The two organizations will aim to deepen Minnesota’s economic ties with China through the new office, which opened during Governor Mark Dayton's 10-day trade mission to the country.
Business + Economy
The state’s gross domestic product (GDP) totaled $244.9 billion last year; the 1.2 percent growth rate is less than half of the 3.9 percent increase that the state experienced in 2010.
A total of $600,000 in grants was recently awarded to help former employees of BAE Systems, Cargill, and Quality Wine and Spirits find employment.
A national volleyball tournament is expected to draw up to 30,000 athletes and spectators to Minneapolis in 2014.
The St. Paul Port Authority is buying a property in downtown St. Paul on which the city wants to build a new baseball stadium—but the city is still seeking money from the state.
The new jobs in downtown Duluth will be professional positions, including engineers and safety specialists.
The state's monthly job estimate, which is based on a survey of roughly 3,000 employers, found that Minnesota lost 3,100 jobs in April. But a state official said that the estimate likely misrepresents the state's employment picture, and he expects the job figure to be revised upward.
Hurricane Grill & Wings will enter the state this fall with the opening of a location in Burnsville-its first of more than a dozen planned Minnesota restaurants.
Pending negotiations with the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority, Jones Lang LaSalle will provide property management services for St. Paul's Union Depot transit hub-and Minneapolis-based One on One Bicycle Studio, Inc., will design and operate a bicycle center there.
The state's 2011 exports increased $1.4 billion, or 7.3 percent, from the previous year.
St. Paul could compete with other cities for a portion of a $50 million pot to pay for a regional ballpark in Lowertown; meanwhile, supporters of the Southwest Corridor Light Rail Line say the project risks losing federal support without a state contribution.
The Minnesota House passed the Vikings stadium bill in a 73-58 vote on Monday but included a series of amendments-including one that a Vikings spokesman called "not workable." The Senate began debating the stadium bill early Tuesday afternoon.
A University of Minnesota Extension study found that the state's 562 museums are also a boon for Minnesota's tourism industry; last year, an estimated 1.7 million people visited museums outside of their home regions, each spending an average of $24.35.
The new location at The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove will be Whole Foods' sixth in the Twin Cities.
Half of Minnesota businesses expect the state economy to improve in the quarter that ends in late May-and 40 percent plan to increase headcount during that period, according to Twin Cities Business' quarterly economic indicator survey.
Minnesota employers collectively lost 200 jobs in March, due in large part to the government sector cutting 1,800 jobs; the private sector, meanwhile, added 1,600 jobs during the month, likely fueled by strengthened consumer spending.
AAR Corporation plans to occupy 152,000 square feet in the former Northwest Airlines' maintenance facility in Duluth.
A new report from the Metropolitan Council predicts that the Twin Cities population will increase by 31 percent during the next three decades, while the area's "gross metro product" is expected to reach $400 billion.