07fallPetters_master 9/10/07 4:58 PM Page 1 - Tiffany Nash

07fallPetters_master 9/10/07 4:58 PM Page 1

07fallPetters_master 9/6/07 3:23 PM Page 2 

:: 

TABLE of CONTENTS 

36 ON THE COVER 

JUICE 

customers through Juice Media’s new JuiceMetrIQs CRM tool. 

MEDIA WORLDWIDE ::Get to know your 

40 

::::::::::::::::::::::: 

features 

26 :: MAKING A DIFFERENCE 

JOHN FREDERICKSEN 

Sun Country employees focus on customers; 

John Fredericksen focuses on the employee 

relations. 

28 :: EXECUTIVE PROFILE 

DAVID BAER 

David Baer – a lawyer who would rather be 

proactive than reactive and take a holistic 

approach to advising. 

34 :: INSIDE GLANCE 

PETTERS CAPITAL 

Petters Capital, as a nimble merchant bank yet 

sophisticated enough to handle the global 

financial activities of Petters Group Worldwide 

and its portfolio companies. 

galleries 

18 :: JOHN T. PETTERS FOUNDATION 

2007 Legacy Gala gives guests 

“A Night in Beijing” 

22 :: CHARITABLE GIVING GALLERY 

From swinging a hammer to 

swinging a golf club 

44 :: PEOPLE & PLACES 

The Minnetonka office goes to 

the dogs for a day 

44 

IN every ISSUE 

4 letter from tom :: 6 letter from andrea :: 8 around the companies :: 24 connecting points ::


::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 

departments 

32 :: LEARNING CENTER 

Planning for the future through 

innovative programs 

40 :: CORNERSTONES 

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT 

Beyond book learning – 

summer interns invade 

42 :: CORE VALUES 

INNOVATION Your fingerprint can 

open new worlds 

CARING Take a T.K.O. stretch 

by Dr. James Mellin 

15 

18 

34 

30 XX where where in the in the world world is tom? is tom? :: :: 45 XX the the petters petters matrix matrix :: :: 46 XX reality reality bytes bytes 

9 

FALL 2006 

::

07fallPetters_master 9/10/07 3:55 PM Page 4 

LETTER from TOM 

Dear Friends, I hope you all had a great 

summer! This time of year seems to bring renewal to the mind, 

body and spirit. This is essential to bring balance to our lives 

in an increasingly complex and demanding world. 

It seems that there are more and more pressures in the 

business world as we move toward a global economy and 

uncertainty in the financial markets in the second half of 2007. 

This makes it extremely important that we set down goals and 

execute against these goals. Execution is one of the key core 

values of our company. Without superb execution we will not 

accomplish our mission to achieve outstanding results this year. 

I saw many signs of progress throughout our companies this 

summer. In particular I was impressed with the team of interns 

we had on board for the past several months. Their presence 

seemed to give us energy and ideas which add value to our 

4 :: PETTERSGROUP 

various businesses. They also underscored the importance of 

execution in our pursuits – simply said we need to Execute for 

Excellence! Overall I am encouraged and optimistic about our 

future based upon our most important asset – you – the people 

make up the companies of Petters Group as well as all our friends 

and business associates. 

On another front, we just completed a very successful 

Legacy Gala for the John T. Petters Foundation. We will be able 

to double the number of scholarships we are able to offer as a 

result of the tremendous support we received. This was the best 

event in Minnesota thanks to our employees and volunteers. 

Lastly, we just purchased two more planes for Sun Country 

It’s the repetition of 

affirmations that leads to 

belief. And once that belief 

becomes a deep conviction, 

things begin to happen. 

MUHAMMAD ALI 

and they are beautiful. Our very successful television and radio 

commercial campaigns are creating excitement all over the Twin 

Cities and the business community is responding. This summer 

was a great one for Sun Country. 

I want to conclude by thanking all of you for your hard work, 

your dedication and your commitment to execution. You inspire 

me, give me energy and I am proud to be your partner in 

continuing to build this dynamic group of companies! 

TOM PETTERS

07fallPetters_master 9/6/07 3:23 PM Page 5


LETTER from ANDREA 


HITTING THE NAIL 

ON THE HEAD 

Many years ago, while I was traveling overseas during college, I went to a seaside town in 

England, where our a wonderful tour guide told us how many of our English sayings originated. 

Stands on the docks were called nails, and when the fishermen came into port, they 

would barter the price of their catch. When a price they liked was reached, they would hit the top (head) of the 

stand (nail) and call it a deal – hitting the nail on the head. 

I had not thought about that story in years until the recent move into our new building. While we were 

adjusting décor and hanging pictures, I was hesitant to pound a nail into the newly painted, perfectly smooth 

wall. Someone said to just hit the nail on the head and make it permanent. In our ever changing companies, 

how often do we get to say “make it permanent”? 

70 years ago when Dr. Land, the founder of Polaroid, was working on his first project, did he wonder about 

its ability to succeed? For some, it is a scary concept to make a commitment, but, as many of the companies 

within the Petters Group portfolio are finding out, making a commitment to a project or product reaps great 

benefits. In this publication, you will learn about Sun Country Airlines’ marketing campaign, which has contributed 

to increased load capacity, Juice Media Worldwide’s launch of their Juice MetrIQs tool and you will 

learn how a retraining program at Polaroid is receiving national attention. These and many more stories we are 

sharing reflect examples of people and companies making a commitment to a deal and who have successfully 

hit the nail on the head. 

ANDREA MILLER


VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1 

PUBLISHER Thomas J. Petters 

EDITORIAL 

EDITOR Andrea Miller 

andrea.miller@pettersgroup.com 

ASSISTANT EDITORS & WRITERS 

Tiffany Nash, Katherine Harlander-Locke 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Theo Brasch, Tristan Galvan, 

Jenna Gebeke, Tom Gilgenbach, Stephanie Halvorson, Penny 

Locey, Dr. James Mellin, Liz Orenstein, Christine Ortenzio, 

Lorrie Parent, Bob Safford, Matthew Volkman 

ART 

PRODUCTION MANAGER Yola Hartmann 

CREATIVE COORDINATOR Sarah Sucansky 

DESIGN/ART DIRECTION Dana Oelfke 

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS 

Emily Bretzel, Dave Koehler 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Todd Buchanan, Leif Hillestad 

CIRCULATION 

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Corey McMahon 

CIRCULATION ASSISTANT Jessica French 

ADVISORY BOARD 

Bill Dunlap, Patty Hamm, Mary Jeffries 

Special thank-you to the staff of Metropolitan Media 

Group for all their assistance in producing the 

Petters Group magazine. 

—————————————————————————— 

HOW TO REACH US 

ADDRESS > Petters Group Worldwide 

4400 Baker Rd., 

Minnetonka, MN 55343 

Provide feedback, story ideas and events to 

magazine@pettersgroup.com 

REPRINTS > Contact Tiffany Nash at 

tiffany.nash@pettersgroup.com 

—————————————————————————— 

© Copyright 2007 Petters Group Worldwide, LLC, 

all rights reserved. The opinions of the columnists 

are their own. 

Petters Group is published by Metropolitan Media Group 

exclusively for Petters Group Worldwide.


:: UPFRONT around the companies 

SNAP SHOT :: 

NEW POLAROID CEO 

MICHAEL LONDON 

In mid-August, Michael London joined 

Polaroid as their Chief Executive Officer. As a 

35-year retail veteran, London is known for 

his expertise and focus on innovation, differentiation 

and execution with a customer focus. “We 

are looking forward to combining Michael’s industry 

expertise with Polaroid’s strong brand,” Tom 

Petters, Chairman of Petters Group and Polaroid 

said. “He brings his knowledge of the marketplace, 

product development, product sourcing and 

professional management expertise that will be 

invaluable to Polaroid.” 

London began his career with Lechmere Sales 

before serving at Best Buy from 1996-2006. In his 

tenure with Best Buy he served in a number of 

positions including EVP Merchandising, EVP 

Customer Centricity and EVP Global Sourcing. At 

Polaroid, London will focus on the strategy to 

grow the Polaroid brand globally and the expansion 

and profitability of Polaroid’s consumer electronics 

line which includes LCD television, 

portable DVD players, digital cameras, other 

related products which are achieving significant 


impacts in the CE marketplace. Polaroid’s LCDs 

currently rank number two on the NPAA/Twice 

ratings report. ”I am looking forward to working 

with Polaroid because they have such strong 

brand recognition, high purchase favorability and 

innovative technology,” London said. 

London feels it is critical to understand the 

needs of Polaroid’s customers and retail partners in 

order to operate effectively and efficiently and differentiate 

Polaroid in the marketplace and create an 

environment of entrepreneurship and innovation. 

“I believe the Polaroid management team and 

its employees in combination with Petters Group 

will accelerate the Polaroid growth strategy and 

perpetuate Polaroid’s long history of leadership in 

the market place,” London said. 

Described as an innovative leader, London 

feels you need to enable your teams to make 

decisions in order for them to grow and achieve 

results. “The insights he provides to the people 

he works with allows everyone to reach 

beyond their boundaries and accomplish their 

goals,” Petters said. 

COMING TO A STORE 

NEAR YOU :: 

Digital Signage the 

New Advertising Media 

Recently, there have been many 

technological innovations that have 

transformed the advertising 

industry – one of these being 

digital signage. Developed over the 

last decade, this technology and 

has revolutionized the way 

advertisers deliver their messages 

to consumers. Not only does 

digital signage provide a multitude 

of possibilities for advertisers to 

reach their key demographic 

market, but also provides a larger 

advertising medium. 

BroadSign International, an 

investment of Petters Group 

Worldwide, is a leader in the digital 

signage industry, and provides the 

‘next’ generation of software 

solutions for operating digital 

signage (captive audience) 

networks. BroadSign is not just any 

digital signage company. The 

product they offer reliably 

distributes and plays back media 

files fulfilling simple or complex 

insertion orders. Essentially, this 

means that their software allows 

advertisers not only to tailor ads to 

a specific market demographic, but 

they can also be programmed to 

automatically adapt those 

messages to the specific location, 

conditions, time, and needs of the 

venue in which the digital sign is 

placed. “We allow advertisers to 

get the right message to the right 

people at the right time,” explains 

Rick Engels, BroadSign CEO and 

President. 

When looking towards the 

future of the industry and 

company, BroadSign is confident in 

their ability to compete. “The 

digital signage market is very 

fragmented,” explains David 

Womeldorf, Executive Vice 

President of Marking and Products. 

“We believe that BroadSign has 

both the vision and technological 

support to not only survive, but 

come out as one of the top digital 

signage software companies.” 

For more information visit 

broadsign.com or email 

david.womeldorf@broadsign.com


CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

TO AROUND THE 

COMPANIES :: 

Theo Brasch, Tristan Galvan, 

Jenna Gebeke, Tom Gilgenbach, 

Katherine Harlander-Locke, Tiffany 

Nash, Liz Orenstein, Christine 

Ortenzio, Lorrie Parent, Bob Safford, 

Matthew Volkman. 

BRIAN DUSHO EXPANDS 

BROADSIGN’S SALES & 

SUPPORT :: 

AS BROADSIGN LOOKS to enter 

emerging markets, Brian Dusho, 

Executive Vice President of Sales and 

Support, launched the BroadPartner 

program in 2005, which works to deliver 

a total Content Management Software 

(CMS) solution. He created a global 

sales organization, which focused on 

developing a strong client base in North 

America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. 

“We are looking to expand into many 

new markets across the globe. Two of 

our current projects include providing 

the software to support digital signage 

networks for ‘Urban Panels’ in New York 

City subway stations and digital grocery 

stores in India,” said Dusho. 

With a B.A. degree in Finance from 

Kent State University, and an office is 

Boise, ID, Dusho spends most of his 

time traveling to develop new markets 

and increase sales to new customers. 

His responsibilities include worldwide 

sales, supervising solution specialists, 

and the support team. “I have never 

worked with a more dedicated and driven 

team. The level of expertise and professionalism 

is the best I have ever 

worked with,” said Dusho. “The unique 

thing about our industry is that there are 

so many new markets for BroadSign to 

expand in,” he added. 

SUNNY DAYS AT PETTERS 

CONSUMER BRANDS 

The Aaron Chang International (ACI) team 

presented its new spring 2008 Aaron 

Chang swimwear line at the Miami Swim 

Show in July. The show was a hit thanks to ACI’s 

new booth design, and ACI’s new eco-friendly 

swimwear designs which are immediately available 

at Urban Outfitters, Macy’s, and Victoria’s Secret. 

Customers have given positive reviews of ACI suits 

due to their cutting edge styles. But for many, their 

interest in the suits goes beyond fashion. In ACI’s 

spring ’08 swimwear collection, two lines are made 

out of recycled polyester, yarns made from materials 

such as recycled plastic bottles. 

“Our new eco-friendly line is popular because 

it reduces impact to the environment without 

sacrificing quality, especially with such an 

intimate piece of clothing,” Terri O’Shaughnessy, 

Petters Consumer Brands Product Manager said. 

“Our styles are fresh, and the fabrics, while made 

of recycled materials, are no different in feel or 

touch than materials found in ordinary 

beachwear.” Like the eco-friendly fabrics in the 

swimwear, all Aaron Chang t-shirts and cover-ups 

are made of organic cotton. 

