A Look back at the Redwood Area Development Corporation’s 2022 Accomplishments, and at What’s Ahead in 2023
Since it was created in 1986, the Redwood Area Development Corporation (RADC) has been here to assist the Redwood Area. This integral community partner serves businesses, non-profits, and residents with offerings that include grant, non-profit and business services, economic development resources, and administrative services. RADC is the administrator of Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority, Redwood Area Communities Foundation, Renville County HRA, Renville County Homeogtwnership Program, Renville County Blight Removal Grant, and Redwood County Collaborative.
Meet the RADC Staff
Pat Dingels,...
The Lower Sioux Indian Community is using hempcrete to create sustainable, low-cost housing. Earl Pendleton, Vice President of the Lower Sioux Indian Community Tribal Council, explained what hempcrete is and how it began being used.
“Hempcrete was rediscovered in the mid-1980s in France by testing the materials in a 1,500+-year-old bridge that was amazingly still in use and in great shape. The abutment holding the stones was a mixture of hemp and lime,” explained Pendleton.
“I came across the story 12 years ago while researching the environmental benefits of growing hemp, and it's ‘claimed’ 20,000+ uses for the...
Longtime Administrator Julie Rath Retiring in 2023; McKenzie Fischer Will Be New MVRRA Administrator
After nearly 20 years with the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority (MVRRA), Julie Rath, Administrator, is retiring. McKenzie Fischer will be taking over Rath’s role in 2023. Rath, who started working for MVRRA in December 2003, shared some of the changes and improvements at MVRRA during her time as administrator.
One of Rath’s many accomplishments was to modernize the MVRRA administration functions. As Rath explained, “back in 2003, MVRRA did all of their bookkeeping by hand, and we started doing all their record-keeping using...
There are few subjects about which more ink has been spilled in the last three years than the state of the U.S. workforce. From the impact of business shutdowns and enhanced unemployment benefits on labor participation, to pent-up challenges bringing critical supply chain workers to the verge of major strikes, and the more recent “quiet quitting” trend impacting even the most progressive office environments — HR and executive teams tasked with selecting new company locations are faced with more complexity than ever before. Even in the face of such fast-changing dynamics, growing companies must still plan for a stable workforce,...
Mexico has been a growing leader in the automotive manufacturing industry for decades with companies from Japan, the U.S. and Germany frequently seeking out the low-cost yet highly capable workforce. In 2012 the country ranked as the 10th largest automotive producer in the world and in 2021 pushed out South Korea and claimed sixth place. But the Mexican National Institute of Statistics and Geography reported that in 2021 automotive production dropped by 20.25% across the country, and auto exports fell by 16.46%. The institute further reported that GM and Nissan were hit hard, with GM Mexico’s production falling by 43.7%...
In advance of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, Redwood County announces that county buildings will be illuminated green Nov. 7-13 as part of Operation Green Light, a new national collaborative initiative of the National Association of Counties (NACo) to support military veterans, as well as raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by many veterans and the resources that are available at the county, state, and federal level to assist veterans and their families.
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Your EDO needs a fresh online presence. You chose a creative agency. You send out an RFP. On the surface, this makes sense. If you want competitive bids, you need to solicit them. However, there are easier ways to get more information and better results.
8 Reasons RFPs (Requests for Proposals) Can Be a “Routinely Flawed Process”
#1 RFPs Tend to Be Boilerplate
If your economic development organization is like most, everyone on your team is busy and has to wear many hats. You may be inclined to use an RFP template because you don’t have time...
With engineering and construction making up more than 11 percent of global domestic product, there is a growing focus on how the building industry conducts business. What started as a movement among institutional investors and their financial partners has expanded across almost all sectors, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations now impact many real estate decisions and capital project planning. Consumer behavior is partly responsible for the change. So is the fact that investors and lenders increasingly view a company’s ESG policies as indicative of how that company is positioning itself for success in the marketplace.
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Apple, Google, and other companies mandating that employees work in the office for most or all of their time claim that any time spent working remotely stifles innovation. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, "Innovation isn't always a planned activity. It's bumping into each other over the course of the day and advancing an idea that you just had. And you really need to be together to do that."
Yet is this true? On the one hand, research at MIT found that remote work weakens the cross-functional, inter-team "weak ties" that form the basis for the exchange of new...
Celebrate Redwood Falls had a successful opening night of their Halloween Francios Haunted Hotel event in Downtown Redwood Falls on Saturday, Oct. 22. If you missed the chance to attend opening night, Francios Haunted Hotel will open Friday, Oct. 28, Saturday, Oct. 29 and Monday, Oct. 31 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., with a $15 admission fee. Francios Haunted Hotel is located at the corner of 2nd and Washington street. This event is not recommended for anyone under the age of 13.
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Trade schools and technical colleges offer essential education and training for a wide variety of skilled jobs. Providing pathways for job opportunities not served by traditional four-year colleges - at significantly lower cost and in a shorter time frame - these schools are a critical part of developing a diverse workforce across pretty much every industry. GIS Planning is thrilled to now offer trade and technical school data in the talent report in US ZoomProspector applications. Click here to view it live for Metro Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta on the Georgia Department of Economic Development website.
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The first true digital-native generation is in and entering the workforce, coming off a lengthy period of remote work thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Has America lost the will to work, or have organizations lost the will to connect with talent? Today's business leaders are faced with new labor market challenges requiring better efficiencies in onboarding techniques to quickly establish competencies and retention techniques that can keep skilled labor engaged and committed. The data suggest that in today's business environment, no industry is safe from the extraordinarily expensive problems of talent turnover.
Voluntary turnover rates (employees leaving without being fired or laid off) are predicted to jump nearly 20% in 2022. At a macro level, it might be easy to attribute these numbers...
[ST. PAUL, MN] – Today, Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove announced they secured nearly $100 million in new funding to support small businesses through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI).
The federal government has approved Minnesota for up to $97 million in small business financing support, which allows DEED to carry out its commitment to helping small businesses grow and succeed. Minnesota will receive funds in three disbursements over several years; the initial disbursement from the U.S. Treasury is approximately $29.5 million.
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St. Paul – Minnesota gained 4,200 jobs in September, up 0.1%, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Minnesota's September unemployment rate remains historically low at 2%, one-tenth of a point higher than August and 1.5 points better than the national rate of 3.5%. Minnesota's labor force participation rate ticked down one-tenth of point to 68.1%, compared to the national rate of 62.3%.
Minnesota's job growth in September follows the addition of 1,200 jobs (revised up from a loss of 3,100) in August. Minnesota's private sector gained 8,500 jobs in September,...
St. Paul – A new report from the Labor Market Information Office in the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) takes a closer look at the short-term pandemic and long-term demographic impacts on labor force participation.
Increasing labor force participation could help ease hiring challenges resulting from our historically tight labor market, where there are roughly four job openings for every person looking for work. Tight labor markets typically increase labor force participation, and labor force participation has been steadily increasing in Minnesota since its low during the depths of the pandemic.
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Ken Chenault, Chairman and Managing Director, General Catalyst and Penny Pritzker, Founder and Chairman, PSP Partners; Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce share their insights on the economic and business outlook for 2023, and share where they’re placing bets now.
Read here for the full article.
Goal setting is one of those things that seems like it would be fundamental to success. If you’ve read any books or articles about getting ahead in your career or life, you’ve probably come across tips on setting goals (like SMART goal setting) so that you can successfully meet them.
But setting goals may not be as relevant anymore, and there may be better alternatives to managing your career–and your life.
Read the full article here.
The path to success as an entrepreneur can take many different forms, and no matter what path you choose, difficulties will always exist. It's easy to become a bit of a skeptic when it comes to doing business. The truth is, it's not easy — and it's not for everyone. It takes hard work and determination to succeed, no matter how cliché it sounds.
You also have to recognize challenges as bottlenecks — not as signs of failure, but as obstacles to be overcome. To prepare yourself for any difficulties you might encounter along your entrepreneurial journey, here are...
Job seekers and employees alike expect so much more from their workplaces. Increasingly, culture, flexibility and values trump retirement plans, health benefits and expense accounts in a competitive job marketplace.
Job seekers are no longer simply looking for a job. They’re looking for a professional home that feels welcoming and often finding that right fit requires more sophistication, individualized search options.
Read the full article here.
St. Paul – Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced a request for proposals (RFP) for the Minnesota Forward Tech Training Program. The RFP seeks applications from Minnesota organizations to deliver work readiness services, career and education navigation, occupational skills training, support services, and placement in information technology (IT) career-path employment. Organizations that receive a grant will train Minnesotans ages 18 and older from low-income communities or people of color in technology career pathways and place them in permanent employment at a family-sustaining wage.
“These grants will support critical efforts to engage Minnesotans from various...
“It’s an underappreciated industry.”
That’s the basic observation of Dennis Donovan, principal with Wadley Donovan Gutshaw Consulting, of Bridgewater, N.J., when he was asked about the importance of, the health of and the potential of the metal fabrication industry.
A look at the breadth of the sectors it serves gives some insight into why Donovan offered that description. While it may not always garner the glitz of other more frontline sectors like headquarters locations, tourism or digital media, consider the integral connection metal fabrication provides to such industries as defense, transportation equipment, energy, furniture and medical equipment...
St. Paul - Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) released a Request for Proposals for its new Pilot Re-Entry Competitive Grant Program. Approved by the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board (MJSP), $3,000,000 is available in Fiscal Years 2023-2024 to help reintegrate justice-involved Minnesotans into the workforce. Potential grantee organizations may request up to $500,000 to provide participants with:
One-on-one career counseling/case management through a dedicated Navigator
Job search assistance
Skills training, including on-the-job training
And wrap-around support services working closely with a Navigator
Click here to read the full article.
Organized in 1962, Audacia Study Club currently has 16 members who have dedicated their time tending to the flowerpots displayed around downtown Redwood Falls. With the 13 new planters purchased in 2021, the club plants blooming flowers each spring to help beautify the downtown area.
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There are many reasons to consider a career in Manufacturing – and October is the perfect time to explore your options because October is Manufacturing Month in Minnesota!
Manufacturing jobs pay well. In fact, average annual wages for workers in Manufacturing in Minnesota are $74,630, 10% higher than across all industries in Minnesota. Plus, many Manufacturing positions offer opportunities for advancement on a promising career path.
Read here for the full article.
Over half of Shult Homes' plant employees volunteered Thursday, Sept. 23 to make improvements at the Redwood County Fairgrounds ahead of their 150th anniversary. Schult employees pictured working on placing dressing rooms and bathrooms with showers for the bands in the southeast building next to the stage. Ava Lund
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Over half of Shult Homes' plant employees volunteered Thursday, Sept. 23 to make improvements at the Redwood County Fairgrounds ahead of their 150th anniversary. Schult employees pictured working on placing dressing rooms and bathrooms with showers for the bands in the southeast building next to the stage. Ava Lund
Click here to read the full article.
St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) awarded $2,131,262 million in grants to five projects in the August round of the Redevelopment Grant Program. This program helps communities with the costs of redeveloping blighted industrial, residential or commercial sites and putting land back into productive use.
Read the full article here.
Doing the right thing is good for business
The consciousness of sustainable practices and products has risen dramatically in the last few decades. Whether it be shifting generational expectations, the climate crisis, or other motivating factors, consumers value brands that prioritize sustainability. A quick look at the numbers: When given a choice, 32% of millennials will choose a sustainable option over a non-sustainable one, and 47% of companies said sustainability had an impact on their recruiting and retention. And investors understand it, too: 90% of investors said they pay attention to how sustainable a business is.
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Maintaining and developing a skilled workforce capable of meeting the needs of your manufacturing company is an ongoing task. Recruiting, hiring and training those necessary individuals is more complicated than ever in today’s economic environment. Hosting a Manufacturing Day Event may be the perfect method to increase your ability to find the workforce you need!
This year, National Manufacturing Day is October 7 and is the ideal opportunity to educate the future workforce on the realities of modern careers in their facilities.
Read here for the full article.
By helping build resilient workforces and retain quality talent through personnel disruptions, caregiver-friendly workplaces are more competitive and successful. Employees are looking for employers that understand the need for work-life balance and the need for flexibility to address family issues. Employers that embrace caregiving-friendly strategies and solutions will be able to recruit and retain top-quality talent.
Read here for the full article.
A few years ago, running into colleagues on their way to the break room was a mundane workplace happenstance. Now, plenty of employees—and their supervisors—long for those kinds of casual meetings. Telecommuting from home is a lot more isolating than working in the office. And when people aren’t regularly interacting, collaboration decreases.
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Finding quality workers has become a common concern for employers across the country. In northwest Minnesota, that scarcity is growing and is one of the most significant barriers to future economic growth. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) estimates a 1.2% loss in workforce numbers by 2030 as more of the Baby Boom generation leaves the labor force.
In response to that need, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has committed $13.5 million to a Pathways to Prosperity (P2P) grantee program to provide clear career pathways to Minnesotans with systemic barriers to employment. The...
[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz announced today that exports of manufactured, agricultural, and mining goods from Minnesota were valued at $6.7 billion in the second quarter of 2022, reaching the highest level on record. Minnesota exports grew 12 percent between the second quarters of 2021 and 2022.
"Minnesota's workers and businesses are fueling, feeding, and supporting the global economy," said Governor Walz. "Our record-breaking exports demonstrate that the world recognizes the value of doing business in Minnesota. We will continue building partnerships abroad that allow our local economies to thrive."
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A new agreement will enable St. Paul-based Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union to provide small business loans across the country.
On Wednesday, Affinity said it will team up with Denver-based online lending platform Funding Circle to provide credit to small businesses anywhere in the United States. As part of their agreement, Affinity will purchase loans originated through Funding Circle.
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Minnesota’s economy showed mixed signals in the first half of 2022, with some indicators demonstrating continued economic stability and others showing signs of cooling. Read more here, as we break down key economic indicators at the mid-year point of 2022.
Highlights:
Minnesota’s real GDP contracted by -2.0% in the first quarter of 2022 after experiencing six consecutive quarters of growth. Real GDP declined in 46 of 50 states in the first quarter, with U.S. real GDP falling by -1.6%. Minnesota GDP remains 1.0% above pre-pandemic peak levels, ranking 24th best among all states.
Minnesota exports grew by...
Higher education has long been a field of constant change. In the past few years, the rate of change has accelerated with the pandemic as the driver. The pivot to virtual courses was just the tip of the iceberg. For many schools, this wasn’t a huge change—they’d been offering online learning for years, and they had online platforms like Canvas and Panopto in place that could accommodate a broader shift.
But the pandemic also disrupted the market that higher ed institutions primarily serve: employees, both current and future. Even with coronavirus infection rates generally in decline, Minnesota employers are...
Lack of summer rain forced Nebraska farmer Kevin Fulton to go underground to find water for his crops. Not a perfect solution: the Ogallala Aquifer, where Fulton tapped in, has pumping restrictions in some areas, just not where Fulton is located. That’s because the aquifer is running dry.
As drought extends its deadly fingers from California to the eastern side of the Mississippi River — a vast stretch of the continent that produces most of America’s food, including three-quarters of its beef cattle and 70% of its vegetables, fruits and nuts — farmers and ranchers are facing a double...
Minnesota’s economy showed mixed signals in the first half of 2022. Continued inflation, hiring challenges, a cooldown in GDP output, and uncertainty in consumer spending has negatively impacted business confidence and expectations for the coming year. On the other hand, Minnesota continued to recover job losses, increase labor force participation, reach record low unemployment levels, grow state exports, and maintain elevated business formation levels so far this year.
While uncertainty and signs of cooling in the economy cloud the near-term outlook, Minnesota’s overall economic performance has remained relatively steady at the mid-year point.
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St. Paul – September is Workforce Development Month, a time to honor workforce development leaders and staff across Minnesota, as well as draw attention to the resources available to those looking for work and to employers who need workers. In Minnesota, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and its business and nonprofit partners throughout the state are working hard to connect all Minnesotans who need work with employment and to help employers reach often overlooked labor pools.
"At DEED we are laser-focused on connecting people who need work with the employers who need them," said DEED Commissioner...
The Centennial Redwood Falls Golf Club Championship is being held August 27 and August 28
The Redwood Falls Golf Club celebrates 100 years this August. To celebrate there will be a Centennial Redwood Falls Golf Club Championship on August 27 and August 28.
The golf club began in 1922 as a 9-hole course. Twenty-two years ago the course was expanded to 18 holes. General Manager Ryan Fernelius explained this update was not an easy one to make. Fernelius said, “Albeit a somewhat controversial change back in 2000, it has really helped the club grow and expand out to...
As it was making its way through Congress, I wrote a piece on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that showed economic benefits from economists, policy experts and small business advocates. Last week, the Senate passed the IRA and on Friday, the House of Representatives passed it, sending it to President Joe Biden for his signature. The president will likely sign this bill into law later this week. This landmark legislation will help small businesses and working Americans by investing in deficit reduction to fight inflation, increasing manufacturing, lowering drug prices, and leveling the playing field by creating a modest minimum...
A company hoping to capture the attention of Gen Z and millennial consumers today can't ignore its corporate social responsibility (CSR) program — that synthesis of tenets like accountability, sustainability and philanthropy, which build up a brand's reputation and, ideally, make the planet a better place. And it's not just consumers who want to put their money towards positive change: Research shows that 70% of investors want to invest in companies with values that align with their own.
Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic thrust CSR efforts into the spotlight, as many consumers wanted their brands of choice to step up...
Cindy’s Country Garden Cindy Grams, ‘The Pickle Lady’, specializes in a large variety of pickles, produce and canned foods. Gram’s pickle recipe took 17 years to perfect.
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The Redwood Area Concert Association is pleased to announce its Concert Series schedule for the 2022–23 season and the start of membership sales as of Aug. 1.
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The past 2 years have shown that relying on a single raw materials source is a recipe for disrupted supply chains and an inability to meet customer demand. A robust supply chain is achieved not only by diversity, but also reliability and resilience. An effective procurement and supply chain organization should be one that brings value to the overall organization, which is accomplished by having the right strategic and tactical approach.
We’ve outlined three actionable tips that can be used to consider how to build a more diverse and robust supply chain.
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It’s an anomalous time in the tourism industry.
On one hand, the leisure market has picked up to a point that the numbers are just about back to where they were pre-COVID-19, despite the surge of a new strain of the virus surging in recent months. That’s because travelers have wanted to get back in the swing, as recent numbers from AAA illustrate.
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After two grueling pandemic years, a weary world rang in a tumultuous 2022. With rapid inflation, stock market volatility, and the global ripples caused by an excruciating war in Europe, the only certainty seems to be uncertainty. The current housing market is compounding those challenges in the United States. Thanks to pandemic shutdowns, labor shortages, and supply chain issues, housing inventory at the end of 2021 was already low. With a shortage of approximately 1.5 million homes, there is less inventory to rent or buy than there has been at any time in the past 30 years.
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Phew, the labor market crisis is over! Jobs are growing but the rapid pace of hiring has slowed and people who were reluctant to work due to COVID are returning to the labor force. It sure seems like the labor crisis was a COVID issue, so we can all go back to business as usual. Back to normal.
Not so fast! While the jobs report is better than had been anticipated, there are still signs of stress and volatility in the workforce as well as long term structural challenges. Companies still indicate they cannot get the workers and skills...
It really does pay to change jobs. During the second year of the pandemic, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis, half of workers who changed jobs saw their pay increase nearly 10%. The median worker who stayed put saw an inflation-adjusted loss of almost 2%.
It’s long been thought that changing companies leads to bigger bumps in pay than asking for a raise from the same employer. Now, a new analysis of government data confirms that conventional wisdom—but appears to suggest a growing gap in the fortunes of those who stay put versus those who switch jobs,...
The Redwood Area Encompasses Six Unique Communities, Including Belview, Clements, and Seaforth
The Redwood Area of Minnesota has six unique communities: Belview, Clements, the Lower Sioux Indian Community, Lucan, Seaforth, and Wabasso. In Part One of this two-part series, we shared just some of the special qualities found in three of these communities: the Lower Sioux Indian Community, Lucan, and Wabasso.
Now, in part two we’re shining a spotlight on Belview, Clements, and Seaforth, three incredible communities in the Redwood Area.
