https://www.fedamn.com Fairmont, MN Economic Development News Feed Sat, 08 Aug 2026 04:57:37 +0000 en-US https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68424/we-should-choose-to-build https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68424/we-should-choose-to-build Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 What a week it has been here in Minnesota. From northern wildfires and smoke spreading across the region, to a relatively unexpected endorsement from President Trump in the state's GOP primary for governor creating unnecessary confusion, to the opinion piece that ran this week in the Pioneer Press on the... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68421/minnesota-adds-jobs-for-third-consecutive-month https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68421/minnesota-adds-jobs-for-third-consecutive-month Thu, 16 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Minnesota added 13,200 jobs in June – the third consecutive month of strong gains following losses seen during Operation Metro Surge from January through March – while U.S. jobs growth was flat (57,000 jobs, 0.0%). Minnesota's unemployment rate held at 4.4% while the U.S. unemployment rate ticked down one-tenth of... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68426/housing-a-big-focus-for-feda https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68426/housing-a-big-focus-for-feda Wed, 15 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Housing was the big discussion piece at the Fairmont Economic Development Authority (FEDA) meeting on Monday.Fairmont's Economic Development Coordinator, Ned Koppen, said that a strategic conversation on developing new housing was added to the agenda at the request of Board Member Jon Omvig."When we discussed our priorities, housing was one... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68422/governor-walz-announces-minnesota-ranked-top-state-for-business https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68422/governor-walz-announces-minnesota-ranked-top-state-for-business Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Governor Tim Walz today announced that Minnesota has been named one of the top states in the nation for business. According to a new report from CNBC, Minnesota ranks fifth overall, placing top ten in quality of life, infrastructure, and economic environment. The ranking comes as 75,000 Minnesotans receive approval... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68427/planning-for-downtown-improvements-begins https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68427/planning-for-downtown-improvements-begins Sat, 11 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 This week a committee kicked off planning meetings for improvements to Downtown Plaza in Fairmont."We're going to be focusing on the downtown area, which is Main Street to Park Avenue and Blue Earth Avenue to 4th Street. That's the area we're looking at," said Public Works Director, Matthew York.The improvements,... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68420/usda-rural-development-invests-more-than-19-million-to-support-healthcare-clean-water-and-economic-growth-in-iowa https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68420/usda-rural-development-invests-more-than-19-million-to-support-healthcare-clean-water-and-economic-growth-in-iowa Fri, 10 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Iowa State Director Mike Sexton today announced that the agency is investing more than $19 million in projects to improve medical services, emergency response, clean water and support for businesses in rural Iowa communities.“Economic development is vital to our rural Iowa counties and communities,... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68425/kicking-off-the-coolest-thing-made-in-minnesota-contest https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68425/kicking-off-the-coolest-thing-made-in-minnesota-contest Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Coming to you after a fantastic week. I spent part of it down in southeastern Minnesota with our Leaders Lab program. This program introduces business leaders to the array of great communities and businesses from across the state, and this was their final session.We were down in southeastern Minnesota with... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68423/survey-finds-ai-is-having-growing-impact-on-minnesota-job-seekers-trend-toward-more-difficulty-finding-employment-appears-to-be-leveling-off https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68423/survey-finds-ai-is-having-growing-impact-on-minnesota-job-seekers-trend-toward-more-difficulty-finding-employment-appears-to-be-leveling-off Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Nearly 56% of CareerForce Staff and Partners who responded to the most recent Job Search Experience Survey and who have worked with job seekers for at least the past year said it was harder than a year ago for their job seeking customers to find work. This is down from... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68218/fairmont-and-martin-county-are-partners-in-economic-development https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68218/fairmont-and-martin-county-are-partners-in-economic-development Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Fairmont, Minnesota, is supported by the Fairmont Economic Development Authority (FEDA), which works to grow existing businesses, attract new ones, and support current and future residents. However, FEDA doesn’t always operate on its own. Instead, it collaborates with other economic development teams at the county, region, and state levels. One... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68419/community-risk-can-kill-a-project-before-it-breaks-ground https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/68419/community-risk-can-kill-a-project-before-it-breaks-ground Thu, 02 Jul 2026 05:00:00 +0000 The Risk That Arrives Late—and Costs the MostIn a conventional site selection process, community engagement comes at the end: select the site, announce the project, manage the response. That sequencing made sense when community opposition was rare and permitting was predictable. Neither assumption holds anymore.Community risk has moved earlier in... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67767/energy-audits-offered-through-feda-for-fairmont-businesses https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67767/energy-audits-offered-through-feda-for-fairmont-businesses Mon, 01 Jun 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Fairmont Economic Development Authority in partnership with Frontier Energy, University of Minnesota, and Region 9 are offering a no cost opportunity to Fairmont businesses! Find out what types of energy efficiency recommendations your business could take advantage of to save money! Get an energy audit and efficiency recommendations for free!Energy... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67564/5-economic-development-activities-you-might-not-know-about https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67564/5-economic-development-activities-you-might-not-know-about Mon, 11 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000 When the average person thinks about economic development, they tend to focus on business attraction. While economic development teams do want to bring new businesses to the region, their day-to-day tasks are much more local. The Fairmont Economic Development Authority (FEDA) is actively involved in community groups and creates programs... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67948/transparency-and-infrastructure-foresight-as-competitive-advantages https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67948/transparency-and-infrastructure-foresight-as-competitive-advantages Fri, 01 May 2026 05:00:00 +0000 There is a moment in almost every economic development project that nobody wants to talk about: the moment when the celebration fades and reality sets in. The announcement has been made, the community is excited, and then something surfaces — a $250,000 tap fee, a privilege tax buried in a... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67198/unemployed-minnesota-national-guard-member-finds-perfect-employment-fit-at-the-veterans-career-fair https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67198/unemployed-minnesota-national-guard-member-finds-perfect-employment-fit-at-the-veterans-career-fair Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Sarah is a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard, serving as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. She had recently been laid off from a previous job and was unemployed when she attended last year’s Veterans Career Fair.“I remember walking into the event feeling both excited and nervous. I knew... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67158/fairmonts-feature-on-my-town-brightens-the-community-while-bringing-new-opportunities https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67158/fairmonts-feature-on-my-town-brightens-the-community-while-bringing-new-opportunities Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000 It has been almost five months since Fairmont was featured on My Town, a YouTube series by Cory Hepola. The video already has more than 118,000 views and has sparked discussion about this community across the United States. Footage has even been shared on local news outlets in other parts... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67589/what-does-site-readiness-really-mean https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67589/what-does-site-readiness-really-mean Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Shovel-ready. Development-ready. Certified. Investment-ready. The vocabulary of site readiness has expanded even as its meaning has remained stubbornly contested. Ask a company executive, a construction manager, a lender, or a state economic development official what “site readiness” means, and you’ll get a different answer from each. The one thing they... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67197/tips-for-hiring-teen-workers https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67197/tips-for-hiring-teen-workers Tue, 07 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Teens can be extremely reliable, flexible workers who are quick to learn new skills. As a result, many employers value them highly as workers. Beyond meeting immediate staffing needs, employers should also think of hiring teens as an opportunity to build their workforce pipeline. Helping teens see your business –... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67196/tax-conformity-decisions-could-shape-minnesotas-competitiveness https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67196/tax-conformity-decisions-could-shape-minnesotas-competitiveness Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Last week, we filed a new web article from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce focused on taxes, outlining three major federal tax provisions that Minnesota lawmakers are now considering whether to adopt at the state level.Because Minnesota does not automatically conform to federal tax law, the Legislature must act on... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67195/the-leadership-skill-thats-quietly-disappearing-in-the-age-of-ai-and-how-to-reclaim-it https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67195/the-leadership-skill-thats-quietly-disappearing-in-the-age-of-ai-and-how-to-reclaim-it Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Answers arrive instantly. Summaries replace chapters. Five-minute explainers stand in for years of study. Artificial intelligence can generate perspectives, synthesize research and present conclusions before we have even fully articulated the question.From a productivity standpoint, this is remarkable. From a leadership standpoint, it is quietly dangerous. The risk is not... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67194/why-employees-are-giving-up-remote-work-and-moving-back-to-urban-centers https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67194/why-employees-are-giving-up-remote-work-and-moving-back-to-urban-centers Fri, 03 Apr 2026 05:00:00 +0000 One of the major changes unleashed by the pandemic—and the accompanying spread of remote work—was the large migration of employees from major urban areas. With many jobs no longer anchored to city-based offices, people were free to move to almost anywhere else they preferred to live—often at lower costs to... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67174/where-workforce-capacity-is-being-built-and-where-its-being-deployed https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/67174/where-workforce-capacity-is-being-built-and-where-its-being-deployed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000 For manufacturers evaluating new facilities or expansions, workforce questions are no longer a late-stage concern. They arrive early, shape shortlists quickly, and increasingly determine whether projects move forward at all.In a labor market defined by demographic pressure, reshoring activity, and accelerating infrastructure investment, manufacturers are learning that legacy signals —... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/66936/student-government-day-provides-insight https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/66936/student-government-day-provides-insight Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Even though schools were postponed two hours, two students from Fairmont High School and 11 from Martin Luther High School still got to learn about the many facets of county government on Student Government Day on Tuesday.The first 45 minutes were spent at the Law Enforcement Center (LEC), learning about... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/66935/meat-processing-continues-march-into-minnesota-classrooms https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/66935/meat-processing-continues-march-into-minnesota-classrooms Mon, 16 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000 "When am I ever going to use this?" is a question countless students have asked teachers about a given subject matter for generations.But it's not a question that came up during a recent afternoon at the Battle Lake High School's food sciences class, where ag education teacher Dan Ukkelberg was... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/66931/key-business-issues-are-moving-quickly-at-the-capitol https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/66931/key-business-issues-are-moving-quickly-at-the-capitol Sat, 14 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000 It’s been another busy week, particularly at the Capitol, where several important bills are moving quickly. I want to mention two bills today that have significant impacts on Minnesota employers and, of course, Minnesota Chamber members.One of the Chamber’s top priorities this session is reinstating Minnesota’s Pass-Through Entity tax, commonly... https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/66926/an-introduction-to-the-minnesota-broadband-charter https://www.fedamn.com/about-us/news/p/item/66926/an-introduction-to-the-minnesota-broadband-charter Thu, 12 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Minnesota has a goal to achieve border-to-border high-speed internet access to the state. The Minnesota Office of Broadband Development (OBD) helps administer state and federal grants to achieve this goal. To deploy these linear infrastructure projects, broadband projects must navigate a complex range of permits, licenses and authorizations to ensure...