© 2012 The Torgerson Times MINNESOTA, MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2012 PAGE 1

By Henry HurricaneTorgerson Tribune reporter

The city of Burnsville, Minnesota

recently reported seeing a set of unusual

red and black flags flying all around the

city. City officials immediately ordered an

investigation into the meaning of the rarely

seen flags. After some intensive investiga-

tive work, city leaders were celebrating

after discovering the true meaning of the

flags.

These flags indicate that a hurricane is

eminent in the area. No, it’s not a severe

weather condition, it’s Hurricane Grill &

Wings, a new and exciting restaurant con-

cept that is poised to take the Twin Cities

area by storm.

Minnesota-based Torgerson Properties

has secured a new development agreement

that will enable the prominently known

hospitality company to open multiple

Hurricane Grill & Wings locations, bring-

ing the island-infused menu and beach

themed, family-friendly atmosphere to

Minnesota. With their extensive experi-

ence in the field of hospitality, Torgerson

Properties has committed to developing the

southern third of Minnesota, including the

cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, their

suburbs and other key cities in the develop-

ment area.

“We are thrilled to add the Hurricane

Grill & Wings brand to our growing portfo-

lio,” said president of Torgerson Properties,

Mitch Peterson. “We see a bright future for

Hurricane Grill & Wings in Minnesota, and

cannot wait to begin development so we

may present the Twin Cities with the over

32 flavors of fresh, jumbo wings. The fam-

ily-focused environment and extensive

menu will be a great addition to the dining

scene.”

“With the proven success of Torgerson

Properties, we know that we have found a

great partner, and the Hurricane Grill &

Wings brand will be developed and man-

aged expertly,” said Martin O’Dowd, pres-

ident of Hurricane Grill & Wings.

“Minnesota is a great market for wings and

we are excited to introduce our unique fla-

vors to Twin Cities residents.”

Hurricane Grill & Wings is known for its

uniquely savory chicken wings, offering a

choice of more than 32 signature sauces.

Menu items are cooked fresh to order with

high quality ingredients and zero trans fats.

Other menu options range from salads to

Certified Angus Burgers and Grilled Mahi-

Mahi, along with a full line of craft beers

and wine. The original Hurricane Grill &

Wings opened in Fort Pierce, Florida in

1995. There are over 45 locations, includ-

ing Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Michigan,

New York, and Pennsylvania, with addi-

tional restaurants planned nationwide.

Spring/Summer 2012

HURRICANE WARNING

ISSUED FOR MINNESOTA!

The Torgerson Times

INNSIDETORGERSON

PROPERTIES

This photo captures the unusual flags that wererecently spotted flying over the city of Burnsville,MN. Further research revealed that these flagsindicate a hurricane warning, and that the state ofMinnesota is advised to prepare for something ithas never before experienced!

Hello to all who make up the world of TPI! I always enjoy the opportunity to reach out to youin our bi-annual TPI associate newsletter. Time and time again, I tell you how proud I am ofall the hard work you do to make our guests feel so special, but I just can’t say it enough. Youare the best, and it is a real pleasure and joy for me to be a part of this organization and havethe opportunity to work with all of you. Thank you for your commitment to TPI!

We continue to heal up after the Great Recession, and we are gaining momentum. A big partof our forward momentum is due to the completion of our deferred renovations. By the end ofthis year, we will have fully completed those deferred renovation projects, allowing us to lookforward at other ways to grow TPI. At this time I would like to share with you some newprojects which TPI has in the works.

We are opening our first Hurricane Grill and Wings restaurant in Burnsville at I-35W andBurnsville Parkway. We purchased a building that used to operate as a Hooters restaurant.Hooters was not well received in Minnesota and ended up going out of business. We will berenovating the property to allow for an opening on October 1 of this year. Below is a render-ing showing two angles of the new Burnsville location:

The largest scale repositioning project we have ever undertaken is in the planning stage for Willmar. We call it our WillmarLegacy Properties Repositioning, and it completely repositions what is currently the Holiday Inn, Willmar Conference Center,Chamber of Commerce, Green Mill Restaurant and Bar and the Comfort Inn. Here are the repositioning stages:

• Spring/Summer 2013: We will shut down the Comfort Inn and reconstruct it into a three story 75-unit Holiday Inn Express& Suites. Simultaneously, we will reconstruct the entire parking lot and site, allowing us to reposition our parking lot alonghighway 12 forty feet to the north. This will provide an area for patios and green space up against the building.

• Fall/Winter 2013/2014: We will renovate and convert the current Holiday Inn to a Best Western Plus hotel. As a part ofthis the entry porte cochere will move to the west side of the hotel.

• Spring 2014: We will renovate the Willmar Conference Center to include state of the art audio and video equipment, andadd a second covered guest entry on the south face to allow for direct access to events in the back banquet rooms.

• Summer 2014: We will renovate and relocate the Green Mill Restaurant and Bar with an addition to the north of thecurrent Teddy Roosevelt room and add a patio to the north side as well. While this occurs, the Green Mill will temporarilyoperate out of its current bar area.

• Fall 2014: A Hurricane will arrive in Willmar, the first ever. In the current Green Mill bar area, catering offices, board room,etc., we will build a Hurricane Grill and Wings restaurant with a patio to its north side.

continued on page 7...

Tom TorgersonChief Executive Officer

Torgerson Properties, Inc.

2

Torgerson Properties renews its focus on growthTom Torgerson reveals that the Great Recession is beginning to give way to new opportunities

It’s a season for Hurricanes and engagement surveysMitch Peterson examines TPI’s new restaurant concept and the importance of associate feedback

How quickly time flies when there is recovery in the air! Though we have learned that we maynever be “out of the woods”, we continue to feel better about the current direction of theeconomy. It is so much easier to pass along good news!

