Buzz

Business magazine Forbes released its annual list of "America's Most Promising Companies," and two Minnesota businesses got nods.
 
Hastings-based Anytime Fitness ranked 14th on the list of 100. Forbes noted that the company's steady growth and high sales were notable, as is the franchise model's numerous locations.
 
Code 42 Software, based in Minneapolis, came in at 53rd on the list. The company creates cloud-based backup systems for consumers and companies, and notable clients include Google and Apple, Forbes noted.
 
Companies were ranked based on factors like market size, key partnerships, quality of management team, presence of investors, and demonstrated growth. The magazine considered Florida-based mobile platform developer 3Cinteractive the most promising company in the country.

The Okee Dokee Brothers, a Minneapolis-based bluegrass duo made up of Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, recently nabbed a Grammy award for the Best Children's Album of 2012, and saw subsequent buzz from news sites like Entertainment Weekly.
 
The magazine's online site published an article that highlighted the award-winning and folksy "Can You Canoe?" recording, which was created after a Mississippi River trip that the musicians took in 2011.
 
"We were up against some really quality kids' performers," Mailander told Entertainment Weekly. "The range really represented the genre and what's going on in the industry."
 
The duo plan to make the recording into the first of a series, and the next album will cover a trip on the Appalachian Trail. 

The Twin Cities is among “America’s Most Literate Cities,” a just-out report for 2012 shows.

Once again, Minneapolis came in third place while St. Paul was sixth, according to MPR.

The annual report from Central Connecticut State University looks at the number of bookstores, educational achievement, Internet and library resources, the publishing business, and newspaper circulation to rank cities.

Dr. John Miller, who led the study, is quoted in the story, saying that the marks are “a large-scale portrait of our nation's cultural vitality. From this data we can better perceive the extent and quality of the long-term literacy essential to individual economic success, civic participation, and the quality of life in a community and a nation."”

The Princeton Review recently listed the University of Minnesota as a "Best Value College" for 2013, according to a prepared statement from the university.

This is the third year in a row that the university has been singled out by the publication for the distinction.  

“The University’s commitment to academic excellence, financial aid availability and the overall value of an education at the U of M’s Twin Cities campus has again merited inclusion on this year’s Best Values list,” the statement reads.

The Princeton Review uses more than 30 data points related to academics, cost, and financial aid to single out schools.

This year, the publication recognized 150 schools out of 650 total.

U.S. News & World Report recently released its annual "Best Hotels" rankings, listed according to state.
 
Of the 272 hotels in Minneapolis and St. Paul, 16 received recognition on the list, with the rest coming in from elsewhere in the state. Rankings are based on an unbiased analysis of awards, expert recommendations, and user ratings.
 
Nabbing first place is Graves 601, in Minneapolis. The hotel draws a "trendy, urban crowd that aims to be at the center of the city's orbit," the news magazine notes, adding that its location across from Target Center is ideal for exploring the city, and that amenities are abundant.
 
Rounding out the top three are The Saint Paul Hotel, chosen for its history and comfort, and Hotel Ivy, singled out for spacious rooms and luxurious bedding.
 
None of the state's hotels made the top 100 in the US. The magazine determined that the best hotel in the country is Amangani in Jackson, Wyoming.

Employee survey company WorkplaceDynamics released a poll of employees at nearly 900 companies across the country, and a dozen Minnesota companies are recognized as "top workplaces" on the list.
 
The company surveyed businesses with at least 1,000 employees, and asked employees to rate 22 factors involved in job satisfaction, including training opportunities, company values, pay rates, and benefits, as well as work-life balance.
 
On the list of 150 workplaces, the top-ranked local company is the Minnesota Twins, coming in at number 11. Following that within the top 50 are Bremer Bank, Graco Inc., Mortenson Construction, and Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare.
 
 Quicken Loans in Detroit was named as the top workplace in the country, with The Container Store coming in second and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation at number three.

A story in the Southwest Journal highlights a documentary film, “Food for Change,” which features a number of local food cooperatives.

“The Twin Cities enjoys the greatest concentration of food co-ops in the country,” the story reads.

This fact piqued the interest of Steve Alves, a Massachusetts filmmaker.

He wound up producing “Food for Change,” which includes footage of The Wedge Natural Foods Coop and Linden Hills Co-op in Minneapolis and Eastside Food Co-op in St. Paul.

““Food for Change” was recently screened at the United Nations as part of the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives, and many local co-ops provided funding for the project,” the story reads.

Wedge membership and marketing manager Elizabeth Archerd is quoted in the story, saying, “We have such a rich history in the food co-op world, and our founders are maturing,” adding, “Their stories need to be told. ... We were on board right away.”

The Atlantic Cities ran a story in January from Richard Florida that asks, “Does Human Capital Tend to Cluster in Center Cities or the Suburbs?”

Human capital, another way to describe educated people, represents “a key factor in the growth of cities and metro regions,” the story reads.

