News

Free On-Demand Webinar: How to Safely Reopen Offices & Manage a Hybrid Workforce

Tuesday, March 02, 2021

In the wake of coronavirus shutting down offices around the world, remote work has become the new norm. So how do you make workplaces safer post-pandemic? In the 15th episode of our Leadership Lessons series, Comparably CEO Jason Nazar speaks with an expert on the topic, Envoy founder/CEO Larry Gadea, who has facilitated 1 million safe returns to the office. With a suite of products that redefine how to welcome visitors and employees back to the office, the workplace platform includes tools for check-in registrations, booking rooms/desks, managing deliveries, and capacity limits for social distancing. Envoy is used in more tha...

Challenges of Moving Manufacturing Out of China

Monday, March 01, 2021

There is plenty of manufacturing capability around the world for consumer goods, PPE, testing equipment, medical devices, consumer goods, and other industrial products. So why are companies reshoring their manufacturing operations now? The Tax Reform Act of 2017 helped. The 301 China penalty tariffs gave a little push. But the global pandemic made executives acutely aware of their global supply chain risks and vulnerabilities and provided an opportunity to rethink their global manufacturing strategy. New strategies typically include at least some capacity for manufacturing and sourcing critical goods in America. Pharmaceutical manufacturers were among the first to consider reshoring in an attemp...

How to Host Better Virtual Meetings

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

If you’re like most professionals, you spent a lot of time in virtual meetings in 2020 and will in 2021 — more than you ever thought possible in, say, 2015. And if you’re like most professionals meeting virtually, you’ve lamented the fact that they could be better. Virtual meetings suffer many of the same drawbacks as traditional meetings, including poor organization, bloated time slots and disinterested attendees. But they also suffer from a batch of problems uniquely their own, including intermittent delays, connectivity issues and the dreaded patterns of ongoing interruptions. And of course, virtual meetings aren’t going anywhere. Many businesses that transitioned t...

Helping to preserve historic buildings may be the one thing everyone at the Minnesota Legislature agrees upon

Tuesday, February 09, 2021

An effort to continue Minnesota’s primary tax break for restoring historic buildings has bipartisan support at the state House and Senate — and little organized opposition. That still isn’t enough to make supporters of the measure comfortable. Backers of the extending the provision, technically known as the Minnesota Historic Structure Rehabilitation State Tax Credit, worry that lawmakers — with pandemic response and passing a budget being the major priorities of the 2021 session — might lose sight of addressing the credit, which expires June 30. A similar bill was introduced in 2020 but then disappeared after a single hearing (along with a lot o...

DEED Announces Over $13 Million in Relief Grants to Convention Centers and Movie Theaters Statewide

Monday, February 08, 2021

St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced awards of $4.6 million in Convention Center Relief Grants and $8.54 million in Movie Theater Relief Grants to facilities across the state. These grants were part of a $216 million economic relief package signed into law by Governor Tim Walz on Dec. 16, 2020. This package included a $14 million appropriation for grants to movie theaters and convention centers in Minnesota impacted by COVID-19. “Convention centers and movie theatres are an important part of our economy that has been severely impacted by COVID-19,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “The stat...

DEED Headquarters Set to Move to Downtown St. Paul’s Great Northern Building in 2021

Thursday, February 04, 2021

St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced that its headquarters will move to the Great Northern Building at 180 East Fifth Street in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This two block move in downtown St. Paul, which will occur by August 1, 2021, will be DEED’s first relocation in nearly two decades. As DEED evaluated the possibility of moving, it executed a thorough three-year planning and evaluation process, and was focused on best serving Minnesotans and businesses across the state. This included an analysis to re-examine space needs, and take account of future teleworking trends, to bot...

