The Regional Business Climate

By Jayson Hron Minnesota Governor Tim Walz this week reappointed Yvonne Prettner Solon (pictured) to a third term on the Duluth Seaway Port Authority Board of Commissioners.   Prettner Solon served previously on the board as a Duluth City Council appointee from 1990-1994, including a term as board president in 1993. She later became Minnesota’s 47th lieutenant governor, serving in that capacity from 2010-2014, before being appointed by former Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to a second term on the Port Authority board in 2015. Prettner Solon’s most recent appointment extends through January 2027.   Raised in Duluth, Prettner Solon graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth and embarked first on a career i...

Altec, a local manufacturer of electric utility equipment, is partnering with Lake Superior College to offer free welding education to individuals in the Duluth area. The program, Fired Up About Welding, just completed its fourth year.      While there is a class open to men, this program gives women a unique opportunity, as welding is traditionally seen as a trade for men. Lyndsay Barrett, the program's founder and a fabrication supervisor at Altec, started the program after attending welding classes at Lake Superior 10 years ago. As the only woman in the class, Lyndsay felt like she was alone in her efforts to become ...

Lake Superior College president Dr. Patricia Rogers (pictured) has been selected to receive a 2021 Paragon President Award from the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society. The award recognizes new college presidents for their outstanding support of student success.     Phi Theta Kappa will recognize 22 college presidents with the Paragon Award during their annual convention, the PTK Catalyst 2021, broadcast live from Orlando, Florida, April 8-10. Awards are given to new college presidents who have shown strong support of student success by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high-achieving students at their college. Recipients were nominated for the award by the students o...

George Goldfarb has been with the company for 36 years and has been president and CEO for 10 years. David Kornberg will succeed Goldfarb in the role. George Goldfarb, president and chief executive officer of Maurices, announced his retirement Tuesday, and has accepted the role of chairman emeritus for the Duluth-based clothing company. “It’s been such an honor to lead Maurices," Goldfarb said. "It is an unbelievable brand, with a winning track record, even during a global pandemic. I attribute that success to our seasoned leadership team and talented associates. David’s experience will enable continued success for the brand and his authenti...

The staff of the Ronald McDonald House Northland in Duluth is ready to welcome the first families in need into its care. The space officially opened Wednesday with the capacity to host up to five families at a time. “We’re ready to go and we’re eager to serve as soon as there’s that need,” said program manager Tara Gallagher. The Ronald McDonald House is on the fourth floor of 503 E. Third St., next to the Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center. Families who stay there are given access to a private bedroom and bathroom, free laundry facilities, a full kitchen and loung...

The season’s final foreign ship carrying wind energy parts to the port of Duluth-Superior came and went last week — and along with the Liberia-flagged BBC Swift went another record-setting campaign. The Duluth Seaway Port Authority will announce this week that 525,000 freight tons of wind-energy components moved through its Clure Public Marine Terminal in 2020. It’s the second straight year the port has set a wind-parts record — far eclipsing 2019’s mark of 306,000 freight tons. “This year, it wasn’t really even a contest,” said Jonathan Lamb, president of Lake Superior Warehousing Co., which is charged with unloading the parts, which ar...

St. Paul, Minn. (November 30, 2020) – Today, after six years of rigorous and thorough scientific regulatory review, the Enbridge Line 3 Replacement project received the final permit clearing the path for construction to begin. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) issued the storm water permit representing the final step to full regulatory approval.  “Today is nothing short of a triumph for what we’ve been fighting for all along – a predictable, fair and thorough regulatory process in the state of Minnesota,” said Doug Loon, president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. “This is the right time with the right environmental protection...

The Line 3 petroleum pipeline replacement project has received authorizations and approvals from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are an important step towards construction, Enbridge said Thursday. MPCA decisions include the 401 Water Quality Certification, which clears the way for a determination from the US Army Corps of Engineers regarding federal permits.  The Line 3 project has been designed to minimize impacts to sensitive streams and wetlands, the company said in an afternoon announcement.   "As the Administrative Law Judge confirmed, Enbridge and the MPCA identified the best and most prudent crossing method for each stream...

Minnesota Power is asking regulators for an expedited review of its plans for a $40 million solar energy investment. The goal is to jump start the region’s economic recovery, which will further advance Minnesota Power’s EnergyForward strategy to create more carbon-free energy. The investor-owned utility has asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to consider acting quickly on its plans to construct approximately 20 megawatts of solar arrays. Minnesota Power also released additional details on all three solar projects that were announced in June after the MPUC asked utilities to evaluate projects they could speed up as a way to support the recovery of local economies. The thre...

St. Luke’s Mariner Medical Clinic held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate being the first clinic in Superior to offer patients state-of-the-art 3D mammography technology. The cutting-edge technology makes an important difference in early detection of breast cancer, St. Luke's said. A 3D mammogram is able to take 15 photos of each breast to provide a three-dimensional image, making abnormalities easier to identify earlier and treatment more successful. This also allows more-invasive breast cancers to be caught sooner. The increased number of pictures also means fewer callbacks for patients.  “Having a breast cancer diagnosis is scary and anything we can do t...