Company News
                                            Published Oct 4 2001
                       CNS Inc., Bloomington, said it expects to report a profit for                     the third quarter ended Sept. 30 and that it will exceed its                     third-quarter earnings estimate. CNS previously said it                     expected earnings per share of 20 to 25 cents. It now anticipates                     earnings of 32 to 37 cents on net sales in the range of $18                     million to $19 million.
                       Ecolab Inc., St. Paul, has lowered its outlook for earnings per                     share for the third quarter ended Sept. 30. It now expects t earn                     43 to 45 cents per share, compared to the previous estimate of                     46 to 48 cents. The company estimates full-year 2001 earnings                     per share of $1.45 to $1.50, after previously estimating earnings                     of $1.61 to $1.63.
                       U.S. Bancorp and TCF Financial Corp., Minneapolis, have                     lowered their prime lending rates to 5.5 percent from 6 percent.
                       Wellbridge Corp., Denver, has reached a new management                     agreement with the Calhoun Beach Club in Minneapolis and                     its new owners, AIMCO Calhoun Club. The agreement will not                     result in any immediate changes for the Calhoun Beach Club or                     its members.
                       Famous Dave's of America Inc., Eden Prairie, said                     comparable sales increased 2.6 percent for the third quarter,                     with total revenue of about $23.1 million. The company also                     opened two company-owned restaurants and one franchised                     restaurant during the quarter, giving it 37 company-operated                     and 13 franchised restaurants.
                       MGI Pharma Inc., Minnetonka, and Helsinn Healthcare SA,                     a privately owned Swiss pharmaceutical group, have completed                     patient enrollment for the first Phase 3 trial of palonosetron,                     used for the prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and                     vomiting.
                       Medtronic Inc., Fridley, announced the first implant of its                     Marquis DR Model 7274 implantable cardioverter-defibrillator                     (ICD), the initial product in the company's new line of ICDs.                     The procedure was done at the State Cardiac Clinic in Athens,                     Greece.
                       Rehabilicare Inc., New Brighton, has launched its                     Medi-Compex electro medical product in Italy through its                     wholly owned subsidiary, Compex SA. The company plans to                     introduce the product into additional European markets in                     2002.
                       Land O'Lakes Inc., Arden Hills, has established a new Fluid                     Milk Marketing division.
                       Cenex Harvest States Cooperatives, Inver Grove Heights,                     will acquire Farmland Industries' share of Country Energy,                     which supplies rural customers with Cenex-brand energy                     products. Terms were not disclosed. Farmland owned 40                     percent of Country Energy, which was formed in September                     1998.
                       Northwest Airlines Corp., Eagan, said it would begin offering                     nonstop jet service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and South                     Bend, Ind. The daily flight, operated by Northwest Airlink                     partner Express Airlines I, will begin on Dec. 19. Northwest also                     will begin nonstop jet service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and                     Wichita, Kan., with two daily flights operated by Express                     Airlines I, beginning Dec. 19.
                       Otter Tail Corp., Fergus Falls, said its Otter Tail Power Co.                     unit has begun a two-year business-development study to                     investigate adding another generating plant on the site of the                     existing Big Stone Plant near Milbank, S.D.
                       NVE Corp., Eden Prairie, has signed an agreement with                     Agilent Technologies Inc., giving Agilent non-exclusive rights                     to certain NVE technology, which Agilent will incorporate into                     future products. NVE will receive more than $1 million in fees                     and advance payments in the first year of the agreement, as                     well as future payments based on sales of Agilent products.
                       Adaytum, Minneapolis, has secured a $3 million licensing                     contract with a pharmaceutical firm, which will use Adaytum's                     e.Planning EBP product in its research and development                     operations.
                       Medtronic Inc., Fridley, has named Stephen Oesterle senior                     vice president of medicine and technology. Oesterle will join the                     company in January and succeed Glen Nelson, who will retire in                     March. Oesterle currently is associate professor of medicine at                     the Harvard University Medical School and director of invasive                     cardiology services at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
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