Blog

March 15th, 2019, Minneapolis, Minnesota:
 
It’s that time of year when Minnesotans come down with Spring Fever. Sometimes it gets so bad it turns into March Madness. (and I’m not talking about the NCAA Basketball Final Four coming to Minneapolis next month!) They take a collective deep breath of fresh, warm air after a long cold, snowy winter and are impatient to get outside. Better yet, they decide to escape the ugly remnants of winter for a much-deserved spring break.
 
Spring break vacations are getting more popular, and not just among rowdy college students. Travel Agent Central reports over 53 percent of Millennials take spring break “vacays.” Family getaways include grandparents—talk about built-in babysitters! They spend hours researching airfares, hotels, car rentals, recreation opportunities, and sightseeing adventures.
 
But for business owners and property

March 1st, 2019, Minneapolis, Minnesota:
 
There’s no doubt about it: Sprinklers are highly effective, reliable weapons in the fight to save lives and property from fire. According to studies by the National Fire Protection Association and the American Fire Sprinkler Association:

 
Simply speaking, a sprinkler system consists of a water supply system that provides adequate pressure and flowrate in a piping system where sprinkler heads are connected. Most fires trigger the sprinkler heads above where the fire is and slow down the fire enough to minimize damage and prevent serious injuries until the firefighters get there. Fire Sprinkler Systems are designed based upon the occupancy of the building and what is being stored in the building. The greater the potential for fire

February 15th, 2019, Minneapolis, Minnesota:
 
A brutal Polar Vortex with bone-chilling and mind-numbing temperatures blew into the Midwest January 29 through February 1 – and still cold -- bringing the coldest weather in a generation—and that’s an understatement! And it seems like winter is far from over!
 
While Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan dealt with record-setting cold, Minnesota took the brunt of it. The National Weather Service recorded the state’s lowest wind chill temperature on January 31 was -56 degrees in Cotton, Minnesota, 35 miles north of Duluth. That came close to -66 wind chills in the extreme northern counties in the mid-1980s.
 
But the frigid records this year weren’t all up north. The National Weather Service reported the wind chill at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on January 30 was minus 53. The

February 1st, 2019, Minneapolis, Minnesota:
 
It’s become a literal fact of life that your housing needs change over time. Fresh out of college, you want an affordable apartment. You’re married with children and need that three-bedroom-two-bath in the suburbs. The 3,000 sq. ft. empty nest leads to a 1,500 sq. ft. 55-plus condo. Recovery from a broken hip puts you in a rehab center. Finally, senior housing fills your various needs, from independent living to primary care.
 
Depending on the stage you’re in, you have a list of “must haves.” According to ApartmentFinder some of the popular amenities for Millennials and Gen-Xers seeking apartments are in-unit washer and dryer, pets allowed, dishwasher, some utilities included, cable, garage and a swimming pool.
 
Seniorliving.org lists popular amenities for Baby Boomers are housekeeping, laundry service, beauty

January 15th, 2019, Minneapolis, Minnesota:
 
FACT: Fire extinguishers can effectively put out 80 percent of all fires, even if the extinguisher is classified as a portable unit. Seventy-five percent of the time the fire department is not required to attend the fire. Almost two million fires are handled entirely by a fire extinguisher in the U.S. every year. All thanks to what appears to be a simple—and sometimes overlooked—safety “accessory.”
  
But extinguishers aren’t merely accessories! There are a lot of myths and misinformation about to fire extinguishers, so I’ve put together “Fire Extinguishers 101” to get the truth out and save lives and property.
 
COMMERCIAL ISSUES
 
All commercial buildings have safety code requirements that must be maintained, and this includes the presence and placement of fire extinguishers. Some