Innovation + Job News

When Ethiopian-born Tashitaa Tufaa lost his civil service position with the Minneapolis Housing Authority in 2003, he saw two possible directions: either go back to his former job as a bus driver, or take a leap of faith and start his own bus company instead.
 
Fortunately for himself and the 200 people he now employs, he took the entrepreneurial option.
 
Tufaa brought in family members to help run the business, Metropolitan Transportation Network, and began garnering contracts with public and private schools, steadily growing the Coon Rapids-based company over the years.
 
"We seem to grow faster every year," he says. "We stay on top of it by working day and night, and also by empowering our management team. They're responsible for big decisions, instead of everything coming from me. I think that builds trust."
 
With more contracts coming in and expansion into other communities like Crystal and St. Cloud, Tufaa expects to hire at least 50 more people in the next year. He also anticipates that buying more vehicles, broadening the current fleet of 300, and constructing a new building on a six-acre lot in Fridley should help in the effort.
 
"We're excited by the opportunities that we see ahead," says Tufaa. "We want to start providing public transportation in different cities, that's a major goal. In the meantime, we're just going to work hard and provide excellent service."
 
Source: Tashitaa Tufaa, Metropolitan Transportation Network
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Sometimes, a small hobby can become big business.
 
For Ryan Batcheller and Andrew Duneman, an interest in aquarium supplies turned into one of the fastest growing companies in the state.
 
Started in 2007 by the entrepreneurial pair, Golden Valley-based Bulk Reef Supply has been on such a fast track that it recently landed on the Inc. 5000 list, coming in at number 258. Over the past three years, the company has soared from initial revenues of about $300,000 to nearly $4 million in 2010.
 
It all started with "fish chili," according to Batcheller. He made up a fish food for his own aquarium dwellers, and when some friends began asking for samples, he thought about selling it in bulk. From there, the idea blossomed into selling aquarium additives online, at bulkreefsupply.com.
 
Customers began sending them leads on products, and the pair started hiring and adding items to the site at a rapid pace. After creating some structure through the use of the Entrepreneurial Operating System, they managed to develop a system of their own that let them handle growth and keep hiring.
 
Currently, the company features 1,400 products and employs 21 people. Most likely they'll keep up the pace, but Batcheller isn't worried about hitting a wall: "We don't have revenue goals," he says. "We used to, but then we realized that revenue isn't where we'd find success. Instead, we want to be the best in the industry, the top saltwater aquarium supplier in the country. We'll get there."
 
Source: Ryan Batcheller, Bulk Reef Supply
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

A new group is hoping to bring more jobs and investment to the Twin Cities, and is amping up its marketing campaign to achieve its ambitious goals.
 
Called Greater MSP Partnership and based in St. Paul, the organization has developed a website that contains resources for local companies that want to grow their businesses, information for firms that are considering relocation, and tools for finding commercial and industrial properties.
 
A news feed features upbeat items, such as recent profit increases for St. Jude Medical and Supervalu. For companies looking at the Twin Cities from other parts of the nation, Greater MSP includes information on what makes the region so noteworthy, highlighting areas like our high rate of volunteerism, the arts and culture scene, and healthy lifestyle factors.
 
Covering the 13-county area around the Twin Cities, Greater MSP is a public-private partnership funded by charitable donations. The partnership works with dozens of partners and intends to set a strategic vision for regional economic development, among other aims.
 
Helming the effort is Michael Langley, who ran an economic development consulting practice on the East Coast before coming to Greater MSP. Recently, Langley noted that there are already at least 40 projects in the works, and the hope is that the number will expand to 150 to 200 over the next year.
 
Source: Greater MSP
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Although common wisdom claims that there are only two constants (death and taxes), there's actually one more for the list: weather.
 
Updates on temperature, storms, humidity, and other weather factors have become crucial for many types of businesses, from farmers to data center managers. "Weather impacts 43 percent of America's GDP," says meteorologist Paul Douglas. "It's rare to find a company that doesn't have some type of weather exposure."
 
Douglas and his team at WeatherNation are working to meet demand for meteorological insight with a multi-level approach. Launched in 2008, the company is now poised for growth, after a few years of developing a unique strategy for outsourcing.
 
