Lt. Governor Tina Smith visited Grede Holdings LLC’s St. Cloud facility to discuss the foundry’s $17.5 million expansion plan. When the project is completed, Grede expects to add 30 jobs at the St. Cloud site.
The company, headquartered in Southfield, Mich., said it will expand the foundry by 32,000 square feet and install an additional melt furnace. Construction is expected to begin this month and will be completed this fall. The facility at 5200 Foundry Circle currently employs more than 330 people.
“I would like to thank Grede Holdings for choosing to expand their business in St. Cloud. This expansion is good news for Central Minnesota and the entire state,” said Lt. Governor Smith. “The state’s Business First Stop initiative, which assists businesses with permitting, helped make this $17.5 million expansion occur at the speed of commerce.”
The company, which began operations in 1920 when Bill Grede purchased Liberty Foundry in Wauwatosa, Wis., specializes in working with high-quality ductile iron, gray iron and specialty irons for the transportation and industrial markets. The St. Cloud foundry – one of 14 foundries that the company operates in North America – melts up to 200,000 tons of metal each year and produces in excess of 85,000 castings annually.
Strack Construction of St. Cloud was selected as the contractor for the expansion, while Excel Engineering of Fond du Lac, Wis., will provide engineering and architectural services.
The process for obtaining air permits for the project from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) went smoothly thanks to quick, responsive communication between Grede and MPCA. Minnesota Business First Stop, a multi-agency initiative to help connect businesses and state agencies, helped bring the process together for Grede.
“Minnesota Business First Stop is working just as we’d hoped,” said MPCA Commissioner John Linc Stine. “It shows again that coordinating Minnesota’s business ‘know-how’ and MPCA’s expertise at protecting our environment can work together on an efficient timeline.”
The Minnesota Business First Stop, established by Governor Mark Dayton in 2012, provides coordinated leadership and resources to develop, site or expand technology, renewable energy or clean technology businesses in the state. By aligning these efforts under this initiative, businesses are connected to a network of assistance ensuring a more efficient delivery of state resources.
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 .