The company, who designs and builds retail and trade show exhibits, will get state assistance in the move, which is designed to consolidate its operations under one roof. That Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty recently announced the move shows the intensity of the border battle between Minnesota and Wisconsin--the two towns are across the border from one another.
"The facility in Afton is the ideal size and location, but it needs some costly improvements to bring it up to code," says John Chandler, the company's CEO.
Through the Minnesota Investment Fund, the state will provide a $250,000 low-interest loan to help equip the building with a sprinkler system. The state was also instrumental in finding an SBA-certified development company willing to finance the project under terms the company found acceptable. Chandler, which has more than 55 workers, will move into the former Remmele Engineering building in the city, a building that is about 100,000 sf in size that it recently purchased for an undisclosed amount. The First National Bank of Hudson financed the purchase.
Afton Mayor Charlie Devine says the relocation is a boon for the city, which just a few months ago faced the prospect of losing a major employer in Remmele Engineering and having a large facility standing vacant.
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