Solventum opens doors in Eagan

Two years after 3M spun off its $8 billion healthcare business as Solventum, the medical technology and solutions company opened its $200 million research-and-development facility in Eagan in April.  

“We chose Eagan because it’s a great fit for our team,” says Brad Puffer, director of external communications for the new Fortune 500 company. “The location gives us access to outstanding local talent, especially in healthcare, and the community supports innovation and collaboration.”   

So far, so good for the global entity, says Puffer, who points to its strategic focus on identified growth drivers, refocused commercial execution, and momentum from new product innovation. The business also has strengthened its balance sheet, reduced debt, and offset cost pressures, further supporting its improved financial position.  

Yet Puffer notes that much of their innovative healthcare work remains the same — as it has for more than 70 years. “Solventum builds on a legacy of excellence and innovation in medical technology,” he says. “We’re committed to enabling better, smarter, safer healthcare to improve lives. At the heart of what we do is a simple idea: using science and technology to make healthcare better for people.”  

Recent groundbreaking products include an innovative dressing for wound care and a water-based fluoride treatment. Puffer adds that Solventum plans to introduce up to 20 new innovations over the next two years.  

That brings us back to that new innovation hub in Eagan. It features state-of-the-art R&D facilities, a quality lab, a pilot factory, and workspace for 2,000 local employees — 10 percent of its global workforce.  

So far, so good could be said of them as well: Impressively, just 14 months after Solventum became its own entity, U.S. News & World Report named the company a Best Company to Work For in three categories: Best Companies Overall, Health Care and Research, and Midwest Region. 

Did You Know?

Companies’ varying vacation policies and Americans’ penchant for workaholism mean few of us take healthy breaks from work.  

In contrast, European countries require a minimum of four weeks annual vacation. Some mandate six weeks — or more. 

From The Editor

Dwindling days off got you down? Try PTO-maxxing: Add two days to a holiday, making a three-day break a five-day refresh. Summertime and the living is easy.  

Get expert business advice — for free

Being an entrepreneur can mean working around the clock — you’re likely rising before the sun and heading to bed long after others in your household have hit the hay. But, if you’re an Eagan entrepreneur, you don’t need to work alone: To encourage small-business growth, the City of Eagan offers free, one-on-one, small-business advising to current and future small businesses and entrepreneurial residents through MCCD’s Open to Business program. 

“I enjoy guiding startups through their planning process and working with existing businesses as they navigate opportunities or challenges,” says Natalie Mouilso, an Open to Business Advisor and Loan Officer with the Minnesota Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD). 

Having worked in both nonprofit and for-profit sectors and spent five years driving business development strategy at a small firm in New York City, Mouilso now helps small businesses with start-up challenges, business-plan development, financial analysis, and more. She also assists businesses in finding direct financing and loans.  

“Every conversation is unique, and the creativity, ingenuity, and work ethic I see in small-business owners and entrepreneurs inspires me to no end.” 

To learn more, call or email Mouilso at 952-451-6390 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Briefly

People

Holly Mulholland has been named Eagan’s new fire chief. Mulholland brings 17 years of firefighting experience to the role, including service in Rochester, Minn., and most recently as Eagan’s deputy fire chief. 

Business

• Nonprofit 360 Communities launched a $14.1 million capital campaign to fund a new Lewis House, a 27,000-square-foot emergency shelter for women and children in Dakota County.
• David Lo, owner of Bonjour Crepes in Eagan, is opening La Creperie in Edina.  Discount retailer Burlington Stores has opened its 15th Minnesota store at Eagan’s Promenade Place.
• Copper & Rye, a kitchen and bar eatery, has opened in Viking Lakes.
• Crunch Fitness plans to open a $5.5 million, 35,000-square-foot facility (1646 Diffley Rd.) this fall.
• For $4.75 billion, Ecolab has purchased Calgary-based CoolIT Systems, whose technology cools data centers.
• Edina-based Endeavor Development intends to build two 130,000-square-foot industrial buildings on a 24.5-acre Eagan site.
• Minneapolis-based Founders Properties purchased 170,000-square-foot warehouses Gateway I and II (510 and 500 Lone Oak Rd.) for $26.35 million.
• Eagan-based MFC Properties has sold Town Centre Shoppes to Plymouth-based HJ Development for $12.5 million.
• Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal featured Saber Hall, an Eagan commercial real estate firm, in its April issue for its focus on small-bay industrial spaces, which serve contractors, light manufacturers, service providers, and others.
• After revenue at T-Rex Cookie Co. increased 30% during Q1, the Minnesota Star Tribune offered a sweet feature on the Eagan-based bakery and founder Tina Rexing.

