently donated $500 to the Chanhassen Rotary Scholarship Fund. Allen Obernolte, ACB president and CEO, presented the Americana Community Bank scholarship to Kristen Hart, a Chaska High School senior and Chanhassen resident. Seventeen high school seniors from five area high schools were awarded scholarships ranging from $750 to $2500.
| June 3 - HTG Architects, an architectural firm with offices in Minneapolis, Minn. and Phoenix, Ariz. and 49 years of experience, proudly announces the addition of Mike Melton to its staff. Mike joins the staff as vice president of business development in the Midwest, working from the Minneapolis office. Mike brings a knowledge of the construction and development industries and will work with commercial clients, building relationships with developers and entities in the retail industry, while also assisting with the firm’s financial institution work. |  |
May 28--New president at Shred-It, Tom Vettel, announced his goals and outlook for the company, which is part of the world’s largest document destruction service with 140 offices around the globe. He intends to lead the Minnesota business to increased revenues, take a leadership role in educating communities, businesses and individuals about document destruction, and remain committed to the environment by installing engine shut-off technology in the company’s trucks.
 | May 28--The Eden Prairie law firm of Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC today announced attorney Jillian K. Duffy has joined the firm. Duffy concentrates her practice in the areas of construction litigation, real estate, and commercial litigation. Licensed to practice law in the state of Minnesota and federal courts in Colorado, she is a Qualified Neutral under Rule 114 and a Certified Family Law Mediator. |
May 27--Sharp Electronics Corporation recognized Marco as a Hyakuman Kai Dealer for providing exceptional service to the local business community. The award puts Marco in a select group of dealers recognized by Sharp from the hundreds of dealers that sell Sharp’s advanced color and monochrome business products in the United States.
| May 14--Venture Bank is pleased to announce the recent hiring of Connie Tran as vice president and commercial loan officer. Connie joins the team of lenders at Venture Bank’s Eagan location. |  |
| May 13--The Twin Cities chapter of NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) named Mintáhoe Hospitality Group the recipient of the 2007 “Best On-Premise Catered Event of the Year” award at the organization’s annual awards banquet, held May 7. The winning event, a “Rockin’ 90th Birthday Celebration” for local music industry legend and community leader Amos Heilicher, was held this past November at Nicollet Island Pavilion. |  |
May 9-- Attics to Basements Building and Renovations is pleased to announce David Vinje and Grant Sala have recently achieved the prestigious Certified Remodeler status. A Certified Remodeler (CR) designation proves the remodeling contractor's superior knowledge, technical comprehension and skill in remodeling.
May 9--Americana Community Bank (ACB) has introduced Name Your Own Account, a special account designed to help customers save money for a specific purchase goal. Name Your Own Account encourages individuals to decide what they wish to save for, such as a new boat, a vacation or holiday gifts, and set aside money each month in this special account until enough money has been saved to make the desired purchase.
May 6--HTG Architects, an architectural firm with offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Mesa, Arizona and with nearly 50 years of experience, announces the recent completion of a drive-up facility for General Mills Federal Credit Union in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Located at the General Mills Corporate Headquarters building, the new driveup facility serves members working at the company headquarters.
| May 5--McLaughlin Gormley King Company® (MGK®), a longtime supporter of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), recently hosted the association’s endorsement of Sen. Norm Coleman for reelection. The endorsement comes from NFIB's Save America's Free Enterprise (SAFE) Trust, and it is based on prior voting records to evaluate the candidates' views on legislative issues affecting small business. Pictured: MGK CEO Bill Gullickson (left), Sen. Coleman (right). |  |
April 28--For the second straight year, regional business, academic and community leaders selected RJF Agencies Chief Executive Officer Bill Jeatran, who is also the chairman of the international brokerage group Assurex Global, as a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program. Nominees from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota were judged on each business’ overall success and its impact on employees and the community, as well as the individual’s vision, overall leadership, achievement and social responsibility. |
| April 21--The Eden Prairie law firm of Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC today announced the addition of five attorneys to the firm's growing team. Pictured below, left to right: litigators Kurt Mitchell and Ryan Wartick practice in construction law; Kim Robinson practices in family law; and Phaedra Howard and Nicole McCain practice in the real estate and community association arenas. |      |
April 16--Marco, Inc. a distributor of advanced data and voice communications solutions for businesses, has been named a Diamond Dealer for 2007 by Mitel, a provider of unified communications solutions and applications for organizations of all sizes.
| April 16--Four business units from Cargill (Malt, Animal Nutrition, Ag Horizons and Salt) competed to see who could buy the items on a grocery list in the quickest time. This resulted in the purchase of more than 9,900 pounds of food, which was delivered to ICA by the Cargill employees. |  |
April 15--VISI a Minneapolis-based leader in managed hosting and connectivity services, is pleased to announce it will build an $18-19 million, tier III data center in Duluth to provide co-location and managed hosting services to the Duluth area. Read more.
| March 28--Cathy Carlson and Barb Westmoreland, co-chairs of Empty Bowls, presented a check for $26,500 to Annette Poeschel of ICA. This was a big boost to ICA's March MN FoodShare goal of 125,000 pounds and dollars combined. ICA reached and surpassed its goal with a total of 156,630 donated: 52,222 pounds of food and $104,408. |  |
March 19--Marco Inc. announced at its annual shareholders’ meeting that it distributed a record $2.3 million in stock benefits last year to 183 eligible employees. The employee-owned company’s strong profits in 2007 drove the average employee contribution to about $12,568. Marco’s profits increased 37.2 percent in 2007 over the same period a year ago.
| March 19--Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC is pleased to announce Susan E. Marsh has joined the firm as chief operating officer. She will oversee all aspects of the firm’s financial, administrative and logistical operations. |  |
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