News and Media

E-Commerce Growth Surge Sparks a Logistics Free-For-All

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

E-commerce has exploded in recent years, but as COVID-19 emerged the sector has seen unprecedented growth. While many industries battled disruptions, e-commerce provides opportunity. E-commerce and logistics companies are accelerating planned innovation and restructuring initiatives to stay ahead of the curve — if that’s even possible — spurring the implementation of three to five years of advancements in a span of just five months to keep up. It’s akin to upgrading the jet while traveling at Mach speed. This significant growth in online sales shows no signs of slowing, with Deloitte forecasting e-commerce sales to increase by 25–35 percent year-over-year during this upcomin...

Front Line: Vocational Training Alliances in Tough Times

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

As if manufacturers are not challenged enough by COVID-19, many face shortages of appropriately skilled workers to keep their tech-savvy factories competitive. A 2018 report by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Instituteestimated the manufacturing industry would have as many as 2.4 million jobs to fill by 2028. Last year, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) reported in 3rd Quarter 2019 that the top concern among manufacturers was the inability to attract and retain a quality workforce. Stephen Gold, president/CEO of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI), recently wrote in IndustryWeek that the skills gap today isn’t so much about a lack of STE...

Attaining a Big-Picture Perspective With a Facility Master Plan

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Leading a successful site and facility master plan challenges even the most seasoned leaders. After all, how often have you undertaken a master-planning process, only to be disappointed in the outcome, or worse yet, end up with a building that doesn’t align with your business goals? Based on over 30 years of working with manufacturing organizations, we have identified several master-planning process “must haves” that are vital to achieving successful, actionable and, most importantly, implementable site and facility master plans. With construction cost trending upward at a rate of 3 to 5 percent annually — and an industry focused on continuou...

How to Navigate the Reshoring of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

In recent years, geopolitical and economic trends have been encouraging pharmaceutical drug manufacturers to shift their active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) sourcing and physical manufacturing plants onto domestic soil or near-shore locations. This has been a gradually turning tide that accelerated this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, in its wake, a presidential Executive Order requiring all essential medicines to be manufactured within the United States. While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet disclosed the list of essential medications, it has become apparent that having a strategy for the reshoring of pharmaceutical manufacturing is crucial. There ar...

Recruiting and Retaining Today’s Manufacturing Workforce

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

AD: How has COVID-19 changed the employee experience in manufacturing, and what facets of this should organizations retain going forward? Zenk: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees have been experiencing a drastically different work environment. Thousands of manufacturers across the U.S. and around the world were deemed essential during the pandemic, and their production lines haven’t stopped. They’ve continued to produce essential goods that the global community relies on — from the food we eat to the clothes we wear and cleaning supplies we use in our homes. As some manufacturers increased output and others reconfigured operations to satisfy urgent demands...

Cold Storage Is Hotter Than Ever

Thursday, December 17, 2020

Our attitudes about food and beverage influence the brands we purchase, how we socialize, where we shop — and sometimes even where we live. Our expectations are high when it comes to product mix and availability. When our wants and needs are not met quickly, as was the case at the start of the pandemic, we are highly dissatisfied. While food transport has been occurring for centuries, modes of delivery, advances in food safety, and time-sensitive supply chains have evolved to meet the changing desires of consumers across increasingly broad geographies. Often, new trends become ingrained habits that can alter consume...

In Focus: The Evolving Role of Outdoor Spaces

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

This year has been hallmarked by re-evaluation. On all levels, people have taken a second look at their habits, spaces, and lifestyles and have had to adjust greatly to meet the new needs of today. With safety as a priority, people entered their homes in March, and most have not returned to a “normal” lifestyle. On a macro-level, spaces must be reimagined in order for people to return safely and once again participate in day-to-day activities without fear of getting sick or infecting others. One solution is moving traditionally indoor spaces outdoors. The office is a great example of how outdoo...

Five Predictions For The Manufacturing Industry In 2021

Monday, December 07, 2020

There's no shortage of articles that will opine about how tumultuous 2020 was for the economy, jobs, and industry as the world grappled with the impact of COVID-19 on business and daily life. However, there's reason to be optimistic, especially in manufacturing. Despite 60% of manufacturers feeling the impact of COVID on operations, a recent survey of senior leaders of manufacturing and distribution companies noted significant or modest growth in company revenue during the pandemic. Demand for products is surging, requiring new and innovative production methods, and many manufacturers have stepped up to the plate. As we close out the year, we'll better understand jus...

Minnesota Ranks First in Five-Year Business Survival Rate

Monday, December 07, 2020

St. Paul – Minnesota ranks first in the nation in its five-year business survival rate (2015-2020), based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state’s rate was 55.3%. In comparison, the national rate for the same period was 50.0%. “This ranking confirms something we know to be true – people who start things in Minnesota tend to stick to it. It’s part of that Minnesota work ethic that we’re known for,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “This ranking bodes well for our economy, as we know that small businesses account for 47% of the jobs in the state.” A recent stud...

Minnesota’s Small Town Grocers Adapt To A Changing World

Monday, December 07, 2020

In 2011, Corey and Ket Christianson relocated from Singapore to buy the grocery store in the northwest Minnesota town of Badger, on Highway 11 southwest of Roseau. Badger, a town of 400 less than 20 miles from the Canadian border, was at risk of losing its grocery store if a buyer didn’t come through, Corey Christianson said. “We thought, well this is much less expensive than Singapore to live and it’s a great place to raise a family,” Christianson said. Plus, he grew up working at the store: his parents had owned it before some of its more recent proprietors. More recently, th...

The Home Office Vs. the home office

Monday, December 07, 2020

In Washington, like everywhere else, a major reevaluation of workspace and quality of life is unfolding. Imagine building an expansive new corporate campus, then deciding since the onset of COVID-19 to sell it and disperse HQ functions. That’s what REI is doing with its newly completed campus in Bellevue, Washington. The company is instead following a distributed work model for its HQ functions. Four days after Facebook launched a new college-only online space for students called Facebook Campus, the company completed the purchase of a real one, buying REI’s just-completed campus in the Spring District neighborhood for $390 million. It’s one of several investment...

How Minnesota colleges are keeping study abroad programs afloat amid the pandemic

Thursday, December 03, 2020

For college students, opportunities to study abroad this school year are sparse. As the COVID-19 pandemic grips nations across the globe, both the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State campuses have canceled study abroad programs for this fall and winter. But while enrollment may have largely come to a halt, planning has not. Program leaders say they’re looking ahead to this spring and this summer, assessing how they might safely send at least some students abroad if conditions allow. In the meantime, some study abroad offices have had to cut back on staffing, due to a lack of revenue. Others have manage...

Launch Minnesota Awards nearly $750,000 in Innovation Grants for FY 2021

Thursday, December 03, 2020

St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced that it has awarded $746,295 in the first half of fiscal year 2021; this follows the $1.6 million awarded in the first year of funding. Since July, we awarded 28 grants to 23 companies and seven entrepreneurs, of which 14 were target minority, veteran or woman-owned or located in Greater Minnesota. Launch Minnesota Innovation Grants are targeted to the most promising innovative and scalable technology businesses in Minnesota. The grants help reduce the risk for Minnesota technology startups and entrepreneurs who are solving problems and growing our state’s innovatio...

Leveraging transferrable skills for in-demand jobs now

Thursday, December 03, 2020

While many people have been hired back at their old jobs or found new jobs during the pandemic, it could be late 2022 or early 2023 before the total number of jobs lost during the pandemic are replaced. And not all jobs are bouncing back at the same rate, for example some customer-facing jobs like waitstaff, bartenders, positions in personal services like salons and arts and entertainment positions may be slower to bounce back as people continue to social distance and avoid crowds to slow the spread of the virus. Read full article.

More COVID-19 relief for Minnesota arts organizations; New Native Theatre Play Festival begins

Thursday, December 03, 2020

In the words of Torrie Allen, president and CEO of Arts Midwest, “As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the nation, smaller arts and culture organizations are deeply hurting.” Because of deep inequities and historic under-resourcing, some are hurting more than others. And several are being helped by COVID-19 relief grants from the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund. Launched earlier this year with a $10 million emergency grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, led by poet Elizabeth Alexander, the fund is administered by America’s six Regional Arts Organizations including Arts Midwest. The states supported by Arts Midwest are Iowa...

