Topic: Walmart
started by: usmcr
Posted by usmcr on Mar. 07 2013,2:14 pm
< http://www.albertleatribune.com/2013...-center >walmart to open up a shipping center in mankato! they will employ 300 persons. was albert lea even in the running to secure this & if not why not? it would seem that albert lea with the two interstate freeways that it would be a good fit.
Posted by twingroves on Mar. 07 2013,3:11 pm
you got dumb ass people runing the town thats why
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 07 2013,3:49 pm
^ yep, pretty dumb.
Posted by Botto 82 on Mar. 07 2013,4:14 pm
(twingroves @ Mar. 07 2013,3:11 pm)
QUOTE
you got dumb ass people runing the town thats why
Not to mention a "newspaper" that is afraid to criticize or investigate local government.
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 08 2013,4:42 am
I'm not sure of what you folks have all lost down there but I know Mills Fleet Farm wanted to locate there before deciding on Owatonna. Cybex could have been another prize when they built their new place. Aldi's built their dist. Ctr in Owatonna. Malto Meal just built a new giant warehouse a couple of years ago, there is another warehouse being built just down the steer from there, don't know who that's going to be.Albert Lea has excellent logistics both hwy and rail. Kinda like the prom queen 30 years later, "well, she was good looking at one time but she's still dumb as a post"
Posted by sumpdump on Mar. 08 2013,6:31 am
(Self-Banished @ Mar. 08 2013,4:42 am)
QUOTE
Albert Lea has excellent logistics both hwy and rail. Kinda like the prom queen 30 years later, "well, she was good looking at one time but she's still dumb as a post"
If all we have to offer is the continual, "well we have 2 interstates..." how dumb does that sound? It sounds like this....
Logistics alone is the worst selling point.
You need skilled work force
Competitive taxes
Easy access to accesable resources
Plans for future growth, not just the business, but the whole area.
You and I asking "Why did these companies not locate here is an example of poorly run business development plan. We shouldn't have to ask why.
We should understand that "others" are to do that leg work, develop a plan to offer the things that big industry are looking for to locate here, and get aggressive to provide that to them.
Sometimes you have to give inorder to receive.
Posted by Glad I Left on Mar. 08 2013,8:51 am
Wal-Mart bought the land in 2005ish (and has been paying taxes on it) and has been promising to bring that plant here for ten years. It has been downsized to 1/2 the original plan. It is a good thing for the area though even at the current size. The plot they purchased is big enough for plenty of expansion which they still have plans on in the future (dry goods)Word I heard on the street is they picked Mankato because of a better supply of workforce employees then the other sites considered, but personally I think the TIF was the kicker. I don't recall if AL was one of them or not. The land purchase was in the works just before we moved to Texass. I know Owatonna was in the running, and I think even Mason City.
Posted by Self-Banished on Mar. 08 2013,8:54 am
^ or the old adage, "it takes money to make money"
Posted by This is my real name on Mar. 08 2013,9:47 am
I am guessing there are quite a few businesses that locate relatively close to AL, for which we were never in the running. The problem is that we don't have proactive people in charge of bringing businesses here, just a bumbling gatekeeper who takes credit for whatever businesses he allows to come here without stepping on anyone else's toes.
Posted by wildchild on Mar. 27 2013,1:07 pm
Glad I Left pretty much covered it. The interstate argument needs to rest in peace, it's not 1970 anymore. Mankato has 4 lanes connecting it to 3 interstates. HWY 60 down to I-90 at Worthington, HWY 169 to I-494 and HWY 14 to I-35. I think that makes Albert Lea and Mankato a wash when it comes to transportation infrastructure.
If the road issue is a wash then it comes down to 3 main points, a large/educated workforce, perfect site location and $$$.
Mankato wins hands down in workforce so other sites would have to hit home runs on site itself and $$$. The Mankato site is very good, even Wal-Mart said it was one of the best for the type of set up they are planning.
The site is on the northern side of HWY 14. It has 2 full interchanges less then 1/2 mile east & west. A new North-South bypass is being built just to the east of Wal-Mart to help lighten North-South traffic on HWY 22 which is now a congestion zone vs. a bypass.
The city laid out some $ to get the roads put in yes, how much exactly and how long until a return on investment? Was it too much? Who knows for sure but after seeing hundreds of jobs leave IBM and now 150 at APC it looks like a solid win for Mankato, hopefully they didn't pay to much for the "win".
Posted by Glad I Left on Mar. 28 2013,8:52 am
Hey wildchild go back to the Mankato Forum 
Just to correct him a little, it is not 4 lane on HWY 60 all the way to I-90 yet. There is a 12 mile or so stretch of 2 lane between St. James and Butterfield still but I think that is getting started on this spring.
I also read an article in the Free Press where the Economic Developer Coordinator or whatever his title is expects that because these jobs will pay between 10-12/hr that local employers may have to raise their wages in order to compete for workers and/or retain their own.
In my experience from living in AL, this would disqualify Wal-Mart for location there as the idiots in charge like low paying jobs in town it seems.
Posted by Blaze on Mar. 31 2013,5:31 pm
Owatonna has public utilites. Albert Lea has Alliant. If a town has public utilities they can probably give incentives that Albert Lea can't.
Just a thought.
Posted by wildchild on Apr. 05 2013,8:40 am
LOL - yes, I live at < Mankato Chat > but always like to stop down and visit my forum neighbors.I am familiar with the automation of warehouses/facilities. When I've been involved in setting things up it is not with a bunch of people making $10-$12 an hour. It's the Engineers, Technical Mechanics, Computer Programmers, Upper Management, Network Technicians, etc. I guarantee you not one of them was making less than $20 an hour. I am sure there will be plenty of $12 an hour jobs there but there will also be plenty of good paying $20+ jobs.
A place this large is almost always in a state or flux. A cooler need to be expanded or moved, warehouse racks need to be realigned, crap just breaks, etc. Some of these are fly in and leave jobs, but more and more are permanent.
I probably short changed the AL labor pool. Obviously an employer this large would draw plenty of interest from people in Austin & Owatonna.
I also agree with the leadership comments. Shoddy city/county leadership will send a major player like Wal-Mart looking elsewhere quick. They don't NEED Albert Lea, hell, they don't NEED Mankato.
It will be interesting to see how this rolls out, the city put in a massive amount of infrastructure, more than they did for River Hills.
Posted by dualheart on May 22 2013,2:46 am
you guys are awesome and how can i get a job right in there