In other news, compact microwaves will soon 

soar into Canada. One Sunbeam and one Oster 

countertop microwave will be shelved at Loblaws, 

a Canadian retail grocery chain. “Entry into the 

Canadian market has been a heavy focus for 

Petters Consumer Brands (PCB) in the last year,” 

David McGee, PCB microwave Product Manager 

said. “We are excited about the opportunity to 

expand our relationship with Loblaws and 

Canadian retailers as a whole.” The two initial 

microwaves will hit Loblaws stores in October. 

Meanwhile, the team behind the Element 

Electronics product line is also preparing for an 

exciting season. PCB continues to expand its 

relationship with Circuit City, bringing in new 

product categories and a broader depth of 

products into stores across the country under the 

Element Electronics brand. This fall, Circuit City 

will sell six LCD televisions ranging in screen size 

from 15” to 37”, along with two plasmas. In 

addition to televisions, a variety of smaller 

electronic products including portable DVD 

players, outdoor speakers, five-disc CD changer, 

MP3 accessories, and digital picture frames will 

also sport the Element Electronics logo. “With 

the expanding variety of products together with 

the success of the existing SKUs, we anticipate 

significant growth in the second half of 2007 and 

2008,” Michael Hines, PCB Product Director for 

the Element Electronics brand said. 

For more information visit aaronchang.com or email 

terri.oshaughnessy@pettersgroup.com; 

elementelectronics.com or email 

michael.hines@pettersgroup.com; 

sunbeammajorapplicances.com or email 

david.mcgee@pettersgroup.com 

FALL 2007

07fallPetters_master 9/6/07 3:23 PM Page 10 


STARS SEEK 

OUT NEW 

POLAROID 

PHOTOKEEPER 

Celebrities flocked to New York City, to check 

out the Polaroid 7 megapixel digital camera 

and media backup device during “Upfront 

Week” in May. Upfront Week is where television networks 

announce their upcoming fall schedules and 

new programming. Lucky Magazine hosted the Lucky 

Club Party, where Polaroid and other companies introduced 

celebrities to premium products. Amanda 

Bynes, Kenan Thompson, the cast of Grey’s Anatomy, 

and others, were introduced to the benefits of using the 

digital camera with the media backup device – they 

never having to worry about losing pictures anymore. 

The stars took an immediate liking to their new gadgets 

and were seen showing them off. 

“Gifting to celebrities brings brand recognition to 

the company and helps promote new products like the 

media backup device, being launched under the brand 

PhotoKeeper,” Lorrie Parent, Polaroid Senior 

Marketing Account Executive said. Through the PR 

PHILIPPE KALMBACH JOINS 

POLAROID IN EUROPE :: 

As Polaroid re-establishes itself in international markets, 

Philippe Kalmbach, the new Senior Vice 

President General Manager of EMEA (Europe, Middle 

East, Africa), was hired in June to lead the way in creating 

important connections for Polaroid products. “It 

has been exciting to work through the challenges of 

this new position,” said Kalmbach. “I am working to 

build bridges between our brand and our consumers.” 

Polaroid has already succeeded in increasing sales 

at several big box retailers in the U.K., and is working 

towards strengthening these relationships further. 

“The trick is making the right contacts, following up 

and upholding agreements – something Polaroid has 

a strong reputation in doing,” said Kalmbach. 

Based out of the Luton office, Kalmbach has been 

busy familiarizing himself with the Polaroid brand and 

Petters Group culture. “I enjoy the exciting, fast paced 

10 :: PETTERSGROUP 

‘Lost’ cast member Josh 

Holloway posing with his new 

Polaroid camera. 

efforts of Fingerprint Communications photos of 

celebrities and their Polaroid products were featured in 

several magazines, giving Polaroid additional press 

worth thousands of dollars. In addition, the press validated 

Polaroid’s presence at Upfront Week, as sales of 

the media backup device were much higher than 

expected in the following weeks.. 

and challenging environment,” Kalmbach said. Prior 

to joining Polaroid, he worked for Eastman Kodak as 

Head of Digital Business & Marketing Centre – 

Consumer Digital Group EAMER. Kalmbach has also 

worked with Lexmark and Solomon Citigroup. His wide 

range of knowledge and experience in international 

markets will be helpful in achieving success and 

Polaroid’s strategic goals. 

OIL CHANGES 

FOR 747S 

Aviation Sales 

and Service Center 

to Open 

The Metropolitan Airport 

Commission (MAC) has 

approved the terms of a 

lease to Petters Aviation, 

and Sun Country Airline for 

the former Mesaba Airlines 

hanger located at the 

Minneapolis/St. Paul 

International Airfield. 

Petters Aviation, a 

division of Petters Group 

Worldwide, has multiple 

uses planned for the facility 

including utilizing it as the 

headquarters the North 

American Sales and Service 

Center for Airbus corporate 

jets. In May, Petters 

Aviation was named by 

Airbus as its exclusive sales 

center in the United States. 

They will also sell and 

service other corporate jets, 

and base the Petters Group 

Charter Service from this 

location. 

“We are looking to offer 

the private airline 

community options not 

currently available in the 

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 

area. This will make travel 

in and out of Minnesota 

much easier,” Jay Salmen, 

President of Petters 

Aviation said. 

These operations will 

only utilize part of the 

facility. Sun Country Airlines 

will use the balance of the 

space for their emergency 

response center, pilot and 

inflight training and 

storage. The hanger is 

located next to the current 

Sun Country hanger. 

The anticipated 

possession date is early 

September with operations 

commencing in October. 

For more information email 

susan.geitzenauer@petters 

group.com.


PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT :: 

Polaroid Licenses Digital Media Software 

NEARLY EVERYBODY HAS A FAVORITE 

MEMORY that has been captured on film, 

video or digital photo. This fall, Polaroid will 

make it incredibly easier to share those memories 

with My Memories Suite, a software 

program created in collaboration with 

StoryRock. The innovative software lets you 

create everything from professionally printed 

photo albums to interactive digital media 

albums complete with video and audio clips. 

“Our partnership with StoryRock Inc. is ideal 

because the software is fun, easy-to-use and 

gives our customer an innovative way to 

share their digital photos and videos,” Lorrie 

Parent, Senior Marketing Account Executive 

with Polaroid said. “It’s an excellent tie-in with 

a host of other Polaroid products our customers 

use to capture and share their digital 

memories; digital cameras, digital photo 

frames, LCD TVs, etc.” My Memories Suite 

will make its Polaroid debut on a 30 minute 

infomercial this fall. 

With a click of a mouse, My Memories 

Suite is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to 

create a project in minutes, than export that 

story to a variety of print and multimedia 

options. Export options include a printed 

photo book, DVD video, CD picture disc, customized 

cards available via the Internet, and 

other products that make it incredibly easy to 

share memories with family and friends. “For 

Polaroid, this software is all about sharing 

memories that were captured using other 

Polaroid products such as a digital or film 

camera or video camera,” Parent said. 

Other My Memories Suite features include 

dozens of pre-designed professional templates 

and a FastFoto option that automatical- 

OPEN: A Fitting Showroom for Polaroid 

ly inserts a folder full of photos into a designer 

template or one you create. Easy-to-use 

tools let you crop photos, eliminate red-eye, 

make contrast adjustments, and bring “stills” 

to life with video, narration, and music. Best 

of all, the Mac and PC compatible program is 

so easy to use, you can drag a photo to your 

project from anywhere on your computer. 

Watch for My Memories Suite this fall and get 

ready to share your own photos. 

A TOUR OF POLAROID’S PLUSH NEW SPACE at 4400 Baker Road 

wouldn’t be complete without a visit to its new 900+ square foot 

showroom. Located near the elevator bank on the second floor, the 

area includes 13 LCD TVs of varying sizes, and each connected to 

an adjacent room devoted entirely to cables and media sources. A 

variety of Polaroid consumer electronics such as digital cameras, 

photo frames, portable DVD players and other consumer electronics 

also adorn the walls. 

Perhaps, the best use of the showroom area is for giving demos 

of one of Polaroid’s newest products – the Digital Entertainment 

Center (DEC). The DEC is a compact-sized set-top box that let’s you 

record and view all of your favorite TV shows, movies, digital photos 

and so much more. “The DEC syncs with your MP3 player, your 

camcorder, your digital picture frame, personal media player, and 

plays back on any LCD TV,” Jon Pollock, VP of New Technology at 

Polaroid said. “The DEC is a central figure in creating a Wi-Fi-based 

community of Polaroid consumer electronics devices and the 

Digital Living area makes it incredibly easy to show customers its 

full potential.” 

The DEC is set to launch next spring. 




Malibu Beach has long been a favorite destination 

for Hollywood trend-setters. This year’s 

added attraction was the Polaroid Beach 

House location, on a prime setting known as Billionaire’s 

Beach. The estate, outfitted with the latest Polaroid electronics, 

was the site of private parties and exclusive events attracting 

big name celebrities and VIPs throughout the summer. 

The Polaroid Beach House treated celebrities to elegance 

and luxury with overnight hotel-like accommodations, 

complete with high-end amenities such as Polaroid Full 

High-Definition LCD TVs, digital photo frames, portable 

DVD players, and digital cameras. In addition to enjoying 

the sun and the surf, celebrities had the opportunity to 

experience Polaroid products much in the same way they 

would in their own homes. 


The sitting area in the Polaroid Beach 

House features several Polaroid LCD’s 

POLAROID CAPTURES A 

PICTURE PERFECT SUMMER 

AT THE POLAROID BEACH HOUSE :: 

The courtyard entrance to the property greeted guests 

with five 40” HD LCD TVs displaying specially prepared 

content for each event, the living room offers not only a 

great view of the surf, but of several 46” Full HD TVs, and 

all the fun is captured on the newest Polaroid digital cameras 

like the t730 and the m737t. 

Celebrities like James Woods, Macy Gray, Matthew 

McConaughey, Luke and Owen Wilson, and other A-list 

stars made the Polaroid Beach House a favorite hot spot this 

summer. And, the press was not too far behind. Press coverage 

for the Polaroid Beach House project was featured on 

“Entertainment”, “The Tonight Show”, “Fox News” and 

“Extra.” In addition, People, Star, US Weekly, OK, and 

InStyle, regularly featured the events at the house, as well as 

the latest products featured. 

DIGITALLY- 

ENHANCED 

DVDS BRING 

OLD MEMORIES 

TO LIFE :: 

Always striving to 

provide a more 

enjoyable viewing 

experience for 

customers, YesVideo 

has taken their movie 

film to DVD 

technology to the next 

level. When 

customers submit 

their old movie reels 

for transfer, they now 

receive digitallyenhanced 

DVDs, with 

footage that is more 

clear and vibrant than 

the originals. 

The new 

processing technology 

not only intensifies 

color and contrast 

that has deteriorated 

over time, but also 

significantly reduces 

the appearance of 

spots and marks on 

the film surfaces. 

Initial feedback 

from customers is 

extremely positive. 

Customers report that 

they are amazed at 

the sharpness and 

clarity of 30 and 40year-old 

footage. 

YesVideo’s 

digitally-enhanced 

DVDs are available 

from 8 mm, Super 8 

and 16 mm movie film 

reels, 35 mm slides 

and photo prints. 

Visit yesvideo.com 

to order directly or to 

find a retailer near you.


NEW TECHNOLOGY :: 

Solid Success in Digital Photo Frame Market 

POLAROID ENTERED THE DIGITAL 

PHOTO FRAME MARKET with the same 

fun, easy-to-use, solution-based products 

that have been successful in so many other 

consumer electronics categories. In fact, 

Polaroid is excelling with several choices in 

stores throughout the US and Europe 

including a 7” Digital Photo Frame 

packaged in its own gift box, with ribbon 

and all. The uniquely boxed frame was 

featured on an end cap at Target stores for a 

key Mother’s Day selling season and 

regarded as a huge success. 

This fall, Polaroid plans to stand out even more from the crowd by offering a 7” Digital 

Photo Frame that includes a built-in wireless weather station. The dual-purpose unit 

includes features found in many of Polaroid’s frames: 16:9 aspect ratio, JPEG image 

support, the ability to read a host of memory cards, and viewing modes that let you watch 

everything from a single picture to a slide show. In addition, the unit includes 32MBs of 

built-in storage to hold several digital photo albums, USB 1.1/2.0 ports to connect your 

camera directly to the frame, and a remote control for convenience. But what really makes 

this photo frame unique is its ability to give you the latest weather conditions. The built-in 

wireless weather station uses a battery-operated outdoor weather sensor to display weather 

conditions including outdoor temperatures while an indoor sensor gives you inside 

temperatures. So while you’re watching a slide show of your sunny Florida vacation, you’ll 

be able to keep track of your local weather. The Digital Photo Frame with Wireless Weather 

Station makes its debut this September at Target stores nationwide. 

FINGERHUT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION TOPS IN RETAIL :: 

FINGERHUT TAKES ITS CUSTOMER 

SATISFACTION VERY SERIOUSLY. Each 

month, Fingerhut expends significant 

resources in order to communicate with 

its customers to find out how they’re 

doing. Over two hundred phone 

interviews are conducted by customer 

service representatives located in 

Minnesota, from a random sample of 

the customer population. The great 

news is that Fingerhut customers love 

Fingerhut! 

One measure, the Net Promoter 

Score, is a commonly regarded measure 

of customer loyalty. Based on a tenpoint 

scale, customers are classified as 

either a promoter, a passive or a 

detractor, and only those with a score of 

9 or 10 are classified as promoters. 

The industry believes that promoters 

are critical in generating word of mouth 

support for a brand—a critical 

component of success. 

