- All
- Business Development
- Community Chronicles
- Housing Development
- Info
- News
- Newsletter Articles
- Partners
- Stories from Your Neighbors
- Success Stories
- Transportation/Logistics Development
- Value-Added Agriculture
WILLMAR—The vision Sahra Gure and Abdirizak “Zack” Mahboub had for a former furniture store is taking shape as the newly opened Midtown Plaza in downtown Willmar. The first two businesses have moved into the building at 313 Litchfield Ave. S.W. Several others have signed leases and are preparing to move. The developer of the small […]
NEW LONDON—There’s more than just beer brewing at the Goat Ridge Brewing Co. in New London. After 2½ years in business—and following an expansion last year—Goat Ridge is adding another 1,600 square feet onto the business. The addition will create space for an expanded taproom, a bigger brewhouse and a bigger dance floor for their […]
WILLMAR—Over the past several years Fargo, North Dakota-based Magnum, which has had a trucking terminal in Willmar for 15 years, has seen a steady uptick in its local business. As the economy has improved, the number of companies needing shipping assistance has grown. Magnum’s business has increased so much that its building needed to grow […]
WILLMAR—One of the major projects in the 2018 capital budget for the city of Willmar is a new city hall to replace the current building on Sixth Street Southwest. The 2018 capital plan has $8.5 million for a new city hall, though no actual money has been set aside. There has been discussion about bonding […]
WILLMAR—One of the more pressing projects on Willmar’s to-do list has been the refrigeration system at the Willmar Civic Center. The Willmar City Council approved $2.6 million in the 2018 capital improvement project for a new system to create ice for the two arenas, but no firm decisions have been made on how to fund […]
WILLMAR—With millions of state bonding money on the line when the Legislature reconvenes next month, local officials made the case Monday that several area projects should be funded. Members of the Senate Capital Investment Committee began a 12-day tour of the state Monday to hear pitches for projects seeking state funding. During an hour-long stop […]
SPICER—Wearing ice-covered boots and wiping away icicles from beards and noses, a crew of about 40 people were busy Wednesday harvesting massive ice blocks from Green Lake. Prized for the crystal-clear ice that reflects a blue hue as the sun filters through the bitter cold air, the 573-pound blocks of Green Lake ice will be […]
Willmar is a diverse community with a large Latino and Somali/East African population that is increasingly represented in the business world. Members of these communities own and operate approximately 12% of businesses in Willmar, as evidenced by a recent Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) Survey of diverse businesses undertaken by the EDC. Last fall, the […]
“A dynamic county with much to offer existing and prospective businesses” is the summary used by contributing writer Gina Stephens to describe the Willmar area in a six-page article featured in the September 2017 publication of Business in Focus magazine. Providing a comprehensive view of North American business, the magazine offers monthly online and print […]
In May of 2017 a group of over 30 interested people, including business and government leaders, met in New London to discuss the need to finish the four-lane gaps on Highway 23, formalize the Highway 23 Coalition and elect officers. Since that time, the Coalition has incorporated, established a budget and the full membership elected […]
The GrandStay Hotel & Event Center Project at Little Crow Country Club is officially underway! Plans for the 51-room hotel, 300-seat event center, 75-seat restaurant and new Little Crow Country Club clubhouse finalized in early 2017; however, it took longer than initially envisioned to complete the $2.35 million equity drive for the project. Once […]
MHFA Approves $15.8 million in Affordable Housing for Willmar On October 19, 2017, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency announced it approved funding for two multi-family affordable housing projects in Willmar—15th Street Flats and Hanson Apartments. The former is a $9.3 million project that involves new construction of a building with 47 rental units on the […]
