www.growminnesota.com

Grow Your Business

Grow Minnesota! is Minnesota's first purely private sector, statewide business retention and expansion program. Its primary goal is to strengthen and grow Minnesota's economy. Initiated by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce in 2003, Grow Minnesota! is carried out in partnership with 50 local chambers of commerce and economic development organizations from across the state.

The Minnesota Chamber firmly believes the private sector must take the lead on retention visits giving economic development more "eyes and ears" statewide.

Mission

Under the leadership of the Minnesota Chamber and local chamber partners, Grow Minnesota! will promote statewide collaboration on growing Minnesota's economy.

Grow Minnesota! will improve the economic vitality of Minnesota by 1) Encouraging companies to remain and expand in Minnesota;2) Establishing stronger ties among private -sector companies and their business advocates; Recommending community and public-sector responses to the trends affecting the development of the state's economy.

Over time, Grow Minnesota! will assume the responsibility of marketing Minnesota to the nation and world.

POHLAD “Get Ready to Grow” PROGRAM ROUND 2 LOANS PROVIDE STIMULUS FOR THE WASECA AREA’S ECONOMY.

The Waseca Area Chamber of Commerce, through its partnership in the Minnesota Chamber’s Grow Minnesota! program, recently was able to offer area small businesses the opportunity to apply for low-interest loans. Selection approval and funding was provided by the Pohlad Family Foundation and was distributed in two rounds.

More than $1 million in “Get Ready to Grow” low-interest loans were distributed in October during the second wave of funding. The process proved once again to be very competitive with close to 200 companies statewide applying for the loans. In August, Round 1 awards were distributed.

In total, the “Get Ready to Grow” program has provided $5.5 million in either grants or low-interest loans to 90 companies located in 62 Minnesota communities in two funding rounds.

Although names of recipients are confidential, the Waseca Area will realize the benefit of more than $60,000 in low-interest loan awards from the second round and $150,000 in grant awards from the first round.

Waseca Area Chamber of Comemrce is a member of the Grow Minnesota! program