CAO Shirley Weis is leading a transformation: “We want to be affordable, relevant, and helpful to people not only when they’re really sick, but when they’re trying to stay healthy.”

What Oklahoma City leaders noticed the most when they visited the Twin Cities this summer.

Honoring corporate board members

What do your employees really think? And what do they know that could improve your business? In Touch gets an earful when it sets up anonymous employee feedback systems for clients.

Why merging with Digi International made sense for machine-to-machine tech entrepreneur Matt Jennings.

Business leaders shouldn’t give significance to insignificant, misleading, or partisan hype.

One of the state’s great lawyers leaves a legacy of moderation and fairness.

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The new Minnesota Angel Network says it can deliver measurable results.

For companies choosing locations for factories and offices, how big a role do taxes play?

Joia All Natural premium sodas’ rapid flow from idea to a store, restaurant, and coffeehouse near you.

Regulators want more information from Kips Bay Medical before allowing the company to conduct a U.S. clinical trial for its medical device; the device is currently being sold in six countries and has been implanted

All Seasons Wild Bird Store celebrates 20 years—and five locations—under its current ownership.

Fallon’s ads say yes, but go beyond the luxury metaphor.

Pro athletes wear protective equipment made by Plymouth-based Shock Doctor and advise the company’s product designers.

Devices from Minnesota companies that save patients and hospitals money while improving outcomes and recovery times.

Citadel Floor Finishing Systems is experiencing accelerated growth.

Turning fashion and fertile soil into fragrance.

“We’re really about jobs and regionalism; the Vikings happen to be part of it.”

Can business leaders learn to foster organizational creativity?

A Minnesota program assists employers in clearing the hurdles to telecommuting.

A humbler confit and “faux gras."

A Match.com approach to business consulting.

Local companies using state-of-the-art videoconferencing are saving time and money.

Cardio3 BioSciences-which develops regenerative and protective therapies for the treatment of heart disease-hopes the new subsidiary will support its clinical and development activities in the United States and bolster existing ties with Mayo Clinic.

WellPoint, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Health Care Services Corporation have reportedly bought a 78 percent stake in the start-up for an undisclosed amount.

Two former officers of failed Pinehurst Bank and a bank customer are facing new charges through a superseding indictment, which alleges that the men were involved in a $1.9 million "check-kiting" scheme that led to

A federal jury also held Medtronic liable for $660,000 in damages to NuVasive for infringing on one of the company's patents.

Steven Rosenstone, who took office on August 1, also told the board of trustees that he wants to ensure widespread access to educational opportunities among Minnesotans and seek new ways to partner with businesses and

An agreement between the U.S. Air Force and MTS Systems Corporation suspends a ban that was imposed in March and that barred the company from doing business with the federal government.

The joint firm-Abbot Downing, A Wells Fargo Business-will have a $50 million minimum family net worth for clients and manage about $30 billion in assets.

The merged organization-which claims to be one of the largest of its kind in the United States-will employ more than 500 people and manage more than 55 million square feet of property.

Carlson co-owners Marilyn Carlson Nelson and Barbara Carlson Gage are the richest Minnesotans, followed by Whitney MacMillan.

The Minneapolis-based company has selected a total of 189 leases it plans to buy from Canadian retailer Zellers; it intends to open between 125 and 135 Target stores in Canada and sell the remaining leases

The 15-year-old organization will cease operations at the end of this year; its executive director, Joel Akason, will become a full-time employee of recently formed regional economic development organization Greater MSP.

The city said that it was recognized for its excellent planning policies, high level of staff commitment to pedestrian safety, and pedestrian campaigns and events.

Renaissance Learning's board of directors will consider Plato's $15.50-per-share buyout offer but is currently recommending that shareholders vote in favor of an offer from Permira Funds, which was recently increased to match Plato's bid.

The state's departments of Commerce, Public Safety, and Natural Resources allegedly violated age discrimination laws by offering incentives such as health and dental benefits to workers who retired at 55-but not to older workers.

The addition gives the 3D-printer manufacturer the potential to double its production capacity and make up to 10,000 units per year.

The airline's "Everyone-Must-Go Sale," which goes through Tuesday, features discounted fall fares to more than a dozen locations.

Alfred KŠrcher GmbH & Company has sued Tennant Company over claims made about its ec-H2O cleaning technology, but Tennant President and CEO Chris Killingstad called the accusations "baseless" and said his company will vigorously defend

An industry survey found that the average ATM fee in the Twin Cities is the second lowest in the country and that the average overdraft fee is the fourth lowest.

Manny's, one of downtown Minneapolis' hot spots for the business crowd, will host "Celebrity Waiter Night," featuring Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway and other notables.

The new notification service can track marathoners and provide real-time progress updates to friends and family via text message.

The company also will reportedly loosen return policies, increase advertising to smartphone users, and expand its Geek Squad technical support to nab sales from Amazon.com during the upcoming holiday season.