Most successful retailers have 

scores in the 60% range, but Fingerhut 

enjoys levels significantly higher, and in 

2007, scores have ranged from 75 to 

80%. The news only gets better - scores 

continues to increase, and in the last 

year, this score has risen by over ten 

percentage points. 

In a second measure of overall 

customer satisfaction in which most 

major multi-channel and online retailers 

participate, Fingerhut has an industryleading 

score. Fingerhut Direct 

Marketing’s score tops such highlyrespected 

retailers as Kohl’s, Target, 

Costco and even online giants Amazon 

and eBay. 

It’s clear that Fingerhut’s almost 

single-minded focus on its customer is 

paying off. Its high-quality, brand name 

merchandise, flexible credit program, 

24/7 convenience and feature-rich, easyto-use 

website, are all working together 

to bring Fingerhut customers back time 

and again. 

Visit Fingerhut.com to learn about 

their products. 

Polaroid LCDs line the walls 

of the chic Chambers’. 

POLAROID IS MAKING 

WAVES IN HOTELS AND 

COMMERCIAL VENUES :: 

Polaroid is already bringing stunning high 

definition (HD) clarity to private homes 

through LCD TVs, and is now doing the 

same for hotel guestrooms, restaurants, and 

other commercial settings. Polaroid Hospitality 

and Commercial, LLC offer a comprehensive line 

of high definition LCD TVs and digital signage, 

to meet the specific needs of the commercial and 

entertainment businesses. 

Ranging from 15 to 46 inches, Polaroid commercial 

LCDs are built with lightweight panels 

and detachable TV stands that are easy for wallmounting 

in suites, hotel rooms, and bathrooms. 

Each LCD TV has passed compatibility standards 

of some of the world’s largest in-room 

entertainment providers, includes HD programming, 

and the ability to be used as an HD computer 

monitor. Featuring slim designs, Video On 

Demand (VOD) support, and optional integrated 

DVD players, the commercial LCDs are versatile 

to fit any commercial setting. 

To showcase the exceptional line of Polaroid 

LCDs, the hospitality team attends many major 

tradeshows throughout the year. In November, 

Polaroid will have a booth at the 92nd annual 

International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show® 

in New York City. This tradeshow presents the 

opportunity to show some of the world’s largest 

hotel and restaurant chains, the products that 

Polaroid has to offer. 

For a sneak preview of the line, visit 

Chambers, the Luxury Arts Hotel in downtown 

Minneapolis. Polaroid LCD TVs line the walls 

of the ultra-modern lobby and restrooms. Or, 

check out all of our commercial products on 

the new Polaroid Hospitality and Commercial 

website at www.polaroid.com/hospitality or 

email honigk@polaroid.com 




SMILES NOT 

SCOWLS 

Sun Country Launches Marketing Campaign 

KATHERINE HARLANDER-LOCKE 

More leg room, a frequent flyer program that actually rewards, 

cheeseburgers, leather seats, luggage on arrival, scheduled service 

to over 30 cities, and great customer service – who wouldn’t 

want to fly Sun Country Airlines? 

Sun Country launched a comprehensive marketing campaign beginning 

in May aimed at building awareness for the airline and ultimately increasing 

sales, especially with business travelers. The campaign is multi-phased; the 

first phase of the campaign focused on why Sun Country is the best choice for 

travelers. Using comparisons such as Sun Country’s “smiles” with another 

local airline’s “scowls”, the advertising uses humor to highlight Sun Country’s 

superior product offering. 

The second phase of the campaign introduce the market to UFly, Sun 

Country’s frequent flyer program that is unique because it is simple (100 

points = 1 free RT ticket) and has no blackouts, no restrictions. As the tag line 

reads, “Any seat. Any day. Any time.” One week after the launch, over 70,000 

customers had signed up for the rewards program. 

The television spots, which have received rave reviews, have been the cornerstone 

of the campaign. In one, a Sun Country flight attendant asks passengers 

whether or not they want a cheeseburger…or nothing…and asks them to 

put their heads down on the trays for a secret vote. Other mediums include 

radio, billboards, bus and lightrail wraps, newspaper and magazine ads and a 

strong grassroots campaign, featuring an orange and blue wrapped RV. 

The ambitious guerilla marketing program is aimed at building awareness 

for the airline within the community. Besides the decked-out 30 foot RV, the 

public can obtain free t-shirts, campaign buttons and stickers, yard signs, 

bumper stickers and luggage tags. The RV has attracted a lot of attention, and 

many people stop and ask for schedules. 

Pete Heunisch, Marketing Project Specialist for Sun Country, manages 

the group of interns and employees that work at the many events the RV visits. 

“It is a great opportunity for the airline to have one-on-one contact with 

the public. We are developing a personal relationship with travelers in this 

marketing and one thing is apparent – people love Sun Country,” he said. 

“We really wanted to let people know that they do have a choice 

when picking an airline to fly,” said Liz Schuster, Sun Country 

Marketing and Promotions Coordinator. “Our airline has so many great 

aspects that we really wanted to highlight them and be able to talk with 

people face-to-face.” 

Some of the more popular events this summer have included Joe 

Schmit’s Golf Tournament, Grand Old Days in St. Paul, the Stone Arch Art 

Festival, Taste of Minnesota, Basilica Block Party, Aquatennial Block Party 

and Irish Fest. 

“An important goal that we had for the summer and this campaign was to 

be visible within the community,” said Heidi Bausch, Sun Country Marketing 


One of the light rail trains in 

Minneapolis, MN is displaying 

the Sun Country messaging. 

A scene from one of Sun Country’s new commercials 

Assistant. “We’ve had a great time attending the events, and the interns have 

also enjoyed being involved.” 

The airline has also benefited, with an exponential increase in sales this 

summer. “Since launching the campaign, we have definitely seen the impact, 

not only in sales but in load factors,” said Wendy Williams Blackshaw, Sun 

Country Vice President of Marketing. “We anticipate the UFly Rewards will 

continue this upward trend.” 

Sun Country has also earned the honor, for the second year in a row, of 

being named to the “World’s Best List” of Top 10 Domestic Airlines in Travel 

+ Leisure magazine. “This award is a tribute to our employees and their collective 

commitment to serving our passengers,” said Jay Salmen, CEO of Sun 

Country. 

In addition to the marketing campaign, launch of UFly program, and 

receiving the Travel + Leisure award, Sun Country has acquired two new 

planes from Boeing. Sun Country will expand their flight schedules to New 

York, SanFrancisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and added West Palm 

Beach, FL and Tucson, AZ to their flight schedule. 

“By expanding our fleet, we will be able to provide better service to our 

customers through increased flight options,” said Salmen. 

For more information visit suncountry.com or email wendy.blackshaw@suncountry.com


THE PSYCHOLOGY OF 

ORANGE AND BLUE :: 

BY STEPHANIE HALVORSON 

Think that orange and blue were 

chosen as Sun Country’s colors 

by mistake? Think again. 

Here is a little scientific proof that 

we’re doing things right… 

ORANGE 

Orange is considered an energetic color. 

It brings to mind feelings of excitement, 

enthusiasm, and warmth. Orange is also 

often used to draw attention. 

In Chromotherapy (otherwise known 

as color therapy), orange is used to heal 

the body and increase energy levels. 

WHAT DOES ORANGE 

SAY ABOUT US? 

We are… 

Fun loving 

Talkative 

Energetic 

Trendy 

BLUE 

Blue is a soothing color that brings to 

mind feelings of calmness or serenity. It 

is often described as peaceful, tranquil, 

secure and orderly. Blue is also 

considered the color of loyalty. 

In Chromotherapy, blue is believed to 

soothe and treat pain. 

WHAT DOES BLUE 

SAY ABOUT US? 

We are… 

Credible 

Confident 

Loyal 

Dependable 

It is safe to say that orange and blue 

fit us perfectly here at Sun Country. We’re 

energetic and fun-loving. But more 

importantly, we’re loyal, dependable, and 

we heal the wounds and soothe the pain 

of the frustrated traveler who has ever 

flown with anyone else. 

Clearly, Orange + Blue + Sun Country = 

the perfect prescription for a great travel 

experience. 

VALUES MESSAGE :: Execution 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Petters Group, located 

on the 3rd floor has a central reception area. • 

The new building features several pieces from the 

Polaroid Art Collection in its hallways and conference 

rooms. • Polaroid images and product are displayed 

on the 2nd floor reception area. 

John Jordan 

FOR MOST EMPLOYEES in the Minnetonka, MN offices, the 

move to the new building involved packing some boxes, moving 

them and than trying to find where the new conference rooms were 

located. For John Jordan, Vice President of Facilities for Petters Group, the renovation of 

the south building started 18 months ago when Petters Group entered into a joint venture 

with Welsh Companies to develop the entire campus, which will include two additional 

buildings. By taking input on everything from use of space to the color of wallpaper, from 

the construction company, designers, the executive team, staff and the various companies 

occupying the 89,651 sq. ft., Jordan led various teams to complete stage one of the renovations 

in just four months. 

Staff moved into the building in early June, and stage two of the cafeteria remodel was 

finalized in August. The front entry and parking lot are projected to be complete in 

October. While finishing the new building, work to clean out the 120,000 sq. ft. old building 

was also underway. Jordan said it needed to be broom cleaned before its demolition in 

late July. When it comes to executing a plan with multiple directors in multiple stages, 

Jordan demonstrated his strong leadership skills. 

DAVID WOMELDORF JOINS BROADSIGN :: 

IN DEVELOPING AND LAUNCHING A NEW STRATEGIC 

PLAN to guide future growth, BroadSign recently added 

David Womeldorf to their leadership team as Executive 

Vice President of Marketing. “Our new business plan 

focuses on public relations and brand awareness, both 

which will be instrumental in the future growth of the 

company,” Womeldorf said. “I build bridges between the 

techies and business strategists,” he added. 

Working out of the Minnetonka office, Womeldorf has 

enjoyed the exciting, entrepreneurial and fast-paced 

environment, since joining the company in May. Womeldorf brings with him more 

than 17 years of business technology experience from Cargill Ventures, Wells Fargo, 

Thomson Corp, IMI plc - a FTSE 250 public company on the London Stock 

Exchange, and was a co-founder of a web consultancy company. 




LIVEBYCAMPUS 

Campus Housing Companies Merge 

As most property owners and renters 

know, the most important aspect of student 

housing is location, location, location. 

With the merge of Campus1Housing.com, a 

portfolio company of Petters Group Worldwide, 

and LiveByCampus.com, students around the 

country will have more properties to choose from 

and an easy one-stop-shop for off-campus housing. 

“With the knowledge and expertise of both 

management teams coupled with the resources 

of Petters Group, we will be able to be a more 

comprehensive student housing resource while 

more effectively servicing property managers,” 

said Eric C. Wu, CEO of LiveByCampus.com 

and recently named one of BusinessWeek’s top 

25 entrepreneurs under 25. 

As leaders in the off-campus housing market, 

both companies shared similar expansion plans, 

and the merger seemed to be the logical next-step 

for each. Both companies bring different strengths 

and resources to the newly-formed partnership; 

Campus1Housing.com’s applicable pricing model 

and strong operating model will naturally complement 

LiveByCampus.com’s strong brand name and 

innovative technology. 

YESVIDEO DIGITIZES USC 

ATHLETIC VIDEO LIBRARY :: 

High-quality processing protects and 

organizes generations of Trojan sports footage 


The members of the new LiveByCampus organization, Joe 

Condit, Eric Wu and Jake Burns 

“This merger is a perfect fit for us. The 

LiveByCampus technology and web development 

expertise will greatly enhance our current 

services for students and property managers 

alike,” Jake Burns, Founder/CEO of 

Campus1Housing.com said. 

Also, as part of the merge, both companies 

will fall under the name of LiveByCampus.com, 

and will continue to invite students to participate 

in the internship program. As part of the 

program, students used a variety of different 

marketing tactics to help increase web site traffic 

and brand awareness. 

LiveByCampus.com was founded in 2006 

to help students find off-campus housing in the 

Southwest U.S. Through an online platform, 

LiveByCampus provides a housing resource 

that enables students to search for rentals near 

college campuses, view detailed property information, 

and see apartment ratings and comments 

from fellow students. 

Campus1Housing.com was founded in 2005 

on the concept that high-demand rental property 

around campus could be distributed to students 

through an auction platform. Focused on having 

a strong local presence in the Midwest, 

Campus1Housing has provided property 

managers with on-site student support, while 

continuing to provide students and parents with a 

comprehensive housing resource. 

For more information visit livebycampus.com or 

email jake.burns@livebycampus.com 

THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (USC) recently 

selected YesVideo to transfer their entire athletic video library to 

archive-quality gold DVDs and hard drives. 

Prior to working with YesVideo, the USC game video library was 

stored on thousands of professional format videotapes and over 

1.5 million feet of movie film. 

USC’s athletic video collection includes football, basketball, track & 

field, volleyball, and other sports programs and interviews dating back to 

the 1930s. YesVideo has applied their automated technology to include 

titles with the game files, and scan the content for natural chapter 

breaks. The chapter breaks are used for creating visual menus on the 

DVDs, allowing efficient searching within the games. 

“We are excited to bring our video and film libraries of athletic events 

into the digital age,” Tim Tessalone, USC Sports Information Director 

said. “By converting these assets to a standard digital format, these 

priceless moments are being preserved for generations and organized 

for easier accessibility.” 

YesVideo, which has a SpringWorks investment, has also performed 

this video archive service for the game tape library of the Detroit Pistons 

and other athletic teams, schools and training video businesses. 

