Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission

Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission

Kandiyohi County planning to extend broadband to three more townships

February 7, 2023

WILLMAR — Kandiyohi County is seeking grants to extend broadband service to three more townships. The County Board voted Tuesday morning to use nearly $400,000 of federal funds held by the county and to seek other funding to provide high-speed broadband to addresses in Lake Elizabeth, East Lake Lillian and Harrison townships. Mark Boeschen, broadband chair for the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission, described the two projects. Funding would come from the county’s

Kandiyohi County encourages residents with inadequate broadband to apply for Minnesota line extension program

February 3, 2023

WILLMAR — The Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission Broadband Committee remains committed to working with internet providers to complete broadband construction projects in Kandiyohi County so that all premises have access to high-speed internet, according to a news release from the EDC. The state’s Broadband Line Extension Connection Program is a great opportunity for businesses and residents outside of the recent Border-to-Border Broadband Development

Kandiyohi County awarded $4.9M state broadband grant to help fund project in five townships

December 8, 2022

WILLMAR — Kandiyohi County has finally received the news it has been waiting months to hear. The county was awarded a $4.9 million state Border-to-Border broadband grant to help fund a broadband expansion project in Arctander, Dovre, Lake Andrew, Mamre and St. Johns townships. “We are so excited. This is years in the making,” said Sarah Swedburg, business development manager for the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission. Read the full story from the West

Kandiyohi County elected officials and leaders air grievances over broadband issues

November 28, 2022

KANDIYOHI COUNTY — Frustrations about broadband boiled over recently during a meeting of the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission ‘s joint powers board. Frustrations were also shared during a recent roundtable discussion in Willmar with Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. The EDC wants to see fiber across the county, providing equal access to all residents, and the EDC’s broadband committee has been working on the issue for a couple of decades,

Nexyst moving forward on $40 million agricultural distribution project in Willmar Industrial Park

November 22, 2022

WILLMAR — Nexyst, in the next 60 days, plans to close on a $1.1 million purchase agreement for at least 137 acres in the Willmar Industrial Park to accommodate a $40 million project — constructing an agricultural distribution complex — according to Aaron Backman, executive director of the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission. “This is kind of an exciting development,” he said as he shared a site plan with Planning Commission members on Nov. 16. The project

Vaxxinova US, formerly Epitopix, plans $10 million to $20 million investment for expansion in Willmar

November 15, 2022

WILLMAR — Vaxxinova US , originally called Epitopix, is looking to expand in the Willmar area by purchasing additional land surrounding its manufacturing facility northwest of Willmar. Brian Harberts, Vaxxinova’s director of finance, reached out to the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission to discuss purchasing some of the land which the county owns west of the manufacturing facility, EDC Executive Director Aaron Backman told the EDC’s joint operations board

Ag and Renewable Energy Committee acts as promoter for agriculture in Kandiyohi County

November 7, 2022

WILLMAR — Since the county’s earliest days, agriculture has played an outsized role in the economic health and vitality of Kandiyohi County. The county often ranks in the top 10 in the state for various agricultural productions including turkeys, poultry, sheep, sugar beets and aquaculture. In the 2017 USDA Farm Census, Kandiyohi County ranked 10th in the state for market value of agricultural products sold, at $424,078,000. Given those numbers, it might be surprising that some feel it

Ribbon-cutting celebrates completion of nearly $50 million Willmar Wye rail bypass project

October 25, 2022

WILLMAR—It has taken more than a decade, but the wait is finally over. The Willmar Connector and Industrial Access Project—a nearly $50 million railroad bypass project—is completed and ready to receive train traffic. Dignitaries from various partners involved in the project, along with local, regional and state government officials, gathered in Willmar on Tuesday for a ribbon-cutting and train ride to celebrate the accomplishment that is the Willmar Wye. . . . “We are already seeing

Planning of southeast Willmar tiny home development moves forward with project out for bids

October 5, 2022

Willmar—The developer of what is thought to be the first tiny home development in the region has the southeast Willmar project out for bids. Justin Paffrath, also a real estate agent, spoke last week to the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission to share the inspiration behind his development, as well as concept plans of how the development will be laid out. Paffrath agreed with EDC Executive Director Aaron Backman that this would likely be the first tiny home development

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