Trison Solutions LLC utilized a bank participation loan from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) to add a new automated production line to supplement an aging line. The addition allows the company to significantly increase production capacity along with broadening its technical capabilities to meet customer needs and specifications.

President and CEO Tom Wagner said the investment strengthens the company’s long-term outlook, adding, “Thank you, IRRR for supporting Trison’s purchase of our new automated SMT line. This new line takes our capabilities to a new level and positions us for future growth.”

The Hibbing-based company is a full-service Electronics Manufacturing Supplier (EMS), providing printed circuit board assemblies and electromechanical box builds to their customers. Their client base includes several Fortune 500 companies and spans the aerospace, agriculture, construction, engineering, industrial and technology sectors.

The company builds assemblies that are used in currently manufactured products as well as legacy/aftermarket (repair/replacement) environments. They also offer full-service engineering, design and test services.

Trison Solutions is unique in manufacturing, with approximately 75% of its workforce made up of women.

The company is owned by Tom Wagner, Rally Hess and Carl Schneider under the 218 Partners LLC umbrella. They acquired the business in 2022 and have worked to accelerate the company’s growth. The company was originally formed in 1989 and began to grow more rapidly after 2007 when the three former owners left their roles at Hibbing Electronics when the company was sold and moved out of Hibbing.

The three owners formed 218 Partners LLC in 2022 with a purpose of retaining and expanding manufacturing jobs on the Iron Range that are not tied to the mining industry. 218 Partners LLC also owns and operates Hibbing Fabricators Inc., led by Hess. Together, Hess and Wagner bring a diverse range of experience to managing both organizations.

Learn more about Trison Solutions.

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

Note: IRRR supported Trison Solutions with a $850,000 bank participation loan. IRRR has also supported their sister company, Hibbing Fabricators, with participation loans.

At this week’s Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) Minnesota Conference in Duluth, The Quarry golf course at Giants Ridge was featured for being an outstanding example of repurposing mining-impacted land into a premier destination.

Sean Peyla is the facilities & operations manager for Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR). He provided a presentation to mining professionals and conference attendees at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. The presentation explained the story of The Quarry being built on a site used in the early 20th century for sand, gravel and iron ore mining.

Holes 17 and 18, along with the clubhouse, cart barn and maintenance facility are located on what was once the Embarrass Mine, an Iron Range iron mine that contained extremely high value hematite with nearly 70% iron. Actual mining operations occurred from 1944 to 1964, and stockpile shipments occurred in the years following. The last stockpile shipment of iron ore occurred in 1977. The mine closed after 18 million tons of ore were extracted and shipped out by rail and then through the Duluth Port.

Holes 1-16 are located on what was once one of the largest gravel pits and sand quarries on the Iron Range. In the early 20th century, gravel pits and sand quarries were an integral part of the region's mining and industrial supply chain.

The Quarry opened in 2003, expanding the resort’s offerings alongside The Legend golf course and the ski area. Almost immediately after opening, The Quarry began garnering prestigious state and national awards. Golf Digest called The Quarry, “The Finest Course of the 21^st Century,” and it has repeatedly been ranked as the top public course in Minnesota. It has also been ranked numerous times in the top 20 public golf courses in America. The quality and topography set it apart from any other public course in the Midwest, and it is a prime example of an industrial site successfully transformed into a world-class recreational destination.

Giants Ridge is owned by IRRR and managed by Guest Services, a hospitality management company in the United States since 1917. The golf courses are managed by Troon, the world’s largest golf and golf-related hospitality management company. Investments by IRRR into the Giants Ridge amenities and infrastructure support the facility’s significant annual economic impact of roughly $55 million.

Crow Wing County Land Services is making improvements to Milford Mine Memorial Park, located northwest of Crosby on the Cuyuna Iron Range. Non-motorized walking trails with boardwalks around Milford and Island Lakes are being completed. Interpretive signage and displays, pavilions, picnic shelters, restrooms and benches were added. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR) supported the project with $640,000 in Culture & Tourism, Mineland Reclamation and Regional Trails grants to Crow Wing County Land Services. Total project investment is estimated at $3.5 million.

The park is the site of Minnesota’s worst mining disaster where 41 miners died on February 5, 1924. A mine drift collapsed allowing a flood of water and mud from nearby Foley Lake (now called Milford Lake) to fill an underground network of tunnels. The 200-foot Milford Mine had multiple levels with one shaft leading to the surface. Only seven men made it to the surface alive. The last of the 41 victims was recovered in November, nine months after the event.

Crow Wing County approved a phased master plan for the park and surrounding area’s development in 2007, calling for parking lots, trails, a trailhead, educational signage, canoe launches, identification of historic sites, restrooms, picnic shelters and other amenities. The site includes a Main Street walk with designated stops at exposed building foundations remaining from mining operations. Much of the plan has been completed, and recent IRRR grants are supporting the final elements.

