Businesses located in northeastern Minnesota are encouraged to register as bidders and suppliers with the state of Minnesota. Businesses may register online at the state’s supplier portal and begin to receive automatic notices for potential opportunities to sell their goods and services to the state of Minnesota.

Businesses may also become a certified Targeted Group (TG) or Veteran Owned (VO) business through the Small Business Procurement Program. Eligible small businesses are located in Minnesota and 51% owned, operated and controlled by:

• Minorities.
• People with substantial physical disabilities.
• Veterans.
• Women.

The state of Minnesota strives to eliminate historic disparities in state procurement and create opportunities for businesses, regardless of size, location and ownership structure. Businesses may also qualify by being located in an economically disadvantaged (ED) area. There are two counties in the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation service area that are currently designated as EDs: Koochiching and Aitkin.

All certified businesses (TG/ED/VO) may be eligible for up to 6% preference in selling their products or services or bidding on construction projects to the state. The state may also require prime contractors to subcontract a portion of the work to certified TG/ED/VOs on contracts for construction or consulting services.

More than 1,400 small businesses statewide are certified TG/ED/VOs, including over 25 located within the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation service area. All of these companies offer goods or services purchased by the state of Minnesota, which in fiscal year 2019 totaled over $2 billion. The top spending categories were:

• Highways and bridges: $652 million.
• Other operating costs: $400 million.
• Non-IT professional/technical services (e.g., architects, engineers): $359 million.
• Supplies: $213 million.
• Space rental and utilities: $185 million.
• Equipment: $146 million.
• Computer and system services: $126 million.
• IT professional/technical services: $117 million.
• Construction: $91 million.
• Building and Improvements: $70 million.
• Communication: $62 million.
• Printing and advertising: $26 million.

“As an economic development agency in northeastern Minnesota, we encourage all businesses to register to become a supplier or bidder with the state of Minnesota,” said Commissioner Mark Phillips, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. “And those businesses that qualify to become a targeted vendor not only have opportunities to expand their reach, but they also help ensure greater equity in state contracting and construction.”

Learn more about becoming a state of Minnesota targeted vendor.

The application for TG certification is available online.

“Becoming a targeted vendor for the state of Minnesota, as a women-owned business on the Iron Range, has opened the doors to reach state agencies throughout all of Minnesota. The certification provides opportunities for our business to present our services to a network of state agencies in need of printed and embroidered apparel, event displays and promotional products. We are proud and grateful to be a targeted vendor in Minnesota!” - Mayme Barber, president and owner of Barber Graphics, a woman-owned business located in Virginia, Minnesota. Barber is pictured above with her dog Babe.  

“As a targeted vendor with the state of Minnesota, Deerwood Technologies successfully supported MNDOT’s MNPass deployment. This RFID-based, automated tolling system enables commuters to efficiently travel on metro highways. Our company provided dedicated data and voice circuits between Golden Valley, Minnesota and Houston, Texas for customer service and disaster recovery use on this project.” - Jim Mayne, owner of Deerwood Technologies, a service-disabled veteran-owned business located in Deerwood, Minnesota.

“Our certifications allow our company to offer better verification to our clients. The process involved to obtain the certifications shows clients that we are experienced, professional and dedicated. It also has allowed our company to obtain greater marketing and press opportunities.” - Elizabeth Chapman, owner of Art Unlimited, a woman-owned business located in Cook, Minnesota.

Tower was one of 12 northeastern Minnesota communities that received a Taconite Area Community Relief grant from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. Tower Economic Development Authority (TEDA) received a $50,000 grant and combined it with $12,500 of its own storefront program funds to provide $62,500 in financial assistance to eight pandemic-distressed businesses and one nonprofit. The assistance impacted at least 40 jobs.

The nine organizations received funding that ranged from $1,500 to $12,000 and were required to meet one or more goals established by TEDA:

• Reopen a business that was closed within the past year due in part to the pandemic.
• Expand an existing business.
• Establish a new business with the potential to create jobs.
• Establish a new business located on main street.
• Improve storefronts or commercial buildings while creating construction/maintenance jobs.
• Improve energy efficiency or install renewable energy sources.