You will read in this edition that TPI has some very exciting things going on. Tom details anumber of these initiatives in his article, so please be sure to read about them. One specificinitiative that I will expand upon is our decision to introduce a new restaurant concept toMinnesota. Earlier this year, we signed an agreement to develop a minimum of 17 HurricaneGrill & Wings restaurants over the next several years. The Hurricane Grill & Wings conceptbegan in Florida and only recently focused on national expansion. We are extremely excitedto be the company that will introduce this concept to Minnesota. It is a fun, family oriented,breath of fresh air in the casual themed dining arena. In the depths of winter this concept willbe a great way to escape a cold, Midwestern, winter. The concept is very much tailored afteran ocean side “beach shack”. The inside of the restaurant is designed to make you feel as ifyou are someplace on the beach. In addition to the decor, the menu offers some of the best“wings” available, featuring 32 signature sauces which are sure to satisfy the most discerning“wing fan”. Though the wings are a signature item, the menu also offers a tremendous variety of options from great seafood,awesome salads, and fantastic burgers in addition to many other menu choices.

For the first time in history, there’s a Hurricane about to make landfall in Minnesota!!! As of this writing, we have secured ourfirst location in Burnsville, MN at the intersection of I-35W and Burnsville Parkway. Our current plan has us opening storenumber one on October 1 of this year. We also hope to have our second and third locations identified by July 1, and intend tohave these two stores opening at some point in the first quarter of 2013. This is a very exciting opportunity for TPI, and weare very focused on making sure that we do it right! Stay tuned for further updates on this project. In the meantime, if you areinterested in more information, you can learn all about this exciting new brand at:

http://hurricanewings.com

http://www.facebook.com/HurricaneWingsofMinnesota

As I thought about what else to write about it came to mind that we are quickly approaching our annual TPI AssociateEngagement Surveys. I wanted to take the time to impress upon each of you how important your feedback is from thesesurveys. We take your feedback very seriously and it shapes the decisions that we make about TPI’s strategic direction. Sincethe inception of this valuable tool, we have made a number of changes directly intended to enhance your work life experience.Granted, there are some things that come out of the surveys that regrettably aren’t possible for us to address. That being said,we do listen to your feedback, take it very seriously, and respond where it makes sense for the greater good of TPI’sassociates and TPI at large. In the past, the input from the surveys guided us to addressing our policies on benefits (holidaypay and enhanced PTO for example). This past year, the feedback caused us to recognize a number of things that we havesince responded to. For example, we learned that the value and importance of our housekeeping teams fell short of beingacceptable and we intend to continue to find ways to improve upon this. Another enhancement that was directly related to yourfeedback was a restructuring of our health insurance offerings. As a result, we spent a number of months developing anenhanced benefit that was just recently rolled out. The cost of health insurance in general has simply gotten out of control.There really is no way to ignore, or avoid, the rising costs. We believe however, that we have worked to provide better andmore flexible options that will be more suitable to many of you. In this regard, we will continue to try to find ways to make thisbenefit more affordable, and more attractive.

Please take the time to complete the survey when it comes to your property in late July and early August. The more feedbackwe receive, the better the chance that we can continue to improve your employment experience. In addition, and equally asimportant, your feedback truly does assist us in guiding our decision making. Your input is very much respected andappreciated. Please continue to provide us with your valuable feedback!

You’re the “best of the best” and we truly do appreciate your individual and collective contributions. Thank you for all you doto make TPI a “Best Places to Work”!

~ Mitch

Mitch PetersonPresident of Operations

Torgerson Properties, Inc.

3

In the last issue of Innside TPI, Tom Torgerson identified a serious challenge that existed within the TPI culture. Tom stated,“Our housekeeping associates tend to be buried deep into our hotels, away from our front doors and away from our lobbies,restaurants, bars and other common congregation areas. They are in the commercial laundry, the corridors and guest roomsof our hotels. Their work is to a large degree unseen, other than their finished product that is at the center of our guestexperience. They repeat their work day in and day out, and it is hard work, it is physical work and their finished product is heldto a super high quality bar by our management teams and guests. Their work is essential to the success of our hotels.Unfortunately, the shear fact that our housekeeping associates are geographically buried deep into our hotels means that wedon’t interact with them frequently.” Through our annual associate engagement survey, our housekeeping teamscommunicated a sense of being underappreciated. On top of this, many of the housekeeping teams didn’t even have a placeto meet or enjoy a break. Taking a break often meant eating lunch in the laundry area next to the washers and dryers. Thiscondition was not acceptable and needed to be addressed.

Armed with feedback from the engagement survey, and personal feedback received during a company-wide tour of thehousekeeping departments by Tom Torgerson, Mitch Peterson and Pete Bromelkamp, the challenge was clear. We need todo a better job of recognizing the amazing work our housekeeping teams do day in and day out. We need to assure that theycan work in an environment that promotes teamwork and recognizes their accomplishments.

With these goals in mind, TPI recently created new housekeeping break rooms at three different locations. Holiday Inn Austin,Holiday Inn Fairmont and Holiday Inn Willmar all converted one of their existing guest rooms into a meeting and break area forthe housekeeping teams. New lighting and bright colors, combined with a refrigerator, microwave and lockers, provide apositive environment for the housekeeping teams. Now, they have an area to enjoy their break periods, and hold importantpre-shift meetings as well. Each housekeeping team was allowed to add thier own personal touch to the rooms to create atruely unique meeting area.

Our work does not stop here. We must continue to recognize the amazing accomplishments of the largest single contingentof associates within the TPI family...our housekeepers! We are very proud of each and every associate on the TPI team, andour housekeepers are a huge source of that pride!

TPI housekeepers...the best of the best!TPI’s single largest contingent of associates is also the single most impactful

4

Torgerson Properties Housekeepers ROCK!

Fairmont

Austin

Willmar

The Green Mill Fairmont team has a “need for speed”! They are the title sponsorsat the Fairmont Raceway and are selling Green Mill pizza at the concessionstand. The races draws an average of 1,300 people each Friday fromApril through September. Each driver is competing to qualify for the “Green Mill King of the Hill”event on September 21. This season-ending event is expected to draw over 2,000spectators! Good luck to the entireGreen Mill Fairmont team...PUT THE PEDAL TO THE METAL!

5

Green Mill Fairmont team is off to the racesThe restaurant is this year’s title sponsor featured at the Fairmont Raceway

This is our first edition of the Torgerson Properties Flashback, where we will feature a vintage picture from years gone by. Doyou know who these partners in crime are? Do you know what year this picture was taken? Can you identify what state thispicture was taken? Be the first to submit the correct answer to all three questions to pete@tpimn.com and you will win a $25Hurricane Grill & Wings gift card! Look for more great pictures from TPI’s past in future editions of Innside TPI.

