Developing News: April 5, 2022

CAPITAL ONE AMOUNG TIME’S 100

MOST INFLUENTIAL COMPANIES

TIME Magazine released its list of 100 Most Influential Companies for 2022 on March 30, including Capital One in its Titans category. TIME said its list “highlights businesses making an extraordinary impact around the world” based on criteria that include “relevance, impact, innovation, leadership, ambition and success.”

View all 100 companies here.

INVESTOR FEATURE: DEZURIK

BELIEVES IN GIVING BACK

DeZURIK has been part of the St. Cloud area community for over 90 years, during which time the versatile valve manufacturing company has made quality products used around the world while also recognizing the importance of giving back to the community.

Through successful partnerships cultivated over the years, DeZURIK has been able to make an investment in the future through education and outreach. Partnerships with local schools have given DeZURIK the opportunity to educate and train individuals who might not have had the same opportunity, including through robotic team sponsorships.

Community partnerships include not only with the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, but also many others. They include the Sartell YMCA, Initiative Foundation, Salvation Army, St. Cloud State University, Quiet Oaks, Habitat for Humanity, United Way Day of Caring and others.

Whether it be donating blood, working at building houses or ringing bells, the DeZURIK team is there to help. We’re pleased to have them as part of the GSDC.

RAISING AWARENESS OF

TRADES OPPORTUNITIES

The mission of the Greater Saint Cloud Development Corporation, particularly their commitment to “expand and nurture the area’s talent base” and helping businesses thrive, strikes a chord with me and reminds me of one of the bills I’ve been working on for some time.

It’s to reform employment laws at the request of local job creators, which would allow youth interested in the trades to work in or around construction sites in certain capacities.

Our trades are incredibly important, and they are looking for more employees now than any time in recent memory. There is high demand for work in the building trades, and with that comes an uptick in demand for employees.

My bill, HF 796, would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work in or around construction and building projects, as long as they complete safety training and wear personal protective equipment appropriate for the work site. It would also prohibit them from doing dangerous jobs where more experience is needed, like demolition, heavy equipment operation, or roof work.

I have heard from many local employers who want to raise awareness among youth for the many opportunities available in the trades. For many students, a four-year degree isn’t right for them, and they should be fully aware of the opportunities that are out there aside from a traditional college education.

Especially in light of rising tuition costs, a career in the trades can be an amazing option for high school graduates and allowing them to experience work on a job site before they graduate could make all the difference.

APRIL 26 CAREER EXPLORATION EVENT CAN BENEFIT YOUR ORGANIZATION

The effective program for helping develop our region’s future workforce, called Exploring Potential Interests and Careers (EPIC), has a new event on Tuesday, April 26, that may benefit your organization.

The “Career Exploring Post Program Roll-Out,” co-sponsored by the GSDC to further help connect young people and their education with local industry, will include comments from Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka, who has been involved in the exploring posts program for more than 20 years.

Career Exploring Posts allow students to deepen their understanding and exposure to career fields within industry sectors through hands-on learning with local employers. Please consider joining us to learn of the benefits of hosting a Career Exploring Post.

You do not need to be a current business partner of the EPIC program to be involved with this program. The Boy Scouts are partnering with our EPIC community collaborative to bring an additional career exploration tool to our future workforce. Additional partners in this work include United Way of Central MN and Great River Regional Library. Additional information is here.

REGION’S DIVERSITY IS FOCUS OF APRIL 3 NEWS STORY

An interesting piece was in Sunday’s StarTribune about our region’s diverse population noticing a more welcoming environment. If you’re not a regular reader of that publication, here’s a link.

The GSDC continues to prioritize inclusive and equitable economic development by engaging in relationships and projects designed to create an ecosystem for all to thrive. We are especially excited to continue working on a Minority Business Enterprises Needs Assessment to identify resource and opportunity gaps for business owners and entrepreneurs of color in the St. Cloud region.

THINK YOU’RE STRESSED? DON’T MOVE TO LOUISIANA!

WalletHub, which is famous for doing intriguing rankings, just released a list of “2022’s Most & Least Stressed States.”

Louisiana ranks as the most stressed. Minnesota? We’re in a calm and relaxed 49^th place! Which state is even less-stressed than Minnesota? Click here to find out.