Belview - Small, Hardworking, and full of heart
Lifelong resident April Soupir shared a little...
Whether you’ve been implementing growth marketing for a while or are new to the practice, you want to succeed. No one likes to miss a goal post. In business, the stakes are high. Not meeting your targets could lead to disappointed stakeholders, future resignations and financial losses. But to achieve success with growth marketing, you must be willing to learn from failure.
Unlike traditional marketing, there’s some experimentation involved. Growth marketers approach their strategies and tactics like scientists. Data and observation fuel a hypothesis, which gets tested to determine what holds water and what doesn’t. Nevertheless, growth marketing does...
Despite the hot, humid conditions, locals turned out in good numbers each night of the Redwood County Fair which wrapped up Sunday in Redwood Falls. Kids were able to enjoy the rides which illuminated the night sky.
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The unemployment rate ticked down two-tenths of a point to 1.8% in June 2022 – yet another record low since the metric has been tracked in 1976, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The lowest pre-pandemic unemployment rate was 2.5% in early 1999.
The unemployment rate decline over the month was entirely due to people moving from unemployment to employment. The labor force participation rate ticked up another tenth of a point to 68.5%.
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The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) launched the latest round of Child Care Economic Development Grants. These grants authorize $4.85 million over two fiscal years for grants to community partners to increase quality child care providers to support economic development across Minnesota. A total of $2.425 million will be available in this second round of funding; $2.425 million was awarded previously to 14 projects.
DEED is seeking proposals from local governments or nonprofits with experience in the operations, financing, advocacy, or advancement of the delivery of child care services. Qualified parties may request up to $300,000...
For companies around the world, supply chain snags have been top-of-mind for much of the past year. Delays are common, and U.S. domestic shipping rates for moving goods are up approximately 23 percent over 2020 levels, according to Cass Information Systems, Inc. High demand continues to outpace logistics capacity, and the chronic U.S. truck driver shortage only exacerbates delays. Amidst these trends, rail has become an important option for shipping goods across the United States — especially as trucking costs rise, too.
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Prices are rising (8.6%, to be exact). This isn’t news. We see it at the grocery store, car dealership, and especially at the pump.
But thanks to a mix of slowed business growth and rising labor costs, we’re starting to see something new. Companies like Tesla, Netflix, Wells Fargo, and Carvana are facing hiring freezes and layoffs. Banks and economists have begun sounding the alarm about a looming recession.
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment has fallen to pre-pandemic levels, but that doesn’t mean the workforce is simply returning to normal. In March of 2022, a record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs, leaving 1.9 job openings for every unemployed worker. According to the Institute of Supply Management, filling positions in the manufacturing industry is particularly challenging. According to a recent survey by CNBC, fifty-two percent of all small business owners report trouble finding workers. It’s safe to say that for every employee who resigns, others are contemplating quitting.
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Minnesota Department of Transportation - A project to remove the bridge on old Highway 19 over Sulphur Lake in Morton has been completed. The bridge, which had been closed to traffic since 2010, was removed for the public’s safety.
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Derek and Larissa Guetter are bringing their ATV Big Air Tour to Derek’s hometown with Wabasso Big Air Fest. The Guetters put on the ATV Big Air Tour around the country at locations that include the Toledo Speedway on July 8, the Erie County Fair on August 17 and it’s coming right here to Wabasso on June 30 with the 2022 Big Air Fest.
“This is a fun family event like no other in the country,” said Derek. “We are some of the only people to do this in the world and have almost 20 years of performing for...
Are you looking for a good paying job that may not require education beyond high school to start? Consider a career in manufacturing!
Manufacturing could offer you a great career path straight out of high school. More than 60% of manufacturing openings in the latest Minnesota Job Vacancy Survey from Q4 2021 didn’t require any postsecondary education. And according to that same survey the median wage offer for a position in manufacturing in Minnesota is $22.48 to start. That means that half of the current openings pay above that amount. Many manufacturing positions offer opportunity for advancement – with...
A UI Trust Fund fix was recently enacted and the new law impacts every employer in the state. Unfortunately, this change happened after employers were billed under the old tax rates and many businesses have already paid these higher taxes. On May 9, the Chamber hosted a webinar featuring DEED Commissioner Steve Grove on employers' UI tax bills, as well as Commissioner Roslyn Robertson of the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry on frontline worker bonuses. Per DEED:
On Saturday, May 7, DEED recalculated the amount of 1st quarter 2022 taxes for about 113,000 employers.
Because most employers...
Twelve youth from the Redwood/Renville 4-H Shooting Sports Club represented the Redwood County VFW in national competition. They competed against other youth from Ohio and California in the Civilian Marksmanship Program Aces Postal event. The Aces Postal is designed to provide competitive opportunities for all athletes. Targets are shot locally and mailed to CMP for computer scoring.
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The City of Redwood Falls announces the groundbreaking date for its new residential and commercial development project. The groundbreaking and ribbon cutting ceremony for The Homes of Reflection Prairie and Reflection Ridge Business Park will take place on Thursday, June 2, from 11 a.m.
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St. Paul – Exports of manufactured, agricultural and mining goods from Minnesota were valued at $6.1 billion in the first quarter of 2022, representing a gain of 13% over the first quarter of 2021, according to a report released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). U.S. exports of goods rose 18% between the first quarters of 2021 and 2022, with 39 states and Washington D.C. having positive export growth rates.
“Minnesota exports are a critical part of our economy,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “Diversified global trade helps ensure that Minnesota’s economy is resilient...
There is a great feeling of achievement in creating your own business. You can successfully work for yourself and have flexibility in your daily schedule. The potential for growth, expansion and money is unlimited as long as you are able to maintain your company's progress and profits for the long haul.
In fact, starting a business is just the first step to a new career path or venture. Once that initial excitement fades, it becomes clear that starting a business is the easy part and keeping it alive is much harder.
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The Redwood County Board of Commissioners started their Tuesday, May 17 meeting by recognizing ditch inspector, Brent Lang, for his 25 years of service to Redwood County. The Redwood County Courthouse underwent an asbestos inspection that revealed that there is more asbestos remaining in the courthouse than was previously known.
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Hiring the best person for an open position shouldn’t preclude those with criminal backgrounds. In fact, making second-chance hiring part of your corporate culture can increase employee retention rate, with 82 percent of hiring managers saying the quality of these employees matches or exceeds the quality of other employees.
The Minnesota Chamber recently hosted a virtual event as part of the Workforce Solutions Series to help businesses learn approaches to hiring within this group, as well as how to help them thrive as employees for your business. See below to view the free, on-demand webinar, as well as access...
The unemployment rate ticked down three-tenths of a point to 2.2% in April from 2.5% in March, its lowest level ever recorded since such information started being reported back in 1976, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The decline in the unemployment rate over-the-month was entirely due to people moving from unemployment to employment. The labor force participation rate rose from 68.1% to 68.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate stayed the same at 3.6% and the labor force participation rate ticked down 0.2% to 62.2%.
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St. Paul - The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is honored to be named as a Yellow Ribbon Organization for its efforts to recruit, hire and retain employees who are military veterans. In order to become a Yellow Ribbon Organization, an organization needs to develop a sustainable action plan demonstrating long-term commitment to current and former U.S. military service members and their families. DEED's proclamation as a Yellow Ribbon Organization was announced at the opening ceremony for the 16th annual Veterans Career Fair today in Brooklyn Center.
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St. Paul – Today, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced grantee partners for the second round of the Main Street Economic Revitalization Program. This $80 million statewide economic redevelopment program, distributed through two rounds of funding, awards grants to partner organizations to establish programs within specific communities that will, in turn, fund economic development and redevelopment projects. The second round of grants awards over $40 million to organizations across Minnesota.
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Online business databases can be an effective and low-cost way to identify other companies in your market – whether as potential suppliers, competitors or potential customers. Such datasets are often only a starting point, but they can be a valuable tool to assess the landscape and further refine your market research efforts.
Below are five tools that can be utilized at no or low cost to search for other Minnesota businesses.
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It’s May, and the second week of the month is when Economic Development Week is celebrated each year. It’s a great time to recognize economic developers and to share information about what we do here at the Redwood Area Development Corporation (RADC).
RADC works hard all year round to support our six unique communities in the Redwood Area: Belview, Clements, the Lower Sioux Indian Community, Lucan, Seaforth, and Wabasso. We also provide assistance and create programs to help the many incredible businesses in our area to thrive and grow.
The staff at RADC has a lot of experience...
Recently, Elon Musk announced plans for the Tesla Bot, a humanoid robot that stands 5 feet, 8 inches tall. Musk said the robot “probably won’t work.” I hope he is wrong.
Many people have an adverse reaction to discussions of automation and artificial intelligence. While I understand those fears, I believe we need to embrace automation. In fact, let’s put our foot on the gas — or set the autonomous electric vehicle at max speed. But as we accelerate toward automation, we must reposition our workforce for a successful journey.
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The way businesses in the industrial sector approach hiring new employees has changed. Companies can no longer rely on posting a job ad and sitting back to wait for resumes to flood in. With unemployment rates at an all-time low after the advent of the Great Resignation, the best candidates are already employed. So how do you locate the best talent, and what are the best-recruiting tools? Internal recruitment, agency software, HR recruitment software, and recruitment service providers are just a few of the options available to you.
Hiring Team-Focused Players in the New Normal
How has the COVID-19...
Governments, owners, investors, and consumers are demonstrating a steady commitment to net-zero, carbon-neutral, and other goals, with a focus on replacing fossil-based energy systems with renewable energy sources. Who is going to do the work of bringing us this new future? If you’re in the global energy sector…you are.
Leaders of manufacturing and power companies are faced with critical decisions on how to evaluate the best alternatives to fossil fuels and identify the pathways to make those alternatives a reality. So are electric vehicle manufacturers, battery manufacturers, and traditional original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). In addition to power and electrification...
Competing on a national and global scale for large economic development projects — and winning — is a sure sign of a community’s vitality. A community’s ability to position large-scale, shovel-ready land tracts for investment consideration exponentially increases its ability to secure desired jobs and capital investment at the local level.
For years, there has been a traditional understanding of megasite requirements. Originally created to meet the demands of the automotive OEM and allied industries, these sites were assumed to have consistent demands. Important factors have included fully contiguous land space; multimodal transportation, including access to rail; large-scale and...
Bowery Farming, a leading vertical farming company based in New York City, plans to open smart indoor vertical farms in Locust Grove, Georgia, and Arlington, Texas, it announced in January. Each facility will create more than 100 jobs, and they are to be powered by 100% renewable sources. The company supplies greens and herbs to more than 800 U.S. grocery stores and such e-commerce platforms as Amazon, Walmart and Whole Foods Market.
“We’re thrilled to announce our expansion beyond the Northeast and into the Atlanta, Georgia, area,” said Irving Fain, CEO and Founder of Bowery Farming, at the Locust...
What is cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is a digital currency that is not controlled by any government or institution. Cryptocurrencies are not printed and are instead created using computing power.
Cryptocurrency is created through a process called mining. Mining involves solving complicated math problems with the use of computer processing power. The miner who solves the problem gets rewarded in crypto coins, which they can then spend on goods or services online.
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The Minnesota Legislature pushed through a bill to give bonuses to workers who were on the front lines during the COVID-19 pandemic and to replenish the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund following months of negotiations.
Gov. Tim Walz said in a Twitter post that he stepped out of his son’s volleyball game “to sign this important bill the minute we got it passed.”
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The LSIC celebrated the grand opening for the Cansayapi Wicoicage Oti on Wednesday, April 20. The purpose of this incubator building is to expand art and cultural awareness and skills and support business development through intergenerational learning, production and transmission at Cansayapi.
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Vicki’s Camp N Country Jam is a brand new camping and country music festival that will be held July 7-9 near Redwood Falls. Vicki’s Camp N Country Jam will provide a small, intimate camping and country music festival with a VIP experience for all attendees.
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There are few things more frustrating than gathering a team of skilled individuals who just don’t seem to be able to work together well. There is also nothing more fulfilling than creating a team that is supportive, cooperative and results-focused. Effective coaches know how to support teams in a way that will help them to strengthen relationships, improve their performance and reach their goals.
Understanding the coaching process and the desired objectives can help leaders create a culture that is empowering and growth-oriented. Learning to utilize the coaching tools that can best facilitate team growth and collaboration is an...
The Redwood Area Encompasses Six Unique Communities
The Redwood Area of Minnesota has six unique communities: Belview, Clements, the Lower Sioux Indian Community, Lucan, Seaforth, and Wabasso. In Part One of this series, we’ll share some of the special qualities found in three of these communities: the Lower Sioux Indian Community, Lucan, and Wabasso. We’ll feature Belview, Clements and Seaforth in Part Two of this series on the six communities in the Redwood Area.
Lower Sioux Indian Community
Many exciting things are happening in the Lower Sioux Indian Community. Robert Larsen, President of the Lower Sioux Community,...
Of the 44 Black-owned banks and credit unions in the U.S. with approximately $8.12 billion in assets, none are in Minnesota. That changes today, when Minnesota’s first known Black-owned bank, First Independence Bank, 3430 University Ave. S.E., Minneapolis, opens for business.
“We know that banks represent beacons of hope,” said Kenneth Kelly, chairman and CEO of First Independence Bank. “You can’t go to any major city in this country and not see the largest building in this city having a bank name on it.”
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Driving long-term progress in racial equity in Minnesota’s economy requires new thinking. While incremental changes are important, it’s the systemic changes that examine the root of how systems work and transform them for stronger outcomes that drives lasting change.
As we continue our series on DEED’s five racial equity commitments, today we turn to commitment #3: to reform programs to address systemic barriers.
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Housing continues to be a challenge in many rural communities. Attracting workforce housing development requires intention and a bit of creativity. We have looked across the country to find communities that are using unique strategies to develop workforce housing and are sharing these best practices. Some, all, or a combination of the below could be used to develop housing in our community. Learn more by downloading the whitepaper: PROVEN STRATEGIES FOR SOLVING HOUSING SHORTAGES IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.
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In 2020, “stimulus check ” and “second stimulus check” were among the top 15 Google searches in the United States.
That same year, an Ernst and Young report estimated that across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, approximately $1 trillion of workers’ wages were sitting in employer coffers on any given day.
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Wind Turbine Service Technicians top the list of the fastest growing occupations in Minnesota over the next two years, according to projections from DEED's Labor Market Information Office. People working in this occupation install, maintain, and repair wind turbines and generally work outdoors, in confined spaces, and often at great heights. Most Wind Turbine Service Technicians work full-time and in Minnesota the typical wage range is between $24.07 to $34.04. You can find out more about this occupation and watch a short video on our Wind Turbine Service Technician occupation page here on CareerForceMN.com.
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Beth Bidinger, Supervisor of Career Advancement Services at Avivo in Minneapolis, recently started listing no cost training programs on the Training Program Finder on CareerForceMN.com. She’s seen a big increase in interest from people looking for training opportunities. Avivo even had to add a second class option for their pre-requisite courses because the first class session is nearly full.
“Approximately a week after I finalized the postings on the Training Program Finder, I noticed that I was receiving an increase in direct emails and phone calls to me,” said Beth. “Knowing that potential participants don’t normally access my direct...
Minnesota’s largest publicly traded companies are heeding calls for improved gender parity on their boards, though the number of women in executive roles is still falling behind the national average.
That’s according to the results of the 2021 Minnesota Census of Women in Corporate Leadership released Tuesday. The yearly report produced by St. Catherine University examined women’s representation at Minnesota’s 79 largest publicly traded companies. As of June 30, 2021, women held 177 seats on the boards of those companies. That means women held 26.6 percent of board seats, marking an all-time high in Minnesota, according to the report...
In 2021, Minnesota’s total exports reached a record value of $23.5 billion, recovering strongly after a steep decline in 2020. International markets play a key role in helping Minnesota expand its diverse industry base, from agriculture and natural resources to equipment and machinery to semiconductors and medical goods.
Yet, the global pandemic and supply chain woes of the past two years have presented Minnesota businesses with unique challenges to getting goods to international markets.
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Commissioning a housing study is an economic development best practice that can ultimately lead to growth. Individual communities and regions are commissioning them to determine the total demand, the type of housing that’s needed, and the ideal price point for the market. Once complete, a housing study is the best tool for demonstrating to a developer that there is a true need and exactly what that need is. Download the whitepaper, "PROVEN STRATEGIES FOR SOLVING HOUSING SHORTAGES IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA."
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In April, we draw attention to the important role that Information Technology (IT) plays as a key driver of growth in our state and local economy. IT workers are employed across every industry in Minnesota and across the state – and demand and wages are high.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) projects employment in IT occupations to grow 12.2% between 2020 and 2030, while the average growth of all occupations in Minnesota is 5.7%.
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Retailers from Samsung to Disney are buying 'virtual real estate' sometimes in the millions of dollars to have a presence in the metaverse. Make no mistake, the metaverse is going to be huge and it will happen much faster than the dawn of websites, social media, and smartphones.
WHY JOIN THE METAVERSE NOW?
Economic developers should enter the metaverse because if they don't - they, and their communities, will be left behind. Put simply, economic developers cannot afford to sit back and watch as the metaverse becomes part of people's everyday lives. Take, for example, workforce attraction. People...
The challenges faced in 2020 were unlike any other confronted in our lifetime. The global pandemic wreaked havoc on our personal and professional lives and the U.S. and global economies.
The Commerce Department reports that U.S. GDP declined 3.5 percent in 2020, with the economy falling into recession in February 2020 — a month before the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. The 3.5 percent decline is the worst year for the U.S. economy since at least the end of World War II, as reported by CNBC.
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Covid-19 has resulted in wild gyrations in the supply chain with the hard-hit semiconductor industry having a major impact on U.S. auto manufacturing. From its beginning, Covid-19 resulted in auto plants closing around the country while sales of computers and other consumer products skyrocketed. When automakers resumed production, they found fewer chips available to them. In addition, the pandemic and related supply-chain problems depressed sales and drove up prices for new and used cars. However, market analyst IHS Markit sees U.S. auto production stabilizing in 2022 and attributes this to a stabilization in the semiconductor supply chain.
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It’s no secret that the recipe for economic success usually includes generous portions of innovation and technology. That has been part of the economic development story for many years in such places as Boston, Seattle, the Research Triangle, and Silicon Valley.
But just as you can find more and more cutting-edge restaurants and exceptional craft breweries in sometimes surprising places beyond the most obvious locales, the innovation-based recipe for success is being served up in smaller communities, too, far beyond the places that may first come to mind. When it comes to building an innovation corridor or innovation district,...
It seems like the ultimate good-news story. The shift toward electric vehicles will greatly improve the long-term climate health of the planet. It’ll improve human health, too, by reducing pollution. It’ll create thousands of jobs in new industries, with new manufacturing operations lifting local economies. What’s not to like?
Don’t forget that disruptive technologies are, well, disruptive. One person’s opportunity, one community’s economic development win, quite often means disruption for someone else’s livelihood and some other community’s economy. The story is only starting to unfold, but the transition to electric vehicles, or EVs, is shaping up to be the...
For nearly two years, the predominant COVID-19 driven incentive compliance issue looming over companies has been the difficulty to achieve and report on headcount performance as part of economic development incentive agreements.
The evolving workplace landscape precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic adds another wrinkle to this process. With the trend toward remote work — whether a hybrid scenario or fully remote — our clients, particularly those with an office-based workforce, are evaluating their long-term footprint needs. Seemingly nothing is off the table with respect to the workplace, including hoteling models, employer choice models, flex-worker models, or pure remote worker...
Don’t miss this incredible event from August 2 to August 4 celebrating agriculture in Minnesota
March is National Agriculture Month and it’s the perfect time to focus on Minnesota Farmfest, a three-day celebration of agriculture, farming and rural life that takes place from August 2 to August 4 in Redwood County, Minnesota.
Minnesota Farmfest brings together the best in agribusiness from across the state and around the country. Farmfest makes it possible for farmers to gather, network, and to learn about new products and services from the more than 500 vendors and exhibitors in attendance. There are live...
Chances are high that if you’ve been traveling around various regions of the United States in the past few years, you have noticed a solar array where one was not previously. I have had a similar “ah-ha” moment.
