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Banner site heavily marketed
Published Monday, November 24, 2008
Members of the Fergus Falls Economic Improvement Commission (EIC) are working to bring a new company into town as staff with the Minnesota WorkForce Center reach out to employees at Banner Engineering.
About 3,000 individuals and companies have already learned about the upcoming availability of Banner’s 20,000-square-foot facility, said Harold Stanislawski, executive director of the EIC. Banner’s Plymouth-based corporate leadership announced Nov. 12 that the company’s Fergus Falls plant will close in March, sending product lines to plants in South Dakota and China.
“What we’re going to try to focus on is bringing another company into the community,” Stanislawski said.
The Banner facility is in great shape, he said, and, with one exception, it’s the only one of its size within a 75-mile radius of Fergus Falls. The EIC has developed a fact sheet on the facility and is distributing it using the group’s newsletter system.
Mean-while, staff from the Department of Employment and Economic Development visited Banner after the announcement, Stanislawski said. The role of the state’s Rapid Response Team is to visit the sites of mass layoffs and provide information on the Dislocated Worker Program.
The next step will be individual meetings with staff from the Minnesota WorkForce Center in Fergus Falls, said Cary Bergo of Rural Minnesota CEP, Inc. The Center provides access to aptitude tests, workshops, on-the-job training and further education.
“These people are in an unfortunate situation, but they have an opportunity to go and get some new training,” Bergo said. That training may be free of charge, he said, and would be part of a plan with an employment-based outcome.
About 400 to 500 people come through Fergus Falls’ WorkForce office each week, Bergo said. For more information on its services, contact the WorkForce Center at 739-7560.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by Clara (anonymous) on November 24, 2008 at 11:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OK, so you're going to market Banner's facility. That's a no-brainer, that's Stanislawski's job.
There are a couple things that should be caveats to a new business in that location:
1. Make sure the owners (not managers) live IN Fergus Falls; not on the lake, not in the country, no commuting from where ever.
2. The business cannot have other plants or offices overseas. The company must be pro-America.
3. Each employee must be treated with respect. No bullying, no threatening.
We don't want to jump out of the fry pan into the fire!
Posted by fergusmnmom (anonymous) on November 24, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Clara use some common sense. You can't enforce those types of rules, especially not the first one.
Posted by FungusAmugus (anonymous) on November 24, 2008 at 12:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
what they should tell us is what products banner was making and who THEIR CUSTOMERS are, so we know who to write to inform them of the situation and actions of their supplier,and not buy their stuff.
Posted by werty (anonymous) on November 24, 2008 at 1:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think there is always a bigger picture to look at instead of blame. Perhaps Banner had no choice but to eliminate those jobs and outsource to stay afloat. Unfortunately in economic crisis companies tend to lose business and we (the US government) have made it easy and enticing for US companies to outsource to save dollars. As I understand there are even tax incentives to outsource. Not that any of this makes it better but just something to ponder. Go to the store and try to find something made in the USA to help support our economy...it's quite difficult for certain products.
Posted by metasonics (anonymous) on November 24, 2008 at 3:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
if we got rid of the freetrade agreements this wouldn't be happening.
Posted by Granny (anonymous) on November 24, 2008 at 6:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Work going to China and they are coming here.
Posted by Mr_Lincoln (anonymous) on November 24, 2008 at 9:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I hope its a strip club.I love lapdizels vip room.
Posted by MarcNSuzy (anonymous) on November 25, 2008 at 6:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It never ceases to amaze me the ignorance of the people who run and live in this "city". It's just flat out, down-right silly.
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