Nearly $1M In Incentives Attract 100 MN Jobs

Transportation and logistics firm Valley Cartage opened its new headquarters in Lake Elmo Tuesday, a move that is expected to bring nearly 100 jobs to the city.
 
The company, which was previously based in Hudson, Wisconsin, opened its new 26,000-square-foot building in the Eagle Point Business Park. Forty-six jobs are moving from Hudson, and the company said it will add 50 new local jobs.
 
According to city documents, the building was purchased for $3.1 million, and the average salary of the new Minnesota jobs will be about $52,000.
 
The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) offered Valley Cartage a $500,000 forgivable loan for its relocation. The company may also apply for $400,000 in tax credits for job training. Additionally, Lake Elmo and Washington County have agreed to share in $40,000 tax abatement over the next four years, contingent upon Valley Cartage meeting certain job-growth goals.
 
“Valley Cartage is a highly successful company that has been providing trucking services in the Midwest for nearly 80 years,” Governor Mark Dayton said in a statement. “We are very pleased that Valley Cartage has chosen to bring its headquarters here to Minnesota and grateful for the jobs it will create in this community.”
 
According to DEED, the company will continue operations at its Hudson site and will maintain a presence at its other facilities in La Crosse, Wisconsin; Fargo, North Dakota; Duluth; Mankato; and St. Cloud. The company has about 240 employees.
 
“Our expansion to Lake Elmo is a significant milestone for Valley Cartage,” CEO and President Todd Gilbert said in a statement. “We are helping to re-shape our industry, and the Lake Elmo office will play a key role. Without the support of the governor, DEED, and many local officials, this project would not have happened.”
 
The company began in 1935 when Norman Gilbert launched Gilbert Truck Line, hauling a team of horses from Hudson to Trempealeau, Wisconsin, for $1.50. The company has remained in the family and today is owned and operated by Norman’s son, Jerry Gilbert, and grandson, Todd Gilbert.