You may have been struck by the fact that there are vast solar developments in more rural areas — where site selection for solar installations is more favorable, land is cheaper and larger land tracts are available. You might be further surprised to see that solar farms are popping up in most regions of the country. It’s not just your region...
Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Laura Kelly of Kansas are covered extensively in this issue as the winners of the 2021 Governors’ Cups — the former for total qualified capital investment projects last year and the latter for total per capita projects. The governors of the other ranking states in these facilities races also deserve recognition. All governors are their states’ main salesmen and women when it comes to landing the transformative projects that add billions of dollars to their economies and create hundreds or thousands of jobs.
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“I wanted to go into a field to help people. It’s really rewarding for me.”
At age 61, Carol accomplished a career goal she had set for herself a 15 years ago. She earned her degree and now she is working in health care providing care to patients. Carol started her journey in 2007, attending school to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), but stopped to work full time.
She returned to Pine Technical Community College (PTCC) in 2019 to complete her degree; changing career paths with the goal of becoming a Medical Assistant. Her previous LPN courses...
Automation has been painted as a threat to employees, and the idea that robots will replace workers and lead to unemployment continues to circulate in some circles. The truth, however, is quite the opposite. According to McKinsey & Company, automation and AI technologies will boost business productivity and GDP growth and drive new levels of prosperity.
There are also many benefits for the workforce. Automation across multiple industries has already benefited the labor force in many ways. This includes increasing employment rates and improving workplace safety.
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Minnesota gained 10,200 jobs in the last month on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). This follows the addition of 2,500 jobs in December 2021 (revised). The jobs growth from December 2021 to January 2022 is the largest single-month growth since July 2021. The private sector gained 9,100 jobs, up 0.4%, continuing a four-month-long job gains streak.
The unemployment rate ticked down in January 2022 to 2.9% from 3.0% in December 2021. The decline was entirely due to people moving from unemployment to employment. The labor...
You’re evaluating a new site. It checks all the boxes when it comes to the property, local infrastructure, and business climate. You have one more box to check — labor supply. You’re presented with a hodge-podge of numbers. How can you make sense of it all? And what’s the bottom line?
Understanding Labor Data, Availability
Before considering the outside numbers, you first need to understand your own data. You should know how many workers you’ll need by job title as well as the estimated wages you can budget for each. Labor data are typically available by occupation, so you’ll...
Over the past two years, building occupants have become more aware of the health of the environment around them, especially indoors. Additionally, awareness of “Sick Building Syndrome” — the idea that building occupants become sick from the building they work in — has grown. Now, occupants expect the opposite: a smart, healthy building.
It’s not only building occupants. With the labor shortage expected to continue well into 2022, employees are also in the unique position to be selective in the company for which they choose to work. Looking ahead, building owners and managers are going to have to step...
St. Paul – Xcel Energy is leveraging Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) expertise in training program oversight and grant management to issue a request for proposals (RFP) from Minnesota training providers. The Xcel Energy Power Up training program will provide a workforce training pipeline for a variety of energy-related construction occupations. Xcel Energy is investing $4 million in the initiative, $3.6 million of which will go toward two $1.8 million grants to provide apprenticeship readiness and basic construction skills training over four years. The RFP is slated to open at the end of March and be open...
DEED’s agency-wide goal in 2022 is to drive an economic comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic, focused on people and businesses who face systemic barriers to growth. In order to do that, we need to know who was most negatively impacted and how systemic barriers play a role in that negative impact.
There is plenty of data to show that Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Minnesotans bore the brunt of job and wage loss during the pandemic. But a deeper dive into the data reveals additional information about what factors – like occupation, industry, part-time vs. full-time work...
As a business looking to outsource 3PL (third-party logistics) services, you’ve most likely encountered an overwhelming list of companies vying for your business. Because the sheer number of companies is so large, it is extremely difficult vetting the various options to determine which would be the best for your specific scenario. There are a multitude of factors that should be considered, from fulfillment pricing to reviews and experience to technology integrations and location. At the heart of the 3PL selection process is choosing a long-term partnership that meets your:
Specific service needs
Volume, product, and technology characteristics...
In October, I found myself seated in an autonomous shuttle vehicle that’s part of the PAUL (Piloting Autonomous Use Locally) service launched by Site Selection’s home city of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, in partnership with T-Mobile 5G and Beep, an Orlando-based company that creates “multi-passenger, electric, autonomous mobility solutions.” Detrick Traylor, a U.S. Army veteran who came out of retirement to apply for a position with Beep, was operating the shuttle with what amounted to an X-Box controller as he took passengers on short rides, temporarily overriding the autonomous operation. “I applied because the technology seemed interesting,” he said.
Read...
Investors are busy people, and many have seen thousands of pitch decks in their careers. They ultimately choose to invest in very few, however, regardless of how interesting some might seem to the average person. The truth is that a good idea isn’t enough; it’s only part of the equation. It’s necessary to convince an investor that you have the right idea, that you’re the right person and that this is the right time.
That last factor is vital: Venture capitalists won’t invest in something which seems to have little urgent need in the world, and wouldn’t have gotten...
A prerequisite for a high-quality workforce is people. To upskill employees, attract remote workers, or fill a skill gap through a community college program, you first need people. That may be rather obvious, but talent attraction and retention efforts have been built on the assumption that when it comes to people, the harvest will always be plentiful. But what happens if the supply of people to attract to, or retain in, a community isn’t increasing? Or what if it’s decreasing?
In The Demographic Drought, Emsi Burning Glass raised the alarm bells about the pending sansdemic (sans-without, demic-people). Due to...
As we near the two-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, Minnesota’s economy remains in unusual territory. In one sense, the state has crossed the full recovery mark, with economic output (GSP), state exports, new business applications, and unemployment levels all returning to their pre-pandemic baseline or better. Like the rest of the U.S. economy, however, Minnesota faces substantial labor market and supply chain challenges that are slowing job recovery and pose new risks to the economic outlook going forward.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Minnesota GDP rose to $345.5 billion in the third quarter of 2021, exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the...
Jeremy had worked for many years in the hospitality industry, but when COVID hit and the corporate travel business dried up, he was let go from his hotel job in December of 2020. He had grown accustomed to making a good living with his previous employer and he was feeling a bit depressed and scared at the idea of starting over in a new career. After he filed for Unemployment Insurance, he learned about of the Highway Heavy Construction Training & Placement (HHCTP) Program from DEED’s Sylvia Garcia and thought it could be a good fit for him.
“It...
Recently, the Minnesota Chamber continued its return to in-person events with another chapter of the Women in Business series. The event held at the St. Paul Hotel featured President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Dana Erickson, in her first public event in her new role. Dana shared how her community-oriented upbringing led to a career in health care as a registered nurse and now the first female CEO in Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota history.
"I worked as a labor and delivery nurse for several years at a suburb of Milwaukee where...
The superlatives are accumulating as fast as the shipping containers: Industrial real estate, largely focused on logistics, keeps setting new records, to the point where the pop-up distribution center might soon be as common as the pop-up retail spot once was.
It’s gotten to the point where even a defunct driving range has potential to trade in the Big Bertha for an entirely different kind of driver.
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RCLCO, partnering with CapRidge Partners, recently produced the fifth annual STEM Job Growth Index (“STEMdex”), highlighting the leading metropolitan areas for both the current presence and future growth potential of STEM jobs (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).
Not coincidentally, the top STEM market areas include the 10 regions of the country which exhibit the highest location quotients for technology jobs. The location quotient [LQ] is a measure of a metropolitan area’s concentration of jobs within a given industry as compared to the national average. In this case it shows which areas have a greater share of technology jobs relative to...
At DEED, our agency’s mission is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. Every year, our agency leadership creates goals – and metrics for success – that provide a roadmap for how we can best meet that mission. Today we’re sharing our 2022 goals with the public, so that you know what we’re focused on – and can hold us accountable.
This planning process is grounded in the Governor and Lt. Governor’s vision of One Minnesota, and is informed by the thousands of conversations DEED leaders and staff have with job seekers, business owners, industry leaders,...
There were a few common threads to all state legislative sessions in 2021: The seated legislators all had to wrangle, wheedle, cajole or otherwise out-maneuver one another as they redrew legislative and congressional districts in accordance with new U.S. Census numbers. Throughout the year, state leaders also had to figure out how best to distribute monies from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed by Congress. And when the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act finally achieved passage in the nation’s capital, those same state legislators knew more money was coming for vital projects from highways to rail to...
In 1892, at the age of five, Bertha Berglin Moller immigrated to Minnesota with her six siblings and her parents, Magnus and Brita Berglin, from Storåsen, in Jämtland, Sweden. Her family began farming in Rock Creek, Pine County, and she attended high school in Rush City. Christened Brita, she used Bertha in the U.S. and attended Duluth Normal School, obtaining a teaching degree. Berglin began teaching in Pinewood, Beltrami County, where she met and married Swedish immigrant Charles Moller in 1910. She continued to teach after her marriage, which was unusual at the time.
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These Interest-Free Loans Help Redwood County Students Pursue Secondary Education
Students living or attending school in Redwood County who want to pursue higher education have an incredible opportunity to apply for an interest-free loan from The Martin & Winifred Ehlers Student Loan Fund, a division of the Redwood Area Communities Foundation.
History of The Martin & Winifred Ehlers Student Loan Fund
Martin Ehlers moved to Redwood Falls in 1937 and started the Ehlers Department Store the following year in 1938 with the motto “It can be done” as his driving force. Eventually, Martin would own 21 department...
St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced that Launch Minnesota has awarded nearly $440,000 in matching grants to 17 local startups who were competitively awarded over $8 million in federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer funding (SBIR/STTR). Of the 17 grantees, 10 are BIPOC, or woman-owned businesses and/or are located in Greater Minnesota.
“We believe in the importance of fostering these technologies, which is why MN-DEED financially supports the Minnesota SBIR/STTR Accelerator and startups through our innovation grants,” said Kevin McKinnon, DEED Deputy Commissioner for Economic Development...
Networking is one of the most important business skills to master in the franchise industry. It’s equally as important for a franchisor as it is for a franchisee. Developing and nurturing a network of professional peers is vital to career success and can give you a competitive edge in various stages of the entrepreneurial process. Franchisors use networking to enhance their lead-generation and sales strategies, while franchisees and candidates can use networking to build valuable contacts who can help them advance their own interests of owning and running a successful business operation.
But, networking isn’t a quantity over quality...
As businesses throughout the country struggle to fill job vacancies, EDCs are stepping up to the plate. EDCs are working with community partners to develop innovative programs, connect talent with employers who are hiring, upskill the local workforce, and grow a pipeline of next-generation workers. Here are some of the best practices Golden Shovel is seeing throughout the country. Bonus Content: DOWNLOAD THE UNDERSTANDING CURRENT WORKFORCE SHORTAGES WHITEPAPER HERE.
BEST PRACTICES FOR INCREASING WORKFORCE PARTICIPATION
ATTRACT WORKERS WHO ARE COMMUTING OUT
An initiative developed by the GREATER SPRINGFIELD PARTNERSHIP (GSP), CLARK COUNTY JOBS is inviting residents to reconsider...
Labor force participation rates drop when fewer people of working age are either employed or actively looking for work. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of working-age people between 25 and 54 years old peaked in 1995 at 72 percent, and it has been on a steady decline since. The St. Louis Federal Reserve, in a 2016 report, stated, “Simultaneously, nationwide the percentage of 16- to 24-year-olds not working is at 13 percent, the highest since WWII and the percentage of those 55 plus not working is at 23 percent, the highest since WWII (Restrepo-Echavarria, 2016)...
With so much of the news today about workforce shortages, attracting a strong and stable workforce is a critical need for local businesses, and for the larger Redwood Area community. As the unemployment rate continues to fall, there are fewer workers in the market for a new position, making it necessary for companies to do more than simply post a job opening when they’re looking to hire new employees. Redwood is no exception to this trend, and workforce attraction and retention is a major focus of the Redwood Area Development Corporation (RADC) team. Redwood Area communities and businesses must demonstrate...
As the U.S. economy continues its recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, employers are encountering an increasingly difficult talent landscape fraught with challenges related to the attraction and retention of the talent upon which their business relies. This is particularly true for the most advanced technical job roles. Amid this environment, companies are relying on their site selection consultants to develop talent-based location strategies that help ameliorate these challenges. Utilizing market data in more creative ways can help companies gain competitive advantage by identifying new pools of accessible technical talent.
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I'm mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” declared the longtime news anchor Howard Beale in the 1975 film classic Network.
A similar debate is raging across the world about the future of work, and there is a lot more at issue than how often to commute. The way of working that is emerging could alter the basic elements of our work life.
A whopping 65 percent of employees said they are looking for a new job, according to a PwC survey;
And 88 percent of executives said their company is experiencing higher...
To address local disparities and help struggling areas thrive, governments at all levels have spent hundreds of billions of dollars over the past 40 years on a range of geographically targeted, or “place-based,” economic development programs — mostly in the form of financial incentives — designed to boost job creation and business investment, incentivize real estate development, or increase property values in specific places. But decades of research have shown that governments have struggled to effectively target these programs to the people and places most in need.
Tax increment financing (TIF), enterprise zones, community development block grants (CDBG), and...
The $222 million replacement of the Merchants Bridge across the Mississippi River at St. Louis reached a milestone in September with the installation of the first of three new trusses. Dating to 1890, the Merchants Bridge serves six Class I railroads and Amtrak in the nation’s second largest rail hub by car interchange volume and third largest by gross tonnage.
Work began in 2018 and, when completed in early 2023, the new double-track bridge is expected to provide an alternative to more congested rail regions like Chicago.
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We all know that in the past two years, the only constant for small business owners has been change. Thousands of businesses changed their business model at the onset of the pandemic, introducing new products or services and embracing new channels to reach their customers. Thousands more launched new businesses altogether, spotting untapped opportunities in our collective “new normal.”
Now, as we head into 2022, we see the impacts of the past two years crystallizing and new trends emerging, like the beginnings of the metaverse to changing how we define small businesses and how small businesses operate — online,...
Congratulations on an amazing year of successes, learning opportunities and improvements for you and your business. It’s no easy task running a company, and it can take a toll on you. As the year comes to an end, let’s talk about how to keep you energized in the coming year.
Here are eight New Year's business resolutions to help you achieve just that.
1. Get your business processes down on paper
You have an amazing brain, and it holds a lot of the information your business needs in order for it to run smoothly. You need to...
Will those who ditched their jobs as part of the Great Resignation find new careers in 2022? Is returning to the office even on the table at this point? How do we build company culture for a hybrid future? As work winds down for the year, we asked leaders in the business of cultivating work culture to make some predictions and suggestions for 2022.
The labor shortage will continue. “We don’t have as many people as we think we have,” said Lisa Brezonik, CEO of Salo, a national staffing and consulting firm based in Minneapolis. “Boomers are retiring early...
It’s a lot, but it could have been more.
State budget writers, policymakers and frankly anyone or any group with a need for something out of Minnesota’s next state budget are still gushing over the record $7.75 billion state budget surplus reported earlier this month.
The state spends about $2.16 billion a month, and while surpluses have been common over the last two budget cycles, they usually hover in the $1 billion to $1.6 billion range, an amount that tends to set off political fighting between those who want to spend the money on government programs and those...
The Chambers of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation (EDC) both play an important role in a community, but, what's the difference between the two? This is a question that is frequently asked by businesses in the community as they try to divide where to invest their membership dollars and how to spend their volunteer time.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHAMBER & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Below we break down the differences in how the two organizations generally operate, though each chamber and EDC may have unique programs and focuses based on the needs of the community.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Department of Employment and Economic Development announced 5 Transportation and Economic Development Infrastructure (TEDI) projects across Minnesota. The program targets transportation infrastructure projects that create economic development opportunities and jobs, through a collaboration between MnDOT, DEED, and local government and private sector partners.
"This investment in transportation projects will broaden economic development possibilities," said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. "These projects will retain or create more than 3,000 jobs while improving critical pathways to businesses and opportunities in communities across Minnesota."
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Minnesota gained 8,600 jobs in November, up 0.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis. The private sector gained 10,200 jobs, up 0.4%, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
The state unemployment rate ticked down two-tenths of a percentage point to 3.3%, due to people moving from unemployment to employment. The labor force participation rate declined slightly, to 67.7% from 67.8% in October, as 2,575 Minnesotans left the labor force.
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In today’s candidate driven market, employers find themselves competing with industry and non-industry companies for the best talent. Unlike talent recruiting of the past, employers are going the extra mile to entice candidates – making a case for why their company is the right company for them. In this market, it is the candidate that holds all the cards.
The first opportunity to impress applicants and stand out from other employers is with the job posting. Employer job postings are the first line of communication between the employer and potential employee. It’s important an employer’s job posting catches and...
President Joe Biden on Monday signed into law one of the largest infrastructure packages in U.S. history after months of bipartisan negotiations and tense political infighting, shoring up $1.2 trillion in funds, including $550 billion in new investments for the nation's bridges, airports, waterways, public transit and more—here's what you need to know about where the massive new spending will go.
Roads and bridges: Headlining the 2,702-page bill’s spending, roughly $110 billion of new funds would go toward improving the nation's roads and bridges, and investments in other major transportation programs.
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The world of real estate is making significant strides toward adopting the latest and most innovative technologies. But with more tech comes heightened risk. One of the latest ransomware attacks this year impacted up to 1,500 businesses globally by targeting U.S. IT company, Kaseya. Brazilian meatpacking company, JBS, also experienced a cybersecurity attack that forced the company to shut down operations, which could have been detrimental to its supply chain and to the U.S. food supply. In January 2021, a hacker was able to break into a water treatment plant system (by stealing an employee’s username and password) in an...
In 2010, Michigan’s economy was reeling. The Great Recession had hit the state hard and U.S. automakers were struggling to survive. Seeking to ease the pain, state officials authorized tax credits under the Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) program as part of long-term deals with distressed automakers. But the program did not include fiscal protections to control the state’s costs. This would prove to be a damaging misstep years later when Michigan had to close a multi-million-dollar budget gap with spending cuts after automakers began claiming credits in larger amounts than expected.
How did this happen? When developing the...
Minnesota's unemployment rate in October 2021 is back to where it was immediately before the global pandemic was declared in March 2020 at 3.5% (revised), down two-tenths of a percentage point from September, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
The decline in Minnesota's unemployment rate in October was primarily due to people moving from unemployment to employment, although the size of the labor force shrank slightly by nearly 1,000 people. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell two-tenths of a percentage point to 4.6%.
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There are those who describe the current, faster-and-faster-moving marketplace as a fourth industrial revolution, and the best entrepreneurship programs are those that help students appropriately speed up and, when necessary, scale up their ideas, from unicorns to innovative business models. Students who enroll at these schools will find themselves at the forefront of innovation and development, and often with an interdisciplinary focus that acknowledges the interconnectedness of today's economy. Perhaps more importantly, they will also get opportunities to enrich themselves and their communities, adding economic and social value through innovation, team building, and leadership.
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The Department of Employment and Economic Development is announcing recipients of the Small Business Partnership Grant Program: non-profits and public entities who will provide and facilitate business development and technical assistance to entrepreneurs and small businesses. This program was increased by $7M to $9.8M by the legislature and signed by Governor Walz to provide resources to businesses across Minnesota who have faced unprecedented challenges over the past two years.
The purpose of this grant is to support the start-up, growth, and success of Minnesota's entrepreneurs and small business owners through the delivery of high quality free or low-cost professional...
Today is Veterans Day, a day to thank the veterans in your life for their service and to remember veterans past and present throughout this country who have made great sacrifices when their nation needed them. I urge you to take a moment to thank veterans you know. There are 304,000 current and former military members who call Minnesota home.
At the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development we work hard every day to offer veterans the priority employment services they have earned.
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Industries and businesses have continued embracing the inevitable digital transformation ever since the Industrial Revolution 4.0 gained momentum. But, the publishing industry is one area that has experienced the transformational impact of digitization up close in the last year as the approach to content gets more transparent and focused on human interests.
But, how much truth does this statement hold in the current scenario?
Digital publishing has been in full swing for the past few years and is significantly driving every industry now at a critical crossroads.
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Follow these actionable steps to do business in a virtual world whether your audience includes site consultants from overseas or stakeholders in your own backyard.