Florida studied the way that human capital spreads out in cities and suburbs throughout the country and its impact on local economies. He used 2000 U.S. Census data to get the percentages of college grads for those areas.

Minneapolis and St. Paul are among the top 10 large metros with the most college grads in the center city, it reads. About 35 percent of the area’s residents hold bachelor’s degrees, the study found.   

“Knowledge-based high tech metros top the list,” the story states.

MedCity News, an online publication focusing on medical innovation, recently singled out Minneapolis-based Clear.MD for its distinctive technology platform.
 
The article noted that about 35 percent of U.S. adults have gone online to diagnose a medical issue, and that Clear.MD is one of two interesting startups trying to help consumers break the "online diagnosis" habit.
 
The company has developed a tech platform that doctors can use to create short videos about various health topics. Clear.MD also offers a tool that users can use to find doctors close to them geographically.
 
With the system, patients get accurate information about a disease, a surgical procedure, or symptoms, the article states, while doctors can "rest easy knowing that patients can go home and access videos with instructions for postsurgery, for instance."

Influential industry magazine Advertising Age recently released its annual "40 Under 40" list of top executives that haven't reached their 40th birthdays yet, and two Minnesota execs made the list.
 
Dustee Tucker Jenkins, vice president of public relations for Target Corporation, and Michele Vig, senior director of retail marketing for Caribou Coffee, were both named as young marketing leaders who have made a mark in the client, agency, and media realms.
 
Jenkins joined Target in 2010, after serving in government and consulting positions. AdAge notes that the 34-year-old has developed a political-campaign-style field team that serves local Target communities.
 
Caribou's Vig, age 39, joined the company in 2007, and has overseen the introduction of new products such as revamped breakfast sandwiches. Her vision has been invaluable, considering that the coffee chain will be expanding its footprint in the near future. 

A blog post from Bon Appetit, the culinary magazine, describes the “Return of the Tater Tot.”

“Most people forgot the Tater Tot once they graduated from the lunchroom,” writes Foodist blogger Andrew Knowlton.

But Knowlton has long kept a bag of Ore-Ida Tots on hand for late-night snacks or treats for his daughters. “They’re great baked, even better fried,” he says, adding, “And while they'll always be second to french fries, chefs are starting to show them some respect on menus.”

Some restaurants serve them traditional style, while others take them up a notch with "Totchos," Tot casseroles, he says.

Haute Dish in Minneapolis also has an “upscale version served with short ribs,” he adds.  

A handful of local cultural institutions are among 105 finalists from across the country for creative placemaking grants from ArtPlace America.

The list includes Bedlam Theatre, Minnesota Public Radio and the Blue Ox in St. Paul, along with the Hennepin Theatre Trust in Minneapolis.

“The selected applicants represent the best of the 1,225 letters of inquiry from across the country,” ArtPlace’s website reads. “Finalists were chosen for their potential to transform communities through placing art and culture at the heart of portfolios of integrated strategies that drive vibrancy and diversity.”  

Grant recipients will be announced in May, according to the website.

The craft beer trend has boosted the number of beer-focused bars across the country, creating a boom in the number of small-batch distilleries and avid fans.
 
Beer-centric magazine DRAFT put together a list of the top 100 beer bars in the country, and two Twin Cities bars were featured in the Midwest region: Happy Gnome in St. Paul and Republic with locations in 7 Corners and Calhoun Square.
 
The publication noted that Happy Gnome was chosen for its congenial vibe, large stone hearth, and wooden booths, not to mention a beer list with over 75 taps.
 
Republic's West Bank pub got a nod for its 50 taps, and wide range of local beers, including Harriet Brewing and Steel Toe Brewing. 

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America and the Mayo Clinic both nabbed spots on Fortune magazine's recent, annual list of "100 Best Companies to Work For."
 
Although both made the list last year, the Mayo Clinic showed a significant jump over its previous ranking. It's in 41st place in the current list, compared to 71st place in 2012. Allianz went the other direction, but only slightly, coming in at 59th this year, down from 51st last year.
 
Fortune noted that Mayo stands out for its on-site massages, as well as "stress-free zones" that let employees take a break from hectic workday schedules.
 
The list is compiled based on employee surveys, which cover job satisfaction areas such as hiring, pay rates, and benefit programs. This year, employees at 259 companies participated, according to Fortune.
 
Topping the list for the fourth time is Google, which is rich with perks like wellness centers, a seven-acre sports complex, and a roller hockey rink.

Open Table, the restaurant reservation website, recently put together a list of its top 100 picks for dining out across the country.

The Capital Grille in downtown Minneapolis and Restaurant Alma in the city’s Marcy-Holmes neighborhood both made the list, beating out thousands of other restaurants.

“Out of more than 5 million restaurant reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 15,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, these outstanding restaurants are the top 100 'Best Overall' restaurants in the nation for 2012,” an Open Table posting reads.