“The COVID Relief grant from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation enabled us to move several projects forward as well as assist businesses that have been hurt economically by the ongoing pandemic,” said TEDA President Stephen Peterson. “We also helped the businesses obtain a combined $30,292 in Business Energy Retrofit (BER) grants from Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA) to further support our emphasis on downtown revitalization. The BER grants are being used to make energy efficiency upgrades to their buildings.”

Businesses and organizations that utilized the COVID Relief funding included:

• Adventure Seaplanes: Purchase equipment to launch Adventure Air Charters, a new service for affordable daily customer flights of up to six passengers arriving and departing from Tower Airport.
• Good Ol' Days Bar and Grill: New air-cooling system.
• Marjo Motel: New screen doors and electrical and heating upgrades.
• Vermilion Country School: New signage.
• Vermilion Fuel and Food: Storefront facelift.
• Vermilion Golden Rule Lumber Company: New roof and fascia replacement.
• NEW! South Shore Creamery: A new ice cream business to be located in the former Hendrickson Electric building next to Tower Café.
• NEW! Idea Warehouse - Multi-Business Commercial Building: The former Classy Cars building is being renovated to house multiple businesses. The first business to open in the building will be Little Green Pantry, a natural and whole foods store.

“Tower’s main street will a have a new look and several new storefronts this summer as we welcome thousands of tourists to our region,” said Peterson. “There has been a lot of interest in the Tower area over the past year, by businesses and private individuals. Investing in our main street is vital to sustaining Tower as a great location to raise a family or grow a new business.”

The Taconite Area Community Relief Grant was established last year by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. Twelve applications were received from area communities, and all were funded at various levels with financial participation from each community.

Learn more about Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation COVID Relief programs.

Note: The BER grant program is funded by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and administered by AEOA.

Emergency assistance funds will soon be available for eligible restaurants, bars and other qualifying businesses impacted by COVID-19. 

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) is a federal grant opportunity through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible purposes no later than March 11, 2023.

Because this grant will be first come, first served, it is strongly encouraged that all prospects gather the required information for the grant application ahead of the grant portal opening.

The SBA has created a hub specifically for the official RRF information and resources. 

View the RRF resource hub.

Sign up for email alerts from SBA as additional RRF information becomes available.

For free, confidential help with the process:

• Request services on the Northland SBDC website.
• Call 218-726-7298.
• Email info@northlandsbdc.org.

Delta Air Lines is hiring customer experience specialists at its Customer Engagement Center in Chisholm. 

Customer experience specialists are part of a service and sales focused team in a high energy call center environment, focused on listening to, caring for and connecting with customers. Ideal candidates should demonstrate the desire to make customers' travel not only superior but memorable.

Delta is looking to hire over 50 full-time positions with comprehensive health and wellness benefits, a generous profit-sharing program, 401k and industry-leading travel privileges. 

Michelle Jackson of Eveleth, a 25-year veteran of the Chisholm office, has enjoyed her career with Delta. She said, "I love what I do. I have worked in many different areas of the airline and enjoy the opportunity to change people’s lives with travel.” 

Learn more and apply.

To celebrate Earth Day, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is hosting a live virtual event on Thursday, April 22. “Adapting to More Extreme Weather” will be live on YouTube beginning at 6 p.m. Topics of discussion include:

• How increasing extreme weather due to climate change is impacting local communities.
• Challenges that communities face from more frequent and intense storms, including flooded streets, damaged homes and businesses, and sewer backups and overflows.
• Ways that Minnesotans are preparing for major weather events.

Panelists include voices from municipalities and tribal nations about the needs and opportunities to help Minnesota communities prepare for and adapt to these challenges. Questions may be sent to @MnPCA on Twitter. MPCA will monitor its Twitter feed and questions for panelists in real time during the event.