Walz Lauds Public-Private Partnership at Blue Earth Groundbreaking

Press Release

Today, Representative Tim Walz attended a ground breaking ceremony for a new industrial park in Blue Earth. Walz supported the project every step of the way and helped the city cut through red tape when city officials ran into problems getting permits in a timely manner.

"This is what working together looks like," Representative Walz said. "Southern Minnesota is working thanks to community and business leaders like all of you here today. We can do incredible things when we build the public-private partnerships and work together."

"Representative Walz's office has been a key partner in this project as they wrote a letter of support in the early stages, and most recently coordinated a meeting between the City of Blue Earth and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding the wetland on the North Industrial Park Project property. This meeting allowed the City to get a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers within weeks, rather than months. That effort allowed the City to continue moving forward in a timely manner, which was absolutely necessary in order to come to an agreement with Kibble Equipment, our first tenant," Linsey Warmka, Executive Director Faribault County Development Corporation said.

According to city officials this project will generate an initial retention of 12 full-time employees and the creation of 40 new full-time employees along with $9.5 million in private investment. Future development is projected to include 68 full-time employees and $16 million in private investment.

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