How To Do Business In A Virtual World
If you aren’t already doing so, now is the time you need to learn how to do business in a virtual world. With or without a pandemic, you’re going to need to be able to meet in a virtual setting. Technology is rapidly growing and organizations are adapting to meet this change.
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Planning is the key to sustainable, managed growth, and choosing the best type of strategic plan is equally important. When a community grows too quickly, or haphazardly, resources and infrastructure are strained. When it grows too slowly, the seeds are planted for a steady cycle of decline. Different communities, at different phases in their evolution, need different plans.
The best plans begin with introspection. When was the last time your EDO took a careful look at your overarching vision? How recently have you explored what the members of your community need and want by way of surveys or town...
“You win or lose based on the talent you have and the culture you create that allows your talent to thrive.”
That’s the word shared by Steve Presley, chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA, and it’s wisdom with which most successful corporate leaders would agree. Presley says his company found the necessary talent in Virginia, where it moved headquarters operations three years ago.
Finding, creating, and supporting that level of talent is what the Virginia Talent Accelerator Program is all about. It’s a workforce incentive that’s far more than simply a training program, according to Mike Grundmann, who...
Site selection professionals travel all over the United States, looking at hundreds of potential sites for development with a goal of finding suitable sites for their clients. What does it mean to achieve success? Ultimately, they must be incredibly efficient in evaluating and narrowing site lists, while balancing a seemingly endless spectrum of potential conditions and visualizing optimal scenarios for the end user’s product/facility. In the context of site selection, many challenges need to be decisively navigated.
High-definition vision: Real solutions that decisively navigate site selection are key to generating a successful site plan, which ensures the end users’...
In August, Rocki Rockingham was named Chief Human Resources Officer for GE Appliances. Area Development’s editor recently asked her about the company’s strategy to build upon its recent global “Great Place to Work” recognition and to create a workplace culture that attracts and retains top talent.
Area Development: Despite the high unemployment rate created by the pandemic, companies are still struggling to find skilled labor. How does GE Appliances’ workplace culture factor into attracting these workers?
Rocki Rockingham: Having a great culture is critical to attracting talent and our success. This year, 81 percent of employees said GE...
Grow Minnesota! is stronger because of the collective work of its extensive partnership. Local chambers of commerce and economic development entities that focus on retaining and growing Minnesota businesses comprise the partnership.
Grow Minnesota! partner organizations receive access to a wealth of resources. Our partners are working year-round to strengthen and improve the business climate in their communities, while also contributing to:
Continue to improve businesses’ knowledge of our resources and support for their growth in Minnesota.
Solve businesses’ problems that impede their success in Minnesota.
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In my last post, I described how the COVID pandemic has irrevocably changed the practice of corporate site selection and economic development. This has also been fostered by large business media outlets telling many new stories of how COVID has disrupted and enabled new ways to replace traditional business practices.
Fast Company screenshotFor example, Fast Company (approximately 20 million page views each month) published the story “How this engineering company found its new production plant over Zoom.”
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Too often, we talk about fear as if it were only for people destined to fail. Cowards who never had the courage to succeed. But, if we're honest, we can admit that we all feel some fear. In particular, we have all feared that we are not good enough and that we are not loved.
In this video, Entrepreneur Network partner Raul Villacis explains how you can not only embrace those fears, but tap into them and turn them into fuel.
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When Kati Stage moved from the Twin Cities to Embarrass in rural northern Minnesota last summer, her only choice for internet was HughesNet, a satellite service she said was slow “since day one.”
Then, in November, she one day noticed a “strange long line of lights” pass above her in the sky. After some Googling, she found out what it was: Starlink.
The service, owned by Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX, offers broadband through a growing network of low-orbiting satellites, which now number more than 1,700 and can look like a string of lights as they move...
Gov. Tim Walz and the state’s economic development leaders intend to get more aggressive about pitching Minnesota as a place to start and grow business. On Wednesday, they unveiled a new website, JoinUsMn.com that makes the case for building business in Minnesota with information on key industries, talent, and quality of life.
“We’re talking to hundreds of companies a week. This gives us a core DNA,” said Department of Employment and Economic Development commissioner Steve Grove. “We don’t sit on top of a giant marketing budget. You’re not going to see a Super Bowl commercial from us. Our goal...
Have you ever had a meal, gone on a date, or enjoyed a vacation so good it made you never want to repeat the lower quality experiences you’ve had in the past? Why would you want to eat bad food, date a loser, or suffer scratchy hotel sheets when you knew there was a better way for you to live and you could keep living that way? That ah-ha moment is the same realization that happened with corporate site selection during COVID, and why professionals will not go back to the old way of doing business. close up of businessman...
Today, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) launched a first of its kind coordinated campaign with businesses and economic development partners across the state. The goal is to share with the world why Minnesota is a phenomenal place to build a business or advance your career.
The platform is founded on Minnesota's long history of building things that matter. Minnesotans have pioneered open heart surgery and supercomputing, invented in-ear hearing aids and the pacemaker, and we've created such innovations as the concrete grain elevator, post-it notes, and water-skiing.
Today, our businesses are continuing that tradition...
Throughout the month of October, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has been celebrating the critical role manufacturing plays in our state’s economy and drawing attention to the many great employment opportunities in the sector. DEED’s Workforce Strategy Consultants organized virtual and in-person events, like the CTE Jamboree in Cold Spring, MN (see photo at right). CareerForce staff and partners hosted hiring events ranging from events focused on single local manufacturing employers to events featuring manufacturers across the state. DEED helped get the word out about the dozens of Minnesota manufacturers offering virtual tours to students and...
The Grow Minnesota! program surveyed 360 small and medium-sized businesses this summer to better understand how they are investing in digital technologies and what they need to better leverage these tools for innovation and growth.
Why is this important? A growing body of research shows that digital technologies are driving performance outcomes for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the U.S. and around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated this trend.
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There’s been much made of an impending “turnover tsunami” lately, with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) being one of the first to sound the warning bell for organizations working hard to fill open positions and, especially, to recruit talent for hard-to-fill roles during a pandemic that continues to create challenges for employers and employees alike.
Before the pandemic, employees had been suffering from a range of mental health issues business owners were attempting to address. Since the pandemic, these issues have only gotten worse.
Employee stressors taking a toll
Employees feel out of control because,...
This week, leaders from the G20 (or Group of Twenty), an intergovernmental forum of 19 countries and the European Union, are meeting on a number of issues related to the global economy. One critical item is an international tax agreement on a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% for multinational corporations. This agreement forged by the Biden Administration with nearly 140 countries is the first of its kind and could be a milestone in tax fairness for small businesses if Congress ratifies it.
For decades, small businesses have been crushed by a race to the bottom where big...
If there is one thing economic developers have in common, it’s a strategic plan to grow. Experience has taught them that taking a measured, proactive approach is a cornerstone to success. Have you put off creating a new strategic plan?
Here Are Seven Reasons To Make Creating A Strategic Plan Your Priority
1.) A Stratgic Plan Brings Community Partners Together.
According to LISA HURLEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF YORK COUNTY DEVELOPMENT IN NEBRASKA, good communication and solid collaboration between government agencies and nonprofits is essential when it comes to tackling issues. "We can't solve every issue by ourselves. It takes collaboration,” she says. Hurley goes on to stress the importance of updating the strategic...
You post a position. A week later, you receive a stack of qualified applicants. You see a resume that looks intriguing, and you think, “I have to bring this person in.” You find a phone number on the resume, and when you call it you hear a voice saying, You will now be connected to an interpreter.
Wait…what?! Your focus changes abruptly. Instead of connecting with an intriguing candidate, you’re about to have a conversation, through an interpreter, with a person who has a disability. You start second guessing yourself and wonder why you even made that phone call...
LITTLE FALLS — Minnesota agronomist Amy Robak describes budding carbon markets as the wild west.
And she's not the only one who sees it that way.
"There's no regulatory bubble around it," Robak said.
There's still debate about just how much carbon farmers can intentionally draw from the air and deposit into the soil, a process called carbon sequestration.
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Laurie had been working with CareerForce specialist Angele Hartell and other CareerForce staff for several months. That good work paid off when Laurie was offered the exact position she’d hoped for. Laurie recently called Angele to share the good news. The two celebrated her success over the phone, then reflected on how she achieved it.
“I think people need to realize two things,” Laurie stated. “Job search really is like a full-time job, and for many people, it starts with acknowledging the feelings of loss and grief about the last job ending.”
Angele agreed: “If people don’t intentionally...
Despite less than ideal weather conditions, a nice crowd of local veterans and supporters gathered east of Redwood Falls on Wednesday, Oct. 13 for the groundbreaking ceremony for the upcoming Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery.
The event — which included notable Minnesota politicians and administrators — was the first step in the development of the Veterans Cemetery which has been in the works for over 12 years.
The project will feature 10 separate phases on 81 acres of land, near the eastern edge of town, overlooking the Minnesota River Valley. The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) of the US...
As a Career Advisor and Youth Service Coordinator with CareerForce Moorhead, Deb Grant helps youth learn about job possibilities as they exit their high school years. One key to that process, Grant said, is exposing students to opportunities they never knew existed.
“We tell kids anything is possible, but one student had an excellent reflection for me,” said Grant. “She said, how can I know what I want to be if I do not know what is out there?”
With that in mind, Grant found the perfect opportunity for her students with Big Ideas, a non-profit organization from...
When you think about it, a white cane is a pretty rudimentary tool. There’s nothing high tech about it. There’s not much by way of design or engineering to speak of. It’s just a long skinny pole. And it’s white.
Back in 1921, a blind man named James Briggs painted his walking stick white in order to have greater visibility on busy streets that were becoming more and more congested with automobiles.
The use of a white cane to signify that a pedestrian was blind soon gained acceptance in Europe and the United States.
In a similar...
Financial innovations and trends can often propel businesses forward in ways they never imagined. But it isn’t always easy to keep tabs on the ever-evolving world of finance, especially when you’re an entrepreneur already stretched thin.
Join us for a free webinar, 10 Financial Trends Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know for 2022, presented by Oracle NetSuite and produced by Entrepreneur. We’ll hear from a pair of financial industry experts to uncover the financial tools and strategies every entrepreneur should be aware of when analyzing the full picture of their business.
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Manufacturing jobs pay well. In fact, average annual wages for workers in Manufacturing in Minnesota are $70,860 – that’s 10% higher than wage across all industries in Minnesota. Plus many Manufacturing positions offer opportunities for advancement on a promising career path. Many manufacturing jobs can be started with a high school diploma and employer-provided on-the-job training, That said, the Manufacturing industry needs people with all levels of education, from a high school diploma or equivalent to advance degrees in science, technology, math or engineering.
There are many current and future Manufacturing employment opportunities in Minnesota. Several of the...
Even during the best of times, starting a small business is tough. During the Covid-19 pandemic, it became a quest for survival. While roughly one-third of small businesses were closed amid the lockdowns, many have reopened their doors or launched anew as consumer demand roars back.
Each of the 31.7 million small businesses in the U.S. has its own unique flavor, challenges and path to success. Some never expand beyond a single founder; others could scale to become the next unicorn. Along the way, many founders will face common sets of challenges as they reach new levels of success...
Most businesses have not escaped supply chain challenges over the previous 12 months. When everyone expected COVID-19 to slow demand, it accelerated demand to a point where supply chains were stretched to their limits. But it not just COVID — the winter storm of 2021 reduced Texas’ capacity to refine petroleum, which created a ripple effect for a reduced ability to manufacture nearly all paints. Major manufacturers of cushion foam were also hit by a hurricane, causing multiple industries to temporarily shut down for repairs, which has exacerbated the shortage due to high demand. Currently, many companies, both large and...
Many people hear of transformative leadership, which sees people's needs as a means to an end. Transformative leadership believes that fulfilling people's needs will bring a positive change in them. However, servant leadership is a style of leadership that has been gaining popularity because it sees people's needs as the end in itself. Servant leadership does not expect any outcome other than simply fulling the needs of people. It is implied that serving them will only do well for them.
Servant leadership today
Servant leadership is not only found in theory anymore. Researchers have shifted their studies to...
ST. PAUL – Minnesotans with disabilities play a critical role in our economy and provide immense value to our work environments. October marks the 76th annual observation of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which is themed as America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion. Minnesota’s economy and its competitiveness require the contributions of all people, including those with disabilities. Our recovery will be powered by inclusion
In honor of this national celebration, Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed October as Disability Employment Awareness Month in Minnesota, recognizing that individuals with disabilities are valuable and productive contributors to our economy and taxpayers in...
St. Paul - Governor Walz has proclaimed the entire month of October as Manufacturing Month, which kicks off today, recognizing the critical importance of manufacturing to Minnesota’s economy and highlighting the many career opportunities in this vital industry.
Manufacturing provided 14% of the state’s gross domestic product and accounted for 11.4% of statewide employment in 2020. Over 309,000 people work in manufacturing in Minnesota and, in terms of direct and indirect jobs, manufacturing supports almost 900,000 jobs, or roughly 33% of all the state’s jobs. Average annual wages for workers in manufacturing are $70,860, 10% higher than across all...
Fire Prevention Week is observed around the country Oct. 3 through Oct. 9. The date of the week is set to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, a tragic 1871 fire that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. After this tragedy the issue of fire prevention came to the forefront and over the years has been studied by fire departments everywhere. Fire Prevention Week is an annual event that local fire departments utilize to provide fire prevention education to the public, often by starting with the youngest members...
Jeffrey Counsell’s article in Area Development, “Siting a New Production Plant: A Challenge Intensifies”, was an excellent discussion of a new dynamic in food plant site selection: avoiding second-generation food plants solely due to the potential risk of pathogens. I also teach this tactic of risk management. Early in my career, I saw projects where second-, third- or fourth-generation food plants were seen as a bargain, because their square-foot costs were very low. They were on the market because they had been closed down by the previous owner due to microbiological contamination! The new buyers were thrilled that they snagged...
Waymo, Alphabet Inc.’s autonomous driving company, is vague on exactly when semis controlled by its technology will be hauling cargo—without drivers—across the U.S., but has a detailed list of challenges to be mastered first, ranging from rough winds and slick roads, stray pedestrians on the highway and figuring out how robot trucks can deploy safety flares when they have to pull over.
The company’s robotaxis have been hauling paying passengers in suburban Phoenix for the past few years and just won permission from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles to charge for on-demand rides in electric Jaguar crossovers in San...
Starting next year, two colleges in the Minnesota State system plan to offer courses in a field not usually associated with higher education: meat cutting.
The Staples campus of Central Lakes College and Ridgewater College in Willmar and Hutchinson are launching programs aimed at training the next generation of animal slaughter, butchery and processing workers.
Central Lakes is even getting $150,000 from the Minnesota Legislature for its program, in part because lawmakers view it as a way to train workers for smaller and mid-sized processing facilities that make farmers less reliant on a handful of massive slaughterhouses —...
As Launch Minnesota, our statewide collaboration to support technology startups enters its third year, I’m excited to announce our new appointments to its advisory board including Alfonso Cornish II with Gener8tor, Yu Sunny Han Founder of Fulcrum and Benjamin Wright Vice President of 3M Ventures. Each of the 10 members of our advisory board come from unique backgrounds in technology and entrepreneurship. We believe their wisdom and guidance will help Launch Minnesota empower a stronger startup ecosystem for everyone.
Since Launch Minnesota’s creation two years ago, we have already awarded $3.2 million in grants to 104 innovative startups. Our...
Congratulations. Your business is growing! Revenue is up, and you just launched a new product that is flying off the shelves. The only problem is you need to hire more people and you have no place to put them. You have hired a site selector, and they have found the perfect location — good access to interstates, labor, and everything else you could want. The only concern is the public. The community likes its small-town rural feel and is worried your project will change their lifestyle too much.
You need an economic impact study. Put simply, an economic impact...
The Minneapolis Convention Center on Thursday afternoon will formally unveil a $2.9 million redesign of its main plaza. In a news release, center officials described it as a “more sustainable public green space.”
At a construction cost of $2.9 million, the redesign features a new irrigation method that uses the center’s stormwater capture system. The project also includes an urban meadow planted with native tree and plant species to create downtown’s “largest pollinator refuge.”
Designed by Damon Farber Landscape Architects for environmental sustainability, the 2.5-acre the convention center plaza is built on top of an underground parking ramp...
The economic development industry and the site selection process saw significant changes brought on by the events of 2020 — from economic development groups learning how to conduct effective virtual site tours to managing the disbursement of federal funding through the Cares Act. These changes may have been more manageable had it not been for the abundance of industrial activity in 2020, leaving many economic development organizations stretched very thin, which is still taking its toll today, and the inability for some locations to keep up with inquiries and activities.
imilarly, for most businesses and industries, while 2020 brought...
Many businesses across the state – and across the country – have had a hard time finding employees this year.
But the hiring difficulties can’t just be blamed on the pandemic. Demographic trends in process for decades are a key part of the challenge, especially in Greater Minnesota.
People dropping out of the labor force due to the pandemic is part of the problem right now, but the more systemic reasons for workforce shortages are years of economic growth, an aging workforce heading toward retirement, and fewer young people to replace them.
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Remote working is now one of the more popular ways for businesses to keep their staff. The pandemic made it necessary for many companies to shift their operations into a less office-centric environment for fear of infection. Now, with vaccines available, the question has been raised as to whether businesses will continue to allow remote working for employees. Unsurprisingly, most companies have realized that remote working has made for more effective employees. Gartner mentions that 80% of firms are looking at some form of mixed working arrangement with employees still allowed to work from home for some part of the...
Did you know that Minnesota communities are recognized around the country for their resident recruitment efforts? It’s true!
Minnesota is a leader in rural resident recruitment thanks in part to the University of Minnesota Extension’s pioneering rural movers research, which is focused on finding out why people move to rural areas. Extension has worked for over a decade to disseminate those findings to rural communities throughout Minnesota and across the country. Those communities used the findings to expand and coordinate their local and regional economic development efforts with community development and tourism – resulting in today’s comprehensive resident recruitment...
The tech talent workforce is steadily getting more diverse each year as employers emphasize it in recruitment and retention strategies. Still, diversity remains a challenge for tech employers, and to address it we must first understand its scope and implications.
By most measures, tech talent in the U.S. long has lacked diversity in comparison to the general workforce. This lack of diversity means tech employers are missing out on significant sources of talent and new ideas.
CBRE has examined the scope of this issue by including analysis of tech diversity for the first time in its annual Scoring...
Leave it to a nun to get it done.”
The good sisters have always seemed to have a way of making what seems impossible happen. In 1999, Emmanuel College, a small Catholic liberal arts college in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood, had fewer than 500 students, a dwindling endowment and none of the amenities that attracted students to bigger universities in the Boston college market. The 17-acre campus was in danger of closing when the college’s president, Sister Janet Eisner, brokered a deal.
Located near top hospitals Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the college...
“Thank you for all the work you do. Please know that it makes a difference.”
“Want to tell you how much I appreciated your kindness when I was going through a very low point in my life.”
“Thank you for all your help and the connection you helped me make with the Dislocated Worker Program”
“Thank you for helping me find a new job, especially during this unique pandemic time.”
Those are just a few of the many thank you messages CareerForce staff have received from grateful Minnesotans who received career exploration and job search assistance...
Entrepreneurs know that running a business means many things — product development, fundraising, marketing, branding, customer service and more. Distilling everything your company is down to one 60-second elevator pitch might seem like an impossible task.
For Sonia and Bill Massey, co-founders of product development consultancy TimeAway LLC and its flagship product The Restroom Kit, crafting the perfect elevator pitch took time and practice. But after appearing on Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch and Steve Harvey's reality show Funderdome, the duo have their pitch down to a science.
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Lynn was laid off during the pandemic and not aware of all the career exploration and job search resources available to her, until she got a call in July from Gina Meixner at CareerForce in Bloomington.
Gina shared information about online resources including the many CareerForce online workshops, a weekly virtual job club hosted by CareerForce staffer Paul Sears and specialized job search resources for people over age 50. Gina also encouraged Lynn to apply for the Dislocated Worker program, which made a whole new slate of training and job search resources available to Lynn.
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An idea from a group of volunteers to reimagine the Interstate 35 corridor in Duluth, which runs between its downtown and popular tourism neighborhood Canal Park, is gaining city and state attention.
