WINTER 2014 / 2015

A game changer!
TPIHospitality becomes a
100% employee owned company

What if you were the owner of TPI Hospitality?

Tom Torgerson communicates that employee ownership is not too good to be true!
Hello to all of you associates that make up the TPI Hospitality team. We have so much going
on out of the normal this year; however with all of that we can never lose sight of the
importance of taking care of our guests. Always, we at TPI need to take care of our guests,
and for the TPI Corporate team, YOU are our guests. And in turn, you need to take care of
your guests, our CUSTOMERS. If we continually do this, everyone is a WINNER. At TPI, we
like to use the phrase, We believe in win-win-win outcomes. Whenever that gets out of
balance and one or two losses are inserted into that scenario, no one wins, not even the one
that thinks they are winner.

Tom Torgerson
Chief Executive Officer
TPI Hospitality

In taking care of YOU, TPI corporates guests, we have been working overtime and we hope
you are beginning to see the results of this. We restructured our non-management
compensation plan and benefits plan this summer to better compensate you for the extra hard
work you do, day in and day out, in taking care of your guests, who are all of our
CUSTOMERS. We are finalizing the plans for the ownership of TPI Hospitality to transition
from me to an Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) whereby you, all the associates of TPI,
will directly benefit from the future success of TPI. An ESOP can be complicated and requires
more explanation for sure.

Over the period of time that I have participated in ownership of TPI, we have seen the company grow by 13 to 14 times in size
from what it was 20+ years ago. During that period of growing, we built strong systems and relationships. Systems that we
developed over the years and operate today make us one of the most organized and sophisticated hospitality companies in
our industry. Our relationships with franchisors, lenders, capital partners, land owners, contractors, third party venders, etc.,
have been based upon trust and consistent delivery of expectations. In addition to the strong systems and relationships we
have built together, we have also built a strong balance sheet. When you bring these three things together; strong systems,
strong relationships and a strong balance sheet, the last item that is essential to light this organization on fire is YOU. We are
not missing you, but we want to take YOU to an entirely different level than you have ever thought you could perform at. What
if all of a sudden on January 1, 2015, you became an owner of TPI Hospitality? Well, that is exactly what is going to happen!
On January 1, 2015, YOU become 100% owners of TPI. There will exist a highly regulated ownership structure called an
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) that is administered by the federal labor department under a law called ERISA.
ERISA stands for Employee Retirement Income Security Act. It has a lot of similarities to a 401K plan, yet is different. It is
designed to be a long-term retirement benefit for you and the value of that retirement funding is based upon the growth and
appreciation of TPI Hospitality during the time you are employed. Based upon the growth of TPI Hospitality, your ownership
share at retirement or departure from the company, will be bought back from you over five years, one payment per year. A
significant difference between a 401-k plan and your TPI ESOP is that you do not invest your money into the ESOP, your
ownership interest in TPI will be given to you. There exists specific criteria and minimum requirements for you to receive these
long term benefits and my summary is only that, a brief summary. Bottom line is my personal participation in the growth of TPI
from an ownership standpoint ceases on January 1st and our growth going forward all goes to the benefit of YOU, the
associates of TPIexcuse me, owners of TPI.
We are extremely optimistic about the future of TPI and feel it is in its best position in its history to grow and maximize its value
going forward. In recent town hall meetings, I told a little story for purposes of comparing and contrasting TPI when I bought
it, versus TPI when you buy it. Back in the early 90s, it was I, along with my mother and one brother who purchased TPI. We
were financed by the seller, my father, much the same as your purchase will be financed by me. However, there is a huge
difference from back in the early 90s, when we did not have any working capital. Working capital can be defined as cash on
hand to fund payrolls, mortgage payments and operating costs on a monthly and annual cycle. In order to pay our bills on
time, we obtained a loan from a local bank for $350,000 and as security for that loan we gave the bank titles to our vehicles,
jewelry to place in the bank vault, and interests in our houses. Over time we were able to pay that loan off. In stark contrast
to that early beginning, YOU, the new owners of TPI, will have a war chest of cash in the checking account way above and
beyond any needs for working capital. We intend to put that extra cash to work by investing in new properties to help grow
your value in TPI.
continued on page 22...

Laying the groundwork for becoming an ESOP

Mitch Peterson summarizes the building of an ESOP from the ground up

Through the years, TPI has gone through some very exciting changes and some significant
challenges as well. Whatever chapter we were in at the time, good or bad, we found a way
to leverage our condition to create a stronger and better company. As you read this
newsletter, it will be clear to you that we are on the doorstep of the single greatest change in
our history as we transition the company into a 100% Employee Owned Company. This, in
and of itself, is outstanding news for each of us. The magnitude of this change is further
highlighted by the fact that we will be in the top 1% of all ESOPs in the country in terms of
size. In addition, TPI is poised to become the largest 100% employee owned hospitality
company in the entire nation!
Becoming an ESOP will require a change in perspective by everyone. As of the first of the
year we will own TPI Hospitality, as Tom transfers his interests to us. Simply put, we will
have the opportunity on a daily basis to individually profit from this change in the form of a
retirement account that will grow in value as we grow the value of TPI. This change to an
ESOP has been in process for many months. In addition, we have been laying the
Mitch Peterson
President of Operations
groundwork from an operations standpoint to be best prepared to maximize the value of our
TPIHospitality
TPI ESOP moving forward. As we worked through the process it caused me to envision what
our company would look like if everyone acted as an owner without regard for their specific
role within the company. If each of us approached our jobs with the same set of principles and ideals and viewed our work life
through the same lenses, we would have the foundation for creating results that weve never before seen! This dynamic would
accelerate the growth of your ESOP benefit within TPI as it creates the platform for both company and individual success.
Ironically, both company and individual success will become even more synonymous as we build our ESOP together.
We will create the platform for success by laying the groundwork. As I communicated in my last newsletter article, we are
deeply invested in weaving our newly memorialized Core Values, our existing Vision Statement and the value of Leadership
through every bit of TPIs fabric. Just imagine the results we will create when each of us lives and breathes these principles
in our daily activities. As we rise up to the challenge of this next chapter for TPI, just imagine the power of having 1,700
owners approaching their jobs the same way. This process is a marathon, not a sprint, but it is clear to me that the results will
be outstanding as we continue to change our perspectives!
The last remaining piece to the puzzle in preparing for our next chapter was to insure that we had the right Senior Leadership
structure and team in place. Recently, we modified the titles for members of our Operations and Administrative teams to more
closely align with todays recognized standards in the hospitality industry. This change also provides a more accurate
reflection of the Operations or Administrative responsibilities to which each person is held accountable. Our assessment
determined that we would need to add additional support in the area of Hotel Operations. This additional support is
necessitated by our current, aggressive hotel development plans, which will provide enormous momentum in allowing the
ESOP to gain traction quickly. As I am writing this article the selection process is well underway for the newly created Director
of Hotel Operations position. It is our hope and belief that this position can be filled by an internal candidate and we anticipate
making a decision mid to late December.
C-level team:
Tom Torgerson
Mitch Peterson
Kathy Aamot
Sheryl Walton

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Operations Officer
Chief Administrative Officer
Chief Financial Officer

Administrative team
Paul Carlson
Gene Lubbers
Marlene Kubasch
Teresa Runke
Jennifer Serbus
Terri Grussing
Caitlin Lieser

Director - Internal Auditing

Director - Information Technology
Director - Administration & Accounting
Director - Administration & Accounting
Accounting Associate
Accounting Associate
Accounting Associate

continued on page 24...

