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<br /> "We've been fortunate to have people ,� ' -_ .- companies such as Elk River Machine
<br /> in our community who are aggressive in e �.1 i' 1 ' . M _-Li-:' Company and Metal Craft Machine & Er�
<br /> those areas,and we got together with our - -..:21-�i ) ., ,..war,-; ---" gineering are strong representations of
<br /> friendly competitor,the Bank of Elk River, 1 what the city is trying to bring to its indus-
<br /> for some of the financing. We wanted to trial base.
<br /> make Elk River a shopping area, a desti- Workforce issues are a concern for all
<br /> nation area as opposed to a drive-through businesses in today's economy. However,
<br /> town." ' "`- ' the Elk River area appears to have a high ,
<br /> Mission accomplished. Gongoll and concentration of skilled labor. "We seem
<br /> others got their growth, and then some. 't-,--------;;-",-,---- :',; • to have a large pool of people in the area
<br /> "I believe the growth happened a little v n with trade skills," Nevinski said. He also
<br /> faster than we projected,"Gongoll said."Our '„1 5� U�!I noted that Elk River firms pull people from
<br /> residential growth has precipitated our retail '"°!j = ; the Twin Cites, St. Cloud, and even from
<br /> • sector,and now we're working on stimulat- `.-A more rural areas of the state.
<br /> ing our industrial base.But overall,I'm very The breakdown of the city's industrial
<br /> pleased with our strong and vibrant econ- -...0 _,-�h--s,,, 2�-` _ , ., .. base bears this out.The number of Industrial
<br /> omy." machinery-related companies has reached
<br /> Besides his bank'duties,Gongoll is one of - 18 while the mineral and rubber-plastic in-
<br /> five governors of the Elk River Investment • dustries take a distant second with fourcom-
<br /> Club,an LLC of 22 members.One of the chief _ t.' panies each.The industrial-machinery cat-
<br /> goals of the club is to work with the City of Elk egory also leads in the employee category
<br /> River in getting new companies into the city's �fl THE C ETES COMPANIES,INC with 28 percent of the industrial workforce,
<br /> incubator program. - followed by the fabricated metal and elec-
<br /> "Wetrytocoordinate,"Gongoll said,"ours tropic equipment sectors with 22 percent
<br /> efforts with the city to help emerging busi- ,7:41 each.Mineral employment accounts for 15
<br /> nesses get out of the garage,so to speak, ret: 7 -e,-,-,'.2. ,,� percent of the workforce while rubber-plastic
<br /> and into the incubator program.Currently the " t; f{ k. employs nine percent.
<br /> All
<br /> club is working with four or five businesses a � r But those numbers will soon turn old.
<br /> at this time. Our club gets a commitment balance residential and retail growth,the city
<br /> from the proprietor that his or her business iii created two new industrial parks,appropri-
<br /> will remain in the incubator or at some loca- _ ately dubbed the East and West Business
<br /> tion in Elk River.It's venture capital that's for -K Parks. Phase I of the East Park,a 40-acre
<br /> businesses looking to grow in Elk River." 4+ -, tract that will include a 50,000-square-foot
<br /> When the city did take over the business � ' - � , multi-tenant building,will have access to a
<br /> park,there were approximately half a dozen ' four-lane industrial grade road.The park is
<br /> lots still available.That park was fully built '''Ill
<br /> .--: n� also bordered by U.S.169 and the Burlington
<br /> out in 1999 and is home to companies such j 2'.. Northern Railway.Adjacent td the 40 acres
<br /> as the Tescom Corporation(high purityand . -, �_- lies another 90 acres which will be Phase
<br /> •P ( 9
<br /> industrial controls),Alltool Manufacturing :....,,,t„,,,,, ,,,,,,,„„ II of the East Business Park. Just to the
<br /> (metal fabrication),E&O Tool&Plastics(plas- • , .1' - : .
<br /> 'u �.. south of Phase II, across 173" Street, is
<br /> tics)and the Custom Conveyor Corporation the site of the proposed North Star Corri-
<br /> (conveyor equipment).And there's the Cretex s 1
<br /> r`,� I ,: ,t dor Station,a depot that will run from Rice
<br /> o
<br /> Companies Incorporated,makers of concrete l,f _ (north of St.Cloud)all the way into the Twin
<br /> girders for bridges and culverts, a corn- ,S 'i �. Cities.
<br /> pany that has stayed in Elk River and has if' ao o � la� I "The commuter line will connect with the
<br /> �`�12 ACRESF
<br /> thrived, and a variety of other industries. ! light rail system in the Twin Cities,"
<br /> East on U.S.10 is the Horizon Thermoform ,1 - - . _._ Nevinski said, "and run down to the air-
<br /> Plastics Company that moved to Elk River s /r. port,eventually going into St.Paul and the
<br /> in August of 1998: In two years it has ex- ,. ACRES r ( outlying suburbs. Right now we have a
<br /> anded its workforce to 30 and projected ! double track that runs through town that
<br /> P
<br /> sales are at two million dollars. Horizon is / , , _ , ', J averages 50 to 60 trains a day.We do have
<br /> national in scope,serving customers from ' — '\ !-\. ' n a rail spur downtown, and some busi
<br /> coast to coast. Horizon Thermoform and \ ,, ,. ., ____\. ._ 1- nesses have taken advantage of that."
<br /> )I, `� ` y
<br /> s ,
<br /> East`',Busi -ss P.. k �.
<br /> \---r-,, a, Elk River
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