Regional Business Recognition & Appreciation

The Alexandria regional community is home to a large number of highly successful companies that form the bedrock for our successful economic engine.  Each year, the accomplishments of these organizations are recognized in late October during the Business & Industrial Appreciation Day and Manufacturers & Support Industries Breakfast events.

The Business & Industrial Appreciation Day (BIAD) event recognizes the growth, success and community contributions of one Alexandria area business or organization each year.  This event is a shared effort of the Alexandria Area Economic Development Commission and Alexandria Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and has recognized a total of 29 organizations since 1984.  The 2012 BIAD award recipient is Douglas Scientific - an Alexandria bio-tech company that has grown out of Alexandria's Douglas Machine and formally began operations in 2009.  This year's BIAD luncheon honoring Douglas Scientific will take place on Tuesday, October 23rd and will be attended by nearly 500 individuals and company/community leaders from throughout the region and the state of Minnesota.

October's second business recognition event is the Douglas County Manufacturers & Support Industries Breakfast - recognizing the economic strength and contributions of the manufacturing and support industry companies throughout Douglas County.  This event is a time for recognition and appreciation to our local companies and features a breakfast, networking opportunity, and keynote presentation (this year provided by Dr. Chris Kuehl of Armada Corporate Intelligence).  Over 175 company and community leaders will be participating in this year's event (Thursday, October 25th).

Fall in Downtown Alexandria, MN

Here are a number of pictures taken on October 3, 2012 in downtown Alexandria, MN.  The region has been experiencing a streak of warm weather over the past week and colors are at their prime.

 

As wonderful as this warm streak has has been (very beneficial for tourism, construction, and outdoor service businesses), a significant weather shift is forecast for tonight with the difference in high temperatures between Oct. 3 and Oct 4 being over 30 degrees - from high 70's to low 40's.  Fall is in the air.

 

Welcome to fall in the Alexandria Lakes Area!

 

 

Automated Packaging Machine Manufacturers - Leaders of the Alexandria, MN area economy

The Alexandria, MN area is home to 4 of the world’s leading manufacturers of automated packaging machines, marking the region as one of the leaders in technology development and innovation in this industry. Equipment designed, engineered, and manufacturing by Alexandria area companies is utilized by businesses across the United States and around the world.

Our local companies don’t package the products, but the items packaged by machines from the Alexandria region include everything from ammunition to sports drinks, from chips to yogurt.  These products are packaged at high speeds in automated processes, resulting in lower costs for customers, increased productivity, and decreased waste from excess packaging materials.

Alexandria, MN regional automated packaging manufacturers include:

-        The Aagard Group (www.aagard.com)

      -        Brenton Engineering Company (www.brentonengineering.com)

-        Douglas Machine (www.douglas-machine.com)

-        Massman Automation Designs (www.massmanllc.com)

Combined, these 4 companies employ approximately 1,000 people and provide business and opportunities for dozens of support industry companies (and hundreds of employees) within the immediate area.

Douglas County, MN’s total workforce is 17,053 (source: 2011 MN DEED Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages), and these companies make up about 5.5% of that total employment.  Because of these companies being located in the Alexandria, dozens of smaller companies that supply goods and services are able to succeed.

Interesting Fact: Douglas County’s total manufacturing employment is 16.6% (2,837 jobs) of its total employment.  On average, Minnesota manufacturers employ 13% of all workers.  Based on 2011 data, manufacturing employees in Douglas County were paid an average of $890 per week (approximately $46,280 per year).  This sector of the local area economy is very strong and is being led by the automated packaging machine companies.

Welcome to the Alexandria, MN Community

The Alexandria, MN area is located on Interstate Highway 94 in west-central Minnesota among 300+ lakes, multiple rivers, and a combination of trails, forests, and open spaces that creates a natural environment that has been seen as a vacation and retirement haven since the late 1800's. 

In its early days, the Alexandria area was primarily a vacation and tourism destination and while that industry continues to be strong today, the community has evolved into a diverse economic engine that powers a multi-county region of west-central and western Minnesota.  Major economic sectors include manufacturing, education, professional services, retail, and tourism.  Individually, each of these sectors is vulnerable to economic turbulence, but together they create a firm economic foundation that drives the continued growth and development of the region.  Because of the economic strength of the community and it's diverse employment opportunities, the local population growth rate is one of the highest in the state of Minnesota - actually, the Alexandria area has the fastest growing population of all regional center communities according to US Census Bureau statistics from the 2000 and 2010 population counts (seeing a 25.51% increase in population over 10 years)!

The Alexandria area is located at the crossroads of I-94 and MN State Highways 29 and 27 - providing direct access to the major metropolitan areas of Minneapolis/St. Paul to the south-east and Fargo/Moorhead to the north-west.  State Highway 29 provides access to regions north and south, and State Highway 27 provides access east and west - allowing access to communities, clients, and marketplaces throughout Minnesota and beyond. 

In addition to roadway infrastructure, Alexandria area residents and businesses have fast and easy access to the information superhighway through a variety of local, regional, and national providers.  High speed DSL and Fiber Optic access options are available for business and residential customers (specific options dependent upon location). 

While it boasts a strong business community, a fast growing population, and infrastructure access that are hard to match, there is much more that makes the Alexandria area a great place to live, work, and have a business.  Watch for future posts or go to www.alexmn.org to learn more about this vibrant regional center community.