While much of the country is still reeling from the Great Recession, where does southeastern Minnesota stand?
Borrowing a folksy phrase from one of my economic development friends, I believe regional business and industry is "standing in tall grass" — as positive an analogy as ever uttered.
In today’s edition of "A Spirit for Growth," Part 3, the outstanding Post-Bulletin writers and photographers examine where regional manufacturing and industry is headed. The two top local business development association gurus — Gary Smith of Rochester Area Economic Development Inc. (RAEDI) and John Wade., president of the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce — share their well-founded insights on economic recovery and growth potential for business and industry.
We look closely into business sectors that are important drivers of the local economy: real estate and automotive – both emerging into an upswing of business from a year ago. And, the extraordinary double-page spread of photos and stories in the center of today’s section features Chatfield’s renowned Tuohy Furniture, a high-quality business furniture manufacturing firm and employer that has defied the economic downturn.
I like a surprise. Each edition of "A Spirit for Growth" has delivered one of the best features: Five people to watch. Check this week’s edition to read about the quintet selected by the Post-Bulletin as this year’s business and industry movers and shakers.
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Another standing and well-appreciated feature are the profiles of area communities, the who-what-where that creates a thriving place to live, work and play. Today we feature Austin and several notable communities in Goodhue County.
This week, as a good portion of southeastern Minnesota’s snow recedes, I will peer closely at the re-emerging bare earth. Perhaps I’ll see evidence of "tall grass" and know that these few shoots herald a return to the economic recovery that we at the Post-Bulletin call "A Spirit for Growth."
Randy Chapman,
Publisher
