Twin Cities Business Announces 2012 Minnesota Business Hall of Fame Inductees

Bahram Akradi, Douglas Baker Jr., Richard Davis, Curtis Sampson and Sally Smith join a distinguished list of the state’s most accomplished business leaders

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Five of Minnesota’s most successful business leaders will be inducted into the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame this year by Twin Cities Business, the state’s leading business-information provider.

“Each has identified opportunities missed by others, and pursued those opportunities with persistence and integrity, while facing unrelenting waves of business and economic challenges”

This year’s honorees are Bahram Akradi, chairman, president and CEO of Life Time Fitness; Douglas Baker Jr., chairman and CEO of Ecolab Inc.; Richard Davis, chairman, president and CEO of U.S. Bancorp; Curtis Sampson, chairman of Communications Systems Inc. and Canterbury Park Holding Corp.; and Sally Smith, president and CEO of Buffalo Wild Wings.

“Each has identified opportunities missed by others, and pursued those opportunities with persistence and integrity, while facing unrelenting waves of business and economic challenges,” says Dale Kurschner, editor in chief of Twin Cities Business. “Each also has played a key role in supporting our community and our economy.”

The Minnesota Business Hall of Fame was established 14 years ago by Twin Cities Business to honor such men and women once every year. Honorees will be profiled in the July edition of Twin Cities Business magazine and celebrated at an awards dinner July 12. This year’s inductees will join 66 previous members honored in a Minnesota Business Hall of Fame exhibit at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.

The July 2012 Twin Cities Business can be found beginning in late June on select newsstands throughout the metro area, including Barnes & Noble, Borders and Byerly’s locations.

About Twin Cities Business

Minneapolis-based Twin Cities Business publishes news, analysis and commentary about the state’s most interesting business leaders, challenges and opportunities daily at TCBmag.com, twice weekly in its “Briefcase” e-newsletter and monthly through the award-winning Twin Cities Business magazine.