DEED Awards Over $20.6 Million in Broadband Grants

Monday, February 01, 2021

ST. PAUL – While the critical importance of reliable, high-speed broadband access has become even more obvious during the pandemic, there are still unserved and underserved areas of the state. To help close that gap, on Jan. 28, the state announced broadband grant awards for 39 projects designed to bring service to more than 6,900 businesses, homes, and community anchor institutions in Minnesota. This marked the sixth year of grants through the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant Program overseen by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). DEED Commissioner Steve Grove and Broadband Director Angie Dickison joined three grantees at a recent virtual press conference to talk about the progra...

Does 2021 Mean A Road To Recovery?

Friday, January 29, 2021

Grow Minnesota! conducted in-depth conversations with nearly 300 businesses in 2020, to learn what challenges and opportunities they were facing in light of the immense changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. While not a substitute for hard economic data, these conversations provide key insights into how businesses are navigating unprecedented disruptions, and offer a glimpse at what Minnesota can do to help companies recover and grow in the coming months. Not surprisingly, the impacts of COVID-19 took center stage in our virtual visits with businesses this past year. However, the results from Grow Minnesota’s! outreach also reveal some surprising insight...

Grow Minnesota! 2020 Annual Report

Friday, January 29, 2021

2020 was filled with challenges, uncertainty and change. The events of the year also highlighted the innovation and resiliency of Minnesota businesses. The true value of our well-established Grow Minnesota! business retention and assistance program was also witnessed in 2020. As the only structured ongoing statewide economic development program of its kind, we had the capacity and experience to respond quickly to the multitude and variety of business concerns that surfaced throughout the past year. Our nearly 300 one-on-one business visits completed in 2020 also allowed us to share keen insights on Minnesota’s economic outlook. We will continue to buil...

Why Would My Community Want To Attract A Remote Workforce

Monday, January 25, 2021

Why would my community want to attract a REMOTE WORKFORCE? -- To grow your economy, of course! The coronavirus pandemic has affected U.S. workplaces in many ways, including transitioning many employees to remote work. As some businesses begin to welcome employees back to the office, many remote workers, about two-thirds to be exact, are opting to continue working remotely, according to a GALLUP POLL. Attracting remote workers should now be a priority for all economic developers. WHY WOULD MY COMMUNITY WANT TO ATTRACT A REMOTE WORKFORCE? Remote workers can bring many benefits to the communities they choose to live in. Just like any othe...

COVID-19 Business Relief Payments Information

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

The Minnesota Department of Revenue will send COVID-19 Business Relief Payments to eligible businesses under an economic relief package signed into law December 16. Eligible business owners do not need to take any action to receive this aid. We'll determine eligibility and payment amounts based on program requirements in the law and outlined below. Eligible Businesses This program provides direct payments to eligible businesses required to temporarily close or reduce services in November under Executive Order 20-99. Businesses in the following categories — as reported by the Minnesota Unemployment Insurance program — may be eligible if they meet the other program requirements. Read full article.

Education and Training Opportunities in Health Care

Thursday, January 14, 2021

So you’ve heard time and time again about how an entry level position in health care can be a springboard to a new and fulfilling career, and that is true. Health care is one of the few occupations where you are limited only by your own personal goals in life. So I wanted to take this opportunity to share information about the education and training opportunities that exist to help you begin your journey as a health care professional. Health care for youth and young adults Not sure if health care is the occupation for you? There are many opportunities to tak...

5 Reasons Why Good Leaders Must Be Great Followers

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

“He who cannot be a good follower, cannot be a good leader.” Aristotle's old adage has never seemed more prescient. Consider the current Covid crisis: It has taken a pandemic to prove that distant, aloof and larger-than-life leaders are no longer effective. Now more than ever it has become advisable for the modern manager to empathize with, and lend an ear to, those he manages. A study conducted by Kim Peters & S. Alexander Haslam on these two identities has proven that individuals who appear to be ideal followers are often a more popular choice for any leadership position among their peers. Here are 5 reasons why an individual’s personality as a player helps them to be a proficien...

