Power generation contractor Blattner Energy Inc. is investing $6.2 million to expand and renovate its headquarters in Avon and will create 12 new jobs at the site.
Blattner Energy, the leading installer of wind energy projects in the country, is planning a two-story, 20,296-square-foot expansion that will promote sustainability and efficient energy use, mirroring the original office building design. The office is located about 15 miles west of St. Cloud in Stearns County, at 392 County Road 50.
The company is experiencing an increased demand for its services and is expanding to fit those growing needs. The project will involve adding 75 new offices and work stations, expanding the parking lot, adding an electric car charging station, building a new auditorium and increasing the size of an employee fitness center.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is supporting the project with $581,000 from the Minnesota Job Creation Fund. Blattner will receive the funding after meeting investment and job creation goals.
“Blattner has an outstanding track record as a contractor in the solar, power delivery and wind industries,” said DEED Deputy Commissioner Kevin McKinnon. “This expansion will bring new jobs and investment to the Avon area and help the company respond to growth in the alternative energy sector.”
Blattner Energy, which has built nearly 200 wind energy projects in the United States and Canada since 2001, also specializes in solar energy and power delivery projects. Affiliated company D.H. Blattner & Sons dates back to 1907, when founder David Henry Blattner and his crew helped build James J. Hill’s Great Northern Railroad. For more information about Blattner, visit www.blattnerenergy.com.
The Job Creation Fund, which was first proposed by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2013, is a pay-for-performance program that provides funding to businesses after they meet certain criteria, including minimum requirements for job creation and private investments. Under the program, businesses must create at least 10 full-time jobs and invest at least $500,000 to be eligible for financial assistance.
Since the Job Creation Fund was launched in January 2014, DEED has awarded $18.5 million to 34 companies in Minnesota. Those companies have committed to creating 2,105 full-time jobs and plan to invest nearly $371.7 million to expand.
DEED is the state’s principal economic development agency, promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention, workforce development, international trade and community development. For more details about the agency and our services, visit us at http://mn.gov/deed . Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/mndeed .