0205727758727769728495/deed/assets/ourstories-mnbiz_tcm1045-727919.jpg/deed/assets/ourstories-mnbiz_tcm1045-727919.jpg<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1045-728600" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-12-06T13:00:00ZThe Star Tribune — DigiKey seven years ago made a huge bet on staying in Thief River Falls. It built the state’s largest building, adopted new processes and sees no limits to its opportunities.1045<p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The Star Tribune — THIEF RIVER FALLS, MINN. – There are too many patches of woods around this northwestern Minnesota town of 8,800 people to see a dramatic vista of one of the largest buildings in Minnesota. <br /> <br /> But that’s OK. The real drama of DigiKey’s 2.2 million-square-foot product distribution center — twice the size of the Amazon fulfillment center in Shakopee — is that it’s there at all. <br /> <br /> DigiKey confronted Minnesota’s biggest economic challenge — the low rates of population and workforce growth — before other companies and political leaders clued in on them. <br /> <br /> A decade ago its leaders, including company founder and Thief River Falls native Ron Stordahl, felt the company was getting too large for the town and seriously considered moving. They examined Des Moines, Omaha and Sioux Falls and other Midwest cities with convenient shipping logistics and more people in the hiring pool. <br /> <br /> “It was pretty much a given that it wouldn’t be here,” Dave Doherty, DigiKey’s CEO and president, told me as he recalled that time.</p> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="https://www.startribune.com/ramstad-why-digikey-made-huge-investment-in-northwestern-minnesota-despite-slowing-economy/601524925" target="_blank" class="button-brand-primary">Read more on The Minnesota Star Tribune</a></p>7286002026-05-18T17:28:15Z727758727769728495ourstories-meet/deed/assets/ourstories-meet_tcm1045-727915.pngourstories-meet/deed/assets/ourstories-meet_tcm1045-727915.png<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1045-728598" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-11-25T09:50:00ZCCX Media — The state of Minnesota awarded Hennepin Technical College more than $4 million to expand its Automation Robotics Engineering Technology program. The grant will develop students for careers in the semiconductor industry.1045<p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">CCX Media — The state of Minnesota awarded Hennepin Technical College more than $4 million to expand its Automation Robotics Engineering Technology program. Instructors at the school say it will help its students have an edge in a rising, high-demand field. <br /> <br /> The grant, awarded by the Department of Employment and Economic Development, will develop students for careers in the semiconductor industry. <br /> <br /> Semiconductors control all kinds of technology, from medical devices to cell phones. <br /> <br /> Costs to develop the program total $8.3 million with Hennepin Tech paying for about half. The new space should be fully operational by fall 2027.</p> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="https://ccxmedia.org/news/hennepin-tech-awarded-4-million-to-develop-automation-robotics-department/" target="_blank" class="button-brand-primary">Read more on CCX Media</a></p>7285982026-05-18T17:28:13Z727758727769728495728421University of Minnesota banner/deed/assets/ourstories-mn_tcm1045-727918.pngUniversity of Minnesota banner/deed/assets/ourstories-mn_tcm1045-727918.png<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1045-727766" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-11-24T20:23:05ZMPR News — In the past five years, only four universities have spun off 20 or more startups annually. The University of Minnesota ranks among the top four during that time frame.1045<p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">MPR News — In the past five years, only four universities have spun off 20 or more startups annually. The University of Minnesota ranks among the top four during that time frame.</p> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">The U’s Technology Commercialization Office (TechCom for short) focuses on the business prospects of ideas generated by researchers there.</p> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">TechCom has been involved with 285 startups since 2006, and nearly half of that growth has been since 2020. Its initiatives range from protecting intellectual property to licensing the right to use an invention to backing startup companies.</p> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/11/24/university-of-minnesota-startup-generator-boosts-local-economy" target="_blank" class="button-brand-primary">Read more on MPR News</a></p>7277662026-05-18T17:28:12Z727758727769727771728495BAE Systems facility in Maple Grove, Minnesota/deed/assets/bae-systems_tcm1045-705149.jpgBAE Systems facility in Maple Grove, Minnesota/deed/assets/bae-systems_tcm1045-705149.jpg<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1045-727765" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2025-09-09T19:19:35ZBusiness Facilities — New Minneapolis facility will develop advanced capabilities for warfighters. Plus, Minnesota provides $4.2 million in business expansion funding for three projects expected to create more than $270M in private investment.1045<p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Business Facilities — BAE Systems has officially opened its new 247,000-square-foot engineering and product development facility in Maple Grove, Minnesota. The new site serves as a critical innovation hub focused on engineering and product development for the U.S. military and its allies.</p> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="https://businessfacilities.com/bae-systems-opens-new-engineering-facility-in-minnesota/" target="_blank" class="button-brand-primary">Read more on Business Facilities</a></p>7277652026-05-18T17:28:10Z727758728495ourstories-women/deed/assets/ourstories-women_tcm1045-727936.jpgourstories-women/deed/assets/ourstories-women_tcm1045-727936.jpg<custom:Link urlOnly="true" type="Component" destination="tcm:1045-729310" templateURI="tcm:0-0-0" origin="tcm:0-0-0" />2019-11-15T06:00:00ZSite Selection — When it comes to spurring innovation and entrepreneurship, Minnesota leaves nothing to chance. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has rolled out the welcome mat for entrepreneurs and venture capital investors through Launch Minnesota.1045<p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Site Selection — When it comes to spurring innovation and entrepreneurship, Minnesota leaves nothing to chance. <br /> <br /> The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has rolled out the welcome mat for entrepreneurs and venture capital investors through Launch Minnesota (LM), which took flight on Oct. 1, 2019. <br /> <br /> According to DEED, “Launch Minnesota supports a series of new initiatives designed to accelerate the growth of high-technology companies. The initiative is designed to lower the risk required to fund, start or grow technology businesses in Minnesota. LM brings all of these initiatives together under a new office that acts as a touchstone for the state to support and enhance our visibility and interest in the innovation ecosystem.”</p> <p xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><a href="https://siteselection.com/launch-minnesota-helps-startups-grow/" target="_blank" class="button-brand-primary">Read more on Site Selection</a></p>7293102026-05-18T17:27:33Z