For more information visit yesvideo.com


PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT :: 

Making a Statement 

with Polaroid Digital 

Camera Trim Kits 

POLAROID HAS LONG BEEN an 

American icon. Today, a few of its digital 

cameras are on their way to becoming 

highly sought after fashion accessories. The 

5 and 6 megapixel cameras, available in a 

number of retail stores, include interchangeable 

trim kits. The trim kits, made of 

a flexible, but durable plastic, easily snap 

on and off the camera. They come in complementary 

colors and designs giving the 

camera a customized look that fits your 

outfit or personality. The i531 is available in 

three colors: white, silver and black, and 

include the trim kits, with colors ranging 

from white and purple to light blue and 

black, with contrasting geometric shapes. 

POLAROID TURNS 70 :: 

SEPTEMBER WILL MARK ANOTHER 

MILESTONE in Polaroid’s and diverse 

history. The Polaroid Corporation will 

celebrate its 70th anniversary after its 

original inception on September 13th, 1937. 

Many changes have occurred since Edwin 

Land obtained his first patent for a synthetic 

sheet polarizer, which made it practical to 

use a polarized sheet in various products, 

including headlights photographic filters, 

and sunglasses. Fast forward 70 years, and 

the company still carries on its innovative 

spirit. The 70th anniversary will mark the 

first collaborative celebration of the 

company’s birthday since the 50th 

anniversary bash at Boston College’s Alumni 

Stadium in 1987. The 50th anniversary event 

featured celebrities like comedian Steve 

Allen, actress Mariette Hartley who starred 

in several Polaroid commercials and 

performances by the Pointer Sisters. The 

night celebrated not only Polaroid and 

Land’s innovative products and inventions, 

but Polaroid’s forward-thinking approach to 

its business practices. 

In the past 20 years, Polaroid has seen 

many changes in its business, moving from 

Some trim kits even let others know 

you’re making more than just a fashion statement 

– you’re doing your part to fight breast 

cancer. The i631 is a pink camera that comes 

with three trim kits, a pink, pink and green 

stripe, and a white and pink striped trim kit 

that features the Breast Cancer Research 

Foundation’s pink ribbon to spread awareness 

of the fight against breast cancer. The 

i631 launches this fall in time to coincide with 

Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. 

Polaroid and Tom Petters each pledged 

$75,000 dollars to the Breast Cancer 

Research Foundation as part of Polaroid’s 

commitment to this great orgazination. 

an instant photography company to a 

digital electronics company. This evolution 

has been a natural progression for 

Polaroid, as it has been in the homes of 

families for more than 50 years. In order to 

make this progression, Polaroid has 

adapted to offer new product including 

digital cameras, portable DVD players, and 

high definition LCD TVs. 

While Polaroid products have changed, 

one thing has remained constant: the 

strive for innovation. Innovation has 

always been an important element in 

Polaroid’s success and will continue as 

Polaroid begins the launch of its latest 

products. Polaroid’s new technologies 

will look to change the way people interact 

with technology in their homes, and share 

memories with loved ones. 

While Polaroid’s business has seen many 

changes throughout its storied existence, it 

continues to share the celebration of its 

history, with the people that have worked so 

hard to make it successful: its employees 

and their families. 

David Baer, Chief Legal Officer Petters Group, 

Mr. Yasushi Akashi, Former Deputy Secretary 

General of the United Nations, Tom Petters, 

CEO and Chairman Petters Group, Mr. Koji 

Takebe, President, Petters International Japan 

and Theo Brasch, Business Development 

Director Petters Group. 

DELEGATION 

VISITS JAPAN :: 

A DELEGATION FROM PETTERS GROUP 

WORLDWIDE visited Japan in July to 

promote Petters Group owned subsidiaries 

and discuss international business 

initiatives. The timing of the trip was vital 

to seeking business opportunities in Japan as 

the new government, led by Prime Minister 

Shinzo Abe, recently passed 

“triangle merger” legislation which makes 

it easier for U.S. companies to make 

investments into, or to purchase Japanese 

corporations. 

Tom Petters was asked by Forbes Japan 

to conduct an in-depth interview regarding 

the growth of Petters Group, and how certain 

acquisitions have affected the company over 

the years. These included Fingerhut, Sun 

Country, Polaroid and uBid. The article will 

run in the October issue Forbes Japan. 

The delegation was invited to a private 

meeting at the Tokyo Club with Mr. Yasushi 

Akashi, Special Envoy of the Government of 

Japan and former Under-Secretary-General of 

the United Nations. Mr. Akashi was gracious 

enough to provide an economic and political 

briefing of the Japanese landscape, citing hurdles 

and discussing potential courses of 

action that will keep Japan 

competitive with emerging Asian markets. 

The agenda also included meetings 

with several global financial and investment 

banks, as well as discussion with current 

component and technology suppliers. During 

the short trip, the group also spent time with 

Mr. Yuta Ito, President of Polaroid’s Japan 

office, and Mr. Koji Takebe, President of 

Petters International Japan, discussing brand 

awareness in Japan and the commitment 

Petters Group has made to achieving success 

at home and abroad. For more information 

email theo.brasch@pettersgroup.com 



:: GALLERY john t. petters foundation 

Legacy Gala Celebrates “A Night in Beijing” 

John T. Petters Foundation Raises Over 2.2 Million 

As soon as guests walked through the 

Forbidden City entrance at the John 

T. Petters Foundation 2007 Legacy 

Gala, they felt as if they were truly in Beijing, 

China amongst the beautiful décor, music and 

food. On August 11th, the Hilton Hotel in 

Minneapolis, MN hosted the sold out event for 

over 800 guests celebrating John Petters’ legacy 

at the 2nd annual Legacy Gala. More than $2.2 

million was raised from the 2007 John T. Petters 

Foundation Legacy Gala! Proceeds include support 

from sponsorships, silent and live auctions, 

the Tiffany & Co. Blue Box Extravaganza and a 

generous match from Tom Petters. A roaming 

Chinese dragon led guests into the ballroom for 

an evening of entertainment, including the Great 

China Circus, a Foundation video, speeches and 

cumulated with headliner Bill Cosby. A video featuring 

scholarship recipients and messages 

shared from the Gala’s Honorary Chariman, Dean 

Vlahos, Tom Petters, Jennifer Petters and Jamie 

Hagan, gave guests a wonderful insight into who 

John Petters was and what the fulfillment of his 

vision is meaning to others. 

Plans are already underway for the 2008 

Legacy Gala so look for more information in the 

coming months. 

2 


1 

3


4 

6 7 

[1] A sea of gold and red transformed 

the ballroom into an elegant palace. 

[2] John T. Petters Foundation staff, 

Dick Gross, Mollie O’Brien and 

Dawn Fish, Executive Director 

[3] Headliner, Bill Cosby, shared 

his insights into life 

[4] Dean Vlahos, Jamie Hagan, 

Bill Cosby, Tom Petters, Jennifer Petters, 

Nigel Malloch and Michelle Vlohos 

[5] Event guests Deanne Ledee, Kevin 

Ledee and Camille Chee-Awai 

[6] Dove Carter of Petters Group 

(center) welcomed Bill Cosby and 

Smokey Robinson 

[7] Bill Dunlap of Petters Group visited 

with John and Karleen Hagan, John 

Petters’ grandparents 

[8] Tracy Mixon, Tom Petters, Bill Cosby, 

Jennifer Petters and Nigel Malloch 

[9] Tom Petters (2nd left) welcomed 

guests Bud Swanson, Mary Jeffries, 

President/COO of Petters Group, Heidi 

Libera, John Jeffries and Rachel Jeffries. 

9 

8 

5 



:: GALLERY john t. petters foundation 

Setting the Course 

Foundation Looks At Future Plans 

DAWN FISH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 

The more students study abroad, the 

keener their ability to successfully 

work in our increasingly global market. 

After John T. Petters’ tragic death just three 

years ago, the Foundation was established 

to further his passion for helping talented, 

less fortunate students experience study 

abroad. His passion foretold a rapidly 

growing trend at most colleges to strongly 

encourage, and increasingly, require, more 

students to study abroad as part of their 

undergraduate experience. 

In three short years, the John T. Petters 

Foundation has provided more than 

$100,000 to 20 students for study abroad 

experiences that have transformed their 

lives. With your help from the 2007 Legacy 

Gala, we hope to add more than $1 million 

to our endowment, and distribute more 

than $150,000 next year to nearly double 

the amount of students assisted to date. 

The cost of a college education is escalat- 

ing beyond reach for many. Studying 

abroad adds to that already skyrocketing 

cost, while being demanded by more and 

more employers. Accordingly, the John T. 

Petters Foundation is fulfilling a burgeon- 

ing need for today’s college students and 

their employers of the future. We are proud 

to provide scholarships for global compe- 

tency within tomorrow’s workforce. We 

thank you for your support and partnership 

in helping to meet this increasing need. 


THANK YOU 

“A simple thank you does not seem enough to express how grateful I am to you, John 

Petter’s family and his Foundation for choosing me as a recipient for the scholarship in 

John’s honor. I am looking forward to studying abroad and know it will be the experience 

of a lifetime. Your Foundation has made this possible for me and I will do everything in my 

power to get the most out of this opportunity.” 

—LEVI LOWELL, SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY 2007 RECIPIENT 

“Thank you so much for choosing me for the scholarship. This foundation is so great. 

Many people tell college students to study abroad but with costs rising it becomes much 

harder. With your help my dreams will come true.” 

—ALEX HAMEL, ST. THOMAS 2007 RECIPIENT 

“Being selected as a recipient for the John T. Petters Scholarship is an honor and a true 

blessing. Your financial support and belief in my potential will undoubtedly help me achieve 

my aspirations. I am enthusiastic about the fantastic opportunity to study in Segovia, Spain. 

While abroad I intend to gain a better understanding of international business in addition to 

learning the Spanish language. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.” 

—CORY MORTENSON, SAINT JOHN’S UNIVERSITY 2007 RECIPIENT 

“I am extremely excited to receive this award. Your generosity is so greatly appreciated, and 

I will treasure my experience abroad for the rest of my life. After graduation I hope to work 

as a corporate trainer and consultant. My ability to relate to individuals and companies will 

be a great strength, only strengthened by the Central Europe program made possible 

through your scholarship. Thank you again for your generosity to Miami University, the 

Richard T. Farmer School of Business, and me. It means a great deal.” 

—BRIAN VANNEST, MIAMI UNIVERSITY 2007 RECIPIENT 

FOUNDATION HISTORY : : 

The John T. Petters Foundation honors the short and 

remarkable life of John Petters. John was a 

gregarious, 21-year-old student who was one of the 

most vibrant individuals you’d ever want to meet. As 

a student at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, he 

tragically lost his life while on spring break in 

Florence, Italy, in March 2004. John had a desire to 

help deserving students study abroad and his family 

and friends made sure this would not end with his 

passing. Scholarships are awarded on a need-basis 

to students who display John’s characters of 

leadership, motivation, and the overall passion to study international 

business. The Foundation awards scholarships on an annual basis.



:: GALLERY charitable giving gallery 

Melanie Martin, Michelle Galt and Tristan Galvan from Polaroid works on 

sanding and varnishing trim boards at the Habitat House. 

Building Dreams 

On May 9th and 17th, employees of the John T. Petters 

Foundation, Petters Group Worldwide and Polaroid joined 

together with the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and 

other local businesses to give back to the local community. 

There were 21 employees from the Minnetonka office who donated 

their time to the Entrepreneurial House – a home built by donations and 

volunteers from entrepreneurial businesses. 

“It was great to be able to work with the homeowners in building their 

future home,” Rachel Walker, Marketing Manager for BroadSign said. “I 

hope we can continue this volunteer work and make it an annual event.” 

Volunteers helped with all aspects of the building process from building 

retaining walls to cutting and placing trim. 

“Trimming is much harder than it looks,” Rebecca Bailey, Foundation 

intern, Miami University said. “It was really rewarding to stand back at the 

end of the day and see the progress we made.” 

Dedication for the Entrepreneurial House is on September 15th at 11 a.m. 

The Habitat for Humanity program builds homes for low-income families 

through a combination of donated funds and materials and labor from 

both volunteers and future home owners. Once a habitat home is completed, 

it is sold to the family for a reasonable price and at a zero percentage 

interest mortgage. This program helps poor, working families to enter the 

mainstream economic system. 

The Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has built over 600 homes in the 

metro area and its affiliates have built over 1,000 homes in the state of 

Minnesota. For more information on how you can volunteer with the 

Habitat for Humanity affiliate nearest you, please visit: www.habitat.org. 


Joe Schmit, host of the tournament 

and President of Petters 

Group Media & Marketing; 

Kyle Danko, Polaroid intern; 

George Danko, SpringWorks; 

Carl Alleman, Polaroid; and Bill 

Popp, tournament sponsor, 

participated in the Joe Schmit 

Golf Tournament 

Sun Country golf cart 

with Sun Country 

Employees Pete 

Heunisch, Bud Fisher, 

Heidi Bausch, Sue 

Brooksbank, Marti 

Guetzlaff, Elizabeth Voit 

and another volunteer. 

TEE TIME 

FOR 

CHARITIES 

For Petters Group Worldwide, 

the summer was a time of warm 

weather and charitable giving 

golf tournaments in Minnesota. 

Employees from Petters Group 

supported local charities, as 

they played in golf tournaments 

to raise money for different 

causes. 