Government

• The City Council approved $100,000 in Local Affordable Housing Aid for Eagan residents who struggled to pay rent during Metro Surge.
• Eagan TV is accepting entries for the ninth-annual Eagan Film Festival, Sept. 25–26. For more info, visit cityofeagan.com/eagan-film-festival.

Eagan warms to climate 

When Teresa Fudenberg founded Storm Creek two decades ago, caring about the environment was at the core of the outdoor apparel company. “Sustainability isn’t something we bolted on,” says Laura Smith, CAS, Sustainability & Compliance. “It’s baked into how we operate.” 

Additionally, this certified B Corporation (915 Blue Gentian Rd.) even boasts an EcoVadis Gold rating, “so our environmental and social performance has been independently verified.” Shoppers certainly appreciate the manufacturer’s versatile clothing made from recycled plastic bottles. 

Two years ago, Mary Medcraft opened Hello Again Resale (3450 Denmark Av.), a 3,500- square-foot store that welcomes up to 50 temporary resellers of vintage and preowned clothing; each can rent a booth for two weeks or a month at a time. “Anything we can do to keep clothing out of landfills — I’m all for it,” says the entrepreneur who’s passionate about the environment. “Did you know that the average U.S. consumer throws away roughly 80 pounds of clothes every year?” That statistic and others like it are what motivated Medcraft to become not just a thrifter but a reseller.   

Storm Creek and Hello Again Resale are just two of a growing number of Eagan companies that make sustainability, the environment, climate change, and the Earth itself a key part of their missions. 

For the past year, the City of Eagan has been doing the same. In April 2025, the City Council officially adopted Eagan’s first Climate Action Plan — a significant milestone in preparing the community for ongoing and future impacts of climate change.   

The plan is the result of a yearlong, community-driven process involving residents, local organizations, businesses, and City staff. This strategic road map aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build climate resilience, and promote a healthier, more equitable, and sustainable future for everyone who lives, works, and plays in Eagan.   

“Our goal was to identify perceptions, needs, opportunities, priorities, and issues for the City to address through this plan,” says Gillian Catano, Eagan’s sustainability coordinator.  

Today, the Climate Action Plan is informing decisions related to budgeting, planning, and cross-departmental partnerships. It also aligns with regional, state, and national sustainability goals, and represents a phased, strategic approach to climate action.  

To learn more, visit cityofeagan.com/climate.

Brick By Brick

While winter and road construction may be Minnesota’s two most formidable seasons, we can’t forget about development construction. Here’s the Eagan summer roundup: 

• Construction continues on a new three-million-square-foot distribution center (701 Opperman Dr.) located on the former Thomson Reuters campus. The facility is slated to open sometime in 2027.
• Club Car Wash, a 4,400-square-foot tunnel car wash, is under construction, replacing a closed gas station at 2250 Cliff Rd. 
• Eagan Hope and Wellness (1581 Century Pt.), a new 16-unit residential treatment facility, will be licensed by the Minnesota Department of Human Services. 
• Kwik Trip (4160, 4168, and 4198 Pilot Knob Rd.) is constructing a new 9,125-square-foot convenience store and a 3,065-square-foot, double-bay car wash. 
• A new Lewis House will feature 50 beds plus offices on the site of the former shelter. 
• Oppidan Data Center, a 61,000-square-foot “edge” data center (a small facility designed to speed processing time), is under construction at 3621 Argenta Tr.
• Parkside Development, a 24-lot, single-family home development — located east of Lebanon Hills Regional Park — continues its build-out; approximately half the lots have new home construction. 
• Project Alpha, a 337,000-square foot warehouse and distribution facility, will be built on the south side of Opperman Road. 
• Trails End Commons, a 22-acre Lennar Homes townhome project, is under construction; the development will feature 104 units on the southeast corner of Yankee Doodle and Elrene Roads.