Opportunity for All?

Thursday, December 03, 2020

They’re cities of dreams. They’re the nation’s glamor capitals. But they’re attracting the lion’s share of Opportunity Zone funds meant to spark the economies of neighborhoods struck more by poverty than by fame. Analysis published in September 2020 by tax break experts Novogradac found that investment in more than 800 Qualified Opportunity Funds (QOFs) tracked by the organization exceeded $12 billion, though the total amount in all QOFs was “undoubtedly more.” The White House Council of Economic Advisers put the total around $75 billion. But where are those funds targeted for action? “QOFs can focus on a national, regional, state or cit...

St. Paul Business Owner Turns Restaurant Into Food Shelf

Wednesday, December 02, 2020

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) — At The Gnome Craft Pub in St. Paul, food fills every table in sight, and none of it is for sale. A group of people recently let go from their jobs in the service industry shuffle through the lines to pick out groceries. A team of volunteers work like an orchestra to create a hum of boxes moving, people greeting and firewood burning on the winter morning. Its conductor is The Gnome’s owner, Brian Ingram. “If I’m sitting at home and I have a full belly and my community doesn’t, that doesn’t work in our house,” Ingram said. Whe...

SEO For The Savvy Economic Developer

Tuesday, December 01, 2020

Authors don’t write books for librarians, they write books for readers. So why are economic developers creating websites just for search engines? The sole focus on search engine rankings has moved economic development website marketing away from the true intended purpose - connecting communities to business owners and expanding economic growth opportunities. Economic development professionals desire more traffic. But that goal is getting in the way of making sure the users actually find the information they are seeking. We confuse the search engine rankings and analysis with success when the primary goal is still to deliver relevant content from the user. Th...

Top 30 Jobs in Demand Now in Minnesota

Tuesday, December 01, 2020

St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is working hard to connect Minnesotans who need work now with employers who are hiring. One of the ways we do this is through posting a regularly updated list of the top 30 types of jobs being hired for in Minnesota. You can see this list at CareerForceMN.com/JobsinDemand. “COVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges to Minnesotans and our businesses,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “Despite these challenges, companies in many fields are hiring. DEED and our workforce development partners in CareerForce can help people looking for work now. From getting connections to employers wit...

How the Video Game Industry Drives DC Location Decisions

Monday, November 30, 2020

It’s natural to expect more data center capacity is needed to handle the boom in e-commerce, streamed programming and virtual meetings since the pandemic arrived. But there’s another subset of screen-based transactions that requires that expansion too. Statista reports there are an estimated 2.7 billion video gamers around the world in 2020. The largest proportion of these gamers, some 55% or 1.5 billion players, live in the Asia Pacific Region. North America, with 8%, claims just over 200 million gamers. Total prize money in 2018 for e-sports was $1.5 billion, with the 2018 League of Legends World Championship Finals reaching 99....

Talent Accelerator Program is a Welcome Mat for Foreign Investors

Monday, November 30, 2020

In February 2020, Navien, Inc., a leader in condensing technology for water heaters and boilers, announced it would invest $77.5 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing and assembly operation in the former Lumber Liquidators facility in James City County, which will create 180 new jobs. The company is tripling the footprint of the existing building, bringing it to nearly 900,000 sq. ft. Virginia successfully competed with Illinois, Maryland, and Pennsylvania for the project. Navien, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of Seoul-based KD Navien, is one of the fastest growing companies in the home comfort sector in North America. Why Virginia? “The clos...

Where Aerospace Manufacturers Are Gravitating in 2020

Monday, November 30, 2020

PwC’s Aerospace & Defense practice has issued the seventh edition of its Aerospace Manufacturing Attractiveness Rankings. It does so at “a precarious moment in the industry’s history,” according to the report’s introduction. “By April 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic had plunged commercial aviation into crisis mode, with global revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) nosediving by 94% compared to the same month a year earlier. International flights ground to a near-complete halt. By June, RPKs were down 87% against the year-ago period. Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts that 2019 levels will not be restored until 2024.” Aircraft and their many component...

#GetTakeoutMN: Share Your Support for Minnesota Restaurants

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

St. Paul - As Minnesota takes necessary steps to battle COVID-19, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is encouraging Minnesotans to shop and eat local this holiday season. In particular, helping your favorite local restaurants and eateries by ordering takeout is a simple way to support vital, beloved local businesses while enjoying a delicious meal in your own home. It’s a great way to help these businesses weather the impacts of the pandemic. “The best way to help your local restaurants weather this time is by ordering takeout whenever you can,” said DEED Commissioner Steve Grove. “They need our support no...

Veterans Virtual Career Fair Resources Offer Valuable Job Search Information

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

The Minnesota Veterans Virtual Career Fair is over, but the resources offered and connections made through the online event are continuing to benefit current and former military members and their spouses, as well as Minnesota employers. Here's what we've heard from two participating employers, 3M and Andersen Windows and Doors, both gold sponsors of the event. “As a fellow veteran, and 3M hiring manager, it is wonderful to be part of a local event that encourages companies to highlight opportunities for veterans,” said Jennifer Loveland, Enterprise Operations Black Belt and member of 3M’s employee resource group. “At the same time, it creates a central place for veteran...

How Site Selection Can Help Meet Corporate Social Responsibility Commitments

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

The increased role of corporate social responsibility in site selection Corporate social responsibility is playing a major factor today in company's decisions on where they're locating their business. That's happening for a few reasons. I think companies are realizing that they need to be more conscious as to what's going on in the environment today, and they need to react to that. But primarily that's being driven by their consumers (for any company that is selling a product to the consumer base). Consumers want to know that the company is delivering on certain sustainability goals. They want to feel like they'r...

3M Partnership Deal Focuses On Cleaner Aircraft Interiors

Monday, November 23, 2020

In the wake of the pandemic’s effects on air travel, Maplewood-based 3M Co. has teamed up with California-based Safran Cabin to design and create safer and cleaner aircraft interiors. Safran Cabin produces jet cabin interiors with components including overhead bins, lavatories, galleys, and more. The company has 25 sites across the globe, operates in 10 countries and has more than 9,500 employees. 3M’s aerospace division already produces a range of adhesives, films, and sealants used in aircraft design. The company’s Transportation and Electronics business segment accounted for $9.6 billion in sales in 2019; that translated to 29.9 percent of the company’s tota...

A Guide to Aerospace Investment Decisions

Monday, November 23, 2020

The aerospace and defense (A&D) industry had a record year in 2019. Revenue passenger miles set a record, up 4.2 percent from 2018, and have been growing at roughly double GDP for the past two decades. Airbus’ and Boeing’s order backlogs ended 2019 at around 13,000 aircraft. The industry reported a record $780 billion in revenue — 5 percent over 2018. But in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic plunged the industry into crisis, literally overnight, with air traffic decreasing about 90 percent as society shut down and stayed at home. Hopes for a quick recovery have been dashed by the persistence of transmissions, and many believ...

How To Poise Your Business For Success (And Survival) In The Covid Economy

Monday, November 23, 2020

Business life in the era of Covid has elements of both crisis management and an endurance trial. How can your business join the ranks of those that are succeeding in this environment? LJ Suzuki, founder and fractional CFO at CFOshare and I recently dissected this question together, with an eye toward the actionable steps you should be taking now–and the potholes you need to avoid. Micah Solomon, Senior Contributor, Forbes; Customer Service Turnaround Expert and Consultant: It’s been several quarters since Covid began to make inroads into the economy; how are small businesses faring? LJ Suzuki, Founder and Fractional CFO at CFOshare: The small businesses within my purview have see...

Jobs in Demand: Assemblers and Fabricators

Monday, November 23, 2020

With over 320,000 jobs, Manufacturing is Minnesota’s 2nd largest-employing industry sector. One of the top-employing occupations in this industry happens to be assemblers and fabricators. In fact, according to DEED’s Occupational Employment Statistics data, there are over 31,700 assemblers and fabricators employed in the state. Such workers are employed in a wide variety of areas, including everything from transportation equipment manufacturing to computer and electronic product manufacturing to medical equipment and supplies manufacturing. Simply put, assemblers and fabricators assemble finished products and the parts that go into them. More specific tasks may include reading and interpreting schematics and blueprints, positioning or alignin...

