GROW MINNESOTA! IS A PROGRAM OF THE MINNESOTA CHAMBER OF COMMERCEgrowminnesota@mnchamber.com | www.growminnesota.com

Grow Minnesota! We know Minnesota’s economyGrow Minnesota!® is the business retention, expansion and assistance program of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. The program is entering its 15th year and operates in partnership with close to 70 local and regional chambers of commerce and economic development organizations. The primary focus is to retain Minnesota businesses and encourage them to expand here.

Every Grow Minnesota! business retention visit has four parts: We thank the business owner or manager for having a business in our state and employing Minnesotans; we learn as much as we can about the business and its Minnesota activities; we ask if we can assist the company to stay and grow in our state; we ask what policymakers can do to improve our state’s overall business environment.

We need to visit your business!

CONTACT US Or your local Grow Minnesota! Partner (See page 4)

BILL BLAZAR 651.292.4658KATHI SCHAFF 651.292.4667SEAN O’NEIL 651.292.4674

ATEK ACCESS TECHNOLOGIESEden Prairiewww.atekcompanies.com

ATEK Access Technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT)ATEK Access Technologies, LLC is part of the Eden Prairie-based ATEK Companies group of technology and manufacturing businesses. Its brands include AssetScan, Datakey, Larco and TankScan. Grow Minnesota! visited with ATEK’s leadership to learn more about the company’s involvement in the Internet of Things (IoT).

As just one example of the company’s IoT reach, in September 2016 ATEK announced the connection of its TankScan and AssetScan solutions to the John Deere Operations Center through John Deere’s API services. The TankScan monitoring system will accurately monitor fluid levels in multiple tanks, across many sites, from any location with an Internet connection. AssetScan expands upon that and monitors variables such as bearing vibrations, crop land drainage and fuel filter conditions. Farmers and service providers receive alerts in the Operations Center when sensor readings signify that remote equipment requires attention.

“Agriculture can benefit greatly from data collected by the Internet of Things,” said Sherri McDaniel, president of ATEK Access Technologies. “From simple monitoring and alerting, to utilizing combinations of GPS, weather, yield maps, drone data and more.”

2016 Grow Minnesota! Program Stats

677 one-on-on business visits.

256 businesses assisted.

784 jobs protected.

GROW MINNESOTA!® ANNUAL UPDATE l 2016The importance of Minnesota’s Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem

MINNESOTA CHAMBER – GROW MINNESOTA! PROUD TO SPONSOR THE IOT FUSE: CONFERENCE 2017April 21 – Minneapolis Convention Center

Sessions include both broad “vision” talks as well as interesting projects from individual engineers, researchers and hobbyists.

IOT FUSE Minneapoliswww.iotfuse.com

A recent Grow Minnesota! visit with IoT Fuse uncovered important information on the Internet of Things (IoT) space in Minnesota’s economy. IoT Fuse is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis that values the spirit of innovation with IoT technologies and how they can improve our physical world and our lives.

What is the Internet of Things and why is Minnesota so well positioned in this space?By Patrick Delaney, BSEE & CFO of IoTFuse

The Internet of Things (IoT) is commonly thought of as a collection of technologies that enable new business models. It is easiest to describe IoT in terms of three basic pillars:

1. Sensors: Sensors and smartphone-like computers have enabled sensing everything from temperature to vibration to audio to simple video streams and many other things in the “real world,” automatically, for 10 to 100 times less costly than a decade ago.

2. Bandwidth, or The Cost of Sending Data: On average, including all types of data traveling through the internet, including WiFi, cellular data and everything else, what used to cost $100 per Gigabyte per month a decade ago, now costs $10 per Gigabyte per month on average.

3. Cloud Computing, or Cheap & Easy Data Storage & Analysis: If you’ve ever used “Dropbox,” or “Google Drive,” or any number of “Apps,” which have arisen on smartphones, you will have noticed that it’s not only easier to move data around, but you have access to the power of millions of different programs, at your fingertips, at an incredibly low price.

These three trends/pillars may be called the “Structure” of IoT, but this business phenomenon also needs a set of physical assets, which are already here in Minnesota. Because of our rich technological history, many Minnesotans have worked with all sorts of “Things” including medical devices, machines, consumer products, tractors and shipping companies. We have done an excellent job of capturing the value in many diverse industries. This puts Minnesota at a distinct advantage over a lot of other places in the world – places where they might only write software. Minnesota has “experience” which is necessary to write good software and create automation and business improvement.

“Minnesota is the perfect storm of having a lot of smart software folks, and a lot of computer engineering education going back decades, but many people forget that Minnesota’s largest industry is technology. We are ranked higher overall per capita in tech employment than California, and ranked higher in Measurement and Control Instrumentation than any other state. We have the background to capitalize on this IoT trend, and now is the time to make plans for your business to do so,” stated the author.

GROW MINNESOTA! 2016 Annual Update

NEW BOUNDARY TECHNOLOGIES, INC. Minneapoliswww.newboundary.com

New Boundary Technologies, Inc. – A player in Minnesota’s Internet of Things ecosystemWhen Grow Minnesota! staff visited with Kim Pearson, CEO of New Boundary Technologies, Inc., they learned much about his business and were introduced to the Internet of Things (IoT). Pearson’s company has been a leader in this area of technology since it was founded over 30 years ago. The company provides key components to the IoT space in Minnesota – software development and analytics. They have created off-the-shelf solutions such as PwrSmart® and RemoteAware™ that help small to large organizations monitor and control their networked PCs and remote equipment. Quick access to information is accomplished by using the “cloud” and mobile platforms from anywhere in the world and at any time.

Many businesses are unaware of the energy cost and waste related to having PCs in a full-power mode when not in use, so New Boundary recently launched an initiative to help Minnesota companies save money by reducing the energy usage of their PCs and monitors. Its PwrSmart Service cloud application is used to conduct free energy audits for businesses that want to measure the cost-savings of moving to automated and centralized PC power management. For example, a large school district with 2,000-plus PCs saved more than $200,000 in their first year of using PwrSmart Service to automatically adjust PCs to a low power level when not in use.

LAB 651 St. Paulwww.lab651.com

Lab 651 is expanding boundaries to connect products throughout the world

Grow Minnesota! visited with Justin Grammens, founding partner of Lab 651, to better understand his business operations and its role in the Internet of Things (IoT). The business is a full-service connected devices / IoT product development company. Each of the three founders – Justin Grammens, Rod Landers and Troy Pongratz – has more than 20 years of experience in connecting devices and systems. Lab 651 employs a cross-functional team of top tier software, electrical and mechanical engineers who collaborate and innovate to create solutions for clients within the IoT space.

GROW MINNESOTA! 2016 Annual Update

GROW MINNESOTA! 2016 Annual Update

MULTITECHMounds Viewwww.multitech.com

MultiTech and the Industrial Internet of ThingsA past Grow MN! visit with MutltiTech introduced Grow MN! staff to the growing industrial Internet of Things (IoT). Founded in 1970 and with US-based manufacturing, Multi Tech has a worldwide network of distributors and resellers. The company’s focus is on serving business and OEM customers with its global headquarters located in Mounds View. MultiTech designs, develops and manufactures communications equipment for the industrial Internet of Things – connecting physical assets to business processes to deliver enhanced value.

For example, when RTC Manufacturing, Inc, the largest supplier of school zone equipment in the world needed a reliable two-way remote communication system that could function several hundred miles away from its traffic centers

GROW MINNESOTA! ONLINE BUSINESS RESOURCES www.mnchamber.com/grow-minnesota-business-resources

Easily access available resources online 24/7 via the Minnesota Chamber’s Grow Minnesota! Business Resources.Reduce your time and frustration in locating valuable business resources.

Business Financing Entrepreneurship Environment & Exporting/Importing Research & Start & Manage Workforce Energy Resources Data Tools a Business Development

- they looked to MultiTech. RTC opted for MultiTech’s MultiConnect® Cell 100 Series. Since implementing MultiTech’s technology, RTC now has a reliable two-way communication system available to 99% of its customers’ school flashers across North America. Customers can now enjoy “worry free” implementations and are able to receive alerts from the equipment in the field if there is an issue. Quick emergency changes due to situations such as bad weather, are now much easier.

Minnesota Internet of Things (IoT) StatisticsFastest growing IoT community per capita in the US.

(As defined by Meetup.com membership) (Source: IoT Fuse, 2016)

1st ranked largest IoT-themed maker group in the US.

(Microsoft, 2016)

2nd highest performing tech state in the US, behind Massachusetts.

(Source: Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, 2014)

3rd fastest growing IoT community in the world, behind Israel, and the Netherlands.

(As defined by Meetup.com membership) (Source: IoT Fuse, 2016)

SALES & NEW PRODUCTSclose correlation between sales performance and innovation

GROW MINNESOTA! 2016 Annual Update

57%of MN

businesses planning new investments

EXPORTS

average of Minnesota businesses that export, 2013-2015

of Minnesota businesses export, 2016

27%22%

NEW INVESTMENTS IN MINNESOTA

2016 GROW MINNESOTA!

VISITS Economic Indicators

Business responses:

69% added new products or services in last year

43% added jobs in last year, and

57% are planning a new capital investment

Albert Lea-Freeborn CountyAlbert Lea Economic Development Authority*Alexandria Lakes AreaAlexandria Area Economic Development Commission*APEXDuluth AreaApple ValleyAustin AreaBemidji AreaBloomingtonBlooming PrairieBrainerd LakesBrainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Corp.*

BurnsvilleCity of Centerville*Dakota County RegionalEast Grand Forks EDA*Eden PrairieElk River AreaFaribault AreaFergus Falls AreaGrand Forks/East Grand ForksGrand Rapids AreaItasca Economic Development Corp.*Greater Mankato Growth Inc.Hastings AreaHibbing AreaI94 West

International Falls AreaLake CityLake City EDA*Lakeville AreaLitchfieldLong Prairie AreaMarshall AreaMetroNorthMinneapolis RegionalNew Ulm AreaNorth 65North Hennepin AreaNorthfield Area Owatonna AreaPark Rapids AreaPipestone Area

Princeton AreaPrinceton Economic Development*River HeightsProgress Plus *Redwood AreaRichfieldRochester AreaRochester Area Economic Development Inc.*Roseville HRA*Saint Cloud AreaShakopee AreaSouthWest MetroTwin Cities NorthTwinWest

Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corp.*WaconiaWaseca AreaWhite Bear AreaWhite Bear Lake Economic Development Corp.*Willmar Lakes AreaWinona AreaWorthington AreaStatewide Affiliate Partners:University of Minnesota ExtensionTriState Manufacturers Association (TSMA)

A robust statewide partnership of local chambers of commerce and economic development entities *Denotes local economic development organization co-partners.

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Proud to support Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

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GROW MINNESOTA! 2016 Annual Update