DEED reviews incentives, workforce data for Moorhead and Clay County

David Hyer, business development director with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), and James Merwin Soldier, DEED workforce strategist for the territory, gave a presentation to the Moorhead Economic Development Authority covering state incentive programs and local workforce data.

Hyer described DEED programs designed to attract, retain and expand employers in Greater Minnesota, including the Job Creation Fund, the Minnesota Investment Fund and the Minnesota Forward Fund. He said the Job Creation Fund includes a rebate on capital improvements and a hiring award per new employee for multi‑year periods; he also described the Minnesota Investment Fund as a gap‑financing tool that typically targets machinery and equipment purchases. Hyer noted legislative changes this year that removed a prior federal‑matching requirement for the Minnesota Forward Fund and said that fund now targets very large projects (DEED’s guideline mentioned projects spending at least $35 million or hiring at least 75 employees).

James Merwin Soldier described DEED’s role in post‑project “aftercare,” helping employers meet workforce needs once a project is underway. He reviewed workforce outreach strategies (recruiting and brand awareness, onboarding and upskilling, diversity/equity/inclusion efforts and partnerships with local training entities) and highlighted county and regional labor‑market data produced by DEED’s labor market team.

Key local data they presented included Clay County’s younger median age (33.5 years) compared with the statewide median (38.6), projected population growth for Clay County (DEED cited a projection of about 5.3% growth to 2035 versus 3.7% statewide) and labor‑force projections of roughly 5.7% growth. Soldier also noted labor‑market measures such as roughly 0.8 job seekers per job vacancy in the region (about 1.25 jobs per job seeker in the timeframe cited) and that 51.4% of Clay County workers commute out of their county for work.

Hyer listed other DEED services available to local businesses: gap financing programs, an emerging entrepreneurial loan program designed for qualifying minority‑owned or disadvantaged startups, Business First Stop (a cross‑agency permitting and regulatory assistance service), foreign trade zone administration and training incentives administered in coordination with local workforce boards. He cited program limits and recent budget adjustments discussed at the state level (for example, a lowered Job Creation Fund base this year and adjustments to several smaller programs) and mentioned changes to data‑center tax treatment and new qualification paths for data‑center incentives.

City officials and commissioners asked questions about implications for Moorhead’s downtown and retail sector and about available workforce supports. Commissioner White discussed retail trends and downtown rebuilding, and City Manager Molly urged preserving and supporting existing downtown retailers as part of resident recruitment and neighborhood stabilization. Soldier encouraged local leaders to contact DEED’s labor market analyst assigned to Clay County for detailed county profiles and custom data work.

The presentation materials and county profile data were offered to EDA members; DEED representatives provided business cards and digital copies of a DEED resource guide for follow up.