Business View Magazine | November 2019

337 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2019 of their history and who they are. The diversity and progressiveness of our community is very important and means a lot to us. “The third part is, we’re one of the largest cities in land mass in the state at 44 square miles, and we are going to grow and manage that growth in a way that’s fiscally responsible while maintaining our core culture. So, when we seek businesses, we’re looking for companies who will partner with the city for high-paying, sustainable jobs that keep people here, bring people in, while still maintaining who we are and not altering our core identity.” Part of this identity, according to Portner, are some “homemade businesses that have grown quickly.” One is Sportech, a manufacturer of body components for ATVs and snowmobiles. “We also have Plaisted Companies, which started, locally, as a gravel mining group that turned into a prescription soils business,” Portner adds. “They provide soils for professional football, baseball, and soccer stadiums here in the United States and overseas, as well as golf course sand. It’s ELK R I VER , MINNESOTA Multipurpose Facility Groundbreaking on July 10, 2019 Historic water tower just north of downtown