A night to remember!
Monday, September 15th, 2014, will go down as one of the more memorable dates in the long and storied history of TPI. The
day started off like any of the previous thirteen TPIannual conferences with a general session led by Tom Torgerson. But thats
where the similarities ended. This year, Tom had a message to deliver that would leave the TPI team speechless.
Mitch Peterson led off the general session with a review of where TPI was a year ago, where it is today and where it is going
in the future. He summarized the tough love message that was delivered a year ago, and followed that up by reviewing the
many changes that had occurred at TPI over the past twelve months. Mitch mentioned the introduction of TPIs core values,
the focus on leading rather than managing and the expansion of the operations and administrative teams. Mitch reminded
everyone that We will push ourselves and each of you towards achieving excellence and we will ask more of ourselves and
each of you than we believe is possible. Mitch closed his remarks by stating that TPI is one large step closer to being a first
in class organization.
Following Mitchs comments, Tom Torgerson reviewed the multiple growth and enhancement projects happening throughout
TPI. He mentioned the nearly completed Willmar Legacy Project and the exciting anticipation of opening the Minnetonka
Hampton Inn and the Rochester Homewood Suites in the near future. In addition, Tom updated the team on current and future
enhancements happening in Maple Grove, Shoreview, Golden Valley and New Ulm.
What happened next caught the TPIteam by surprise, as Tom identified that beginning January 1st, 2015, he will be
transitioning the ownership of TPI to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). This move will make TPI what is believed
to be the largest 100% employee owned hospitality company in the nation. Tom said, I chose an ESOP to reward you for your
past, current and future diligent service to TPI, to preserve the legacy of our work here and position TPI for the next 50 years
and beyond. The announcement placed a brief hush over the room as those in attendance werent sure how to react. To help
everyone better understand the transition to an ESOP, representatives from Chartwell Capital Solutions were on hand to
clarify the transition and answer any questions.
After an extended question and answer session, there was only one thing left to do...celebrate! And what better way to
celebrate than with a marching band. The Willmar High School band kicked off the rest of the evening with a surprise entrance
and moved throughout the room playing a high energy version of Get Ready For This. The room was electric as the Ops
team threw out TPIcore values t-shirts, as well as tropical leis to enhance the Caribbean theme for the social hour. It
certainly was a night to remember, and marked the beginning of TPIHospitality being owned by its associates.

The journey continues...

TPI Hospitality will be 100% employee owned...what does that mean for you?
For almost 85 years, the Torgerson brand has been built and preserved through hard work and the ability to create a
memorable guest experience. Whether it was Tom Torgersons grandfather establishing R. E. Torgerson Clothing in
Kerkhoven, Minnesota in 1930, or Toms father establishing the Holiday Inn of Willmar, Minnesota in 1972, or Tom Torgerson
expanding the company today, one common denominator has always existed...exceptional people creating exceptional results!
Beginning January 1st, each of us will be entrusted to carry on that legacy. As owners, we have a responsibility to ourselves
and to those working around us to execute our roles to the best of our abilities. It will be this relentless attention to ownership
that will not only create an amazing experience for our guests, but it will provide financial security for each of us and our
families. Success does not happen by accident, it takes a dedicated group of people led by the same values and practicing
the same vision. TPI Hospitality has the people, our associates, has the values, our core values, and has the vision, our vision
statement. We are poised for success, now its just up to each of us to make success a reality.
The TPIHospitality Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) allows Tom Torgerson to transition his ownership to the
associates of TPI though the ESOP. We maintain the same culture through our core values and vision statement. We
maintain the same policies, procedures and benefits. We maintain the same corporate structure, with Tom Torgerson as our
Chief Executive Officer. The only thing that changes is that over time, the value of TPI transitions from Tom to the associates
of TPI. At the end of each year, the increase in the value of the company is shared by all associates. Each spring, beginning
in 2016, every associate will receive a statement that reflects the amount of ownership the associate has earned. Over time,
the value of an associates ESOP account can grow substantially, providing a valuable source of retirement funding. To
participate in an ESOP, the Federal government sets forth two specific criteria that must be met. The associate must be at
least 21 years of age, and the associate must work at least 1,000 hours per calendar year (about 19 hours per week). If an
associate meets these two criteria, they begin vesting at a 20% annual rate, meaning that over five years an associate
becomes fully vested. Being fully vested means that the funds in your ESOP account are 100% yours. If you are fully vested
and should leave TPI or retire, 100% of the funds in your account are distributed back to you over a five-year period (20% per
year). These funds can then be rolled into another qualified retirement account with no tax penalties. Spending the funds may
involve paying taxes, depending on your age and current income.
ESOPs are not uncommon. Today, there are almost 11,000 ESOPs operating in the United States. A few of the more
well-known ESOPs in our part of the country include Anderson Window Company, Hy-Vee, Scheels and Kwik Trip. What is
more surprising is that far less that 50% of all ESOPs are 100% employee owned. In many cases, the employee ownership
may be 50% or less. That is not the case with TPI. As of January 1st, 2015, TPI will become 100% owned by TPI associates.
Out of the 11,000 ESOPs nation-wide, TPI will rank as the 90th largest ESOP, and even more exciting is that also on January
1st, 2015, TPI will become the largest 100% employee owned hospitality company in the nation! Wow! Now thats something
to be proud of, and something we can all work hard to build on.
In the very near future, all TPI associates will be able to learn more about the ESOP at www.TPIowners.com. This website will
be loaded with information and resources that will allow us all to learn more about what it means to each of us to be an owner.
Watch for this new tool to be available shortly after the New Year.
So what does 100% employee owned mean for you? It means that you will be part of a group of owners who have an
opportunity each day you work to improve the value of the company you own. Every time you check a guest in at the front
desk, or cook a guests meal, or clean a guests room, or fix a guests air conditioner, or deliver a guests meal, or wash a
guests dishes, or simply pass a guest in the hallway...you have an opportunity to help TPI grow. Its not a few big things that
make a difference, its the hundreds of little things we each do every day that determine our success. We must each begin to
think like owners, act like owners and hold each other accountable as owners. Together, we can continue the success that
Tom Torgersons grandfather started in 1930.