• The golf season began 

with the 16 th Annual Joe 

Schmit Golf Tournament from June 9-12, which supports the 

Greater Twin Cities Big Brothers Big Sisters. The tournament 

included a Grand Party at the Minneapolis Convention Center, 

a golf challenge at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, 

and another at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids. Petters 

Group was the presenting sponsor, providing both monetary 

and in-kind donations. More than $300,000 was raised in 

total from the annual event. 

• The Golf for Diabetes tournament was held on June 18 th , 

which supports the Diabetes Institute for Immunology and 

Transplantation at the University of Minnesota Medical 

School. Petters Group provided support through monetary 

and in-kind donations. 

• On July 9 th , eight Petters Group employees participated in 

the 2007 Retreat Golf Extravaganza at Rush Creek Golf Course in 

Maple Grove. The event raised money for The Retreat’s Guest 

Scholarship Fund. 

• The Minnesota Teen Challenge 9th Annual Golf Classic on 

July 20 th was held at Troy Burne Golf Club in Hudson, WI, eight 

employees participated in the days’ events. 

• To conclude the summer of golf tournaments, Sun Country 

Airlines held their 2nd annual Sun Country Airlines Foundation 

Golf Scramble to support their scholarship program. The event 

took place on August 1 st at Crystal Lake Golf Club, and employees 

from Petters Group and Polaroid participated. Over $55,000 

was raised through sponsorships and participant events.


Donations Benefit 

Minnesota Schools 

1 2 

A $2 million contribution was made by Tom 

Petters to the St. John’s University Abbey 

Guesthouse for the Petters Pavilion, in 

Collegeville, MN. The pavilion is a 3,500 

square-foot expansion of the current Abbey 

Chapter House. The addition includes a twolevel 

east entrance to the abbey church, and 

provides space for the lobby, elevator and 

stairwell access to the Assumption Chapel, 

restrooms and storage. 

“Tom Petters’ generous gift to honor his 

parents, Fred and Rosemary Petters, was 

truly transformational for the Abbey,” said 

Abbot John Klassen. “The addition has dramatically 

strengthened our facilities and 

made it possible for us to be much more 

hospitable to all visitors to Saint John’s.” 

Petters also recently made a commitment 

of $5 million to the College of St. Benedict for 

the Thomas J. Petters Center for Global 

Education. His commitment will help to fund a 

Center Director, who will coordinate activities 

among the academic disciplines, study abroad 

programs and global business partners. 

“Tom’s latest testament to the mission 

of our college, The Thomas J. Petters Center 

for Global Education, will enhance student 

learning, strengthen faculty development, 

and promote the common good,” said 

MaryAnn Baenninger, president, College of 

Saint Benedict. “Center activities, will help 

students, faculty, and the broader community 

to effect change and become a positive 

force in the world.” 

[1] Petters Pavilion at the St. John’s University 

Abbey in Collegeville, MN. [2] Gathering area 

inside the Petters Pavilion. 

Pink Camera Campaign 

SUPPORTING CHARITABLE CAUSES 

has been an important element in 

Polaroid’s 70-year history. For the second 

year, Polaroid will kick off a pink camera 

campaign this Fall to create awareness for 

the research funded by The Breast Cancer 

Research Foundation (BCRF). 

Polaroid has pledged to donate 

$150,000 to BCRF over the coming year, as 

well as launch a series of pink cameras that 

will be immediately available through multiple 

retail channels. In addition, the campaign 

will include a kick-off event centered 

around Breast Cancer Awareness Month in 

October. Plans are also underway to create 

an online community on polaroid.com to 

provide a venue for survivors or family 

members to tell their stories and share 

their experience through pictures. 

As part of last year’s ceremony, Polaroid 

joined Elizabeth Hurley and The Breast 

Cancer Research Foundation as they lit 

New York City’s General Motors Plaza, the 

Pulitzer Fountain and Bergdorf Goodman 

Lanterns in pink in recognition of Breast 

Cancer Awareness month. 

The Breast Cancer Research 

Foundation ® was founded in 1993 by 

Evelyn H. Lauder, as an independent, notfor-profit 

501(c) (3) organization dedicated 

to funding innovative clinical and 

genetic research. 

For more information, visit www.bcrfcure.org 

or call 1.866.FIND.A.CURE. 

THANK YOU:: 

Dear Petters Group, 

I wanted to send you a note to personally 

thank you for your contribution to the 5th 

Annual MHC Hospitality Golf Classic 

benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of the 

Twins Cities. Because of the generosity of 

individuals and companies such as yours, 

the contributions far 

exceeded our expectations 

and goals. 

— TWIN CITIES BOYS 

& GIRLS CLUBS 

Dear Tom, 

A heartfelt thank you to you and Petters 

Group for your Game Sponsorship. Your 

financial help will allow us to continue to 

provide opportunities to deserving kids. 

We would also like to thank you for the 

Polaroid digital picture frame that you 

provided for our auction. 

— EDEN PRAIRIE ABC FOUNDATION 

Dear Petters Group, 

Thank you so much for your recent 

gift of $5,000 to Twin Cities Habitat 

for Humanity. Your contribution will be 

put to good use right away to support 

the construction of more decent and 

affordable homes. Without the support 

of partners like you, none of this 

would be possible. 

— TWIN CITIES 

HABITAT FOR 

HUMANITY 

Dear Tom, 

Thank you for your donation of $20,000 

for the 2007 Excalibur Classic. Believe me 

when I say this, it’s more than the money 

that makes a difference; it’s the fact that 

you take the time to come to the event 

means that you really care about these 

hospitals and the work they do with the 

children fighting devastating illnesses. 

— JOE DIMAGGIO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 

AND DUKE UNIVERSITY CHILDREN’S 

HOSPITAL 



:: CORNERSTONES 

Customizing 

Cornerstones 

Mary Jeffries, Petters Group Worldwide 

President/COO 

The best strategy poorly executed 

doesn’t mean much. Over the past 

few years, Petters Group Worldwide 

has put a lot of energy into not just developing a 

successful business strategy, but also in our ability 

to execute that strategy. You’ve heard me talk 

a lot about our Cornerstone approach to strategy. 

While it may appear seemingly simple on the 

surface, our Cornerstone planning model is 

built on four guiding principles. As these four 

principles come together, we’re able to bring 

focus and force to our business growth. 

I want to spend a bit of time providing a quick 

overview of these principles to help all of our Petters 

Group companies achieve a higher level of success 

in their business planning and performance. 

Let’s start with what we call the “winnable 

outcome.” A winnable outcome is a big picture, 

yet very focused goal that can be achieved within 

1,000 days. It is the very heart of the 

Cornerstone process that brings focus, a sense of 

purpose and a powerful rallying cry for getting 

our people on board. Our winnable outcome for 

Petters Group is “leveraging investment opportunities 

for exceptional value and growth”. A 


simple, yet high impact outcome that guides all 

of our decisions. 

The second principle is identifying the four 

Cornerstones that support the winnable outcome. 

These are high level strategic categories 

that embrace everything that will need to get 

accomplished in order to win our outcome. It 

requires a lot of thought, discussion, debate and 

shared commitment. The four Cornerstones for 

Petters Group are: 

• Strategy 

• Investment process 

• Operational excellence 

• Relationship management 

With the winnable outcome and four 

Cornerstones identified, we now have in place 

the foundation for the 4x4 Cornerstone process 

and leads us to the third principle, which is 

identifying the four supporting initiatives for 

each Cornerstone. In this step, we list all of the 

tactical initiatives that need to be accomplished 

in order to achieve the Cornerstone. Oftentimes, 

you can end up with a list of ten or more items. 

But the key is focusing on those that are most 

critical to achievement of the Cornerstone and 

the winnable outcome. The challenge is narrowing 

that list down to the top four. Once you have 

accomplished that, you assign one person who 

takes the lead on each initiative. This is especially 

critical, because if you have two or more people 

assigned to an initiative, it increases the 

chances that it won’t get done. With one person, 

you have clear accountability. 

Knowing who is accountable now leads us to 

the fourth principle, which is developing the 

specific action plan – identifying the steps, 

dependencies, timetable and resources required. 

The importance of this step is that it is targeted 

on accomplishing the initiative, which creates a 

very focused work plan. 

I’ve tried in a few words to give you a quick 

overview of a very critical business process that we 

want to have all of our Petters Group companies 

follow. By taking the time up front to put all of 

these principles in place, you will see significant 

performance improvement. Most importantly, you 

will have a process to accomplish one of Tom’s top 

priorities – execution. Happy planning. PG



26 :: PETTERSGROUP


MAKING A DIFFERENCE :: John FREDERICKSEN 

Building Relationships 

Satisfying Sun Country Employees and Customers 

With the airline business looking gloomy lately, Sun 

Country is shining above the rest. John Fredericksen, 

Vice President & General Counsel, has proven to be 

one of the guiding lights in Sun Country’s latest success. He has played an 

important role in establishing Sun Country as a friendly and reliable airline—something 

uncommon among many airline carriers today. “We focus 

not only on affordability like many of our competitors, but on a positive 

travel experience. From ticket purchase to destination arrival – this is what 

we believe sets us apart from the rest,” Fredericksen said. 

Because the customers’ experience is top priority for Sun Country airlines, 

it is not a surprise that they are concerned with employee satisfaction 

and customer service as well. “From Sun Country’s meager beginnings 

and early struggles, there has been a ‘get it done’ attitude, coupled with a 

unique devotion to service amongst the employees—they understand how 

important their job is in our success as a company,” Fredericksen said. 

Fredericksen credits the people that work for Sun Country as the reason 

for their success. “It’s the best airline in Minnesota because of the people 

who work here. Everyone—from baggage handlers to flight attendants 

—truly has attributed to our success,” he added. As Vice President and 

General Council, Fredericksen is responsible for contracts and agreements, 

labor relations and other legal issues. He is the man behind employee 

satisfaction, and clearly employees and customers are satisfied. 

Fredericksen has 30 years of experience across the board in aviation. 

He started his career as a Navy pilot and after receiving his law degree at 

the University of Southern California, he worked for the Federal Aviation 

Administration in Washington, DC. In 1986 he got into airline management 

and later joined Mesaba Airlines, where he gained most of his experience 

in the airline industry. Fredericksen joined a very skilled yet struggling 

Sun Country management team in 2003, where he was an integral 

part of returning Sun Country to a profitable airline. 

Sun Country continues to be ranked as one of the best airlines to travel 

in the country. In May, Sun Country was deservingly ranked on the list 

JENNA GEBEKE 

of Top Domestic Airlines in Travel + Leisure’s 2007 World’s Best Service 

Awards. The awards were based on a survey taken by readers that ranks 

travel companies based on service and attention, and all domestic carriers 

were eligible for the award. Sun Country Airlines is a low cost, low fare 

carrier based in Mendota Heights, MN, and serves 29 destinations in the 

United States, Mexico and Caribbean. 

“Our caring company culture 

reflects positively on our service 

and customer experience” 

—JOHN FREDERICKSEN 

To Fredericksen, the recent acquisition of Sun Country by Petters 

Group Worldwide and Whitebox Advisors has proven to be an important 

and strategic move for the airline. “This partnership is not only important 

for us financially in order to be able to continue to expand our customer 

offerings, but it provides us with the abilities to leverage the strengths of 

our investors,” Fredericksen said. 

When asked what he does in his spare time, he simply replied, “What 

spare time? There’s not a whole lot of that around here.” When he does find 

a moment away from his desk, he enjoys playing tennis, spending time with 

his family, and attending his kid’s activities. Sun Country’s successful culture 

is a reflection of the outstanding individuals that work there. “Dedication is 

found in every aspect of the company and service we provide. It is something 

that just is at Sun Country,” Fredericksen said. This is the common attitude 

that is found within Sun Country employees and is what makes the airline 

thrive. “Our caring company culture reflects positively on our service and 

customer experience—it is the driving force behind our success as a company,” 

Fredericksen said. PG 



28 :: PETTERSGROUP


EXECUTIVE PROFILE :: David BAER 

Named one of the Top 15 Lawyers 

in Minnesota by Minnesota 

Lawyer in 2006, Petters Group 

Worldwide Chief Legal Officer David Baer, won’t 

be performing disappearing acts anytime soon. 

During his youth, Baer was given a magic kit 

and soon became deeply engaged with various 

magic tricks. Throughout the years, he continued 

to pursue this hobby as he performed for 

crowds from 5 to 5,000. 

Originally from St. Paul MN., 

Baer attended the University of 

Minnesota for his undergraduate 

studies, and decided to begin his 

legal career at William Mitchell 

College of Law where he graduated 

cum laude. 

“I knew I wanted to be in a 

career that supported and practiced 

continual learning,” Baer 

said. “I love that I am always able 

to learn and evolve as an individual and business 

professional.” 

Prior to joining Petters Group in 2003, Baer 

was an attorney at Leonard, Street and Deinard, 

where he practiced corporate law. As a magician 

turned lawyer, Baer has been able to adapt his 

skills of communicating effectively with others 

and working hard through the different programs 

and careers he has chosen. 

“David has extraordinary talent in his ability 

to lead and advise,” Tom Petters, Chairman and 

CEO of Petters Group said. “His knowledge of 

the field of law and international business is an 

invaluable resource for our company.” 

Many lawyers are only approached when 

people are already in trouble. Baer prefers to be 

No Hocus Pocus 

Legal Department Strategically Guides Development 


proactive, rather than reactive. “Many people 

don’t realize it, but our legal team is also here to 

help advise and provide support before something 

goes wrong,” Baer said. “We strive to identify 

potential issues before they arise and take a 

more holistic approach to advising.” 

