The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has awarded almost $43 million from the Minnesota Forward Fund (MFF) for four business expansion projects, and one academia-industry technology collaboration project. The awarded projects are expected to directly create more than 260 new jobs, retain more than 2,890 existing jobs and leverage almost $693 million in outside investment.
"DEED is committed to growing Minnesota's economy and demonstrating that our state is a great place for business,” said DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek. “The Minnesota Forward Fund is a powerful economic growth tool that enables us to partner with businesses planning significant investments in major expansion or new site-development projects that will support local tax base growth and create or retain good-paying jobs.”
The Minnesota Forward Fund supports business attraction and expansion in existing and new industries in Minnesota. The Fund can also provide projects with state match funding required by federal programs like the Consolidated Appropriations and CHIPS Act and offers educational grants up to $5 million to support the development and deployment of workforce training programs for providers partnering with semiconductor manufacturers.
Minnesota Forward Fund award project summaries are listed below:
Boston Scientific, Maple Grove - $10 million
Boston Scientific is planning an expansion at its Maple Grove Arbor Lakes location, which focuses on interventional cardiology, peripheral interventions, and Watchman technologies. The expansion – which will add 300,000 square feet of office, research and development labs, amenities and conferencing facilities – also involves extensive site development for parking, landscaping, attenuation ponds and circulation roads through the campus.
The $198 million project will create 150 jobs paying an average wage of $27.33 per hour.
Dem-Con HZI Bioenergy, Shakopee - $10 million
Dem-Con HZI formed a public/private partnership with Ramsey and Washington counties to develop and operate the Minnesota Renewable Energy and Organic Waste Anaerobic Digestion Project, an advanced food waste recycling facility in Shakopee. The new facility will process 75,000 tons of organic waste materials annually to produce renewable natural gas for local gas utilities and industrial customers, and biochar, a soil amendment, for composting, industrial filtration and agricultural applications.
The company will invest about $92 million in the project, which will create 12 new full-time jobs. Funding for this project is also provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources. This project was also made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Once operational, funding for the Ramsey/Washington Recycling and Energy Board’s access to the Dem-Con HZI BioEnergy facility will be supported by the State of Minnesota through the State Competitiveness Fund Matching Funds program.
Ecolab, Eagan - $10 million
Ecolab will invest more than $500 million to modernize and expand its existing Research & Development (R&D) campus in Eagan, one of the company’s largest investments ever in Minnesota, reinforcing the site as a global hub for research, development, and education in infection prevention, water technologies, and digital capabilities. The transformation will add 82,200 square feet to the current 300,000 square foot facility and include enhanced customer experience spaces, state-of-the-art R&D application and chemistry labs, and a new campus entry.
This investment will help Ecolab continue to protect what’s vital: advancing solutions that improve human health, protect water, and enable innovation at global scale. Ecolab’s expansion reflects a long-term commitment to growth, collaboration, and leadership rooted in Minnesota’s worldclass health care and technology ecosystem.
The company expects this facility update will retain more than 2,890 jobs in Minnesota, add new jobs, and reinforces Ecolab’s long-term investment in the state. DEED’s Forward Fund investment will specifically support a $256 million portion of Ecolab’s $500 million project.
Louisiana-Pacific (LP), North Branch - $10 million
LP, a leading manufacturer of high-performance engineered wood building products, will invest nearly $145 million to acquire and develop a 120-acre parcel in North Branch, where the company will construct a 200,000 sq. ft. siding materials manufacturing facility.
LP expects to create 100 jobs within five years at an average cash wage of $32.75 per hour.
“LP SmartSide ExpertFinish has experienced strong growth since its launch, and we’re proud to expand our presence in Minnesota with a new pre-finishing facility in North Branch,” said LP Chief Operating Officer Tony Hamill. “This strategic location brings us closer to both our mills and our Midwest customers, allowing us to meet increasing demand for our products. We’re grateful to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development and the City of North Branch for their partnership and warm welcome.”
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities - $2.833 million
The University of Minnesota (UMN) Twin Cities campus, in collaboration with Polar Semiconductor and Honeywell Aerospace, is establishing a one-of-a-kind academic-industry technology center to support and advance the state’s growing microelectronics and semiconductor industry. The new center will develop quantum spintronic devices focusing on high-tech magnetic sensors and advanced memory storage. These emerging magnetic-based technologies are currently being adapted for various cutting-edge applications such as biomedical devices, industrial automation, automotive applications, and memory and computing for specialized devices, such as those designed for extreme environments like outer space.
Over the next decade, the center will also provide specialized coursework and hands-on research opportunities for more than 300 people – including undergraduate through Ph.D. students from the University's electrical and computer engineering, materials science, and physics programs, as well as students from local community colleges and other universities – and specialized training in the use and manufacture of spintronic devices for engineers and technicians for Polar Semiconductor, Honeywell Aerospace and other Minnesota microelectronic companies.
The total program cost is $5.7 million. Polar and Honeywell Aerospace will each provide $1.4 million in matching funds for student research, professional development and in-kind cash, as well as equipment usage, process and integration engineer labor and time, and assistance designing courses used for training.