Are you always on your

phone? Do you like real
time interaction?
@TPIHospitality

Are you strictly business? Do you want

to see and share TPI developments?
Follow TPI on LinkedIn
LinkedIn.com/company/tpi-hospitality

Like TPIHospitality
on Facebook
facebook.com/tpihospitality

Do you believe a picture is

worth a thousand words?
Follow TPI on Instagram
instagram.com/TPIHospitality
Check out our website at
www.tpihospitality.com

Follow TPIHospitality on Google+

plus.google.com/+TPIHospitalityWillmar

TPIHospitality recognizes its 2014 top performers

Twenty-one different properties were nominated for the eleven annual TPIawards

Property of the Year Award

Perkins Austin
Sales Achievement Award
Days Inn Willmar
Teamwork Award
Hampton Inn Shoreview
First Impression Award
Courtyard Arbor Lakes
Closer Award
Staybridge Suites Naples
Safety First Award
Green Mill Shoreview
Presidents Award
Staybridge Suites Eagan
Web Warrior Award
Holiday Inn Austin
Outrageous Guest Service Award
Torges Live Austin
Core Values Award
Staybridge Suites Naples
Top Gun Award
Homewood Suites New Brighton
7

A Blast From The Past!

This page from the Spring 1992 edition of Innside TPI summarizes the effects that the legendary 1991 Halloween Storm had on
TPI and its associates. It was certainly an event to remember. The newsletter also announced the beginning of TPIs 401-K
plan. How many of you knew that Mitch Peterson was once the General Manager at Perkins Austin? The proof is below...

Are you preparing properly for your retirement?

Taking advantage of Target Retirement Date Funds can help you get on track for retirement

You work hard to save for retirement, now you can choose a fund that works just as hard for you. Sweet Financial can help
you choose the fund that best suits your needs. These funds can offer the following advantages.
Get a complete portfolio in a single fund:
Vanguard Target Retirement Funds give you a straightforward approach to a sophisticated problem: how to invest successfully for retirement. Each fund is designed to help manage risk while trying to grow your retirement savings.
Less risk through broader diversification:
Each of the Target Retirement Funds invests in Vanguards broadest index funds, giving you access to thousands of U.S.
and international stocks and bonds, including exposure to the major market sectors and segments.
A professionally managed asset mix:
The funds managers gradually shift each funds asset allocationto fewer stocks and more bondsmaking the fund more
conservative the closer you get to retirement.
Automatic rebalancing:
The managers then maintain the current target mix, freeing you from the hassle of ongoing rebalancing.
Low costs:
On average, Vanguard Target Retirement Fund expense ratios are about one-sixth the cost of their peers. Thats a savings
of nearly 84%!* When you are paying less for your funds, more money stays in your account working for you.
You can find more information on these investment opportunities by logging on to your TPIHospitality 401k Retirement
Savings Plan at www.alerusretirementsolutions.com or by calling 800-433-1685. You can also contact Sweet Financial
Services at 800-658-2507 for any of your investment related needs.
*Vanguard Target Retirement Funds average expense ratio: 0.17%. Industry average expense ratio for comparable target-date funds: 1.05%. Sources: Vanguard and Lipper, a Thomson Reuters Company, as of December 31, 2013.
Investments in Target Retirement Funds are subject to the risks of their underlying funds. The year in the fund name refers to the approximate year (the target date) when an investor in the fund would retire and leave the
workforce. The fund will gradually shift its emphasis from more aggressive investments to more conservative ones based on its target date. An investment in a Target Retirement Fund is not guaranteed at any time, including on
or after the target date. These fund suggestions are based on an estimated retirement age of approximately 65. Should you choose to retire significantly earlier or later, you may want to consider a fund with an asset allocation
more appropriate to your particular situation. All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss. Investments in bonds are subject
to interest rate, credit, and inflation risk.

TPIs top 10 list of 2014

A lot has happened over the past twelve months, here are the highlights of 2014

10

Torgerson Properties rebrands as TPI Hospitality

Perkins Austin is recognized as Best Family Restaurant and Best Dessert

in Mower County

Steve Mallan from Holiday Inn New Ulm won 7th, 6th and 1st place medals
at the USA Special Olympics bowling tournament

TPI Hospitality opens its first Best Western Plus branded hotel

Hampton Inn Fairmont earns the highest guest satisfaction score among
all Hampton Inns worldwide for two consecutive months

TPI Hospitality is awarded Top Hotel Management Company by Hotel

Business Magazine

17 TPI Hospitality hotels were awarded TripAdvisors prestigious

Certificate of Excellence Award

4 TPI Hospitality hotels are ranked in the top 10 of 222 hotels throughout
the entire Minneapolis and St. Paul area

$4,250 was raised for local charities at the TPI Hospitality annual basket
competition during the 2014 team conference

TPI Hospitality announces an Employe Stock Ownership Plan beginning January

1st, 2015 which will make TPI Hospitality the largest 100% employee
owned hospitality company in the nation

10

The face of TPI continues to change

Recently completed and ongoing initiatives illustrate TPIs impressive growth

Its

NEW
Its

NOW

11

Growing with
Tim Mattern (2002 to present)
General Manager
Green Mill and Ruffs Wings & Sports Bar in Willmar

What attracted you to TPI? What attracts me most to TPI

is the fact that TPI promises growth and opportunity to
anyone who works hard and is loyal.
What has your career path been to this point at TPI? I
started in Willmar back in 2002 working in banquet set-up
in the conference center, and then moved to the Green Mill
in 2006 as a bartender. In 2007, I began supervising in the
Green Mill and then accepted my first full time position in
2008. In 2010, an opportunity arose to become an
Assistant General Manager at Green Mill Shoreview. In
2012, I was offered the Assistant General Manager position
for the newly acquired Hurricane Grill & Wings franchise,
where a short while later I assumed my first General
Manager role. After TPIs decision to part ways with the
franchise, I transferred for a short stint as General Manager
at Torges Live in Austin, and then most recently assumed
my current General Manager role at Green Mill and Ruffs
Wings & Sports Bar in Willmar. It has been an incredible
learning experience for twelve years.
What do you think has gotten you to where you are
today? It is the loyalty and willingness of TPI to allow
associates, such as myself, to grow and create our own
career path. The company is set up to allow any individual
with the determination to succeed to create their own
opportunities.
What advice would you give to other TPI associates
who would like to grow with the organization? If you set
your mind towards a realistic goal, TPI will allow you the
best shot to achieve that goal. It is completely up to the
individual to create a successful path. TPI has and will
continue to allow opportunities to those who perform well.