WeatherNation provides data and info to cable stations--recently, it launched a 24/7 weather channel for the state of Kentucky--and has a national channel of its own. The firm has expanded from one studio to three, and continues to add meteorologists to its team of 12, Douglas says.
 
"We're looking beyond broadcast and cable into opportunities like mobile and new apps," he notes. "We want to make sure that people can get personalized weather information on any device, anywhere."
 
Catering to business clients is another major part of WeatherNation's approach, he adds. Clients like Wells Fargo, Polaris, and Home Depot depend on the company to help with energy efficiency efforts. Next up for the company is partnership with wind turbine manufacturers, to pair wind forecasts with technology.
 
"Weather is becoming more extreme," says Douglas. "That's the bad news. But with technological breakthroughs, mobility, and improvements in severe storm alerts, we have more tools that will help companies stay ahead of the weather."

Source: Paul Douglas, WeatherNation
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Social media is big business these days, and John Marino aims to be at the forefront of the trend.
 
In 2003, Marino co-founded BRIOprint, an online printing company that reported double-digit growth every year since its founding. Marino sold it to his partner in 2010, wanting to take on new challenges.
 
While building the multi-million dollar company, he leveraged social media like Twitter and Facebook, and so when the time came to move on from BRIOprint, he knew just where to go.
 
"I realized that a lot of small- and medium-sized businesses could use some social media management, so I headed in that direction," he says. "RSP Marketing was created to meet that demand."
 
The company began ramping up through strategic hires, including a sales team, designers, and programmers. In all, RSP has 10 employees, and Marino notes that there are plans to keep hiring, particularly for the sales department. He just brought on three people from the firm's summer internship program, and expects to hire a new employee every few months.
 
A growing client roster drives the steady pace, he says. Companies come to RSP for video services, websites, a strategic social media plan, and details on how to leverage popular online tools. Usually, they're happy to have RSP do the management while they watch the results.
 
Marino compares the arrangement to hiring a fitness trainer who can shed pounds for a client by getting on the treadmill himself (if only that possibility existed!).
 
"By and large, most people just don't have the time to tap into social media, and that's understandable," says Marino. "They don't have time to add one more responsibility to their mix."
 
He expects that as more companies want social media clout, but don't have the luxury to spend hours on sites, RSP will keep on clicking.
 
Source: John Marino, RSP Marketing
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

At creative agency Periscope, high demand and a growing client list mean that desk space is getting to be valuable real estate. In the past year, the Minneapolis-based firm has hired 83 people--bringing its employee total to 330--and its Human Resources engine isn't idling yet.
 
"We've been very fortunate to see our business development efforts translate into several consecutive years of growth," says Lori Sharbono, Periscope's VP and Director of Business Development, adding that the most growth has come from existing clients, but that new clients are always coming into the mix as well.
 
To meet client needs, Periscope has worked on expanding its services in the past few years, adding services like an end-to-end packaging operation and a brand advocacy unit that organizes events. One newer department handles social media and other online community strategies.
 
"We're always trying to stay ahead of what our clients will need," says Sharbono. "We try to make sure we have subject matter experts. Someone isn't an art designer one day and a digital person the next day. Having experts in their field makes us more efficient, and more able to help clients."
 
In expanding their expert-packed offices, Periscope has worked to maintain its distinctive culture, she adds, since many employees note that it's the environment that drew them to the firm. Unique perks include a fitness center, weekly yoga classes, quirky contests like spelling bees, dog-friendly offices, and an opportunity to join a variety of teams like triathlon runners or bowlers.
 
Sharbono believes that being a privately held firm allows Periscope to be as funky as they like, and it's a formula that's working well. She says, "We offer things that other agencies don't, and the people who apply here know that. So, we plan to keep hiring and keep having fun along the way."
 
Source: Lori Sharbono, Periscope
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Social commerce firm 8thBridge continues on its growth track by bringing on an experienced ecommerce leader as its Chief Product Officer.
 
Jon Kubo, former SVP of ecommerce and CIO of Wet Seal, joined the firm at the beginning of October, and 8thBridge CEO Wade Gerten noted that the addition would strengthen the company's position in the marketplace and prepare it for the next stage of growth.
 
