News
White Dog Labs announced (Feb. 4) that the district court for Morrison County, Minnesota, has approved its bid to acquire the Central Minnesota Renewables (CMR) plant in Little Falls. The plant, originally a 20mgy ethanol plant, was upgraded in 2016 to produce butanol and has several of the unique productio...
LITTLE FALLS, Minn. — Agriculture stories this past year focused on the affects of a trade war and the impact of climate change on farmers.
Arlene Jones has a different story to tell.
She's a farmer with 80 acres and the executive director of Sprout, a food hub in Little Falls tha...
Carol Anderson of Community Development of Morrison County has been appointed to Governor's Workforce Development Board.
She and the other appointees to the Board will assist the Governor in: developing, implementing, and modifying the State plan, review of statewide policies and programs, providing recommendations on actions to align and improve th...
After being hungry for a grocery story for more than a year, Randall residents and those passing through, can have their fill. Adam Boone opened Boone’s Market in Randall, Friday, Oct. 25.
In July, Boone purchased Gosch’s, the town’s grocery and meat market that had been a staple in town sinc...
Eastern Morrison County Sportsmen's Club rifle and trap range grows into favorite for sportsmen
Oct 25 2019The Eastern Morrison County Sportsmen's Club rifle and trap range is a hidden jewel on Highway 27 between Pierz and Little Falls.
For 50-plus years, a little piece of land on Highway 27 has offered sportsmen a place to practice their shooting skills. In the 1960s, landowner Bumpy (Alcuin) Faust opene...
Starry Eyed Brewing Co. in Little Falls, MN
Sep 30 2019Tucked away in north Little Falls, just off the juncture of highways 371 and 10, exists a brewery that owes much of its existence to a woman named Dayna -- from its inception as a small birthday gift, to the name and logo emblazoned on its building today.
It started a...
From sunflower oil to microwave popcorn, Smude Enterprises LLC, a central Minnesota business in Pierz keeps growing.
On a cloudy day, there's a bright spot in Pierz, Minn. 15 acres of sunflowers are in full bloom—one of the smaller fields connected to a central Minnesota business.
"They've been blooming for about 1...
The site of Brainerd area-based Barrett Petfood Innovations' expansion was bustling with activity and excitement when ground was broken Monday, Aug. 12, in Little Falls in Morrison County.
“We’re expanding ... and the pet industry is -- as everyone knows -- that people love their pets,” Sarah Barrett said before th...
Little Falls & Parents Of Special-Needs Children Welcome Barrett Petfood Innovations To Community
Aug 5 2019The Little Falls City Council is standing by their decision to allow Barrett Petfood Innovations to build a new facility next to future Mid-State special education school. Barrett Petfood Innovations plans to have their new facility up and running by either the spring or summer of 2020, while the ne...
The City of Little Falls is awarded $32,000 in investigation funding for this 7.30-acre site. Formerly used as a bulk oil station, gas station, fertilizer plant, feed warehouse and other uses. It is expected this site will be redeveloped into multifamily residential use. Matching costs will be paid by th...
Pierz approves TIF District for RTO
Jun 4 2019The Pierz City Council approved a 26-year tax increment financing district (TIF) for RTO PA, a professional tax and accounting firm, Monday, after a public hearing was held RTO has purchased two lots with plans to build a new office.
The two lots, located on 405 and 409 Main Street Sout...
The Smudes began their operation on their 160-acre farm, but outgrew the production space and moved it into Pierz.
To meet the growing demand for their high oleic sunflower oil and popcorn, Smude Enterprises recently acquired a facility near their existing location. The new plant will help them expand from producin...
Larson Boat — in better times above —closed its 114-employee Little Falls plant in January and merged operations into its Wisconsin flagship plant.
The Wabash Cannonball, if you will, is rolling into Little Falls to the delight of the job-hungry locals.
Indiana-based Wabash National, a growing maker of high-test, lightweight truck trailers...
Wabash National Corp. has purchased and plans to renovate a 53-acre manufacturing site – formerly Larson Boats – in Little Falls and use it to manufacture select parts for the semi-trailer and truck body market using a propriety molded structural composite (MSC) technology.
Wabash National Corp. is a diversified industrial manufacture...
After 19 years operating Lin Furniture in Little Falls, owner Linda Burggraff decided it was time to sell.
It is something she had discussed for the last two years with her employee, Todd Waldoch, 27, who was interested in buying the store at some point. He grew up in Randall an...
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Honey may very well run through Bruce Marquette’s veins. His grandfather was a beekeeper in Thief River Falls, and his father kept bees and sold honey in Wisconsin. Bruce grew up with honeybees as an ever-present part of his life.
“I’d always kept bees on the side, even while I wa...
“It takes about five years before bigger buyers will say, ‘OK, now we’ll do business with you.’”
Central Minnesota farmer Tom Smude speaks from direct experience.
His sunflower cooking oil business is now in the black, with retail and food service distribution across Minnesota and four neighboring states. Bankers and neighbors though...
A community’s health is made up of many separate but inter-related dimensions. Rural Pulse 2016 breaks down rural Minnesotans’ perceptions of a healthy community by nine dimensions.
One of the nine dimensions is Economic Opportunity, defined as conditions where all people can earn an income that allows them to live wit...
State Exports at $4.8 Billion in Second Quarter
Sep 22 2016Minnesota companies exported $4.8 billion worth of manufactured, agricultural and mining products in the second quarter of 2016, according to figures released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
DEED said second quarter exports were down 8 percent from the same period a year ago, with th...
Minnesota Awarded $2.5 Million to Improve Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities
Sep 22 2016Minnesota was one of six states selected for federal grants totaling $14.9 million to improve employment opportunities for adults and youth with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Labor awarded Minnesota $2.5 million under the federal Disability Employment Initiative. The grant will be managed by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economi...
Minnesota employers are invited to apply for grants to help them create or expand registered apprenticeship programs in five industries:
advanced manufacturing
agriculture
health care
information technology
transportation
Starting Sept. 14, 2016, employers can download the grant application for the Minnesota Apprenticeship Initiative (MAI). The deadline to submit an application is Oct. 26, 2016. The initiative...
Having a strong pool of talent to hire from helps businesses zip ahead. Likewise, companies that struggle to fill openings with qualified candidates are at risk of running on empty.
That’s why workforce development is so important – and why Governor Mark Dayton has proclaimed September Workforce Development Month.
“Strengthening the talen...
