We stand at a critical moment. The global economic landscape is shifting, challenging long-held assumptions about industry, workforce, and community development. Yet, in the Northland, we can transform these challenges into our greatest strengths. While traditional industries evolve, global markets are reshaped, and the demand for sustainable solutions grows exponentially. Where some see uncertainty, we see unprecedented opportunity for reinvention.
As a region, we have assets no one else can claim. We are blessed with abundant raw materials: vast tracts of land, pristine water bodies, and rich mineral deposits, including iron ore, copper, nickel, and recently discovered helium. We enjoy a quality of life that nurtures rich cultural experiences, tightly knit communities, and remote natural beauty unparalleled anywhere else on the planet. We also have a strong network of businesses, from boutique artisans to cutting-edge robotics, building and making our economy unique.
What we need now is a strategy and clear leadership to define who we are and what we have to offer, marketing that to the world.
Solving our housing crisis and preparing our industrial economy requires a deliberate, comprehensive state strategy beyond traditional economic-development approaches. Our strategy must emphasize our unique strengths and potential, focusing our combined efforts on growing our economy to help every Minnesotan thrive. It must also be courageous, willing to build new coalitions, and make bold decisions to drive the transformation.
Our region’s most immediate challenge isn’t just economic; it’s fundamental. Housing shortages are limiting our growth potential, creating a bottleneck that hinders talent retention, business development, and broader economic progress.
From Duluth’s urban core to the most rural communities in our region, we’re facing a housing crisis that demands immediate, innovative solutions. The workforce we’re cultivating, the business we’re expanding, and the future we’re trying to build are all constrained by a critical lack of accessible housing.
The creation of Northland Housing Partners marks a promising first step. This employer-led collaborative effort highlights our understanding that housing is not just a local issue, but a regional priority. The recent investment in the RiverWest housing development wasn’t merely about building homes; it’s a model for how we can work together to tackle our housing crisis.
We need more than a single solution. We need comprehensive strategies that address housing across the region, from workforce housing in emerging industrial hubs to homes for young people, families, and seniors. This requires innovative financing, streamlined development, and a collective commitment to meeting the diverse needs of our community.
Our housing shortage isn’t just an obstacle; it’s an opportunity to rethink how we build thriving communities and lay the foundation for sustainable economic growth. By addressing this issue head-on, we can support the workforce of tomorrow and drive the clean-industry revolution in our region.
Across Minnesota, we’re seeing research and emerging technologies that support our ambitious carbon-reduction goals. Moorhead’s $5 billion sustainable aviation fuel facility and Sartell’s upcoming Clean Earth Magnet factory offer strong models for what we can achieve here. Imagine a similar transformation focused on green iron production and green steel — an opportunity just waiting for us to seize.
Moving forward requires exceptional collaboration. We must unite local governments, businesses, educational institutions, our local trades, and community organizations behind a shared vision. This means dismantling traditional barriers, thinking beyond borders, and developing a unified regional strategy.
To our residents, businesses, and partners: our challenges are real, but so are our opportunities. We are makers and builders with a legacy of turning adversity into success. The world needs not just what we produce, but how we think, collaborate, and innovate. The future of Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin isn’t something that will happen to us. It’s something we will build together.
Rachel Johnson is president and CEO of
, Duluth’s premiere private economic-development agency. She wrote this at the invitation of the News Tribune Opinion page.
Contributed / APEX
2025 OUTLOOK SERIES
The News Tribune Opinion page once again this year asked community leaders to gaze into their crystal balls and to share what they expect in 2025. Their columns run Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.
Dec. 26 — Economy
TODAY — Business
Dec. 28 — City of Duluth
Dec. 29 — St. Louis County
Dec. 30 — Public Safety
Dec. 31 — Duluth Public Schools
Jan. 1 — Higher Education
Jan. 2 — Minnesota House
Jan. 3 — Minnesota Senate
Jan. 4 — D.C.
Jan. 5 — Downtown Duluth
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