Company news

RATE CHANGES TCF Financial Corp., Wayzata, lowered its prime lending rate to 6.5 percent from 7.25 percent at its subsidiary banks.

U.S. Bancorp, Minneapolis, lowered its prime lending rate to 6.5 percent from 7.25 percent at all U.S. Bank locations.

Energy Great River Energy, Elk River, has begun taking power from the Prairie Star Wind Farm, about 15 miles southeast of Austin, Minn. Horizon Wind Energy is owner and developer of the 100.65-megawatt wind energy development. Great River Energy is selling 5 megawatts from the wind project to Dairyland Power Cooperative, La Crosse, Wis. The wind farm is in the service area of Dairyland member Freeborn-Mower Cooperative.

NEW BUSINESS Calabrio Inc., Plymouth, provider of workforce optimization and unified desktop software for IP-based contact centers, has signed CDW Berbee as a reseller of Calabrio's workforce optimization products.

EcoEnvelopes, Stillwater, developer of reusable envelopes, has received an investment of $570,000 from the Twin Cities Angels. The TCAngels' investment is the single largest investment to date by the group.

NEW PRODUCTS St. Jude Medical Inc., Little Canada, announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European CE Mark approval of the QuickFlex family of left-heart leads to treat heart failure patients. St. Jude also announced FDA approval of software and firmware updates to the Merlin.net patient care network.

PERSONNEL MOVES Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Eagan, elected Jim Porter to its board of trustees. Porter is an executive vice president of human resources for Carlson.