In 2011, the National Park Service officially listed the 180-acre Milford Mine Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The site also received an official Regional Designation from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission. About 23,000 vehicles visit the park each year.

Learn more about Milford Mine Memorial Park. Or contact landservices@crowwing.gov.

Email Danae Beaudette or call her at 218-735-3022 for Culture & Tourism, Mineland Reclamation and Regional Trails grant information.

Note: Tom Strack of Crow Wing County Land Services participated in this week’s Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) Minnesota Conference in Duluth with a presentation highlighting Milford Mine Memorial Park as excellence in mineland reclamation.

Range Association of Municipalities and Schools (RAMS) will host a series of forums this spring on how shifting iron mining trends could affect local government budgets and planning.

The events, titled “Budget Impacts of Iron Mining Trends: How Communities Can Plan Ahead,” will run April 22 through May 13 at locations across the Iron Range.

Scheduled forums include:

• Wednesday, April 22, Hibbing/Chisholm, 6:30 to 8 p.m., Location: Mineland Reclamation, Chisholm
• Monday, May 11, Virginia/Mountain Iron, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Location: Mesabi Range College, Virginia campus theater
• Wednesday, May 13, Biwabik/Aurora, 5 to 6:30 p.m., Location: Aurora Community Center

Presentations will cover current iron ore market conditions, production tax projections and potential impacts on local funding, followed by panel discussions and audience questions.

Speakers include Ida Rukavina, commissioner of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation (IRRR); Mike Jugovich, St. Louis County commissioner; Pete Hyduke, mayor of Hibbing; Dr. Noel Schmidt, superintendent of Rock Ridge Public Schools; Jason Janisch, mining and energy policy advisor for IRRR; and Paul Peltier, executive director of RAMS.

Organizers say the forums are intended to help communities prepare for economic changes tied to mining activity. All school, township, city and county officials are encouraged to attend to support informed local decision-making and financial planning.

Each session will offer the same information, and attendees may choose the most convenient location.

Learn more and register.

The Upper Minnesota Film Office (UMFO) is celebrating a surge in regional production at the Zeitgeist Minnesota Film Festival (ZMFF), April 22 to 26, with six incentive-supported films featured this year.

Several projects were brought to the region by outside filmmakers drawn by UMFO’s incentives and diverse locations, highlighting northeastern Minnesota’s growing appeal for independent production.

The six films are:

• Big Foot Woods, Ely.
• Goody Goody, Ely.
• I & Me, Hibbing.
• Ish Meets a Mermaid, Duluth.
• Small Town Girl, Chisholm.
• Superconscious, Chisholm.

UMFO officials say the growing number of projects reflects increasing momentum in the region’s production pipeline.

“This is a moment to celebrate the fact that the pipeline is flowing,” said Shari Marshik, executive director. “While we aren’t at full capacity yet, seeing six incentive-supported projects on the big screen represents a true full-circle moment. Our programs are driving production—bringing filmmakers into our communities, creating opportunities for local crews and businesses, and bringing audiences back together to celebrate these stories at festivals.”

The film office will sponsor two panels during the festival, and ZMFF’s annual Pitch Competition will give Midwest filmmakers a chance to present projects to industry professionals. Officials say the festival highlights the impact of regional investment and supports a growing, year-round film economy in northeastern Minnesota.

Learn more about the festival.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation has provided Workforce Development grants to train local workers for the film industry, along with funding to support the UMFO Iron Range Regional Production Rebate Program and Film and TV Industry Development.

The city of Ely will host an Iron Range Brownfields Lunch & Learn on Thursday, May 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ely City Hall.

Part of an ongoing series, the event aims to advance redevelopment opportunities across the Taconite Assistance Area. Lunch & Learn sessions give community members, property owners and local leaders an opportunity to hear directly from professionals working on site cleanup and reuse projects, as well as learn about efforts underway across the region. 

Sponsors include the city of Ely, Range Association of Municipalities and Schools, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and Iron Range Brownfields.

City officials say the focus on brownfield redevelopment comes at a key time as Ely looks to expand economic opportunities.

“As we look to promote economic development to provide employment opportunities and increase the tax base, we also have the opportunity to redevelop underutilized, vacant or blighted properties,” said Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski. “There are limited opportunities for development of undeveloped land, and some available sites have legacy issues due to previous use. It is our opportunity to provide economic development and correct previous contamination to protect public health.”

Projects highlighted during the session will include redevelopment of the historic train depot and railroad yard, along with plans to transform a former county public works property into a multiuse trailhead and visitor center.

“These projects provide additional job opportunities and economic growth for the community,” Langowski said. “As Ely and the surrounding area continue to promote and develop additional trail systems and amenities, both of these facilities will be critical in that promotion. We are striving to make Ely a true trail town.”

Lunch will be provided and space is limited. Registration is required.

Learn more and register.