Association Team Joins in for Toys for Tots
The Gaughan Association Management team attended the recent Community Associations Institute – MN Chapter holiday party. It was a great event to network with vendors, and we got to support a good cause by supplying donations for Toys for Tots. Happy Holidays!
Gaughan Associate Elected to Chamber Board
Dave Galleberg, Commercial Brokerage Associate at Gaughan Companies, was elected as a board member of the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce on December 7, 2017 at the Merry & Bright Winter Gala. Dave and the Gaughan Companies are grateful to serve on the board and help the local business community on the north side of the Twin Cities metro area.
Gaughan Companies Blessed to Serve the Poor
Our team members volunteered at Sharing and Caring Hands this November and December by preparing and serving lunch meals to the poor. We look forward to these events every year.
We are thrilled to be able to support this organization because the work that Founder Mary Jo Copeland and her team does makes an impact on the less fortunate. She provides a safe and engaging environment in which people can help others who lack basic resources. Over 94% of money raised for the organization goes directly to the poor.
Learn more about Sharing and Caring hands at sharingandcaringhands.org.
Building Strong Communities Begins with a Simple Meal
Gaughan Companies has a long-standing relationship with Sharing and Caring Hands, a non-profit organization, and with the founder Mary Jo Copeland. I have been volunteering at Sharing and Caring Hands for over two decades. I now bring my children to volunteer, too.
Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Sharing and Caring Hands provides assistance for those in need. It was established in 1985 by Mary Jo Copeland and provides services such as meals, clothing, showers, shelter, transportation help, rent deposits, rent help, medical assistance, dental care, furniture, school expenses, and other miscellaneous needs.
Twelve employees from Gaughan Companies (and a few of my children) volunteered at Sharing and Caring Hands on Monday, November 14 by preparing and serving the lunch meal. Before every lunch meal, Mary Jo Copeland gives a sermonette and a prayer over the meal. On this day, in the midst of thanking us, she said to those in need, “[Gaughan Companies] came here and made this food for you because they love you. I love you. God loves you.” She encouraged everyone to not lose hope and to forgive those who have wronged them.
Arriving at 9 AM, the preparation team rolled up their sleeves and began rolling utensils and napkins for those partaking in meals that day. Once the breakfast crew had moved out of the cooking space to serve the first meal, our preparation team jumped in to cook the lunch meal. On the menu was tater tot hot dish, salad, fruit and cookies.
Our serving team arrived at 11 AM while the hot dish was cooking, and they also began rolling utensils. They enthusiastically filled over two large containers full of utensils. After a tour of the kitchen and a rundown of the serving team’s duties, each volunteer donned aprons and plastic gloves and were ready to give back to the community.
At noon, those there for the meal, nearly 200 people, made an orderly line in front of the serving stations to receive the food and milk. The other volunteers and I were frequently thanked and blessed by those receiving the food. Giving back to the community in a tangible way is an important mission of Gaughan Companies.
Another mission of ours is building and supporting strong communities. This process begins by helping those who don’t have the means to help themselves currently. We at Gaughan Companies hope that the meal we prepared and served was a step in the right direction for at least one of the recipients.
To learn more about Sharing and Caring Hands, visit http://www.sharingandcaringhands.org/.
-Patrick Gaughan
Employee Attraction and Retention Tools
We all know someone who loves or hates their workplace. Every day, thousands of workers quit one job only to rush to another one for any number of reasons. Let’s take a look at what companies are doing to attract and retain talent.
Most people think of money when they consider a new job. Questions often pondered are, “Will this increase in salary improve my living conditions,” or maybe, “Will this new salary be enough to support a move to the neighborhood I’m eyeing?”
Although salary is a huge draw, there are many other things that companies are using to lure the best talent. After a prospective employee is decided upon, the company will consider where that future employee is currently living. If he or she isn’t within an hour’s drive of the office, it’s time to consider a relocation package.
A good relocation package will pay for a percentage of closing costs on both the old home and the new one. It will often pay for movers, and if the employee needs to report onsite before his or her family can arrive, then the company may also pay for temporary housing.
In addition to these items, a company needs to consider the overall health and well-being of the employee. Paid time off, offering good medical insurance, dental and vision, short and long term disability plans, profit sharing and 401K plans should be part of each company’s benefits package.
Some companies are large enough to include a workout area in their plaza. Others may staff this area with health and fitness promotion workers who can offer suggestions for diet and workout programs in order to improve the health of the employees.
After the employee is acclimated to the new job, a challenge lies in trying to keep the employee happy at work. A good company recognizes that their workers are human and that things come up, such as having a child get sick or repairs needing to be done at home.
Flex time or telecommuting is a nice plus. Some employees can’t always be at the office from 8-5. If management can offer a small flex work or telecommuting schedule, the employee can still see to his or her personal needs without having to call in or take a personal vacation day.
Having a great relationship with an immediate supervisor and manager is key to an employee’s happiness. A good company will empower an employee to make certain business decisions up to a point. If a supervisor needs to have the final word, then it’s important that this person be accessible whenever needed. It’s also important that the supervisor supports the employee when dealing with other in-house departments and the public.
In addition, the best companies go a step further and reward employees who put forth their best efforts. If an annual bonus is offered, it is often based on performance review. A good company will hold weekly one-on-ones between supervisor and employee so that the employee understands how well he or she is doing in the position.
