Minnesota Business Developments

by Rhonda Mix - rhonda.mix@state.mn.us
November  2010

Northern

The vacant 87-year-old train depot in Baudette will be renovated into a historic interpretive center with space for artisan studios, galleries and public meetings. Work is expected to begin on the 3,000-square-foot building in January 2011. The $428,000 project involves restoration and updating of the interior of the building. The depot, originally built in 1923 as a train stop for Canadian National Railways, was in use until the mid-1980s. Once renovation is complete, the building will hold art and cultural workshops, galleries, music jams in addition to having space for meetings, receptions and conferences. The project is slated for completion in July 2011.

Construction is under way on the new Duluth International Airport terminal. The $65 million project, which will employ about 136 construction workers, is slated for completion in late 2012.

Sanford Health is hiring 130 employees in the Moorhead-Fargo area to administer a new electronic medical records system. The new system will be phased in over several years. The jobs, including salary and benefits, will pay from $40,000 to $80,000 a year. The new system will allow patients to have access to medical test results and the ability to make appointments online. The implementation of the new system will be in phases beginning in 2011 and continuing through 2012 and possibly into 2013. Job openings include positions in information technology and clinical information.

Raptor PCS, a computer service business that originally opened in 2006 in Grand Forks, N.D., has opened a second location in Moorhead. Located in the Moorhead Center Mall, the new The Raptor PCS offers computer service starting at $40 for desktops and laptops including blue screens, black screens, viruses, root kits, spyware, hardware diagnostics and reinstalls. They also replace laptop screens and keyboards, build desktops and sell ASUS laptops and netbooks.

Central

Work has begun on the CapX2020 power line project that is projected to create thousands of jobs in Minnesota. The project involves the building of more than 700 miles of a high-voltage transmission line network across Minnesota, the Dakotas and Wisconsin. The $2 billion project is the largest upgrade to the region’s electric transmission infrastructure in 30 years. More information on the CapX2020 project is available online at www.capx2020.com .

Twin Cities Metro

United Properties, the owner of the historic Ford Centre located across the street from Target Field in Minneapolis, plans a $42 million renovation of the building, a former Ford Motor Co. manufacturing facility. The 12-month project involves updating the 265,000-square-foot office building, replacing mechanical systems, bathrooms and elevators, and repairing or replacing many of the 250 unique windows.

With financial assistance from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development Minnesota Investment Fund, the high-tech firm, Biovest International, plans a $1.1 million expansion project of its Coon Rapids facility. Biovest has developed a vaccine, BiovaxID, to fight non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — a cancer that originates in the lymphatic system. Work on the project is expected to begin in early 2011. Biovest plans to create 14 new jobs within two years. These jobs are high-paying jobs such as technical personnel, quality control experts and engineers.

Microsoft Corp. opened a retail store in the Mall of America. The 8,600-square-foot store sells computers, software, Xbox game systems and other products. It also features a “Microsoft Answer Suite,” where customers can get technical advice, and it offers some services for small businesses.

Southern

Ralco Nutrition, Inc. plans to expand its manufacturing facilities in Marshall. The multi-million dollar project involves the construction of a new mixing facility and warehouse. The company, which is a global provider of livestock nutrition and health solutions, has three campuses at its Marshall headquarters. Ralco started in Marshall in 2004 with 25 full-time employees. The company now employs 110 people.

The construction of the Community Wind North project has begun near Lake Benton. The $58 million wind-energy project involves the construction of 12 wind turbines that will each generate 2.5 megawatts of power. Combined, the turbines would produce energy to meet the needs of about 10,000 homes. The project, which is slated for completion by the end of 2011, is expected to create about 30 construction jobs.

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