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June 2007
Greetings from Voyageur Country!
Summer is in full swing and with the change of seasons comes another appreciation for all that this area has to offer. For those of us lucky enough to work and play here, the long summer days provide an opportunity to appreciate the incomparable boater's paradise of Rainy Lake, Rainy River, and Voyageurs National Park. While tourism is certainly a major component of our economy and Rainy Lake in summer is reason enough to visit us, summer also means construction time in our area.
The KEDA is pleased to announce that Koochiching Freshwater Fisheries has selected the International Falls Business Park as the location for its new fish-processing facility (see related story). President and CEO Barry Barney brings over 35 years in the fish business to our area to create a state of the art facility that will employ 15-20 individuals in the initial phase and with the completion of a new building in phase two grow to over 40. Our location and supporting infrastructure were a strategic fit for Barney as he searched for a location for the facility.
The KEDA, as part of its Foreign Trade Zone site development, recently acquired an additional 50 acres of adjoining property at its location just south of the Port of Ranier. The additional property, strategically located adjacent to the major rail line, will provide the KEDA and its prospective clients more flexibility and room for development. The KEDA is currently in early discussions with a potential client interested in a project at the site.
The Minnesota Legislature recently wrapped up the 2007 session. The KEDA and Koochiching County were awarded $400,000 during the session to fund a feasibility study on the proposed plasma gasification project - RECAP. The KEDA's partner, Coronal, worked with our area representatives - Senator Tom Saxhaug and Representative Tom Anzelc - to secure the funding which will look to answer a number of questions relating to this unique renewable energy project. The study will address the various components of the project - environmental, economic, operational, etc. - to help Koochiching County assess the viability of siting the project here. As proposed, the $30 million dollar RECAP project will utilize municipal solid waste as a fuel source and using plasma torch technology convert the waste into gas and other by-products. The project would be the first of its kind in the United States.
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