City considers leasing land for Lamppa Manufacturing expansion

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2017 — With new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards in hand for its new Vapor Fire Model 100 wood stove Lamppa Manufacturing, a long-time small manufacturing business in Tower, hopes soon to expand locally. The stove manufacturer is the only company in the country which has met all EPA standards for the year 2020 and beyond and the company would like to build a new manufacturing facility in the Tower business park located just south of town on Highway 135. Lamppa Manufacturing representatives recently met with Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) Commissioner Mark  Phillips seeking funding to build the new facility. They learned that the City of Tower could apply for a non-recourse loan to build the facility and Lamppa Manufacturing could make payments, over time, to amortize the costs of its construction.

At its regular meeting, Monday, September 11, the Tower City Council discussed leasing land in the city’s business park to Lamppa Manufacturing and seeking a IRRRB non-recourse loan to enable it to build suitable accommodations for Lamppa Manufacturing. Although many of the details still need to be developed, including site determination, estimated costs of construction and making funding application to the IRRRB the city council unanimously passed a motion to support Lamppa Manufacturing in its endeavor to expand.

The city council also discussed creating a new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to help potential new owners of the Standing Bear Marina to update and expand the business there. The city previously used TIF financing to build the Tartan Transportation building which was converted into the Vermilion Country (charter) School. Because creating TIF districts can be complex the city council instructed City Clerk-Treasurer Linda Keith to contact Nick Skarich, Dougherty and Company, in Minneapolis, to explore the idea of creating a new TIF district to include… [Read More]