Formerly known as Alvenda, 8thBridge was the 2009 Minnesota Cup winner, and managed to sustain quite a bit of momentum after that win. In March, the company raised $10 million in a series B funding round led by venture firm Trident Capital.
 
Over the past two years, the company has made some significant deals, such as the opening of the first Facebook retail store for 1-800-Flowers in 2009. A recent win came when 20th Century Fox used 8thBridge to offer group rewards on Facebook. Other clients include Delta Airlines, Paramount Pictures, Best Buy, and Lands' End.
 
"This is a really compelling opportunity to join one of the hottest social media companies today," Kubo said in a press release about the appointment. "The social commerce industry is projected to grow to $30 billion by 2015 and 8thBridge is best positioned to capitalize on this opportunity."
 
Kubo's track record at Wet Seal is impressive; he launched the company's website in 2008, then brought on Facebook, iPhone, iPad, and Android versions that allow shoppers to interact with the retailer's content. Prior to Wet Seal, Kubo led the launch of FAO Schwarz's online presence, as well as the relaunch of the toy retailer's stores.
 
Source: 8th Bridge
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Sorting through resumes can help human resources professionals see who's qualified for a position, and to really get a sense of the candidate, in-person interviews are crucial.
 
But what if there was another step in between, so HR could see and hear the candidate without the time and effort required for a standard interview process?
 
That's where the video interview comes in, and local startup Hyier is hoping to be that go-to resource for hiring. The company provides a platform where clients can list a job in Hyier's system, and receive video responses from candidates. Hyier's software allows people to record video in a systematic way, and for client companies to rate and comment on videos for their own files.
 
Founded by entrepreneur Derek Buschow in July 2010, Hyier sprouted from Buschow's experience in looking for a job while attending the University of St. Thomas. He'd gotten frustrated with the lack of calls after sending out his resume, and wished that he could use video to help him in his search.
 
He says, "I'm the kind of person who likes to meet face-to-face, and I thought that if I could just get in front of someone, I could get the job. I began to work with that idea and thought it might be like Monster.com, but with video."
 
Instead of a job board, Hyier ended up being a service that helps clients qualify candidates. Buschow believes that using video helps companies to see the personality and communication skills of a potential employee, and the Hyier system allows clients to ask specific questions to be addressed in the video presentations.
 
"This provides another dimension to screening," Buschow says. "It's another tool for HR to increase the chances of doing effective searches and hiring."
 
The software just came out of private beta, and Buschow is now moving forward with marketing. He's already seeing quite a bit of traction, he says, so look for video interviews to be the next big wave.
 
Source: Derek Buschow, Hyier
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

The University of Minnesota provides engineering students with the technical knowledge that makes them leaders in their field--and now, the school gives them an edge in business savvy, too.
 
The university recently began offering workshops to engineers and scientists on business topics like networking, leadership, teamwork, and creativity, through an initiative called the Gemini Project.
 
Named after the endowment provided by an anonymous donor who had once been an engineering student himself, the Gemini Project will present the workshops every other Wednesday throughout the school year, focusing on the types of skills that will be useful for engineering professionals. For example, one talk about office dynamics will provide tips on building and maintaining strong workplace relationships.
 
"We've seen over and over that what makes you successful in your job isn't necessarily your ability to do the task at hand, it's your ability to lead others, think strategically, and meet an organization's goals," says Tess Surprenant, Gemini Chair and Senior Fellow of the Technological Leadership Institute at the university's College of Science and Engineering.
 
She adds that the information presented in Gemini workshops isn't radical, since they're covering material that's standard for many business schools. But targeting the material specifically for engineering students is a new twist that's becoming a national trend. Every large engineering school is trying to boost these types of professional abilities among its students, Surprenant says, because there's growing awareness of the importance of business skills.
 
The university is on its way to becoming an example for others to follow. The first Gemini workshop was well attended, considering that it was held only two weeks after school started, Surprenant notes. The program is hoping to grow attendance from its current average of 30 students to over 100 per workshop.
 
Source: Tess Surprenant, University of Minnesota
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

From bubbles to the cloud: Rocware has a unique history, and an even more compelling future.
 
The Minneapolis-based company began after siblings Sarah Welle, John Erck, and James Erck worked at Extreme Bubbles, started by their father. The artisan toy company, which makes bubble solution and bubble wands, found distribution in boutique stores, but struggled with expanding in the marketplace.
 
