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The mission of Faribault County Development Corporation (FCDC) is to combine resources from public and private sectors of the Faribault County Area to bring enhanced Economic and Housing Development to the Faribault County area.

Faribault County Development Corporation (FCDC) works to create a stronger tax base and a broad range of living wage or better jobs that result from Economic Development. Faribault County Development Corporation publicizes assets and opportunities as well as educates the communities located within the county on the benefits that come with quality economic development.

Faribault County Development Corporation (FCDC) is a nonprofit organization established to serve as Faribault County's leading resource for facilitating economic development and work with public and private sectors to enhance the overall quality of life.

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Thirsty? No More

Thirsty? No More, By Chuck Hunt, Editor, Faribault County Register. Community Focus, April 2012. On March 15, Jeremy Coxworth celebrated his five-year anniversary of being in business operating Coxworth Water Conditioning in a big way. It wasn't with balloons or banners, champagne or prizes. Instead, Coxworth started a new venture at his place of business on Blue Earth's Main Street. Bottling drinking water. "It is a little funny that we started bottling water on the same date we started in business five years earlier," Coxworth says. "Although getting it done wasn't really that funny." Coxworth says it took more than a year to get all the proper certification to bottle water. "We needed to get a lot of things done," he recalls. "Including getting a Processing and Wholesale Manufacturers license from the State of Minnesota." Unfortunately, that process came to a complete halt when the state shut down occurred last year. During that time Coxworth continued to make weekly round trips to Des Moines, Iowa, to pick up bottles of water to supply to his customers, something he had been doing for several years already. "The guy I was getting the water from suggested ...

Friday, 11 May 2012

Farmers Trust & Savings Bank

It's official and a good fit, too. The Courier-Sentinel Staff Writer, May 3, 2012. Although it wasn't a surprise - the merger of the former State Bank of Bricelyn with Farmers Trust and Savings Bank of Buffalo Center, Iowa was announced last December - it was still big news Tuesday when the Bricelyn Branch of Farmers Trust and Savings opened its doors under new ownership. And decision-makers on both sides of the aisle unanimously agreed that the change is a "good fit" for everyone involved. "We're very excited to be here," bank president Brian Vander Wilt said Tuesday while doling out coffee, cookies and hearty handshakes in the Bricelyn bank lobby. "Dave (Flo, former ownrer) and his team ran a great bank here for the past 100 years and we hope to continue that tradition - we hope to provide excellent service for everyone." "It is a nice fit," added Dough Leland, a bank vice-president in Bricelyn who's retaining that title with the new bank and will remain in Bricelyn to serve clients here. "We're both ag banks and we'll continue to assist area farmers ...

Friday, 11 May 2012

Cabinetry Shop in Winnebago

Cabinetry Shop to Open in Winnebago, Winnebago Voice Staff Writer, Published 9-2-11 From a full kitchen remodel to a cabinet for the bathroom, Backwoods Designs LLC will do it all. Scott Lehmann is taking the leap into starting his own cabinetry business in downtown Winnebago. His office and shop will be located in the old Vets Glass building on the north end of Main Street. "Everything that I will do will be totally custom made in my shop. I will have the setup to build everything right in the shop," said Lehmann. Some businesses will order their doors or parts of their design from other companies, but Lehmann will start by working with the wood in his shop and end by installing the order into the customer's home. For the average kitchen remodel, Lehmann estimates it will take three weeks to a month from start to finish. "At this point it's just going to be me in the shop," he said, "But I have come contractors that I'll feel comfortable letting them install it." The grand opening will probably take place sometime in November if all ...

Friday, 11 May 2012

Fusing the Needs

Fusing the needs of employers and workers. By Sam Jefson, Faribault County Register Staff Writer. February 20, 2012 A welding training course has started at Blue Earth Area High School with all 12 slots available in the class being filled. The program is taught by Minnesota West Community and Technical College and was brought to the area by the Faribault County Development Corporation and the Workforce Center in Fairmont. "We worked with Linsey (Warmka of the Faribault County Development Corporation) and local employers and discovered there was a need for welders in the area," says Connie Hines of the Workforce Center. "We then coordinated the training with the school, and it was a good fit." Dennis Long is instructing the program and says there is a good chance jobs will be available for those completing the course. "There is a lot of demand right now for welders," he says. "I just finished a class north of the cities and we had 200 jobs available for 12 people after they finished the program." Cirriculum for the class includes a variety of welding principles and safety considerations. After completing the ...

Friday, 27 April 2012

Zierke Built Manufacturing

Zierke Manufacturing takes big step toward growth. By Sam Jefson, Faribault County Register Staff Writer. July 3, 2011 After being awarded an International Standardization Organization (ISO) certification, doors have opened for Zierke Built Manufacturing, Inc., in Winnebago. "Many large corporations require ISO certification before a manufacturer can produce for them," Vice President Kyle Zierke says. "Since being ISO certified, we have added four or five clients." ZBM held an official recognition ceremony for earning the ISO-2008-9001 certification on Monday. The designation acknowledges that the manufacturer meets a family of standards that relate to quality management systems. The standards are designed to help organizations to ensure they meet the needs of customers and other stateholders. State Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, was on hand alongside officials from Enterprise Minnesota to congratulate ZBM on its certification. Enterprise Minnesota is a consulting firm that worked exclusively with the manufacturer to gain ISO certification. Three specialists from Enterprise Minnesota would come on-site to Winnebago once every two weeks and work with a special committee from ZBM for three hours to reach the certification. "We started ...