Entrepreneurs, Here's Why 2021 Is The Right Time To Start Your New Business

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

The year 2020 came with its own share of problems. If there is one thing to learn from living through pandemics and lockdowns, it’s that a lot can change in a year. Many entrepreneurs started last January with high hopes and expectations for their businesses. However, many of those expectations went downhill as the year progressed. As with human nature, life moves on no matter what, so even though we were stuck at home for most of 2020, many businesses found ways to stay afloat. As we move forward in this new year, entrepreneurs are looking to strategize and many ar...

Minneapolis restaurateur Hector Ruiz plans first suburban location in Minnetonka

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Minneapolis restaurateur Hector Ruiz is partnering with an investor to open his first store in the suburbs. A second location of El Travieso Taqueria is slated to take a 1,200-square-foot storefront inside Minnetonka’s Minnehaven Square building, located at the intersection of Minnetonka Boulevard and County Road 101. It could be a first step toward a larger suburban expansion for Ruiz. That expansion is being aided by Chase Lindsay, a TCF Financial Corp. vice president and real estate and business investor who first met Ruiz several years ago. Lindsay is taking an ownership stake in El Travieso and providing marketing support for the growing business. Read ful...

Top 5 Reasons To Apply For Leaders Lab 2021

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Leaders Lab is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to engage Minnesota’s developing business leaders (approximately late 20s to 30s). It will enhance your personal and professional growth, connect you with business leaders statewide, and provide understanding into what drives Minnesota’s economy and how policy affects the success of business in our state. The program consists of four, two-day sessions. Why should you apply for 2021 Leaders Lab? Take it from some of our recent participants: the top 5 reasons to apply for Leaders Lab this year. Read full article.

Five Essential Elements Of A Marketing Plan For A Small Business

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

If you are planning to open your own small business, the first step is to develop a business plan. The next step is to develop a marketing plan, as all business plans should be paired with a strategy for marketing your products or services. Marketing strategies vary in format, but they all have the common goal of attracting and building relationships with customers. The style is up to you, but it should include the following elements. 1. Marketing Goals and Objectives You will need to develop realistic and measurable marketing goals that cover a full calendar year and are aligned with you...

4 Ways Your Company Can Have Great Success In 2021

Sunday, January 10, 2021

2020 was a tough year for businesses of all sorts. Covid-19 decimated labor markets, stressed supply lines and, in some unlucky sectors, ground production to a halt. 2021 is a chance to forget last year’s trials and to start fresh. Chances must be capitalized on to create change. You need to put your nose to the grindstone, both personally and as a business leader, if you want to make it a red-letter year. If 2021 is going to be your company’s year, you have to make it so. Here’s how to do it: 1. Tailor Your Expressions of Appreciation This past year has been jus...

How To Include Remote Workers In Your Workforce Attraction Strategy

Wednesday, January 06, 2021

As we enter a new year, you may be wondering how to include remote workers in your workforce attraction strategy. Government regulations and efforts to slow the pandemic have forced workplaces to embrace remote work options. 88% OF BUSINESSES all over the world authorized their employees to work from home due to COVID-19. It is vital to focus on effectively targeting remote workers but how does this translate to benefitting the local economy? WHY IT'S WORTH IT TO ATTRACT REMOTE WORKERS IT GROWS AND DIVERSIFIES THE LOCAL ECONOMY More people working from home equals more money spent locally. More money remains in the community, and the communit...

Many Minnesotans have skills that can transfer to a health care career

Wednesday, January 06, 2021

Minnesota health care employers are seeking compassionate and caring people to fill a multitude of positions, both patient facing and non-patient facing. Many Minnesotans looking for work now already have the skills to do many of them. People that think they need extensive education and training to start their career in health care may be surprised to learn that sometimes the only thing needed to get in the door is a passion for doing good and the ability to pass the background check required by the Minnesota Department of Health. The rest of the training is often provided, and paid for...

