Investment Opportunities

At a time of the year when we would normally be a little slower, we are thrilled to find ourselves very busy as we anticipate an amazing 2013!

Right now, we have two very exciting investment opportunities:

The first is a manufacturing facility in Southern Minnesota.

Southern Minnesota Manufacturing Building - Investment Opportunity

The second is an Apartment Complex in North Dakota.

North Dakota Aprtment Complex Investment Opportunity

If you would like more information on either of these opportunities, please contact Jack Matasosky in our office right away at JackM@Approdevelopment.com or at 952-469-2171.

The New Year is full of promise and all of us at APPRO Development, Inc. and CERRON Commercial Properties, LLC are looking forward to “Creating Property Solutions For You and With You” in the days and months to come!

Anna’s Bananas Daycare Coming Soon to Northfield!

APPRO Development, Inc. is proud to be partnered with Anna of Anna’s Bananas Daycare to introduce her top-of-the-line childcare facility to the city of Northfield. Located at 516 5th Street West, the building was originally constructed as a Montessori School. Its doors closed in 1997 and the building sat vacant for years until recently when Anna purchased this building as the location for her fourth daycare. The building was modified slightly for the interim use of a few offices prior to Anna’s purchase. As such, the layout proved inefficient for use as a daycare and walls were removed and relocated to provide a more comforting and upgraded atmosphere for its future children and employees. Higher quality interior finishes have been selected to elicit feelings of being in a lodge or a more home-like environment. Lots of wood detailing, decorative lighting, and a heavy timber entrance feature carry this image throughout the building. Construction is ongoing, but is anticipated to be complete for an opening in Spring of 2013.

Visit www.annasbananas.com for more information on her four locations, including facility rates, contact info, applications for hiring and an overview of her childcare philosophy. Browse her photo gallery for a peek into her other three locations, and check back to see photos of the new Northfield project. Construction progress photos can also be found on APPRO’s website.

Stay tuned for interior construction progress photos!

If you are looking to remodel, expand or build a new commercial, retail or industrial facility, APPRO Development would be more than happy to assist you. Contact us to discuss your needs for designing and building the perfect solution for you and your business.

Sound the Alarms – Firehouse Grille Coming Soon!

APPRO Development & CERRON Commercial Properties are very excited to be working on a new project which will bring innovative ownership and fresh ideas to an existing (former restaurant) building in the City of Elko New Market.

Elko New Market is located just four miles south of Lakeville and two miles west of I-35, with a growing population, in one of Minnesota’s fastest growing counties (Scott County, Minnesota).

The Firehouse Grille, located at 7875 Old Towne Road, has been purchased by new ownership and is currently under renovation by APPRO Development, Inc., as the design build, general contractor. The new owners have been pouring over every detail of this building from the ceiling to the bar to the floor and have chosen some unique materials…

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You will have to wait and see how they have used these materials in the design-build process when you stop on out for a bite to eat!

As a result of all of this work, the Firehouse Grille will surely be Scott County’s best new culinary refuge and preferred stomping grounds for area firefighters and community members alike.

So, go ahead – pack up your hoses, silence the sirens, park the trucks, hang up the gear, and slide on down to the new Firehouse Grill in Elko New Market! Opening early 2013!

APPRO & CERRON have been providing property solutions to meet the unique needs of each of their clients for more than 25 years in the South Metro area of Minnesota and across North Dakota and Montana. Give us a call today to discuss your unique needs – it would be our honor to help you find the perfect solution for you and your business. Feel free to contact us at any time.

ON A MISSION

By Pat Simpkins, Project Manager, APPRO Development, Inc. (A Commercial, Design Build Company located in Lakeville, MN)

Mission to live and work by the Golden Rule

This Christmas, my biggest present will be the presence of my middle daughter, back from nearly six months of mission work in Australia’s Outback and in Uganda. She and her older sister are both currently in full time work as interdenominational Christian missionaries, both based off the west coast of Australia. They are leaders in a much larger group of people that trains together for three months, then goes out to different places in the world where they believe the Gospel message is most needed and where there are other physical needs for which they can help. The work pays nothing, living conditions are often lousy and the work often-times physically and/or psychologically challenging. It is the most rewarding work either daughter can think of doing during this time in their lives, however, as their smiles and countenance show.

I believe a sense of mission is needed in everyone’s lives. Many people in the business community have a passion for their customers, in delivering a good or service that is of such high quality and value that it can’t help but impress. Customers come back, not wanting to sacrifice any part of the great experience they just received, often insisting on that person being their contact for all upcoming work they intend to do with the company. A loyalty is built, upon which many years of upcoming work can be derived, and which usually results in a mutually profitable arrangement for both parties for that extended time.

