Range Steel Fabricators (RSF) added a new Okuma Genos M560-V 4-axis vertical machining center (VMC) to its operations. The VMC decreases production time and increases quality of finished products for one of RSF’s largest customers. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the equipment acquisition with a $78,000 loan to RSF. Total project investment was $163,500.

The new VMC replaced an older inefficient machine. The computerized VMC makes component parts utilizing 4-axis milling, has a 32-tool magazine, and offers excellent cutting performance, accuracy and repeatability. It can handle a variety of materials from steel to titanium to aluminum.

RSF machines and fabricates steel and aluminum components and supplies them to industries such as energy and utilities, mining and minerals, paper and forest products, commercial construction, heavy equipment and industrial manufacturing. Local companies use the components from RSF to assemble their products that are then sold and shipped all over the world from northeastern Minnesota.

RSF was founded over 100 years ago in downtown Hibbing. Jeff and Gina Halter purchased RSF in 2016 and moved their three children north from Orlando, Florida to Hibbing. Jeff was a real estate developer in Minneapolis and Orlando. Gina has a professional background in graphic design and marketing. Together they transferred their experience and knowledge of process and operations to managing a manufacturing business.

Since 2016 RSF has expanded services, tripled their workforce to over 25 full-time employees and met customers’ product needs with a modern manufacturing facility.

“Gina and I grew up in Grand Rapids and northeastern Minnesota was always very special to us,” said Jeff. “After having our third child we decided to move home and give our children the same experience we had growing up in a small community and enjoying the outdoors. We now live in Hibbing where our children attend school.”

Email Scott Sundvall or call him at 218-735-3015 for business loan information.

Note: Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation provided Range Steel Fabricators previous business assistance loans.

The Chisholm Housing and Redevelopment Authority remodeled eight efficiency apartments located within one building that was built in 1960. The renovation of the Mapleview Apartments included new heating, electrical, plumbing, insulation, sheetrock, venting and roof upgrades, kitchen and bath cabinets, fixtures and countertops. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a $210,000 Community Infrastructure grant. Total project investment was $784,421.

The eight apartments were all original and in need of upgrades. The renovated apartments meet modern building codes, expanded the affordable workforce housing stock in Chisholm and align with the city’s comprehensive plan. Mapleview offers one- and two-bedroom units and is located within walking distance of downtown.

The Chisholm HRA was founded in 1949. The organization oversees the city’s public housing totaling 155 units on five sites across the city, including Mapleview Apartments.

Other Mapleview project partners included Chisholm HRA, St. Louis County HRA and the Community Development Block Grant Program provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Email Chris Ismil or call him at 218-735-3010 for more information about Community Infrastructure grants.

This year Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation made available $5 million for a new Housing grant to help address the regional housing shortage. The new Housing grant assists projects or programs that result in the creation of new housing units or the rehabilitation of existing housing units. The program supports housing solutions that align with local priorities and regional employer’s needs.

The grant cycle is open now through May 31, 2024 or until program funds are substantially committed, whichever occurs sooner.

Cities, townships, counties, nonprofits and tribal governments are eligible to apply. All grant funds must be spent within or for the benefit of the agency’s service area.

Examples of eligible projects include but are not limited to:

• Infrastructure and site work of new housing developments on vacant and redeveloped land.
• Repurposing non-residential buildings for residential use.
• Rehabilitating existing single family and multi-family housing and funding for housing trust funds or programming to support local workforce housing initiatives.

A one-to-one match per project is required. Applications should be submitted nine months prior to the project construction start date.

Applications must be submitted through the FLUXX grant portal. Access the FLUXX portal.

Learn more about the Housing grant guidelines.

Email Whitney Ridlon or call her at 218-735-3004 for Housing grant information.

The former Murphy Elementary School was remodeled and converted into KOOTASCA Community Action's Early Childhood Hub in Grand Rapids. The year-round facility provides care and education for 171 children ages 6 weeks to five years. There is also dedicated space for social and workforce services for families and individuals. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the project with a $300,000 Development Infrastructure grant to the city of Grand Rapids to help pay for fire egress walks, a parking lot and site stormwater management. The agency also provided a $30,000 Culture & Tourism grant to KOOTASCA Community Action to help pay for an accessible outdoor playground. Total project investment was approximately $2 million.

The facility houses a commercial kitchen facility which will make several hundred meals and snacks fresh each day, two large indoor play areas and an outdoor community playground. KOOTASCA received two Business Energy Retrofit (BER) grants totaling $40,000 that helped pay for new energy efficient lighting in the 2,800-square-foot gymnasium.

The opportunity to repurpose the former Murphy Elementary School was made possible when ISD 318 vacated Murphy and constructed the new East and West Elementary Schools in 2020.

In addition to child care operated by KOOTASCA and its partner Invest Early, the new hub is also home to other programs:

• Early Childhood Special Education and Early Childhood Family Education, provided by Grand Rapids Independent School District 318.
• Teenage Parent Program, provided by KOOTASCA.
• Adult Basic Education, provided by Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA).
• Behavioral Health Services, provided by Children Mental Health Services.
• Employment and Workforce Services, provided by Northeast Minnesota Office of Jobs and Training.
• Early Childhood Internships for students enrolled in the accredited Early Childhood Education certificate program, provided by Minnesota North College-Itasca Campus.