12

Are you interested in growing with TPIHospitality? Tim a

associates who have grown within the organization. TPI bel
and commitment to TPIs core values and vision statemen
advancing your career, let your General Manager know. The
Th
property! Also, be sure to check the TPIHospitality job pos
new opportunities there as well. Come on...lets grow toget

TPI Hospitality
Jason Hall (1997 to present)
General Manager
Staybridge Suites Bloomington
What attracted you to TPI? Growing up in Austin, the
Holiday Inn, and specifically TPI, had a very positive
reputation. Once I decided to focus on Hospitality
Management while in college, TPI was a natural fit for me
to apply to for my college internship.
What has your career path been to this point at TPI?
Internship at the Austin campus in 1997
Guest Service Representative at Hilton Garden Inn Eagan
F&B Manager at Hilton Garden Inn Eagan
Assistant General Manager at Hilton Garden Inn Eagan
General Manager at Staybridge Suites Eagan
General Manager at Staybridge Suites Bloomington

What do you think has gotten you to where you are

today? I am extremely grateful for the opportunities this
company gives to associates who wish to grow and move
up within the company. I have had many past TPI General
Managers and current TPI leaders who have invested their
time and expertise in me, and given me opportunities to
advance.
What advice would you give to other TPI associates
who would like to grow with the organization? Attempt
to learn something from everyone you come in contact
with. There are a lot of smart, creative, and dedicated
associates in our company. Take advantage of that, and
you can learn all sorts of things that will allow you to
continue to grow.

and Jason are just two examples of the many current TPI
lieves strongly in promoting from within, and your hard work
nt can lead to a rewarding career. If you are interested in
ere may be an ideal opportunity waiting for you right at your
here
sting website at www.tpihospitalityjobs.com. You may find a
ther as owners!

13

Inn the news at TPIHospitality

Ashley Clark joins TPI as the Executive

Housekeeper at Staybridge Suites
Eagan. Ashley, born and raised in St.
Paul, took a big leap of faith after high
school and accepted a position on a
cruise ship as a bell person. She loved
the experience and soon moved into the
housekeeping department for nine
months of traveling between the
Hawaiian Islands. Ashley was hooked
on hospitality, as she also spent time
working on a steamboat traveling the
Mississippi and a seasonal adventure at
Glacier National Park. Minnesota was
always home, so she returned and is
very happy to be a part of the TPI team.

Trevor Nystrom recently took on the

role of Assistant Kitchen Manager at
Ruffs Wings & Sports in Willmar. He
was promoted from within TPI after
working at Green Mill Willmar for just
over a year. Trevor jumped at the
opportunity to take on the new Ruffs
concept and has quickly become a vital
asset to the Willmar Legacy Project.
Trevor enjoys staying active with
basketball and outdoor activities as well
as spending time with family.

Angela Terry returned to the TPI

Fairmont team in July of this year as the
Front Office Manager. Angie previously
worked at Fairmonts Hampton Inn as
Front Desk Supervisor and feels like she
is coming home again. Angie has
worked in a variety of areas that involve
guest satisfaction, team work and
hospitality. She enjoys the day to day
challenges that come along with the
front desk position, A/R, and the team
atmosphere. When she has free time
she enjoys walking, bicycling, reading, or
just hanging out with her husband Joe
and children Grace, 7 and Noah, 5.

Tracy Neumeyer, General Manager

(left), and Karin Borgerlink, Director of
Sales (right), from Staybridge Suites
Naples, present a check for $2,125 to
the Cancer Alliance of Naples. The
donation was made possible though the
help of TPI associates who participated
in the annual basket competition during
the 2014 TPI Conference.
The
Staybridge Suites basket generated the
most funds during the raffle, allowing the
Naples team to award 50% of the overall
earnings to the organization of their
choice. Total proceeds of the basket
competition were $4,250. Thank you
Staybridge Suites Naples!

Staybridge Suites Naples welcomes

Divina Corkery as Assistant General
Manager. Divina is a graduate of the
University of San Jose, Cebu City,
Philippines with a Degree in Hotel and
Restaurant Management. After college,
Divina worked at the Shangri-la Mactan
Island Resort and Spa as the Front
Desk/Group Coordinator. She later
move to the Tampa area and pursued
her career in the hospitality industry
working for a Marriott and later a Double
Tree Hotel as a Front Office Manager.
Divina and her husband recently
purchased a home in the Ft. Myers area.
Welcome to the TPI family, Divina!

Preston Bennet is the AGM at TPIs

new Homewood Suites in Rochester.
Preston grew up in Mazeppa, MN and
majored in Travel and Tourism at St.
Cloud State University.
His first
hospitality job was in the laundry
department at the Homewood Suites in
St. Cloud, where he eventually worked
his way up to Front Office Manager.
After a year and a half, he accepted the
AGM position at the Homewood Suites
at the Mall of America. Preston says, I
am very excited to be working with the
Homewood Suites Rochester team, and
I wouldnt want to be anywhere else!

14

Inn the news at TPIHospitality

The Hampton Inn Arbor Lakes team

recently held a carnival complete with
games, prizes, food and even cotton
candy! The carnival was a thank you to
the Hampton Inn associates for their
outstanding performance during Hiltons
Catch Me At My Best program. The
associates competed in ring toss,
balloon pop, basketball and bean bag
toss games. Tammy Hillyard from HS,
Alaina Bartholomay from the Maple
Grove Sales team, Andrew Rohlik from
CYAL, Chad Pemberton and Jessica
Kloss from TPI all pitched in to make the
even a huge success. At Hampton Inn
Arbor Lakes, the show must go on!

Trista Hillenbrand has taken the lead

role of Dining Room Manager at TPIs
new Ruffs Wings & Sports Bar in
Willmar. Trista is new to TPI, but brings
almost fifteen years of experience in the
hospitality industry. Her knowledge and
experience have been a valuable part of
Ruffs initial success. Trista enjoys
bowling, spending time at her rural
house and prime hunting land, and most
importantly, being with her husband Kyle
and family. Welcome to TPI, Trista.

Valerie Hicks is the new Executive

Housekeeper at Holiday Inn Express
Golden Valley. Valerie has been in the
hospitality industry for nine years,
starting as a Guest Service Agent, and
then as a Front Desk Supervisor for the
Embassy Suites. She moved on to
Lebourget, which is now a Holiday Inn,
as a Front Desk Supervisor and then
became a Housekeeping Supervisor at
the Marriott. Most recently, Valerie was
the Assistant Housekeeping Manager at
the Double Tree Park Place. She says
she is really excited about being at the
Holiday Inn Express Golden Valley and
enjoys working with the team.

Chris Warnke was recently promoted to

Chief Maintenance Engineer at the
Homewood Suites St. Louis Park. Chris
joined the TPI Hospitality team in 2009
as the Maintenance Engineer at the
Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomington. He
currently resides in Howard Lake with
his wife and two labs. Chris loves the
outdoors! In his free time he enjoys
camping, hunting, and fishing. Welcome
to the Homewood Suites family, Chris!

Dana Saboe joined the Willmar Hotels

team in November as the Assistant
Executive Housekeeper. She hails from
Melrose, Minnesota and currently lives in
Pennock. Dana has two girls, ages five
and seven. She enjoys working on the
restoration of items, and is a committed
vegan who enjoys searching out natural
remedies and cures. Welcome to TPI,
Dana!

Please welcome Comaya Benson,

daughter of Courtney Sparks from
Holiday Inn Express Golden Valley!
Comaya, pronounced Ka-My-a, was
born on Monday, November 24th at
8:30am. She weighed six pounds,
eleven ounces and was 19 3/4 inches
long. Mom says, Shes so calm and
alert. Congratulations Courtney!

15

Inn the news at TPIHospitality

Scott Baanrud recently joined the Hilton

Garden Inn Bloomington team as their
new Assistant General Manager. Scott
has been with TPI Hospitality for five
years and has worked for three different
TPI hotels. Having worked in the
industry for over fifteen years in a variety
of positions, Scott has shown a great
passion and commitment to guest
satisfaction and hospitality and enjoys
the challenge of exceeding our guests
expectations. When not at work, Scott
enjoys spending time with his wife and
two children, going to the cabin, hiking
and camping, or just embarking on
random adventures.

Ruffs Wings & Sports Bar would like to

congratulate Jesse Serbus for his new
role as Kitchen Manager. Jesse, who is
also the current Kitchen Manager of
Green Mill Willmar, has been with TPI
Hospitality since 1998 and was more
than accepting of this dual role as
Kitchen Manager at both Ruffs and
Green Mill. He brings a wealth of
restaurant knowledge to the table and
has been a backbone to the success of
Green Mill and the early success of
Ruffs. As you can see, Jesse loves to
fish, hang out with family, fish, and ice
fish.

John Tracy is excited to join the TPI

team as Arbor Lakes Campus Director of
Sales and looks forward to working with
everyone at the Arbor Lakes campus.
He has over 25 years of sales and
catering experience and has worked with
a number of hotel brands. He most
recently worked for LHR Hospitality as a
Corporate Director of Sales. John grew
up and currently still lives in New Hope
with his wife, Jeanne, and two
daughters, Laura and Megan. He enjoys
golfing, watching Minnesota sports
teams, watching his daughter play
volleyball for UW Eau Claire, and
spending time with his family.

The West End Campus would like to

welcome Brady James Halen. Brady is
the son of Tara Halen, Campus Director
of Sales at the West End Hotels, and her
husband Derek. Brady was born on
Saturday November 1st. He weighed in
at 7 pounds, twelve oz. and was 21
inches long.
Congratulations Tara,
Derek, and sister Kaylee on your new
addition to the family!

Melissa Gepp has accepted a

promotion to Director of Sales &
Catering at the Eagan Campus. Melissa
started in the hospitality industry at the
front desk of TownePlace Suites in
Eagan. She soon advanced to Sales
Coordinator and then SMERFE Sales
Manager. After six years, Melissa
moved to Bloomington with Hyatt Place
and Holiday Inn Express to learn
different brands and a different market.
When the opportunity arose to return to
Eagan, Melissa jumped at the chance.
She is very excited to learn more about
her new role alongside the fabulous
Eagan Campus Sales Team.

Dan Nelson is the General Manager at

TPIs newest property, Homewood
Suites Rochester.
He grew up in
Minnetonka and attended Hopkins High
School, where he played football,
baseball and was a ski jumper, then
played baseball at the University of
Minnesota before graduating summa
cum laude from UW Stout. He has
managed hotels and resorts in Chicago,
the Twin Cities, Brainerd and Rochester.
Dan has a daughter, Katie, and a son,
Erik, who are both in college. He loves
all Minnesota sports teams, especially
the Vikings. Dan enjoys golf, pinball,
ping pong and downhill skiing.

16

Inn the news at TPIHospitality

Gabriella Auspos recently joined TPI

Hospitality as the Dining Room Manager
at Green Mill Willmar. Gabriella studied
visual arts at State University of New
York in Buffalo, and has worked in the
hospitality industry from the time she
was sixteen years old. She is married
with a nine month old daughter, Aurelia,
a three year old daughter, Mari, and an
eight year old stepson, Carter. She
enjoys running, camping, snowboarding,
drawing, painting and spending time with
her family. Gabriella says she has
thoroughly enjoyed her experience at
Green Mill thus far and is looking forward
to growing with TPI.

The Staybridge Suites Bloomington

team would like to congratulate John
Jericho on his recent promotion to Chief
Engineer! John has been with the
Staybridge since 2008, working first as a
Preventative Maintenance Person and
then as an Assistant Maintenance
Engineer. Congratulations John, and
best of luck in your new role.

Congratulations to General Manager

Sean Twedt and his wife, Kristi, on the
arrival of the new addition to their family,
Adalynn Faith Twedt. Their new bundle
of joy arrived Saturday morning, October
25th and weighed six pounds, twelve
ounces and was twenty inches long.
Sean says that Adalynn likes sleeping,
eating,
burping and watching the
Minnesota Golden Gophers. Her only
current
dislike seems to be the Green
Bay Packers.

Holiday Inn Austin is excited to welcome

Nick Roth to its team as the Director of
Sales. Nick spent four years at Winona
State University, graduating with a
Bachelor of Science Degree in
Marketing. Nick has always had a
passion for hospitality which brought him
from the insurance business to TPI. He
is an avid hunter, fisherman, and golfer.
Welcome to the team Nick!

Ryan Edner was recently promoted to

the Assistant General Manager position
at the Holiday Inn New Ulm. Ryan was
most recently working at the Homewood
Suites St. Louis Park. Ryan is a
drummer, a song writer, and has
graduated in the field of Sound Design.
He enjoys outdoor activities including
kayaking, hiking, camping, star gazing
and photography. As a child, he always
enjoyed hotels because there was
always something different happening.
Ryan is excited to be a part of the
Holiday Inn New Ulm team and the
historic German Heritage from which
New Ulm is derived.

Samantha Nelson grew up in a small

town in northern Minnesota, and moved
to the metro area in 2008. Sam started
with TPI at the Staybridge Suites in
Bloomington as a Guest Service
Representative. She was promoted to
Front Desk Supervisor in 2012, and
recently became the Sales Coordinator
for the Bloomington Campus. Sam
enjoys spending time with friends and
family, especially her nephew and two
nieces. She also spends her free time
with church activities, crafting, and
traveling. This spring she is planning to
travel to Ireland to visit friends that she
met while working at Staybridge Suites.

17

Inn the news at TPIHospitality

Garrett Erickson at Green Mill Willmar

was recently promoted to Assistant
Kitchen Manager. Garrett has been with
TPI Hospitality for almost two years and
is becoming a valuable asset to the
Willmar team. He is looking forward to
the opportunity of continued growth with
the TPIteam. Garrett is an avid hunter
and enjoys most outdoor activities.
Congratulations on your new position,
Garrett.

Lacy McNicol has joined the Fairmont

team as their Director of Sales. Lacy is
originally from Mountain View, CA. Her
family moved to Minnesota when she
was young, but she says, Im always
going to be a 49ers fan! Lacy studied
Psychology and English while attending
Minnesota State University in Mankato.
She joined TPI in 2009 where she was a
Cook, a Banquet Server and a
Bartender, then a Guest Service Agent
at the Holiday Inn. In 2012 she had her
first child, a gorgeous little girl, and
enjoys playing with her, going to the park
and going for walks.

Denise Logman has been promoted to

Sales Manager at Homewood Suites
New Brighton.
Denise started her
hospitality career at the AmericInn of
White Bear Lake as a Front Desk Agent.
She worked there for three years and
then joined the TPI Hospitality team in
2009 as a Front Desk Agent at the
Homewood Suites in New Brighton.
Denise lives in Shoreview with her two
daughters, Jessica, and Michaela. She
enjoys working for Caribou Coffee
part-time as a Barista creating coffee
beverages and making people happy.
Congratulations, Denise!

Holiday Inn & Austin Conference Center

team is excited to welcome Ben Ankeny
as their new Director of Catering. Ben
came to us from the local newspaper,
where he worked on the sales team. He
was born and raised in Austin and is very
active in the community, including
working with Austins Vision 2020
Waterways Committee. He has three
boys, a wife of twelve years and enjoys
live music, canoeing, and helping out his
family business. Welcome to the team,
Ben!

Etta Mae Alfonso, the daughter of

Kendra Alfonso from Hilton Garden Inn
Bloomington and Dan Alfonso from
Hampton Inn Minnetonka, was born at
Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park on
Thursday, April 24th at 8:39am. She
weighed eight pounds, one ounce and
was twenty-one inches long. Please
help us congratulate the Alfonsos on
their new bundle of joy!

Lisa Barney was recently promoted to

the Executive Housekeeper position for
the Willmar hotels. Lisa is a New Years
Eve baby, born in Alaska and raised in
northern Minnesota. She is a Willmar
resident with three kids, and when she is
not working she enjoys restoring salvage
items to their original condition, or
better! Congratulations, Lisa, and best
of luck in your new position.

18

Inn the news at TPIHospitality

Jessica Schoenberger has recently

joined the Eagan campus sales team as
the new Sales and Catering Coordinator.
She was born and raised in Eagan, MN
and loves being able to work in her
hometown. Jessica graduated from the
University of Northwestern St. Paul
with a degree in Public Relations. She
has worked in government, non-profit,
education and the private sector. In her
free time Jessica enjoys any activity
involving creativity and connecting with
family and friends. Welcome to TPI,
Jessica!

Kham Vue was recently promoted to

Executive Housekeeper at the Hilton
Garden Inn Bloomington. Kham has
worked in the housekeeping department
for six years and it has proven to be a
tremendous learning opportunity for her.
She says, The entire staff motivates and
supports me at all times, and that is why
we are such a great team. Kham is
married and has three beautiful
children. She is very outgoing, quiet and
easy to get along with. During her spare
time, she loves spending time with her
family while camping, swimming and
playing sports.

Sara Schoenrock has recently been

promoted to SMERF Sales Manager at
the Eagan Campus of Hotels. Sara
originally started with TPI in 2001 as a
front desk associate at Hilton Garden Inn
Bloomington. She was promoted to
Front Desk Supervisor and later to
Executive Housekeeper. Sara took two
years off to be with her son and to try a
different career, then realized her true
passion for the Hospitality Industry and
returned to TPI. The Eagan Campus
jumped at the opportunity to hire Sara as
the Sales & Catering Coordinator. She
is very excited for this new opportunity!

The Staybridge Suites Bloomington

would like to welcome Tommy
Robinson to the team in the role of
Executive Housekeeper. Tommy and his
family moved to the Minneapolis area
from Montana, where Tommy worked in
many roles at a family of hotels and
resorts. Welcome Tommy, and good
luck in your new position!

Kyle Hannan has changed addresses!

Kyle previously worked at TPIs
Homewood Suites New Brighton, and
recently transferred to Homewood
Suites Rochester as Front Office
Manager. After high school, Kyle joined
the Minnesota National Guard and was
deployed oversees. Upon his return, he
began working at the Rochester Hilton
Garden Inn, then moved back to his
home town of Coon Rapids and joined
the New Brighton team. Kyle and his
wife, Alyssa, have a beautiful daughter
named Mavie. Kyle says, I can proudly
say I have found my passion and I look
forward to an exciting career with TPI.

As winners of the Most Creative basket

(see above) during the 2014 TPIBasket
Challenge, Homewood Suites St.
Louis Park was able to donate 50% of
the proceeds from the event to the charity of their choice. They chose The
Miracles of Mitch Foundation as their
single benefactor and presented the
organization with a check for $2,125.
The Miracles of Mitch Foundation helps
children with cancer and their families by
providing basic needs support and
unique family programs. Kudos to the
entire TPI team for making this possible,
and to the St. Louis Park team for
choosing this amazing organization.

19

For over twenty-two years, Innside TPI has shared the memories and told the stories of current and past TPI associates. From
describing the historical Halloween snow storm of 1991, through the development of over thirty new properties, to the
announcement of employee ownership, one thing has remained constant...amazing people!
Below are trivia questions created from past issues of Innside TPI. The first person to submit the correct answer to each
question to pete@tpimn.com will be awarded a certificate for a two-night stay at any TPI hotel location. Do you know your TPI
history? Hint: You can find all of the past issues of Innside TPI at www.tpihospitality.com/about/innside-tpi. Good luck!
1.

This TPIhotel opened on June 5th, 1998: _ _ _ _ _ N

_____N

I__

____N

2.

Holiday Inn Willmar 1995 Employee of the Month: _ _ _ T _

3.

Current TPIassociate who started with TPI as a Torges server in 1991: _ _ N

4.

A current TPI General Manager who did an internship at Staybridge Suites Eagan in 2002: ____T _____H

5.

The original hotel brand of Hampton Inn Shoreview: _ _L _ _ _ _

6.

This current TPIassociate was named GM at Holiday Inn Express Eagan on September 11, 1997: _O__ _____R

7.

A current TPIassociate who was chosen as the 1994 Perkins Austin Employee of the Year: _A___ ___N

8.

This person was the first GM at Holiday Inn Express Golden Valley: _____S

_A______

9.

A one-time delivery driver for Green Mill, with Fargo as his home town: _ _ _ E

_A_______

_ _ ______T

10. Director of Sales at the Shoreview Plaza hotel in 1995: _ _ _ D

_ E _ _ _

__N

__Y

11. The Holiday Inn Austin restaurant name prior to Torges Grille & Bar: __L___E
12. Director of Sales at Holiday Inn Fairmont in 1995: J _ _ _ _

____E__

13. 2003 Associate of the Year at Hilton Garden Inn Shoreview: __R_

____L

Internships provide more than a summer job

Haley Harms receives a valuable experience in Fairmont as she pursues her degree at SMSU
Haley Harms, a student majoring in Hospitality Management at Southwest
Minnesota State University in Marshall, MN, completed a working internship this past
summer at the Holiday Inn Fairmont. She did an outstanding job helping guests and
learning all of the different departments within the hotel. Haley worked in
housekeeping, as a prep-cook in the Green Mill kitchen, all of the shifts at the front
desk (even the overnight), and attended multiple management meetings and
participated in strategic market development. Haley also attended meetings for the
Fairmont Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Minnesota Lodging Association and
was a guest at a TPI GM Council meeting. Haley was a great addition to the TPI
team over the past summer, and we expect big things from her in our industry in the
future. She is just one of many interns who have been part of the TPI Hospitality
family, if only for a summer. TPI is committed to helping develop future leaders in
our industry, and Haley has certainly Set the example for others to follow!

20

Whatever it takes for outrageous guest service...

Every time I stay at Hilton Garden Inn Bloomington its a wonderful experience! I travel quite a lot for a living, and have for
over thirty years, and I can say without any reservations that Sue Lawson, Kendra Alfonso, John Brandel, and Scott
Baanrud really make me feel like I am amongst friends.
I strongly recommend the Hilton Garden Inn Eagan to anyone. They have an awesome staff of people who make your stay
really pleasant and trouble-less. Special recognition to Chelsea Girten and Jason Davy, these guys are just top of the line!
My wife said it best, From the front desk to the restaurant employees, they made us feel like we were celebrities. They
wanted to do anything to make us more comfortable. I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you whenever my family needs
to stay for the night, if we are anywhere close, we are staying at the Holiday Inn in Austin, MN!
I had a great experience overall and cannot thank Dan Alfonso enough for his over the top hospitality as he certainly went
way out of his way to take care of someone that was staying at his hotel. Thank you for such wonderful help and not letting
me go through all of the hassle and trouble of getting the car fixed or calling the rental company or taxi or anything else. You
made my stay that much easier and you are most definitely one of a kind. What a wonderful, wonderful gentleman simply
pleasing a guest at your Hampton Inn & Suites in Minnetonka.
Please pass along my gratitude to your front desk employee, Megan Bender. She did a heroic thing by helping me get
medical attention after going into anaphylactic shock. I have always had great experiences at the Homewood Suites in St.
Louis Park, but this stay was exceptional. It is rare to find customer service at this level and I thought you should know.
I wanted to thank Serena Hoisington for her wonderful service this evening at Perkins in Red Wing. Her personality and
smileyness made my night! Keep it up!
In my job, I travel all over the country every week and have stayed in some of the most expensive hotels available. The
Fairmont Holiday Inn is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. The food is the best and the bar is the nicest and friendliest
that I have experienced in many years. The Green Mill General Manager, Mike Christians, came to our table and just talked
for several minutes while we waited for our food. Hes a great guy and a super representative of the Holiday Inn name.
Our high regards go to Tracy Neumeyer, Lindita Fteja, Pleshette Hurm, Sarah Brandhorst, Mileydi Guevara and Steve
Carroll, a group that is always visible and involved in making this a reassuring reason to return year after year to relax,
unwind and simply make us feel like Staybridge Suites Naples is our home.
A outrageous story from Hampton Inn Shoreview: When a guest returned from work one evening, she realized she had lost
the book she was reading. She realized she may have left it on the roof of her car when she left the hotel that morning. She
called the front desk to see if anyone had found it in the parking lot, but they had not. The woman was beside herself
because it was a library book. Sherry Mueller got in her car and drove the route. She found the book on the exit ramp to
the freeway and retrieved it for the guest. The woman was thrilled!
There was an emergency involving my daughter. Because of the heroic actions of the Holiday Inn Maple Grove
employees, Kristin Anderson and Sandra Prill, my daughter is back in Texas. They were quick to respond not only to her
room, but to get an ambulance response also. I truly believe they saved my daughters life that evening.
We will stay at the SpringHill Suites Rochester every time were in town. We were treated like family. The personal effort
they put into our stay was above and beyond anything we have experienced before. My wife was scheduled for
appointments at the Mayo Clinic the day of our anniversary. The hotel staff found it was our anniversary and asked if it would
be okay to decorate our room while we were out as a surprise to my wife. They did a wonderful job.
On the survey question about breakfast, I wish I could have given Suzanne Sukalski a 20 out of 10! She was the
sweetest person I have ever met in my entire life. She gave me the sweetest card, one that I will keep forever, and I
really needed to receive that message on that day. She really made my day and I hope I can visit again soon. I cant stop
telling my friends about the sweet girl I met at the Fairmont Hampton Inn!
I am grateful for Jamie Larson and Stephanie Scharmer on the Best Western Plus side, Lynn Mattern who was the lead
in the banquet room, Carol Paulson at the Holiday Inn Express and just the entire team as they were all outstanding. I have
done nothing but spread the word. People in small towns like ours cannot believe it. Everything was stellar!

21

...continued from page 2, What if you were the owner of TPIHospitality?