The group, called the Duluth Waterfront Collective, is pitching the removal of the interstate in favor of creating a parkway. This redevelopment, the group says, could increase activity in one of the city’s most important industries, tourism, as well as spur development.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed Minnesota’s job market in unprecedented ways. From the largest and fastest job loss in state history to the steepest and swiftest employment recovery Minnesota has ever witnessed, the job market has been shaken up like never before. Now, there are tens of thousands of jobs available across the state and employers are scrambling to find workers to fill them.
As jobs are coming back, they aren’t always in the same fields or requiring the same skills as the jobs that were lost. This means you may need to gain new skills to find...
Two years after completing college, young graduates of color are more likely to be stuck in part-time or seasonal employment than their peers, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. In an effort to close that gap, the Greater MSP Partnership is launching ConnextMSP, an inclusive talent network designed to recruit, hire, and support young BIPOC professionals.
“Every year in our region, thousands of students of color graduate with degrees and certificates but face barriers to landing career-track jobs,” Greater MSP President and CEO Peter Frosch said in a statement. “ConnextMSP will help break down systemic...
GIS Planning’s clients range from small towns with a single economic development person (who often also handles duties at the chamber, the city manager’s office etc.) to large cities or regional and statewide economic development agencies with large staffs.
But no matter the size of the EDO is, they always have more projects and incoming requests than people or time.
Fortunately, GIS Planning clients can rely on the equivalent of an extra staff member with ZoomProspector working for their region.
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Within the plethora of buzzwords that grew in popularity over the COVID-19 pandemic, there is one that will live on stronger throughout the foreseeable future. Beyond terms like lockdowns, mandates, bottlenecks, shortages, SPACs, and inflation, it’s the word sustainability that will have a lasting effect on companies, their employees, and their customers for the next 100 years. This term is the same one that has been nagging on the ear of executives throughout industries for decades. A small annoyance perhaps at the bottom of the barrel, but now it is, or should be, cemented on to-do lists across the globe...
Leaders Lab is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage Minnesota’s developing business leaders (approximately late 20s to 30s). It will enhance your personal and professional growth, connect you with business leaders statewide, and provide understanding into what drives Minnesota’s economy and how policy affects the success of business in our state. The program consists of four sessions two-day sessions. To learn more about Leaders Lab, click here.
Check back to this page as more of our wonderful 2021 Leaders Lab participants are profiled!
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Many individuals and small businesses have faced enormous hardships over the last 18 months — illness, layoffs, furloughs, shortages, remote schooling — due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. During this same period, governments too, at both the state and local levels, faced unprecedented challenges as they worked to address the pandemic’s impact on their citizens.
Charged with protecting public health and safety, governments have responded to the pandemic by supporting critical infrastructure, especially in healthcare. They’ve established new sources of funding, improved coordination between agencies, and supported vulnerable populations, rapidly deploying stimulus funding while trying to monitor its use...
In 1961, President Kennedy proclaimed that the United States should “commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth.” Thus began the space race that has over the years spawned numerous innovative companies and exceptional research.
One only must consider in awe the launch of private citizens and entrepreneurs Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos into space 60 years later. On July 11, Branson entered the edge of outer space in his space craft, the Virgin Galactic — the result of nearly 17 years...
Hemlock Semiconductor in Saginaw, Michigan, is the nation’s largest manufacturer of ultra-pure polysilicon that is sliced by other manufacturers into wafers to be used in solar cells and semiconductors. Area Development’s editor recently asked the company’s senior vice president of Advocacy and Engagement about the recent shortage in the global production of semiconductors that has been causing delays in the manufacture of products utilizing these chips.
Area Development: How does Hemlock think the U.S. should respond to China’s efforts to dominate the market for both polysilicon and semiconductors?
Brooke Beebe: Policy actions such as the U.S. Innovation and...
The State of Nevada is on top of things. For close to 10 years, they’ve been focused on where industry is going and what it means for the future of work in the state. State leaders like Bob Potts, deputy director at the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) have recognized its legacy industries (gaming, entertainment, and tourism) have been on a maturing path for decades. They’ve thus been working to identify the state’s comparative advantages in various industries to better diversify.
“We looked at advanced manufacturing, technology, healthcare, logistics and operations, and energy,” Potts said. “We were doing...
EY is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its Entrepreneur Of The Year program, which recognizes CEOs and regional business leaders for their outstanding entrepreneurial accomplishments and major contributions to their communities.
Eight business innovators from seven Minnesota companies received the Entrepreneur Of The Year Heartland Award during a second-ever virtual awards program on July 27. Seven states in the nation’s midsection make up EY’s Heartland region.
Executives from 19 other Minnesota companies were finalists for the award.
Twin Cities Business profiles these accomplished business leaders in this issue, including an up-close look at the Minnesota winners, who...
Jason is a U.S. military veteran who sought help finding a job during the pandemic.
He reached out to CareerForce Veterans Employment Services staff for help translating his military experience in a way that would showcase his skills to civilian employers. After he found employment, Jason reached out again to say thank you to what he called his job search “Dream Team”.
“I found success by plugging myself into the system,” said Jason. “I also tapped into the weekly Eagle Group MN Zoom calls hosted by Stephen Kolcinski and Alan Hill where I was able to meet the...
How to help employees receive a vaccine:
Help employees find where to get vaccinated: They can receive them through the health care provider, at a pharmacy and others. The state offers a vaccine locator map to help employers and employees.
Host an on-site vaccination: Just like hosting an on-site flu clinic, a vaccine provider or health care provider could help you vaccine employees on-site. Contact your health care provider or sign up through the Minnesota Department of Health.
Read full article.
Lead For America, Land O’Lakes, Inc., the Mayo Clinic, Midwest Dairy and Scoular recently announced the placement of six American Connection Corps (ACC) Fellows in Minnesota, part of a group of 50 individuals placed in communities across the country. These Fellows will work to increase broadband access and digital literacy as well as contribute to critical community development initiatives in communities across Minnesota. Lead for Minnesota Fellow Patrick Garry was chosen for placement in Redwood County to work with the county EDA on broadband access throughout the county.
Garry arrived in Redwood Falls on Aug. 9 to begin his...
The Twin Cities & Western Railroad Company celebrates 30 years of service this month.
From Aug. 27-29, the short-line railroad will offer a series of passenger excursion trains to thank its customers, employees and government leaders that have helped make it successful.
The Twin Cities & Western Railroad Company’s rail line starts in the Twin Cities, running through Chanhassen and Chaska. The company’s ownership goes west to Appleton, 30 miles from the South Dakota border.
When the short-line gets to St. Paul, its customers have the option to hand off their train cars to Canadian Pacific, BNSF...
It’s safe to say we live in unprecedented times. A global pandemic, shocks to the supply chain, and myriad other disruptions make this a challenging time to be in business. The goal of The Future of Attracting and Retaining Workforce blog series from DEED’s Workforce Strategy Consultant team is to lay out information to help businesses overcome obstacles and find success. This first blog in our series will focus on enhanced unemployment benefits and what might happen next.
What are enhanced unemployment benefits?
There are three different federal enhanced unemployment benefits programs with very similar acronyms. One is...
The word “startup” often brings to mind data scientists, engineers, and techies who are working on the next big disruption. Twin Cities Startup Week wants to broaden that perception to showcase innovation in all forms. This year, for the first time, the week-long September festival will put special emphasis on arts and culture.
“We wanted to expand how we defined innovation and who can participate by extending invitations to those communities who didn’t feel included in the past,” said Casey Shultz, executive director of BETA, the local organization that produces TCSW. Billed as “one of the largest entrepreneurial festivals...
St. Paul – Minnesota gained 14,500 jobs, up 0.5% in July on a seasonally adjusted basis, and the private sector gained 8,700 jobs, up 0.4%, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). These were the largest gains since March for total employment and the largest since May for private sector employment.
Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked down one-tenth of a percentage point to 3.9% in July. This drop was due to people moving into jobs as well as a small decline in the state’s labor force participation, which also ticked...
ARE YOU LOOKING TO BETTER PREPARE YOUR COMPANY FOR OWNERSHIP TRANSITION NOW OR IN THE FUTURE?
The August MN Supplier Match Roundtable helped businesses explore key issues around business succession and transition planning. Are you looking to better prepare your company for ownership transition now or in the future? Our succession and transition experts provided helpful hints in areas such as ESOP conversion, Cooperative (Co-op) business models, business valuation, family business succession plans and more.
HOW TO FIND YOUR BUSINESS'S VALUATION AND LOCATE A BUYER
"Obviously the seller's perception is, 'Hey, I worked my entire life in...
The landscape has changed dramatically for businesses accessing the labor market pool. Employers have to rethink how to approach prospective employees if they plan on meeting their hiring demands. Job shortages have created a frenzy where companies are scrambling to adopt a new approach to hiring new team members in pursuit of a different type of job engagement.
Every day I coach companies that are desperate to find workers who can support their growing business. Many of these businesses have unfortunately had to turn business away, because they don’t have enough staff to support the influx of work. According...
Managing managers can be similar, in some ways, to managing a team — you need to align priorities, communicate goals, provide feedback and serve as a mentor. But the difference in managing managers is that you have to not only oversee their work, but make sure they’re effectively supporting their teams too.
In addition to ensuring that managers are producing quality work, you’re setting clear expectations for what a successful manager looks like, observing their leadership within a team and offering direct feedback on their management skills.
A successful manager is one who guides their team to perform...
EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE
Minnesota Department of Economic Development resources for employers – Information on staffing, hours, unemployment insurance and assistance for small businesses.
Coronavirus and unemployment insurance – Specific details on mandatory or voluntary quarantines, changes in hourly work or layoffs, and COVID-19 related costs.
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's “worker protections” – A summary of FMLA, sick leave, unemployment insurance.
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry – Frequently asked questions for employers and employees related to COVID-19
Read full article.
In 2011, billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, then 56, told an audience in Bangalore that “people under 35 are the people who make change happen. People over 45 basically die in terms of new ideas.”
Khosla defied his own stereotype when, six years later, he became a seed investor in Metawave, a radar company founded by then-54-year-old Maha Achour. The longtime entrepreneur and MIT-trained physicist is using advanced aerial imaging and technology to help self-driving cars operate smoothly through every weather condition.
“Experience is everything,” she says of how her age has helped her start and grow her...
With the recent Senate passage of a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, states are looking for what level of federal funding they might expect for their own projects. The Biden Administration released preliminary numbers last week, giving Minnesota a glimpse at projects it might be able to complete after final passage of the infrastructure package. Some big-ticket items were $4.5 billion for highways, $302 million for bridge repairs and $802 million to improve public transportation across the state.
In addition to those funds, the White House said Minnesota can expect to receive $68 million over the span of five years...
It’s Park and Recreation Month - the perfect time to get outside and enjoy all that the Redwood Area has to offer! From ballgames to camping, the fun is at an all-time high during summers in Redwood County! We have hiking, camping, fishing, frisbee-golf, skating, zoos and more to keep families entertained throughout the summer and year-round. Our community is an incredible place for families and outdoor adventurers.
Four Outdoor Recreation Spots in Redwood County
There are so many fun things to do in Redwood County that it’s difficult to narrow it down to a short list. Still,...
If the recent pandemic has taught business leaders anything, it’s that solid readiness planning through diversification and data analysis can reduce the impact when a crisis hits. Nearly half of operations leaders surveyed in the recent PwC US Pulse Survey indicated that reducing supply chain disruptions is “very important.” But few companies are ready to make the costly move of reshoring or nearshoring, even though a recent executive order put an emphasis on the potential upsides of moving supply chains to — or closer to — the United States or allied countries. Recent changes to multinational trade agreements also further complicate supply chains...
Agile work is increasing due to the pandemic. Having experienced some of the benefits of working from home — such as reduced commutes, increased ability to balance work and life, preferred space to execute individualized focus work, etc. — more office workers are going to expect flexibility in where they work.
Recognizing this coming shift is the easy part. Understanding how portfolio and workplace strategies need to adjust — and then executing on those adjustments — is the challenge.
In order to explore and better understand how organizations are thinking about these changes, Cushman & Wakefield partnered with...
While 2020 will certainly be remembered for the COVID-19 pandemic, the year also turned out to be transformative on the diversity and inclusion front (D&I). While much of the world sat socially distanced in their homes, we watched as our fellow Americans expressed outrage and grief over the gaps in opportunity and equity experienced by people of color. While it may have been expected that a global pandemic would shape site location strategy, is it possible that D&I initiatives would also alter the future of site location strategies?
A Wake-Up Call
With the social unrest and calls to action...
Hiring and training someone new is always stressful.
You hope your hire will work out and be highly successful, but you never know who will stay with you for a decade versus whom you'll have to fire in three months.
In my career as a serial software entrepreneur, investor in business-to-business SaaS companies, and rapper-fashion designer, I've had to hire countless people. I've interviewed thousands and hired hundreds of people, from writers and video editors, to enterprise salespeople and senior software engineers.
Here are some lessons I've learned that can help you set up your new hire...
With the rapid increase in natural gas production and over two million miles of natural gas pipelines throughout the U.S., many corporate officials expect accessing gas infrastructure and service to be simple. Unfortunately, many prime industrial sites lack adequate pipeline infrastructure, and project managers have found it increasingly difficult and complex to develop new pipelines.
No Pipeline = No Gas
Manufacturers typically look to either a local gas distribution company (LDC) or an interstate transmission company to secure access to the energy and manufacturing feedstocks they need. While both good options, often the parties have divergent business objectives. This...
As a business mentor, marketer, writer and storyteller, along with a successful stint as an entrepreneur, I get asked this question many times: “Can you share the most important mantras for becoming a successful first-time entrepreneur?”
Here are my half-dozen tips for building a successful new business:
1. Timing is everything
Many people think that money and a good idea are all it takes to create a successful new enterprise.
Read full article.
Have you ever thought about creating an application for your business? The download and use of apps is one of the trends that dominate the current digital market.
As currently not all Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) offer them, having a platform like this is a differentiating factor that surprises consumers and will help position you as an innovative entity .
These are some advantages of having your own app.
Read full article.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a myriad of corporations have overhauled the way they operate. Now, with the possibility of a return to the office on the horizon, but with nearly two-thirds of US workers wanting to remain working from home (according to Gallup), organizations need to develop long-term hybrid work strategies that meet the needs of both employees and businesses.
In determining these approaches, leaders should keep one concept at or near the top of the priority list: flexibility. Remote work is no longer an added benefit, but a requirement for a happy and productive workforce,...
If there’s one thing that sets a successful organization apart, it’s the ability to stay on the cusp of innovation and technology.
Creating an innovation-friendly work environment was one of the top priorities on my entrepreneurial journey. With that realization came the understanding that I would need to face the challenges, as well as the chance that I might make some mistakes along the way. Failure is, after all, an important part of the process.
The tactics I’ve used to create an innovation-friendly work environment have proven to be a productive ground for success. Now I’m paying it forward and sharing the...
When it comes to efficiency, minimizing less-than-productive meeting time, file transfer, and rework time are key to optimizing project schedules — hazards are lost time and lost money.
Collaborative software like BIM 360 reduces time spent in meetings and expedites handoffs, while also effectively eliminating rework by storing data and tracking progress from one central portal. This need has become even more evident as the world entered into the global pandemic. Anyone from anywhere can access project data as long as they have an Internet connection. The ability to work remotely is now a critical infrastructure need no matter...
The Global College (TGC) , an international school located in Madrid, announced that it will begin activities in September 2022 with the aim of being an educational benchmark in Europe.
This new educational center will train young people from all over the world with a focus on entrepreneurship and technology. The school will offer a two-year program in English for students aged 15-18, anchored in the International Baccalaureate Diploma and IE University's values of entrepreneurship, innovation, diversity, humanities and sustainability.
The Global College maintains a strategic alliance with IE University through 3 Institutional Centers: the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Center of Learning Innovation, and the...
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Seven projects will receive a total of $4.05 million in grants from the Minnesota Department of Transportation under its Minnesota Rail Service Improvement program. The seven, chosen from 21 applicants, were selected for their ability to aid economic development throughout the state.
“The number of applicants for the 2021 MRSI grants show there’s a great need to maintain or improve rail freight service in local markets throughout the state,” Peter Dahlberg, Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations program manager, said in a press release. “These local rail connections give local farmers, manufacturers and other...
Remote work has become one of the most sought-after types of jobs in the months following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Many employers are expanding their remote work positions and others are moving to a “hybrid” model with a mix of in-person days and work-from-home days.
LinkedIn reported that remote work postings on its platform accounted for 9.7% all jobs so far in 2021, up from 2% a year earlier — and those jobs are getting a quarter of all applications.
But how do you snag a fully remote job if you have no experience — or...
St. Paul – More than 300,000 U.S. military veterans call Minnesota home and more than half of them are of working age. Unfortunately, veterans returning from recent military deployments face higher unemployment and more challenges entering the civilian workforce and advancing in their careers. To help raise awareness about the resources available for veterans and their spouses, as well as the many benefits of employing current and former U.S. military members, Governor Walz has proclaimed July 2021 as Hire a Veteran Month.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has a slate of events planned to mark the month...
Minnesota’s economy is largely powered by small and medium sized businesses (SMB’s). SMB’s make up 99.5% of all Minnesota firms and employ nearly 47% of all Minnesota workers. Small businesses also drive job growth in the state’s economy. In 2019 SMB’s were responsible for over 22,000 net new jobs, with firms under 20 employees creating the largest share of new jobs.
The performance of Minnesota’s small business sector is thus critical to the overall health of the state’s economy.
Small businesses were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, and face continued challenges one year after the...
St. Paul – The Minnesota Trade Office (MTO) at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is accepting nominations for the 36th annual Governor’s International Trade Awards.
The Governor’s International Trade Awards honor Minnesota companies that have shown exceptional growth and success in foreign markets. In addition to honoring individual recipients, the award recognizes the tremendous positive impact that exports and trade have on the state’s overall economy.
“Minnesota companies exported over $20 billion worth of goods to countries around the world last year, boosting our economy and representing our state across the globe,” said Governor Tim Walz. “I...
At the Minnesota Chamber’s virtual Washington, D.C. Fly-in, employers from every corner of Minnesota met with Minnesota’s federal delegation to discuss issues impacting their businesses. Without question, the top issue was the workforce shortage facing businesses of all size and location throughout the state.
The workforce shortage isn’t new. The Chamber’s Business Education Network has been working to bring together K-12, higher education and community leaders around the state to build sustainable, nimble pathways to local careers or higher education opportunities. But as Minnesota’s economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses are finding it harder than ever to fill open jobs. ...
The pandemic forced many companies to make big pivots, and by utilizing tech, some found ways to actually positively affect their overall business.
Nicole Walters, founder and CEO of Inherit Learning Company and star of USA Network's She’s The Boss, recently spoke with Andres Wydler, executive director of StartOut, about the role technology played in shaping how the LGBTQ nonprofit operated over the last year — and the opportunities it unlocked. "By going virtual during the pandemic, we found the opportunity to turn all of our local events into national ones," he explained.
StartOut immediately refocused its efforts from in-person to virtual events and, Wydler says, "The community...
The United States is making a big bet on the role that farmers can play in mitigating climate change.
President Joe Biden said he wants American farmers to be the first in the world with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. How they might achieve that goal is still unclear — but one idea getting a lot of attention involves paying farmers to store carbon in the soil.
It’s called carbon banking, and some see it as one way to reduce the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. While the concept has been around for decades, it’s still finding...
April 2021 marked the one-year point from the largest economic downturn in Minnesota’s modern history. The shock to the economy last spring was staggering: Minnesota shed more than 400,000 jobs and lost over $36 billion dollars in GDP output, as in-person activities ground to a halt to slow the spread of COVID-19. To put this in perspective, Minnesota’s 2020 job losses exceeded the size of North Dakota’s entire workforce.
Yet the unique circumstances surrounding this downturn – both the public health crisis that caused the downturn and the massive federal response to keep families and businesses afloat – meant that...
A drive on just about any Minnesota highway reveals dozens of “Now hiring” signs from desperate employers, some offering hundreds of dollars in signing bonuses. Manufacturers, restaurant chains, agribusinesses, and health care organizations are among the many companies that say they’re in dire need of workers. In the Twin Cities, “Help Wanted” signs hang from windows of independent restaurants, cafés, auto repair shops, and countless other businesses.
