Build Me Up

In this episode, we'll discuss the 2019 White Bear Lake referendum experience with Kraus-Anderson's retired director of K-12 project planning and development, Tony Sjolander, and Tim Wald from the White Bear Lake School District. While work is in full swing and the new high school is being built, we wanted to hear from Tony and Tim as they reflect on the referendum experience. We discussed the process and details of what went into passing the referendum, the challenges they faced in communicating the District's needs to the community, and the planning it took to pass the (now second) largest referendum in Minnesota's history.

In this episode, we're joined by Northfield Hospital + Clinics' Director of Facilities, Scott Norman, Kraus-Anderson's Director of Facilities Assessment, Tim Kittila, and Kraus-Anderson's Director of Project Planning and Development (Healthcare Group), Mike Stark. The group chats about Scott's experience with KA's facility assessment team— how it's impacted the hospital and assisted with long-term planning.

In this episode, Modist Brewing's Daniel Wellendorf and Perkins&Will's Jennifer Christiaansen join us at the brewery in Minneapolis' North Loop to discuss Modist's new event space opening in September! We talk about what went into the design of the space, differentiating Modist from other breweries in the area, how they name their beers, and more!

We're back from break!! In this episode, Sherman Associates' Director of Commercial Operations Ben Kepple joins us to talk about the development and reimagining of downtown Minneapolis, why Minneapolis is worth investing in, trends in commercial real estate, and what a developer looks for in a tenant. We also discuss our favorite Skyway lunch go-tos, what it's like to live and work in downtown, and more.

In this episode, we're joined by On Site Companies' CEO Molly Leonard and Director of Sales and Marketing Mike Kinney. Beginning as a sanitation and portable restroom rental company, Molly and Mike discuss the company's growth and how they've expanded to offer services and solutions to make your experiences at parks, concerts, and on construction job sites more clean and comfortable. We also chat about the history of the generational business, the most unique place they've seen an On Site rental, and more.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: This is the last episode before "Build Me Up" takes a summer break. The regularly scheduled podcast will return on August 1st. Take this opportunity to catch up on past episodes and enjoy the summer sunshine!

In this episode, Melissa and Kingsley Gobourne join us to talk about their new business venture with Artemis Provisions and Cheese! While the business has been selling products online for a few years, a new storefront and restaurant are coming to Mount Horeb's main street. We chat about the highs and lows of owning and operating a small business, lessons learned, some of their favorite products, and what they hope to see for the future of Artemis.

In this episode, we're joined by Achieve Twin Cities' CEO Danielle Grant and Kraus-Anderson's director of professional development Mike Smoczyk. We chat about Achieve's programming, how their work serves the St. Paul and Minneapolis education systems, student success stories, and more.

In this episode, we're joined by New Ulm School Superintendent Jeff Bertrang and Kraus-Anderson Construction Executive Jason Rentmeester. We talk about New Ulm's Career Technical Education program, the need for industry and community buy-in to address the workforce shortage, presenting students with opportunities, and more.

In this episode, Dan Leingang and Alicia Uhde join us to talk about Bismarck State College's designation as a polytechnic university, as well as its new polytechnic facility, how the college approaches learning, how the University plays a role in building a strong and skilled workforce, and more!

In this episode, Pope Design Group's Vice President, Erica Larson, joins us to discuss workplace design. We pull from personal experience and chat about the factors that play a role in an office layout, the importance of employee participation in design decisions, how to build an adaptable workplace for the future, and more!