Startups Key to Minnesota Post-Virus Economic Recovery

Monday, November 23, 2020

First, I’d just note that we gathered state leaders, partners and startups from across the state last week for a virtual event to celebrate the one-year anniversary of Launch Minnesota, a program designed to accelerate startups. You can find out more in Launch Minnesota’s First-Year Progress Report. I’d like to share a message I wrote – which appeared in the Star Tribune on Sunday – about the importance of our startup community to Minnesota’s economic recovery. To say that 2020 has been a challenging year for the Minnesota economy would be an understatement. In the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic, we lost a stunning 385,000 jobs. We'v...

DEED, State Leaders Celebrate Minnesota’s Startup Community

Friday, November 20, 2020

St. Paul – This week, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) hosted a virtual event to celebrate Minnesota’s startup community and Launch Minnesota’s first anniversary. Participants included two state legislators, six startups and seven partners from across the state who are part of the Launch Minnesota Network. Launch Minnesota is a statewide collaborative effort to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation. It began last year with bipartisan approval and funding from the Minnesota Legislature and Governor Tim Walz. “This investment in our innovation ecosystem helps our state’s economy both now and into the future,” said Governo...

Minnesotans donate in record numbers to Give to the Max

Friday, November 20, 2020

Minnesotans donated a record $30.4 million to nonprofits and schools during the annual Give to the Max campaign, surpassing the previous record of nearly $22 million set in 2019. GiveMN Executive Director Jake Blumberg said donors gave money to more than 6,100 organizations, which is also a record. "What we were hoping donors would do and what we directly asked over and over again for donors to do was to expand their generosity this year," he said. Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank received more than $900,000 in donations. That was the most money given to a single organization this year. Read full article.

Top Clusters Endure, But New Players Emerge

Friday, November 20, 2020

JLL in late July released its 2020 U.S. Life Sciences Outlook, including the firm’s annual cluster ranking based on employment and firm concentration, venture capital and NIH funding, lab supply and market occupancy rate. Surprise: Boston, San Francisco and San Diego rank Nos. 1, 2 and 3, with VC funding a big reason why. Those three ecosystems alone captured 70% of all venture capital investment for 2019. “This initial infusion of capital is critical to space demand,” said JLL. Hence the 2.7 million sq. ft. in development in Boston and the 4 million sq. ft. rising in the Bay Area, with Sa...

Why are Foreign Trade Zones Making a Comeback?

Friday, November 20, 2020

FTZs Are Making a Comeback There was a double-digit growth in foreign trade zone use [in 2018], according to the federal government's report for that year. When the 2019 report comes out, that double double-digit growth will have increased even more. The reason is that these tariffs are a whole new way to save money, compared to before, when the most important things were speed to market, using direct delivery and weekly entry, cutting your supply chain time and lowering your cost of operations. Now it's cut your supply chain time, lower costs and mitigate the tariffs. The number one thing w...

Hello Iron Range! attracting workforce to Northeast Minnesota

Friday, November 13, 2020

Being a Workforce Strategy Consultant is all about making connections and developing solutions to help employers find the employees they need to grow and thrive in Minnesota. One of the most exciting projects that I have been working on is Hello Iron Range! a talent attraction website designed to promote the Iron Range and help businesses recruit and retain talent to the region. My partner in this project has been Beth Pierce, Executive Director from Iron Range Tourism. The project was funded with support from the Blandin Broadband Initiative and the Iron Range Tourism Bureau. The purpose of the site is t...

6 Ways to Keep Your Employees Learning At Work

Thursday, November 12, 2020

No company can reach its business goals without a qualified and dedicated workforce. As new technologies emerge, on-job training programs have become increasingly useful to enhance both employees’ soft and practical skills. But learning at work can go beyond formal training. Businesses should get creative so that employees are constantly developing their skills. The Benefits of Ongoing Training While most companies invest in costly recruitment processes to attract the right candidates, their efforts on employee engagement and education often fall short. Without any type of incentives or supportive programs, it's easy for employees to feel overlooked and unappreciated after a while — and for companies’ growth to lag in turn. Read full article.

Josephson's Thrives In Spite of Challenges Brought on by COVID-19

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for most small businesses. Red Wing Port Authority has worked tirelessly to alleviate some of the pressure these businesses are experiencing as a result of the pandemic. One way in which the Port Authority has provided assistance has been through COVID-19 relief funds. One pillar of the business community, Josephson’s Men’s Clothing Store and Formal Wear remains stronger than ever because of these funds and the significant community support the store has received during the pandemic. For Josephson’s, COVID-19 hit at a very bad time, during prom and wedding season. Josephson’s opened i...

Erik’s Bike Shop relocates headquarters to Minneapolis from Bloomington

Monday, November 09, 2020

Erik’s Bike Shop Inc. is relocating its corporate headquarters, warehouse and distribution center to Minneapolis from Bloomington this month. Erik Saltvold, founder and CEO of the 31-store retail chain, said the new location at 550 Kasota Ave. SE. in Minneapolis’ Como neighborhood made sense for both the business and its employees. At 100,000 square feet, the new warehouse gives Erik’s more than twice the space it had in Bloomington. “Our business has been growing and we needed more space, and we wanted to be in a place that had better biking infrastructure, better options for our staff in terms of cycling infrastructur...

Cirtec Medical Expanding in Brooklyn Park

Thursday, November 05, 2020

ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced today that Cirtec Medical Corporation will expand in Brooklyn Park. The expansion is expected to create 200 jobs with an average wage of $22.89 per hour, while retaining their existing 350 Minnesota-based employees. DEED is supporting this project with a loan of up to $800,000 from the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF). Cirtec has held a virtual career fair to help find the new skilled employees. “Cirtec Medical’s decision to expand their business in Brooklyn Park is yet another indicator that Minnesota is the land of growth and opportunity for ou...

Kudos to CareerForce staff person for interview workshop

Wednesday, November 04, 2020

"You deserve 'Kudos' and many thanks from all of us that you helped get going on the right path with all the bumps along the way!" that was the message from a overjoyed online workshop participant to Robin Johnson at CareerForce in Brooklyn Park, who facilitated the workshop. Thanks to the skills she learned and the confidence she gained through the workshop, the workshop participant successfully interviewed for and landed a job in her field during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read full article.

These are the Skills and Mindsets of the Leader of the Future

Wednesday, November 04, 2020

When we hear the word water, an image immediately comes to mind, we know what we are talking about. The same does not happen with the term leadership or when we want to refer to the leader. However, this character plays a fundamental role in cultures and organizations. Jacob Morgan, a futurist who explores leadership, the future of work and the experience of employees, participated in INCmty where he pointed out the nine skills and mindsets that the leader of the future must have, whom he referred to as "the leader of today" . Also founder of FutureOfWorkUniversity.com , an online education and training platform tha...

In Focus: Increased Data Center Growth Driven by the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tuesday, November 03, 2020

The stratospheric rise of the cloud over the past few years caught many off guard and created an arms race among the cloud providers, with data center development underpinning the effort. These cloud providers were anticipating ever-increasing demand for the cloud by globally creating a robust and redundant network of massive data centers tethered together through a network of smaller data centers and fiber connection locations. Data centers that service other segments of the market (wholesale colocation, “edge,” and retail) were also riding the wave of increased demand. Little did we know a global pandemic would make data centers and th...

Infrastructure Investment as an Economic Stimulus Tool

Tuesday, November 03, 2020

In times of economic struggle — such as the recession that abruptly arrived with the COVID-19 pandemic — analysts and advocates promote an array of options as effective tools for stimulating the economy. One of the most frequently suggested options is infrastructure spending. Proponents of infrastructure spending during dire economic times view it as a productive job creator and essential foundation for a long-term recovery and return to sustained prosperity. Brian Raff, director of Communications and Public Affairs for the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), cites a 2015 study by the Duke Center on Globalization, Governance, and Competitiveness to demonstrate infrastructure investment’...