If you have a great vintage TPI picture to share, please send it to pete@tpimn.com and maybe it will be featured in the nextedition of Innside TPI.

Torgerson Properties Flashback

Rochester hotels move to the front of the classCourtyard and SpringHill Suites locations in Rochester experience an amazing transformation

6

Courtyard Rochester Bistro

SpringHill Suites Rochester Lobby

SpringHill Suites Rochester Studio SuiteCourtyard Rochester GoBoard™

Recently, both Courtyard Rochester and SpringHill Suites Rochester experienced an almostshocking transformation. The two locations have taken on a very sleek, modern look with new furnishings,colors and designs. The updates reflect TPI’s ongoing commitment to keep all properties on the cutting edge of what ourguests are looking for. These enhancements place both locations in premiere status in the Rochester market.

At the Courtyard, the new Bistro concept was incorporated into the lobby area (top left). This expanded the bar area and addedStarbucks coffee service, along with quick serve breakfast and dinner items that are perfect for on-the-go guests. Theenhancements include new seating and floor planning that provide private media pods and high top gathering tables. Saintson Second continues to offer handmade menu items for lunch and dinner. In addition, the business center was expanded andthe Marriott GoBoard™ was installed (bottom right). The signature GoBoard™ acts as an interactive digital informationcenter for guests, showcasing live news from USA Today, as well as information on local attractions and up-to-the-minute news,weather and sports reports. The GoBoard™ gives users control over the output on the screen, making it an excellent tool tocustomize offerings based on guest preferences.

The SpringHill Suites lobby was transformed by removing the fireplace and creating a wide-open floor plan. Updated colorsand improved lighting created an unbelievable new look (top right). In addition, each guest room received new carpet, windowtreatments, art mirrors, wall vinyl and sofa sleepers (bottom left). To complete the project, all of the public corridors receivednew carpet, wall vinyl, lighting and signage.

Wow! What a transformation. Both teams are enjoying the opportunity toshow off the new facilities to their guests.

7

...Tom Torgerson, continued from page 2

Our Willmar Legacy Properties first opened in 1972, a whopping forty years ago. Granted, a lot of changes have occurred tothe properties during those forty years. However, this repositioning will set up these businesses to effectively compete in themarket place for the next 20 years.

In 2013, we will start construction of a Hampton Inn and Suites on I-394 in Minnetonka. This hotel will be located at theintersection of I-394 and Hopkins Crossroads. We are partnering this project with John Dammermann, who is our partner atthe Homewood Suites in New Brighton and St Louis Park. This new hotel will replace the current Hampton Inn located oneblock east of our site. Below is the conceptual drawing of Hampton Inn Minnetonka.

In Rochester, with Marc Carpenter, we will build a Homewood Suites located next door to our current Courtyard, and just downthe street from our SpringHill Suites. We are planning on breaking ground on this project in the spring of 2013. It will be aseven-story structure incorporating a parking ramp. This will be the first Homewood Suites to enter the Rochester marketplace.Here is a conceptual drawing of the Homewood Suites Rochester site with the current Courtyard Rochester to the right.

On Highway 100/Normandale Boulevard & I-494 in Bloomington, we will build a Hampton Inn and Suites in 2013/2014. Weare partnering this project with Bixby Bridge Capital out of Chicago. We are very much looking forward to our first venture withBixby Bridge Capital. This new hotel will replace the Hampton Inn currently located at the intersection to our east and will lookvery similar to the Minnetonka location pictured above.

We have other projects in the very early planning stages, but they are not hard and fast projects that I feel comfortableannouncing at this time. I can say that we are looking to open at least two Hurricane Grill and Wings restaurants per year foras far as we can see. Initially, we will be targeting metro high traffic regional addresses, and then building out more locationsin smaller marketplaces after that.

Well, that is what is transpiring in our development arena, certainly plenty to keep us all busy. There are plenty of other greatinitiatives going on in our operations, and you can read about them in other areas of this newsletter.

I wish you all a very nice summer, take care!

~ Tom

Whatever it takes for outrageous guest service...

A TripAdvisor guest comment received at Staybridge Suites Eagan...

The transportation was prompt in picking me up from MSP airport, and later in the afternoontransported me free to the Mall of America and back. Great job! The indoor pool and hottub were clean and well kept. The staff, especially the young ladies on Saturday afternoon,11/5/11, were just great, and it's obvious that they very much enjoy working at the hotel andinteracting with those staying there. Thank you, Staybridge Suites. If I am in the Eaganarea again, I would definitely stay there.

A TripAdvisor guest comment received at Holiday Inn Express Eagan...

I am a flight attendant and travel five days a week. This hotel has the best ambience,service, and breakfast in the country! They pick you up at the airport in exactly the amountof time that they tell you the van will be there. The van drivers are educated,accommodating people. They take care of your bags, open the door for you at the van andthe hotel, and generally exhibit a very caring attitude. The front desk makes you feel likeyou have come home. Jen, Lucas, Sue and Lisa all welcome you with a smile and anattitude of what can they do for you. The breakfast is great. The area is clean and the foodis fresh. The rooms are spacious and VERY clean. You just can’t help but want to comeback to this place! I won’t stay anywhere else in the Twin Cities!

A guest comment received at Perkins Austin...

We have been to the Perkins in Austin, MN many times. We have been to a lot of Perkins in many different areas, but theone in Austin, MN stands out. The servers have always been cheery and friendly. The manager has always come over toour table and she is just amazing. I have managed many different businesses, so it takes quite a bit to impress me, muchmore than the average person. I look for many different details, and I have no problem telling the management about myexperience, good or bad. What the manager and staff in the Austin, MN Perkins has is quite simply very impressive. Thefood was really good also. I do not know how or why, but the food there is absolutely better. I feel that this Perkins siteshould get a loud “Great job!” from the district managers and even the higher ups! Thank you for making the diningexperience for my whole family worth the fifteen mile trip into town.

A guest comment received at Staybridge Suites Bloomington...

I work the night shift, so it’s difficult for me to go to sleep at night. I spent several hours at the front desk talking to the youngman who works the night shift. He is from Guyana and my daughter married a guy whose family is from there, so it wasgreat to talk about traditions and culture. I’m also in school and with the planning of last weeks event, I put my school workon the back burner and had a paper due early this week.

We had a great time at the Bloomington Staybridge Suites. Everyone was commenting how great the hotel was and howthe staff was so accommodating. Thank you very much for the hospitality. I invited the staff to have food with us and I wasso glad that they did. We always end up with a ton of food at the get-togethers. We bring enough for the entire Marine Corpsand their families!

I had left a thank you note at the front desk to be forwarded to you, along with a large veggie tray for the day shift since theyhad gone home before we started eating on Saturday. I was hoping that they would have passed that on. Thank you somuch for helping me pull this all together. All the rooms were great and the hospitality suite was awesome. Pleasecommend your staff for a job well done.

My son arrives home next week and I can’t wait to see him. It’s been a long journey, and it will be nice to have him home.He gets out of the Marine Corps for good on April 28th. His wife and baby, along with the rest of his family really miss him.Thanks again for everything. We had a great time.

“You just can’t

help but want

to come back

to this place!

I won’t stay

anywhere else

in the Twin

Cities!”

8

...YOU have the power!

A guest comment received at Holiday Inn Willmar...

I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful stay we had at Holiday Inn Willmar on April27th and 28th. We live near Hibbing and my mother Carol, who is a Platinum member, andI stayed with her guard dog, Sadie. When I arrived, a very helpful and patient lady namedHeather Johnson checked me in. She took the time to show me where the quietest place forSadie would be and made a special note in our reservation so that the last rooms to book incase the hotel got busy would be the ones on either side of us. They did remain empty dur-ing our stay, which was wonderful.

My brother lives in Litchfield and we usually stay with him, but this past weekend he had a fullhouse and we were worried about Sadie. Being a guard, she is trained to hear and notifyeverything. The area behind your hotel by our room was great for Sadie to play and use thegrass. Also, your pool area was fantastic. You don’t see 8.5-foot deep pools anymore, or thepool side rooms like that. It was a fabulous stay and we will be back. I also again wanted tothank Heather for being patient when we were trying to figure out where to put Sadie.

A guest comment received at Holiday Inn/Green Mill Fairmont...

Thank you so much for hosting the Martin County Beyond The Yellow Ribbon beach/zumba party. Everyone had a greatday enjoying the pool, zumba, and delicious food. The staff at the Holiday Inn and Green Mill went over and above duringour event. Thank you again for supporting our Military families!

“A very helpful

and patient

lady named

Heather

Johnson

checked

me in.”

A guest comment received at Holiday Inn/Otto’s New Ulm...

I just wanted to pass on how my stay at the New Ulm Holiday Inn and Otto’s has been going. I have been staying here onand off for several weeks, and as a matter of fact, I will continue to stay through July. Everyone that I have come in contactwith, including the housekeeping team, has been very pleasant. Starting with the Otto’s crew, Marti Bennett, Hugh Carbertand Matthias Leyrer have treated me great every time I go into Otto’s. There is a hostess that works in the restaurant, hername is Maureen Bohnen, and she has the greatest, positive attitude, all with a smile. There is also a gal named GraceThomas that manages the restaurant, she is wonderful. Also, Megan Humeston, who is a waitress in the morning, makesme laugh. In closing, what Torgerson Properties has going on there as a team should be set as a standard. I am alreadylooking forward to my next stay. Thank you!

A guest comment received at Staybridge Suites Naples...

We stayed with you on December 15th and 16th. We are from England, but have stayed with you for many years everyNovember and December. We enjoyed our stay very much this time, as usual. Lindita at reception is excellent, andseems to be a loyal and long-standing member of your staff. The young lady at breakfast, (I’m sorry, but I forgot her name)is a very caring, warm person and seems to go over and above the course of duty in being queen to many of the elderly res-idents and helping them. Many thanks to her. Lastly, manager Tracy Neumeyer seems to be a very “hands on” manager.She is always keeping an eye on what is going on around the hotel. I like that. Thank you to everyone, we hope to see youagain next year, God willing.

A guest comment received at the Hilton Garden Inn Shoreview...

I wanted to send a customer compliment for Donette Gould, a housekeeping staff member at your Hilton Garden Inn prop-erty on Gramsie Road in Shoreview, MN. I stay at that location three to five times a year. I first met Donette in the halland she was pleasant and conversational and just so nice. An experience like that at the start of a day can really make adifference! Thank you.

9

Whatever it takes for outrageous guest service...

A guest comment received at Country Inn & Suites Willmar...

We stayed at the Country Inn & Suites of Willmar from Friday, March 30, to Sunday, April 1.We were impressed with the customer service in all areas of the hotel. Justin Solbrack atthe front desk was especially impressive. We have travelled extensively and we have neverhad a staff person that was so courteous and competent. We really appreciated the extraeffort he made to make our stay more pleasant, as we were in town for a funeral.

We actually had conversations about how if we were running a business, we would wantJustin as an employee! We would recommend that you use him for training otheremployees in other hotels on how to excel at customer service. Thanks so much!

A guest comment received at Hampton Inn Fairmont...

The Hampton Inn of Fairmont, Minnesota was amazing! Everyone went above and beyondto make us happy and comfortable. We will be staying at more Hampton Inns because ofthe hard work and dedication of this location. Thank you!

A guest comment received at Holiday Inn Express Eagan...

Dear Emmett and staff, you guys are too much! I was so surprised when I entered my room and saw the birthday goodies.At first, I thought someone had left their things in the room. Then I read the card you gave me and was totally surprised.How special and thoughtful to do that for me. I want to thank you and your staff for being part of my birthday. I will alwaysremember how excited I was to see the balloons and get the gift card. Your hotel is a special place to me and it will alwaysbe a five-star hotel. Thank you so much.

A note card received by Stephen King at Perkins Red Wing...

You are certainly very special to have been so kind over the phone after we left the “Bailey Photos” behind at the restaurant.I was so happy to get them back so promptly. You are certainly the kind of person our world needs more of! Please sharethis with your manager, as this is good PR for Perkins. You went above and beyond the call of duty!

A guest comment received at Hampton Inn Arbor Lakes...

Great service, great people, great stay...need I say more? Simply perfect!

A guest comment received at Super 8 Fairmont....

Thank you for being a dog friendly hotel. We were traveling on Interstate 90 and were caught in the snowstorm on Dec 31,that descended upon the Fairmont area. I had two dogs, my wife and my mother-in-law in the car. My wife suggested Super8. So, we stopped and thankfully they allowed dogs in the hotel and even provided us with a doggie treat sack for our dogs.That was really cool! Also, we were given a senior discount because my mother-in-law is a senior. Talk about greatcustomer service! YES!

The front desk person, Jerry Heidelberg, was an outstanding hotel attendant and answered all my questions and was a verypersonable and charming young man. He was wonderful and deserves accolades for doing a great job helping us out forour stay. Despite the circumstances we found ourselves in, Super 8 came to the rescue. Thank you, and great job to all ofyou at the Fairmont, MN Super 8!

“We have

travelled

extensively

and we have

never had a

staff person

that was so

courteous and

competent.”

10

...YOU have the power!

A guest comment received at Staybridge Suites Naples...

This is just a quick e-mail to let you know how impressed we were with our stay at theStaybridge Suites in Naples, Florida. We are from the UK, and I, my husband and a friendstayed for ten days in November. Although I am a Platinum Priority club member, I havenever stayed in Staybridge Suites before and if the Naples hotel is representative of yourbrand, we will certainly do so again.

Tracy Neumeyer and her team were such great professionals, and we were made to feelwelcome and at home by all the staff. Although renovations were taking place, they werenot at all intrusive and did not spoil our stay at all. We were so surprised at the free gener-ous breakfasts, sundowner receptions, laundry, internet and the home away from homeatmosphere. The icing on the cake was our upgrade to a two-bedroom suite, when avail-able, which made all the difference in our stay. We cannot speak more highly of the wayTracy carries out her role. She is always a consummate professional, and highly dedicat-ed to making the Staybridge Suites offer such a welcoming atmosphere.

Please pass on our comments to Tracy and the entire Staybridge team because theydeserve recognition. We hope to stay again when we return to Florida in the future.

A guest comment received at Hilton Garden Inn Shoreview...

As a Diamond Hilton guy who spends a lot of his life in hotels, I would have to say I’m a reasonably good judge of hotelsand how good or bad they are. When I’m on business, which is most of the time, good service is appreciated, but it is mostappreciated the couple of times a year that I have my family with me.

We just completed our visit to Minnesota where we had six superb days at your Hilton Garden Inn in Shoreview. The staff,especially your front of house and kitchen group, absolutely made our stay! We were treated like family. A special hellogoes out to Trevor Johnson, the omelette king. Please pass on our thanks to your entire team. We will be back.

“Tracy

Neumeyer and

her team were

such great

professionals,

and we were

made to feel

welcome and

at home by all

the staff.”

A guest comment received at Hilton Garden Inn Eagan...

My daughter and I had the pleasure of staying at your Hilton Garden Inn hotel this past weekend in Eagan, MN. I would liketo commend your hotel on the excellent service that we received from your personnel; Linda Dollinger, Karen McCrillis, JasonDavy, Patti Greseth and Jason Mercord. They all were quite knowledgeable and extremely helpful during our stay, as wereall of the hotel shuttle drivers. They helped to make our stay in Minnesota very enjoyable. I work for an airline and will besure to recommend your hotel to our friends, co-workers and family. Thank you.

A note card received by Brooks Bernhardt, Guest Service Representative at Holiday Inn Express Golden Valley...

Brooks, we just wanted to say thank you for always helping us out when we want to come and stay at the Holiday InnExpress. We appreciate you! Thanks, from the sisters who love your hotel. See you in January!

A guest comment received at the Holiday Inn Arbor Lakes...

Thanks to everyone at the Holiday Inn Arbor Lakes! Everyone in our family had an awesome time at our family holidaygathering. The complimentary room you let us use was perfect for our pizza party and for the children opening theirChristmas gifts. Everyone at the hotel was very helpful. The front desk people were so nice and the rooms were so clean.The water park was also great, and our little ones said they can’t wait until next year. Thanks for making our get togetherextra special.

11

Whatever it takes for outrageous guest service...

A guest comment received at Holiday Inn Arbor Lakes...

The staff at the Holiday Inn in Arbor lakes was an A+. In all of my travels I have not founda more consistently friendly staff than this one. At breakfast, Breanne Durey and DebLarson were awesome. They were prompt and helpful in every way. Thanks for anawesome stay. It wasn’t home, but it was the next best thing!

A guest comment received at Hilton Garden Inn Bloomington...

The reason we are writing is because everything started with a wrong booking date on ourend. The manager was more than helpful on fixing the arrival date from 11/26/2011 to12/26/2011. From that time on we were extremely satisfied with the personnel, hotel, food,and room. If we had a problem or question, everyone was more than happy to help. Wewanted to thank you for making our anniversary so special. We are also telling everyone ofour great experience at the Hilton Garden Inn of Bloomington.

A guest comment received at Hampton Inn Fairmont...

I had the opportunity to stay at your Fairmont Hampton Inn last night and all I can say is…NICE!! I want to especiallyacknowledge Nancy Wannarka at the front desk. She is one of the most pleasant and engaging guest service agents I haveever met. Her sense of humor and professionalism was appreciated by everyone in our group. Thank you for a great stay.The beds were very comfortable and the rooms were quiet…just the way I like them.

A guest comment received at Holiday Inn Express Eagan...

We have stayed in many hotel rooms over the years. By far, the staff at the Holiday Inn Express Eagan has been the mostfriendly, helpful and caring. Housekeeping, front desk and maintenance were all exceptional! Thank you for helping us feelat home, for the extra small touches and little details that mean so much. We will recommend this hotel to others and wedo so because of your staff. Looks like people are happy to work here – lucky group of people! We will see you again.

A guest comment received at the Austin Conference Center...

Dear Jayna and staff, thank you so very much for arranging the room and buffet for our son Danny’s memorial. The foodwas excellent and plentiful and the room set-up was perfect. Your entire staff was very helpful and courteous. All of ourfamily and friends were very impressed. Thank you!

