Apple Valley Firm Selected as Vikings Stadium Subcontractor

Apple Valley-based Elevator Advisory Group will be among the 18 Minnesota subcontractors participating in the construction of the new Vikings Stadium.

The firm, headquartered at 14530 Pennock Ave., will ensure that the stadium has enough elevators and escalators to meet state codes for disability access, and that they're ideally placed to meet safety standards for the movement of crowds.

"We're honored to have been chosen," said Kathy Markwell, president and owener of the firm, which moved its headquarters to Apple Valley from St. Paul three years ago. "The whole team just got off a major conference call ... to get up to speed."

In May 2012, the Minnesota Legislature and the Minneapolis City Council approved funding for the new $975 million multi-purpose stadium to replace the Metrodome. The new stadium is scheduled to open in time for the 2016 NFL season.

The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), which currently owns the Metrodome, will own and operate the new stadium. MSFA, which is also responsible for the design and construction of the new stadium, announced the subcontractor selections Tuesday.

Elevator Advisory Group, which typically has four employees at any given time, was up against several national and international firms for the subcontracting role, Markwell said.

"For this project, we'll bring on several specialists," she added. The Vikings Stadium is the firm's biggest project to date; it is currently working on the Governor's Mansion project, and has done work in the past for both the state and University of Minnesota.

The MSFA hoped to include as many local and women/minority-owned businesses as possible, and Elevator Advisory Group meets both criteria. The firm has been "woman owned, 100 percent, officially as of September 2012," Markwell said.

Markwell noted that Gov. Mark Dayton has referred to the new Vikings facility as "the people's stadium," and said the choice of so many local and minority/female-owned firms demonstrates that he's following through on that promise.