The Giving Guide 2020

Tuesday, November 03, 2020

A recent Council on Foundations report starts with the observation that 2020 has been “a year of multiple, compounding, and ongoing crises that are affecting millions of Americans” and urges “a rapid and strong response from our [nonprofit] institutions, including philanthropy.” The report documents three concurrent developments: the direct and indirect effects of the Covid-19 pandemic; urgent calls for accelerated action against racial injustice across the United States; and an estimated 33 percent annual rate decrease in real GDP in the second quarter of 2020. By the end of June, 18 million Americans were unemployed, with disproportionately higher rates of jo...

Adding “COVID-19 Community Response” to the Site Selection Checklist

Monday, November 02, 2020

Much has been written about the disruptions of COVID-19 on every line of business. In the realm of economic development, this has included a recommitment to retention and expansion programs, touting quality of life to capture the influx of remote workers, a rush to virtual site tours, and many other endeavors. All of these adjustments will play a part in a community’s success in the years to come. But it seems that when all of them are stacked up, they point to the foundation of a community — or to use a construction expression, they reveal whether a community ha...

In Focus: An Evolving Last Mile

Monday, November 02, 2020

Apart from the tragic global health implications, the economic fallout from the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic has been highly disruptive. The longer-term impact from the profound behavioral shift on the part of consumers who have — by necessity — been introduced to online shopping will persist long after the current recessionary cycle ends. While some new online shoppers will go back to their pre-COVID habits once the pandemic is behind us, many will be “sticky,” finding the convenience of online shopping too alluring. One recent survey finds that 46 percent of shoppers currently plan to continue buying online. Read full article.

4 Key Benefits of Video Content

Saturday, October 31, 2020

In the digital age, getting attention is anything but a given. An abundance of publishers, gadgets and apps are competing for mind share, and data overload causes audiences to block distractions and instead focus on what’s urgent. Five years back, a Microsoft study found that humans now have a shorter attention span than a goldfish, which lasts about eight seconds — only two decades ago, we were at 12 seconds. That's proof positive why content must be compelling, truly entertaining and/or informative; otherwise it’s just mindless noise. When marketing online, it also helps to have the right format. Entrepreneurs, startups and small- to medium-sized businesses can all use videos to hook audience...

5 Tips for Entrepreneurs to Better Serve Their Potential Customers

Saturday, October 31, 2020

If McKinsey & Company insights from July are any indication, consumers have rediscovered their power in the pandemic. Due to a combination of product shortages, economic and job concerns, along with a general willingness to change their purchasing behaviors, 75 percent of shoppers say they’ve behaved differently since coronavirus began spreading. In many cases, their new purchasing habits have led to exposure to unfamiliar brands. This is a huge boon, especially for entrepreneurs trying to disrupt a market or industry. Under ordinary circumstances, getting consumers to move away from their favorite companies’ products and services can be challenging. However, with so much general uncertainty i...

9 Tech Innovations That Defined the 2010s

Friday, October 30, 2020

As we round into the fourth quarter of 2020, I wanted to reflect from a macro perspective on innovation since the new millennium 20+ years ago. I examined the most impactful tech innovations from 2010-2020. The 2010s saw transcendent advances across every segment of consumer technology, and we are primed to surmount even greater challenges over the next ten years. Here is a look back at the innovations that defined our world between 2010 and 2020. 1. High-definition (HD) Many of us cannot remember what screens looked like before the primary viewing process went HD. This technology grew so rapidly and ubiquitously that anything non-H...

A Guide to Aerospace Investment Decisions

Friday, October 30, 2020

Celebrating Minnesota Manufacturers

Friday, October 30, 2020

St. Paul – Throughout the month of October, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has been celebrating the critical role manufacturing plays in our state’s economy and drawing attention the many great employment opportunities in the sector. This diverse, technology-driven sector contributed over $52.7 billion to the state’s economy last year, is the state’s second largest industry by employment, and is the largest industry sector as measured by its share of the state’s gross domestic product at 14% in 2019. Minnesota’s manufacturers make a diverse range of products from food to machinery to medical devices. Close to half o...

The New Leadership Mindset: Putting Data First

Friday, October 30, 2020

With Occupancy Down 32% Due To Covid-19, Here’s How Hotel Chains Are Trying To Convince Customers It’s Safe To Stay

Friday, October 30, 2020

Since March, global hospitality groups like Marriott, Wyndham and Hilton have fought an uphill battle to stay above water in the pandemic economy. Chains have seen their occupancy rates and revenues collapse with the onset of the virus, prompting hotel closures and mass layoffs. As of September, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, an industry trade group, estimated that American hotels had lost over 870,000 jobs, over a third of the total workforce, and Statista estimates that occupancy has declined nearly 32% this year. Industry disruption is certain, but for the big players, weathering the storm is likely a temporary problem. In the long run...

Cut Above Home Finds Success During the Pandemic With Help From Red Wing Port Authority

Thursday, October 29, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for many businesses in the Red Wing area and beyond. Red Wing Port Authority saw the effects of the pandemic firsthand and opted to develop a COVID-19 relief fund program that would assist businesses that call Red Wing home. These funds serve to alleviate some of the pressure businesses are experiencing as a result of the pandemic. Cut Above Home, a Red Wing area home store, was able to benefit from COVID-19 relief funds during this season of uncertainty. Cut Above Home sells carefully curated home decor items that stand out in you...

Data-Driven Operational Strategies in the Pandemic Era

Thursday, October 29, 2020

As state economies struggle between surging cases of COVID-19 and intense pressure to reopen — albeit with varying degrees of restrictions — companies that reduced or halted operations in response to stay-at-home orders are torn between the urgent needs to both restore revenue streams and to ensure the safety of their employees and customers. Since every location has a different dynamic and risk profile, creating a return-to-work strategy is complicated, whether a company operates in five locations or 500. The solution to developing a sound, portfolio-wide strategy includes having ready access to data, analytics, and insights, including regional and community-specifi...

The New Normal in the Automotive Supply Chain

Thursday, October 29, 2020

For immediate evidence of disruptions in the automotive supply chain, you need to look no further than your local dealer. Many lots are nearly empty of new vehicles, with average dealer inventories across the U.S. far below the normal 50–60 days’ supply. How did this happen? Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is a major part of the problem. When automotive production was abruptly halted in March, there were not any new vehicles being produced until early May. Even then, production has been proceeding in fits and starts. At the same time, consumers have continued to purchase vehicles, keeping auto demand surprisingl...

Two Greater Minnesota Cities Awarded Infrastructure Funds

Thursday, October 29, 2020

ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has awarded $1,056,017 in grants to infrastructure projects in Greater Minnesota. The funding awarded from DEED's Greater Minnesota Business Development Public Infrastructure Grant Program (BDPI) was approved for Eyota and Waseca. It is expected to retain and create 645 full-time jobs and prepare these cities for future growth. "Investments in public infrastructure are critical to the economic success of Greater Minnesota communities," said Governor Tim Walz. "These grants will help spur that economic development and will create and retain 645 jobs in Eyota and Waseca." Read full article.

What Kind Of Leaders Do People Want To Follow?

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Consumers of leadership are changing their preferences, potentially more than they have in the last 60 years. In less than a week, we will conclude one of the most extensive leadership stocktaking exercises in modern U.S. history. This presidential election cycle is happening in the middle of momentous and rare levels of disruption and change in the lives of many Americans. The global pandemic, unprecedented levels of social activism, skyrocketed unemployment, and elevated levels of stress and depression are combining to place unique emphasis on this election – above and beyond the candidates who are on the ballot. This election has also presented voter...

How Site Selection Can Help Meet Corporate Social Responsibility Commitments

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

How Technology Is Making Data Collection for Incentives Programs Applications Easier

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

The Importance of Software in Incentives Analysis Software is becoming a bigger part of incentives analysis as clients increasingly want to use this tool. Many clients are building the internal capabilities to perform initial credits and incentives and site location analyses. They want to do some of that research on their own with their internal team prior to pulling in an advisor, or maybe they have an internal team that can handle the project from start to finish. Unless they have the ability to go to all the various jurisdictions under consideration and understand all their programs, the team’s software, dependin...

