10/09/85 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

MINNESOTA 7 MAGAZINE New businesses, expansions create 225 area jobs Faribault tour worth $2 million I I I I I '1 I I I I I I Farihault received wcllqh,s~,rw,d con- gratulations for its ec(,nomic develop- meat elforts from Governor Rndy Perplex when he visited the city July 22. Perpich's visit stems from business developments and expansions that have created or will create a~mt 225 jobs in the area. Faribault, a Minnesota Star City for Development, has been working hard at deveh,ping the partnerships necessary for growth and job creation. And this was their day to prove it. Accompanying thc Governor were state Energy' and Ec- onomic Development Commissioner Mark Dayton. Sen. Clarence Purfeerst and Rep, Peter Rodosovich of the Faribauh area. John Lockner, Farlbault's housing and redevelopment authority chairman, told the group over breakfast that there has been a positive return on the almost $2 million the state has invested in thc area. The breakfast was followed by first- hand looks at companies that have made recent investments in Faribault: Crown Cork 8 Seal produces bottle- caps and cans. Crown executives con- sidered expanding at any one of 90 facil- ities it operates throughout the world. But the work ethic of Minnesotans in their Faribault plant compelled Crown to invest here. The fact that the Faribault plant was highest in Crown productMty worldwide has a lot to do with it. "A definite contributor to our success in Faribauit is our skilled, productive and quality-conscious workforce," said Lloyd Peltier, plant manager. Tax incre- ment financing from the city and assist- ance with land acquisition from the HRA helped seal the project. Next was K 8 G Manufacturing, where specialized precision computer parts are produced and shipped to major clients such as IBM and Control Data. lteadquartered in Faribault. K 8 G's satisfaction with the productix ity of the local work force has led to an expansion - . that created 1 o ne~' jobs. Faribault's industrial park, com- pleted in 1980. now luts five companies on site, two of which are expanding: CAKO I)evehqmwnt Corp. makes cake tops. Alter considering alternate locations. CAKO in~ested $480,000 in an expansion that inclnded $75,000 in public financing. Thirty new jobs were created. Job training was one of the reasons AB(; Bus Co., another industrial park tenant, chose to expand in Faribault. ABC refurbishes transit and recrea- tional vehicles and required skilled em- plo>'ees from Faribault's Area Voca- tional q~chnical Institute {AVTIL An $84,000 grant from the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership Board helped with that. The Faribauh AVTI and the Minne- sota Job Service are coordinating the training. They are working to develop custom curriculums in nine key occupa-' tional areas. The ABC project also includes $195,000 in tax increment financing and its own investment of $1.5 million. The New business guides available at DEED Revised editions of two popular busi- ness publications are now available from the Department of Energ?' and Ec- onomic Development's Office of Busi- ness Information. In addition, two new publications will be available soon. The fourth edition of A Guide to Starting a Business in ~llinnesota is available, as well as the third edition of Selling ~bur Product to the State o£ 3,linnesota. updated to reflect 1985 changes in procurement and set-aside laws. An updated companion piece. ~linnesota's Set-aside Program, is also available. A new piece, Checklist for Hiring an Employee, lists questions that should be raised when hiring, and filing require- ments, including where to obtain appro- priate forms. An Environmental Guide £or Small Businesses. a cooperative effort between the Pollution Control Agency. the Envi- ronmental Quality Board and the Office of Business Information, will be availa- ble by the end of the year. Publications can be obtained by call- ing 612/296-3871. expansion ~¥ill bring AIIC's compl,.- meat of 2;I employs,cs to 150 by fall. ABC Bus had considered expansi,,n elsewhere. But'Faribault's workers, ABC's tics to the titS:, the strong new program at the vocational school, ami the cooperation ol local and state gov- ernments led to thc declshm in favor of Faribault. Faribo ~bolen Mills produces blan- kets, sweaters and robes. Almost a household name in the state, FariD~ has been located in Faribault since the late 180Os. Tax increment financing totaling $155.000 combined with signifleant pri- x'ate investment will create 10 additional jobs at its Faribault plant, which is also company headquarters. , .Next stop for the Perplex tour was Faribault Canning Co. IFCCt, which processes beans, peas and corn. FCC purchased a plant in Brighton. Colo., with the intention ot expanding there. However, it decided to consolidate that facility with the Faribault operation. Help came from a Minnesota Small Cit- ies Economic Recovery Loan Fund grant, combined with its own private in- vestment and $150,000 in local tax in- crement financing. Twenty jobs are gained, added to a current total of 75 year-round employees, which doesn't in::lude seasonal hiring. The group also took a walking tour of Faribault's old town revitalization. With the assistance of a federal Small Cities Block Grant, 49 codimercial/resi- dential buildings downtown have ~en rehabilitated. The city's community and economic development staff is working on more projects with viable job creation. Steve Greisert. director, said, "~ are feeling very good about the possibility of 1.086 expansions by both Mercu~' Minnemta and Treas~e Cheese Caves, a subsidi- ng' of Beatrice Foods." Faribauh Mayor Robert Heine. sum- ming up the visit and tour by the Go~er- nor. said it "was nice to show the net result of cooperation in community eco- nomic development. We've made a con- certed effort that we're ve~. proud of, and we're eager to serve as an example for other Minnesota cities with develop- meat goals."