One example I can think of is a friend of mine in the stock trading business who has always tended to pick stocks very well. He has stated on many occasions that what drives him is doing everything he can to maximize his clients’ portfolios over the long run while minimizing the risks in doing so. Since each investor is different, he goes to great lengths to get to know their investing philosophies, to ensure he is the right fit for them, and to know how much risk-taking in buying and selling stocks he should take with their portfolios. While no trader is a winner in every stock transaction, our stocks have done very well under his guidance. His business has boomed, as new clients have realized how successful he has been for others.

It seems the most successful people in business are successful because they are driven to customer satisfaction, even customer delight. This takes dedication, thoughtfulness, an ability to put oneself in another’s shoes mentally or emotionally, and good overall communication. Like my missionary daughters, sometimes prayer is also involved. The golden rule of treating others as one would like to be treated also always applies. These values are at the center of APPRO & CERRON’s business philosophy of going the extra mile to serve our clients well.

So, how about it? Are you ready to dedicate yourself in your daily business dealings to do whatever you can to take care of your customer’s needs? Even when there’s no immediate payoff, and sometimes involves some personal sacrifice? Why not consider it as your New Year’s resolution for 2013? It may not pay off immediately for you. But I promise that, over time, you will cultivate your own loyal customer base wherever you go, for as long as you press onward for “the mission.”

At APPRO and CERRON, we have been blessed with long time friends, subcontractors and clients who join us in our passion for creating property solutions by striving every day to understand what drives our clients’ businesses, so we know best how to find property solutions for them and meet their business needs. This dedication has earned APPRO and CERRON repeat and expanded business opportunities with many loyal clients in the process. I want to take this time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas at this special time of year. Don’t miss the chance to spend quality time with family and friends whenever possible, to make the most of it. Please remember, too, to let APPRO Development and CERRON Properties take care of your property needs in 2013. You’ll be glad you did!

For those interested in being a part of my oldest daughter’s upcoming mission work in Asia, feel free to give me a call.

Pat Simpkins

Are You Considering Purchasing Commercial Office Space?

By Dan Huntington

If you are considering purchasing commercial office space, there are a number of things you will want to consider.

First of all, surround yourself with a great team

According to Inc.com, “As a small business owner, you’re most likely not a commercial real estate expert. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with the right team of experts. They can help you determine the right time to buy or sell, the right locations to consider, and the nuts and bolts of closing the deal. Here are some of the experts you may consider contacting:

  • Accountant. An accountant can help you figure out what your business can afford and analyze the tax and operating budget benefits.
  • Lawyer. A lawyer can help you complete the transaction, negotiating with the seller and lender on your behalf.
  • Commercial broker. A real estate broker can help you identify potential properties and what you can afford.
  • Mortgage broker. A lender or mortgage broker will help you sort through financing options, from bank loans to those guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, such as the Certified Development Company (CDC) 504 Program, used to finance primarily real estate or equipment”

Then, Identify the RIGHT Property…Consider the Location, Physical condition, Allowable uses, Limitations on exterior and interior, Adequacy of access and parking, Opportunity for expansion or leasing, and Physical condition (Inc.com).

This is one example of the many listings CERRON Commercial Properties has available for purchase. This property is now available for Sale – buy the entire property or one of three (3) office condos available.

Office space for sale in Burnsville MN

2430, 2434, 2438 117th Street East, Burnsville, MN 55337

To read the entire Inc.com article, go to: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/07/how-to-purchase-commercial-real-estate.html

GRATEFUL HEARTS ABOUND IN LAKEVILLE, MINNESOTA THIS THANKSGIVING

Happy Thanksgiving from APPRO and CERRON

This season we are thankful for so much! At APPRO and CERRON, this Thanksgiving, we are grateful for our long time friends and colleagues in the Airlake Industrial Park, Lakeville, and the South Metro region of Minnesota, as well as our friends in Tioga, Williston, and Minot, North Dakota, who have helped contribute to our success over the past 25 years.

As I think about the early pilgrims, I think about the celebration of hard working people who came together to share their blessings with one another. They were a team that worked hard to build a new life and then celebrated their triumph over some pretty tough times.

Every day, our team has an opportunity to help our clients serve others. Whether they are making medical instruments to save lives, durable plastics for products to make life easier, providing nourishing food for our nation and the world, or providing the packaging for those products , we are grateful for our role of providing the building solutions to meet each of those unique needs.

As you sit down and celebrate your Thanksgiving meal with friends and family, we hope you will know that we are grateful for you and the role you have played over the years!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at APPRO and CERRON!

P.S. We thought you might find the following Thanksgiving Facts fun to share with friends and family this year: http://www.whsv.com/seasonal/misc/33852054.html. Enjoy!

