Lakeville Commercial Building General Contractor and Real Estate Broker Releases New Website

APPRO-CERRON-screenshotLakeville commercial building general contractor and real estate broker, are pleased to announce the launch of our new website, which can be found by going to either APPRODEVELOPMENT.com or CERRON.com. We had put together a list of some goals we wanted to achieve with the new website and were thrilled to not only meet those goals, but exceeded them as well.

You will note that the navigation is much easier at our new commercial construction and commercial real estate website. We have integrated both companies in one easy to find website. In order to find just the right example of a completed commercial building project, or to locate a new commercial property for sale in the south metro area of MN, we have added some additional, more detailed search functions as well. We have also implemented some contact forms to make it easier and more convenient to contact a member of our team to assist you with your goals.

Our web developer, Brandon Rowell, is an excellent photographer and did a nice job making our commercial property solutions team look great!

We hope that you will take a moment to look around our new website. Feel free to drop us a line to let us know what you think, or if there is anything you would suggest to make our site even better. We would sincerely appreciate the suggestions.

Whether online, over the phone, or in person, at APPRO Development & CERRON Properties, we are here to exceed your goals and expectations – let us find out what is important to your business!

APPRO and CERRON Website Undergoing Changes – New Website Coming Soon

APPRO & CERRON - Commercial Real Estate Solutions Company In addition to building commercial buildings, this year, we are re-building our website, too!

At APPRO and CERRON, we are very excited to be working on a new building project!

We are making some changes to our website and as a result, we will not be making any changes or posting any new blogs for the next two weeks. We are certain our new site will better meet the needs of our clients, as it will be fully responsive to mobile devices, will be more easily searched, and will contain the most up to date commercial building and real estate information available.

In the meantime, we invite you to take a look at our current site which is still fully operational or read some of our archived blog posts as you eagerly anticipate the unveiling of our “new” site.

As always, if you have any questions for us, please contact us – we are here to help.

Creating Property Solutions For You…With You!

The Team at APPRO Development, Inc. and CERRON Commercial Properties, LLC

Commercial Building Remodeling in South Metro MN

APPRO Development, Inc. is well known in the South Metro / South of the River area of Minnesota, as a reputable commercial general contractor with a focus on land development and constructing commercial buildings. We have found over the years, people are sometimes unaware APPRO also is an excellent resource for remodeling existing buildings. Our design and architecture team partnering with our project management team, apply the same expertise on a project from the ground up as we do on a remodel or renovation project.

For many different reasons, an owner decides to stay in the same building, verses than making a move. APPRO can walk an owner through the process to determine available options and to navigate the sometimes daunting process of city approvals, or financing options. We take the same care to provide expert advice on a remodel or renovation project as we do on a new building project when we competitively bid out the project, and provide a detailed proposal to the building owner.

We have been working with Imperial Plastics in the Airlake Industrial Park in Lakeville, which just happens to be around the corner from our home office. This office remodel project has resulted in a state of the art space with striking finishes, creating an inviting space to both visit and work.

Remodel Project by APPRO Development - Imperial Plastics Project

If you are considering making some changes to your building, I invite you to take a look at some more of our current projects to see what we are currently working on in both Minnesota and North Dakota. You may also want to check out our past projects to spark some ideas. Or, maybe you need a new, but existing space to move your business – please consider our sister company, CERRON Commercial Properties, who specializes in existing property sales and leasing.

Finally, if you are still looking for more ideas, feel free to contact our office – we can be reached at 952-469-2171 or by email at office@APPRODEVELOPMENT.com. We would consider it an honor to help you with your next project.

Happy New Year!

Redesigning MN: If We Engage People in Shaping Programs, We’ll All Be Better Off

Redesigning MN

By Jack Matasosky

For more than a year, I have been a part of a group of Lakeville leaders – business owners, clergy, nonprofit leaders, elected officials and others – working with 360 Communities to think differently about how our community meets its most public needs. Above all, we’re focused on finding new ways to deliver early childhood education so that our community’s programs and services are reaching more children and getting better outcomes.

We’re redesigning the early childhood education ecosystem in Lakeville to make it work better within the dollars available, even as the demand for service continues to grow, and that’s no easy feat.

But our community is rising to the challenge of thinking differently about our early childhood programs. It’s an exciting adventure to be a part of.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a meeting that brought together representatives from a broad cross-section of Lakeville early childhood programs collectively identify how we could reach more people with our existing programs. The meeting, convened by 360 Communities in partnership with InCommons, an initiative of the Bush Foundation, was the beginning of a six-month process to get our community focused on improving early childhood education and focusing on outcomes. Film crews for Redesigning MN were on-hand to capture our community-driven conversation as a local-level example of the conversations that need to take place to redesign our public services.

Our community-driven effort has continued to move forward in the weeks since this event. We’re thinking about how to make sure every child in need has access to the early childhood education programs that can help them thrive in school, and how to ensure that every Lakeville parent knows about these opportunities offered by our existing network of community supports. And we’re thinking about how we can improve the programs offered to ensure that every Lakeville child enters Kindergarten on track for success.

As a long-time resident of Lakeville, it’s invigorating to see our community coming together – people from the business and faith communities, educators, parents, and other residents – to create better opportunities for our youngest residents. I know that we’re all committed to creating a better future for Lakeville, and thoughtful conversations like the event convened by 360 Communities and InCommons are equipping us to find that shared vision and craft a collective approach to redesigning our early childhood education programs.

At the end of the day, change needs to be driven by the families that need help. We can’t fit people into programs. We need to engage them in these opportunities – and we’ll all be better off for it.

That’s what we’re trying to do in Lakeville, and I’m proud to be a part of it.

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

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!