Best Buy will sell Amazon's Kindle Fire, a new tablet that will cost $199 and is expected to compete with Apple's popular iPad device.

The National Labor Relations Board dismissed all four complaints filed by the union that represents workers who were locked out last month by American Crystal Sugar Company.

Joseph Traxler of Centennial Mortgage and Funding, Inc., allegedly used funds intended for mortgage loans to cover Centennial's operating losses and to fund its payroll and other expenses.

An investment of $1,000 in what is being called "the state's first community-supported brewpub" can reportedly secure a lifetime supply of free beer.

Plato's $471 million bid for Renaissance Learning is the highest offer on the table, but Renaissance's board of directors is recommending that shareholders approve a $455 million buyout offer from global equity firm Permira Funds.

Target veterans Sally Mueller and Jamie Curtis have been hired to lead the new Minneapolis office of Cherokee-which licenses its fashion and lifestyle brand to Target, among other retailers.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and a Target spokeswoman told the Star Tribune that there are no immediate plans for the site.

The annual event that supports women's economic prosperity programs will have Connie Chung talking about successes and challenges during her four-decade career.

Make an impression with premium sports experiences.

Fortune magazine named Gail Boudreaux of UnitedHealth Group and Shari Ballard of Best Buy to its list of America's leading businesswomen.

Six current and former employees of Ameriprise Financial claim that their 401(k) investments were placed in poorly rated funds that had excessive fees, which resulted in the loss of $20 million; they seek to turn

According to the Star Tribune, industry observers estimate that Napster now has 400,000 subscribers-significantly fewer than the 706,000 that it had when Best Buy acquired it three years ago-and Napster hasn't been able to overtake

Local IP attorney Brad Pedersen indicated that the case doesn't look promising for the company filing the suits; he says that lawsuits with multiple defendants will be kicked out under a new patent reform act-and

Fast-growing Datalink bought Midwave Corporation in a deal that likely marks the ramping up of acquisitions by the company-which reportedly has plans to make one every 12 to 18 months.

Steve Leuthold will have a reduced role of co-portfolio manager and will advise on a few portfolios.

The cover of the magazine's October 10 issue was designed by Brock Davis, creative director of Minneapolis-based advertising agency Carmichael Lynch.

Agency officials anticipate that the programs will help 1,200 Minnesota businesses and spur the creation of 3,000 new jobs.

Regis on Monday announced that Randy L. Pearce-who is currently president-will serve as CEO starting February, and that the company plans to lower expenses by $40 million to $50 million over the next two fiscal

A Target spokeswoman said that the departure of Michael Francis, who was leading the retailer's expansion into Canada, will have no bearing on its plans to open stores north of U.S. borders; the company hasn't

Using a free mobile app called B4YouBoard, local travelers can use their smartphones to have food from three restaurants delivered right to their departure gate.

As its parent company adopts a new name and brand identity, Carlson Marketing will operate as Aimia going forward.

The company's first club outside the United States is set to open in Ontario, Canada in March 2012.

The Deephaven resident, who founded Miracle-Ear and pumped money into several companies, was a decorated World War II fighter pilot who also played a cameo role in the Watergate scandal even though he engaged in

A study reports that Minnesota lost 2,900 high-tech positions in 2010-a 2.3 percent drop in jobs compared to 2009 and more severe than the 2 percent drop nationwide.

Shortly after Regis announced a series of strategic changes, the company and one of its largest shareholders-which believes the changes fall short-are exchanging harsh criticisms ahead of an upcoming shareholder meeting.

A new report from the Minneapolis Foundation shows dramatic differences between Minneapolis residents of differing races and ethnicities-disparities that begin at an early age and affect education, jobs, housing, and other aspects of life.

A new video provides a look inside Fulton's downtown Minneapolis brewery, as well as some insight into the beer making process from co-founder Brian Hoffman.

Same-store sales rose 5.3 percent in September, more than the 3.9 percent anticipated by analysts, prompting shares of the company's stock to jump 5 percent Thursday morning.

A biodegradable plastic developed by a University of Minnesota biochemist has led to an Arkansas start-up that will manufacture what it claims are environment-friendly plastic bags.

Atmosphere Recovery was named a regional winner and won a prize package worth up to $20,000-and Sheerwind won a regional sustainability award, which includes $10,000 in cash and in-kind services; both will compete at a

General Mills ranked second on Forbes magazine's list of the top 100 brands in the world-ahead of Google and Apple; Target and Best Buy ranked 21st and 34th, respectively.

Plato Learning's newest proposal calls for it to acquire all shares of Renaissance Learning for about $496 million-or roughly $16.90 per share-but the majority owners have pledged their shares to a $455 million buyout offer

Total grants made in the state decreased 9.3 percent in 2009 from 2008, compared to a 5 percent drop between 2007 and 2008.

The Edina-based company said that its purchase of California-based Qumu will give it a strong presence in the rapidly growing video communications market.

Amid sluggish national economic growth, the State of Minnesota collected $59 million more in taxes during the first quarter than it had projected.

