Duluth News Tribune
Editorial

While not exactly a team of rivals, the varied interests coming together to rally for precious metals mining in Northeastern Minnesota send an unmistakable message: This budding industry, with its potential to transform our economy and our region for the better, needs to finally be permitted and up and operating and creating jobs and having an impact that’s sure to be felt all the way to St. Paul and beyond.

Under the umbrella of a 4-month-old nonprofit coalition called Jobs for Minnesotans (jobsforminnesotans.org), people increasing the volume on the urgency for metals mining and its positive impact include labor, industry management, economic-development professionals, chamber officials and even a state senator.

“We’ve got a fantastic story to tell. It’s incumbent on us to tell it,” Jobs for Minnesotans spokesman Mike Franklin said this week in a meeting with members of the editorial board. “(Mining) is a statewide asset. We can do it without jeopardizing the environment. … Having business and labor joining together (to tell the story) is the best.”

Duluth News Tribune
Opinion: Brian Hanson and Craig Olson

As representatives of the business organization whose goal is business development in Northeastern Minnesota and of the building trades unions best situated to build that development, we are incredibly enthusiastic and optimistic about the future of the Arrowhead. This is in part because of our ability to work together, business and labor, to create a better tomorrow. But today it also is because of the projections of what is next for the Arrowhead and for Minnesota in general, as outlined recently in a University of Minnesota Duluth Labovitz School of Business and Economics study on the incredible opportunities around strategic metal mining in Minnesota.

Recently, the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at UMD released a study with astonishing numbers regarding jobs and economic development that will result as strategic metals mines are permitted in Northeastern Minnesota. The exploration and development of proposed strategic metals mines were responsible for contributing more than $210 million to Minnesota’s economy in 2010 and supported more than 500 jobs. It is projected that by 2016 strategic metals mines currently seeking permits could contribute an additional $200 million to Minnesota’s economy and support more than 1,300 direct jobs annually. Construction alone between 2012 and 2016 has the potential to contribute $1.7 billion to the economy and create more than 2,000 jobs per year.

Hibbing Daily Tribune
Kelly Grinsteinner

There’s no doubt that mining is a major contributor to the Iron Range.

It’s also to the state economy. 

Pioneer Press
Opinion: Chris Dahlberg

St. Louis County benefits significantly from the Iron Range’s mining industry. Thousands of manufacturing and service jobs exist based on the Range’s 100+ year taconite (ferrous mineral) mining industry. These jobs are good-paying jobs through which men and women have provided for their families. Mining matters to them. I’d like to explain how mining matters to you, wherever you live in Minnesota.

Today, precious metal (non-ferrous) mining has the potential to greatly expand on the Iron Range. Precious metal projects currently planned have the potential to contribute $2.29 billion annually and 5,600 jobs to the state’s economy. Additionally, construction associated with these projects significantly raises this economic impact. The first anticipated precious metal project, Polymet, is anticipated to created 360 permanent mining jobs and 600+ spin-off jobs. Initial capital construction for the project, $475 million, would create the equivalent construction labor force required to build the Twins Stadium.

Growing ‘Jobs for Minnesotans’ Coalition Excited About the Thousands of New Jobs and Billions in Economic Development Projected in Minnesota

St. Paul (Feb. 7, 2013) – In light of the increased jobs estimates released in a study of the Minnesota mining industry this week conducted by the University of Minnesota Duluth Labovitz School of Business and Economics, the Jobs for Minnesotans Coalition reaffirms its enthusiasm for the immense opportunity for Minnesota presented by the Strategic Metals industry.

“We’ve now learned that the construction alone of new Strategic Metals projects could mean 1,000 to 2,000 jobs per year and thousands more permanent jobs across Minnesota” said Harry Melander, Minnesota Building and Construction Trades President and President of Jobs for Minnesotans.  “It is absolutely critical that regulators and policy makers understand how important these jobs are to our members and their families.”

Minnesota has the opportunity to gain thousands of jobs – potentially for hundreds of years – by safely extracting strategic minerals from one of the world’s largest known, untapped source of copper, nickel, cobalt, platinum, palladium and gold located in northeastern Minnesota’s Duluth Complex.

“Our company is excited about the economic shot in the arm that these strategic metals projects represent” said Dan Hagen, Business Segment Leader, PaR Systems.  “The sales of our mill liner products are up substantially over the past few years, and we definitely see long-term growth potential here, which could translate into more employees when more of these types of businesses are up and running” Dan concluded.

