Delta Dental of Minnesota to Break Ground on Bemidji Facility This Spring

When the ground thaws this spring, Delta Dental of Minnesota plans to break ground on a new operations and technology center in Bemidji that will create up to 150 jobs.
 
The new development, said to cost between $12 million and $13 million according to the Bemidji Pioneer, is projected to open by the end of next year.
 
The 150 openings that could come from the new facility would be in Delta Dental’s sales, technology and administrative services departments, the regional nonprofit said. Wages are expected to range between $16 to $30 an hour for the new positions. Future job openings could appear in its finance, web support and development operations, Delta Dental noted in its news release.
 
After filling its initial need of up to 150 new workers, Delta Dental is expected to become one of Bemidji’s top ten employers.
 
The city’s fiber optic network played a major factor in Delta Dental’s choice to expand to the area, Greater Bemidji Economic Development executive director Dave Hengel told the Bemidji Pioneer.
 
Gary Johnson, the CEO of Paul Bunyon Communications, which manages the city’s fiber optic network, said in a statement he was very excited about Delta Dental’s expansion. “We know what a great place Bemidji is to live and do business [in] and are confident they will be a great corporate partner for our area,” he said.
 
Delta Dental attributed its decision to expand to recent and project membership growth, which now tops 4 million nationwide. New product offerings and the development of technology infrastructure also played a role in its Bemidji investment, the company said.
 
“We look forward to this center bringing expanded capabilities that will enable Delta Dental to meet the changing needs and expectations of our customers, dentists and other oral health partners,” said Rodney Young, president and chief executive of Delta Dental of Minnesota, in prepared remarks.
 
In other expansion news, Delta Dental’s opened a new oral health center on the fourth floor of the six-story, 377,000-square-foot Hennepin Healthcare Clinic and Specialty Center last week. The new facility is expected to increase oral health care access at Hennepin Healthcare’s downtown Minneapolis operations by 60 percent, or an estimated 11,000 visits annually.