Willmar Industrial Park is 31st site to receive designation in Minnesota
ST. PAUL—An industrial park located on the west side of Willmar has been certified for the Shovel Ready Program by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
The 181-acre site in the Willmar Industrial Park is the 31st site designated in Minnesota and the second site in the nine-county area around Willmar to be certified under the program. Shovel Ready certification means planning, zoning, environmental studies, title work, public infrastructure and other pre-construction activities have been completed on the site.
“Shovel Ready sites are attractive to companies that want to move quickly with plans to start up, relocate or expand their operations,” said DEED Commissioner Shawntera Hardy. “Minnesota is well-positioned for new job growth, thanks to this growing list of Shovel Ready sites.”
The Willmar Industrial Park is located on the former municipal airport site south of Highway 12 and west of County Road 5. The site is across from Jennie-O, Willmar’s largest employer. The first occupant of the new Willmar Industrial Park Addition is Dooley’s Petroleum Inc., a wholesaler of fuel and a distributor of fuel and propane to residential and commercial customers. The business purchased three lots for its corporate office and maintenance facility.
“The local and regional business community is very pleased with the Shovel Ready certification, which takes unknowns out of the process for businesses that are ready to expand,” said Aaron Backman, executive director of the Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission.
Certifying sites as Shovel Ready demonstrates to prospective companies that communities are progressive, business-oriented and prepared for new development.
Go here to see the location and description of all of the state’s Shovel Ready sites.
DEED launched the Shovel Ready Program in 2009 to help communities gain a competitive edge in attracting commercial and industrial projects. Companies that expand on Shovel Ready sites can save time and money because much of the site preparation has been completed in advance of their projects.
DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and its services, visit http://mn.gov/deed/.
DEED by Monte Hanson