A guest comment received at Staybridge Suites Bloomington...

We are writing to commend the staff at the Hilton Garden Inn of Eagan for their excellent service on each and everyoccasion we have stayed with you this year. Everyone was pleasant and helpful when we made our reservations by phoneand when we checked in and out. The room rate was excellent and the rooms were always clean and freshly stocked.

On the morning of Saturday, March 1, shortly after 7:00 am, we were waiting in the lobby for the rest of our party, when thedesk attendant that came on duty that morning offered us coffee while we waited and asked if we needed any maps. I sharedwith her that unfortunately we were in Eagan for a very different reason. She asked if we had eaten yet and offered each ofus a complimentary breakfast. We were so touched by her care and concern for us and the gentleman that served us wasalso very kind. The meal was delicious and was exactly what we needed to boost our spirits and nourish our tired bodiesand minds. Thank you on behalf of my entire family.

“In all of my

travels I have

not found a

more

consistently

friendly staff

than this one.”

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...YOU have the power!

A guest comment received at Holiday Inn/Green Mill Fairmont...

Thanks again for the wonderful service throughout our meetings on May 23 and 24. It made for a smooth and successfulevent for my team.The rooms were quiet and clean. The food was well prepared. On all levels, the staff (housekeeping,front desk, management, sales, Green Mill restaurant and bar) were all very courteous and accommodating. Please forwardmy thanks to them as well. The over-and-above gestures of service were noted and appreciated (making adjustments toimmediate requests, etc). We look forward to using your services in the future for other events and meetings.

A guest comment received at Perkins Austin...

We went for supper with another couple and we had the best experience with the service, food, and the staff. We have beengoing to Perkins in Austin for about two years now, and we are always treated so nice. The staff and the manager alwaysmake us feel like we want to come back again and again. This manager we have come to know only from eating there isjust an excellent manager.

If you need anyone to be trained, they should come down and spend a week with him. He is probably one of the bestmanagers I have ever seen in action. No fluff, just the truth. We also get a waitress by the name of Terry Cambern quiteoften because she works the supper shift. Terry is an excellent waitress. We really enjoy eating out at the Perkinsrestaurant in Austin!

“Dear people,

you will never

know how you

touched our

hearts and

comforted us.”

A guest comment received by Sheila Stuart, Catering Manager at Hilton Garden Inn Shoreview...

Hi Sheila! It was so nice to meet you. You are such a nice person! I want to thank you for doing such a wonderful job. Thefuneral lunch couldn’t have been better. The food was great. We especially loved the potato salad, brownies and pistachiopudding! Everything was set up and displayed beautifully. Kudos to you and your entire staff. I am so glad Linda chooseto hold this event at your place. I will remember this for a long time and pass on the recommendation to others. You pro-vided a wonderful service for a grieving family. Thank you!

A guest comment received at the Holiday Inn/Otto’s New Ulm...

I just want to thank you and your staff for an outstanding job in handling our group that met on March 28, 29 and 30. AmberBackous and Karla Olson were always there when I needed something at the front desk. They were smiling and greetingevery guest that came in the door. Tammy Buegler was terrific to work with. She was very attentive, asked how I wantedher to keep tabs on us, and had a great sense of humor. The rooms were very comfortable and quiet. There was a groupof kids at the pool when I went to bed, but I could hardly hear them. Whenever we are in the area, you can be sure that wewill be back at your hotel!

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A guest comment received at Holiday Inn Express Golden Valley...

We recently stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Golden Valley. We were saddened andemotionally and physically spent having just attended the memorial service of our dearfour-year-old grandson. When learning of the reason for our stay, your staff took us undertheir collective wing with thoughtful treats and a lovely arrangement of flowers.

Thank you! Thank you!

Dear people, you will never know how you touched our hearts and comforted us. When weare in the Twin Citied we will never stay anywhere else, and have told many others of yourkindness. A huge bonus was the cleanliness and comfort of our room. In this day ofsometimes dwindling customer service, your staff is a bright and shining light.

Although we’re always looking to the future, once in a while it’s fun to remember the past. This new section of the newsletterwill feature pages from past editions of Innside TPI. Below is a page from the 1992 spring edition that covers the Halloweenstorm of 1991 and the introduction of the TPI 401-k plan. Wow! Who is that fine young man at Perkins Austin?

A Blast From The Past!

14

by Dave Torgerson

John Fioriti, also known as John Fish’n, passed away on Fridaymorning, May 4, 2012, from a massive heart attack. John was a partof our family at the Staybridge Suites in Naples, Florida. He wasremodelling the Fresh Market in Naples and his project had him herefrom 2008 through 2009. He was a residence of room 301 for overa year. He has done so much for our team here at the Staybridge.John installed the motion light that is up behind the Chickee bar. Hewanted to make sure our team and our guests were safe at night.Every time I walk back there and the light comes on I think of Goodold John. John purchased twenty steaks from the Fresh Market andprepared lunch for the entire Staybridge team. There were manynights he helped out with grilling and helping with our eveningsocials. When we were holding a charity event for a little girl thatwas born with a heart disease, John was right there to help out. Heguarded the back gate to collect donations and he helped cleaneverything up after the event. After John’s project was completed inNaples, he still kept in contact any time he was in town. He alwaysmade sure to stop in and hang out with the team. John you will trulybe missed. We hope you are up in Heaven doing what you lovedbest, FISHING!!!

The TPI team welcomes home two of its own Ronnie Aldrich and Shane Gray return safely from military duty in Kuwait

Staybridge Suites Naples loses a member of the family Longtime guest John Fioriti was a fixture at the Naples location

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John Fioriti, aka “John Fish’n”, enjoys one of his favorite past times...fishing. The Naples teamhas experienced a deep sense of loss after John passed away unexpectedly in early May. Mr.Fioriti was truely a beloved part of the Staybridge Suites family.

Two Torgerson Properties associates were recently welcomed home from military deployment in Kuwait. RonnieAldrich, from Torge’s Live, and Shane Gray, from Perkins Fairmont, both returned to the United States in early May.Below, left, the Austin team celebrates Ronnie’s return at their Mother’s Day brunch. To the right, Shane (second row,second from the left) participates in a welcome home ceremony at the armory.

Words cannot describe the great pride that the entire TPI team has for Shane, Ronnie and the thousands of servicemen and women who sacrifice so much to keep our country free. It is only though their efforts that we are able to enjoythe many freedoms that exist in the United States today. Thank you both for your service, we are proud to have youas members of the Torgerson Properties team!

Kannika Bessent has been withStaybridge Suites Naples since 2009 asa Guest Service Representative. As ofJanuary, 2012, she has taken on anadditional roll as Sales Administrator andhas been a big help to the Naples team.Kannika worked at a IntercontinentalHotel in Bangkok, Thailand before shemoved to the United States. She haslived in Naples for the last six years andeven teaches the Naples team how tospeak Thia every now and then.Congratulations on your newresponsibilities, Kannika. The Naplesteam is proud of your accomplishments.

The Arbor Lakes Hotels welcome Jenna

Kurzeka as their Catering Manager.Jenna graduated from St. Cloud StateUniversity with a degree in Travel &Tourism/ Hospitality. Jenna just movedto northeast Minneapolis and she enjoyswalking her dog on one of the manytrails, and trying out new restaurants inthe area. Jenna spends her spare timegardening, cooking and going to Twinsand Wild games. Welcome aboardJenna!

The Eagan Campus welcomes Jacob

Gonsior as the newest member of theirsales team. Jacob grew up in Lakevilleand studied Hospitality Management atNormandale Community College. Heand his five-year-old daughter, Kailey,currently live in Rosemount. Jacobbrings plenty of experience to the tablewith four years at Sun Country Airlinesand most recently, four years at theCrowne Plaza Hotel in Eagan. “My Dadalways said hard work pays off, and I liveby that to this day”, Jacob stated. Afterone month of working in the hospitalityindustry, Jacob feels like it is the idealcareer path for him.

The Perkins Fairmont team would like towelcome Danielle Grotzinger as theirnew Kitchen Manager. Danielle bringsover a decade of restaurant experienceto the Fairmont team and has alwayshad a passion for cooking. She is a life-long resident of Fairmont and enjoysspending time with her husband andthree daughters. In her free time,Danielle enjoys softball, hockey and theMinnesota Twins. Welcome to PerkinsFairmont, Danielle!

The Eagan campus of hotels is pleasedto welcome Glenn Crawley as the newCampus Maintenance Engineer. Glennhas worked for various employers in thelong term care industry, includingchurches, schools and synagogues. Heand his wife Peggy live in Belle Plaineand enjoy the small town atmosphere.Their children are all grown and theyenjoy their many grandchildren. Glennenjoys politics and sports, much toPeggy’s dismay. Glenn looks forward tomany happy years with TPI.

Inn the news at Torgerson Properties

16

Troy Schiesser is the new AssistantGeneral Manager for the Willmarcampus. He is native of Willmar, andbrings a background in both rentalproperties as well as retail. Troy’s familyincludes five children, plus another oneon the way. He enthusiastically supportsmost Minnesota sports teams, andespecially enjoys spending time with hisfamily. Welcome to the TorgersonProperties team, Troy!

The Hilton Garden Inn of Eagan isthrilled to introduce Charlotte Belton astheir new Director of Housekeeping.Charlotte has spent the past severalyears working for CSM at brands suchas the Residence Inn and the TownePlace Suites. Charlotte will be a greataddition to the TPI team with her positiveattitude and “Outrageous Guest Service”focus. Welcome Charlotte!

Noel Romer has joined the StaybridgeSuites Naples team as their ChiefEngineer. Noel brings a diverse wealthof knowledge from his experience in thecondominium, high rise and the hotelindustry. Noel has lived in Naples themajority of his life and he knows the areavery well. Congratulations on your newposition, Noel. The Naples facility is ingood hands.

Gina Carroll started out her TPI careeras a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn,Super 8 and Comfort Inn of Fairmont.When the new Hampton Inn was builtshe learned the housekeeping routine ather fourth property. In 2009, she waspromoted to Housekeeping Supervisor.Gina has recently been promoted toExecutive Housekeeper at the HolidayInn and Super 8 properties in Fairmont.She enjoys the variety of guests she getsto meet, and loves working with herco-workers. Gina was recently marriedto her husband Danny, and they enjoytheir dogs, Grizzley and Bear, and twocats, Tink and Isa.

Jessica Coulter is the new AssistantGeneral Manager at the FairmontHampton Inn and Comfort Inn. InDecember, 2011, Jessica graduatedfrom Black Hills State University with adegree in Hospitality and Marketing.She brings valuable experience in theHampton Inn and Holiday Inn brandsfrom previous positions held in Mitchell,Deadwood and Spearfish, South Dakota.She credits her family’s annual summervacations for shaping her as person andinspiring her to follow a career in traveland tourism. Jessica says, “I’m proud tobe part of an inspiring and hardworkingteam in the Fairmont community”.

The Austin team in thrilled to introduceTracy Benesh as General Manager ofthe Austin Holiday Inn and Days Inn.Tracy graduated from the University ofWisconsin Platteville where he earned adegree in computer science. He grewup in Reedsburg, WI and just recentlymoved to Austin from Madison, WI. Inhis free time, Tracy enjoys fishing,hunting, hiking and spending time withhis two beautiful nieces. Welcome toTorgerson Properties, Tracy.

Inn the news at Torgerson Properties

Sarah Brandhorst recently joined theStaybridge Suites Naples team as theirnew Chickee Bar Manager. Sarah isoriginally from Ohio and has madeNaples her new home. She is agraduate of Ohio University with adegree in Advertising Design. In addi-tion to her many talents, Sarah alsomakes a mean Margarita! Welcomeaboard Sarah!

17

Many Torgerson Properties associates are not sure how much participating in the TPI 401-K Retirement Savings Plan costs,or what value they receive in exchange for specific fees. As of August 30, 2012, the Department of Labor requires all plan feesto be disclosed to all eligible associates, participants and beneficiaries of the plan. These disclosure rules are based on newregulations issued by the Department of Labor in February of this year.

