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What our clients say
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"Peter Birkeland has been working with our company, RLE Technologies, for the past
three years helping us improve and understand the dynamics of a small business. Through his consulting we have achieved corporate
alignment, solidified our vision, mission, and core values, improved our understanding of cultural impact, and created business
plans that guided our continued growth--even during recessionary times. Peter’s insight, candidness, and understanding
of small business issues have been invaluable to the success of our organization.” Mike Orlich President and CEO "Fantastic! You were far and away the highlight
of our annual meeting. Thanks a million." Jimmy John Liautaud, Founder and Chairman Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwich Shop
"You have a nice message. Companies that need to change will
really benefit from your ideas." Ken Walker Chairman Meineke Car Care Centers "We have
a tough, tough crowd and you connected with everyone. You're still adding value months after our annual meeting." Frank Smola Chairman and CEO Merlin Corporation “Peter was extremely helpful in thinking through business model options, particularly regarding franchising.
His knowledge and connections in the franchising field made my work much easier. I would not have completed my business planning
as quickly or with the same quality without Peter's help.” Global Business Manager Fortune 500 Company "Peter Birkeland came highly recommended to me by a respected peer in my industry. We worked with Peter
extensively during a time of market turmoil, when there were strong downward pressures in commercial real estate. Peter
was a great listener and challenged me in some of my basic assumptions. He asked thought-provoking questions, he was committed
to the betterment of my business, and he took our situation seriously.
Peter helped in the process of planning and financial analysis. Together, along with the senior leadership in my company, we addressed tough questions about our portfolio and divested assets that did not fit with our newly defined focus. Peter helped to create a road map to follow and our business has evolved and we are now thriving. I will always appreciate Peter’s challenging questions regarding assumptions, purpose, and future goals, and the impact his work made on our financial future." J. Lindsay President Lindsay Group  |
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"I have had the pleasure of working with Peter Birkeland of Peter Birkeland Consulting for the past
four years. The strategic planning work he has helped us with has been extremely important to me and my partners as
our company went through a significant growth period. Once we were clear on vision and core values, decision making
became much more effective and efficient. Our industry (real estate
development) has been devastated by the recession but, interestingly, the strategic planning work we did with Peter made dealing
with problems easier. We knew who we were as a company, what we were good at and what we wanted for the future.
That’s an incredibly important understanding when dealing with problems and conflicts.
Peter takes a highly personal approach to strategic planning where he steps into the shoes of the business owner. He takes the time to learn the idiosyncrasies of the business which makes him a more effective consultant/facilitator. I highly recommend him to any business owner who is interested in creating a better business." John C. Trautz Managing Partner Reliance Development Corporation "The students really appreciated your insights. We thought your model was interesting and that you
presented it well. We enjoyed your anecdotes too--you weave them in well and they add color and interest to your talk.
Thanks for sharing your insights with us!"
Daniel P. Forbes Associate Professor of Strategic Management & Organization University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management "Reliance Development Company is a commercial real estate development and investment company in
Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its three principals own a portfolio of 20 shopping centers consisting of approximately 450,000
square feet of retail space. We engaged Peter Birkeland in 2007 to help us develop a strategic plan for the company. Peter’s excellent skills as a facilitator and planning consultant were instrumental in guiding us through the process. We came away with a firm grasp of our shared values and company culture, as well as a sense of direction and common purpose for the company. Peter gave us new tools for decision making and establishing consensus, and we gained a good understanding of the opportunities and threats facing us. In the two years that have passed since our time with Peter, the effort we put into our strategic plan has proven invaluable in helping us chart a course through the rapidly evolving commercial real estate environment. I would strongly recommend Peter’s services to any organization looking to grow and improve." Paul A. Stearns Partner Reliance
Development Company
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