It’s a remarkable about-face from a year ago, when government-mandated shutdowns and a temporarily contracted economy forced many Minnesotans out of work. It’s also a phenomenon that has produced headline after headline...
High unemployment, the magnifying power of the web and fresh fintech financing are fueling an eruption of startups not seen in decades. And America will never go back to business as usual.
In the gritty, gray concrete lobby of Firebrand Collective—a women’s coworking space in Kansas City’s industrial West Bottoms district—Jackie Nguyen makes lattes laced with cardamom and lychee from her colorful mobile coffee shop. A colossal dragon head covers the shop, Cafe Cà Phê, painted the bold yellow and red of the South Vietnamese flag, with dashes of bright blue in a nod to the French influence on the country’s...
Minnesota added 12,300 jobs for May, the fifth straight month that the state has posted job gains. That’s according to the latest statistics from the Minnesota Department of Economic Development and Employment (DEED).
The private sector added 14,800 jobs. But those gains were offset by a loss of 2,500 government jobs for the month.
DEED Commissioner Steve Grove was upbeat in a virtual press conference to discuss the latest numbers.
Read full article.
After one of the toughest years on record for the nation’s more than 30 million small businesses, one thing is certain—the American dream is alive and well. Those who weathered the storm pivoted to meet the moment: 95% of owners adapted their businesses in some way, and 50% launched new products, services or sales strategies, according to a recent survey of 10,000 small businesses by Goldman Sachs. Meanwhile, millions of Americans searching for jobs or purpose in their newly remote work lives fueled an explosion in entrepreneurship not seen in decades.
With our Next 1000 list, we’re on a...
Every quarter, the Labor Market Information (LMI) Office of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) publishes a slate of research articles that offer insights into important labor market trends.
In the June 2021 issue of Minnesota Economic Trends, LMI analysts provide a summary look at Minnesota’s labor market and employment trends in our annual State of the State issue, including articles that focus on regional trends throughout the state. In addition, analysts take a deep dive on one of the driving questions of the day that many employers across Minnesota are asking: where are the workers? Here are...
A once-in-a-generation explosion in entrepreneurship is taking place as founders bet on themselves in record numbers. MainStreet U.S.A is back in business—and stronger than ever.
When the Covid-19 pandemic brought the economy to a standstill, more than 30 million small businesses across the U.S. were cast into financial freefall. But from the downturn, marked by the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression and a staggering 22 million jobs lost, emerged a surge in entrepreneurship—one that’s continued into 2021.
In February nearly 430,000 Americans filed applications for new startups, up 40% from February 2020. According to an analysis...
Economic strategy starts with building on core strengths and driving resources toward efforts that help existing businesses change and grow.
This has been Grow Minnesota!’s model for over 18 years, and it will continue to be critical as Minnesota seeks to recover and advance its economy this decade.
As the Minnesota Chamber Foundation shows in its recently released Minnesota: 2030 report, the state’s economy is poised to face an array of changes over the next decade, bringing both challenges and opportunities.
Here are some findings from the Minnesota: 2030 outlook, and ideas for how business retention strategies can play...
Redwood Area Development Corporation celebrates National Homeownership Month during June by raising awareness about the benefits that homeownership brings to families, neighborhoods, and communities alike. The real estate market is thriving, and RADC member businesses are striving to make homeownership a reality for individuals who dream of owning their own home. Learn more about why homeownership matters and how you can find connections to help you become a homeowner too.
Why Homeownership Matters
Owning a home is a cornerstone of the “American Dream”.
With homeownership, comes a sense of pride, financial stability, and equity. Many homeowners benefit...
When scouting locations for a retailer, an experienced real estate team knows precisely what to look for: sites that have high visibility, easy accessibility, and close proximity to a population base and competing stores. By comparing options that meet this small handful of criteria, the final selection can be relatively simple.
Compare that to locating a new manufacturing facility. As many as 70 or more different variables can influence site selection — from infrastructure, logistical, and incentive considerations to permitting requirements, staffing needs, and community acceptance concerns. Site selection models for these facilities, therefore, can be notoriously complex. The...
How to find new investors for your Opportunity Zones before it's too late - Opportunity Fund directories, financial advisors, LinkedIn, and old-fashioned networking.
Opportunity Zone legislation passed in 2017 and the incentives provided in the legislation are not going to go on forever. Savvy economic developers will take advantage of this limited-time incentive to attract investors to the Opportunity Zones in their community.
Opportunity Zones are meant to promote growth in stagnant and underdeveloped regions of the country. There are more than 8,700 Opportunity Zones designated through the U.S.
Since there is no way for state and...
Filing business-related taxes can often be a time-consuming and complicated process, especially for new entrepreneurs. Small business owners need a good understanding of the federal, state, and local taxes required to file. The types of taxes can range from income, employment, excise, and sales.
It is critical that business owners are set up for success well before tax season. Here are three steps for managing your small business’s taxes.
1. Find the Right Accountant
Most small business owners hire an accountant to ensure that all tax filing and payments are made correctly. Accountants help reduce the amount...
At June’s Immigrant and Refugee Affairs Forum, community leaders, state agencies, and nonprofit organizations came together to talk about the economic opportunities and challenges in the agriculture industry for Minnesota’s Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) farmers. The forum also shared a range of resources from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and community-based organizations for BIPOC Minnesota farmers.
Emerging Farmers Working Group
To kick off the discussion, MDA Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey shared information on the Emerging Farmers Working Group in Minnesota. This group is the first of its...
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected every facet of our economy, increasing a cultural reliance on e-commerce that is here to stay. Retailers have responded by minimizing square footage of brick-and-mortar store fronts, keeping less inventory on site, and focusing more on entertainment and experiential retail to keep shoppers engaged. As a result, the need for warehousing and industrial space has exploded, driving the desire for large-scale, innovative facilities that maximize efficiency and logistical operations.
The literal driving force behind the industrial surge is the expansion of transportation capabilities worldwide, with international trade becoming the engine of the global economy...
When running a small business, profitability is of utmost importance. Businesses that aren't profitable can't stay up and running without a constant influx of cash from a steady source. Continually burning cash is no way to do business. It might seem to work for some companies, but in the long run, cash burn will eventually catch up, one way or another.
Small-business profitability by the numbers
A U.S. Bank study found that 82 percent of businesses that failed did so because of problems with cash flow, and it's easy to see why. Only 40 percent of small businesses are profitable, and 30...
2020 will be seen as one of the most consequential years in any security professional’s career. For many, there will be a bright line dividing how things were before the pandemic from how they are now.
A Splunk global survey of 535 security leaders found that the next great security challenge is cloud complexity—including shifts in workloads, new software development models, remote work and heterogeneous public cloud usage.
To help leaders tackle these obstacles, Splunk offers a step-by-step guide.
Read full article.
One of President Joe Biden’s first acts was to announce a $2.3 trillion bill to repair and upgrade the nation’s infrastructure. The bill addresses what has become a perennial topic of debate in Congress, and one that has repeatedly been set aside for action at some future date.
It has been well-documented across the United States that years of neglect have resulted in roads and bridges in dire need of repair, outdated public transportation, subpar Internet service, and other critical infrastructure needs. In its most recent report card on the condition of America’s infrastructure, the American Society of Civil...
While inclusion and diversity have always been essential, they have become even more essential for marketers due to the industry's current pandemic and cultural climate. Simply put, we're dealing with two huge issues right now: a people crisis and an economic issue. By putting our efforts into inclusion, equity and diversity, we can provide a powerful solution to both problems we're facing.
However, it's not as simple as changing a few policies and calling it a day. Instead, organizations need to work to expand these efforts to include the challenges of working during a pandemic. We are at a pivotal point...
The pandemic has upended the labor market in unprecedented ways and it will take some time for the disruption to be resolved. Our new article examines employer challenges in finding workers during pandemic recovery and offers some ideas for new steps employers can take now to find the workers they need.
In our work as DEED’s Labor Market Analyst and Workforce Strategy Consultant for Northeast Minnesota, we’ve heard from many employers who aren’t receiving the same number and quality of applications they were receiving prior to the pandemic. This is happening as many employers are hoping to hire more...
Employment Guidance
Minnesota Department of Economic Development resources for employers – Information on staffing, hours, unemployment insurance and assistance for small businesses.
Coronavirus and unemployment insurance – Specific details on mandatory or voluntary quarantines, changes in hourly work or layoffs, and COVID-19 related costs.
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's “worker protections” – A summary of FMLA, sick leave, unemployment insurance.
Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry – Frequently asked questions for employers and employees related to COVID-19
Minnesota Council – Society of Human Resource Management (MNSHRM) – Resources for HR professionals (login required).
U.S. Department of Labor guide to...
May 21, 2021
This toolkit will continue to be updated as new information and resources become available. Please continue to check back for updates.
On May 6, Governor Walz announced new reopening measures for businesses and the lifting of other restrictions. Per MPR, the phased reopening includes the following date- or metric-specific changes:
May 7: The state removes limits for outdoor dining and events. It ends the mask order outdoors except at venues with more than 500 people. Pandemic-related closing times for bars, restaurants and other gathering spaces are lifted.
May 28: Any remaining outdoor limits and indoor...
St. Paul – Minnesota’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1% in April, from 4.2% in March, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). The unemployment rate decline was due to people moving from unemployment to employment. The U.S. unemployment rate rose one-tenth to 6.1% in April.
For the fourth straight month, Minnesota gained jobs. Minnesota gained 11,300 jobs in April on a seasonally adjusted basis, up 0.4%, following growth of 20,400 (adjusted) jobs in March, 12,400 jobs in February and 51,600 jobs in January. Minnesota’s private sector gained 8,100...
Minnesota added 11,300 new jobs in April, the fourth straight month that the state has posted job gains. Data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) shows that the state has now added 95,700 jobs over the last four months. More than half of those jobs were added in January when DEED reported 51,600 new jobs.
The latest numbers bring the state’s unemployment rate down to 4.1 percent, a small decline from the 4.2 percent rate last month.
Minnesota lost 416,300 jobs from February to April 2020 when the pandemic first hit. Since then, the...
St. Paul – A new study released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) presents early findings about Minnesota workers who were laid off during March through June of 2020 and the most up-to-date information we have about their employment status. The study by DEED Labor Market Information (LMI) Office analyst Alessia Leibert will be featured in the June issue of Minnesota Economic Trends, a quarterly publication of DEED’s LMI office.
Specifically, the study considers:
How many and which workers were brought back to jobs at their old employer;
Those who continued to...
The Center for Workforce Solutions is the first-of-its kind in Minnesota, a business-led initiative to ensure employers and employees possess the necessary tools for jobs of the future. One of three priority areas for the Minnesota Chamber Foundation, it is complimented by our leadership programs, and the Center for Economic Research, which issued its first major report, Minnesota: 2030 in the spring of 2021. One of the major strategy recommendations of Minnesota: 2030 is leveraging Minnesotans – stressing the foundational imperatives to grow our workforce and help individuals develop the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century economy...
industry is one of the few whose prospects have changed for the better. Called upon to rapidly develop and distribute an all-important COVID-19 vaccine without sacrificing the research and production of existing drugs, the biotech industry is expanding at breakneck speed.
Currently, around 13.9 million square feet of life sciences research and manufacturing space is under construction in key markets. In the United States, lab space vacancies have dropped to 7.1 percent, while commercial properties are being converted into R&D facilities on a massive scale.
This biotech boom is providing a vital lifeline to the construction industry. Due to the impact COVID-19...
If the recent pandemic has taught business leaders anything, it’s that solid readiness planning through diversification and data analysis can reduce the impact when a crisis hits. Nearly half of operations leaders surveyed in the recent PwC US Pulse Survey indicated that reducing supply chain disruptions is “very important.” But few companies are ready to make the costly move of reshoring or nearshoring, even though a recent executive order put an emphasis on the potential upsides of moving supply chains to — or closer to — the United States or allied countries. Recent changes to multinational trade agreements also further complicate supply chains...
Area Development’s staff editor Mark Crawford recently asked Ericsson’s Dan Kerber, vice president of digital services business operations for North America — who helps companies improve their financial and operational metrics through improved resource management processes — about his thoughts on leadership, especially the need for “soft skills” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Area Development: What are the most important soft skills needed for leadership today?
Dan Kerber: There are many important soft skills, but the three I have found most important are communication, giving effective feedback, and empathy. Good communication skills are essential for conveying information, decisions, and your thought...
Overview
More than 8,700 opportunity zones have been designated across the United States, established as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and are intended to foster long-term private sector investments in low-income communities. We can now begin to show the intersection of EDA's public investments and activities (more information will be added) near or within these zones. An initial assessment on the impact of these zones is available in this August 2020 report from the Council of Economic Advisors.
What are Opportunity Zones?
Qualified opportunity zones were created by the federal 2017 Tax Cuts and...
In the digital age, customer experience is king. In the past, delivering a poor experience meant, at worst, getting a negative review or being lambasted on social media. Those things still happen, of course, but increasingly companies are watching their revenue dwindle as more customer-centric competitors rise to take their place.
Today, two-thirds of companies compete on customer experience alone (compared to 36 percent in 2010). Delivering a seamless, paperless and broker-free CX is how insurance app Lemonade grew from a promising startup to a publicly traded company worth billions. The simple goal of bringing humanity back to air travel is how...
The world is abundant with many accomplished entrepreneurs, but not all achieve advanced levels of achievement. So, what sets individuals who reach their professional summit apart from those who get stuck in the land of mainstream success?
When you look at professionals thriving within their enterprises, you will find certain similarities. They are the individuals with clarity, routines, boundaries and the right mindset to become the leaders we admire. They are the ones who work smarter, not harder. If you want to grow as an entrepreneur, and reach the top of your game, then here are five proven high-performance habits you can incorporate...
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) was awarded a Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) Phase II grant from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) this week. Minnesota was one of five states to receive such a grant.
The four-year $19,518,509 grant through DOL’s Office of Disability Employment Programs (ODEP) will fund MN RETAIN, which helps employees stay at or return to work more rapidly when an injury or illness impacts their ability to work. Its goal is to help keep 3,200 Minnesotans connected to the workforce over the next four years. This phase...
The United States has officially distributed more than 200 million Covid vaccines; globally, more than a billion doses have been administered.
While there is still a long way to go until the American population is inoculated to the point of achieving herd immunity—and an even longer way to go to reach that benchmark globally—the pace of the progress thus far has been a testament to the power of science, innovation and human determination.
It’s also been a testament to the power of women, and particularly women over the age of 50. For the last 14 months, women have been...
In human and economic costs, 2020 was a year without modern precedent.
Yet even as the world wrestled with Covid-19 and its consequences, industry stubbornly marched forward—and, finally, into recovery. We may never “return to normal,” but that doesn’t mean we can’t get back to the business of doing business. For many, recovery is an opportunity to accelerate digital transformation efforts and to actualize years of planned technological advancement in a matter of months. In fact, according to a 2020 Forbes Insights survey, 80% of CEOs said Covid-19 accelerated the digitalization of their operations, and 64% said the pandemic...
Raising a child is pricey—to the tune of almost a quarter of a million dollars over the first 18 years, according to the USDA’s most recent figures. Luckily, the IRS provides some tax breaks to help families with these enormous costs.
In 2019, a family qualified for an average tax credit of up to $4,879 for the earned income tax credit (EITC) and child tax credit (CTC) alone, according to data from the IRS and the Tax Foundation. A tax credit not only helps reduce the amount of money you owe taxes on, but some tax credits help generate a tax refund. If you...
Registration for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund will begin Friday at 8 a.m. and the application period will start on Monday, May 3 at 11 a.m. CT. The online application will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted.
SBA recommends qualifying applicants prepare by:
Registering for an account at restaurants.sba.gov starting on Friday at 8 a.m. CT.
Reviewing the official guidance, including program guide, frequently asked questions and application sample by clicking here.
The Shuttered Venue Operators Grant reopens at 11 a.m. on Monday, April 26. Here's what you need to know:
Register in the portal in advance: https://www.svograntportal.sba.gov/s/
Use the...
Ten things economic developers must know about Opportunity Zones include what an Opportunity Zone is, how many there are, your role in attracting investors to your community, and more. Let's walk through them.
10 THINGS ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS MUST KNOW ABOUT OPPORTUNITY ZONES
1. What exactly is an opportunity zone?
According to the U.S. Economic Development Agency, "an Opportunity Zone is an economically-distressed community where private investments, under certain conditions, may be eligible for capital gain tax incentives."
Residents who live in areas designated as Opportunity Zones tend to suffer from unequal economic growth and access to...
The challenges faced in 2020 were unlike any other confronted in our lifetime. The global pandemic wreaked havoc on our personal and professional lives and the U.S. and global economies.
The Commerce Department reports that U.S. GDP declined 3.5 percent in 2020, with the economy falling into recession in February 2020 — a month before the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. The 3.5 percent decline is the worst year for the U.S. economy since at least the end of World War II, as reported by CNBC.
As the novel coronavirus caused businesses to shut down, the U.S. unemployment...
BUILDING A REMOTE WORKFORCE
Building a remote workforce is key in an age where more and more employees are choosing to work remotely. 2020 changed the perception of remote work for many employers and employees, bringing with it a rise in worker satisfaction, increased productivity, and better mental health for many. The benefits of the environment and housing market are other indicators that remote work is here to stay. As the trend of remote work continues to rise, you may be wondering how to include remote workers in your workforce attraction strategy.
THE REMOTE WORK TREND WILL CONTINUE...
St. Paul – Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Steve Grove and Department of Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead were joined by staff of the Minnesota Children’s Cabinet and child care advocates and providers at a roundtable to discuss challenges providers have faced during the pandemic and the importance of high-quality, affordable child care in Minnesota’s economic recovery.
This roundtable was part of a broader series of discussions the agency is hosting called “The Next Minnesota Economy,” focusing on inclusive economic growth, reskilling our labor market and creating good jobs.
“We are about 80,000 slots short in the...
St. Paul – Under a partnership agreement announced today, First Children’s Finance will operate as the first statewide satellite center in the Minnesota Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) Network – providing specialized business and financial assistance to child care businesses across Minnesota at no cost to the businesses. Minnesota SBDC is part of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
“Without access to affordable child care, parents can’t earn a living, businesses can’t recruit reliable workers, and children miss out on early educational opportunities,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “This has never been more apparent than during the pandemic...
St. Paul – Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed April 2021 Technology Month in Minnesota. It’s an opportunity to draw attention to our technology sector and workforce and its importance to Minnesota’s economy. While the importance of these jobs has been highlighted during the pandemic, technology workers have been in demand in Minnesota’s economy for a long time and represent some of the highest-paid, best jobs in our state.
According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Labor Market Information (LMI) Office, the state of Minnesota is home to about 110,000 people working in Information Technology occupations. That’s about 3.8%...
As of March 30, all Minnesotans 16 years of age and older will be eligible to receive a vaccine. Minnesota has directed providers to prioritize vaccine appointments for people most at risk of getting COVID-19, or those who could develop severe illness if infected. This includes older Minnesotans, those with underlying health conditions, and those in essential jobs.
How to help employees receive a vaccine:
Help employees find where to get vaccinated: They can receive them through the health care provider, at a pharmacy and others. The state offers a vaccine locator map to help employers and employees.
Host an on-site...
The Redwood area is home to many exciting entertainment and recreational opportunities, including endless gaming action at the Jackpot Junction Casino Hotel in Morton, only seven miles east of Redwood Falls. Casino play, live entertainment, a renowned golf experience and abundant dining options are only a few of the excellent amenities awaiting guests at this lively Minnesota establishment.
Space to Play
Jackpot Junction is Minnesota’s first and friendliest casino with 440,000 square feet and two floors of gaming and gambling space! The casino offers 1,250 of the latest video slot machines, with a variety of themes ranging in...
One of the most important keys to entrepreneurial success is continuous learning. The world is constantly changing around you and your business, and if you're not constantly learning and staying up to speed with what's happening in the business world, you risk falling behind. We've rounded up resources to learn some of today's most important skills, all of which are an extra 50% off when you use code LEARNIT at checkout.
1. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is one of the world's leading web analytics tools and an absolute must-know for anybody operating a website. With GA, you can analyze your site's...