The Spirit of the Prairie: Generosity in Todd County

Friday, December 11, 2020

On a beautiful fall evening in late September hundreds of cars rolled into the Todd County Fairgrounds to take part in a “food drop,” a euphemism for a mass food distribution. It’s an all too familiar scene played out not only here, but across the country. The event, sponsored by the Food Shelf, and Todd County Health and Human Services, a team of volunteers served an estimated 570 households with boxes of dairy, product, and meat, no questions asked. Community involvement in this event, along with similar food distributions that take place in church parking lots, inside of local food shelves...

Meet the Texas Town that Competes to Win

Monday, November 02, 2020

Ever considered locating your business in a small town? If so, Lufkin, Texas, has a message for you. “We are well positioned to have companies locate out of large cities to a place with small-town feel and the amenities of metropolitan areas,” says Bob Samford, economic development director for the Lufkin Economic Development Corp. “We offer a great location with big-city benefits.” On Interstate 69 about 90 minutes northeast of Houston, Lufkin is a community of 36,000 people who enjoy family, hard work, loyalty and quality of life, says Samford. The corporate executives who have made the decision to invest in Lufkin hav...

Why Target, Walmart, And Best Buy Are Booming Amid The Pandemic - And Being Hailed As Heroes

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

In late February, Target CEO Brian Cornell was sipping coffee in a Manhattan deli—one eye on the keynote address he was soon to give at an investor conference, the other on his phone as news alerts of America’s first confirmed Covid-19 death buzzed in. Target’s communications, investor relations and special-events teams had spent months agonizing over every detail of the speech, given to 200 Wall Street analysts and journalists and able, in a matter of minutes, to send Target’s stock price climbing—or crashing. Three years ago, Cornell, 61, who took over Target’s top spot in 2014 after running Pepsi’s food business, ha...

Enterprise CP: Vital Link in the Food Shelf Supply Chain

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Nearly all of our grocery shopping begins at home when we sit down to make “the list,” that hand-written scrap of paper of the food items we need to fill up our pantry. As is the case in most homes, when the shelf gets low, it’s time to go. When it comes to filling the grocery cart, we rarely question the availability of our favorite foods being on the store shelf. Questions like where does it come from and how does it get there are not usually in the thoughts of most consumers. So, you may be surprised to lear...

How To Make Your Virtual Company Party A Success

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

With the morning air a bit crisper, the sun setting earlier and the leaves falling to the ground, we are reminded that the holiday season is quickly approaching. For businesses, this means it's time to start planning the time-honored year-end company party. However, amid a global pandemic, party objectives and safety concerns are markedly different this year. Stymied by in-person gathering restrictions, companies turning to virtual solutions have the difficult task of figuring out how to make these "events" meaningful and engaging. While this could make party-planning committees hold their collective breaths, all hope is not lost, and businesses can stil...

Manufacturing Week Highlights Critical Role Industry Plays in State’s Economy

Thursday, October 01, 2020

St. Paul - Manufacturing, which has long played a key role in the state's economy, is even more important now as Minnesota focuses on revitalizing our economy and rebounding from the impacts of COVID-19. As the state's second-largest industry, manufacturing added $52.7 billion to Minnesota's economy last year. Governor Tim Walz has proclaimed Oct. 1-7 as Minnesota Manufacturing Week. During the week – and throughout the month – manufacturers are opening their doors to virtual tours by the public as a way of attracting new workers and students who are considering careers in manufacturing. "Manufacturing jobs pay good, family-sustaining wages well above the state'...

DEED Examines: Where are the Job Seekers?

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

St. Paul - The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) released a new article that examines the question many Minnesota employers are asking right now: Where are the job seekers? Employers in industries such as Health Care, Hospitality, Retail and Food Service are desperate for staff at a time when the statewide unemployment rate is at 7.4%. While the August unemployment rate is lower than it has been the last few months, it is still 4.5 points higher than in March 2020. This 7.4% unemployment rate in Minnesota represents over 230,000 unemployed workers – over two-and-a-half times the number o...

