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The Need for Speed in Rural Broadband
MinnPost-7/24/15
In numerous pockets of rural Minnesota, many businesses and residents live with unreliable, slow or expensive Internet service. It's a problem that affects all sorts of people, businesses and agencies, including clinics that need to send immediate X-rays, government agencies that issue licenses electronically, and college students who take online courses. The situation has been likened to the lack of electricity in rural areas before the massive federal electrification movement of the 1930s that helped to modernize farms.
Pepin Manufacturing Expands Exports
KXLT-TV-7/20/15
Just a few years ago Pepin Manufacturing was cutting jobs, but now the company is making a footprint worldwide, thanks to assistance from the Minnesota Trade Office's STEP program. The business distributes its products in South America, Europe, Canada, Mexico and Asia.
Minnesota Sets the Standard for Business
Wadena Pioneer Journal-7/15/15
Minnesota has long been recognized as a great place for hockey and manners, but a recent report places the North Star state above all its peers as the top state for business. CNBC's annual rankings of states by multiple factors placed Minnesota ahead of Texas for the No. 1 spot. Across 10 different categories of metrics, Minnesota ranked in the top half of eight of them, including second best in education and third in quality of life.
 Minnesota ranks No. 1 nationally in the well-being of children, according to a study by Kids Count. The study looked at education, the economic stability of families, and health indicators, including child death rates and the share of teens abusing alcohol or drugs. |
Governor Appoints Broadband Panel
Gov. Dayton has appointed seven new members and reappointed eight current members to the Governor’s Task Force on Broadband, whose mission includes promoting the expansion of broadband in Greater Minnesota. While 88.5 percent of Minnesota households now have access to wireless or wireline broadband – up from 82.7 percent one year earlier – that is still short of Minnesota’s statutory goal of 100 percent access to the technology.
Great River Identifies Data Center Sites
Great River Energy last week announced four preferred data center sites in Minnesota, including two in St. Cloud, one in White Bear Township and another in North Mankato. Minnesota is considered a prime location for data center development because the state offers sales tax exemptions and highly reliable low-cost energy. Minnesota also has an underserved data center market and a colder climate that reduces annual cooling costs, one of the largest expenses for data centers.
 The latest in our continuing blog series on why Minnesota ranked as the Top State for Business 2015 looks at infrastructure. Minnesota tied for ninth place with Arizona in the CNBC ranking of that category. Read more here.
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DEED officials have been busy touring the state this summer to explain how the agency's economic development programs help communities, businesses and residents. Two metro visits have been added to the schedule this week. A session will be held Thursday morning at Cabela's in Woodbury and Thursday afternoon at the Maple Grove Government Center. This summer's Economic Development Roadshow has been a big success, helping to spread the word that DEED programs are making a difference in Minnesota.
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