St. Paul – Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove and Deputy Commissioner Hamse Warfa held a virtual roundtable on Friday, March 19 focused on the impact of the pandemic on youth jobs. The discussion was attended by employers across the state and is part of a push to place more young people into great jobs this coming summer.
The roundtable is part of a broader series of discussions the agency is hosting called “The Next Minnesota Economy,” focusing on inclusive economic growth, reskilling our labor market and creating good jobs.
“We want to help...
AD: How has COVID-19 changed the employee experience in manufacturing, and what facets of this should organizations retain going forward?
Zenk: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been experiencing a drastically different work environment. Thousands of manufacturers across the U.S. and around the world were deemed essential during the pandemic, and their production lines haven’t stopped. They’ve continued to produce essential goods that the global community relies on — from the food we eat to the clothes we wear and cleaning supplies we use in our homes. As some manufacturers increased output and others reconfigured operations to satisfy...
Back in the 1980s, the term “offshoring” became a business buzzword as more and more U.S. companies moved manufacturing to foreign countries, typically to save on labor costs. In recent years, “reshoring” has been added to the lexicon as companies decide to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., for various reasons.
In 2020, reshoring created more U.S. jobs than foreign direct investment (FDI) for the first time in seven years, according to data collected by the Reshoring Initiative. In 2020, U.S. companies reshored nearly 69,000 manufacturing positions, while greenfield investment in the same industries created fewer than 42,000 jobs, according to...
Of course, the big factor impacting office and industrial parks going into 2021 is COVID-19. The pandemic has reduced business production and workforce (through illness, social distancing, and remote working), disrupted the supply chain and cash flow, and brought about significant investments in technology.
Across the nation, the demand for suburban office parks is rising as more skilled workers move back to suburbs, due to concerns about housing costs and quality of education — they also feel safer from COVID-19 and the civil unrest that is happening in some larger cities.
“The most notable shift is toward lower-intensity...
You want to dip into the remote workforce honey pot, so here's what you need to start doing to attract remote workers today!
Remote workers balance out the economic climate for communities, bring in new skillsets to the local workforce, grow the tax base, and reduce the carbon footprint by eliminating a long commute. An abundance of remote workers are looking to relocate to communities that check all the boxes on their want/need list. Tap into this opportunity now with these simple steps.
CREATE A REMOTE WORKFORCE ATTRACTION STRATEGY
Economic developers should start by building a step-by-step...
Solar and wind farms impress with the stupendous scale of their towers, blades and panels, stretching all the way to the horizon to capture every last drop of sun and breeze. Much of the economic opportunity related to them, however, takes place on smaller scale, in the form of services rendered to those massive displays of power from clusters of manufacturing, maintenance and services firms.
It can take the form of individual companies such as Cross Country Infrastructure Services, an Aurora, Colorado–based equipment and construction contractor supplier that announced in November it’s moving into growing wind and solar markets...
The world as we all knew it changed earlier this year with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seemingly overnight, everything that we used to think was normal had changed, and things that once were deemed impossible for the workplace became the “new normal.” Now, seven months later, most of us have gotten used to this “new normal” — embracing the work-from-home lifestyle, using new technology, wearing masks, social distancing, and connecting virtually. But what comes next? Eventually this pandemic will end, a vaccine will be readily available, and we will attempt to return back to our “normal” lives. But...
All over the world, entrepreneurs are turning to a powerful tool to improve their efficiency and raw output: automation.
Often hailed as the ultimate weapon for increasing productivity, automation certainly has a lot of advantages. But it’s not guaranteed to be effective. In fact, when used incorrectly, automation can end up working against you.
To use automation effectively, you need to understand its strengths and weaknesses and build a strategy around them.
Why automation is useful
These days, you can automate a variety of work functions and activities. If you’re producing a physical good, you can likely...
St. Paul – March 17th was national Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Day and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove and SBDC State Director Bruce Strong engaged in a lively, productive discussion with several small business owners and SBDC advisory board members from across the state.
Business owners related stories about the challenges they’ve faced starting and running businesses both before and during the pandemic. Participants talked about the value of Minnesota’s network of Small Business Development Centers which assisted more than 5,835 Minnesota entrepreneurs and businesses in 2020, providing over 32,900 professional consulting hours at...
This year, many eager new entrepreneurs are ready to hit the ground running with their startups and hopefully experience a year less challenging than the previous one. When launching a new business, it’s important to consider what business tools and core essentials small businesses need in order to thrive in today’s "new normal."
I help entrepreneurs incorporate and form limited liability companies, so I generally tend to share advice on legal must-haves for small businesses, like business formations, trademarks, and tax IDs. However, I’m not going to do that this time around.
Let’s assume you have obtained these items already. What...
As business needs continue to evolve in response to the pandemic, many employers are putting new emphasis on finding candidates with essential workplace skills. According to RealTime Talent, while many job postings include post-secondary or technical training as a requirement, there are also many jobs for which employers are specifically seeking essential soft skills, such as time management, written communication, building collaborative relationships, self-confidence, and being a forward-thinker. This article takes a closer look at what skills are most sought by Minnesota employers now and what skills are emerging as the new foundational skills career seekers should try to develop...
Redwood County is proud to be home to Johanneck Water Conditioning, more commonly referred to as EcoWater Systems of Redwood Falls, part of the oldest water conditioning company in the world!
EcoWater Systems originated in 1925, when Lynn Lindsay obtained the first patent for automatic water conditioners and began what was then called the Lindsay Company. The company has grown exponentially since then.
As the largest manufacturer of residential water conditioning equipment in the world, they produce superior water treatment equipment in addition to providing top-tier service and support through a global network of dealers, one of which...
These 7 brilliant ways to grow your remote workforce will help you reap the benefits of the work from home movement! The advantages of a remote workforce for workers, employers, and the towns and states they reside in are many.
TAP INTO THE WORK FROM HOME MOVEMENT
70% of the American workforce is likely to work remotely at least five days every month by 2025. A large number of remote workers will spend much more time than that at home. The remote workforce experiences a better work-life balance, higher productivity, and more flexibility while contributing a large number of...
This is the fifth in a series of articles about how the pandemic has affected Redwood area businesses and organizations. This week we circle back and hear from another manufacturing business—Altimate Medical and Active Aid. The Gazette is working with Anne Johnson, Executive Director, Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism, to present this information.
“The Redwood Area is a great place to build your career and raise a family,” said Johnson. “A popular tagline in recent years is: ‘Live, Work, and Play in the Redwood Area,’ because the community has many amenities that attract people to an area, including good...
Businesses throughout Minnesota continue to struggle their way through the COVID-19 pandemic. With tax filing season upon us, it’s time to help employers who have sacrificed, yet still maintained paychecks for their employees.
Lawmakers in Minnesota can ease some of this uncertainty, support struggling small businesses and propel the state toward economic recovery by preventing taxes on Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
PPP was a major component of federal COVID-19 relief legislation, providing forgivable loans small businesses need to pay employees and cover expenses throughout the pandemic. Congress didn’t intend to tax the forgiven PPP loans, and businesses...
One of the most important aspects of how we manage the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is the way we set goals and measure results. In 2019, we shared a new system we’ve put into place at the agency to set aspirational goals for every team, and measure progress every quarter. The system, called Objectives and Key Results (OKRs), is used by organizations around the world to build momentum toward a clear vision.
As we begin the road to an inclusive economic recovery from COVID-19 in Minnesota, setting goals and measuring results are more important than ever before. Today,...
The Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority (MVRRA) faithfully serves the businesses of Redwood County. 2020 was a tough year for many businesses, but MVRRA stayed busy, completing projects and shipping goods and commodities. MVRRA Administrator, Julie Rath, shares what the team at MVRRA has been up to and what their plans for 2021 will look like.
“The TC&W, in the form of its Minnesota Prairie Line, Inc. subsidiary (MPLI), operates and maintains the rail line that MVRRA owns,” says Rath.
The tracks were originally built in 1880 and were acquired by the MVRRA in 1982. The Minnesota Prairie...
The art and science of economics consistently uses models to predict the future. In downturns, we look to past recessions to try to guess what might happen next.
Yet the economic fallout from COVID-19 has been unlike anything we’ve seen before. The uniquely targeted effect of the virus has led to unique economic conditions as well. Past recoveries don’t offer the same kind of models for the future. And models are, after all, only models.
To illustrate just how different today’s economic crisis is from the past, our Labor Market Information team built a new Comparing Recessions data tool for the...
St. Paul – Respondents to an annual Manufacturing Business Conditions Survey conducted by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis say they expect mostly unchanged or improved conditions in 2021.
In looking back on 2020, Minnesota manufacturers described contracting conditions. Sixty percent of respondents indicated a decline in number of orders and 57% experienced a drop in profits.
While they expect lingering pandemic conditions in 2021, more than half of respondents indicated they expect to go back to normal operations in more than six months. At the same time, almost...
Have you ever seen one of those 50-page business plans that go into detail about every conceivable aspect of a still purely theoretical business? You probably have, since those business plans have been the industry standard for decades.
Yet, in a world where words like lean and agile are becoming the new norm for startups, 50-page business plans look a bit out of place, and with a good reason.
It’s a fact that creating a plan is very helpful for a new business. A study of more than 10 thousand businesses shows that ventures grow 30% faster on average if they create business plans...
There is not a day that goes by where we don’t talk about the COVID pandemic. It is on the news, in our social feeds and it has infiltrated both our personal and professional worlds. Many businesses have shifted employees to a work-from-home routine; changing everything about how the business day works. We’ve moved from in-person to video. We’ve adapted to multiple family members attempting to be productive, in the same space, at the same time and we’ve shifted from brick-and-mortar to a heavier online presence. In the midst of it all, there have been many success stories. Yet, the challenges are ever apparent...
More than 75 percent of the companies responding to a recent survey from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) expect the COVID-19 pandemic will have a financial impact on their business, with more than 50 percent anticipating changes to their operations.
Prior to the pandemic many manufacturing companies had design and construction projects, either in progress or in the pipeline, with aggressive schedules. To slow the spread of the disease, many manufacturing operations and construction sites were shut down while new safety precautions were developed and implemented. Furthermore, uncertainty in the market caused many companies to delay committing large capital...
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Lower Sioux Indian Community tribal leaders say that land with historical significance will be returned to the Community from the State of Minnesota and the Minnesota Historical Society.
According to Community Council President Robert Larsen, plans are being finalized for the land acquisition, with the closing date of the transfer expected on Feb. 12. The land includes MHS parcels at the site where the U.S. Dakota War of 1862 started, which eventually led to the the “largest single day, mass execution in U.S. History.”
“This transfer is of great historical significance,” the tribe said in a...
Employee Retention Strategies
Attracting top talent to your company and then keeping that talent once you've got it, is crucial to your business's growth and reputation. Employee retention and motivation are interdependent and directly correlated. This means a good employee retention rate will reduce operational costs, allow you to outperform your direct competitors, build morale, and improve your customer service levels.
Hiring and firing is expensive. Very expensive.
If someone leaves your company, you need to consider the opportunity cost and the impact of not having someone in that role for an extended period. It could wipe...
Small businesses have faced many challenges and hurdles since the pandemic began, but e-commerce continues to thrive. The rise in online shopping is likely to continue, making it more important than ever to offer shipping for your products.
Join this session where Jamie Mason, FedEx Sales Director, will share expert advice on getting started with shipping, how to save time and money, and insight on how small businesses can make the most of this opportunity for growth.
Read full article.
COVID-19 didn’t just upset the established model of corporate site selection in 2020; the global pandemic obliterated it.
Site Selection Magazine’s annual survey of site selection consultants, conducted in late November, revealed five ways in which the global outbreak of coronavirus significantly altered how companies choose their business facility locations:
Instead of people chasing jobs, jobs are now chasing people.
Remember the good old days when everyone checked into the central office each workday and reported for duty? Yeah, neither do we. When the pandemic hit America in early March, worksites around the country began...
This is the second in a series of articles about how the pandemic has affected Redwood area businesses and organizations. The Gazette is working with Anne Johnson, Executive Director, Redwood Area Chamber & Tourism, to present this information.
This article features four local non-profit organizations which were asked by Johnson to provide comments and “news” about how their activities and future plans have been impacted by COVID-19.
“The Redwood Area is a great place to build your career and raise a family,” said Johnson. “One of the many attributes that supports that is our active network of community...
Why would my community want to attract a REMOTE WORKFORCE? -- To grow your economy, of course! The coronavirus pandemic has affected U.S. workplaces in many ways, including transitioning many employees to remote work. As some businesses begin to welcome employees back to the office, many remote workers, about two-thirds to be exact, are opting to continue working remotely, according to a GALLUP POLL. Attracting remote workers should now be a priority for all economic developers.
WHY WOULD MY COMMUNITY WANT TO ATTRACT A REMOTE WORKFORCE?
Remote workers can bring many benefits to the communities they choose to live in...
Why would my community want to attract a REMOTE WORKFORCE? -- To grow your economy, of course! The coronavirus pandemic has affected U.S. workplaces in many ways, including transitioning many employees to remote work. As some businesses begin to welcome employees back to the office, many remote workers, about two-thirds to be exact, are opting to continue working remotely, according to a GALLUP POLL. Attracting remote workers should now be a priority for all economic developers.
WHY WOULD MY COMMUNITY WANT TO ATTRACT A REMOTE WORKFORCE?
Remote workers can bring many benefits to the communities they choose to live in...
St. Paul – Launch Minnesota – an initiative of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) designed to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation – has received a national award as a “Super Connector” in the new Lab-to-Market (L2M) Competition sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in partnership with the National Science and Technology.
The competition drew over 160 submissions from across the country and awarded $330,000 in prizes. Launch Minnesota was one of four recipients in the Super Connector category which recognizes “current efforts to successfully attract and/or support networks of...
During the third week of Health Care Month, we are focusing on apprenticeship and training programs that are available to both employers and job seekers. As Governor Walz noted in his proclamation of January as Health Care Month, health care in Minnesota pays an average annual wage of $53,659, which is 4% higher than the nation’s average wage of $51,792 for the same sector. Wages go up with additional training, certification, and experience. DEED’s Labor Market Information office indicates there is projected long-term demand, as well as high current demand for health care workers. In fact, four of the top 10 jobs...
Economic and business activity helps gauge the pace of Minnesota’s economic recovery from the shock of COVID-19. This dashboard, brought to you by the Minnesota Chamber Foundation, tracks activity data statewide and nationally. The data are dynamic, so check back often. Read analysis here.
Read full article.
So you’ve heard time and time again about how an entry level position in health care can be a springboard to a new and fulfilling career, and that is true. Health care is one of the few occupations where you are limited only by your own personal goals in life. So I wanted to take this opportunity to share information about the education and training opportunities that exist to help you begin your journey as a health care professional.
Health care for youth and young adults
Not sure if health care is the occupation for you? There are...
As a small business owner, you have many responsibilities to uphold to keep your company running efficiently. One of them is ensuring you have sufficient security measures in place to protect organizational and employee data from fraudulent scams. Unfortunately, online scams are becoming increasingly pervasive: as of 2018, 82% of businesses reported experiencing a form of fraud. While these findings indicated that large enterprises were at a particularly high risk, small businesses were not exempt from these attacks, which is why it’s more important than ever to protect your small business against fraud. Here are three steps you can follow to boost your security and keep scammers at...
“He who cannot be a good follower, cannot be a good leader.”
Aristotle's old adage has never seemed more prescient. Consider the current Covid crisis: It has taken a pandemic to prove that distant, aloof and larger-than-life leaders are no longer effective.
Now more than ever it has become advisable for the modern manager to empathize with, and lend an ear to, those he manages. A study conducted by Kim Peters & S. Alexander Haslam on these two identities has proven that individuals who appear to be ideal followers are often a more popular choice for any leadership position among their peers.
Here are 5 reasons why an individual’s personality as a player...
The year 2020 came with its own share of problems. If there is one thing to learn from living through pandemics and lockdowns, it’s that a lot can change in a year. Many entrepreneurs started last January with high hopes and expectations for their businesses. However, many of those expectations went downhill as the year progressed. As with human nature, life moves on no matter what, so even though we were stuck at home for most of 2020, many businesses found ways to stay afloat.
As we move forward in this new year, entrepreneurs are looking to strategize and...
Renewed site selection activity, cautious optimism on foreign direct investment (FDI), continued skilled labor shortages and a shakeup of the global supply chain are among key findings of a 2021 outlook survey on corporate location trends. The findings were released today by the Site Selectors Guild, the only association of the world’s foremost professional site selection consultants.
Conducted the week of December 7, 2020, the online survey of Guild members aimed to shed light on shifts and challenges in corporate location strategy moving into 2021. The COVID-19 impact survey of Guild members is the third of its kind, following...
If you are planning to open your own small business, the first step is to develop a business plan. The next step is to develop a marketing plan, as all business plans should be paired with a strategy for marketing your products or services. Marketing strategies vary in format, but they all have the common goal of attracting and building relationships with customers. The style is up to you, but it should include the following elements.
1. Marketing Goals and Objectives
You will need to develop realistic and measurable marketing goals that cover a full calendar year and...
2020 was a tough year for businesses of all sorts. Covid-19 decimated labor markets, stressed supply lines and, in some unlucky sectors, ground production to a halt. 2021 is a chance to forget last year’s trials and to start fresh.
Chances must be capitalized on to create change. You need to put your nose to the grindstone, both personally and as a business leader, if you want to make it a red-letter year.
If 2021 is going to be your company’s year, you have to make it so. Here’s how to do it:
1. Tailor Your Expressions of...
As we enter a new year, you may be wondering HOW TO INCLUDE REMOTE WORKERS IN YOUR WORKFORCE ATTRACTION STRATEGY. Government regulations and efforts to slow the pandemic have forced workplaces to embrace remote work options. 88% OF BUSINESSES all over the world authorized their employees to work from home due to COVID-19.
It is vital to focus on effectively targeting remote workers but how does this translate to benefitting the local economy?
WHY IT'S WORTH IT TO ATTRACT REMOTE WORKERS
IT GROWS AND DIVERSIFIES THE LOCAL ECONOMY
More people working from home equals more money spent locally.
More...
As if manufacturers are not challenged enough by COVID-19, many face shortages of appropriately skilled workers to keep their tech-savvy factories competitive.
A 2018 report by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Instituteestimated the manufacturing industry would have as many as 2.4 million jobs to fill by 2028. Last year, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) reported in 3rd Quarter 2019 that the top concern among manufacturers was the inability to attract and retain a quality workforce.
Stephen Gold, president/CEO of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), recently wrote in IndustryWeek that the skills gap today isn’t so much about...
AD: How has COVID-19 changed the employee experience in manufacturing, and what facets of this should organizations retain going forward?
Zenk: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been experiencing a drastically different work environment. Thousands of manufacturers across the U.S. and around the world were deemed essential during the pandemic, and their production lines haven’t stopped. They’ve continued to produce essential goods that the global community relies on — from the food we eat to the clothes we wear and cleaning supplies we use in our homes. As some manufacturers increased output and others reconfigured operations to satisfy...
Carris Health–Redwood has announced the opening date for the new state-of-the-art medical campus: Feb. 20, 2021. The transition will take place with the turn of the clock with the new emergency department accepting patients at 12:01 a.m.
The hospital and clinic have a team of leaders working together to plan the move to the new facility along with the experience of CentraCare, who has built two new hospitals in recent years. Staff will be working with a simulation team from CentraCare to train on new equipment and new processes in the building to be ready for the opening.
Read...
St. Paul - As Minnesota takes necessary steps to battle COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is encouraging Minnesotans to shop and eat local this holiday season.
In particular, helping your favorite local restaurants and eateries by ordering takeout is a simple way to support vital, beloved local businesses while enjoying a delicious meal in your own home. It’s a great way to help these businesses weather the impacts of the pandemic.
“The best way to help your local restaurants weather this time is by ordering takeout whenever you can,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “They...
Have you been at a job for a few years, but think you want to be your own boss? One way to achieve this is by owning a business.
You might not have the stamina to start a company from scratch. However, you can buy a business that already has credibility and make it your own.
Before you look for companies to buy, there are some key things to understand. For most, this will be a large investment, so you want to make the best choice. Here's what you need to know when buying a company.