As the leading member of the Petters Group 

Worldwide legal staff, Baer’s role encompasses 

many different areas including strategic development 

and growth in existing organizations, 

“Our legal team is also here to 

help advise and provide support 

before something goes wrong.” 

—DAVID BAER 

exploring and supporting new business ventures, 

and working with other members of the 

legal team to assist and maintain communication 

with the Petters Group portfolio companies. 

“I really enjoy being able to influence the 

direction of the companies,” Baer said. “Because 

my position allows me to work with most of the 

companies, I get to work with a lot of people who 

are passionate about their job and the company.” 

Petters Group differentiates itself with its 

portfolio companies, and this requires individuals 

to evolve traditional roles to fit the needs of 

the organization. 

“David has done a phenomenal job of 

applying his knowledge and experience to 

assist our companies meet the challenges and 

opportunities facing them, all in an effort to 

helping them achieve their business objectives,” 

Michael Phelps, Deputy Chief Legal 

Officer, Petters Group said. 

Working as a team and maintaining communication 

is an important aspect of Baer’s job and 

the collective legal department. As a group, Baer 

and his peers are continually identifying how to 

improve their quality of assistance and effectiveness 

of their department. 

“I have the honor and 

privilege of working with one 

of the most skilled and talented 

legal teams of any company 

or law firm – without them, 

we could not operate as well 

as we do,” Baer said. 

“However, we consistently 

look for ways we can improve 

as a team and as a company. 

With a busy schedule like 

Baer’s, it can be hard to find down-time. But with 

the ability to juggle work and family, he makes 

the most of his free time by traveling with his 

wife Naomi, downhill and water skiing, cooking 

and entertaining, and listening to music. In July, 

Baer and his wife traveled to Israel for two weeks 

where they toured the city of Jerusalem, visited 

the Holocaust museum and memorial, and 

swam in the Dead Sea. 

After all that Baer has achieved, life is not 

slowing down as he is currently finishing an 

MBA at the University of St. Thomas. 

“Law is a field of continual learning,” Baer 

said. “I am excited to see how I will be able to 

apply this knowledge and experience to the 

growth and success of Petters Group.” PG 



:: WHERE IN THE WORLD IS TOM? June 29-July 7 

FRIDAY, JUNE 29TH 

Tom headed west to Colorado to work on finalizing plans to build 

a 5 star resort hotel at Keystone, CO. This is a project the team at 

Petters Real Estate Group has been working on. 

MONDAY, JULY 2ND – WEDNESDAY, JULY 4TH 

While in Colorado, friends joined Tom for an early birthday and 

Fourth of July celebration. 

THURSDAY, JULY 5TH 

Tom flew back to the Minnesota office for meetings to finalize 

plans for the John T. Petters Foundation Legacy Gala and set up 

initiatives for a trip to Japan later in the month. It took him until 


�� 

As a man who is constantly on 

�� 

the move, Tom Petters is often asked, 

�� 

“Where in the world are you?” 

�� 

This is a little snapshot of one of Tom’s weeks. 

1957 was the year the classic ’57 Chevy was created, General Mills introduced TANG, Barry Gordy founded “Motown Records” 

and Tom Petters born. As a man on the go he worked his 50th birthday celebrations into his work travel schedule. 

early into the morning of the 6th to catch up on his 500+ emails 

in his inbox. 

FRIDAY, JULY 6TH 

Another scorching day in Minnesota left Tom wondering how it 

could be cooler at his Florida house than Minnesota. After a morning 

of meetings, he set off for New York to meet up with his daughter 

Jennifer who was there for her summer internship with People 

Magazine. That evening they celebrated her birthday. 

SATURDAY, JULY 7TH 

To celebrate their birthdays Tom and Jennifer left with a few 

friends for a week in Greece. Happy 50th Tom! PG



:: THE LEARNING CENTER Polaroid re-training 

Front row: Dick Graff, Peter Gatti, Donovan 

English, Dennis Maher, Brian Quinn 

2nd row: Dave MacDonald, Steve Hobbs, John 

Figliolini, Paul Levesque, Joe Bayles 

3rd row: Phil MacDonald, Al Doane, Gerry 

Urquhart,Rob Fraser, Cat Smith, George Cairns 

Back row: Rick Elmer of BMS, Don Berry, Bob 

Ottaviano, George Sealey, Mark Knowles 

Finding The Next Job 

Polaroid’s Chemical Operation Solution 

WRITTEN BY PENNY LOCEY 

By Polaroid moving further into the digital and consumer electronics 

markets this meant that the Chemical Operations plant in 

Waltham would be closing, the Learning Center, Human 

Resources (HR) and line leadership responded. Unlike traditional outplacement 

programs which begin after employees leave, Polaroid implemented 

several creative ideas to assist employees in preparing for their future, prior 

to leaving. Having time to consider their career options, understand their 

skills and financial situation, and getting skilled in conducting their job 

search effectively, helped employees and their managers begin to adjust to 

the impending change. 

However, an important theme emerged in these sessions: many people 

wanted to get hired into one of Massachusetts’ main growth industries – 

biotechnology – and were blocked because it is difficult to enter from the 

outside due to specialized requirements. 


Bill Allen, Process Engineering Manager from Chemical Operations, 

who had been working hard to find ways to get his people into jobs, had a 

breakthrough in a casual conversation with a member of the ISPE 

(International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering). He heard that 

industry professionals were complaining about the lack of manufacturing 

experience in the new graduates they were hiring. “It was such a great 

opportunity to provide our operators a smooth transition into the 

biotech field using what seemed to us to be very transferable skills, we 

had to pursue it,” Allen said. 

Seizing the potential opportunity, Allen turned to the Learning Center 

who teamed with Joe Labenski, Plant Director, and Polaroid’s HR team to 

quickly assess the skills resident in the plant, and scope the needs and 

research existing programs. A timeline was created to help retrain the 

employees using innovative programs, which aided in finding resources,


The second program members (not in order): Toni Andrade, Leonard Barrieau, Dennis Bawn, 

Arcay Blake, John Boudrow, Mark Caso, Diane Cerra, Dennis Dost, Michael Gogos, Nelson 

Horton, Martin Leandro, Stephen Mcfadries, Paul Mello, Damas Moreau, Keith Saxon, Roger 

Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair 

connections and industry credibility. 

Partnering with Worcester Polytechnic 

Institute (WPI), a leader in life sciences and bioengineering 

education, resulted in a two part 

program design: a two day briefing on FDA regulations 

and the manufacturing standards and 

practices required of the industry for fifty attendees 

and a smaller, five week Fundamentals in 

Biotech Manufacturing program to give them 

the real experience needed for entry. 

Simultaneously, the Learning Center formed a 

partnership with the Massachusetts Division of 

Career Services’ Rapid Response team and One 

Stop Career Centers to obtain a grant to fund the 

program – expanded ultimately to a $130,000 

grant when the program was renewed for a second 

round in July. 

Twenty members attended the first unique 

five-week, laboratory based core program - 

taught by both working managers in major 

biotech companies such Abbott, Genzyme, 

Lonza and Bristol Myers Squibb and by key WPI 

faculty. The intensive program combines essential 

technical skills with the hands-on experience 

in an environment that simulated the controlled 

activities critical for success in FDA regulated 

environments. “Having working managers 

as teachers has been an important key. 

They have a vested interest in providing both 

practical application of the biotech skills needed 

for real jobs, and helping the participants make 

connections and get hired in the industry,” said 

Penny Locey, Director, Learning & Org 

Development for Petters Group and Polaroid. 

In fact, the program positioned the graduates 

so well that by the close of the progrm, most of 

the initial attendees who had new jobs before or 

soon after their exit. This convinced the state to 

fund round two in July. Participants of the program 

are from Polaroid and a former Polaroid 

plant that had become Multilayer Coating in New 

Bedford, MA, who had recently also lost workers. 

“Polaroid was a model partner with us. Their 

leadership opened the doors of their Waltham 

plant so we could provide services to their 

employees. They really took the initiative by 

assessing what skills those workers had and linking 

them to opportunities in biotech - a growing, 

high-wage industry”, said Ken Messina, the 

Manager of Rapid Response Services, which is 

part of the Massachusetts Executive Office of 

Labor and Workforce Development. 

The Massachusetts Rapid Response team 

has 20 years of experience working with 

employers in transition to either avert downsizing, 

or mitigate its effects; the combination of 

getting set aside funding for a skill training program. 

“Helping the affected workers jumpstart 

Polaroid was 

a model partner 

by linking their 

employees 

into new 

opportunities.” 

—KEN MESSINA 

their job search, plus understand their community 

resources like area One-Stop Career Centers 

was highly effective,” Messina said. “Working 

together with Polaroid and WPI, just under 80% 

of those workers have either been hired, or 

received commitments to be hired. 

Polaroid served as a model of the kind of 

relationship we’re working to replicate in the 

future, serving companies as they grow as well 

as when they restructure,” he added. The program 

is viewed as a model for the state, and the 

Massachusetts Biotechnology Council has invited 

Messina and Locey to speak at an upcoming 

statewide council meeting. 

As important as their obtaining new positions, 

Locey said, has been the change evident 

in the graduates themselves. “When I attended 

the graduation ceremony, 

these people 

were energized. They 

had completed a 

demanding program, 

they knew it and 

were proud of themselves; 

they were 

more confident and 

hopeful about their 

future. That’s learning 

at its best!” PG 

Penny Locey 



:: FEATURE inside glance 


Camille Chee-Awai 

Cash or 

Credit 

Petters Capital Supporting Growth 


The world of Petters Capital and its customers, 

namely Petters Group portfolio companies, 

evolve around hedge funds, investment banks, 

venture capital, lease financing, mezzanine debt, convertible 

debt, warrants, assets, capital structure. Sounds pretty simple, 

right? Essentially yes, if you’re Camille Chee-Awai, Kevin 

Riedl or Vince Fusco – all members of the Petters Capital’s 

team. Established in November of 2004 and later restructured 

in October 2006, Petters Capital operates as a nimble merchant 

bank to support the growing and sophisticated global 

financial activities and funding requirements of Petters Group 

Worldwide and its portfolio companies. 

“By allowing us to attend to the portfolio company’s 

finance needs, the operating management is able to focus on 

the execution of their business plan,” Riedl said. Initially, 

funds for Petters Capital came from Tom Petters, but over the 

last year, through investments from third party banks and 

high net worth individuals, Petters Capital has assisted to 

accommodate the launch and financial growth of several 

portfolio companies. 

Why are outside investors interested in investing in a privately 

held company such as Petters Capital? “We offer a 

unique and appealing investment opportunity for 

lenders/investors to diversify their portfolio across many sectors 

through our actively managed investment program to 

individual companies within Petters Group,” Chee-Awai said. 

“With our extensive management experience in capital markets, 

debt underwriting and creative structuring, we have been 

able to present a captive finance platform that is compelling to 

the financial community. We deploy world-class underwriting 

standards to properly structure our investments and acutely 

monitor our portfolio to ensure that there are no surprises.” 

While the three members of the Petters Capital team work 

closely together to ensure efficiency and results, all offer a 

very diverse background to Petters Capital. Chee-Awai started 

her finance career at the World Bank, and during the 

course of 17 years has functioned in multiple capacities at GE


Capital, CEA, a private equity focused on communications 

and media and EIM, a hedge fund, 

which she co-administered. She also speaks several 

languages including Spanish, French, 

Portuguese and is learning Mandarin. 

As Finance Director for Petters Capital, Riedl 

spearheads the underwriting, analysis and monitoring 

of portfolio transactions and the portfolio 

administration functions. Prior to joining Petters 

Group, Riedl was the Senior Manager of Business 

Planning and Analysis at Deluxe Corporation. He 

has also worked as Senior Operations Analyst at 

Northwest Airlines and as Manager of Financial 

Planning and Analysis at Rollerblade, Inc. 

Fusco is currently Senior Financial Analyst 

for Petters Capital, where he utilizes his valuation, 

strategic consulting and investment banking 

experience to evaluate investment opportunities 

(including equity, tax lease structures and 

structured debt) in a wide variety of industries. 

Fusco started his career in finance at Manchester 

Kevin Riedl and Vince Fusco 

Petters Capital focuses on finance 

needs allowing businesses to focus 

on their business plan. 

Companies as a Strategic Consultant and later as 

Vice President. He went on to serve as an analyst 

at ING Investment Management, and as Manager 

of Mergers and Acquisitions at Pentair, Inc. 

The main goal of Petters Capital is to reach 

out to Petters Group portfolio companies to 

understand their business plans and funding 

needs to connect them with appropriate funding 

sources. “The first time I talk to a portfolio company, 

I want to understand their objectives and 

how we may be able to either fund them directly 

or offer them various financing options from 

independent pools of capital,” Chee-Awai said. 

Ultimately, the objective of Petters Capital is to 

first understand the short and long-term goals of 

their customers, the Petters Group portfolio companies, 

then to assist in devising the appropriate 

capital structure and funding program to allow 

them to execute their business plan. 

When we needed funding for our launch, 

having Petters Capital as a partner helped give 

focus to our strategy,” said Dan Lagermeier, CFO 

of Petters Consumer Brands (PCB). “They ask the 

tough questions that we needed to think 

through.” Petters Capital has also worked closely 

with Petters Aviation to provide financing. 

