March – Greater Mankato Growth Board of Directors holds first round table discussion on furthering ag business across the region
Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. along with hundreds of businesses and professionals rooted in agriculture from across the region have been working since 2013 to strategically build on and connect the region’s extensive agricultural business assets in order to develop and position this region to now be known nationally and internationally as the place for talent, business, innovation and education in relation to agriculture.
Agriculture is currently the largest business industry segment within this region with more than $15.3 billion in sales annually. Spanning an economic continuum from production, processing, manufacturing, professional services, research, technology, education, transportation and more; a majority of businesses in the region are either part of ag’s value stream or indirectly impacted. The region boasts an extensive list of ag business concentration and industry dominance amounting to nearly 1,000 ag related businesses.
“Like other premier industry clusters in the United States, such as Silicon Valley or The Research Triangle, if you are a person or a business that finds value in being connected to the ag business industry then the GreenSeam is not only where you ought to be, but need to be” said Jonathan Zierdt, president & CEO of Greater Mankato Growth, Inc.
“I can’t emphasize enough the meaning of this initiative… Having this cohesive force will no doubt accelerate the success of many businesses, but also translates into more jobs, innovation and development of a synergy that will define this region from now and into the future.” said Jim Marzolf, Chair of the GreenSeam Steering Committee and Greater Mankato Growth, Inc. Board Member, of the launch event in June 2016.
“GreenSeam is not affiliated with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s GreenSeam® program.”
Mission & Vision
GreenSeam organizes and aligns the collective work of its stakeholders to promote investment in ag business and contribute to the shared vision.
Our vision is to build on existing ag business prominence across southern Minnesota – northern Iowa maximizing a growing economic marketplace in order to be the premier ag business epicenter in the United States – the most diverse, balanced and sustainable.
Principles:
- Promotion – increasing awareness of and enthusiasm toward the ag industry
- Public Affairs – magnifying our voice, fostering an environment and garnering support conducive to ag development
- Education – developing talent to grow ag businesses, from both resources inside and outside the region
- Development – supporting existing business growth and positioning our marketplace as a destination for ag related opportunities
Goals:
- Promotion of Ag– developing tools for communicating and embracing the ag economy
- Public Affairs – integrating agriculture with the economic & social community
- Education – investing in ag programs and resources that will meet the demand for a talented workforce
- Economic Prosperity – using the potential of ag to fuel economic growth
History
2013
2014
January – Greater Mankato Growth holds an Agricultural Business Summit
June – Steering Committee formed to guide and develop the initiative*
November – Greater Mankato Growth Board of Directors commits $250,000 to launch the project
2015
April – Hired first staff member dedicated to the initiative
June – Action teams were formed to concentrate on strategic areas of work
August – Branding work began
2016
June – New brand launched
December – Announced that GreenSeam will take over the 35th annual Rural Legislative Forum in 2017
2017
GreenSeam Inaugural Board of Governors Elected
2018
GreenSeam officially becomes GreenSeam, LLC
First Official GreenSeam Steering Committee Members:
- Jim Beal, JBeal Real Estate Group/ City of Eagle Lake
- Travis Brovold, RSM US LLP
- Mitch Davis, Davis Family Holdings/ Davis Family Dairies
- Brad & Meg Freking, New Fashion Pork, LLP
- Jodie Hermer, Compeer Financial
- Steve Kibble, (KEI) Kibble Equipment
- Gary Koch, Gislason & Hunter LLP
- Brian Martensen, Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Jim Marzolf (Chair), CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
- Sheryl Meshke, AMPI
- Brad Schloesser, South Central College, Southern Minnesota Center for Agriculture
- Tom Seigfreid, Rembrandt Enterprises, Inc.
- Chad Surprenant, ISG
- Patrick Yockey, BluEarth Agribusiness Strategies
