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<br /> •The emergence of these hot spots isn't Web-based training for Fortune 1000 corpo- organization,launches the Itasca Technology
<br /> entirely due to Twin Cities firms looking for rations.The firm has offices in Michigan, Exchange,a for-profit incubator in a former
<br /> labor.Companies such as Hunt Texas,India—and now Chisholm. movie theater in downtown Grand Rapids.It
<br /> Technologies,a$125 million manufacturer Another example is Entronix Inc.,a will be wired with high-speed Internet "•.
<br /> of remote electronic meter reading devices Plymouth-based firm that was encouraged access for companies such as Ssesco Inc.,a
<br /> in Pequot Lakes,and Morton-based to open a new manufacturing plant in Twin Cities-based firm that designs software
<br /> Altimate Medical Inc.,a 30-person medical Eveleth that could employ as many as 100 to analyze air quality.The 17-person firm
<br /> devices manufacturer,are proving that rural- people by year's end.Entronix is a$20 mil- will have a satellite office in the incubator.
<br /> based businesses are capable of competing lion company specializing in manufacturing Sandy Lehman,president of Itasca
<br /> in a global marketplace.And the business and repair in several industries,including Development Corp.,says the incubator will
<br /> dusters being created today may lead to new space and telecommunications. be complemented by a venture capital fund
<br /> ventures five or 10 years down the road.If "The issue for Entronix was finding quali- formed by local investors and the Minnesota
<br /> Mankato is today's center for cell phone fled people:'says LaVoy."It's a story we're Investment Network Corp.(MIN-Corp.),a
<br /> technology;nearby towns such as St.Peter or hearing a lot these days from Twin Cities Minneapolis nonprofit that promotes eco-
<br /> New Ulm may prove to be fertile soil as companies,which are discovering that the nomic development through investment in
<br /> technology and trained minds gather along Iron Range and other places throughout rural Minnesota companies.
<br /> the Minnesota Riven Greater Minnesota have Meanwhile,the Mankato area is gaining
<br /> Today,the action is hot in Duluth qualified people who are an international reputation as a telecommu-
<br /> and the Iron Range in the north, ready to go to work." nications hub.Companies such as EI
<br /> ti
<br /> Alexandria and Fergus Falls in ` 1 Microcircuits Inc.,a 150-employee firm that
<br /> west,Fairmont in the southwest, z manufactures electronic corn-
<br /> Mankato in the south and Winona in _ ! • ponents for traf-
<br /> the southeast.In between are regional _
<br /> fic monitors,
<br /> centers such as Rochester,St.Cloud and � ', GPS units and
<br /> rainerd.And the fastest-growing Indus- ,
<br /> ' ' ; , , _
<br /> � rother devices,and
<br /> ies are information technology,the 1 , Midwest Wireless _
<br /> Internet,telecommunications,medical - Communications LLC,which man-
<br /> devices and biotechnology Bak. , , clown ages cellular calls within 36 Minnesota
<br /> Duluth is leading the pack with its moves ; . counties as part of a nationwide cellular
<br /> to diversify from taconite and shipping into ' Fes. ' - j.- network,now call Mankato home.
<br /> software.The city and private investors have Brian Fazio,executive director of Valley
<br /> poured$33 million into Soft Center,a ..__ ,
<br /> „, Industrial Development Corp.,a Mankato-
<br /> r.
<br /> firms from and ot home verses software a , based nonprofit,says the areas success is due
<br /> �' to cooperation between business,the cities
<br /> MinnesotaP �« .. P
<br /> MIn"ea 1fF°'°` i ' of Mankato and North Mankato,and local
<br /> Hies that want to get a foothold in the United � a
<br /> States.The center,which is opening this universities and colleges
<br /> month,is networked to three other Soft F°rl4°°k \ It all started when AT&T and edu-
<br /> .
<br /> Centers in Europe.The key to the concept is cation officials developed the
<br /> linking businesses with local students,saysillimiii*,..h..._____t...w*
<br /> Institute for Wireless Education,
<br /> .rte ° °'°�� �
<br /> Mike McNamara,its president.`This system � which educates engineers,techni-
<br /> provides a seamless entry into the workplace cians and management.Several
<br /> for these students,helps Duluth hold on to hundred trainees have gone through
<br /> those taxpaying citizens,attracts new talent Technical schools on the Iron Range have the courses,induding employees of AT&T.
<br /> to our area and provides an affordable pool emphasized careers in manufacturing tech- Local companies have created 200 telecom
<br /> of highly qualified workers for firms that nology.Combine this with new fiber optic jobs in the past three years and expect to add
<br /> locate to the Soft Center:'he says. networks in the Arrowhead region and the another 175 over the next few years.
<br /> To the north,Jack LaVoy,director of the commitment of venture capital firms such as
<br /> technology-based Economic Development Northeast Ventures,you have all the ingredi- A new identity
<br /> Initiative for the Iron Range Resources and ents for growth,La Voy says. Southwestern Minnesota,best known for
<br /> Rehabilitation Board(IRRRB),reports brisk its cornfields and turkey farms,is also devel- r
<br /> Iltusiness.A number of Twin Cities-based In the incubator oping a new identity,says Diane Knutson,
<br /> ch firms are building a home on the The rural technology economy will economic development specialist for the
<br /> Range,including LearningByte receive another boost when the Itasca DTED.Its nickname of`Agri Alley"comes
<br /> International,which develops customized Development Corp.,a business development from the number of companies working on
<br /> 54
<br /> Ventures November 1999
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