Toro boosts Q1 profits amid down sales: A leaner cost structure helped The Toro Co. increase its first-quarter earnings, even as its sales were slightly down for the Bloomington-based maker of outdoor-maintenance equipment such as lawn mowers and snowblowers. Read full story

Tom Shaver named CEO of Opus North: Tom Shaver has been named president and CEO of Opus North Corp. The former executive from Minnetonka-based Opus Northwest will now head the Chicago-based development firm that was previously one of the five regional operating companies of Opus Corp. Read full story

PepsiAmericas shareholders approve merger: PepsiAmericas Inc., the second-largest bottler of Pepsi products, said Wednesday that its shareholders have approved the company’s $2 billion sale to beverage giant PepsiCo Inc. The announcement from Minneapolis-based PepsiAmericas came on the same day that Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo announced shareholders at the largest Pepsi bottler, Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., had also agreed to merge with PepsiCo. Read full story 

Hormel reports better-than-expected Q1 earnings: Shares of Hormel Foods Corp. shot up nearly 4 percent at the opening of trading Thursday, after the Austin, Minn.-based food manufacturer reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings. Read full story