Keep up with Region 5

GOVERNORS ACROSS THE country are increasingly prioritizing broadband deployment and high-speed internet access in a bid to resolve connectivity concerns that disproportionately hang over America's most rural communities. Of the 40 State of the State speeches delivered so far this year, 20 included references to high-speed internet access or state broadband installatio...Continue Reading

In 2014, St. Petersburg, Fla. mayor Rick Kriseman and Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn went on a trade mission to Chile. But, in recognizing that scale matters in such attempts at global competitiveness, the two mayors made their trip not as representatives of two separate cities, but as dual ambassadors o...Continue Reading

A variety of railroad projects are coming together to greatly improve passenger service in Wisconsin, including “higher speed” rail. They include: doubling daily service between St. Paul and Chicago; increasing the number of round-trip Milwaukee to Chicago trains from seven to 10; express service between Minneapolis and Duluth-Superior; and, already underway...Continue Reading

As universities and colleges across the country make decisions about how they will continue classes amid coronavirus concerns, universities in North Dakota are making their own choices. North Dakota has one confirmed case of COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. The case is in Ward County, which is in north-centra...Continue Reading

Tyson Hajacek, Moore Engineering, attended Tuesday’s Royalton City Council’s public hearing. He outlined the city’s proposed 16 block infrastructure project covering Cedar Street and south Driftwood. The project includes replacing the old cast iron water main with soft lead components, storm water, street construction, curb/gutter and sidewalk replacement. The cos...Continue Reading

The late Ed Blazek surrounded himself in unusual antiques, big and small, in his otherwise unassuming Wadena home. Few people have seen all that he's collected there, but the world will catch a glimpse of his treasures Monday, March 16, during the airing of an "American Pickers" episode, which features Blazek'...Continue Reading

Brainerd area ideal location Location is everything for a business, and even more important for a film production company. Riley Nelsen, owner of Dying to Film, believes Brainerd is the ideal location for his production business. “I've grown up here, and I like the community,” says videographer Nelsen. Centrally located in th...Continue Reading

The name came even before the first business plan was developed; an idea tucked away in her conscience before she began looking for a location. It was going to be Baby’s On Broadway. “I had a logo, I had everything and all of a sudden this building in downtown Littl...Continue Reading

You don’t need to go to college to earn a good living, and that’s good news for those who aren’t interested in college or are concerned about the cost. The cost of post-secondary education in the U.S. is rising across the board according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics...Continue Reading

The State of Minnesota is creating a new senior leadership position specifically designed to help immigrants and refugees. This is the first time the Governor's Office will have a primary specialist working with and for these communities. "This is a critical success factor for our economy," said Deputy Commissioner of Workforce Development Hams...Continue Reading

Respondents to an annual Manufacturing Business Conditions Survey conducted by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis say they expect mostly unchanged or improved conditions in 2020. “It’s good news for Minnesota that the majority of manufacturers in our state expect stable o...Continue Reading

Gov. Tim Walz recently voiced support for the bill, which would expand the types of fireworks people over 18 years old can buy in the state, including bottle rockets and Roman candles. Some people say legalizing this type of pyrotechnics will bring revenue back to the state, while others ar...Continue Reading

Minnesota is stepping up its commitment to startups with another round of grants. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced that it has awarded $450,000 to six organizations as part of its “Launch Minnesota” initiative. The organizations will form the basis for the state’s Launch Minnesota Network. The grants...Continue Reading

The Minnesota Chamber works year-round to strengthen the overall business climate for the livelihood of employers and employees alike. Our statewide economy is truly the sum of its parts. The priorities of the statewide business community are center stage as we advance another aggressive agenda at the Legislature. Businesses across th...Continue Reading

We are excited to introduce a new pilot program from the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP) for small businesses in Minnesota that are ramping up new automation equipment and technology. The Automation Training Incentive Pilot Program offers grants up to $25,000 to Minnesota businesses that have 100 or fewer full-time employees, are i...Continue Reading

Retail sales volume was higher in 2019 than ever before — and it will only continue trending upward as the entire experience becomes more streamlined and frictionless for customers. However, the face of the industry is changing rapidly; Business Insider Intelligence recently reported that in 2019 ecommerce sales surpassed 10% of tota...Continue Reading

When we reimagined the mission statement of our agency early last year, we were very careful in choosing every word: DEED’s mission is to empower the growth of the Minnesota economy, for everyone. Each word is designed to convey the spirit of our work at DEED, but it’s those last two word...Continue Reading

ST. PAUL — The state is hiring its first-ever assistant commissioner for immigrant and refugee affairs, a position that will focus on economic development for Minnesota’s newest Americans. The position, which will be housed in the state Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), will work to identify and eliminate structura...Continue Reading

Delta Air Lines has become the latest aviation company setting its sights on becoming "carbon neutral," with an ambition to reach that target by 2030 and pledge to invest $1 billion in achieving the goal over the next 10 years. The investment will focus on driving innovation, advancing clean air trave...Continue Reading

Small business sentiment is on the rise to kick off 2020, with confidence nearing all-time highs, according to data from CNBC and SurveyMonkey. The CNBC/SurveyMonkey Small Business Confidence Index climbed two points in the first quarter, from 59 to 61, as concerns over trade policy impacts lessened, thanks to a trad...Continue Reading

The presidents of the U.S and Turkey have agreed to keep the bilateral trade volume target separate from other problems ,and the U.S. business world has expressed optimism about economic relations with Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an said he and U.S. President Donald Trump have decided to keep their target of reachin...Continue Reading

If you’ve ever had someone co-sign a loan for you, then you know how a guarantee works. That other person, maybe a parent or relative, is promising the bank that in case you can’t make your monthly payment, they’ll make the payment in your place. If all goes well, you...Continue Reading

The state of Minnesota has a strong commitment to welcoming new immigrants and refugees. In December, Governor Walz sent a letter to the Trump Administration reinforcing that Minnesota will continue to welcome refugees, saying: “Refugees strengthen our communities. Bringing new cultures and fresh perspectives, they contribute to the social fabri...Continue Reading

One of the most important things we do in workforce development at the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is develop partnerships. Millions of dollars of taxpayer dollars flow from DEED to nonprofit partners in workforce development across Minnesota every year. These organizations work hard to help get Minnesotan...Continue Reading