Content about Minnesota

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Land O'Lakes has named Autumn Veazey as its director of government relations and Daryn McBeth as its director of state affairs and industry relations.
 

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Shortly after announcing the opening of its first firearms store in Minnesota, Gander Mountain came out with a new online and social media initiative aimed at promoting responsible gun ownership.

As part of its “With Rights Comes Responsibility; Secure Your Firearms” initiative, Gander Mountain today launched www.ResponsibilityPledge.com, where firearms owners and those thinking of becoming an owner can take a pledge of personal responsibility.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Gander Mountain will open Minnesota's first Gander Mtn. Firearms Super Center in Rogers. in late April. It will be the company's 12th store in the state.

Asian fusion restaurant Ling & Louie's Kitchen is coming to Minneapolis and it will be located across the street from Target’s headquarters on Nicollet Mall.

Normally, a restaurant opening in Minneapolis wouldn’t qualify as retail industry news. However, an exception can be made when the location is across the street from Target’s bustling downtown headquarters where it is likely to become the new hot spot for employees at Target as well as supplier companies who populate nearby buildings.

Senior executives from Yahoo! and Ecolab are the newest members of the board of directors at Target.

The retailer late Wednesday announced the addition of Douglas M. Baker, Jr., chairman and CEO of Ecolab Inc., and Henrique De Castro, COO of Yahoo! Inc., to its board, effective immediately.

Baker, 54, is a 24-year veteran at St. Paul, Minn.-based Ecolab. Prior to being named president and CEO in July 2004, Baker held key roles in marketing, sales and general management in both the U.S. and Europe. He became chairman in May 2006.

AUSTIN, Minn. — Hormel Foods will acquire the iconic peanut butter brand Skippy from Unilever for approximately $700 million.

Hormel, known for its chili, ham and pork products, looks to balance its portfolio with the non-meat protein product. With peanut butter in a $2 billion category with a 74% household penetration, as well as the second most popular sandwich behind ham in the United States, Hormel will be in a good spot to grow its domestic and global brand presence.

Silicon Valley companies paved the way for corporate America to offer non-traditional workplace amenities and now Target has joined their ranks.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — The Walmart Foundation alongside six women’s foundations – The Washington Area Women’s Foundation, The New York Women’s Foundation, Women’s Fund of Mississippi, Women’s Foundation of Minnesota, Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis and Women’s Funding Network – has launched the Partnership for Women’s Prosperity. The new national partnership intends to help economically vulnerable women gain financial and economic security through education, job training and employment opportunities.

The Minnesota Vikings are in need of a new football stadium and Target’s EVP property development John Griffith sees a proposed downtown Minneapolis location as one element of a larger development and revitalization plan. That’s according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, which reported this week on Griffith’s involvement in the downtown deal-making and track record at Target. Read the article here.

MINNEAPOLIS — Best Buy on Saturday revealed the locations of the 50 stores that it is closing this year, including seven in California, six in Illinois and six in the company’s home state of Minnesota. The chain has already closed two locations: one in Missouri and one in Arizona.

Most of the remaining 48 stores will close by May 12, with three stores scheduled to close this summer.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Supervalu reduced it full-year profit forecast Wednesday morning, even though the company reported better-than-expected second-quarter sales and profits as a result of strategies president and CEO Craig Herkert said are yielding results.

MINNEAPOLIS — Target announced that it will retain the naming rights for the Target Center, which is home to the Minnesota Timberwolves, through a three-year extended agreement with AEG Facilities, which manages the stadium, and the Timberwolves. Under the new agreement, Target will have naming rights for the stadium through 2014.