Northland Small Business Development Center celebrates milestones – Duluth News Tribune

PROCTOR — In the past three years, the Northland Small Business Development Center has helped its members raise $150 million in capital, in addition to assisting more than 200 new businesses in launching.

The milestones were highlighted during a regional event at Blackwoods Event Center on Tuesday. Funders, community partners and elected officials attended, along with the Northland SBDC team and Northland Foundation staff.

Northland SBDC provides free, confidential business consulting to entrepreneurs across Northeastern Minnesota. It serves the counties of Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake and St. Louis, in addition to five tribal nations.

Speaker at a podium — Northland Small Business Development Center celebrated its milestones Tuesday at Blackwoods Event Center, where U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber addressed the audience.

The Northland Foundation started the SBDC program in Northeastern Minnesota in October 2019.

Since receiving the Small Business Administration’s Excellence and Innovation Center Award for the entire Great Lakes Region in 2023, Northland SBDC has provided over 13,000 hours of assistance to more than 2,100 clients.

Northland SBDC staff served on the national curriculum committee to develop AI programming for SBDCs nationwide in 2024. Earlier this year, it co-hosted the first all-day AI conference for small businesses in Greater Minnesota. Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and trade and export development are areas of focus for the future.

It also helped create and retain nearly 8,000 jobs, supported 142 veteran-owned businesses in accessing $6 million in capital and assisted 100 manufacturers, from start-ups to expansions.

“Behind every one of these statistics is a partnership, a relationship and a shared commitment to helping small businesses start, grow and succeed in our region,” said Vicki Hagberg, the Northland Foundation’s regional director of Northland SBDC. “Our success is built entirely on partnerships, and we cannot do this work alone.”

Northland SBDC works in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation; economic development authorities from Chisholm, Duluth, Ely, Hibbing and Virginia; foundation partners; local lenders; and in-kind partners Cook County/Grand Marais Joint Economic Development Authority; Itasca Economic Development Corp.; and the University of Minnesota Duluth.

“SBA has appreciated Northland’s partnership on collaborative training events on pandemic relief, veteran entrepreneurship and for support on disaster relief efforts,” said Brian McDonald, director of the Minnesota Small Business Administration District Office.

Funded through partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Minnesota DEED and local partners, every dollar invested in the Minnesota SBDC program generates over $6 in combined state and federal tax revenues.