How To Scale Your Business In Tough Times

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

To say that Covid-19 has thrown businesses for a loop would be an understatement. Yelp recently reported that, of the more than 160,000 U.S. companies that have closed since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, 60% are now shut down for good. With businesses across the country struggling to keep their doors open, scaling your company in this economy might seem like a pipe dream. Not necessarily, says Charles Gaudet, CEO of growth consultancy Predictable Profits: “While we are in a challenging environment, you will find companies in every industry having their best year yet. Those succeeding are adapting, looking for the opportunity and using dat...

The Next Recovery: Regional Leaders & Laggards

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

To call the road that most metro areas have traveled this year rocky would be akin to labeling Mount Everest a speed bump. But the most turbulent period of our lifetimes will eventually give way to a sustained recovery. And when it does, certain types of metro areas are in far better shape to take advantage. In the short run, places that suffered the steepest job and income losses will struggle most, which bodes especially ill for the Northeast and tourism-dependent Hawaii and Nevada. But what happens after that? Much depends on the course of the virus, such as whether outbreak...

Why are Foreign Trade Zones Making a Comeback?

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Black Women Were Among The Fastest-Growing Entrepreneurs—Then Covid Arrived

Monday, October 26, 2020

Sherika Wynter was on a roll. Since releasing an insulated luxury tote bag for professionals in 2018, and subsequently selling out three times, her Maryland-based research and development company Thomas & Wynter had been featured in British GQ and the International Business Times and on several local news segments. She walked into February 2020 with more notches on her belt: a Google small-business award and a joint venture deal with a prominent Black law firm to create another product for professionals. “We were growing exponentially,” says Wynter, a Black entrepreneur who, with cofounder Shallon Thomas, started the business in 2014. Read full article.

COVID-19 Reshuffles The Cold Chain & Logistics Deck

Monday, October 26, 2020

No sector now is more active than logistics, and there is no busier niche within it than cold chain for grocery and medical needs. The busiest companies within that niche, before and since COVID-19, are automated logistics pioneers and the grocers they serve. Digital Commerce 360’s 2020 Online Food Report, released in August, analyzes the top 1,000 food-dedicated retailers, as well as mass merchants with growing sales in the category — Walmart and Amazon represent more than 60% of the online grocery market, with Walmart having the biggest market share of online food in 2019 at 31%. Read full article.

Email Marketing: Still The Most Powerful Tool To Take Your Business To The Next Level

Monday, October 26, 2020

The key to running a successful business is enticing customers and clients to do business with you. So whether you’re scrambling to lure customers back during a global pandemic or expanding your markets during “normal” business times, the question is, How do you do that? What are the best ways to get customers to come to your store, website, restaurant, office, etc.? We all know the answer: it’s marketing. But marketing is not a simple process. There are various practices, tactics, and strategies that are part of an overall marketing plan—and they are constantly evolving. It can make formulating a marketing pla...

Have Years of Darwinism in Rural America Paid Off During COVID-19?

Monday, October 26, 2020

As cities reel from a public health crisis and civic unrest, rural and small town community leaders are the unspoken heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have historically learned how to thrive through fostering creative connections between limited resources and community needs. Years of practice navigating threats and finding solutions keeps rural America surviving, even amidst a pandemic. Progressive rural community leaders developed a task force in March. They used frequent and clear communication on the local plan. Rural America applied well-practiced skills listening to citizens, health care professionals, business owners and educators to make decisions right for their own communities...

Make Your Next Pitch Instantly More Compelling By Using This One Philosopher's Framework

Monday, October 26, 2020

Want to know with confidence that your elevator pitch will land? Would clarity and persuasion help you attract more clients, investors, mentors and sales? To maximize success in conversation, ensure you are following Grice’s maxims. Twentieth-century British philosopher Paul Grice shifted the way we think about semantics and language. His maxims for conversation are part of his work on the cooperative principle, which states that when people engage with one another there are unspoken assumptions around how the conversation will unfold. Research tells us that we grasp the nuances of Grice’s maxims from an early age; a 2015 study found that children as young as six year...

DEED Launches #GoodJobsNow, New Campaign Connecting Minnesota Job Seekers with Employers

Thursday, October 22, 2020

St. Paul – Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove announced the #GoodJobsNow campaign with Rick Trontvet from Marvin Windows in Warroad and Traci Tapani from Wyoming Machine in Stacy. Many Minnesota businesses have open jobs but are reporting having a hard time finding the employees they need. At the same time, Minnesota's unemployment rate remains elevated with workers continuing to seek job opportunities. That's why DEED is launching #GoodJobsNow, an interactive set of resources connecting Minnesota employers hiring right now with job seekers looking for work. "Today, I'm proud to launch the #GoodJobsNow campaign, a new tool to help Minnesot...

Having computer access at home makes a big difference - especially during a pandemic

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Without a personal computer, Rachel lacked access to training and job applications, especially during the pandemic. But she was determined to gain skills to reach her career goals, despite the technical barriers she faced. Rachel used the computer at her local library to meet virtually with her employment counselors at Hired, a CareerForce partner. She used her phone to listen to online Medical Call Center classes. Halfway through the program, Rachel’s employment counselors surprised her with a laptop, thanks to funding through MicroGrants and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. Read full article.

5 Creative Approaches To Gain The Attention Of Businesses

Monday, October 19, 2020

So your community didn’t get on the finalist list of Amazon HQ2. Now what? The site selection process is changing and adapting with the trends in business. While it may still be important for you to look for potentially large company relocations, many good business expansions can occur with small to mid-sized companies. But gaining the attention of their businesses requires some creative approaches. #1 TALENT > INCENTIVES Workforce, workforce, workforce. The ability of a community to attract and retain a workforce is ranking at the top of the incentive list. Business owners may still be interested in traditional incentives, but th...

Governor and Lt. Governor, Commissioner Grove Host Manufacturing Discussion

Friday, October 16, 2020

St. Paul - Governor Tim Walz, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove engaged Wednesday in a virtual roundtable discussion with ten leaders from around Minnesota about how the manufacturing industry is doing during the pandemic and key issues it’s facing in the future. Manufacturing, which has long played a key role in the state’s economy, is even more important now as Minnesota focuses on economic recovery from the COVID-19 recession. As the state’s second-largest industry, manufacturing contributed $52.7 billion to Minnesota’s economy last year and employed 324,000 people, with a tota...

Jobs in Demand: Medical Assistants

Friday, October 16, 2020

There is no doubt that the medical field has taken on heightened importance in Minnesota during the COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of the path of the coronavirus, due to the state’s population growth and aging demographic profile, the need for healthcare support staff will continue to grow. In fact, according to DEED’s Employment Outlook data, healthcare practitioners and technical occupations are projected to rise by 12.4% while healthcare support occupations are slated to increase 14% from 2018 to 2028 in Minnesota. Likewise, Medical Assistants are projected to see 21% job growth, equaling over 2,100 new jobs during this time frame, as well as see almos...

Jobs in Demand: Medical and Health Services Managers

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Medical and health services managers play a vital role in hospitals, clinics, managed care facilities, public health agencies and other health care organizations, providing direction and coordination of services. There are over 8,330 people employed as medical and health services managers, with the highest number (61% or 5,110 workers) working in the 7-county Twin Cities metro region. As healthcare continues to expand in Minnesota, demand for medical and health services managers is expected to swell by almost 1,150 new jobs through 2028, an increase of 17%, according to DEED’s Employment Outlook, with an additional 2,300 openings left vacant by current workers wh...

Employers are Building More Inclusive Places to Work in Northwest Minnesota

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Minnesota’s workforce is becoming increasingly diverse – most workforce growth in the coming decade will be from Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) workers. However, many disparities in employment and economic outcomes exist for BIPOC Minnesotans. To help address these disparities and acknowledge the critical role a diverse workforce plays in organizations’ success, Northwest Minnesota employers launched an initiative to recognize organizations that foster an inclusive workforce. The Inclusive Workforce Employer or I-WE designation is an innovative workforce solution that emerged from discussions among several organizations in Northwest Minnesota brought together by the Regional Workforce Alliance. The Alliance called a summi...

Historic Old Central High School building in Duluth may be redeveloped

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

The Duluth School Board is moving forward with the sale of the historic Old Central High School building to a developer. The School Board voted Tuesday night to finalize a purchase agreement, according to the Duluth News Tribune. An architect with the State Historic Preservation Office told the paper that a developer has had "very serious" conversations about seeking tax credits for a renovation. Read full article.

