Commissioners and senior staff representing nine state agencies took part in the sixth annual Commissioners on Wheels tour July 31.

The one-day trip was focused on issues and investments related to advanced manufacturing, workforce and transportation. It included stops in six communities: Minneapolis, Little Falls, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, Rogers and Maple Grove.

Companies toured:

• Central MN Renewables, a former ethanol plant in Little Falls, now produces renewable specialty chemicals from corn (top photo at right).
  
  
• Wabash National, a diversified industrial manufacturer headquartered in Indiana, uses a proprietary technology to build semi-trailer and truck parts in Little Falls.
  
  
• Talon Innovations, a division of Ichor Systems, does ultra-high purity prototyping and precision machining in Sauk Rapids for many industries including medical and aerospace.
  
  
• FedEx Ground, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., operates a large warehouse distribution center in Rogers (bottom photo).

The commissioners and staff also met with executives from other companies, as well as city officials and local economic development authorities in St. Cloud and Maple Grove. They started the day with a construction site tour of the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s 35W@94: Downtown to Crosstown project in Minneapolis.

One goal of the annual tour is to increase awareness of Minnesota Business First Stop, which Gov. Mark Dayton created in 2012 to help businesses cut through red tape when working with state agencies.

“Minnesota is focused on helping businesses succeed, and Minnesota Business First Stop is a prime example of that commitment," said Commissioner Shawntera Hardy, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), who led the tour. 

"We help foster a business-friendly climate in Minnesota by personalizing relationships between businesses and state agency professional staff as well as among the commissioners of the participating agencies," she added.

Minnesota Business First Stop recently issued a Highlights and Accomplishments report that looks at its big-picture initiatives as well as some of the companies it has assisted over the years.

DEED serves as the lead agency of Minnesota Business First Stop. Other state agency leaders and senior staff on the trip represented the:

• Minnesota Department of Agriculture
• Minnesota Department of Commerce
• Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation
• Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Minnesota Department of Revenue
• Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency