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<br />envelopes, pretty much anything on paper.
<br />We also do signs, banners, and posters.”
<br />Allegra’s printers and presses are all in-
<br />house. The shop is capable of almost any
<br />paper-related project including cutting,
<br />folding, foiling, laminating, binding, and so
<br />much more.
<br />Customers have two options: they can
<br />start from scratch, and Allegra can design
<br />something for them; or they can bring in a
<br />pre-designed project and have it produced.
<br />According to Beane, more customers bring
<br />their projects pre-designed due to the ease
<br />of technology that is available. Currently,
<br />Allegra’s most common job is printing
<br />medical instructions for doctors.
<br />The shop has also been printing the Arden
<br />Hills Notes newsletter since around 2004.
<br />“It’s rewarding to start a project and see
<br />it through to the point of sending it to the
<br />customer and then mailing it,” said Beane.
<br />“And sometimes we get it back in the mail
<br />because we’re one of their clients too.”
<br />Surprisingly, Beane said that Allegra
<br />hasn’t had a problem staying relevant in a
<br />seemingly paperless world. “Our business
<br />keeps growing,” he said. Allegra offers
<br />10, 50 and 100 percent recycled paper
<br />options made from post-consumer waste.
<br />It is paper that has been recycled into the
<br />pulp and made back into paper. According
<br />to Beane, the eco-friendly option was more
<br />popular a few years ago but has waned as
<br />of late. Unfortunately, recycled paper is
<br />more expensive and not as bright.
<br />Allegra’s paper is sourced mainly from
<br />the paper mills in Northern Minnesota and
<br />Wisconsin. The shop recycles all its scrap
<br />paper and uses soy-based ink for printing
<br />versus the less environmentally-friendly
<br />oil-based ink.
<br />Although the majority of Allegra’s
<br />business is local, it has customers
<br />nationwide. The shop ships and delivers a
<br />lot of its projects. There are 350 Allegras
<br />nationwide, and the Arden Hills location is
<br />currently ranked number three among the
<br />franchise members. Beane also received
<br />the Franchisee of the Year award in 1998
<br />for his work in assisting other Allegra
<br />locations.
<br />“We take care of our customers,”
<br />said Beane. “We try to learn what our
<br />customers’ needs are and what they do
<br />so that we can help them better than just
<br />giving them ink on paper.”
<br />Be sure to stop into Allegra, located at
<br />1207 West County Road E, and find out
<br />what they can do for you!
<br />Allegra continued from page 1
<br />Amidst all the roadwork on County
<br />Road E and Lexington Avenue, there
<br />has also been construction of a new build-
<br />ing on the northwest corner recently. TAT
<br />Properties LLC, the owner of the entire
<br />parcel of land, which includes the e-Street
<br />Flats apartments, is now completing the
<br />17,743 square foot structure, which has
<br />been leased to Goodwill Industries.
<br />Slightly more than half the new space will
<br />be devoted to a Goodwill retail store. The
<br />remainder will be divided into employee
<br />offices, a donation processing area, and
<br />a drive-thru donation center. Parking and
<br />loading areas are at the rear
<br />of the building, which will be
<br />accessed by a driveway on
<br />County Road E. The design
<br />of the brick and glass build-
<br />ing includes parapets, corner
<br />columns, and awnings.
<br />Landscaping will include trees,
<br />shrubs and perennial flowers.
<br />These areas are planned to help
<br />shade the parking lot and provide screening
<br />of the back side of the building.
<br />The original proposal for this building
<br />went before the City Council on January
<br />27, 2014, and was denied, primarily due
<br />to concerns about traffic and entrance and
<br />exit issues. The developer sued the City,
<br />which led to mediation and a slight design
<br />change. The Council then approved the
<br />project at its March 9, 2015, meeting.
<br />The Goodwill Store is tentatively slated to
<br />open in mid-December, with a grand open-
<br />ing scheduled for early January.
<br />Goodwill to open in Arden Hills
<br />This summer, Land O’ Lakes made a
<br />generous donation of $2,500 to the
<br />Arden Hills Foundation. This finan-
<br />cial support will fund the purchase and in-
<br />stallation of a new basketball system (pole,
<br />backboard, and net) in Ingerson Park.
<br />The Parks, Trails, and Recreation Com-
<br />mittee has a long-range goal to upgrade all
<br />basketball systems in Arden Hills parks to
<br />this new system. Valentine Park is current-
<br />ly the only City park that has this upgraded
<br />basketball system in place.
<br />The Arden Hills Foundation is a nonprofit
<br />organization dedicated to connecting the
<br />generosity of people with evolving needs
<br />in the community of Arden Hills. To learn
<br />more, contact: the City at 651-792-7800.
<br /> Thanks, Land O’ Lakes!
<br />by Susan Cathey
<br />Goodwill
<br />Arden Hills, Minnesota
<br />Colored RenderingDecember 18, 2013
<br />113-0046
<br />Illustration courtesy Rob Davidson
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