CEDA

Community Economic Development Associates

News + Announcements

CEDA Regional Development Tour Showcases Three CEDA Communities!

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On Thursday, August 15, CEDA hosted its 4th annual Regional Development Tour (RDT) in partnership with Journey to Growth (J2G).
Each year, the RDT brings together a cross section of development stakeholders from around the region for an informational tour of a few CEDA communities. This year’s tour stops included Minnesota communities of Preston and Harmony as well as Cresco, IA! Over 50 participants packed the bus for this year’s tour!
On the tour, CEDA team members and community representatives provided enlightening presentations on each of the featured cities. While attendees learned, they enjoyed sandwiches from The Sweet Stop & Sandwich Shoppe along with beverages provided by J2G. Because of its popularity last year, CEDA also continued a photo contest that gave participants the opportunity to win an exciting gift basket of items produced in CEDA communities for the best photos taken during the event posted with the hashtag “#RDT2019.” This year three gift baskets were given away for some impressive shots!
“This event really embodies what CEDA is about,” said CEDA Senior Vice President Cris Gastner. “Small communities are full of exciting opportunities. They are vibrant places with character, passion, and creativity. This tour is so much more than discussing acreage and infrastructure; it allows people to learn about what makes each of the cities special.”
We are grateful for our many sponsors that make the RDT possible and continue to support the tour!:

Title sponsors for this exciting event included: Rochester City Lines, Cresco Bank, Dairyland Power Cooperative, F & M Community Bank, First Southeast Bank, Hammel House & Company, Mississippi Welders Supply, MiEnergy Cooperative and Braun Intertec.

CEDA Team Members Assist With A Major Expansion At A Northeast Iowa Company

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Article by: Jason Passmore
Plantpeddler, a supplier of top quality plants located in Cresco, IA, broke ground in July on a 100,000 square foot addition to their operation. Plantpeddler started in Cresco with just 12,000 square feet and this expansion will bring their facilities to over 550,000 square feet. Over 100 people from as far away as the Netherlands attended the groundbreaking ceremony.
The new space will accommodate a state-of-the-art greenhouse, new shipping and dock facilities, and an expanded genetics trial garden.
CEDA team members serving Howard County Business & Tourism assisted the $3.5M expansion with a $150,000 loan to Plantpeddler. The expansion is expected to add approximately 25 employees to the current 95 member team.

CEDA Representative Secures $42,000 Value Added Grant in Spring Valley, MN

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Article by: Cathy Enerson

CEDA’s Cathy Enerson, who served as Spring Valley’s EDA Director, secured a $42,011 Minnesota Value Added Grant for Valley Butchery and Meat Market. The grant will assist with an expansion to the building and equipment purchases. Rusty and Tanner Hellickson have owned Valley Butchery and Meat Market in Spring Valley for only two years. The Hellicksons are former employees of Kraut Meat Locker, and are what are referred to by Enerson as a succession story. The economic impact and success from the grant includes retaining six full time jobs, increasing the number of days per week for processing, saving energy, and saving labor. Efficiency doubles when both Tanner and Rusty process at the same time, therefore the new equipment and required separation of space while processing doubles the owner’s ability to process meats. Retail customers will be able to select from the newly installed eight door self-serve freezer case.

Valley Butchery and Meat Market is becoming a valuable retail outlet for area livestock farmers. emerging fish and shrimp farmers, and for those in the area that raise bees. Once construction of the expansion project is complete, their smoke house will smoke seven new varieties of smoked links and varieties of trout. There will be less overall transportation, and improved environmental impact when local farmers raise more animals and have them processed locally. With food safety always in the forefront, the expansion project will bring the plant up to current code. The Hellickson’s indicate that the new expansion space and the new equipment will improve overall health for themselves and their employees, and express their gratitude to Enerson for the work in securing the grant funds. The Hellickson’s share that they may hire one additional retail person, and an additional part-time seasonal processor. In addition, the Hellickson’s will be able to aide the Department of Natural Resources by processing the deer from area CWD hunts. 

This is the second MN Value Added grant that Cathy Enerson has written. Enerson has secured a total of $150,000 in grant funds for local butchers in SE MN.

Claremont, MN EDA Works to Prepare for Highway 14 Expansion

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Article by: Marty Walsh

The Claremont, MN EDA has been working with CEDA to prepare for potential growth spurred on by the completion of the final four lane section of US Highway 14 between Rochester and Owatonna, and Mankato beyond. The new highway will pass to the south of the City, instead of the current route to the north. CEDA Community and Business Development Specialists Marty Walsh and Rebecca Charles have been working to map out which areas would be prime for annexation and development. The project includes working with Claremont Township to prepare an Orderly Annexation Agreement to quickly react to future development potential outside the City that requires annexation, as well as conducting a Development Survey that gathers information from rural landowners about their willingness to sell and/or develop land for commercial, residential or industrial use. The survey information will be used to inform City decisions about infrastructure improvements and to connect landowners to potential development projects inquiring with the City. 

 

In addition to identifying where there is high development potential, the surveys will help to highlight areas with low development potential which will help limit over investment in attempting to annex an area or over development of infrastructure that will likely never meet capacity. Once surveys have been returned and the data analyzed, CEDA will generate Residential, Industrial, Commercial, and Industrial development Requests For Proposals that take into account the information in the surveys as well as the new highway and existing railroad service and distribute them for the City, spurring interest in the community and the location between two of the states fastest growing markets.

Micro Distillery Celebrates with Ribbon Cutting in Harmony, MN

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Article by: Mary Kennedy

Harmony Spirits micro-distillery celebrated their grand opening with a ribbon cutting event on July 4th! CEDA Vice President Chris Giesen has been working with the owners of the distillery for over four years, offering small business counseling and packaging several assistance programs to help them establish in Harmony. Additionally, the Harmony Economic Development Authority sold the lot to the distillery for $1, made a $25,000 loan for equipment, and gave a $10,000 forgivable loan to get the project off the ground. “This project is exciting for the community not only because of the micro distillery opening, but also because the EDA has worked since 2005 to redevelop the lot where the distillery built. 

The city received a redevelopment grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development DEED) in 2005 to demolish and redevelop blighted properties and build a public parking lot on a downtown block. It was a lot of work to find the right project to fit this important space,” Giesen explained. “This business complements the community very well. It supports local restaurants too, as the distillery does not offer a food menu, and it attracts even more tourists and visitors to the downtown.” Harmony Spirits uses locally sourced grain to make whiskey, rum, and vodka. Soon, their products will also be available in liquor stores and they will also be adding bourbon and gin to their lineup. Stop by Harmony Spirits Thursdays – Saturdays between 12-9 pm, or Sundays from 5-9 pm!