The project relocated 14 classrooms dispersed across Grand Rapids at four separate locations and centralized the services and programs into one location at the new hub. The centralization helped achieve economic efficiencies related to staffing, human resources, bussing and other shared professional services.

“The Early Childhood Hub is a great asset to the Grand Rapids area and to families, workers and employers in Itasca County,” said Commissioner Ida Rukavina, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. “We were happy to provide community development grants to support the project, which not only repurposed a vacant school building into a thriving child care center, but also co-located many important services.”

The childhood hub also received a $1.37 million Targeted Community Capital Project grant from Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development. Other project partners included Blandin Foundation, Children’s Mental Health, city of Grand Rapids, KOOTASCA Community Action, First Children’s Finance, Independent School District 318, Lake Country Power, Mardag Foundation, Minnesota Power Foundation, Northland Foundation, The Home Depot and Yanmar Compact Equipment North America.

Email Chris Ismil or call him at 218-735-3010 for more information about Development Infrastructure grants.

Email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022 for more information about Culture & Tourism grants.

Email Erik Bennett at AEOA or call him at 218-780-8061 to learn more about BER grants. BER is funded by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and administered by AEOA.

November is Native American Heritage Month. There are four tribal nations located within Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation’s service area: Bois Forte, Fond du Lac, Grand Portage and Leech Lake. All are separate, sovereign nations whose people have lived in northeastern Minnesota for centuries. Each has an independent relationship with the United States and the state of Minnesota.

The Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Tribal Liaison, Billie Isham works to support government-to-government relations between the agency and the four tribal nations. Isham brings knowledge, perspective and expertise to the agency. She and Commissioner Ida Rukavina routinely consult with the Tribal Governments to identify agency grant and loan programs that may be a good fit for tribal business, community and workforce development projects.

Four recent projects supported by agency grants include:

Bois Forte Band of Chippewa’s Vermilion Public Works Service Facility (in progress)

$386,500 Community Infrastructure grant to assist with the infrastructure and site work for the construction of a new 13,800-square-foot public works facility. The Vermillion Public Works Facility will provide a larger area for the equipment and vehicles used in the public works and housing departments. There will be four bays for equipment and vehicles, a food shelf area, office space, a conference room and restrooms. The facility will provide food shelf services to band members residing in Vermilion and also to the surrounding communities.

Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s Water System Improvements (completed)

$250,000 Community Infrastructure grant to assist with the improvements that allowed for the continuance of clean safe drinking water and fire protection for approximately 140 households and 550 people within a portion of the tribal territory. The project included the addition of a new 75,000-gallon elevated water storage tower, two new wells, a water main distribution extension and a water treatment plant. The new water system was designed to reduce water contaminant levels, provide water for fire protection where none previously existed and pave the way for potential future expansion of communities that are not currently served by public utilities.

Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior’s Community Center Infrastructure Upgrade (completed)

$146,925 Community Infrastructure grant to assist with the replacement of the outdated and inefficient heating system and indoor swimming pool liner and decking. The community center houses the Oshki Ogimaag Charter School which provides local, quality education with an emphasis on the Anishinaabe culture to grades K-6. The center is home to a tutoring program, after school programming, youth summer camps, fitness center, gymnasium and the Elderly Nutrition Program.

Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s Avenue of The Pines Scenic Byway S-Lake Cultural & Tourism Center (in progress)

$243,000 Community Infrastructure grant to assist with the demolition of an existing building on a 16-acre site and to assist with construction of new community center in its place. The grant will also assist with infrastructure upgrades to the Inger RV Park and Roundhouse facility located nearby.

“Our agency works closely with each of the four Tribal Nations to discuss projects that they have prioritized within their reservations and how our grant programs can support them,” said Commissioner Ida Rukavina, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. “The community infrastructure grants are helping to enhance public service buildings, essential services such as water and early child education and community gathering spaces." 

Email Billie Isham or call her at 218-735-3017 for Tribal Relations information. Email Whitney Ridlon or call her at 218-735-3004 for more information about Community Development grants.

Learn more about Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation’s tribal relations.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation welcomed two new employees, Kerri Dahl and Stacey Scholz, on Oct. 25.

Dahl is the agency's new human resources (HR) director. She previously worked in the agency's HR division from 2013-2019, before accepting a position with Minnesota North College. Kerri is responsible for the leadership and overall administration, coordination and evaluation of agency human resources. She also oversees classification and compensation, benefits, HR systems, department financials and metrics, recruitment and retention, training and development, personnel and labor relations and safety. 

Scholz is the agency's new general counsel. She brings a wealth of legal experience from her years of service in the St. Louis County Attorney's Office. Scholz provides legal analysis and advice addressing complex issues related to economic development projects, use of the agency 's various funds and issues regarding compliance with state laws, rules and regulations. She also oversees the development of legislation and policies that could impact the agency and prepares opinions on legal issues.