A more than $650,000 state grant awarded to International Falls is the jump start to the domino effect of economic development that this community has needed.
Kudos to all involved in seeking and obtaining the grant.
Combined with other positive efforts, including this week’s signature by Jaguar Land Rover to a 10-year agreement to cold weather test here through a cooperative financial agreement by the city and Koochiching County, we will begin to see a positive turnaround for the local economy. This new cold weather testing effort is expected to pump an additional $500,000 annually into the local economy.
The grant, added to other money, is intended to help create a warehouse that will add 50 new jobs in this community over five years, making a difference to many local businesses and people. And, it’s likely that more jobs will follow as the warehouse project grows and spurs other activities.
As Mayor Shawn Mason noted Monday, the grant and warehouse project is the result of a team approach to economic development. Clearly our mayor has been a leader in this effort, but she rightly credited the vision of the entire city council and others who supported the work.
And we cannot forget those people just 300 or so miles to the south of us for understanding the needs and the potential of this community. Gov. Mark Dayton, his department commissioners, our state lawmakers and others were convinced that this grant is the boost we need to add to other recent accomplishments to bring about not only economic stability, but economic prosperity.
Those state officials understand that when one part of our great state grows and flourishes, the rest of the state benefits.
The turnabout of our community may seem like a slow burn, sometimes with a lot of smoke, but stand back and watch as the flames grow higher and we all begin to feel the heat of positive, productive energy.
It’s our turn to flourish.
