Minneapolis, MN
Yardstik Moves HQ to Downtown Minneapolis | Twin Cities Business
While many companies continue to shed office space, Minnesota startup Yardstik is doubling its workspace.
Last week, the employment screening tech company moved to a new 14,000-square-foot office in downtown Minneapolis. The new space is actually more than double the size of the startup’s previous 6,000-square-foot office at the Pentagon Park development in Edina. Matt Meents, Yardstik’s founder and CEO, said the company needed more space to accommodate its growth.
“We ran out of space” in the old office, Meents said in a Wednesday afternoon interview. “There weren’t enough workspaces if we all came in.”
Today, Yardstik employs around 50 people in total, 30 of which are based in the Twin Cities. The remainder work remotely across the country. Meents estimates that local employees come into the office about three times a week on average.
Meents added that the company’s customer base grew by about 300% last year, and he expects to double it this year. Yardstik, which completed a $12 million raise in fall, sells software designed to automate employment screening. Some of the company’s current customers include Dispatch, Skipcart, and Sylvan Learning Centers.
Though Yardstik hasn’t been at the new office for very long – the company officially moved in April 8 – Meents said it’s been a positive change so far. And employee feedback has been “so far, so good,” he said.
To be sure, changes can be hard for organizations of any size or age. But, for startups, it’s imperative to get comfortable with quick changes. “As a startup, we’re constantly evolving. Our people, because they’re used to startup mentality, are embracing that change,” Meents said.
Yardstik’s new office is on the sixth floor of the 100 Washington Square tower in downtown Minneapolis. The startup has signed a multi-year lease for the space.
Built in the early ‘80s, Washington Square spans 22 floors, nearly all of which are occupied, according to the property’s website. The tower includes parking underneath, along with a fitness center and food hall.
Meents said “downtown has got a lot of good energy, and we want to be part of that as a growing startup.” He believes the new location will make it easier to hold employee gatherings, with easy access to Target Field and other downtown amenities.
“What we’re seeing with this new space,” Meents said, “is a ton of energy. I feel like it’s creating a competitive advantage. We’re moving faster, and we’re seeing a lot of relationships being created between departments.”
Before founding Yardstik, Meents founded and ran another company called Magnet360, a Salesforce consulting firm that was later aqcuired by India-based IT firm Mindtree in 2016.
Extreme Heat Warning
from MON 9:00 AM CDT until TUE 12:00 AM CDT, Stearns County, Waseca County, Goodhue County, Isanti County, Mille Lacs County, Hennepin County, Sherburne County, Meeker County, Dakota County, Le Sueur County, Renville County, Ramsey County, McLeod County, Washington County, Brown County, Rice County, Redwood County, Chisago County, Morrison County, Watonwan County, Nicollet County, Kanabec County, Benton County, Anoka County, Sibley County, Blue Earth County, Martin County, Faribault County, Scott County, Freeborn County, Kandiyohi County, Steele County, Wright County, Pine County, Pepin County, Dunn County, Polk County, Barron County, Chippewa County, Pierce County, Eau Claire County, Burnett County, Washburn County
One person is dead and eight others are hurt in a string of weekend shootings across Minneapolis.
Police say the first shooting occurred Friday around 5 p.m. near North Humboldt and 26th avenues. A man was outside of his home when shots rang out, leaving him with multiple gunshot wounds.
Around 9:35 p.m. Friday, two men were shot outside in the area of north Lowry and Logan avenues.
Just after 12:30 a.m. Saturday, a man was found shot in an alley near Mortimer’s Bar and Restaurant off South Lyndale and Franklin avenues. He told police he was outside walking when he was hit.
Just before 12:50 a.m. Saturday, police say a man outside was shot near North Penn Avenue, just north of Highway 55, by someone driving by.
Around 1:50 a.m. Saturday, a man suffering from gunshot wounds showed up at Hennepin Healthcare, with police later determining he was shot in the area of North Lyndale and 45th avenues.
Just after 3:30 a.m. Saturday, a man showed up to Children’s Minneapolis hospital with a gunshot wound he said occurred when he was asleep inside his vehicle.
On Sunday around 1 a.m., a man was found laying on the ground near Bloomington Avenue and East 24th Street. He was brought to Hennepin Healthcare where he later died. Police say investigators “located evidence of gunfire, including a firearm recovered next to the man who died.”
On Sunday just before 1:30 a.m., a 15-year-old girl was shot in the area of Hennepin and Laurel avenues in downtown. Two boys, ages 14 and 15, were soon arrested in connection to the shooting.
And just before 1:50 a.m. Sunday, a man was found shot inside a business off Northeast Lowry Avenue and Fourth Street Northeast. Investigators believe the shooting began as an altercation in the business’s parking lot.
With the exception of the shooting of the 15-year-old girl, police say no arrests have been made in any of the cases. All surviving victims have injuries described by police as non-life threatening.
Anyone with information on any of these shootings can submit an anonymous tip online to Crime Stoppers, or call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
A shooting in north Minneapolis injured a man near Penn Avenue.
According to the Minneapolis Police Department, officers responded to a shooting near the 700th block of Penn Avenue North, where they found a man with a gunshot wound.
Authorities said preliminary information shows that the man was outside when the shooting happened, possibly coming from a vehicle. A nearby hospital treated the man for non-life-threatening injuries.
Police are still investigating, with a forensic team collecting evidence from the scene. Officers said no arrests have been made.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
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