This artistic rendering depicts what the Hormel Institute will look like after the expansion 

Governor Dayton traveled to Austin, Minnesota yesterday to celebrate the expansion of theHormel Institute. In partnership with the Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota, the Hormel Institute performs cutting edge cancer research. The new expansion will double the institute's size and help it maintain its reputation as a global leader in the field.

"The expansion of the Hormel Institute is great news for Minnesota, and great news for the hundreds of Minnesotans who will go to work in these new facilities over the next several years," said Governor Dayton. "The growth of this facility, and the good work that happens here, offers hope to tens of thousands of Minnesotans, and millions of people around the world, who are now suffering from cancer."

In 2012, Governor Dayton and the Minnesota Legislature allocated $13.5 million to help the Hormel Institute pay for the expansion. With additional funding from private sources, the $27 million expansion will add 20 state-of-the-art laboratories to the institute. It also will provide better facilities for the Hormel Institute's International Center of Research Technology, which includes two IBM supercomputers along with other cutting-edge technologies that accelerate cancer research discoveries.

Austin and southeastern Minnesota are set to benefit from the expansion too. After construction finishes in August 2015, the Hormel Institute plans to hire about 120 new staff - growing the Hormel Institute to about 250 employees overall. These new jobs will help anchor Austin's economy and help ensure our state remains a global leader in medical research.