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<br /> solutions to the challenges of modern farm- Genesis center in Columbia Heights.For
<br /> ing.For example,in Welcome,Easy Systems example,SolarAttic Inc.,a four-person start-
<br /> Inc.makes computer-controlled feed pro- y up in the Elk River incubator,has a product
<br /> cessing systems for pigs and poultry that automatically transfers heat from the
<br /> Steve Mercil,president of MIN-Corp., IMMIMMI attic into the home's heating system,water
<br /> Harlan Jacobs of Genesis Business Centers:
<br /> says other Minnesota towns should study heater or the pool
<br /> "I'm tired of Boston and Silicon Valley venture
<br /> how Crookston and St.Cloud seized an In the west and south,Plymouth,Eden
<br /> capital firms tapping our people."
<br /> 2}'opportunity to attract the U.S.manufactur- Prairie and Eagan are lighting up the boards
<br /> division of New Flyer Industries Ltd.,a with telecommunications and information
<br /> based school bus manufacturer. exchange
<br /> for equity technologycompanies.In Plymouth,many
<br /> Ym
<br /> New Flyer arrived in Crookston in the early Tenants in the Columbia Heights incuba- eyes are on Optical Solutions,a$5-million,
<br /> '90s with a 130-employee assembly plant. tor include First Cirde Medical,an eight- 50-person manufacturer of applications for
<br /> :When the company needed to expand,it person company whose board of directors broadband access systems.And a growing `
<br /> chose St.Cloud for a 300-employee manu- includes the former U.S.Surgeon General C. semiconductor duster is emerging in '
<br /> # facturing plant It's not really high tech,but Everett Koop.It manufactures a whole-body Bloomington,including VTC Inc.,a 600-
<br /> New Flyer"offers an excellent illustration of suit used to raise the core body temperature employee designer and manufacturer of
<br /> companies recognizing rural Minnesota as a to help kill off bacteria and viruses. integrated circuits for data storage. #
<br /> good place to do business,and of Minnesota This"tremendous duster"of medical "What's fundamental to all of this new
<br /> communities working to build their own device companies"provides a critical mass growth is the willingness of people to ply
<br /> futures;Mercil says. that's necessary to attract the industry-spe- their entrepreneurial spirits to seize oppor-
<br /> cific talent that's needed to drive and lead tunities"says Rick Krueger,CEO of Eagan- 1"
<br /> Metro moves new and existing businesses,"says Tom based start-up KeyTech LLC,a Web design,
<br /> The action isn't limited to rural Meskan,president of Medical Alley,a marketing and e-commerce firm,and recent
<br /> Minnesota,of course.In the Twin Cities Minneapolis-based trade association whose president of the Minnesota High Tech
<br /> metro area,much of the activity is focused members indude more than 220 such firms. Association,a 750-member group represent-
<br /> on suburbs such as Plymouth,Eden Prairie, Minnesota's health care industry comprises ing high-tech businesses. ,it
<br /> Shakopee,Eagan and Elk River.One of the more than 8,000 manufacturers,health care "People are finding each other;Krueger
<br /> most famous hubs of suburban economic service providers,insurers,wholesalers and adds."They're no longer waiting for the ven- ,
<br /> '>." activity is the I-694 corridor,known as retailers.Nearly 228,000 people were ture capital firms to generate the activity.
<br /> Medical Alley,and its best-known tenant is employed in health care in 1998—about 10 They're investing their own wealth and per-
<br /> Medtronic Inc.,the world's largest manufac- percent of the state's work force. suading individuals to invest in Minnesota
<br /> turer of pacemakers.Seeding Medical Alley In Anoka and Sherburne counties,anoth- companies,wherever they maybe:'
<br /> is one of three for-profit incubators operated er industry duster is emerging."Energy
<br /> iiiGenesis Business Centers Ltd.Harlan City"is a group of companies oriented to Funky town
<br /> bs,Genesis president,says the incubator energy conservation products.Most of the A growing number of dot-com compa-
<br /> x f now hosts 10 businesses,five of them start- action is centered around two incubators— nies are making their homes in the Twin
<br /> ups.Genesis offers young companies one in Elk River,operated by the Elk River Cities'downtown areas.For example,in the '
<br /> -reduced rent and administrative services in Economic Development Authority,and the Warehouse District of Minneapolis,
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<br /> Ventures November 1999 <'
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