The situation led the trio to consider more efficient ways to share product information with potential customers. Once they came up with the idea of putting catalogs into a cloud-based environment, they knew other small manufacturers and customers could benefit as well.
 
"The mom-and-pop store is back," says Welle. "These store owners want to buy local, but they need help in getting started. That's where we come in."
 
Rocware developed a site where a product purveyor can create an online catalog that can be shared privately with customers. Since manufacturers tend to have different pricing and different product categories depending on the customer, they can tweak the catalog based on who's viewing it.
 
For example, a natural foods store looking at a soap manufacturer can see a catalog that has only organic products, with pricing based on smaller orders. Welle says, "This makes things better for people on both sides of the equation. It's completely customized." Another benefit is that users can create a purchase order with just a few clicks.
 
Rocware is unique, Welle says, which may be why the company is growing quickly, with over 50 customers right now, and more signing on every week.
 
Welle says, "We're really passionate about helping small businesses, and connecting with artisan product creators and mom-and-pop retailers. We aim to keep growing, and have fun along the way."
 
Source: Sarah Welle, Rocware
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

One of the state's fastest-growing companies, Accurate Home Care is working to manage its growth, and that means dealing with an awful lot of resumes.
 
According to founder and president Amy Nelson, the Elk River-based firm hires between 10 to 20 people every week, and currently employs about 1,600 people. The Human Resources team sorts through approximately 100 applications per week.
 
"We have a great HR department," says Nelson. "That's the only reason we can handle the rate of hiring that we have."
 
In the future, it's possible that she might have to hire even more, since the company is growing so quickly. In the next year, Nelson anticipates adding a couple more facilities in Minnesota, and then expanding into Illinois and Iowa.
 
Currently, Accurate is the largest provider of home care services in the state, and with Nelson's level of passion and focus, she hopes to bring more extensive services beyond Minnesota. That's impressive, given that the company only started doing branding and marketing efforts over the past few years, and still relies mainly on referrals.
 
"This is a business where you need to care about people," says Nelson. "That's what we look for when we're hiring, and that's what our clients have come to expect. We may be hiring a large number of people, but we still keep in mind that this type of care is very personal. There has to be a connection, a relationship, between a caregiver and a client."
 
Employees come to Accurate, in part, because they appreciate the flexibility that comes with providing home health care, she adds. But they stay at the company because of the relationship they forge with clients, Nelson believes.
 
Source: Amy Nelson, Accurate Home Care
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

In the past three years, St. Paul-based Bay West has boosted its employee number from 110 to 150, with a remarkably low rate of turnover. Company president Lon Larson believes that's just the beginning.
 
"We're on an upswing," he says. "We're really in a place where we're ready for the next phase of growth."
 
The environmental consulting firm was founded in 1974, but has seen particularly remarkable growth in the past few years as demand keeps rising for its services, including munitions cleanup, waste management, and emergency response. Recently, the company has garnered over $70 million in business orders as part of existing contracts.
 
"It sounds simple, but we really work on our core competencies," says Ed Bacig, the company's vice president of operations. "We make sure we're paying attention to customer service, and we make sure that our employees are happy and working in an environment where their ideas are being heard."
 
Over the past five years, Bay West has put considerable effort into a coaching program that boosts satisfaction among employees and keeps that turnover rate under five percent.
 
Larson adds that the company has been able to pursue more hiring through the use of teleworking. A significant investment in IT infrastructure gives Bay West the power to recruit employees from across the United States, and create teams that might be geographically separate, but are aligned through collaboration technology.
 
"We're seeing a lot of traction and momentum," says Bacig.
 
Source: Lon Larson and Ed Bacig, Bay West
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

If all goes as planned, firefighters in Japan and South Korea will be racing to fires with innovative technology from Minnesota.
 
The countries have been talking about distribution arrangements with South Saint Paul-based EarthClean Corporation, developer of TetraKO, a system that transforms water into a liquid that sticks to vertical and ceiling surfaces. Once applied and exposed to heat, TetraKO converts to steam, leading to longer fire suppression and fewer incidents of rekindling.
 
EarthClean has garnered attention in the past year for its equity financing rounds and awards in the Cleantech Open and the Minnesota Cup competitions. Also, earlier this year, the company benefitted from being part of an international marketing project out of Stanford University.
 
