Minnesota Business Developments
by Carol Walsh - carol.walsh@state.mn.us
September 2011
Northern
McGough Construction is working on a $168 million canola plant for Fargo-based Northstar Agri Industries in Hallock, Minnesota. The canola plant will employ about 40 to 50 full-time workers. The plant will be able to process up to 1,000 tons of canola seeds per day and store 30,000 bushels of canola when completed in the fourth quarter of 2012 according to Northstar Agri’s website.
Central
The Brunswick Corp. which owns the New York Mills-based Lund Boats factory will add 22,000 sq. ft. to the facility to meet demand for the Lund and Crestliner brands. The expansion may be completed by the end of 2011.
West Central Steel, wholesale supplier to construction, manufacturing, and resale customers in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and western Wisconsin, is building a nearly 26,000 sq. ft. addition to its steel product fabrication plant in Willmar. The space will be used for laser cutters, material storage, inventory, and future equipment needed because of increased demand for fabricated steel products. The company hopes to have construction completed before the end of the year. Four new jobs will be created at once and more later.
First District Association dairy cooperative has broken ground on a $32 million expansion that will add 50,000 sq. ft. of space and updated equipment to their headquarters and manufacturing complex in Litchfield. The expansion is expected to boost processing 25 to 30 percent, to five million pounds of milk a day. Two years ago the state of Minnesota approved a $6 million bond to help fund a $15 million upgrade of Litchfield’s water treatment plant that was needed for the dairy co-op to proceed with expansion plans. Several food safety and production technicians are expected to be hired over the next year.
Twin Cities Metro
DEED will be awarding $500,000 as a forgivable Minnesota Investment Fund loan to enable Emerson Process Management’s Rosemount business to add 100 jobs at its Minnesota operations. This is part of a planned $40 million in upgrades, resulting in the new highly skilled professional jobs at Rosemount’s Eden Prairie facility. Emerson Process Management provides automation technologies and services to the oil and gas, power, chemical, refining, alternative fuels, life sciences, pulp and paper, and other industries.
Southern
Affiliated Community Medical Centers has completed the purchase of land for a new ACMC medical clinic that will include both primary care and multiple specialists in Marshall. The building of the new clinic coincides with the 25th anniversary of ACMC in Marshall. ACMC-Marshall has 25 physicians and mid-level practitioners, on-site and visiting providers in 19 specialties, with 120 support staff. The clinic estimates it will increase staff by 5-10% as a result of the expansion.
A Belgium company that uses stem cells to repair the heart is coming to Rochester in what may be the beginning of a cluster of regenerative medicine firms. Cardio3 BioSciences, based on Mayo Clinic-licensed research, uses a patient’s own stem cells from bone marrow to repair heart damage. Cardio3 Biosciences will begin work with a few jobs in the downtown office of Rochester Area Economic Development, Inc. The goal is to establish a production facility eventually.
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