Besides an annual bonus, a company that focuses on employee retention may also have programs such as internal recognition or employee recognition day. These companies also realize that if it’s possible to promote within, then they should do so. Otherwise, their employees may feel that they’ve been overlooked and will want to head for another place where they will feel appreciated.
Finally, continuous improvement is another effective employee retention tool. A company may offer to pay a part or the entirety of classes at the college level that will aid a worker in his or her job. The company will also offer in-house training and some will even give workers a chance to take classes on-site or intern in other departments for a few weeks.
Changing jobs or keeping the one you have is always challenging. Everyone wants to make sure that he or she is getting the most value in exchange for his or her efforts. The best companies will recognize and respond to this and will go out of their way to promote employee retention. As a result, their bottom line looks great and their workers are happy, which creates a positive workplace.
Gaughan Companies is committed to building strong communities and creating good relationships within those communities. That includes our workplace. Our core values are honesty / integrity, priority focused / accountable, positive / solution-based, strong communication, and hardworking.
-Patrick Gaughan
John Chirhart Moderates Annual Land Development Conference
On Friday May 6, 2016 The Minnesota Real Estate Journal held their 12th Annual Land Development Conference at the Golden Valley Country Club. Gaughan Companies’ John Chirhart was moderator for the Opportunities for Commercial Land Development section with a panel that included Brian Pankratz with CBRE, Tony Barranco from Ryan Companies, and Phil Cattanach of The Opus Group. Topics they covered in their discussion included:
- New Opportunities for development is happening in urban core right now
- What types of projects are in consideration for land development
- What are the challenges with land development vs. redevelopment
- Who is active in the market place and what is their risk tolerance and expected returns
- When or will there be a next big wave of land development or is it a thing of the past
Attendees were treated to a wide variety of topics moderated by industry professionals. Other topics in the Land Development Conference included Land Plan Optimization, “Hot” Legal Topics in Land Development, How to Effectively Work With Municipalities, and the Residential Home Builders Roundtable.
John Chirhart started his career in commercial real estate back in 2000 and has been with Gaughan Companies since 2009. During his time with Gaughan Companies, John has been involved in numerous land transactions including recently helping a client sell 157 acres in Lino Lakes to home builder Lennar. John, along with his business partner Lou Suski, have sold hundreds of acres of land in the past couple years and are currently listings hundreds of acres more for current clients throughout the metro and rural areas. If you own any land that you are interested in selling contact the Gaughan Companies Brokerage Department today at 651-464-5700 or contact them HERE.
There’s Magic in a Mission
When my leadership team and I were determining our Mission Statement, it was important to us that we not only convey what we do, but that we care about our clients.
Our Mission Statement is simple but not simplistic:
“We care for people’s real estate interests through Construction, Brokerage, Development, Management and Maintenance.”
Real estate is where life happens, where business is conducted or a family resides. We do not just care for the real estate, we care for the real people who occupy those places.
Our Mission Statement not only says what we do, but it keeps our team laser focused on our purpose and commitment to our clients, which is where the magic really happens!
In the article below my good friend and business colleague Chris Naylor talks about the importance of having a Mission Statement in her blog ‘There’s Magic in a Mission!’ I am confident that if you have not already found your mission this article will give you direction on where to start!
Patrick Gaughan
Gaughan Construction Completes Phase One at City Center Commons
Gaughan Construction’s City Center Commons project has reached a milestone with the completion of building one. Located along Highway 61 on the south end of town, this gorgeous building features a classy brick exterior as well as Silverdale Kansas limestone compliments. The development, paired with the new Forest Lake City Center, brings life to the site that was once home to the former Northland Mall.
The 11,000 SF building is the new home for Forest Lake businesses Thrifty White Pharmacy and Maplewood Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The new location puts Thrifty White Pharmacy’s new condensed store model on display as well as providing a drive-thru option for customer convenience. Maplewood Oral was able to increase the square footage of their business by more than double from the company’s previous Forest Lake location.
Stay tuned for updates as the City Center Commons project commences with the completion of building two. The 8,000 SF building will be the new home of Keller Williams and is slated to be completed early Summer 2016.
Do Good For Your Community
Patrick Gaughan of the Gaughan Companies recently sat down and talked with the Real Estate Journal and discussed his reasons for success in the competitive world of commercial real estate. On why community and keeping the best people around him has been part of his successes:
“So much of my success has been because I’m able to keep my clients with me year after year. I do try to spend a lot of time with them, a lot of time trying to understand their needs and goals. Every year, we host a fishing trip for our clients. We all go out and catch some salmon. That’s fun. But the key is to help your clients do more business. That is what they are all looking for. Say we have a tenant who needs SBA financing for a business. We will refer that client to a banker that we know will do a good job. That banker then refers us business. It’s about being useful to your clients.”
Click here to read the full article from the Real Estate Journal!
Village Apartments in Forest Lake Introduces Its New Website
The Village Apartments in Forest Lake, Minnesota is pleased to announce the completion of its brand new website. The website brings a modern feel along with an easy to navigate format. Potential residents will be able view floor plans, look at interior photos of units as well as have the ability fill out and submit their applications directly from the website. If you are a current resident of the Village Apartments, the resident login portal is front as center as you land on the page, making it convenient to access your online account.
The Village Apartments website can be found at:
