Grow Minnesota! was launched seven years ago on the premise that no one was thanking Minnesota businesses for investing in our state. Today, our chamber, in partnership with the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, is helping to preserve and generate jobs across the state.

This statewide network is focused more than ever on solving the everyday problems of business during this challenging economy. We are under no illusions that the economy will flourish as quickly as it fizzled. The demand for business assistance is as strong as ever, and we’re poised to respond.

Grow Minnesota! is a distinctive private-sector job retention and creation program conducted in partnership with 55 local chambers of commerce and private-sector economic development organizations. The local partners, including our community, are integral to the overall success of the program. The statewide economy is only as strong as the collective vitality of our communities.

This economic development initiative distinguishes itself from other public- and private-sector efforts through the nearly 900 confidential conversations conducted annually with business leaders across the state. In addition, our one-on-one connections keep pulse of the changing needs of companies in our global economy.

The arsenal of Grow Minnesota!’s assistance was bolstered a year ago when Grow Minnesota!, thanks to a generous grant from the Pohlad Family Foundation, distributed $5.5 million in low-interest loans and grants to 90 small businesses in 62 communities to help them weather the economic storm. Grow Minnesota!, through ours and other local chambers, provided firsthand knowledge of, and connections with, the statewide business community.

The statistics speak to the success of ‘Get Ready to Grow.’ The applications drew 933 companies seeking a total of $84 million. Ninety small businesses across the state were assisted which translated into preserving 1,300 jobs. In many instances, the assistance had the ripple effect of preserving jobs with the customers and vendors of these businesses.

Grow Minnesota! prides itself as a problem-solver for your economic development needs. The program started with the goal of thanking businesses for investing in Minnesota and asking owners and top-level managers what was needed in public policy to assure they would stay and grow in the state. More and more companies asked for help, and we’ve tried to help them all. They tell us about their public policy concerns, but more often than we would have ever guessed, they ask for specific assistance. Today, one in seven visits results in some follow-up assistance.

Business needs range from the inability to get a permit for new signage or additional sewer discharge to companies looking for a supplier of product for a manufacturing process. Our ability to assist is bolstered by collective resources of the statewide Grow Minnesota! network.

With every conversation and call, we are building important bonds between a business and our community and state, and we are increasing the utilization of our state’s great network of people and programs designed to help businesses succeed in Minnesota. We are doing everything we can to help prepare businesses to grow.

On a local level our GROW Faribault team has conducted over 35 visits with local businesses.  The focus of the visits are economic strength and growth.   The local team will assist businesses with any business question or issue as part of the GROW Faribault effort.

For more information on Grow Minnesota! or to request a visit from us, please contact Kymn Anderson 507-334-4381.