![]() More than 17 miles of automated conveyer belts transport products throughout Digi-Key’s new 2.2 million-square-foot warehouse. The company also provides a generous health plan that covers 97 cents for every dollar in medical expenses, plus other benefits. Entry-level wages in sales jobs start at $22.70 an hour. Wages in the distribution center start at $18 to $20 an hour depending on the shift, with a $2,000 sign-on bonus. "There is no question it's going to be with us for a while. "This workforce issue is the issue of our moment," said Steve Grove, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The unemployment rate in Pennington and Roseau counties was 2.1% in July, not much higher than the record 1.8% rate for the state.ĭigi-Key relies heavily on northwestern Minnesota for employees, with 87% of its workforce living within a 60-mile radius of Thief River Falls. Yet, he admits the tight workforce is causing concern. There are also opportunities at retail and support businesses. Without Digi-Key and Textron, Thief River Falls would not be able to support a regional medical center, Holmer said. ![]() Pennington County held steady, adding 62 people during the decade for a population of 13,992. Thief River Falls gained 2% in population between 20. While many rural areas in Minnesota and across the country are losing population, with teens and young adults leaving after high school and college because of either a perceived lack of opportunity or a big deficit in job openings. Right now, officials are completing a master plan for the airport that would include an 800-foot extension to the main runway in the next four to six years to increase cargo capacity even more. "Without Digi-Key, we wouldn't have that outbound cargo," Headrick said. The facility built a 140,000-square-foot concrete cargo ramp this year and next year will complete a 30,000-square-foot hangar so larger cargo plans can be loaded and unloaded indoors. Paul International Airport and Rochester International Airport, said Joe Hedrick, the airport manager. The Thief River Falls airport is the third-busiest cargo airport in Minnesota behind Minneapolis-St. ![]() In fact, space is dedicated within the expansion for the carriers. That means trucks - run by FedEx, USPS, UPS and others - are constantly leaving with orders. The company is a quick-turn distributor of electronics components, offering 13.4 million products to more than 857,000 customers in 180 countries each year. The company expects for this year's annual revenue to be $5.15 billion, with 5,081 workers overall and 4,133 in the U.S. In 2016, Digi-Key had annual sales of $1.86 billion and 3,200 employees. "If your neighbor doesn't work there, don't go too far down the street and you'll find somebody that does work at Digi-Key," said Brian Holmer, mayor of Thief River Falls.įast growth means investment across community The $45 million in local and state tax breaks and incentives were more than worth it for this reason, officials said at a ribbon-cutting for the expansion in August. ![]() While Textron's Arctic Cat factory sits next to Digi-Key - and Polaris and Marvin have large operations in neighboring Roseau County - the growth of the privately held electronics component distributor is paramount to the health of Thief River Falls and surrounding Pennington County. "We're investing more than we originally planned for good reasons," Doherty said about employment and also how the expansion grew in both scope and from the original price estimate of $250 million. President Dave Doherty said the company is well ahead of its hiring goals, with no immediate plans to stop, as the new facility continues to ramp up. All over Minnesota, and indeed the country, communities are dealing with a tight workforce, affordable housing issues, inflation and supply chain issues. ![]() The company, which already employs 3,600 in Thief River Falls, plans to add more than 100 employees in each of the next three years.Īnd while the company's growth has helped the area hold its own as far as population, it does not insulate the company or others in northwestern Minnesota itself from the economic issues of today. With the opening of its new 2.2 million-square-foot, $400 million expansion, the largest distribution center in the state now lies in a city of 8,573 residents. THIEF RIVER FALLS - In this small northwestern Minnesota city, one of the country's 10 largest warehouses stands next to fields full of soybeans and sugar beets, a reminder that while the lush Red River Valley still provides plenty of agricultural opportunity, Thief River Falls is changing along with its largest employer, Digi-Key Electronics. ![]()
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