Those opportunities have allowed the firm to move forward in its global reach, according to company founder and president Doug Ruth. Last month, the company signed a $4.3 million deal with a clean technology and industrial coatings company based in South Korea.
 
"Right now, it seems that international sales may be bigger for us than domestic," says Ruth. "We're in the process of negotiating with a Japanese distributor and doing testing with the Tokyo Fire Department."
 
Expansion globally is easier, he adds, because in some countries, government entities make decisions on fire department purchases, unlike in the U.S., where fire departments each make their own purchasing decisions.
 
Ruth expects to begin testing and negotiations with departments in Australia and New Zealand, as well as countries in Europe. The company has eight full-time and four part-time employees, and could do more hiring if more big deals come along. "We all feel really good about where the company is headed," says Ruth. "We're on track."
 
Source: Doug Ruth, EarthClean
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Every company has an org chart, describing its hierarchy and reporting structure, but, as many people know, that's not always how business really gets done.
 
Instead, a sales manager may have lunch frequently with an executive assistant, or a CFO could go bowling weekly with account managers. Those social interactions, based on friendship and similar interests, have a ripple effect across an organization, and influence how projects are tackled.
 
For entrepreneur Vikas Narula, it's these informal social networks that are not only fascinating, but also crucial for understanding how businesses run.
 
To tap into the power of these relationships, he's created Keyhubs, a company that uses software and services to uncover social dynamics and delve into the self-organizing nature of groups. Keyhubs consultants first talk with employees at a client site, and then design custom surveys that are tailored to the organization and ask specific questions about how departments are working.
 
Narula believes that with this information, companies are in a better position to boost collaboration, grow talent, and leverage key influencers to help drive change.
 
"Many times, an executive's perception of who's critical is different than reality," says Narula. "My own experience in the corporate world was filled with examples of management making personnel decisions that didn't make any sense. They'd promote someone even though someone else was way more qualified. So, when I learned about this concept of informal networks, I wanted to find a way to apply it."
 
Narula searched for a tool that could help map these networks, but found only academic and complicated programs. He worked with one of his college classmates to launch Keyhubs as a side project, initially, and then as a full-time endeavor in 2009.
 
Since then, several Fortune 500 companies have chosen Keyhubs to provide insight into their organizations. Narula anticipates robust growth ahead, as more companies recognize the value of internal social networks. He says, "We're in the business of helping companies to manage in a new and better way, and to make better decisions. As long as we keep providing that, growth will follow."
 
Source: Vikas Narula, Keyhubs
Writer: Elizabeth Millard

Momentum keeps companies growing, and at software firm thisCLICKS, it means they have more desks to buy. The company has nearly doubled in size in the last 14 months, and now has 13 employees. With ongoing software development and client engagements, founder Chad Halvorson anticipates more hiring in 2012.
 
Part of the potential demand in the next year is likely to come from an application called "When I Work," which allows companies to create efficiencies in their schedule management.
 
For example, a hospital can use the app to schedule work shifts for doctors and nurses at multiple locations, and to fold in shifts from satellite facilities like nursing homes. That way, a health-care organization can make sure to have the right number of staff members without scrambling to fill last-minute schedule gaps, or paying excessive overtime.
 
Halvorson thought of the concept in 1998, when he was a bag boy at a grocery store. The Internet was growing in popularity, and he wondered why he had to drive to work every week to check his schedule, when the information could be put online.
 
After a dozen years of application development, he revisited the idea and looked for software that had been developed for schedule management. He found only complicated programs that were difficult to learn and had too many features to be useful. Also, very few were mobile, he noticed.
 
In July 2010, he and his team at thisCLICKS launched When I Work, and since then, feedback has been phenomenal, Halvorson notes: "There are a mess of options out there for scheduling tools, but what I hear is that ours is so simple to use that people respond to it in a very positive way."
 
When I Work is the firm's first product for itself, rather than for a client, and Halvorson anticipates that the program's success will drive more development at the company. "Technology has been my obsession since high school," he says. "It's so much fun to do this work and see how you can make things easier for people."
 
Source: Chad Halvorson, thisCLICKS
Writer: Elizabeth Millard