Finance & Commerce names Progress Minnesota honorees

The Metro Green Line light rail route is among the 27 Finance & Commerce 2015 Progress Minnesota honorees. The Metropolitan Council estimates the Green Line has helped spur $2.5 billion of development and redevelopment within a half-mile of the stations along the route between the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis. (File photo: Bill Klotz)

Finance and Commerce Staff//February 6, 2015//

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M.A. “Mort” Mortenson Jr., retiring chairman of M.A. Mortenson Co., will receive the Progress Minnesota Lifetime Achievement award. (Submitted photo)

The new Metro Green Line light rail transit route is among the 27 honorees selected for Finance & Commerce’s 2015 Progress Minnesota awards.

The Progress Minnesota program, now in its fourth year, typically recognizes individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations that are driving business growth and economic development in Minnesota in innovative ways.

The Metropolitan Council, which oversaw construction of the Green Line, estimates the 11-mile route has helped spur $2.5 billion of development and redevelopment projects within a half-mile of the stops between the downtowns of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The projects are either proposed, under construction or completed. The $957 million project received local, state and federal funding.

The Lifetime Achievement award will go to M.A. “Mort” Mortenson Jr., the retiring chairman of M.A. Mortenson Co. of Golden Valley. The company has built and/or developed many high-profile projects in Minnesota and the nation, including Target Field and the future Vikings Stadium.

The 2015 honorees represent familiar names in Minnesota business like Bayport-based Andersen Windows, Hermantown-based Cirrus Aircraft Corp. and Cardiovascular Systems Inc. in New Brighton.

But there are plenty of up-and-comers such as 75F, the Mankato-based company that has developed a technology which helps small commercial property owners improve control of heating and cooling and save energy.

Several honorees are based in Greater Minnesota, including Thief River Falls-based Digi-Key, Duluth-based retailer Maurices and Mankato-based 75F.

The honorees will be feted at an event April 9 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. Finance & Commerce also will publish a special magazine that will profile the honorees.

Companies

75F, Mankato

AAR Corp., Duluth

American Mortgage and Equity Consultants Inc., Andover

Andersen Windows, Bayport

Bercom International, Chanhassen

BioMatrix International, Princeton

Cambria Co., Eden Prairie

Cardiovascular Systems Inc., New Brighton

Cirrus Aircraft Corp., Hermantown

DataBank, Edina

Digi-Key, Thief River Falls