“The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce is committed to working with Policy Makers and stakeholders, including businesses and labor organizations, to make Minnesota a world class place to do business,” said David Olson, President of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. “The Jobs for Minnesotans Coalition is a growing statewide coalition of business, labor, educators, environmental interests and others interested in capitalizing on the tremendous economic opportunities outlined in the Labovitz School of Business and Economics recent study.”

“The billions of dollars in economic impact of the amazing number of direct jobs, and the additional 1.8 spinoff jobs that are created for every direct job, means Strategic Metals mining will be a jobs and economic development boon for every part of Minnesota,” said Matt Kramer, President of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce.

About Jobs For Minnesotans
Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in October 2012 by the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. This coalition includes businesses and business associations, middle class workers, labor organizations, local governments and other supporters of job creation in the state of Minnesota.

Jobs for Minnesotans’ initial focus will be to champion the development of critical and strategic metals (copper, nickel, platinum, palladium and gold) mining in Minnesota and provide information about the direct and ancillary job creation that strategic metals mining will produce for the state, once permitted to begin operations.

In addition to providing information and resources, the coalition serves as a platform for jobs supporters to get involved and work together to promote job creation the state of Minnesota.

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Media Contact:
Tony Kwilas
651-292-4668
tkwilas@mnchamber.com

BusinessNorth

A report outlining Minnesota’s mining industry determined the combined economic impact of iron ore mining and non-ferrous minerals development was more than $3.2 billion statewide.

The report, based on findings during 2010, was developed by the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) Labovitz School of Business and Economics. 

It concluded mining has the potential to more than double, supporting more than 27,000 jobs and producing $7.7 billion for the state’s economy if all projects currently under consideration move forward.

According to the report, proposed expansions to existing iron mines and new mining projects under consideration, both iron and non-ferrous, would support an additional 15,500 Minnesota workers and contribute an additional $4.5 billion to the state’s economy if all move forward. These numbers reflect annual operations only and do not include the jobs or economic impact of construction of new facilities.

Hibbing Daily Tribune
Tony Potter

Hundreds of avid job seekers and students huddled around potential employers in search of information that could land them the career of their dreams.

The inaugural Mining Industry Day, which is designed to allow mining industry companies to scout talent, had more than 370 attendees within the first hour Friday at Minnesota Discovery Center (MDC), according to Tammy Jensen, visitor services and sales manager for MDC.

“A nice, full house,” she said, noting she didn’t expect that good of a turnout.

MinnPost
Opinion: Ruthe Batulis and Jason George

When you measure job creation, Minnesota is doing better than most states today. If we wish to continue this trend for 2013 and beyond, we must always be working to attract industries that can generate good paying jobs for our citizens.

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 49 represents 13,000 heavy-equipment operators, most of which make their living building the infrastructure of Minnesota. The Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce represents businesses of all kinds in the Southeast Suburbs of the Twin Cities. Business and labor don’t always agree, but when it comes to job creation, and specifically the jobs that will come with the mining of strategic metals in Northern Minnesota, we couldn’t agree more. 

Minnesota is fortunate to have an abundance of natural resources. We are literally, “by nature” an agricultural state, a timber state and a mining state. The jobs these industries have brought have raised families for generations here. We have an emerging prospect right now in Northeast Minnesota for the mining of strategic metals. Metals such as copper, nickel, platinum, palladium, cobalt and gold are known to be plentiful and now accessible. One of several deposits already has over 4 billion tons of these minerals identified.

Mesabi Daily News
Opinion: Bill Travis

In Northeastern Minnesota, jobs growth and long-term prosperity are tied to a thriving mining industry.

The current publicly reported estimates of the nonferrous mining opportunities suggest there are very significant deposits with a 50-year-plus project life, providing good jobs and career opportunities, significant tax revenues and long-term prosperity for our region.

Our governor, legislators and our president need to get fully behind the mining industry and demonstrate more leadership and can-do, will-do attitude to make sure the Minnesota nonferrous opportunities are capitalized upon.

Mesabi Daily News
Editorial

Two lawmakers — one in Washington and one in St. Paul — who have represented the Iron Range for considerably different length of tenures, but both with a strong passion for mining and jobs in the region, are no longer on the job as new sessions of the Legislature and Congress begin.

Former state Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Pike Township, did not seek re-election in November and resigned after serving 16 terms. Former Republican 8th District U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack, who stunned former Rep. Jim Oberstar in the heavily Democratic 8th District, was defeated in his re-election bid.

They were political parties apart on most issues. But when it came to mining and the jobs created and those that should have already been created, they were always solid in their support for taconite and copper/nickel/precious metals ventures.