However, funding directly from Petters 

Capital is not a guarantee for Petters Group 

Worldwide portfolio companies. If a path for 

repayment is not clearly defined, financing will 

not be underwritten and approved. “We are 

looking out for Tom Petters’ interests as well as 

our outside investors,” Fusco said. 

Procuring financing for a private company 

can be challenging, given various market dynamics. 

“However, in the current environment, there 

is significant liquidity and there is a lot of capital 

which cannot find a home,” Chee-Awai said. 

Petters Capital is working diligently to establish 

relationships with various funding sources to 

provide an understanding of the Petters Group’s 

portfolio to potential investors and lenders with 

the long term goal of connecting these portfolio 

companies with cost-effective capital. Currently, 

Petters Capital is focusing on providing debt 

financing to the Petters Group portfolio companies, 

rather than equity financing. 

“Petters Group has a unique relationship 

with Petters Capital in that we can openly discuss 

the vision for not only the portfolio companies, 

but also for the broader Petters Group,” 

Mary Jeffries, President/COO of Petters Group 

said. “This closeness allows for solid long-term 

planning to occur.” 

Petters Group continues to grow and diversify 

its portfolio of companies. Connecting Petters 

Capital with these companies will assist in establishing 

the appropriate platform to obtain capital 

required for their growth and success. 

“We are here to build relationships and help 

connect-the-dots with the financing needs of 

Petters Group companies,” Chee-Awai said. PG 

For more information email 

camille.cheeawai@pettersgroup.com 



COVER STORY :: JUICE MEDIA 

36 :: PETTERSGROUP


BY Katherine Harlander-Locke PHOTO Todd Buchanan 

Database 

MINING 

Developing personalized communication plans 

Founded in late 2005, no one could have predicted the 

path Juice Media Worldwide would take. Initially 

founded as a media and marketing company, they 

focused on building web sites and creating online video 

using green screens. Like many companies, Juice Media 

continually evolved from customer feedback, market 

trends and the need for new technology. Now in its 

second phase, they have developed innovative 

technology and become a software and media company 

focused on the creation, implementation, and 

execution of their proprietary next generation, 

customer interaction solutions. 

“One of our strengths at Juice Media is that we 

breed innovation and co-creation,” Rick Enrico, 

CEO of Juice Media said. “We recognize the needs 

of customers, and we are devoted to building tools 

they can use to maximize real-time customer 

information to propel revenue in their business.” 

JuiceMetrIQs – the company’s newest 

development, is a Customer Relationship 



COVER STORY :: JUICE MEDIA 

“ 

Improve the 

customers’ 

experience by 

knowing exactly 

what the 

customer want.” 

—RICK ENRICO 


Management 2.0 (CRM 2.0) solution for businesses. The software 

application is used to extract data from multiple databases and customer 

interaction points, within a corporate environment, to analyze real-time 

information. 

Combined into one dashboard, businesses have the ability to build individual 

customer profiles, which are then compiled into customer marketing 

segments. Personalized communication campaigns such as e-mail, are driven 

through JuiceMetrIQs to the customer. JuiceMetrIQs then tracks all success 

and revenue through the campaigns. As the communication market 

evolves, JuiceMetrIQs is continually adding forms of media and marketing 

channels, both online and offline. 

Around the globe, smart companies are now adopting this new CRM 2.0 

paradigm. They have recognized the importance of making the sales and 

marketing process a two-way, interactive dialog by using user groups, social 

networks, message boards, blogs, web 2.0 application, and video sharing. 

The companies are able to personalize these through personal pages, RSS, 

social filters. They are making it on demand through mobile web, mobile 

applications, SMS, podcasting, and streaming video. 

“Petters Group Worldwide has a history in seeing the future in new technologies,” 

Tom Petters, Chairman and CEO of Petters Group Worldwide 

said. “Our investment in Juice Media brought them into the portfolio companies 

to develop relationships within our organizations.” 

Juice Media has already started to work with Sun Country Airlines and 

YFly. 

Using the new CRM 2.0 software, Sun Country Airlines has been able to 

improve their customers’ experience by knowing exactly what their customers 

want, before they even tell them. Through JuiceMetrIQs, data is com-


JuiceMetrIQ’s CRM 2.0 dashboard 

piled automatically from several databases. The airline then monitors 

through online dashboards, how prospects and customers interact with their 

web site, email campaigns, Google campaigns, and landing pages. 

By combining these analytics with their flight and reservation information, 

purchase history, and Affinity Program, Sun Country has the ability to 

create a series targeted communications to increase overall customer satisfaction 

and return customers. 

“This technology allows us to better understand our customers and their 

needs,” Wendy Williams Blackshaw, Vice President of Marketing said. “It 

also provides us with the platform to market to the public accordingly.” 

The entertainment-based social network YFly.com, is also implementing 

the software to improve interactions with their customers and to track user 

interactions. YFly is using CRM 2.0 to shift their measure of success from 

one that is solely based on the number of connections to gathering quantitative 

data on how members are using their social network. 

The user-generated profile is the cornerstone of any social network. All 

the text, images, videos, music, quizzes, and, surveys that subscribers 

choose to display, allow them to go beyond connecting with immediate 

friends and family, and join others in cyber space who share similar interests 

and expressions. YFly, with an interface rich in entertainment and multimedia, 

was an ideal candidate for JuiceMetrIQs. 

As the company has evolved, so have the culture and employees of Juice 

Media. “We have the mindset for success, and that, combined with creativity 

creates opportunity,” Enrico said. 

Turning opportunity into success in the media and software industry has 

also been supported by the strong leadership team of Enrico, Mark 

Brogowicz, Chief Technology Officer, and the recent addition of Mark 

Stumm as Vice President of Product Management. 

“We are delighted to have such a seasoned software veteran join the Juice 

Media team. He brings a wealth of experience in senior level leadership, 

strategic planning, product management, and marketing,” Enrico said. “I am 

confident in his abilities to guide our product offering as we grow.” PG 

For more information visit juiecemtriqs.com or emailrenrico@juicemedia.com 

Juice Media Worldwide continues to devote its 

efforts to be the leader in marketing software applications. 

“Our goal is to build a worldwide company 

that provides the highest level of customer, employee 

and community success,” said Enrico. 

CASE STUDY: 

SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES 

SUMMARY: 

Viewing their database as an oil field of opportunity, 

Sun Country Airlines is working with Juice 

Media to mine their database as well as break 

apart their marketing campaigns in order to create 

a series of highly-effective targeted campaigns 

throughout multiple marketing channels. 

JUICE SOLUTION: 

Juice Media’s communicate, track, refine and 

repeat process combines advanced analytic capabilities 

with diverse team member insight ranging 

from programming and database management to 

media, marketing, and advertising. By effectively 

combining and enhancing their current sales, marketing, 

and data systems, JuiceMetrIQs also 

allows Sun Country to mine their data sources as 

well as track specifically which elements within 

their marketing campaigns are driving the revenue. 

Viewing “Success as a Cycle,” Juice Media works 

as an extension of Sun Country’s internal divisions 

providing valuable insight into developing and 

optimizing their multi-channel campaigns. 

SUCCESS STORY: 

Unwilling to compromise “your inalienable right to 

enjoy air travel,” Sun Country continually seeks to 

improve their flight experience by knowing exactly 

what their customers want – even before they tell 

them. The airline keeps tabs on of how prospects 

and customers are interacting with their web site, 

emails, Google campaigns, landing pages, as well 

as several offline advertising channels. 

By combining these analytics with their flight 

and reservation information, purchase history, and 

Affinity Program, Sun Country has earned the reputation 

of a true database marketer. With data 

mining and analytics under control, Sun Country is 

looking to Juice Media’s Marketing Automation 

services to distribute their newly created campaigns 

– stay tuned. 



:: CORNERSTONES Relationship Management 

Interns at the Chairman's Party 

networking with managers and 

Petters Group executives. 

Relationship Management 101 

for Summer Interns 

WRITTEN BY KATHERINE HARLANDER-LOCKE AND CHRISTINE ORTENZIO 

In any position, company, or career field, it’s 

always been said: “It’s not what you know, but 

who you know.” As holds true at Petters 

Group Worldwide, developing and sustaining 

strong relationships among the portfolio companies 

is critical to efficient operation and the ability 

to meet strategic goals. 

In developing relationships, internships play 

an important role in bringing outside experience 

to the companies, as well as allowing students to 

network with business professionals. 

“We put a lot of work into ensuring that 

interns have a chance to interact with people from 

around the company through various activities 

and learning opportunities,” Patricia Hamm, EVP 

of Human Capital and Learning Group said. 

This summer, Petters Group had 34 interns 

from 16 schools, working within the various companies, 

including Sun Country Airlines. The 

internship experience began quickly as the stu- 


dents became acquainted with who is who and 

who does what, and took the opportunity to get to 

know their manager who would serve as a mentor 

and key resource. 

Throughout the companies, working as a team 

is a critical component in creating results. For 

interns, weekly meetings became a helpful way to 

interact with other members of their department, 

and learn more about the projects and responsibilities 

of different positions and roles within the 

Petters Group structure. 

Over the course of the summer, events were 

planned to further build relationships among 

intern and managers. In Minnetonka, some of 

these events included a Chairman’s Welcome 

Dinner held at Tom Petters’ home, a Twins game, 

a BBQ and volleyball tournament, and a end-ofthe-summer 

celebration on Lake Minnetonka. 

These events were deemed to be beneficial, as they 

allowed the interns to interact with managers or 

I just want to personally say thanks 

again for all your help & support. 

Robbie has had a fantastic summer. 

He speaks highly of all his peers and 

how exciting the daily work environment 

really is to be a part of. Robbie 

has developed some really neat 

friendships with this network of 

smart and talented kids from all over 

the country. Please pass along to 

Tom – our family’s thanks for offering 

such a marvelous, positive intern 

program. A parent’s reward is to see 

your son so engaged and excited 

about what’s ahead for their career. 

Robb Leer, father of Robbie Leer, 

Petters Group Intern – Finance Dept.


A trip to New York City to experience a 

Sun Country flight was one of the adventures 

for the interns and select employees. 

executives from around the companies. 

“The events this summer were a great way to 

network and get to know other interns and 

employees outside of the work setting,” Ana Maia, 

Polaroid operations summer intern, from Rollins 

College said. 

For the Boston summer interns, events 

included a harbor cruise, a lunch with Polaroid 

President Thomas Beaudoin, and a Red Sox 

baseball game. 

Another education tool used within the 

Petters Group internship program was learning 

lunches and career panel, which allowed students 

to hear presentations from top business executives. 

These lunches also allowed students to discuss 

current issues within the various fields of 

international business. 

“I really enjoyed being able to hear about different 

people’s experience, and about all of the 

opportunities within the various fields of business,” 

Jason Dehler, Petters Group summer intern, 

from Gustavus Adolphus College said. 

An important aspect of networking and 

strengthening professional relationships is the 

ability to cooperatively work as a team to achieve 

The “Hamm Pattys” volleyball team: 

Jenna Gebeke, Jake Burns, Patty 

Hamm, Sarah Skytte, Jason Dehler, 

Matina Ploumidis and Carter Taylor 

Networking opportunities have helped 

interns form critical relationships 

specific goals. For the Polaroid summer interns, 

this meant collectively working to assess the current 

Polaroid brand. 

Throughout the summer, the interns compared, 

analyzed and evaluated the user experience 

of Polaroid products against its competitors’. 

Bringing experience from the areas of marketing, 

sales, inventory, engineering, product 

testing, customer service and product development, 

the interns were able to combine their 

knowledge of each product category and the 

company in making recommendations as to how 

the brand can expand and continue to compete 

successfully in the current and future consumer 

electronic market. 

“We are learning what we do not know, from 

great young minds. This is one way we really 

explore how to get better everyday. No one every 

said these kids ‘can’t do that - tried that before,’” 

Tom Petters, CEO of Petters Group said. 

As the internship experience winds down, the 

students start to look to the future in regards to 

what to do and where to work. At Petters Group, 

some of the past interns have come back as fulltime 

employees after graduation. Currently, 11 

employees with the Petters Group portfolio of 

companies were once interns. 

“I recognized the opportunities that would 

be available to me by coming back to work at 

Petters Consumer Brands,” Annie Karsh, 

Product Manager, Petters Consumer Brands 

said. “I knew that I would experience a wide 

variety of responsibilities that would allow me to 

expand my business knowledge very quickly – 

that has definitely been the case.” 

Many of these employees also find that 

their networking opportunities as interns 

helped them form critical relationships that 

allowed them to take advantage of the opportunities 

at Petters Group. 

“I knew that I wanted to come back,”Mike 

Smith, Operations Analyst, Polaroid said. “I kept 

in close contact with people at Petters Group 

while I was finishing up my last year of school.” 

As the company continues to expand, more 

interns are welcomed each year into the Petters 

Group Worldwide community. 

“We are always excited when past interns 

decide to come back and work for us full-time,” 

Hamm said. “The background knowledge and 

experience acquired through their internship at 

Petters Group is an invaluable resource for us and 

our success.” PG For more information on 

internships email amy.waara@pettersgroup.com 



:: VALUES innovation 

Let Your Fingers 

Do the Talking 

Changing the Future of Authentication 

JENNA GEBEKE 

With the tragedy of 9/11 and the rise 

in identity theft becoming a problem 

within the last few years, security 

and personal authentication has become a 

focus for many. Password protected accounts, ID 

and security access cards, however, are not always 

guaranteed security, and can be easily hacked, 

forged or stolen. So how do we truly match the 

identity of a person? While DNA is one way to 

determine a person’s identity – it is through the 

use of biometrics, specifically fingerprinting, that 

Fidelica is using innovative technology to change 

the world of authentication. 

