Echo Press 'On the Street' business news, Sept. 3, 2021

A select group of child care programs are the newest local programs to earn their Parent Aware ratings.

Parent Aware’s mission is to help families find the quality care and education their children need to succeed in school and life. These child care programs all volunteered to go above and beyond basic health and safety requirements and use best practices to support child development.

The local businesses who received ratings in Douglas County include: Alexandria Area YMCA Center East, Alexandria Area YMCA Center South, Lynette Euerle, Haley Radil, Ann Sadlemyer and Sarah Thieschafer

“These early childhood educators have gone above and beyond to provide quality care for the children and families in their programs,” said Marianne Smith, professional development advisor, for the Northwest Child Care Aware District.

“Congratulations to all the programs that received a Parent Aware Star Rating! I applaud your dedication to improving the quality and best practices of your early childhood program for the children and families that you serve. Your work is so important in the lives of children and you are appreciated very much, " said Dawn Block, Parent Aware quality coach for Douglas County.

With few exceptions, any licensed child care provider is eligible to go through the Parent Aware process and receive a rating. They receive coaching, training, grants, higher Child Care Assistance reimbursement rates, and the ability to accept Early Learning Scholarships. Over 2,900 programs in Minnesota are rated. A full list of rated programs is available through an online search at www.ParentAware.org.

American Solutions for Business recently named Eric Gorghuber as the company’s senior director of technology.

In this new role, Gorghuber will manage the Enterprise Solutions group in technology. This team is responsible for all technical aspects of PeopleSoft and other systems that interact with it.

To learn more about American Solutions for Business, visit http://www.americanbus.com .

PrimeWest Health has announced the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for its Advancing Health Equity Grant and Scholarship Initiative as part of its Community Reinvestment Program.

Through this RFP, PrimeWest Health seeks to award at least $1.5 million in grants to qualified organizations for projects and initiatives that advance health equity for current and prospective PrimeWest Health members in PrimeWest Health’s 24-county service area, which includes Douglas County.

Also through this RFP, PrimeWest Health seeks to award at least an additional $250,000 in organizational development scholarships to qualified organizations for addressing structural racism, institutional bias, intercultural competency, and culturally appropriate care to ensure every person, including PrimeWest Health members, has an equitable opportunity to achieve their full health potential.

For more information on the Initiative, eligibility requirements, and to apply, visit www.primewest.org/grant-opportunities.

Dakota Supply Group (DSG) has announced plans to open a new branch in Rogers, Minnesota, in December 2021.

It will be DSG’s 12th location in Minnesota – which includes Alexandria – and its 44th across six states. The new facility is located in the Gateway North Business Park at 6035 Queens Ave NE, just north of Rogers along Highway 101.

DSG has been serving customers in the Greater Minneapolis area from its Plymouth location. The new facility will service the plumbing, HVAC, and electrical needs in this growing area.

DSG is one of the Midwest’s leading distributors of innovative products and services for the following industries: electrical; plumbing; HVAC/R; utility; communications; automation; waterworks; and on-site sewer, water, and well. DSG is a 100% employee-owned company with over 800 employee-owners in 43 locations across six states: Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.