Jobs in Demand: Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers, including Fast Food

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Combined Food Preparation and Serving Workers were among the first workers affected by the emergence of COVID-19 and subsequent executive orders that closed the businesses that employ these workers. As many restaurants and bars have re-opened, these workers are in high demand on the front lines doing specific tasks such as taking customer orders, relaying that to the cooks, and cleaning and organizing eating, service and kitchen areas. The main tasks for food preparation and serving workers include, but are not limited to, communicating with customers and accepting payment from them, gathering food items from storage, cooking and reheating items, serving food to customers...

Jobs in Demand: Nursing Assistants

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

With demand for long-term care workers surging amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Nursing Assistants are among the most in-demand jobs in Minnesota right now. Typically working under the direction of nursing staff, Nursing Assistants provide immediate patient care such as feeding, bathing, dressing, grooming, and moving patients, as well as basic healthcare procedures such as taking blood pressure and temperature. Nursing Assistants (NAs) are most likely to work in nursing and residential care facilities, assisted living facilities and retirement communities, home health care services, and in smaller numbers, at hospitals. Read full article.

Jobs in Demand: Retail Salespersons

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

As the largest and most common job in the state, Retail Salespeople are seemingly always in demand. Nearly 85,000 people are employed as Retail Salespeople, working on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic to help customers find and purchase the products they need. Though many retail workers were laid off temporarily in March and April, many have come back to work as retailers have re-opened. There are many job duties, skills and knowledge that make a good Retail Salesperson, including preparing merchandise for purchase or rental, maintaining knowledge of products and sales, and operating cash registers to complete financial transactions. Retail sales is incredibl...

Study: Your dollar goes further in rural Minnesota, if you can find a place to live

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Nowhere in Minnesota can a person afford the cost of living on the state minimum wage of $9.86 an hour. In fact, most regions require well over $15 an hour to afford to live. However, rural Minnesotans can often afford a similar or higher quality of life than their metro area counterparts, despite overall lower wages, according to a new study from the Center for Rural Policy and Development. Read full article.

DEED Announces Names of Businesses That Received Small Business Emergency Loans

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced that 1,020 small businesses throughout Minnesota received a Small Business Emergency Loan, which is different than the more recently announced Small Business Relief Grants. More than $27 million in loans were made from $30 million in special revenue funds allocated to the emergency loan program. The remaining $2.8 million was distributed to lenders to assist with loan administration and technical assistance expenses. DEED worked with lenders throughout Minnesota to implement the emergency loan program, which opened for applications in late March. Loans were issued to qualified businesses beginnin...

For some small farms, Covid-19 pandemic has been good for business

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has sown chaos throughout the food sector, triggering shortages of some products and gluts of others. But some family farms have found their own fortunes lifted by the upheaval. That's one of the takeaways from a Pioneer Press story that talks with small-scale farmers that have seen demand soar for products like zucchini, pick-your-own fruits and locally raised meats. Read full article.

General Mills looking for more manufacturing partners, suppliers to meet demand

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

General Mills plans to boost the number of outsourcing manufacturing partners and suppliers by as much as 20 percent from pre-pandemic levels as the food company tries to keep up with soaring demand for products like baking mixes and soup. The Wall Street Journal reports on the effort by Golden Valley-based General Mills (NYSE: GIS), which historically has used third-party partners to handle about 30 percent of its products sold in North America, bolstering the 24 manufacturing plants the company owns in the United States. Read full article.

Site Selection 2020: The Importance of “Regional Depth” with Global Reach

Monday, September 14, 2020

The last several years of corporate site selection have been influenced by many trends. Among these are corporate tax cuts, a red-hot industrial real estate market, the explosion of e-commerce, increasing trade protectionism, record economic growth and, in a stunning reversal, a global health pandemic and recession. It seems the ever-shifting tide of global and domestic affairs can be confusing at best and downright frightening at worst to corporate executives evaluating where to locate their next headquarters, newest manufacturing plant, or distribution center. Risk and uncertainty have never seemed higher, and without looking deeper and thinking differently, it can b...