MDI will break ground on a new plant near Hibbing, Minn., as part of a $9 million expansion of its northern Minnesota operations.
The company recently purchased land for the new 35,000-square-foot plant that will replace MDI's existing 100-year-old building in Hibbing and will cost more than $5 million. The groundbreaking is scheduled for early June.
CEO Peter McDermott said the construction is necessitated by business growth and the need for better working conditions for employees of the nonprofit contract manufacturer.
The 50-year-old light manufacturer and packager employs more than 300 workers, about half of whom have disabilities.
McDermott, who came to MDI after a career in industry and economic development, is a proponent of a workforce that integrates the developmentally disabled with other workers.
McDermott said the expanding "social enterprise" business expects employment over the next three years to grow up to 1,000 people, including contractors, about half of whom will have physical or mental disabilities.
The expansions "will increase our competitiveness in the market and ultimately lead to more jobs," McDermott said.
The company has acquired a high-speed die cutter and in-line printing capabilities for its nearby Grand Rapids, Minn., facility.