As a result of these regulations, you will now see additional information regarding the Torgerson Properties plan, including feeand other details, which will appear in several locations and formats such as:

• Annual disclosure statements

• Comparative charts of the investment options available

• Glossary of terms

• Enhanced website showing disclosures

• Enhanced quarterly participant statements

Your retirement plan is a valuable asset, and is an important part of your total employee benefits package as an employee ofTorgerson Properties. Various services are available within the plan for you to take advantage of:

• Tax advantaged way of saving for your retirement

• Matching contributions by Torgerson Properties

• Professional investment management

• Retirement education

• Online tools & resources to help you plan for your retirement

• Retirement & investment consultation through Sweet Financial Services, Inc.

Torgerson Properties has partnered with Sweet Financial Services and Alerus Retirement Solutions to provide these retirementbenefits to you. We continue to monitor and evaluate all of the changes in the retirement plan industry to insure we areproviding you this valuable benefit at a reasonable cost. If you have any questions on how to take better advantage of theTorgerson Properties 401-K Retirement Savings Plan, you can contact Alerus Retirement Solutions at 800-433-1685 or SweetFinancial Services at 800-658-2507. It’s a great plan, and it can be even better when you take advantage of the availableservices.

Enhancing your 401-K retirement savings plan Sweet Financial reminds us of services that are available with the TPI 401-K plan

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TPI Teams bring home the goldNumerous recognition awards maintain a long-standing tradition of excellence for the TPI teams

Over the past twelve months, the Torgerson Properties teams have been honored by numerous national, local and brandorganizations for their outstanding performance. Congratulations to everyone for your amazing performance. It is yourcommitment to a memorable guest experience that makes the TPI team second to none. Well done!

• Courtyard Rochester – Marriott's 2012 Silver Circle Award

• Staybridge Suites Naples – IHG's Regional Top Heartbeat Score award

• Staybridge Suites Naples – IHG's Regional Most Improved RevPar award

• Perkins Austin - Perkins Corporate 2011 Top Performer award

• Staybridge Suites Arbor Lakes – IHG’s Regional Top Revenue Growth award

• Staybridge Suites Bloomington – IHG’s Regional Top Heartbeat score award

• Country Inn & Suites Willmar – Carlson’s 2011 Presidents Award

• Homewood Suites New Brighton – Hilton’s Top New Hotel merit honoree

• Homewood Suites New Brighton – Hilton’s Suitekeeping Team of the Year merit honoree

• Tara Halen, Homewood Suites St. Louis Park – Hilton’s Director of Sales of the Year merit honoree

• Todd Roy, Homewood Suites New Brighton – Hilton’s General Manager of the Year merit honoree

• Homewood Suites New Brighton – Hilton’s Connie Pride Award – Hotel of the Year merit honoree

• Angie Buchholz, Hampton Inn Arbor Lakes – Hilton’s 2011 Hampton Inn Spirit of Pride award winner

• Holiday Inn New Ulm – Minnesota Lodging Association's 2011 Property of the Year

• Perkins Austin – Perkins Corporate 2011 Gold Flag Award

• Staybridge Suites Naples - 2011 Talk of the Town Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction

• Torgerson Properties - Voted one of the Top 10 Places to Work in Minnesota by the Business Journal

• Hampton Inn Fairmont – Hilton’s Hampton Inn Wall of Fame award

• Holiday Inn Arbor Lakes – TripAdvisor’s 2011 Certificate of Excellence award winner

• Staybridge Suites Naples – TripAdvisor’s 2011 Certificate of Excellence award winner

• Hilton Garden Inn Bloomington – TripAdvisor’s 2011 Certificate of Excellence award winner

• Courtyard Arbor Lakes – Marriott’s 2011 Silver Circle Award

• Courtyard Rochester – Marriott’s 2011 Silver Circle Award

• Homewood Suites St. Louis Park - Homewood Suites New Hotel Opening Performance of the Year

Over 80% of all TPI associates participated in the 2011 engagement survey. This anonymous survey provides feedback thatassists the TPI leadership team in searching for new ways to enhance the work experience. By listening to the participants,TPI has been able to address many challenges that may have gone unheard without the survey process. Open and honestcommunication is a vital part of effective leadership, and this communication must exist at all levels of our organization.We believe in our associates, and encourage each of them to take part in this valuable communication tool. Beloware the times and dates for each survey location. Be sure to participate in your property’s survey!

Torgerson Properties, Inc.

Water’s Edge Professional Building

103 15th Avenue NW Suite 200

P.O. Box 1020

Willmar, MN 56201

Phone: 320-235-7207

Check out our web site at www.torgersonproperties.com

At Torgerson Properties, we believe in our associates...

“Whatever It Takes For Outrageous Guest Service

...You Have The Power!”

20

2012 TPI Engagement Survey dates announced Annual anonymous survey provides valuable feedback to the TPI leadership team

~ Fairmont 9:00am to 5:30pm Thursday, July 19 Holiday Inn Fairmont~ Willmar 10:00am to 7:00pm Friday, July 20 Holiday Inn Willmar~ Austin 11:00am to 7:00pm Tuesday, July 24 Holiday Inn Austin~ Bloomington 7:00am to 6:00pm Wednesday, July 25 Staybridge Suites Bloomington~ Red Wing 11:00am to 6:00pm Thursday, July 26 Perkins Red Wing~ New Ulm 10:00am to 7:00pm Friday, July 27 Holiday Inn New Ulm~ Maple Grove 1:00pm to 5:00pm Saturday, July 28 Holiday Inn Arbor Lakes ~ Eagan 9:00am to 6:00pm Wednesday, August 1 Hilton Garden Inn Eagan~ Maple Grove 7:00am to 11:00am Thursday, August 2 Staybridge Suites Arbor lakes~ Maple Grove Noon to 5:00pm Thursday, August 2 Courtyard Arbor Lakes~ Rochester Noon to 5:00pm Friday, August 3 Courtyard Rochester~ Shoreview 7:00am to 7:00pm Tuesday, August 7 Green Mill Shoreview~ St. Louis Park/Golden Valley 7:00am to 4:00pm Wednesday, August 8 Homewood Suites St. Louis Park~ New Brighton 7:00am to 5:00pm Thursday, August 9 Homewood Suites New Brighton~ Naples TBA TBA Staybridge Suites Naples

We want to hear from you!