Lakeville Manufacturers Appreciation Event – 2012

Lakeville Manufacturers Reception APPRO CERRON Wine Giveaway
Personalized Wine Bottles for APPRO & CERRON Drawing

I had the privilege of attending this year’s Lakeville Manufacturers Appreciation Reception, on October 24, 2012, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event was sponsored by the City of Lakeville and Dakota Electric Association, Frontier Communications, Minnesota Energy Resources, and Xcel Energy. The event was held at the Lakeville Holiday Inn and Suites. The reception was well attended, including Lakeville Mayor Mark Bellows, who gave an optimistic address to attendees and was also joined by City of Lakeville staff and council members.

I was delighted to represent APPRO Development, Inc., general contractor, design-build company and CERRON Commercial Properties, LLC, commercial real estate broker, both located in Lakeville, MN, along side many other Lakeville businesses. I learned a lot about some amazing manufacturers in our local business community.

As a thank you, and to help celebrate APPRO’s 25th anniversary this year, we conducted a drawing for two personalized bottles of wine. We are proud to announce the following winners:

Craig Nelson a Project Manager with BTD Manufacturing was the winner of a bottle of wine (as Craig has a generous spirit, he may be sharing his bottle with fellow friends – thank you for helping to spread the cheer!)

BTD-APPRO Wine Giveaway 2012

The other winner was Andrew Shaffer, who along with his wife Shelly, are the owners of Bass Flexible Packaging, Inc. I understand they were pretty excited to receive the wine and have planned a date night to celebrate!

APPRO Bass wine giveaway, 2012

Congratulations to the winners – thank you for helping us celebrate 25 years! It is our privilege to serve and be a part of our local manufacturing community!

APPRO Development, a commercial design and construction company in Minnesota, is celebrating our 25th Anniversary

APPRO Development has been active in land development, design, and construction services since 1987. For the past 25 years, we have helped businesses with their remodel, renovation, building addition, and new construction projects.

We would like to thank all of our clients, subcontractors, friends and family who have made our success possible.

Looking to remodel, expand or build a new commercial, industrial, warehouse or manufacturing facility? Contact APPRO Development for all your design & build needs

Architecture Adventure in Two Rivers, WI

View from the stairs.

Our weekend started with a pleasant, almost fall-like, drive from Saint Paul to Two Rivers, Wisconsin. We had a wedding to attend in this quaint town. The drive took about five hours and was smooth sailing with little road construction (at this time). The trees had started turning and there was an abundance of nice Wisconsin farms alongside the road. We arrived in Two Rivers and checked into our hotel on the Lake Michigan waterfront. The hotel wasn’t great, but the location was. We were within walking distance of the historic downtown and only about 5 minutes from the wedding location.

The wedding was held at the Bernard Schwartz House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. This example of his Usonian style houses was completed in 1940 and Wright referred to the house as “Still Bend.” The horizontal lines were prominent throughout the brick, wood and concrete home, and the built-in desks and furniture, decorative wood detailing at the windows and lights screamed Frank Lloyd Wright. We were able to experience the house during the day and at night and though, in my opinion the house wasn’t cozy, it did have some fine details and was a respectable house designed by an infamous (though respected) architect. Its concrete floors were a nice touch, especially with it being a historic home (before concrete was really discovered as a flooring type for a living space). The second floor was about 95 percent wood, — floors, walls, doors, railing, etc. Artificial lighting inside was minimal, but during the day, sunshine came in through the many windows. Each room upstairs also has access to an exterior deck and walls of glass mixed in with the wood. It was a great quiet location for a small, casual wedding with a nice green yard, stairs to the adjacent river and cranes sending their call throughout the day.

Between the wedding ceremony and reception, a few of us headed into town to grab some ice cream at the Washington House Museum and Visitor’s Center. They had 16 flavors to choose from and we received a warm welcome when we walked in. Two Rivers (we learned) is after all home of the Ice Cream Sundae! The wedding was held the same day as Two Rivers’ Ethnic Festival with food, music, crafts and gifts. Though we didn’t have time to visit the festival, it seemed to be a big to-do, shutting down the main street through town and requiring a detour around downtown. It not being a very “ethnic” town, residents enjoy the festival, but also poke a bit of fun at it. Other highlights during our short stay were a visit to the Hamilton Wood Type Museum where they have 1.5 million pieces of wood type and still produce various pieces of the type made from Rock Maple. Both the Museum Director and Assistant Director were extremely friendly, knowledgeable and eager to show us what their museum has to offer. The museum had various machines and pieces of equipment, working seminars and classes, souvenirs, artist’s prints, furniture and more. I highly recommend a visit to this museum. Our trip wasn’t complete without having breakfast (two days in a row) at one of the only breakfast places in town, the M&M Lunch and Catering Restaurant. This was a great place to go for breakfast on the cheap. Their pancakes were huge, though the booths a bit small; it was also within walking distance from our hotel.

Overall, Two Rivers was a really cute, albeit historically industrial, town on two rivers at the Lake Michigan coast. People were friendly, attitudes were laid back, and the town had a quite a bit of history to go along with its historic factory buildings and downtown.