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Business Leaders <br />Speak Out For Northstar <br /> <br />A growing number of companies are adding their support on behalf of Northstar <br />commuter rail for a simple reason - it's good for business. Traffic congestion has <br />become a major business and competitiveness issue for employers along the Northstar <br />Corridor. Transportation improvements in the north west metro have lagged, putting <br />area businesses at a competitive disadvantage because: <br /> <br />Traffic hassles reduce employee productivity. <br /> <br />v' Lack of adequate transportation makes it more difficult to recruit employees. <br /> <br />v' Congestion makes it harder to move products, employees and customers to area <br /> companies. <br /> <br />"As the CEO of a business in the corridor, I am increasingly concerned about <br />our ability to provide services in an efficient manner. Much of your electrical <br />service relies on our ability to move trucks and equipment along Highway 10. <br />Traffic congestion is only expected to get worse. The development of <br />Northstar commuter rail is the best solution to help resolve this issue." <br />- Rick Newland <br />President/CEO <br />Connexus Energy <br /> <br />"The St. Cloud business community is expanding, and while the economic centers <br />of our region and the Twin Cities move closer together, congestion makes it more <br />difficult for St. Cloud comPanies to conduct business in the Twin Cities metro area. <br />We need the ability to move employees and students into St. Cloud, and freer <br />highways will allow our companies to market their goods and services elsewhere. <br />Northstar will provide the efficient and reliable transportation link our region needs <br />to continue our economic growth. <br />- Teresa Bohnen <br />President <br />St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce <br /> <br />"United Defense can certainly use the benefits of Northstar commuter rail to both <br />attract and keep highly skilled employees. We are only a few blocks from a <br />proposed station, so our employees could have a high quality, reliable means to <br />get to and from work and many of us would take advantage of easy access to <br />the airport for our business travel." <br />- Keith Howe <br />Vice President/GM <br />United Defense <br /> <br /> <br />