Allison Whalen

by Joshua Schuetz

Nobles County Community Services, with CEDA’s help, hosted a Super Saturday event for licensed family childcare providers and childcare center staff in the county.

The event was aimed at offering childcare providers training and networking opportunities.

“It was a day where the family childcare providers and center staff were invited to come for three training sessions,” said CEDA team member Angie Kopplow. “Breakfast and lunch were provided, and we did a freezer meal workshop as part of a provider appreciation activity.”

Kopplow explained that childcare providers, especially those who work in their homes, often don’t get to interact much with other adults during the workday, so having the opportunity to network, learn about local resources and spend time together is important.

Kopplow planned the event with Paige Stearns, the county’s Children’s Services Supervisor, and former childcare licensor Amber Waldner. Sarah Lenz, a local EMT and clerk for the City of Adrian, provided CPR and First Aid training.

The freezer meal workshop was widely popular among attendees and was made possible with the help of local Pampered Chef Consultant Brittany Weidert, as well as donations from JBS, the county’s largest employer.

“We were trying to think of a casual activity where providers could spend time talking with each other but also take a meal home for their daycare kids or their own families, and they loved it,” Kopplow said. “There was one childcare provider that just started in June, and she hadn’t met any other providers yet, so she was able to meet other providers and find out about local childcare organizations and support groups.”

Lunch was catered by Victoria Stearns, owner of Cakes & Bakes, with the Southwest Initiative Foundation donating funds for the meal. Bedford, another major employer in the county, also donated to the event.

Darcy Poppema, a local childcare provider and president of the Nobles County Day Care Association, said the event was very valuable to attendees and added that she appreciated how the county and CEDA brought the event to providers locally, offering them opportunities that are often not available in smaller communities.

“It was a perfect opportunity for people to get hours of training done in one day, plus, we came home with easy meals for family and daycare kids.” she said. “Many years ago, I would go to conferences in the Twin Cities, but this was brought right to us, we were done early in the afternoon, and we still had the rest of our Saturday, so I would highly recommend that people take advantage of opportunities like this.”

By Joshua Schuetz

On October 16th, 130 high school students and community members from Martin and Faribault Counties toured 10 local manufacturing businesses, thanks to an initiative led by the Martin and Faribault County EDAs. The event, organized by CEDA team members Amber Patten and Celia Simpson, aimed to celebrate manufacturers and connect students and community members with career opportunities in the local manufacturing sector.

“October is Manufacturer’s Month, so we wanted to do something in that month,” Patten said. “The main target audience was junior and senior high school students, people looking for employment in manufacturing and community members interested in manufacturing in both counties.”

Both EDAs funded the event, which was free for manufacturers and participants. All manufacturers received complimentary drone footage for marketing purposes.

“We wanted to make sure it was accessible to manufacturers, so there was no charge,” Simpson said. “We didn’t have any trouble with funding, thanks to generous donations and grants from Compeer Financial, the Huisman Fund, and support from our EDAs.”

Additional sponsors included the American Legion-Fairmont, Winnebago Lions, Nasinec Funeral Home, Fastenal, Napa Auto Parts in Fairmont and Blue Earth, Ryno Repair in Faribault County, and the Five Lakes Centre Mall in Fairmont. The Truman, United South Central, Blue Earth Area, and Martin County West School districts participated, sending students to tour the facilities.

Each business provided tours, showcasing their operations and sharing information about job opportunities. Local manufacturers valued the chance to engage directly with students.

“Participating in the Tour of Manufacturing Event was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our exciting careers at Kahler Automation,” said Jessica Horst, a talent acquisition specialist at Kahler Automation. “By inspiring young people to explore these fields, we’re not only securing the future of our business but also making sure they know about the great local opportunities right here in our community.”

Ron’s Plumbing and HVAC in Wells shared similar sentiments, posting on Facebook: “Last week, we had the privilege of being part of the Faribault and Martin Counties Tour of Manufacturing! It was a great opportunity to showcase our work to high school students and adults who visited Ron’s!”

Simpson emphasized the importance of manufacturing to the regional economy, which both EDAs aimed to recognize through this event. “About 15 percent of jobs in our region are provided by local manufacturers,” Simpson said. “That’s a significant part of our local economy, and we wanted to recognize that.”

By Joshua Schuetz

A major step forward for workforce housing in Greater Minnesota was taken on September 26, 2024, when the Minnesota Housing board of directors approved $38.7 million to develop new residential rental units. The investment will create 832 market-rate rental units in small to mid-sized communities with strong job growth and significant demand for housing.

One of the communities set to benefit is Chatfield, which will receive $475,000 to build 14 new market-rate apartments. This development replaces an 8-unit apartment building destroyed by fire, offering a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, including one fully handicap-accessible apartment. Chatfield’s application was authored by former CEDA Vice President Chris Giesen, and CEDA team member Todd Kieffer will guide the project to its conclusion.