Seek out businesses that align with your passion
When...
The Minnesota Veterans Virtual Career Fair is over, but the resources offered and connections made through the online event are continuing to benefit current and former military members and their spouses, as well as Minnesota employers. Here's what we've heard from two participating employers, 3M and Andersen Windows and Doors, both gold sponsors of the event.
“As a fellow veteran, and 3M hiring manager, it is wonderful to be part of a local event that encourages companies to highlight opportunities for veterans,” said Jennifer Loveland, Enterprise Operations Black Belt and member of 3M’s employee resource group. “At the same time, it creates a central place...
Business life in the era of Covid has elements of both crisis management and an endurance trial. How can your business join the ranks of those that are succeeding in this environment? LJ Suzuki, founder and fractional CFO at CFOshare and I recently dissected this question together, with an eye toward the actionable steps you should be taking now–and the potholes you need to avoid.
Micah Solomon, Senior Contributor, Forbes; Customer Service Turnaround Expert and Consultant: It’s been several quarters since Covid began to make inroads into the economy; how are small businesses faring?
LJ Suzuki, Founder and Fractional CFO at CFOshare: The small businesses within...
With over 320,000 jobs, Manufacturing is Minnesota’s 2nd largest-employing industry sector. One of the top-employing occupations in this industry happens to be assemblers and fabricators. In fact, according to DEED’s Occupational Employment Statistics data, there are over 31,700 assemblers and fabricators employed in the state. Such workers are employed in a wide variety of areas, including everything from transportation equipment manufacturing to computer and electronic product manufacturing to medical equipment and supplies manufacturing.
Simply put, assemblers and fabricators assemble finished products and the parts that go into them. More specific tasks may include reading and interpreting schematics and blueprints, positioning...
First, I’d just note that we gathered state leaders, partners and startups from across the state last week for a virtual event to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Launch Minnesota, a program designed to accelerate startups. You can find out more in Launch Minnesota’s First-Year Progress Report.
I’d like to share a message I wrote – which appeared in the Star Tribune on Sunday – about the importance of our startup community to Minnesota’s economic recovery.
To say that 2020 has been a challenging year for the Minnesota economy would be an understatement. In the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, we lost a...
Minnesotans donated a record $30.4 million to nonprofits and schools during the annual Give to the Max campaign, surpassing the previous record of nearly $22 million set in 2019.
GiveMN Executive Director Jake Blumberg said donors gave money to more than 6,100 organizations, which is also a record.
"What we were hoping donors would do and what we directly asked over and over again for donors to do was to expand their generosity this year," he said.
Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank received more than $900,000 in donations. That was the most money given to a single organization this...
No company can reach its business goals without a qualified and dedicated workforce. As new technologies emerge, on-job training programs have become increasingly useful to enhance both employees’ soft and practical skills. But learning at work can go beyond formal training. Businesses should get creative so that employees are constantly developing their skills.
The Benefits of Ongoing Training
While most companies invest in costly recruitment processes to attract the right candidates, their efforts on employee engagement and education often fall short. Without any type of incentives or supportive programs, it's easy for employees to feel overlooked and unappreciated after a while — and for companies’ growth to lag in turn...
Manufacturers are vital to the economic prosperity of Redwood County. Our manufacturing plants provide jobs and income to our population, and they serve as important suppliers to many companies nationwide. As manufacturing month ends, we’d like to send our thanks to Farmers Union Industries, LLC of Redwood Falls: one of the area’s most prominent manufacturers with a long history in Redwood County.
“Farmers Union Industries has a rich history that dates all the way back to 1929. That history is deeply rooted in the agricultural industry with its ultimate goal being to improve life for the family farmer,” says...
The increased role of corporate social responsibility in site selection
Corporate social responsibility is playing a major factor today in company's decisions on where they're locating their business. That's happening for a few reasons. I think companies are realizing that they need to be more conscious as to what's going on in the environment today, and they need to react to that. But primarily that's being driven by their consumers (for any company that is selling a product to the consumer base). Consumers want to know that the company is delivering on certain sustainability goals. They want to feel like...
In the early stages of company-building, product-market fit, the most critical question you have to answer is: Are there enough customers who want your product?
That's not always an easy question to answer. Because the market for your product is always evolving, product-market fit isn't a box to check off. It's a constant conversation to be had whenever the economy ebbs and flows, or when customers' wants and needs change. Take, for example, restaurants who had to pivot from in-person dining experiences to take-home meal kits during Covid-19. To keep you ahead of the curve, I want to share some of...
In the digital age, getting attention is anything but a given. An abundance of publishers, gadgets and apps are competing for mind share, and data overload causes audiences to block distractions and instead focus on what’s urgent.
Five years back, a Microsoft study found that humans now have a shorter attention span than a goldfish, which lasts about eight seconds — only two decades ago, we were at 12 seconds. That's proof positive why content must be compelling, truly entertaining and/or informative; otherwise it’s just mindless noise.
When marketing online, it also helps to have the right format. Entrepreneurs, startups and small- to medium-sized businesses can all use...
If McKinsey & Company insights from July are any indication, consumers have rediscovered their power in the pandemic. Due to a combination of product shortages, economic and job concerns, along with a general willingness to change their purchasing behaviors, 75 percent of shoppers say they’ve behaved differently since coronavirus began spreading. In many cases, their new purchasing habits have led to exposure to unfamiliar brands.
This is a huge boon, especially for entrepreneurs trying to disrupt a market or industry. Under ordinary circumstances, getting consumers to move away from their favorite companies’ products and services can be challenging. However, with so much general...
St. Paul - This week, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) released a new article that examines the question many Minnesota employers are asking right now: Where are the job seekers? Employers in industries such as Health Care, Hospitality, Retail and Food Service are desperate for staff at a time when the statewide unemployment rate is at 7.4%.
While the August unemployment rate is lower than it has been the last few months, it is still 4.5 points higher than in March 2020. This 7.4% unemployment rate in Minnesota represents over 230,000 unemployed workers – over two-and-a-half...
The Redwood area is home to a wide variety of businesses, including several highly successful women-owned small businesses. The area’s sought-after interior design studio, Kenwood Design, is owned by Abby Gronli, a thriving entrepreneur with a passion for making a house into a home. Kenwood Design is based out of Wanda, but the team brings interior design to you.
“Our design studio is passionate about helping people love where they live.
We offer interior design services, ranging from single room refreshes to entire home renovations,” says Gronli.
The Kenwood Design goal is to uncover the aesthetic potential...
The stratospheric rise of the cloud over the past few years caught many off guard and created an arms race among the cloud providers, with data center development underpinning the effort.
These cloud providers were anticipating ever-increasing demand for the cloud by globally creating a robust and redundant network of massive data centers tethered together through a network of smaller data centers and fiber connection locations. Data centers that service other segments of the market (wholesale colocation, “edge,” and retail) were also riding the wave of increased demand. Little did we know a global pandemic would make data centers...
In times of economic struggle — such as the recession that abruptly arrived with the COVID-19 pandemic — analysts and advocates promote an array of options as effective tools for stimulating the economy. One of the most frequently suggested options is infrastructure spending. Proponents of infrastructure spending during dire economic times view it as a productive job creator and essential foundation for a long-term recovery and return to sustained prosperity.
Brian Raff, director of Communications and Public Affairs for the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), cites a 2015 study by the Duke Center on Globalization, Governance, and Competitiveness to demonstrate...
There are many unpleasant scenarios entrepreneurs plan for in advance, in an effort to stay afloat if and when trouble hits. These scenarios include losing major clients, lawsuits, and the aftermath of natural disasters. Recessions, however, are a league of their own. They are difficult to plan for in advance, and damage control efforts are akin to fighting an uphill battle.
In the post-pandemic world, staying afloat has proven to be a greater challenge for businesses in non-essential industries such retail, automotives, and hospitality- which in too many cases ended up putting down the shutters. But is there a way for...
Much has been written about the disruptions of COVID-19 on every line of business. In the realm of economic development, this has included a recommitment to retention and expansion programs, touting quality of life to capture the influx of remote workers, a rush to virtual site tours, and many other endeavors. All of these adjustments will play a part in a community’s success in the years to come. But it seems that when all of them are stacked up, they point to the foundation of a community — or to use a construction expression, they reveal whether a community has...
As state economies struggle between surging cases of COVID-19 and intense pressure to reopen — albeit with varying degrees of restrictions — companies that reduced or halted operations in response to stay-at-home orders are torn between the urgent needs to both restore revenue streams and to ensure the safety of their employees and customers. Since every location has a different dynamic and risk profile, creating a return-to-work strategy is complicated, whether a company operates in five locations or 500. The solution to developing a sound, portfolio-wide strategy includes having ready access to data, analytics, and insights, including regional and community-specific...
Pizza Ranch is a family-friendly buffet-style pizza and chicken restaurant that calls Redwood Falls home. As the general manager of a buffet-style restaurant, Doug Lawrenz has had to make significant adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawrenz has been running Pizza Ranch for 15 years and he has led the business through many challenges. In spite of these challenges, the restaurant is thriving.
As the pandemic spread across the country, restaurants of every category were required to make changes in order to stay in business. Pizza Ranch, too, had to rearrange some operations.
“COVID-19 has affected our business quite...
The increased role of corporate social responsibility in site selection
Corporate social responsibility is playing a major factor today in company's decisions on where they're locating their business. That's happening for a few reasons. I think companies are realizing that they need to be more conscious as to what's going on in the environment today, and they need to react to that. But primarily that's being driven by their consumers (for any company that is selling a product to the consumer base). Consumers want to know that the company is delivering on certain sustainability goals. They want to feel like...
For immediate evidence of disruptions in the automotive supply chain, you need to look no further than your local dealer. Many lots are nearly empty of new vehicles, with average dealer inventories across the U.S. far below the normal 50–60 days’ supply. How did this happen?
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is a major part of the problem. When automotive production was abruptly halted in March, there were not any new vehicles being produced until early May. Even then, production has been proceeding in fits and starts. At the same time, consumers have continued to purchase vehicles, keeping auto...
St. Paul – Today, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove announced the #GoodJobsNow campaign with Rick Trontvet from Marvin Windows in Warroad and Traci Tapani from Wyoming Machine in Stacy.
Many Minnesota businesses have open jobs but are reporting having a hard time finding the employees they need. At the same time, Minnesota's unemployment rate remains elevated with workers continuing to seek job opportunities. That's why DEED is launching #GoodJobsNow, an interactive set of resources connecting Minnesota employers hiring right now with job seekers looking for work.
"Today, I'm proud to launch the #GoodJobsNow campaign, a...
The Importance of Software in Incentives Analysis
Software is becoming a bigger part of incentives analysis as clients increasingly want to use this tool. Many clients are building the internal capabilities to perform initial credits and incentives and site location analyses. They want to do some of that research on their own with their internal team prior to pulling in an advisor, or maybe they have an internal team that can handle the project from start to finish. Unless they have the ability to go to all the various jurisdictions under consideration and understand all their programs, the team’s software,...
To call the road that most metro areas have traveled this year rocky would be akin to labeling Mount Everest a speed bump. But the most turbulent period of our lifetimes will eventually give way to a sustained recovery. And when it does, certain types of metro areas are in far better shape to take advantage.
In the short run, places that suffered the steepest job and income losses will struggle most, which bodes especially ill for the Northeast and tourism-dependent Hawaii and Nevada. But what happens after that? Much depends on the course of the virus, such as...
Want to know with confidence that your elevator pitch will land? Would clarity and persuasion help you attract more clients, investors, mentors and sales? To maximize success in conversation, ensure you are following Grice’s maxims.
Twentieth-century British philosopher Paul Grice shifted the way we think about semantics and language. His maxims for conversation are part of his work on the cooperative principle, which states that when people engage with one another there are unspoken assumptions around how the conversation will unfold. Research tells us that we grasp the nuances of Grice’s maxims from an early age; a 2015 study found that children as young...
Without a personal computer, Rachel lacked access to training and job applications, especially during the pandemic. But she was determined to gain skills to reach her career goals, despite the technical barriers she faced.
Rachel used the computer at her local library to meet virtually with her employment counselors at Hired, a CareerForce partner. She used her phone to listen to online Medical Call Center classes. Halfway through the program, Rachel’s employment counselors surprised her with a laptop, thanks to funding through MicroGrants and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Read full article.
So your community didn’t get on the finalist list of Amazon HQ2. Now what? The site selection process is changing and adapting with the trends in business. While it may still be important for you to look for potentially large company relocations, many good business expansions can occur with small to mid-sized companies. But gaining the attention of their businesses requires some creative approaches.
#1 TALENT > INCENTIVES
Workforce, workforce, workforce. The ability of a community to attract and retain a workforce is ranking at the top of the incentive list. Business owners may still be interested in...
St. Paul - Governor Tim Walz, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove engaged Wednesday in a virtual roundtable discussion with ten leaders from around Minnesota about how the manufacturing industry is doing during the pandemic and key issues it’s facing in the future. Manufacturing, which has long played a key role in the state’s economy, is even more important now as Minnesota focuses on economic recovery from the COVID-19 recession. As the state’s second-largest industry, manufacturing contributed $52.7 billion to Minnesota’s economy last year and employed 324,000 people, with a total...
There is no doubt that the medical field has taken on heightened importance in Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of the path of the coronavirus, due to the state’s population growth and aging demographic profile, the need for healthcare support staff will continue to grow. In fact, according to DEED’s Employment Outlook data, healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are projected to rise by 12.4% while healthcare support occupations are slated to increase 14% from 2018 to 2028 in Minnesota. Likewise, Medical Assistants are projected to see 21% job growth, equaling over 2,100 new jobs during this time frame, as well as see almost...
St. Paul - Manufacturing, which has long played a key role in the state's economy, is even more important now as Minnesota focuses on revitalizing our economy and rebounding from the impacts of COVID-19. As the state's second-largest industry, manufacturing added $52.7 billion to Minnesota's economy last year.
Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed Oct. 1-7 as Minnesota Manufacturing Week. During the week – and throughout the month – manufacturers are opening their doors to virtual tours by the public as a way of attracting new workers and students who are considering careers in manufacturing.
"Manufacturing jobs pay good, family-sustaining wages...
St. Paul - Manufacturing, which has long played a key role in the state's economy, is even more important now as Minnesota focuses on revitalizing our economy and rebounding from the impacts of COVID-19. As the state's second-largest industry, manufacturing added $52.7 billion to Minnesota's economy last year.
Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed Oct. 1-7 as Minnesota Manufacturing Week. During the week – and throughout the month – manufacturers are opening their doors to virtual tours by the public as a way of attracting new workers and students who are considering careers in manufacturing.
"Manufacturing jobs pay good, family-sustaining wages...
St. Paul - This week, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) released a new article that examines the question many Minnesota employers are asking right now: Where are the job seekers? Employers in industries such as Health Care, Hospitality, Retail and Food Service are desperate for staff at a time when the statewide unemployment rate is at 7.4%.
While the August unemployment rate is lower than it has been the last few months, it is still 4.5 points higher than in March 2020. This 7.4% unemployment rate in Minnesota represents over 230,000 unemployed workers – over two-and-a-half...
One of the most cliched statements in starting a small business is that “it takes money to make money”... but it is often true. Many businesses need an infusion of cash to buy essential components of their operations. For a pizzeria, that could be an industrial oven, and for a yard care business, that could be a commercial lawn mower.
A common funding practice many new business owners take is to use personal savings and start small by reinvesting profits into the business. This approach, known as bootstrapping, seems rooted in common sense, but can be restrictive to your...
I successfully started and grew two coaching businesses during the 2008 economic recession and 2020 pandemic, respectively. Although I wish the world’s circumstances were better when I chose to start these businesses, the truth is sometimes those harsher conditions make a better business.
How do you create and grow these brands when all warning signs are telling you to wait? I asked three other people who started or grew their companies under seemingly dire circumstances and used our collective stories to give you a six-step plan for starting a business at any time.
Read full article.
We may be losing some of our best leaders to caregiving duties, and the pandemic is sending us backwards when it comes to gender equality.
Women’s careers often take a backseat when caregiving duties rise, and women are more vulnerable to job loss during an economic downturn. The research shows that pandemic is hitting women hard on both fronts.
Women are more than twice as likely as men to say they handle more than 50% of the caregiving and education responsibilities and 34% of working families are still without childcare coverage, according to Cleo’s State of Working Parents Study. A recent FlexJobs survey reports...
Many companies are onshoring manufacturing operations in the wake of COVID-19 delays and supply chain disruptions. As a result of the onshoring trend, community leaders, property managers and developers should be prepared for the opportunity to attract these companies. Site selectors are issuing requests for information as manufacturers in the United States and worldwide seek out ways to protect their supply chains from future disruptions caused by pandemics and a growing number of natural disasters. The most prepared leaders will have the opportunity to compete and win new business for their communities.
The Site Selectors Guild touches on the...
ST. PAUL – Minnesota business service firms expect mostly contracting conditions during the next four quarters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with slightly more than half (52%) anticipating a decline in consumer spending and corporate profits, according to a joint survey released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
Business services firms – such as engineers, accountants and architects – have a mixed outlook on their own profit projections over the next four quarters, with 49% expecting to see a drop, 34% expecting no change, and 17% anticipating an increase in...
Workplace bias takes many forms, but the result is always the same – exclusion of members of the workforce from experiences and opportunities for which they are qualified. We all have hidden biases, and they can prevent businesses from leveraging the talents and perspectives of all members of their workforce.
Throughout this series, we’ve given examples of how and where bias often shows up in the workplace, why it is important to examine and how to minimize it. But how do we know if what we’re doing is enough? Hopefully by examining bias, we are learning more about ourselves,...
There are many entry-level jobs in demand now that put Minnesotans on a career path to family-sustaining employment.
This week in our Jobs in Demand series, the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is focusing on entry-level health care and social assistance jobs that, with additional training and certification, can help people move down a career path toward greater responsibilities with higher wages. In many cases, employers provide or pay for training leading to career advancement for dedicated employees.
Getting an in-demand job and growing in that career may require training to develop new skills before you...
So you, as an employer, have successfully implemented a recruiting strategy focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in your workforce. Your employee base is different from five years ago. It now includes more individuals of color, women, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQ, and workers of all ages and body types. It is the hope of management that – along with a more diverse workforce – employee longevity is one of the benefits. Retention is as important for employers as developing a strong recruiting strategy that attracts applicants with the right skills in the first place.
What...
September is Workforce Development Month – and never in recent memory have investments in our state's workforce been more important. The pandemic has had a dramatic impact on jobs and employment in Minnesota. Our state's unemployment rate as of July is at 7.7%, down more than two percentage points from May, but still more than twice what it was in July 2019, when it was 3.2%.
The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), and our workforce development partners throughout the state, are working to connect unemployed or underemployed Minnesotans during the pandemic with in-demand jobs at employers hiring...
Here we are in the middle of July already! Here is what is happening in the next 4 weeks in the Redwood Area!
Click here to view the complete newsletter.
The RADC is very pleased to present to you our very first online e-newsletter for 2013. From our corner of Redwood County, there are many great developments starting to pop-up all around the County! We want to connect with you to share that news! We encourage you to have others go online to our website and subscribe to receive this e-newsletter monthly, and to "LIKE US" on Facebook. We have made it easier to connect with the public in a direct way. The RADC staff is here to work and facilitate with you, your business, and your community your...
Workforce: A Persistent Challenge Takes Innovation Solutions
Recently, the Minnesota Chamber held its annual Workforce Solutions Forum to talk about a fundamental challenge that faced employers for years before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and is likely to continue long after: workforce. The Minnesota Chamber Foundation’s Center for Workforce Solutions is a business-led initiative to ensure employers and employees possess the necessary tools for jobs of the future. Workforce moves far past admiration of workforce challenges. We focus on innovative solutions; to fill positions now and to change the long-term process that can develop a pipeline of workers and meaningful employment...
Nonprofits and small municipalities often rely on grant funding to accomplish their missions and keep up with important infrastructure and public works projects. Since 1990, the Redwood Area Development Corporation (RADC) has offered grant writing services to area towns and nonprofits. Services are tailored to each client and their specific needs.
"Our approach is that the entity is the expert in the subject matter, and we’re providing expertise to help them be successful with the grant application process."
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