One last point I will comment on in regard to the ESOP is that all of TPIs leadership team will stay in place. There is another
article within the newsletter that outlines the corporate team at TPI. The couple of things that do change have to do with the
TPI Board of Directors. I will continue to be a board member and Chairman; however, we will have two outside board
members that include Don Haas and Bob Thurston. In addition, Ardent Trust has been appointed as the trustee on behalf of
YOU, the new owners of TPI. The trustee appoints the board members and provides oversight and reporting to you and the
government. I will now pause on the ESOP subject at this point, but you can expect further communications in the future to
back fill you on all of the details of how this somewhat complicated part of the federal law works. However, a significant item
to point out is that on January 1st, 2015, TPI Hospitality will become the largest 100% employee owned hospitality company
in the nation.
We do have several large scale repositionings and new developments in the works at TPI, here is a brief summary.
The $15,000,000 Willmar Legacy Repositioning recently completed its final phase with the opening of Ruffs Wings & Sports
Bar. The entire project included a Holiday Inn Express and Suites, Best Western Plus, Willmar Conference Center, Green Mill
Restaurant & Bar and finally Ruffs.
The $4,500,000 New Ulm Repositioning is nearing its completion to include Best Western Plus, New Ulm Conference Center
and Green Mill Restaurant & Bar.
The $5,500,000 Golden Valley Repositioning got under way in July, will be completed this spring and will result in a brand new
and expanded Holiday Inn Express & Suites.
The $4,600,000 Shoreview Repositioning got underway in August and will be completed this June resulting in a Best Western
Plus, an expanded North Metro Event Center and a brand new Green Mill Restaurant & Bar.
In August, we opened a newly constructed Hampton Inn and Suites on I-394 in Minnetonka/West Minneapolis.
In November, we opened a newly constructed Homewood Suites in downtown Rochester.
In November, we started the new construction of a Hampton Inn in West Bloomington at I-494 and Normandale Blvd.
We recently closed on a deal to purchase land in Roseville on I-35W and we are in the process of getting entitlements and
construction plans for a new Hampton Inn and a new Home2Suites by Hilton. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring
of 2015.
Beyond the above new investments that TPI has underway, we are looking for other opportunities to grow and expand in the
Minneapolis, outstate Minnesota and southwest Florida markets. We are currently in negotiations on multiple deals in each of
these three markets.
I will close this article in a fashion very consistent with previous ones. That is, to communicate that I am more passionate and
optimistic about TPI today than I have ever been. We have many great things yet to accomplish together, and I am grateful to
be a part of this great organization. I want to thank you all for the amazing work you do day in and day out. It is your hard
work that is the absolute essence of what sets us apart from our competition!
I wish you all a very enjoyable holiday season with family and friends!
~ Tom Torgerson

22

Honest and straightforward communication

TPIs General Manager Council provides an opportunity for companywide communication

Did you know that every TPI associate has an opportunity to help with decision making and enhance
company wide communication through their experiences and feedback at the hotel or restaurant
level? The TPI General Manager Council meets every quarter for just that reason, and each
district/campus is represented by a member of the General Manager Council. The list below
identifies each General Manager Council representative and the representatives constituents.
Jeremie Slagle (Holiday Inn & Suites) - Arbor Lakes (Chair)
Sean Twedt - Staybridge Suites Arbor Lakes
Mark Maves - Hampton Inn Arbor Lakes
Tom Rost - Courtyard Arbor Lakes
Joel Adamson (Quality Inn & Suites) - Eagan/Red Wing
Jason Mercord - Hilton Garden Inn Eagan
Chris Carey - Staybridge Suites Eagan
Travis Stevenson - Perkins Red Wing
Tracy Benesh (Holiday Inn) - Austin/Rochester
Michael Rupkey - Courtyard Rochester
Ryan Miller - SpringHill Suites Rochester
Dan Nelson - Homewood Suites Rochester
Jason Hall (Staybridge Suites) - Bloomington/St. Louis Park/Golden Valley/Minnetonka
Emmett Lincoln - Hilton Garden Inn Bloomington
Holly Rath - Homewood Suites St. Louis Park
Amy Isaacson - Holiday Inn Express Golden Valley
Bill Godbe - Hampton Inn Minnetonka
Jason Subbert (Fairmont hotels) - Fairmont/New Ulm
Rick Neumann - Holiday Inn new Ulm
Angie Winkel - Green Mill New Ulm
Marc Meier - Perkins Fairmont
Michael Christians - Green Mill Fairmont
Janet Demuth (Country Inn & Suites) - Willmar/Naples
Dave Fiest - Best Western Plus Willmar, Holiday Inn Express Willmar, Days Inn Willmar
Tim Mattern - Green Mill Willmar, Ruffs Wings & Sports bar
Tracy Neumeyer - Staybridge Suites Naples
Tony Donatelle (Green Mill Shoreview) - Shoreview/New Brighton
Julie Fuller - Hampton Inn Shoreview
Todd Roy - Homewood Suites New Brighton
Julie Johnson - Hilton Garden Inn Shoreview
The more feedback and input the General Manager Council receives from the property level, the
better we can achieve the intent of the General Manager Council mission, To create a vehicle
comprised of TPI General Managers to refine and evaluate TPI big picture decision making and
enhance company wide communication through field based feedback and input. As new owners, it
is critically important that we all communicate freely and build trust at all levels of the organization.
Doing so will only enhance our ability to grow. Please help us make the General Manager Council
an important part of our communication efforts by providing your observations and comments. You
can reach out to your representative or contact your general manager if there are areas of
discussion, concerns or communication you would like addressed or clarified. The next meeting is
scheduled in New Ulm on Tuesday, February 3rd.
~ Jeremie Slagle, General Manager Council Chair

23

...continued from page 3, Laying the ground work for becoming an ESOP
Operations Team:
Joel Vogler
Dennis Wallenta
Pete Bromelkamp
Dee Anne Osborne
Bob Smith
Mike Lamoureux
Larry Eisenberg
John Cox
Jessica Kloss
To Be Determined
Becca Gross
Chad Pemberton

Senior Vice President - Hotel Operations

Senior Vice President - Hotel Operations
Senior Vice President - Human Resources
Senior Vice President - Sales and Marketing
Senior Vice President - Facilities Maintenance
Vice President - Restaurant Operations
Vice President - Restaurant Operations
Vice President - Revenue Management Strategies
Vice President - eCommerce Strategies
Director of Hotel Operations
Director - Sales Support
Coordinator - Sales, Revenue & eCommerce

I would like to personally thank each of you for your contributions on a daily basis. Without question, your efforts are the
backbone of TPIs success.
I hope that you all have a great holiday season and can find an opportunity to inventory the blessings in your life. I also look
forward to seeing each of you after the first of the year as you enjoy your new titles within TPIthat of Employee Owner!
~ Mitch Peterson

TPIHospitality...Workinglikeowners,thinkinglikeguests!

At TPIHospitality, we believe in our associates...

Whatever It Takes For Outrageous Guest Service

...You Have The Power!

TPIHospitality
WatersEdgeProfessionalBuilding
10315thAvenueNWSuite200
P.O.Box1020
Willmar,MN56201
Phone:320-235-7207

Check out our web site at www.tpihospitality.com