Center's Facilities: (Opened April 2002)

• 42,250 square feet of space at the business center
• Greater Jobs, Inc. and Albert Lea Port Authority offices located at the center.
• Core areas of development include: Services/Technology; Food Processing; Manufacturing
• Center includes commercial kitchen to provide space for food companies to perform research and development and/or make their product for wholesale or retail distribution.
• The center provides services to the tenants, including business plan development, mentoring support services, including legal, accounting, patent rights and other issue related to starting-up and growing a business in Freeborn County.
• Rooms have been left unfinished to meet the demand/needs of the entrepreneurs.
• Center includes a conference room for use by the tenants and public.
• Rent is based on square footage of leased space.
• Space is currently available. * See Space Available page.

For further information, please call our Assistant Director, Ryan Nolander at 507-373-3930 or click here to email him.

Our Partners:

The Albert Lea Port Authority,
Greater Jobs, Inc.,
Riverland Community College,
Southern MN Initiative Foundation,
Freeborn Mower Cooperative Services.

Overview:

MISSION OF THE BUSINESS CENTER:
“To provide quality space, business services and professional links to start-up businesses so that they mature into stable businesses that increase and improve job opportunities for citizens of Freeborn County while also diversifying Freeborn County’s economic base.”

OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS: (9 members)
Dick Kary, President; Mike Moore, Vice President; John Hareid, Terry Leas, Dave Lundak, Daniel Otten, Paul
Sparks, Stephen Waldhoff, and Dick Westurn.
Staff: Dan Dorman, Ryan Nolander, Nancy Jensen
(The Center has its own 504© status and has been filed with the Secretary of State as its own corporation, with its own bylaws).

CENTER’S FACILITIES: (Opened April, 2002)
• 42,250 s.f. of space at the business center
• Greater Jobs, Inc. and Albert Lea Port Authority offices at the center
• Core areas of development include: Food Processing, Services/Technology and Manufacturing
• Center includes a commercial kitchen to provide space for food companies to perform research and development and/or to make their product for wholesale or retail distribution.
• The Center provides services to tenants, including business plan development, mentoring support services, including legal, accounting, patent rights and other issues related to starting-up and growing a business in Freeborn County.

COMPANIES TO DATE: (5)
The Albert Lea Business Development Center is home to:

• DAISY BLUE NATURALS: (4,350 s.f.) President, Jena Thompson from Geneva has developed an all natural ingredients cosmetic line to include facial care, body care, therapeutic healing, and mineral make-up to be sold by consultants across the country. To date there are 1000 consultants in 48 states selling her products. Jena is a former employee of Natural Biologics and has a chemistry background. She came to the center with 2 employees and has grown it to 8. DBN is one of our original tenants and has expanded 3 times.
• CRESCENT ELECTRIC: (7,500 s.f.) This company is an “anchor tenant” of the center. It is not uncommon for centers to have one or two tenants which sign long-term commitments. This helps stabilize the cash flow of the opera tion when tenants are leaving or coming into the center.
• SCOTT’S OFFICE PRODUCTS: (1,000 s.f.) Scott Rasmussen, owner of Scott’s Office Products moved to the center in January, 2006 after outgrowing his office space downtown Albert Lea. Rasmussen has been in business for 3 years and saw a need for additional space after diversifying his office supply business into office furniture, janitorial and restaurant supplies. Rasmussen primarily sells direct to businesses and notes that his business’s core competency is customer service. He also provides free delivery. Rasmussen currently employs one salesman and two part-time delivery persons.
• GRANICRETE MINNESOTA: (3,600 s.f.) Tom and Jean Eaton, owners of Granicrete Minnesota and distributors for the Granicrete International Company became a part of the ALBDC in May of 2008. Granicrete is the innovative custom concrete resurfacing system. This product is used on new or existing countertops and floors, and has the upscale look of granite, marble, tile and stone. Granicrete countertops were installed in the Extreme Make over: Home Edition house in Freeborn County in October of 2008.
• HANSON TRUCKLINES LLC: (4,500 s.f.) Dennis Hanson is the newest tenant, becoming part of the ALBDC in July, 2008. Hanson Trucklines brings to Albert Lea a nationwide van service that offers truckload services as well as partial shipments (LTL). They also offer logistics services as well as specialty load services, and is a 48 state carrier with mail lines to the south and southeast as well as the west coast. Currently they have two full time employees and two part-time employees in the office, 9 award winning over the road drivers and 11 van trailers. Dennis says “We are excited about being a part of Albert Lea and look forward to our future here.”
• OTHER COMPANIES LOCATED HERE: Albert Lea Economic Development Agency which manages the facility, and the Small Business Development Center which provides business plan development resources to tenants and entrepreneurs in the area. SCORE and a SBDC Regional Satellite Office are also headquartered here, seeing clients and providing mentoring and business assistance to entrepreneurs as well as existing businesses.

• Individuals considering the ALBDC will be asked to complete a business plan. Staff is available for assistance.
• Entrepreneurs will be asked to submit the plan before the Board of Directors, followed by an interview process.
• Once accepted into the center, a 3-5 year timeline is suggested for growth in the center, followed by growing the company within Albert Lea/Freeborn County.
• Flexibility is key in our center, always looking at the growth of the company and finding ways to grow our economic base through the inventions and ideas of the entrepreneurs.

STATISTICS:

• 55% of new jobs came from businesses that were expanding in their communities.
• 44% of new jobs came from brand new business start-ups.
• Only 1% of new jobs came from relating businesses.
• Source: Don Macke of the Rural Entrepreneurial Institute, Lincoln, NE 2006

OTHER:

• Brown Bag Lunch Gatherings: The second Thursday of every other month, the Albert Lea Business Development - Center hosts the “Brown Bag Lunch”. It’s an opportunity for entrepreneurs and other business people to network with one another and to learn a new element on business provided by our featured speaker for that month.
• Business Plan Recognition Program: Launched in April 2004, the Business Plan Recognition Program identifies and encourages new entrepreneurs or potential businesses in the Albert Lea/Freeborn County area that are less than 5 years old. The premise behind the program is to reward the most promising business plans, which implement the combination of job creation, growth potential, market knowledge, and financial feasibility. The program provides up to a $25,000 award for qualifying business plans.