The East Central Development Partnership (formerly GPS 45:93) has been a driving force for economic development in the east central Minnesota region since 2001. Covering the counties of Isanti, Kanabec, Pine, Mille Lacs, and Chisago, ECDP fosters growth and collaboration by uniting stakeholders, empowering workforce efforts, and improving resource accessibility with the aim of business attraction and expansion.
East Central Minnesota is home to a loyal workforce and abundant natural resources while being connected to three of
the state’s largest metropolitan areas: the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, and Duluth. Unique downtowns, Shovel-Ready development sites, and excellent options for school and health care are among the region’s greatest advantages.
The ECDP focuses on strengthening public-private partnerships. ECDP members include economic development professionals, nonprofits, businesses, banks, schools, and other types of organizations.
ECDP began collaborating with Northspan in 2017. Early projects included an economic gardening initiative, management of student research projects, the launch of a marketing newsletter, and coordination of business attraction-focused events and familiarization tours. More recently, Northspan’s Driving Access to Wealth & Networks (DAWN) program has strengthened collaboration between the northern and east central parts of the state with dedicated programming to help entrepreneurs and businesses access capital and make connections so they can launch and thrive.
ECDP now hosts their regular meeting every other month, often bringing in guest speakers. Their Discover East Central Minnesota event series takes place at different locations each April, and in 2024, ECDP began to scale up its marketing event schedule with a variety of different formats. They hosted a networking event at a Minnesota Twins game in September and a manufacturing summit in October, and planning is in the works for a fishing event on Lake Mille Lacs in summer 2025.
To learn more about great business opportunities in East Central Minnesota and to connect with ECDP, visit their website: ecdp.us