Minnesota Family Business Awards 2020

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

When time are tough, it’s often our families we turn to for support. The 2020 Minnesota Family Business Awards honorees can all speak to the resilience, agility, and strength of family relationships that carry them through challenging times, personally and professionally. Particularly this year, with a pandemic making it nearly impossible to separate the personal from the professional, relying on that emotional bedrock is not only comforting, it sets company culture. The leaders of the businesses TCB is recognizing this year will all eagerly tell you that they are bonded to their employees and, in many cases, their clients and customers, in way...

Minnesota Food And Ag Leaders Team Up For World Food Day

Friday, October 09, 2020

On the heels of the United Nations World Food Programme winning the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Friday, some of Minnesota’s largest food manufacturers and nonprofit organizations will come together this week to address challenges facing the food and agriculture sectors as part of Global Minnesota’s World Food Day 2020 Conference. “The future of food is being created here,” said Mark Ritchie, president of Global Minnesota, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing “international understanding and engagement” by bringing local perspective to global issues such as food insecurity. Global Minnesota typically marks World Food Day with a live event; Ritchie said this year’s virtual forma...

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. Read full article.

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...

Five Common Ways To Fund A Small Business Beyond Personal Savings

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

One of the most cliched statements in starting a small business is that “it takes money to make money”... but it is often true. Many businesses need an infusion of cash to buy essential components of their operations. For a pizzeria, that could be an industrial oven, and for a yard care business, that could be a commercial lawn mower. A common funding practice many new business owners take is to use personal savings and start small by reinvesting profits into the business. This approach, known as bootstrapping, seems rooted in common sense, but can be restrictive to your business’ growt...

Beat Zoom Fatigue With These 6 Tips

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Do you audibly sigh every time you have to log on to what feels like your thousandth Zoom meeting of the day? You’re not alone. While we’re all more or less used to video calls and meetings being the norm now, the newly coined effect of Zoom fatigue hasn’t gone away. Since working from home is here to stay, video calls are here for the long run too. This makes it incredibly important to find a way to prevent Zoom fatigue from taking over your workday. Here are a few ways you can mitigate its effects. Read full article.

Tips on How to Prepare for Influx of Site Selector Requests

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Many companies have decided to onshore manufacturing operations due to delays and supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19. As the onshoring trend grows, community leaders, property managers and developers should be preparing for the opportunity to attract these companies. As manufacturers in the United States and worldwide seek out ways to protect their supply chains from future disruptions caused by pandemics and a growing number of natural disasters, site selectors are issuing requests for information. The most prepared leaders will have the opportunity to compete and win new business for Red Wing. The Site Selectors Guild predicts the onshoring trend wil...

How To Keep Women In The Workforce During The Pandemic

Monday, September 28, 2020

We may be losing some of our best leaders to caregiving duties, and the pandemic is sending us backwards when it comes to gender equality. Women’s careers often take a backseat when caregiving duties rise, and women are more vulnerable to job loss during an economic downturn. The research shows that pandemic is hitting women hard on both fronts. Women are more than twice as likely as men to say they handle more than 50% of the caregiving and education responsibilities and 34% of working families are still without childcare coverage, according to Cleo’s State of Working Parents Study. A recent FlexJobs survey reports that 80% of workin...

The Pandemic Plutocrats: How Covid Is Creating New Fintech Billionaires

Friday, September 25, 2020

In 2015, Nick Molnar was living with his parents in Sydney, Australia, and selling jewelry from a desktop computer in his childhood bedroom. Hocking everything from $250 Seiko watches to $10,000 engagement rings, the 25-year-old had gotten so good at online marketing that he had become Australia’s top seller of jewelry on eBay, shipping thousands of packages a day. That same year, he teamed up with Anthony Eisen, a former investment banker who was 19 years his senior and lived across the street. They cofounded Afterpay, an online service that allows shoppers from the U.S., U.K., Australia, New Zealand and Canad...

5 Effective Strategies for Employee Retention

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Effective hiring and retention practices are key to effective leadership. The reality is that managers that hire well and that are able to keep talented employees produce better results. Replacing employees is time-consuming, expensive, and disruptive. Plus, when an employee leaves, it can impact the entire team and cause a ripple effect of unhappiness or turnover. Read full article.

Infrastructure Investment as an Economic Stimulus Tool

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Could a Post-Pandemic National Industrial Strategy Advance the Cause of Advanced Manufacturing?

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

As the coronavirus pandemic disrupted global supply chains, a new report released in April by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) urged the U.S. government to develop a national industrial strategy to strengthen the competitive position of advanced, traded-sector industries that are “too critical to fail.” “Even before this pandemic, China posed an unprecedented competitiveness challenge in the advanced industries that are most critical to America’s economic wellbeing and national security,” said ITIF President Robert D. Atkinson, the report’s author and a past contributor to Site Selection. Read full article.

First Person: Effects of the Global Pandemic on Company Supply Chains

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

AD: Will more companies be re-shoring or near-shoring as a result of the global pandemic? Jensen: For certain, most companies are closely examining the options available to them to avoid future supply chain interruptions. Part of the challenge of making a decision on a future sourcing direction is that this story isn’t over. As the pandemic progresses, every week, sometimes every day, brings new information to light regarding risks associated with both the supply available for companies to transact business, as well as the fluctuations in the demand associated with their specific product offerings. It is very safe to say that at present...

Survey Reveals Manufacturers’ Post-Pandemic Plans

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Few implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are as consequential to global manufacturers as disruptions to their supply chains. For many, this is the most consequential by far. Supply chains are always a work in progress as such market variables as transportation costs, tariffs and trade agreements force logistics managers to tweak their supply chains a little here, a lot over there and everywhere in between. That’s under normal conditions. Add a global health pandemic originating in the world’s second largest economy and the largest in industrial output, and it’s a whole new ballgame. Read full article.

How Small Businesses in the Heartland Are Coping

Monday, September 21, 2020

The Brookings Institution hosted a webinar on June 10 titled “Mitigating the Economic Impacts of COVID-19 in Rural Areas.” Moderator Tracy Hadden Loh, a Brookings Institution Fellow, engaged three experts on rural economies in looking back at the pandemic’s effect on two small towns and across rural America, and how recovery steps are taking shape. The panelists were Lindsey Dotson, executive director of the Main Street Downtown Development Authority in Charlevoix, Michigan; Todd Wolford, executive director of Downtown Wytheville, Inc., Wytheville, Virginia; and Matt Wagner, vice president of revitalization programs at the National Main Street Center. Read full article.

Minnesota Business Services Firms Expect Mostly Contracting Conditions in the Next Year

Monday, September 21, 2020

ST. PAUL – Minnesota business service firms expect mostly contracting conditions during the next four quarters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with slightly more than half (52%) anticipating a decline in consumer spending and corporate profits, according to a joint survey released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Business services firms – such as engineers, accountants and architects – have a mixed outlook on their own profit projections over the next four quarters, with 49% expecting to see a drop, 34% expecting no change, and 17% anticipating an increase in profits. Read ful...

Tech Talent & COVID-19

Monday, September 21, 2020

Beset by the COVID-19 pandemic and its recessionary shocks, companies across the globe are paring workforces at alarming rates. In the United States alone, some 40 million workers had filed jobless claims by the end of May, with the biggest losses occurring in the leisure and hospitality, professional business services, retail trade and manufacturing sectors. Driven, however, by the expectation of long-term social distancing, the remote economy is soaring, as is the demand for technology workers, especially engineers. Read full article.

Work from Anywhere?

Monday, September 21, 2020

Somewhere between your umpteenth Zoom meeting of the month and the latest webinar on the economic impacts of COVID-19, this thought probably crossed your mind: “How long will I be working from home?” While an exact answer to that question still eludes most companies, the effects of remote working are starting to come sharply into focus. Read full article.

Shifts in Mobility and Transportation Infrastructure in a COVID-19 World

Friday, September 18, 2020

While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create an environment of unpredictability, the one certainty is that the way in which people previously commuted to their jobs — and the way in which goods and services were traditionally delivered — is likely changed forever. It is still too early to predict the entire spectrum of mobility changes that are destined to occur, but one thing is for sure — the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the fact that our mobility systems are critical to our day-to-day lives and serve as the backbone of the U.S. economy. Now, more than ever, if th...

The COVID Black Swan & Infrastructure Investment in 2021

Friday, September 18, 2020

The Covid-19 Black Swan has completely disrupted the U.S. and global infrastructure market, magnifying the cracks in the global infrastructure investment model. The magnitude of the problem is significant, but so is the opportunity. The International Finance Corporation sees emerging market domestic private investment declining by $700 billion this year over last, and foreign direct investment declining by $250 billion. A return to pre-crisis levels of investment will only occur in 2023. Using another metric, infrastructure project finance is down 75% when compared with 2019. Now for the opportunity: We believe that, both globally and in the U.S., this is ...

Leveraging Data for Workforce Development

Thursday, September 17, 2020

During these unprecedented times, it is more important than ever to make sure we are using all the tools we have to serve Minnesotans looking for work. Data is a hugely important tool in the Workforce Development toolbox. In order to help people know which jobs are in demand now, and are likely to be in demand for the foreseeable future, DEED's Labor Market Information (LMI) Office does weekly analysis of jobs posted in Minnesota. LMI does this by analyzing new listings in the state on the National Labor Exchange (NLx). We share this information in a public way on the Jobs in Deman...

2020 Manufacturing Excellence Conversations

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Throughout August and September, Twin Cities Business is hosting online conversations with executives from each of the 10 companies that received our 2020 Minnesota Manufacturing Excellence Awards. You can register here for free to join us live at noon every Tuesday and Thursday through Sept. 15. And if you missed one, catch up now: Protolabs Protolabs president and CEO Vicki Holt talks about how manufacturers across the country have collaborated on best practices during the Covid-19 crisis and how quick actions on the part of her own team set the company up to respond to new and growing applications for digital printing. Read full article.

8 Leadership Lessons with Indeed CEO Chris Hyams

Tuesday, September 08, 2020

As part of a new series Comparably has in partnership with Entrepreneur, entitled “If I Knew Then: Leadership Lessons,” I have the privilege of hosting virtual fireside chats with high-profile CEOs of major brands, from Waze and Blue Apron to NerdWallet and the Dallas Mavericks. During our one-hour sit-downs, I ask these incredible leaders to share invaluable lessons that they learned on their path to success, as well as practical career advice they would give other entrepreneurs. Read full article.

A Heightened Focus on Reshoring

Monday, August 31, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the risks inherent in the global supply chain, particularly the worldwide reliance on China for medical supplies. The supply chain turbulence experienced during the pandemic undoubtedly will impact future business decisions, extending beyond medicine to other industries, including electronics, aerospace, automobiles, defense, consumer products, and technology. Incentivizing Reshoring Manufacturing companies accelerated moving production to low-cost manufacturing countries (known as offshoring) in the early 1990s. In the rush to globalize, key manufacturing sectors were abandoned in the United States. But now that the vulnerabilities of doing so have been exposed, there is talk of “de-globalization,” or reshoring. Read full article.

In Focus: Sale-Leasebacks Help Companies Leverage Capital

Monday, August 31, 2020

As the U.S. economy begins to dig itself out of a deep hole caused by the COVID-19 crisis, many businesses now face the stark reality of a substantially reduced pool of working capital along with credit lines that will likely not thaw out anytime soon. Yet despite those challenges, retailers, logistics firms, and other industrial real estate users are now finding new opportunities in the sale-leaseback arena that are enabling companies to quickly unlock capital and increase cash flow. Read full article.

Proactive Management of Incentives Deals

Monday, August 31, 2020

If you or your clients have incentives contracts, now is the time to examine your incentive agreements to understand the potential risks if your company is unable to perform key obligations. The first step in any crisis is to determine exactly what the problem is. Review your incentive agreements to confirm with specificity your obligations. Second, closely review the language of your agreements to determine if any of your obligations can be delayed due to a “force majeure” provision, a “market conditions” provision, or a similar provision. Third, as soon as the crisis begins to abate, and perhaps sooner in certai...

Why Companies Should Onshore in Red Wing in the Wake of the Pandemic

Monday, August 31, 2020

Business executives across the country have watched their supply chains be disrupted and product deliveries delayed in recent months due to COVID-19. Onshoring is now on the mind of many of them. Companies have offshored manufacturing operations overseas for four decades in order to save costs. Now may be the time to consider onshoring those operations. Many companies have been forced to ask, “At what cost?” due to COVID-19. For some, the cost has been an inability to supply customers and fulfill contracts. In this scenario, onshoring is worthwhile. With 60% of U.S. manufacturing companies surveyed by Thomas reporting COVID-19 busines...

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

Friday, August 28, 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...

The Best Cities For Women Business Owners

Friday, August 28, 2020

Women’s entrepreneurship has been dramatically on the rise in America during the past decade. There are now 12.3 million women-owned businesses in in the U.S., according to a report by American Express and SCORE. The average annual revenues of women-owned companies rose 68% in 2019, to $384,359 from $228,578 in 2018, according to Biz2Credit’s annual study of 30,000 women-owned companies. Businesses owned by women are thriving all across the country, but in some places more than others. Fundera recently conducted a study of the Best Cities for Women Entrepreneurs based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Tax Foundation. The study foun...

Indemnification Provisions in Incentives Agreements: Best Practices and Special Public Entity Issues

Thursday, August 27, 2020

Indemnification provisions are an important part of the fine print of many contracts. These clauses generally operate to protect one party against the other party’s actions or failures to act that lead to a loss claimed by a third party (not a party to the contract). A common example is the indemnification provisions (or entire agreements) used in the rental car setting. Before you drive off the lot, the rental car company will require you indemnify (or protect) it against a third party (not you) bringing a claim due to your being in an accident. Read full article.

Optimizing Project Outcomes Through Advanced Project Planning

Thursday, August 27, 2020

While APP involves a modest amount of additional upfront time for planning, the investment pays significant dividends throughout the project — and at the most critical times. Detailed planning is executed in advance, enabling the project team and stakeholders to discuss project objectives, prioritize needs, and examine costs from the very outset. This relieves some of the reactive urgency surrounding these decisions, when such issues are addressed amid the thin margins associated with not only time but also the cost of business today. Using APP, facilities that have inevitable downtime related to modifications can plan more efficiently. Read full article.

Front Line: COVID-19 Spurs More Automated Manufacturing

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

The global pandemic has upended the labor market and dramatically and suddenly reversed U.S. economic expansion. COVID-19, especially, has caused U.S. manufactures to face unprecedented labor challenges. With COVID-19 and the need for social distancing, these shortages are escalating. Many factories have shuttered to protect workers and prevent COVID-19’s spread. Even before this global crisis, in 2018 Deloitte had already projected that manufacturers would face shortages of some 2.4 million workers through 2028. Read full article.

Hidden Biases in the Workplace: Recruiting and Hiring

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

As discussed in the first article of our series on Hidden Biases in the Workplace, we all have biases. It is critical that you are aware of your biases, especially when recruiting for your company. Humans make decisions every 2.5 seconds: Should I get out of bed or hit snooze one more time? What should I wear today? Do I have time for breakfast? Should I email or call that person? Because of the fast pace of our society, people begin to use intuition for all decisions. This unconscious psychological behavior can lead to biases without our even realizing it. Read full article.

How are Uncertain Times Altering Company Location Strategies?

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

As corporate decision-makers develop their business strategies for the future, the markets they consider are rapidly changing. This dynamic trend was already in place before the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic as businesses sought to alleviate concentration risk. With the unprecedented impacts on the global economy of the current public health crisis, however, the search for alternative locations has taken on new urgency and quickly became a priority. Read full article.

How to Leverage LinkedIn for Lead Generation and Sales

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

With 700 million users, LinkedIn provides a massive opportunity for businesses to increase sales leads and revenue. In this video, the creator and host of “The Startup Story” shares tips for leveraging LinkedIn to start conversations with cold contacts, namely: Research, learning more about the contact you’re reaching out to from their profile as well as other social media accounts Requesting to connect, adding a personal message using the information you’ve discovered in your research and suggesting next steps Read full article.

New Strategies for Learning and Development in an Increasingly Virtual World

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

Newly dispersed work teams are facing new challenges. During the early months of the global pandemic, more than three-quarters of organizations reported 80 percent or more of their employees were working from home, according to a global survey on workplace re-entry. While workplace mobility isn’t new, the scale of remote work has accelerated digital transformation, with rollout timelines shrinking from years to weeks. Workflows have also been upended as employees try to adopt new tools as part of their daily routines. Read full article.

Southwest light rail, a project left for dead (more than once), is 25 percent complete

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

When Hennepin County Commissioner Jan Callison thinks of the long saga known as the Southwest Light Rail Project, she said she thinks of the movie “The Princess Bride.” The Princess Bride? Specifically, the scene when Westley’s friends think he is dead and bring him to see the character Miracle Max, played by Billy Crystal: “It just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead,” Max says. “There’s a big difference between mostly dead and all dead.” Read full article.

State Fair fun, without the actual fair; Robert Robinson at Crooners

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

It’s almost as if the Minnesota State Fair is actually happening. The Fine Arts Exhibition will open in its usual place on the fairgrounds – with limited capacity (of audience, not art), but still. You’ll have to reserve a time slot and buy a ticket ($10). The first five nights (Thursday, Aug. 27-Monday, Aug. 31) are sold out, but plenty of tickets remain starting Tuesday, Sept. 1. Masks are required. FMI. Check the fair’s website for other events and opportunities to get in the mood, like a list of State Fair brews and beverages and where to find them. Plus the Star Tribune is hosting it...

PFA Announces $122 Million in 2020 Project Funding

Monday, August 17, 2020

St. Paul – The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority (PFA) today announced $122 million in loans and grants in the first half of 2020 for water and infrastructure projects in 24 communities throughout Minnesota. “COVID-19 hasn’t postponed the need for Minnesotans to protect one of our most prized natural resources, our water,” said PFA Chair and Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Steve Grove. “These 24 projects will help local communities protect their waterways and prepare for future economic growth.” Read full article.

Hidden Bias in the Workplace Series: An Overview

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Workplace bias takes many forms, but the result is always the same—exclusion of members of the workforce from experiences and opportunities for which they are qualified. This is the first post in a series that will walk through addressing hidden biases in the workplace. We will start with identifying biases, move on to hidden biases in recruiting, selection and interviewing processes, following up with retention strategies, and ending with evaluation and sustaining diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies and efforts. We all have biases. We ALL do. We are often tricked into thinking that we are much more rational and objective a...

How to Work from Home Successfully

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Whether you’re a 9-to-5 office worker or an entrepreneur used to running around to clients and conferences for different business opportunities, the health crisis has caused many people to make the dramatic shift to working entirely from home. As someone who’s experienced the whole spectrum of work setups — everything from corporate offices to coworking spaces to getting work done on cross-country flights — I can say firsthand that even though it can be hard to make this quick transition, there are steps you can take to make working from home more manageable. Many people will even find some advantages to this setup that ca...

Jobs in Demand: Light Truck/Delivery Drivers

Monday, August 10, 2020

With the spike in online shopping, perhaps no job is better equipped to grow in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic than Light Truck/Delivery Drivers. Like in the job itself, getting started early provides an advantage, and reacting quickly to the shift toward online shopping and home delivery has created a huge opportunity for delivery drivers. Many drivers start their days early in the morning loading trucks and planning their routes. For people who like a fast-paced and active work environment, this job provides a lot of benefits. However, it also requires some physically demanding work including lifting and sorting packages, drivin...

23 Minnesota Cities Recognized as Telecommuter-Friendly Communities

Friday, August 07, 2020

St. Paul – Today, Governor Tim Walz issued a proclamation congratulating 23 cities, townships and counties across Minnesota as telecommuter-friendly communities and declared August 7, 2020 as Telecommuter Forward! Day in the State of Minnesota. The communities commit to coordinating and partnering with broadband providers, realtors, economic development professionals, employers, employees, and other stakeholders to promote the availability of telecommuting options in their region. Read full article.

23 Minnesota Cities Recognized as Telecommuter-Friendly Communities

Friday, August 07, 2020

St. Paul – Governor Tim Walz issued a proclamation congratulating 23 cities, townships and counties across Minnesota as telecommuter-friendly communities and declared August 7, 2020 as Telecommuter Forward! Day in the State of Minnesota. The communities commit to coordinating and partnering with broadband providers, realtors, economic development professionals, employers, employees, and other stakeholders to promote the availability of telecommuting options in their region. “The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear how important it is for the state to support telecommuting capabilities,” said Governor Walz. “This initiative will help ensure options for remote work expand in our state, improving the quality of life fo...

Business Development Return On Investment During New Normal

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

In the marketing world, many businesses focus on ROI (return on investment). However, when the business does not obtain the immediate monetary results it desires, the decision makers begin to pull away from social media marketing. This is especially true with ROI during a time of crisis, such as the pandemic. But, there is another side of the coin called return on influences, says social media marketing expert Christopher Tompkins. Read full article.

DEED Announces Cultural Mall Operator Grant Awards

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

St. Paul – The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced recipients of the $2.5 million Minnesota Cultural Mall Operator Grants program, which was part of the $62.5 million Small Business Relief Grants package that passed with bipartisan support in the Minnesota Legislature during the 2020 first Special Session and was signed into law by Governor Tim Walz. Grants ranging from $110,000 to $250,000 will be awarded to 12 cultural mall operators whose facilities have a combined total of over 1,150 tenants. Read full article.

How To Empower Your Team: It’s All About Leaning In, Not Stepping Away

Tuesday, August 04, 2020

Many organizations have been trying to shift from a model of authoritarian leadership to a model of worker empowerment. As firms are finding out, that transition is not an easy one to make. It requires new behaviors and new ways of thinking for both executives and employees. The expansion of remote work during the pandemic only exacerbates the problem. Managers are tasked with ensuring flawless execution but are now physically less connected to their teams – and in-person, face-to-face time matters tremendously in relationships. Read full article.

The Importance Of Remote Working To Younger Generations

Tuesday, August 04, 2020

As more jobs shifted to remote work during the Covid-19 crisis, many Millennial and Gen Z employees experienced “flex work” for the first time in their careers. According to the Deloitte Global Millennial Survey 2020, 45% of these younger employees had never worked remotely before the pandemic, compared with just a third after the onset of the pandemic. As of May 2020, the shift to remote work had largely been viewed positively by employees, with more than 60% of younger generations saying they would like the option to work remotely more often after the crisis and use video conferencing instead of travelin...

The New Normal Is The Distributed Company

Sunday, August 02, 2020

There has been a sharp increase in demand for property in upscale vacation areas, such as Lake Tahoe, about 200 miles from San Francisco, or The Hamptons, 100 miles from New York, from well-paid people fleeing the city and looking for properties with more space, as distributed work environments become the new norm and their children will also likely have to study from home. More and more companies are making it clear that the distributed work environments are the future. It started with companies like Square or Twitter, which soon after lockdown announced that their workforce will not have to return to the office unless they expressly want t...

Coursera as a Training Resource for Employers

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced a new partnership with Coursera, to provide Minnesotans FREE career-based, online learning resources. Coursera offers 3,800 courses and training modules from over 200 top businesses and universities, including more than 60 courses from the University of Minnesota. These learning opportunities are aimed at both preparing people for in-demand jobs and upskilling employees at businesses. Read full article.

DEED Announces First Virtual Pitch Event Winners

Wednesday, July 29, 2020

St. Paul – The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) announced four winners in its first virtual pitch competition, held in partnership with SelectUSA on June 30. Competitors in the pitch event consisted of international companies utilizing innovative technology incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in solving real world problems in the agricultural technology (AgTech) and clean technology (CleanTech) sectors. The four winners were selected by an impartial panel of industry experts following a virtual pitch from each of the seven finalists from four different countries. This virtual pitch event is the first of two events planned for this summer and was organize...

DEED Announces Names of Businesses That Received Small Business Emergency Loans

Friday, July 24, 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...

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

Friday, July 24, 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.

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