Action Teams 4-6

ACTION TEAM 4: Help Improve Blandin Paper Company’s Chances of Becoming a Preferred UPM-Kymmene Expansion Site

Team Members: Tom Osborn and Steve Arbour-Co-Chairs, Greg Chandler, Bob Dunnell, Marsha Miller, Doug Hanson,
Jack Hokkanen, Mark Hawkinson, David Kellin, Peter McDermott, Garrett Ous, Lowell Pittack, Melissa Roberts, Ed Treska, Bill Tuominen, John Ward, Ex-Officio members: Joe Maher, Emery McGraw, Jim Kent, Dale Reed

Key Activities and Results:

• Met 13 times and served as a support group and sounding board for Blandin Paper Company to discuss factors limiting Blandin’s future such as fiber availability and price, energy, transportation costs, environmental permitting processes, community and vendor relations.
• Captive Rail: Organized a letter writing blitz to legislators and newspapers regarding the cost disadvantage companies such as Blandin face when they are served by only one rail company.
• Federal Forest Planning: Conducted a second letter writing campaign to provide comment regarding the Forest Revision Plan for the Chippewa and Superior National Forests to encourage greater harvest.
• Wrote letters in support of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act to encourage management of our forests.
• Participated in efforts to increase winter road truck weight limits to 100,000 pounds to match weight limits in surrounding states.

ACTION TEAM 5: Align Workforce Skills to Match Regional Employer Needs

Team Members: Kirk Bustrom-Chair, Paula Cleveland

This Action Team merged with the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee. A survey was developed to send to local employers to determine the skills needed by current area employers, the jobs available, education needs, and future skills required. The survey is being readied to mail to approximately 2300 businesses within the Itasca area. The goals are to:

• Consolidate and analyze the data from the surveys.
• Determine the skills needed by regional employers currently and in the future.
• Share survey results with area education stakeholders

ACTION TEAM 6: Explore JOBZ (tax free) zones as a tool for economic development in Itasca County

Team Members: Sholom Blake and Ed Treska-Co-Chairs, Drew Prochazka, John Skrbec, Mary Ives, Rick Utech, Ben Hawkins, Bob Olson, Catherine McLynn, Ed Bolf, Kathleen Blake, Lonnie Kacon, Mike Birkeland, Paul LaSalle

Key Activities and Results:

• Worked as a group to review and inform the public/private sector on understanding JOBZ.
• Met with public/private sector groups on program details and gauged interest.
• Recommended as a group the areas of importance for inclusion in the JOBZ program.
• Utilized IDC and JOBS 2020 resources to provide assistance and information to local units of government.
• Provided informed recommendations to county and local units of government.