Company will create 100 jobs in Bayport

BAYPORT - Window and door maker Andersen Corporation is planning an $18 million expansion project that will create 100 full-time jobs at its manufacturing facility in Bayport.

The company said it plans to improve an existing building at the complex and will purchase new machinery. The new jobs will pay on average of $19 an hour including benefits.

To assist the expansion, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) will award Andersen $625,000 from the Minnesota Job Creation Fund if the company meets it performance goals.

The fund was first proposed by Governor Mark Dayton last year and was among $24 million in business incentives that were approved in the 2013 legislative session. Officials said the program is helping the state to compete for new jobs and businesses.

"Over more than a century, Andersen Corporation has employed thousands of Minnesotans and has successfully grown into one of the largest window manufacturers in North America," said Governor Dayton. "We are very grateful that this great Minnesota company has chosen to expand its manufacturing facility in Bayport, creating 100 more good-paying jobs for Minnesota workers. Thank you, Andersen!"

"Andersen has deep roots in Minnesota going back more than 100 years," added DEED Commissioner Katie Clark Sieben. "We're pleased to partner with a company that has a long history of success in the state and is known for its commitment to business partners, employees, the community and the environment."

Andersen is the largest window and door manufacturer in North America and was founded in 1903 in Hudson, Wis., by Danish immigrant Hans Andersen and his family. The company moved to what is now Bayport in 1913 and today employs 9,000 people at sites across North America.

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The assistance we received from DEED, and organizations such as Greater MSP, helped ensure this significant expansion happened in our home state," said Jay Lund, chairman, president and CEO of Andersen Corporation. "We had several location options to choose from and selected Minnesota because of the experienced workforce, our integrated supply chain model and the ability to leverage capacity at our flagship plant in Bayport."

The Minnesota Job Creation Fund is a new pay-for-performance program that provides up to $1 million to businesses after they meet certain criteria, including minimum requirements for job creation and private investments. Under the program, businesses must create at least 10 full-time jobs and invest at least $500,000 to be eligible for financial assistance.

The program is available to businesses engaged in manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, technology and other eligible activities. Companies must work with the local government (city, county or township) where a project is located to apply to DEED to receive designation as a Job Creation Fund business.