DEED Roundup-May 18, 2015

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May 18, 2015

In the News

manufacturing

Optimism Builds at Minnesota Factories
Minneapolis Star Tribune-5/14/15
Minnesota factories expect robust growth in 2015, but they face challenges replacing retiring workers, according to a new report that was issued last week. Enterprise Minnesota surveyed 400 factory executives and found that 89 percent were “confident about the future,” making the results the best in the report’s seven-year history and five percentage points higher than 2014.

New London Receives Rehab Grant
West Central Tribune-5/11/15
New London was approved for nearly $418,000 to rehabilitate homes and businesses in town. The funding was part of $17.6 million in grants that DEED announced last week for 37 Minnesota communities. New London City Clerk  Trudie Guptill called the news "fabulous." This was the first time New London has received funding from the Small Cities Development Program.

Businesses Feel Positive About Economy
Business Journal-5/11/15
Small-business owners in Minnesota feel better about the economy than their peers in other states, according to a new U.S. Bancorp survey. Sixty-three percent of Minnesota small businesses polled described the state's conditions for small business as good to excellent, compared with 56 percent nationwide.

Did You Know?

Woman and child

Minnesota is one of the best states for working mothers, according to a new national study. Wallet Hub put Minnesota at No.2, behind Vermont. Wisconsin was third on the list. Rankings were based on three main categories: child care, professional opportunities and work-life balance.

Recent Press Releases

Arctic Cat Plans $27 Million Expansion
Arctic Cat Inc. plans to add 50 jobs and invest nearly $27 million at manufacturing facilities in Thief River Falls and St. Cloud. Plans call for a new state-of-the-art production line in Thief River Falls and for expanded engine manufacturing operations in St. Cloud,

Nursing Facility Receives Training Grant
DEED has awarded $171,805 from the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership to train 150 people who are employed at Inter-Faith Care Center, a nursing facility for seniors in Carlton. Licensed nurses, nursing assistants, unit helpers and administrators will receive advanced training at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in such areas as end of life care and safety and environmental health.

DEED Awards Funding for Rehab Projects
Thirty-seven Minnesota communities were awarded $17.6 million by DEED to help pay for building rehabilitation and infrastructure projects. The agency awarded the funding under its Small Cities Development Program, which provides financial support for housing, public infrastructure and commercial rehabilitation projects in cities and counties statewide.

Recent Blog Posts

keyboard shots

Small-business owners endlessly debate whether a social media presence is worth the time and money. There are lots of tools available to help them answer that question.

Serving Our Clients

Road Show Logo

DEED is wrapping up a successful series of spring road shows that focused on the agency and its programs. Representatives from the offices of Business and Community Development, Trade and Broadband Development participated in road shows in Grand Rapids, McIntosh, Brainerd, Marshall, St. James and Oronoco in April and early May. The final event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon on June 26 at Pine Technical Community College in Pine City. Contact Heather Rand for more details. 

Trends Wins State Award

For the second year in a row, Trends magazine has been named the top external print publication by the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators. The award was announced during the group's 2015 Northern Lights Contest banquet in Brooklyn Park last week. Go here if you would like to see the award-winning issues from the past two years.