News and Events
Minnesota Medtech Steps Up
May 1 2020Heading into another week of social distancing, Minnesota has reported a total of 576 confirmed Covid-19 cases, along with 10 deaths. Now, the state’s medtech companies are again lending a hand to help alleviate the strain on hospital systems.
In response to the desperate need for ventilators, Medtronic has publicized design specification...
The spread of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19 has put hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans out of work, but that doesn't mean no one in the state is hiring.
On Monday, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove said that plenty of businesses were still recruiting and tha...
Over the past few weeks, several state and federal programs have been built to assist small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Different programs make sense for different businesses, so we’re providing this summary guide to help small businesses quickly see which programs might be right for their situation.
SBA Economic Injur...
Are you a leisure and hospitality industry service provider whose job has been recently impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic? Our health care industry needs you!
Many people working in restaurants, hotels, casinos, event planning, theme parks, and other tourism- and travel-related jobs have been laid off and are looking for work. If you were among those leisure and hospitality workers lai...
For many Minnesotans, a Saturday at the farmers market, with foods, friends and family is one of the simple joys of summer.
But those markets will look different this year. They have remained open, deemed essential businesses under Gov. Tim Walz’s COVID-19 stay-at-home order. Although it’s unclear what restrictions on busines...
A second-generation mask called the B2 is a group of young entrepreneurs’ answer to an urgent need during the coronavirus pandemic.
Developed by a startup company called Breathe99, the reusable B2 respirator mask protects its wearer from 99% of harmful contaminants while reducing filter cost and waste by half.
That’s key t...
Another area manufacturer has joined the fight against COVID-19.
MME Group of Vadnais Heights is partnering with Ford Motor Co. in its quest to assemble 50,000 medical ventilators in 100 days. In late March, Ford announced its plans to retool a Michigan facility to produce the lifesaving device. The Detroit automake...
The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce released a detailed list of “best practices” for companies and employees to return to work safely.
“Minnesota businesses are eager to get back to work. We are ready to work with the Walz administration and the legislature to get our state back to full productivity and ful...
When Major League Soccer resumes play, the owners of the Minnesota United will have more than just winning games on their minds.
A planned real estate development next to Allianz Field in St. Paul’s Midway includes two towers composed of 234 housing units elevated over new retail and a “parking podium.&rdquo...
Minnesota small businesses wasted little time in applying for the new federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. As of Monday, April 13, more than 33,800 loans of approximately $7.6 billion had been approved in the state, according to the Minnesota District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
According to th...
You might not realize it, but the Vomela Companies help us find our way around our lives. From merchandise signs at Target to information wrapped around city buses to the display menus posted at restaurants, this specialty-graphics provider based in St. Paul has been printing out ways to direct us fo...
In a sign of the times, a St. Paul-based company has now shifted to producing personal protection equipment for health care workers.
Until recently — very recently — The Vomela Companies were best known for designing, printing and installing specialty graphics that many of us have seen displayed in stores, wrapped around buse...
In cities and towns all across the United States, a quiet but growing movement of self-determined capitalism is changing the way many see their place in the modern economy. Everyday entrepreneurs have become self-sufficient, using their talents and resourcefulness to create their own commercial ventures with the help of websites...
Getting the right medical equipment to the people who need it has a heightened importance in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Golden Valley-based Medical Alley Association, a trade group for the state’s health care and medical companies, saw an opportunity to help connect groups with supplies or services t...
Small Business Owner? This Forgivable Loan May Help Keep Your Business Afloat During The Lockdown
Apr 1 2020In addition to including stimulus checks for individuals, the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act includes a $349 billion stimulus package to help small businesses make their payroll and rent payments over the next few months.
This stimulus program, called the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), is designe...
Minnesota Community Care, the state’s largest federally qualified health center, is activating a full transformation of its system to implement community mitigation strategies and reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19. Effective April 1, 2020, the organization will actively transition its sites, services, and programs to immediately respond to th...
Over the past few weeks, several state and federal programs have been built to assist small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Different programs make sense for different businesses, so we’re providing this summary guide to help small businesses quickly see which programs might be right for their situation.
SBA Economic Injur...
St. Paul –The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is announcing the Minnesota Small Business Loan Guarantee Program, which was approved by the Minnesota Legislature last week. This temporary program, established in response to impacts of COVID-19, provides another option for financing to help small businesses weather thi...
Lenders throughout Minnesota have worked with DEED to implement the Minnesota Small Business Emergency Loan program to help small business owners who need immediate assistance to meet their families' basic needs during COVID-19 closures.
The program is live today, and was made possible by Governor Walz's Executive Order 20-15.
The program leverages lender...
Medtronic is sharing its portable ventilator design specifications and code for free to all
Mar 30 2020Healthcare and biomedical engineering company Medtronic was in the news recently because Tesla CEO Elon Musk had discussions with the company about the automaker’s potential plans to build ventilator hardware in order to address the COVID-19 crisis. Today it’s doing something potentially far more impactful. Medtronic is making available to anyone the ful...
Who Is Hiring Right Now?
Mar 26 2020While many businesses have been ordered to temporarily close to slow the spread of COVID-19, some Minnesota businesses are not only staying open – they are also hiring large numbers of workers and even offering hiring incentives. Not only can you earn a paycheck in these industries, but these job...
Are you a leisure and hospitality industry service provider whose job has been recently impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic? Our health care industry needs you!
Many people working in restaurants, hotels, casinos, event planning, theme parks, and other tourism- and travel-related jobs have been laid off and are looking for work. If you were among those leisure and hospitality workers lai...
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Thousands and thousands of Minnesotans are newly out of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are some places that are still hiring, mainly in essential services such as grocery stores and supply delivery.
We’ve been compiling a list of the places seeking applicants, and will continue t...
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has arrived in Minnesota and it has many businesses asking critical questions. How can we keep our workplaces safe and clean? How can we accommodate changes in employee needs, like having to work remotely? And how might this impact my business and our economy?
The Minnesota Chamber is her...