Friday, 27 April 2012

2011 Fair Person Of The Year

2011 Fair Person of the Year, Marlin Krupp. From the 2011 Faribault County Fair Book, Page 37. "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man." - Sir Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill's quote summarized this year's Fair Person of the Year very well. Horses have been a part of the Faribault County Fair since the beginning in 1859. This tradition remains strong, because of the many efforts of a board of director, Marlin Krupp. Before even knowing what a fair board member does, Marlin was showing horses at the fair as a Saddle Club member. It was in 1974, when finishing the clean up after the Faribault County Fair horse show: a board member invited him to join the board of directors. The board elected him at the November Annual Meeting. 37 years later, Marlin is actively involved with all the horse events held during the fair. Marlin is a great ambassador for the Faribault County Fair throughout the upper-midwest. In 1985, the Norwegian Fjord horse show began at the county fair. His ...

Friday, 26 August 2011

Now It's Official: WFS breaks ground

Now It's Official: WFS Breaks Ground Faribault County Register July 25, 2011 By Antonio Acosta Not even the threat of rain could dempen the spirits of those gathered at a WFS office and storage building just east of Delavan on Friday, July 15. It's not very often a city with a population of less then 200 people holds a ground-breaking ceremny for a multi-million project. Around $24 million to be exact. "I'm guessing it will be one of the top 100 projects in the state of Minnesota this year," says Todd Ludwig, CEO of WFS. As if on cue, the light rain stops in time for Mayor Kevin Walker to welcome guests at the 10 a.m. event and ceremonial turning of the ground with 12 gold-colored shovels. Walker thanks WFS officials for choosing his city and the county for a new grain facility. Ludwig says the hard work and cooperation of many people made the project possible. "It took a lot of patience," says Walker, refering to the amount of paperwork needing to be done. Groundwork has already started at the 160-acre site. Looking toward the muddy field and cooperative's current elevator, Ludwig rattles off ...

Thursday, 4 August 2011

Terry Campbell

Mowing up a storm. Terry Campbell starts up a new Blue Earth Business. By Chuck Hunt, Faribault County Register. The cold spring this year has put a bit of a damper on many folks, including a new lawn mowing service in Blue Earth. "I would have liked to have been busier in April," says Terry Campbell "But, the weather just didn't cooperate". Now, however, business has started to boom for the entrepreneur, who started Camps Lawn and Tree Service, L.L.C. this past January. "I have about 15 tree trimming jobs and 30 lawn mowing contracts in place already", Campbell says. "But, I am hoping for a lot more". He admits he is starting out small, but expects to begin expanding after the summer gets into full swing. "This is something I have thought about doing for a long time", he says. "I have always enjoyed keeping my own yard in shape. Plus, I enjoy a challenge, and I love working outdoors". Campbell has been doing tree trimming work as a sideline occupation for several years. "I always thought about doing tree trimming and mowing as a retirement job", he says. "My early retirement from the ...

Monday, 23 May 2011

Tafco

Building a BIG Business By Chuck Hunt Faribault County Register Staff Writer Everything about them is big. Big buildings, big machinery, big metal. "Well, we are not making something small you can hold in your hand," jokes Terry Ankeny, president and CEO of TAFCO in Blue Earth. "What we do takes a lot of room. We have over 130,000 square feet of space under roof." That takes up six buildings in Blue Earth's industrial park -- although three of the six are connected to each other, forming one unit. And what do they manufacture in these buildings? "We have sort of returned to our roots," Ankeny says. "We build two things here -- truck bodies and hoists." Specifically, Scott Truck Bodies and Scott Level Lift Hoists. That has not always been the case. Over their many years of existence they have manufactured several products, including add-on aluminum truck running boards. "We were the first company to make them, called the "Silver Stirrups.' We made them by the thousands," Ankeny says. "Then the truck manufacturers were producing their own and the market dried up. Many people think we still make them, but ...

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Dikken's

Dikken's has seen many changes during its 35 years By Regan Carstensen, Faribault County Staff Writer. Nestled between a Tae Kwon Do studio and a photography store on Main Street in Blue Earth sits a business that has offered an assortment of home furnishings and decorations to area residents for more than three decades. Dikken's Furniture and Decorating, Inc., was opened by Marv and Jacqui Dikken in 1976. Marv had been teaching a co-op program at the high school, but had always wanted to be an independent businessman - so he decided to take the risk. "He left a sure thing for an unknown," Jacqui says. While it was unknown whether the business would last when it was just getting started, the fact that Dikken's is still servicing Blue Earth after 35 years shows it was a risk well taken. But many changes - including name, location and inventory - have been made to get the store from where it was in 1976 to where it is today. "As time went on, we evolved quite a bit," Marv says. When Dikken's first openend, the owners' last name was ...

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Dulas Excavating

Digging out -- a family tradition By Antonio Acosta Faribault County Register Staff Writer. Dulas Excavating Inc., in Wells is celebrating it's 40th Anniversary. The secret for success? It's quite simple -- just ask Jerry Dulas, the company's founder and cheif executive officer. "Treat the people right. It gets around by word-of-mouth. They'll always come back," he adds. "Survival. I guess that was my main goal. The business wasn't what it is today. There wasn't much competition for excavating," he adds. Quickly, Dulas looks at his wife, Marilyn, and points out with his low-key humor he's had some help along the way. "You couldn't have done it without me and I couldn't have done it without you," she says smiling at Jerry. "We've always been together, working as a team," she adds. Jerry says his partner has "her thumb on the money" and runs a tight operation. "Everybody has to get her OK to buy anything," he adds. On company business cards is the slogan -- First generation values, Second generation vision. The Dulases the past four years have been grooming daughter, Crystal, and son, Ike, to take over the reins. Last summer may have been ...

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

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