With backgrounds in a wide range of business practices, two new experts have joined the staff at Enterprise Minnesota. Doug Dittbenner and Andre Tramm are well-positioned to help match manufacturers with the consulting services that will best serve them, says Bob Kill, Enterprise Minnesota’s president and CEO.
Dittbenner brings two decades of strategic business development and sales management to our team. He’ll cover southern and western Minnesota and portions of Carver and Wright counties.
With experience in telecommunications and construction, Dittbenner will now focus exclusively on manufacturing. He likens the process of transforming raw materials into finished, manufactured products to writing music, which he does in his spare time. “You start with a blank page and add lines, beats, and harmony to create music. Manufacturing is similar. You start with just materials and create amazing products,” he says.
One of Dittbenner’s goals is to meet face-to-face with all the manufacturing clients in his territory. As a resident of Mankato, he understands the critical role manufacturers play in their communities. “Their success leads to the success of the towns and the people around them,” he says.
Tramm operated his own business for several years before joining Enterprise Minnesota this spring. His territory covers Ramsey County and includes some sections of Washington and Anoka counties. His favorite aspects of running his company — sales and customer relations — make him an excellent fit for the role of business development consultant. “I love bringing value to customers and seeing the satisfaction on their faces as a project moves forward,” he says.
Tramm has already participated in a handful of consulting sessions since joining Enterprise Minnesota last month. At one, Ally Johnston, one of our top business consulting experts, was presenting to a group of production workers. “Their transformation from being somewhat resistant to the new process to totally buying into it was amazing,” he says. “Having an expert who knows how to get the whole team on board makes a huge difference for companies.”
Both Dittbenner and Tramm appreciate that Enterprise Minnesota builds long-term relationships with manufacturing clients.
“We’re with them throughout the process and always available. It’s not a one-and-done arrangement, and I love that,” Tramm says.
“Our customers want to get better at the process, so I like the emphasis we put on long-term relationships at Enterprise Minnesota,” Dittbenner says.
Return to the Summer 2024 issue of Enterprise Minnesota® magazine.
