Greater MSP tells House committee Minnesota must 'double down' on site readiness and bold sector strategy to revitalize growth
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Summary
Peter Frosh of Greater MSP urged legislators to adopt a transformational agenda to move Minnesota into the top 10 states for economic growth, stressing site readiness, permitting speed, renewable electricity and partnerships across government, industry and higher education.
Peter Frosh, CEO of Greater MSP, told the House Workforce, Labor, Economic Development, Finance and Policy Committee on April 15 that Minnesota’s economy needs a bolder strategy to regain competitive growth.
"Our region and state are not growing fast enough today to maintain our quality of life," Frosh said, arguing that Minnesota must roughly double its annualized growth rate from about 1.7% to roughly 3.1% over the next decade to reach a top‑10 growth rank. He said that would add roughly $100 billion to the state economy and produce tens of thousands of additional good jobs.
Frosh highlighted hubs that Greater MSP has organized — MedTech, a sustainable aviation fuel hub, and a biomanufacturing initiative — and urged the legislature to focus public attention and tools on a small set of strategic sectors where Minnesota can win. "We need to build on our existing strengths and win at the frontier of these legacy sectors," he said.
A recurring theme in the Q&A was site readiness and permitting speed. Frosh noted that a "site" is more than land: it is connected to utilities, wastewater, electricity (including renewable electricity), rail and roads. He said that markets now decide projects quickly and that Minnesota’s competitiveness depends on having shovel‑ready, utility‑connected sites and clearer upstream public planning to reduce time to market.
Committee members asked about private commitments and whether big‑company wins translate to local small‑business gains. Frosh pointed to several recent investments (he referenced an Ecolab R&D investment as an example) and cited a Greater MSP analysis that $12 billion has flowed into Minnesota’s economy from procurement by large companies buying from local small and medium businesses. He urged a predictable multi‑year direction from the state to give companies confidence to invest.
Co‑chair Pinto said a bill draft would be posted for committee review and public testimony the following day, and the committee closed after those next‑step logistics were set.