The project addresses a critical need in Chatfield, where limited rental options have posed challenges for employers trying to attract and retain workers. More than 900 people commute into Chatfield for work daily, while only about 150 live and work in the city. With more housing, city leaders hope to attract more residents to the community, where they can contribute to the tax base, support local businesses and the school district.

Michael Tuohy, Chatfield’s EDA President, highlighted the grant’s expected impact on the city and framed it as a long-term investment in the city’s prosperity. “We are incredibly grateful to receive this grant, which will significantly impact our community. Workforce housing is essential for supporting local businesses, retaining talent, and fostering economic growth,” he said. “This funding helps ensure that our workers have access to safe, affordable housing, strengthening the foundation of our community for years to come.”

Chatfield’s project aligns with the goals of the Workforce Housing Development Program (WHDP), which was created by the Minnesota Legislature to boost market-rate rental housing in Greater Minnesota communities with populations under 30,000.

By Joshua Schuetz

CEDA is expanding its Rural Entrepreneurial Ventures (REV) work into Wisconsin, thanks to strategic partnerships with Compeer Financial and the University of Wisconsin Extension. This initiative is designed to bolster rural entrepreneurship by connecting business owners with critical resources and personalized coaching.

REV offers entrepreneurs a range of networking and consulting opportunities, providing access to valuable information and customized guidance to help grow their businesses. According to James Hanke, CEDA’s Chief Operating Officer, the program’s goal is to create networks for rural entrepreneurs similar to those enjoyed by their urban counterparts.

“Networks that drive value for rural entrepreneurs do exist in these areas; they’re just somewhat fragmented,” Hanke said. “Providing a framework that puts those pieces together is an effective way to drive entrepreneurial growth and development.”

Currently, six Wisconsin communities are participating in the REV program, with two more set to join this fall. Hanke sees this as a chance to build synergy between CEDA’s existing initiatives and its new efforts to support local business.

One such initiative is CEDA’s ongoing work in Washburn County, located in the northwestern part of the state. The organization is helping to activate the county’s economic development corporation, and Hanke believes REV complements this mission perfectly.

“The REV program aligns nicely for us and provides some value-add to the work we’re already doing with the contracts we maintain for communities,” Hanke explained.

Hanke underscored the critical role that small and local businesses play in job creation and economic growth. While large companies often grab headlines, it’s the smaller, homegrown businesses that are driving much of the job creation in the U.S.

“Two-thirds of job creation has come from small businesses—local businesses that have grown and developed primarily in cities or larger metropolitan areas,” Hanke said. “These areas are very effective in developing support networks that give entrepreneurs access to the information, resources, and capital they need to succeed and grow.”

CEDA is also looking ahead to future opportunities to further expand its support for Wisconsin entrepreneurs. The organization is currently applying for a grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)—the state’s counterpart to Minnesota’s DEED—to bring its Rural Business Innovation Lab to Wisconsin. This lab focuses on scalable businesses in the natural resources value chain, offering even more tools and resources to help rural businesses thrive.

By Joshua Schuetz

After nearly a decade of planning, Dodge County is finally moving forward with a reuse center that will help reduce waste and give community members access to affordable building materials and household goods. The project got to the finish line thanks to the work of CEDA team member Laura Qualey and Dodge County waste management administrator Rita Cole.

“In Dodge County, I work with the environmental services department, and I’ve worked with them for two and a half years,” said Qualey. “This has been a pet project of Rita Cole, the waste management administrator. She’s always had this dream of having one of these reuse centers where people could drop off home goods and building materials, extra two-by-fours or tile, and things like that, to reduce the amount of solid waste going into the landfills at the transfer station.”

The county had secured a Greater Minnesota Recycling and Composting grant in 2022 for $123,000 to get the project off the ground. But when the city of Kasson decided not to build a road to the proposed site, the county had to divert funds toward building the road, leaving less money for necessary infrastructure like HVAC, making it impossible to operate the building in winter.

The breakthrough came when Qualey helped secure a $200,000 grant to push the project forward. “It will allow them to upgrade the insulation and plumbing for the bathroom and get some cameras because they can’t have the center open in the wintertime without these improvements.” The grant also includes funding to hire a staff member for one year, with the hope that the center will generate enough revenue to become self-sustaining.  As of October 14, the center has diverted 2,157 items, weighing a total of 32,555 pounds, from the landfill.

“They weigh everything that’s dropped off to keep track of how much is kept out of the landfill,” said Qualey. “They can convert that into statistics on the energy saved by not having to convert it to waste.”

The center will operate with designated drop-off and sale days, offering a wide variety of items, from building materials to athletic equipment, though electronics will not be accepted. “This is a great alternative to throwing these items in landfills,” Qualey said. “We’ve all been to thrift shops or rummage sales, and this offers the community something similar, while reducing waste at the same time.”