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Project(s): View 8 related projects in PECWeb
Plant(s): View 5 related plants in PECWeb
Released March 20, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Minnesota, which claims more than 10,000 lakes, also is home to a great deal of industrial activity. Industrial Info is tracking $7.4 billion worth of projects presently under construction across various industries in the state.
One of the largest projects underway in Minnesota is the restart of a mine to produce taconite, a low-grade iron ore, which could affect spending via downstream projects for years to come. The Nashwauk mine ceased operating in 1985, but Mesabi Metallics Company (Nashwauk, Minnesota) thinks it can make the operation profitable once again, ultimately supplying feed for a planned steel mill. The mine is being redeveloped as a 24 million-ton-per-year open pit operation with flotation processing to produce 7 million tons of iron ore concentrate annually. Mesabi also is at work on a pelletizing plant to produce 6.5 million tons per year of direct-grade pellets. The two projects are expected to be completed next year. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
And these projects eventually could lead to further development and spending. Mesabi has plans to construct a direct reduced iron (DRI) and/or hot briquetted iron (HBI) production facility that would be fed by the pellet mill. This iron would be used to feed a mini-mill using electric arc furnaces to produce 1.5 million tons per year of hot-rolled coil steel. These two further projects remain some years out but could potentially begin operating in 2029 if Mesabi's plans are completed. If realized in full, the complex would total more than $3 billion in investment value. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the reports on the DRI/HBI and mini-mill projects.
In Duluth, Sofidel SpA (Pocari, Italy), one of the world's leading suppliers of tissue paper, is expanding its footprint with a nearly 300,000-square-foot building addition that will include not only employee and office space, but also a new conversion machine to produce toilet paper, facial tissue, napkins and paper towels. Construction also includes a 108,000-square-foot automated warehouse to ship finished products. Sofidel acquired the mill in 2024 from ST Paper LLC (Oconto Falls, Wisconsin). The expansion began later that year and is expected to be completed in mid-2026. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Pulp & Paper Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
The U.S. division of hearing aid manufacturer GN Group (Copenhagen, Denmark) is relocating its North American headquarters and manufacturing facility from Bloomington, Minnesota, to Shakopee, Minnesota, later this year. As the company prepares for the move, it is renovating and fitting out a 218,000-square-foot building that will house production, repairs and shipping of its hearing aids, along with office space. "We've simply outgrown our current space," said Tom Woods, president of the GN Hearing division in North America. The move will bring a 79% increase in space from the Bloomington facility. Additionally, the facility is expandable by 118,000 square feet should future growth warrant it. The project is expected to be completed this summer. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
While the price of eggs has been a hot-button topic in the news lately, some egg producers haven't shied away from the outbreaks of avian flu in the U.S., contributing more than $840 million in planned and underway projects at egg plants. Minnesota, specifically the town of Renville, which formerly housed an egg production plant, is the beneficiary of such movement. Rembrandt Foods (Rembrandt, Iowa) began a program of downsizing and facility closures in 2019, starting with the Renville plant. However, Forsman Farms (Howard Lake, Minnesota) has acquired the facility and has been performing some demolition work as well as the construction of four layer barns that will be able to house 1.3 million birds.
Forsman Farms is a major supplier of cage-free eggs to McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) (Chicago, Illinois), which is aiming to use 100% cage-free eggs in its nationwide network of restaurants in the U.S., and the Renville facility will be a cage-free operation. The facility will be an "off-line" plant, meaning the eggs will be shipped to a Forsman facility in Howard Lake for grading, packing or further processing. The updated Renville facility is expected to be completed in the coming months. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Food & Beverage Project Database can click here for more details on the project.