Founded in 1999 by S. K. Ganapathi, 

Fidelica’s main focus was taking a new blend of 

non-silicon materials and processes to make revolutionary 

finger print sensors. The company’s 

first major milestone came in 2002 when they 

became the first company to produce glass based 

finger print sensors. 

Fidelica’s finger print sensors are based on 

pressure sensing – unlike other players in the 

field, they take finger prints in a similar way as the 

old ink and roll method, where the sensors detect 

the different grooves of each fingerprint electronically 

for identification. Soon after the development 

of the glass sensor, customers began to 

implement their sensors into smaller, more 

portable devices. Recognizing this applicable 

trend, Fidelica decided to expand their options. 

In 2004, Fidelica developed a flexible plastic 

sensor that is inexpensive and available for practical 

wide spread use. It wasn’t until 2006 though, 

that the company saw itself expand. They had 

finally developed and shipped the first completely 

biometric system imbedded on a card. This system 

included the complete capability of taking an 

image and processing it directly on the card. 


Bob Allen 

“Even though we had developed other fingerprint 

sensors before this one, it was through the development 

of this unique wireless and completely 

automatic system that doors started to open,” said 

Bob Allen, Vice President of Marketing and 

Business Development. 

After the exciting development of the completely 

embedded biometric system, Fidelica realized 

that they still needed a way to power the 

cards with wireless in-card technology. “We realized 

with this innovative technology we needed a 

partner that would make powering our technology 

both continuous and convenient for the user,” 

Allen said. This is where their relationship with 

Infinite Power Solutions (IPS), another Petters 

Group portfolio company, began. 

With the need for a small battery to run their 

fingerprinting system, and IPS’s ability to produce 

the LiTE*STAR battery that is rechargeable and 

long-life reliable, an important partnership was 

formed. “We are very fortunate to have such a 

unique relationship with IPS. Their battery and 

continuously improving technology has advanced 

A sample of a Fidelica ID 

card. The flexibility of the 

sensor allows it to have 

multiple uses. The ridges 

and grooves of a fingerprint 

trigger the sensors 

our fingerprinting system greatly,” Allen said. 

What if the battery dies? One of the most 

important features in the IPS battery used for 

Fidelica’s finger printing system, is its ability to be 

recharged. “This type of battery was absolutely 

necessary to power our card, because it allows the 

system to remain both lifelong and simple without 

taking away from its efficiency,” said Allen. 

Fidelica’s pioneering effort in the authentication 

industry has infinite possibilities for application. 

It not only has the potential to be used for 

security access systems, but also may be used for 

safety features, anti-theft applications, and to tie 

people to their credentials. When asked what 

Fidelica does exactly Bob Allen likes to explain 

that “essentially we’re a ‘switch company,’ meaning 

that our product is like a switch – a very intelligent 

switch. If you are who you say you are and want 

authorization to whatever it may be the switch 

turns on, and if you are not who you say you are it 

turns off and use is denied.” This is a very simple 

explanation for such easy to use yet complex technology. 

“The future of security and authentication 

is in biometrics, and our product allows for the 

application of these to be limitless,” Allen said. 

Some of its many possible uses: As a safety feature, 

fingerprint sensors may be used on appliances 

that are deemed dangerous, thus insuring 

that children would not be able to turn on or use 

the product. As an anti-theft application, it may be 

available to put on houses or cars, limiting 

entrance or ability to access/use a system. As an 

authentication system that ties people to their credentials, 

the fingerprinting system is available for 

use on personal ID’s, driver’s licenses, passports, 

credit and entitlement cards. PG 

For more information visit fidelica.com or 

infinitepowersolutions.com.


:: VALUES caring 

Ihave often humored at the myth that 

“cracking your knuckles will cause 

arthritis and give you big joints”. My 

first week of medical training at Logan College 

of Chiropractic in St. Louis was liberating. I 

always wanted to know if what my mother said 

to my brother at the piano was true. “Don’t do 

that, you’ll get big knuckles.” 

Mother wasn’t correct – cracking your knuckles 

does neither one nor the other. The sound of 

stretching tissue (ligaments and muscle), which 

has contracted or shortened from injury or repetitive 

strain, is a release of fibrous adhesions. 

Scar tissue or collagen fibrin holds tight and 

strengthens our body as a healing and protection 

reaction from trauma and stresses to that tissue. 

That’s why a cracking sound or “release” is 

heard in bone joints when people stand up, bend 

backwards, turn a head or stretch hands. 

Chiropractors also stretch such tissue. 

Similar sounds are “heard” (felt, more accurately) 

when a patient gets adjusted, or in chiropractic 

lingo, “aligned”. Releasing or “cracking” your 

joints is actually not a bad thing. It frees up joint 

fixation that is your body’s natural healing 

process from trauma or a degenerative arthritis 

reaction to overuse, strain and imbalance of 

Body, 

Balance and 

Symmetry 

Setting the record straight – 

it’ll crack you up 

DR. JAMES MELLIN 

body symmetry and alignment from repetitive 

strain or sitting with poor posture. 

Have you ever sat at the computer with a 

phone on your shoulder, hunched over, and 

thought that after a while you looked like a question 

mark? The answer to the question mark 

positioning of your body is that you lean back in 

your chair and take a break by looking the other 

direction and hear your body let loose. That is 

the way we as humans were designed. Practicing 

better posture will prevent joint fixation arthritis. 

This principle can be applied to every joint 

and muscle, ligament, tendon and fascia of your 

body to prevent collagen/scar tissue from fusing 

joints together. Releasing your joints and tissue 

does slow, stop, and return to normal, old 

injuries and repetitive strain that our bodies 

endure each day through routine movements 

and tasks. This is the degenerative joint disease 

arthritis that we are all prone to. 

This isn’t the individual having a “senior 

moment”. Even children and babies can make 

cracking sounds in their backs. Releasing can 

happen as infants and children are removed 

from a car seat or stroller. At any age it’s healthy 

to realign your spine and joints to promote balance 

even though you may or may not hear it as 

the joints relocate and the tissue stretches back 

to its normal elasticity. 

Something to take home with you: 

I was inspired by Tom Petters’ life-size boxing 

statue of Mohammed Ali that is at the company’s 

headquarters. Here are some knockout tips that 

are easy to remember by thinking of TKO. 

T- Is the shape you should be in? Stretch 

while sitting in your chair or even better, lay on 

a bed or the floor, then stretch your arms out like 

a “T”. Look up and then left and right. Hold that 

position to relieve the strain of bad posture. 

Repeat 3-5 times for 5-10 seconds each time. 

K-While still lying down, bring a leg over to 

the opposite side and reach over with your arm. 

Then do the same to the other side. Do this 3-5 

times for 10 seconds. 

O-Still lying down, keep you feet together 

and lace your hands behind your head and bend 

side to side. Bring your feet together and bend 

knees as far as you can and spread them apart 

and flap 10+ times. 

Enjoy the feeling of stretching, mild pain and 

the sounds that follow. It will prevent the onset 

of degenerative arthritis and bad posture. PG 

Please send your questions or concerns to Dr. James P. Mellin II: 

jaemellin@msn.com 



:: GALLERY people and places 

Pets Invade Petters Group…Again :: 

The second annual Take Your Pet to Work Day commenced June 22nd, at the 

Minnetonka office. Attendance was at an all time high as 27 pets participated 

in the day’s events, from morning check-in to the Pet Luck Lunch to a visit 

with an animal communicator. A photo board was even on hand to post photos 

of pets that couldn’t make it. The biggest turnout occurred for the ever 

popular Pet Pageant. Hosted by our very own Joe Schmit, pets strutted the 

floor vying for first place. At Petters Group’s Pet Day, everyone walked away a 

winner. [1] Annie Karsh and Charlie, winner of the Pet Pageant [2] Michael Hines and 

Barley, “Most Photogenic” pet [3] Jason Dehler and Marley, “Most Unique Breed” 

[4] Sandy Indahl and Lee Loo, “Most Well Traveled” 

2 

4 


3 

Polaroid Hospitality Travels the Country :: 

In the span of three short months, 

Polaroid Hospitality made a complete 

circle around the country, exhibiting at 

five tradeshows. Included on the roster 

were: the Travelodge/Howard 

Johnson/Knights Inn Conference in 

Orlando, FL; HD Expo in Las Vegas; the 

Wingate Inns International Conference 

in Puerto Rico; the Ramada Conference 

in Palm Desert, CA; and HITEC in 

Orlando, FL. Attendance at the shows 

was very successful and preparations 

for two more shows this year are 

already under way. 

[1] Steve Hollington walks attendees 

through the benefits of Polaroid LCDs. [2] 

Team sales meeting before the HITEC show. 

1 

1 

2


THE PETTERS MATRIX 

AARON CHANG 

INTERNATIONAL, LLC 

5600 Avenida Encinas 

Suite 130 

Carlsbad, CA 92011 

www.aaronchang.com 

BROADSIGN 

4400 Baker Rd. 


www.broadsign.com 

BUSINESS IMPACT 

MARKETING GROUP 

18760 Lake Drive East 

Chanhassen, MN 55317 

www.impactgroup.us 

COLLEGEVILLE 

DEVELOPMENT GROUP 

1015 W. St. Germain St. 

Suite 340 

St. Cloud, MN 56301 

www.collegeville 

communities.com 

FIDELICA 

MICROSYSTEMS, INC. 

1585 McCandless Drive 

Milpitas, California 95035 

www.fidelica.com 

FINGERHUT DIRECT 

MARKETING 

7777 Golden Triangle Dr. 

Eden Prairie, MN 55344 

www.fingerhut.com 

FINGERHUT 

FULFILLMENT 

6250 Ridgewood Road 

St Cloud, MN 56303 

www.fingerhut.com 

INFINITE POWER 

SOLUTIONS 

14998 West Sixth Avenue 

Building E, Suite 600 

Golden, Colorado 80401 

www.infinitepower 

solutions.com 

JOHN T. PETTERS 

FOUNDATION 



www.johntpetters 

foundation.org 

JUICE MEDIA GROUP 

7860 Mission Center Ct 

Suite 201 

San Diego, CA 92108 

www.juicemedia.com 

LIVE BY CAMPUS 



www.livebycampus.com 

METROPOLITAN 

MEDIA GROUP 

5001 American Blvd. W 

Ste 400 

Bloomington, MN 55437 

www.metmediagroup.com 

PETTERS AVIATION 



www.pettersgroup.com 

PETTERS CAPITAL 

Flagler Center Tower 

505 S. Flagler Dr. Ste 700 

West Palm Beach, FL 33401 


PETTERS REAL 

ESTATE GROUP 






www.pettersrealestate.com 

PETTERS 

CONSUMER BRANDS 




PETTERS MEDIA AND 

MARKETING GROUP 




PETTERS WAREHOUSE 

DIRECT (CORPORATE) 




Mall of America 

North Garden Level 3 

(N356) 

Bloomington, MN 55425 


Moundsview Square 

2537 Hwy 10 West 

Moundsview, MN 55112 


Waite Park / St. Cloud 

306 2nd Street Quad 

Waite Park, MN 56387 

www.petterswarehouse.com 

POLAROID 



1265 Main Street 

Waltham, MA 02451 

www.polaroid.com 

SONIQCAST 



www.soniqcast.com 

SPRINGWORKS 




SUN COUNTRY 

AIRLINES 

1300 Mendoata Heights Rd 

Mendota Heights, 

MN 55120 

www.suncountry.com 

SYMMORPHIX 

1278 Reamwood Avenue 

Sunnyvale, CA 94089-2233 

www.symmorphix.com 

TAM O’SHANTER LODGE 

& CONFERENCE CENTER 

89405 Jack Pine Trail 

Cornucopia, WI 54827 

www.tamoshanterlodge.com 

TRIO MARKETING 



UBID 

8550 W Bryn Mawr 

Ste 200 

Chicago, IL 60631 

www.ubid.com 

WIDEBLUE 

Vale of Leven 

Industrial Estate 

Dumbarton, 

Scotland G82 3PW 

www.wide-blue.com 

YES VIDEO 

3281 Scott Blvd. 

Santa Clara, CA 95054 

www.yesvideo.com 

YFLY.COM 







www.yfly.com 

Actively managed Petters 

Group investments. 



:: REALITY BYTES Tom Hay 


WHAT IS YOUR BEST PETTERS 

GROUP MEMORY? 

Tom Petters and I shaking hands on our 

original agreement and how we have honored 

it through good and bad. 

Tom Hay 

Executive Vice President 

of Petters Real Estate 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE 

ELECTRONIC GADGET? 

My Blackberry 

WHAT WAS THE LATEST 

DESTINATION ON YOUR 

VACATION LIST? 

Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake near Brainerd, 

MN to enjoy time with my grandchildren. 

WHAT WOULD YOUR WIFE 

SAY IS YOUR WORST HABIT? 

TV Surfing 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL? 

Dry martini, escargot, Caesar salad, veal chop 

and baked potato 

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM CAR 

AND WHY? 

’57 Chevrolet Convertible with 225 HP and 

bossed carbs because it brings back memories. 

HOW DO YOUR FRIENDS 

DESCRIBE YOU? 

Smart and lucky 

IF YOU COULD DO 

ANYTHING FOR A JOB, 

WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

Exactly what I am doing right now!


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