Three businesses are part of the City of Becker’s largest efforts to bring new jobs to the area to supplement the eventual job losses to Xcel Energy’s Sherco plant when it shuts down Units I and II over the next decade.

 

Mari Pflipsen — along with Greg Pruszinske, city council and Rep. Jim Newberger — are working to lure Northern Metal Recycling, “Project Pine” and White Dog Labs, to their ever-useful industrial park.

 

Northern Metal Recycling

Northern Metal Recycling is a business currently located in Minneapolis that is looking for a new, permanent home outside the metro area. They have been exploring possible options for relocation and Becker has been identified as the leading Minnesota community under their consideration. That is due to the fact the area in the industrial park they are pinpointing has rail access, river access and could benefit from being in close proximity to Sherco and Liberty Paper, too.

 

The Sherburne County Board and the Becker City Council have already voiced their support for the company that promises to bring approximately 75-90 new jobs to the area, increasing the tax base as well.

 

The relocation of Northern Metal Recycling to Becker is also fully supported by Newberger, who is lobbying for the move and working to clear any roadblocks or problems the company may have been saddled with in the media.

 

Jeff Smith, director of the MPCA’s industrial division, said the agency discovered NMR did not truthfully disclose its emissions when the MPCA issued a permit in 2012. NMR has also made changes to its facility that would have required another review and possibly major changes to the permit.

 

Smith said based on air quality monitors on both sides of NMR, MPCA officials believe NMR is contributing to poor air quality in the area.

 

“We had ongoing and consistent violations and exceedances of the air quality standards,” Smith said. “While they’re not the only contributor to the problem, we think they’re a significant contributor.”

 

Newberger said at last week’s Becker City Council meeting he is working with the company and its environmental issues to “get them to Becker.”

 

Whether NMR decides to stay in Minneapolis or they make the move to someplace like Becker, they will undoubtedly have to meet air quality standards sanctioned by the PUC.

 

A bonding bill passed by the Senate recently included $5 million to help Northern Metal Recycling relocate, although the Legislature failed to pass a final bonding before the session adjourned.

 

Northern Metal Recycling, headquartered in Minneapolis, is a subsidiary of European Metal Recycling, a privately owned global metal recycling company that sells 10 million tons of recycled commodities per year, employing 3,500 people in 150 countries, according to its website.

 

NMR has 12 locations in Minnesota, two in Wisconsin and three in North Dakota, including Milnor and Bismarck.

 

At the end of May, Community Development Coordinator Marie Pflipsen brought forth a memorandum to the city council to ask for them to help support her efforts in trying to bring  a major business to the industrial park code-named, “Project Pine.”

 

The code name is necessary when a national company of such stature is looking to expand to protect their interests and remain anonymous during the early stages of locating a site.

 

At the council meeting, all four council members gave their ringing endorsement to Pflipsen to continue her efforts while Mayor Lefty Kleis voted “naye” simply for the reason he doesn’t “know the name of the company nor their line of business” so he couldn’t vote in favor of it.

 

The site selector for Project Pine has been exploring land options throughout the nation with access to reliable and ample power and plentiful water.

 

Pflipsen told council the City of Becker has been identified as a leading community due to its partnership with Xcel Energy — who has adjoining properties deemed ideal for Project Pine to expand to.

 

Pflipsen says the new business expansion to Becker would help diversify the city and grow the city’s tax base while creating high-wage positions.

 

In a separate letter mailed to the senior director of external affairs at Xcel Energy dated June 7, Mayor Kleis told Daniel Pfeiffer he is in full support of Project Pine and said he and the city is committed to provide the necessary resources and support to facilitate this development process.

 

“Rest assured, we will work with Sherburne County, Greater MSP and Minnesota DEED to streamline and coordinate the application[plication process and ensure prompt building review and permitting to meet the construction timeframe,” the letter from Kleis stated.

 

“With great enthusiasm, the City of Becker is excited partner with Xcel Energy on this project!”

 

White Dog Labs is a company currently located in Delaware and they boast they have invented a new class of fermentation technology to create sustainable biochemical and renewable processes for the future.

 

In other words, White Dog Labs can help reduce carbon emissions, capital and the cost of making ethanol. The company developed a process called MixoFerm that consumes two or more feedstocks at once—sugar and CO2 or sugar and hydrogen.

 

Almost 1/3 of the CO2 absorbed by corn during its growing process gets released into the atmosphere during ethanol production.

 

Recently, the Department of Energy has given White Dog Labs a grant and approved part one of a loan. The company completed an initial design of a $150 million facility in Delaware to build a demonstration plant and is now looking to build a 15,000 ton-per-year acetone-IPA plant and have been looking in Minnesota , North Dakota and South Dakota with access to corn

The acetone and IPA plan would create 50 jobs with a potential for another 30 jobs after expansion.

 

“Most likely all three projects will be ongoing projects,” said Pflipsen. “It is our goal to broaden our tax base and provide new job opportunities in a timely matter. Since this work is with private businesses, we can support but can not rush things.”