Sun Country Airlines' "Winter-Is-Just-Around-the-Corner" sale features one-way fares starting at $79, and comes on the heels of a similar-and successful-promotion last month.

The RiverBank, whose six branches have reopened as branches of Central Bank, is the second Minnesota bank to be shut down by state regulators this year; the first, Rosemont National Bank, was closed in April.

Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims-both former faculty members of the University of Minnesota-jointly won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Economics.

Xcel says that a new federal regulation that is supposed to reduce coal-fired power plant emissions does not give the company enough credit for emissions it has already reduced at two plants in the Twin

The Richfield-based company said a proposed federal law allowing states to require online merchants to collect sales tax would create a fair marketplace for all sellers.

Until now, the bioplastics manufacturer has been wholly owned by Cargill-but a Thai company has bought a 50 percent stake in the company.

The merged organization will employ 770 lawyers, and its annual revenue will exceed $400 million.

A draft rule just approved by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation prohibits U.S. banks from owning private equity funds.

The new economic development organization plans to roll out a marketing campaign for the region-and it has set a goal of helping the area add 100,000 jobs in the next five years, or about 25

The Metropolitan Council, which oversees wastewater plants in the metro area that send water into the Mississippi River, reportedly believes that proposed state regulations could cost it millions of dollars-and says 3M should have to

A new 64-page report outlines ways to reduce racial employment disparity in the Twin Cities, which reportedly has the highest such disparity among the nation's largest metro areas.

In a letter to shareholders, Regis discussed its recent proxy battle with activist investor Starboard-stating that the investor is "advocating uninformed and irresponsible cost-cutting that puts the Regis franchise at risk."

Verso Paper Corporation plans to cut coated-paper capacity by 193,000 tons annually at two U.S. mills.

A recently posted video by an Envoy Medical patient went viral-and it reportedly increased sales inquiries received by the company by 150 percent.

Troy David Chaika was sentenced to more than eight years in prison for allegedly defrauding mortgage lenders of a total of $43 million.

Steve Eastman is the second Target executive to leave the company this month. His exit was announced the same day that the retailer's new e-commerce site crashed-although the company has said that the departure wasn't

Several Vikings players-including Adrian Peterson, Jim Kleinsasser, and Chad Greenway-are set to take part in "Celebrity Waiter Night" at Manny's. In a separate instance of Minnesota's sports professionals giving back to the community, Wild captain

Among the United States' 10 largest cooperative businesses based on 2010 revenue, four are headquartered in Minnesota.

Through the national Partners in Preservation program, which grants money to historic sites, the cathedral will receive $110,000 to make interior repairs; another $890,000 will be given out next month to some of 24 other

In an attempt to boost revenues, the St. Louis Park-based restaurant operator will add seating to four of its locations-including two in the Twin Cities.

Whitebox Advisors is soliciting research papers that could benefit the investment community-and the winning submission will net a $25,000 prize.

Minnesota Philanthropy Partners is anchored by four major foundations but supports more than 1,600 charitable foundations, funds, and organizations across the state.

The Minneapolis Convention Center is reportedly cutting about half of its supervisors and transitioning about two dozen other workers from full-time status to having no guaranteed minimum of hours.

The automaker has been planning to shutter its St. Paul plant since 2006 and just announced a closure date-December 19.

Black and Dew is expected to bring in $40 million of revenue in its first year of operations, and its president said the company wants to grow by expanding its footprint geographically.

Institutional Shareholder Services has recommended that Regis shareholders vote in favor of Starboard Value's board nominees-but Regis says "the firm reached the wrong conclusion," and "this is not the time to disrupt the execution of

A former Cargill biotechnologist reportedly pleaded guilty to stealing proprietary information from the company and passing it back to competitors in China.

Hurricane Grill & Wings decided to expand into Minnesota and build new locations in three other states "after seeing unprecedented growth throughout the year."

Kenneth Hasse admitted to defrauding investors out of $8 million to finance his company, ConServe Corporation.

Kathryn Correia will succeed longtime HealthEast leader Tim Hanson, who will retire in January.

The state shed about 7,400 jobs in September, but Minnesota employers have added 27,700 jobs in the past year, and the unemployment rate dropped 0.3 percent.

Minneapolis ranked 13th out of 15 major U.S. cities in a new "small business vitality" list due to a sharp decline in market share among the city's independent retail shops and dining establishments.

At a free speaker series at the University of St. Thomas, executives from General Mills, Target, Best Buy, and 3M will discuss where real-world practices and academic theories meet.

Salmonella from organic eggs that came from an Owatonna farm were sold at grocery stores and co-ops throughout the Twin Cities; the eggs have sickened at least six people.

Shareholders of Renaissance Learning, Inc., accepted a $455 million offer from a company formed by a European private equity firm rather than Plato's latest $496 million bid-but the decision has prompted some lawsuits.

The company says that repositioning some of its top executives will allow it to better manage four key areas-corporate development, enterprise risk management, lending, and funding.