Walmart Incorporated (NYSE:WMT) (Bentonville, Arkansas) completed a refrigerated distribution center in Mankato in 2015, and now the facility is undergoing a massive expansion with the construction of warehouse and distribution center for non-perishable food items that will be next to the refrigerated operation. The 600,000-square-foot dry goods facility will increase Walmart's warehousing and distribution services to 1.2 million square feet of total building space in Mankato and is expected to be completed toward the end of this year. Subscribers can click here for more details of the project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
One of the largest projects underway in Minnesota is the restart of a mine to produce taconite, a low-grade iron ore, which could affect spending via downstream projects for years to come. The Nashwauk mine ceased operating in 1985, but Mesabi Metallics Company (Nashwauk, Minnesota) thinks it can make the operation profitable once again, ultimately supplying feed for a planned steel mill. The mine is being redeveloped as a 24 million-ton-per-year open pit operation with flotation processing to produce 7 million tons of iron ore concentrate annually. Mesabi also is at work on a pelletizing plant to produce 6.5 million tons per year of direct-grade pellets. The two projects are expected to be completed next year. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the related project reports.
And these projects eventually could lead to further development and spending. Mesabi has plans to construct a direct reduced iron (DRI) and/or hot briquetted iron (HBI) production facility that would be fed by the pellet mill. This iron would be used to feed a mini-mill using electric arc furnaces to produce 1.5 million tons per year of hot-rolled coil steel. These two further projects remain some years out but could potentially begin operating in 2029 if Mesabi's plans are completed. If realized in full, the complex would total more than $3 billion in investment value. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the reports on the DRI/HBI and mini-mill projects.
In Duluth, Sofidel SpA (Pocari, Italy), one of the world's leading suppliers of tissue paper, is expanding its footprint with a nearly 300,000-square-foot building addition that will include not only employee and office space, but also a new conversion machine to produce toilet paper, facial tissue, napkins and paper towels. Construction also includes a 108,000-square-foot automated warehouse to ship finished products. Sofidel acquired the mill in 2024 from ST Paper LLC (Oconto Falls, Wisconsin). The expansion began later that year and is expected to be completed in mid-2026. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Pulp & Paper Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.
The U.S. division of hearing aid manufacturer GN Group (Copenhagen, Denmark) is relocating its North American headquarters and manufacturing facility from Bloomington, Minnesota, to Shakopee, Minnesota, later this year. As the company prepares for the move, it is renovating and fitting out a 218,000-square-foot building that will house production, repairs and shipping of its hearing aids, along with office space. "We've simply outgrown our current space," said Tom Woods, president of the GN Hearing division in North America. The move will bring a 79% increase in space from the Bloomington facility. Additionally, the facility is expandable by 118,000 square feet should future growth warrant it. The project is expected to be completed this summer. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.
While the price of eggs has been a hot-button topic in the news lately, some egg producers haven't shied away from the outbreaks of avian flu in the U.S., contributing more than $840 million in planned and underway projects at egg plants. Minnesota, specifically the town of Renville, which formerly housed an egg production plant, is the beneficiary of such movement. Rembrandt Foods (Rembrandt, Iowa) began a program of downsizing and facility closures in 2019, starting with the Renville plant. However, Forsman Farms (Howard Lake, Minnesota) has acquired the facility and has been performing some demolition work as well as the construction of four layer barns that will be able to house 1.3 million birds.
Forsman Farms is a major supplier of cage-free eggs to McDonald's Corporation (NYSE:MCD) (Chicago, Illinois), which is aiming to use 100% cage-free eggs in its nationwide network of restaurants in the U.S., and the Renville facility will be a cage-free operation. The facility will be an "off-line" plant, meaning the eggs will be shipped to a Forsman facility in Howard Lake for grading, packing or further processing. The updated Renville facility is expected to be completed in the coming months. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Food & Beverage Project Database can click here for more details on the project.
Walmart Incorporated (NYSE:WMT) (Bentonville, Arkansas) completed a refrigerated distribution center in Mankato in 2015, and now the facility is undergoing a massive expansion with the construction of warehouse and distribution center for non-perishable food items that will be next to the refrigerated operation. The 600,000-square-foot dry goods facility will increase Walmart's warehousing and distribution services to 1.2 million square feet of total building space in Mankato and is expected to be completed toward the end of this year. Subscribers can click here for more details of the project.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
