The Sega family met the Newberg family several years ago when the Segas were traveling from Duluth to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). The Segas had been using canoe equipment from the Newberg’s family owned business, Spring Creek Outfitters in Mountain Iron for their Canadian outdoor adventures. 

The Segas and Newbergs connected again at a Duluth Boat, Sport and Travel Show and began conversations about a possible sale of the company. In July 2017, Tom and son Grant Sega became the new owners of the Mountain Iron based company now called Spring Creek Manufacturing. 

“As avid outdoorsmen, our family used Spring Creek products for many years,” said Tom Sega, president of Spring Creek Manufacturing. “We were always drawn to its product quality, ingenuity and commitment to being made in America.” 

The Segas will carry on that same commitment of American made quality as they strive to expand the business into one focused on increased production and wholesale manufacturing of paddle sport accessories and stabilizers, canoe and kayak vehicle racks and industrial truck racks.   

The company will remain in the same building in downtown Mountain Iron, but the Segas are transforming it into a full-time production facility. Along with paddle supplies and racks, employees there will make anodized aluminum industrial truck racks which the Segas intend to sell to as many commercial users as possible, such as contractor and trades trucks.  

Read the full article.

A new Veterinary Technician Program is helping grow enrollment at Vermilion Community College.

The 75-credit program, which began this fall, has filled to cohort capacity of 24 first-year students. Of the 24 students, 21 are female.

“It’s quickly become our third largest program,” said Shawn Bina, Vermilion Community College provost. “Our enrollment is up 6 percent, and we attribute part of that to the veterinary technician program.”

It’s the only veterinary technician program in Minnesota north of the Twin Cities.

Graduates of the five-semester Applied Science Veterinary Technician Program will be able to sit for the exam to become Certified Veterinary Technicians.

The program features state-of-the-art equipment, an on-site surgical center, and a kennel and exam room that will be certified by the United States Department of Agriculture. The Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board, through the Iron Range Higher Education Account, provided funding support for the equipment and program.

“I couldn’t be happier with what we have,” said Dr. Peter Hughes, Vermilion Community College Veterinary Technician Program department head. “Every other person in my field who I’ve talked to says, ‘you are so lucky.’”

As construction of on-campus facilities is completed, students are performing classroom work and conducting field trips to animal farms across northeastern Minnesota.

Learn more about the Veterinary Technician Program.

If you’re curious about becoming involved in your community and are not sure how, ReGen is launching an event series to gather and energize individuals in the community to take the first or next step to becoming involved in civic, policy, nonprofit or grassroots efforts.

The series kicks off at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5 at Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm with The Theater of Public Policy. Three additional events will follow on Oct. 12, 19 and 26.

Events are free and open to the public, and there will be networking and refreshments at each. 

Be The Change event series is sponsored by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation, in partnership with Minnesota Discovery Center, Northland Foundation, Hibbing Area Chamber of Commerce, Iron Range Tourism Bureau, Laurentian Chamber of Commerce, Nelson Roofing & K Building Components Inc., and James Bay Farms.

Learn more about the Be The Change series.  

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation's Application Fund Grant Program is currently accepting applications for its first funding cycle of the fiscal year.

The program reimburses cities, townships, non-profits, educational institutions, and collaborative organizations for the costs of preparing and applying for a grant that will advance innovative economic growth within our agency's service area.

For FY 2018, the program is funded at $50,000.

Deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 31, with a second cycle running from Feb. 1-28. 

Learn more about the Application Fund Grant Program and other grant opportunities. 

October is “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the state of Minnesota, as proclaimed by Governor Mark Dayton and Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith. 

On average, malicious cyber-attackers probe Internet-accessible state systems over 3 million times each day to find vulnerabilities. These attacks aim to disrupt government services, steal citizen’s private data, or use government resources to conduct illegal operations. Read the news release. 

To help educate Minnesotans about the importance of cybersecurity, Minnesota IT Services is sharing important cyber tips in October that state agencies and their employees, in addition to Minnesotans, can all learn from.

Please join the state by learning more. Share the importance of cybersecurity with your coworkers, friends, and family by visiting mn.gov/mnit/cybersecurity.

The State of Minnesota will hold its second-ever Career Fair on Saturday, Oct. 14. The first State of Minnesota Career Fair in 2016 attracted more than 4,000 job and career seekers interested in learning about employment opportunities in state government. 

Activities for the day include: agency exhibit booths, complimentary professional LinkedIn photos for job seekers, one-on-one resume critique, workshops, on-site interviews, and more.  

The event will be held at Saint Paul RiverCentre in St. Paul from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Learn more about the career fair.