Manufacturing Trends to be Thankful For in MN

Manufacturing Trends

2014 Predictions in the Manufacturing Industry

Manufacturing Trends to be Thankful For is an article we read this morning in the online publication of Industry Week. All of us, in MN or the Midwest for that matter, who are either in the manufacturing industry or have close ties to the manufacturing industry, are eager to see what the days of 2014 will bring. According to this article, “Favorable Forecast: Five Manufacturing Trends to Be Thankful For” by John Mills as published in Industry Week (online), 2014 might just prove to be year for which to be thankful!

According to the article, the following are the top five trends to watch this year:

  1. Improvements in 3-D printers
  2. Business returning from China
  3. More ‘real-time’ enterprises
  4. The rise of the project economy
  5. More access to data

As Mills states, “no one has perfect foresight” and it certainly would be nice if we did! However, in the meantime, by measuring trends and current data available, we are optimistic for our colleagues in the manufacturing industry. We hope 2014 results in the optimistic forecast, as it benefits not only MN, ND, WI, IA, SD, MT in the Midwest, but our great nation as well!

APPRO Development is a general contractor specializing in property solutions for manufacturers across the Midwest for more than 27 years. APPRO assists business owners find optimal property solutions that may result in renovations, expansions, additions or new commercial buildings to meet the ever changing needs of the manufacturing industry in Lakeville (55044), Apple Valley(55124), Burnsville(55337), Eagan(55123), Hastings(55033), and all of Dakota, Scott, Rice, Carver, Ramsey and Hennepin counties as well as Mankato and surrounding communities of Blue Earth in Minnesota. If your commercial or industrial space needs are changing as the result of a great 2014, contact our team today to help you minimize impacts to your manufacturing schedule, meet your budget requirements, and assist you in making 2014 a great year!

Warehouse Building Considerations: Midwest Review

Warehouse Building Considerations – What you should know before you buy, build or remodel

Warehouse building considerations have been a topic of discussion of late, as one of the building types APPRO/CERRON is frequently contacted about for real estate and construction projects happens to be warehouse projects. There have been some great deals on warehouses in the last few years, and a potential buyer is often posed with the dilemma of whether it makes the most sense to buy an existing building and spend the money to renovate it to his or her company’s individual needs, or design and build a warehouse custom built to those needs.

To build new, one potentially loses out capitalizing on the devaluation of existing buildings (the availability of which are quickly diminishing on the commercial market). To renovate, however, often means to compromise on some of the features of the building, and/or to invest money into a building whose components might not all last as long as those in a new building.

With APPRO pricing your projects, you can weigh the various pros and cons of either option to come up with a solution that best fits your needs before proceeding to hire us to assist you along whichever solution (buy, remodel, add or build) you choose.

Some of the other considerations that we’ve seen owners look at include more detailed considerations (or checklist), like the following:

  • What are the clear height dimensions and door size dimensions that will work best for you?
  • Are super-flat floors a requirement for forklift traffic, more typical of higher clear height warehouses?
  • Are steel fibers or a special floor coating required for wear?
  • Will high-speed racking be utilized?
  • What height will the product be stored to, and what will be stored in the warehouse, as this affects sprinkler coverage, and associated cost?
  • How susceptible will the walls be to damage from forklifts, which will affect whether the exterior walls are precast, metal or something else?
  • Will rail access be a consideration?
  • Will a loading dock be needed, as is typical, or just drive-in doors that close at pavement height?
  • If a loading dock is needed, will the design include locks to attach the truck to the dock while loading or unloading?
  • Is it important for the truck to be able to engage its dock and park, and then open truck doors (drive through docks); or is it OK to open truck doors before backing into its dock space?
  • Will there need to be a stop and go light system in place for trucks?
  • Will a canopy be needed above the overhead doors?
  • What kind of grade is acceptable driving in and out of the docks for trucks?
  • Will the warehouse need to be heated and/or cooled? Insulated?

There are more considerations, of course, than those above. But take a look at the list and consider which of these options are important to you when you make that all-important decision to buy or design/build.

Whether you are just starting the process or have been considering your building needs for a while, allow our team to assist you with any questions you may have about the construction (remodeling, additions or new building) process. We are here to help!

Commercial Property Improvements Equal Tax Benefits in 2013

Are You Missing an Opportunity to Capture 2013 Tax Benefits?

commercial property improvements by design builder APPRO Development 09-26-2013If commercial property improvements are on your horizon, there is still time to improve your commercial property before the end of the year. Did you know there are tax benefits available if you own and lease out commercial real estate? But, you will need to act fast – you have until December 31, 2013 to take advantage of these tax benefits.

According to Stephen Fishman in a recent blog article in Inman News, “Improve Commercial Property Now to Capture 2013 Tax Benefits”, “Qualified leasehold property improvements made during 2013 can qualify for the following tax benefits:

 

  • 15-year depreciation period (instead of 39 years).
  • Section 179 deduction up to $250,000.
  • 50 percent bonus depreciation.

Any one of these benefits would be great, but all three together enable commercial landlords (and lessees) to deduct a huge percentage of the cost of making improvements in a single year, rather than having to depreciate the entire cost over 39 years.”

APPRO Development, Inc., your midwest design-build, general contractor, has been helping business owners like you to find unique property solutions for more than 25 years. We have a few openings left in our fall schedule – Contact Us today to schedule your commercial property improvement.

Top Ten MN State Fair Foods

 

The MN State Fair Starts Thursday, August 22nd and there is a whole lot lined up!

fairfood review by APPROIt is Minnesota State Fair time and it is really all about the food, right? I mean the Miracle of Birth barn is pretty cool and the Blue Ribbon winning Holstein is interesting, as is the latest 4-H exhibit or the music blaring from the bandstand. But, when it comes down to it – we go for the food!

This year, 2013, just when you thought they couldn’t possibly figure out a way to get one more food on a stick or come up with something else new, our local Twin Cities’ restaurants & resident “foodies” have come up with some amazing new foods to test and savor.

 

So, here is my Top Ten Food List I plan to eat (or try for the first time) at the 2013 Great Minnesota Get Together:

10. Chocolate Chili Ice Cream (sweet, spicy, hot, cold, yum!)

9. Candied Bacon Cannoli (anything with bacon!)

8. Fried Pickles and Chocolate (because my kids dared me)

7. Grilled Glazed Donut (anything on the grill!)

6. Dough-sant (the cousin of the NY “Cro-nut” – a hybrid of doughnut and croissant)

5. Comet Corn (A futuristic caramel corn made with liquid nitrogen – because it’s cool!)

4. Bacon-wrapped grilled shrimp on a stick (because it’s on a stick!)

3. MinnePumpkin Pie (a hometown treat)

2. Persian Kabob Koobideh (to expand my horizons)

1. Cheese Curds (why mess with a tried and true classic!?)

 

To review the full list of new foods in 2013 at the MN State Fair, click on the following link to see all the new foods at the fair: 2013 MN State Fair Food List.

And, for details on visiting the MN State Fair, click HERE, to link to the dates, times, fees, and discount information to make your day great!

At APPRO and CERRON, we are proud to be a Minnesota company, providing property solution services across the Midwest. Don’t just take a chance on bumping into each other while we are testing the latest food on a stick; Do the “sure thing” and give us a call. Let us show you how we put all that energy to work for you and what makes our team different. Now, go enjoy the MN State Fair!