News Releases for May 2007
May 17, 2007
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Hoeven, State, Local Officials Meet With Imation Executives
Company Names Team To Work With Task Force And Assist In Transition
BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. John Hoeven, along with state and local officials, met Wednesday with Imation Corp. CEO Frank Russomanno and other senior executives in Oakdale, Minn. to enlist company support in transitioning workers and facilities as the company phases out operation over the next two years in Wahpeton. On Monday Hoeven set up a task force to assist Imation employees in finding new employment opportunities and to secure a new tenant for the Wahpeton facility.
Joining Hoeven for the meeting were Wahpeton Mayor Jim Sturdevant; N.D. Department of Commerce Commissioner Shane Goettle; Job Service North Dakota Director Maren Daley; Jane Priebe of the Wahpeton Economic Development Corp; and Brad Pauly of the Wahpeton Community Development Corp. Also attending the meeting were Pam Gulleson for Sen. Byron Dorgan’s office and Joan Carlson of Rep. Earl Pomeroy’s office. Sen. Kent Conrad also had a representative at the meeting, and has named Marty Boeckel to serve on the task force.
“Imation has a substantial investment and ongoing financial commitments to the Wahpeton plant,” Hoeven said. “That means they have a shared interest to work with us through this transition for the benefit of the community, and especially the workers. Yesterday, at our request, Mr. Russomanno agreed to set up a working group of senior company officials to work with our task force in order to coordinate Imation’s phased exit with new employment opportunities for the plant.”
The Imation team will be led by Ron Cizek, manufacturing director of the Wahpeton facility, and includes John Wilebski, finance manager; Mark LeClair, executive director of manufacturing operations; and Dr. Subodh Kulkarmi, VP for research and development.
The task force Hoeven appointed Monday is co-chaired by Mayor Sturdevant and Commerce Department Commissioner Goettle. The mayor will serve as spokesperson for the group. The co-chairs will call meetings as needed, and have assigned three areas of responsibility within the task force:
- Employee Assistance: Leading the job placement and re-training effort will be Job Service North Dakota Director Maren Daley and Wahpeton Job Service Manager Merlin Beto. They will coordinate with MN Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy.
- Recruiting New Businesses: Leading the effort to find a new tenant or tenants for the site will be Commerce Commissioner Shane Goettle; Wahpeton Economic Development Corp. Director Jane Priebe and ND Division of Economic Development and Finance Director Paul Lucy.
- Liaison between Imation and the Task Force: Wahpeton Community Development Corp. Director Brad Pauly will work to coordinate activities between the task force and the Imation team.
Also, at the meeting the Governor and the group addressed a timeline for re-employing workers and securing a new tenant to occupy the facility on a coordinated schedule with the company’s planned phase down. The company currently employs about 376 workers at the site’s three buildings. Management plans to reduce the workforce by approximately 60 employees at the end of 2007; by approximately 70 by the end of 2008; and the remaining workers by the middle of 2009. Company officials say employees will have 90 days notice prior to a workforce reduction.
Task Force members include:
- Shane Goettle - North Dakota Commerce Commissioner
- Maren Daley - Job Service North Dakota Executive Director
- Jim Sturdevant - Wahpeton Mayor
- Clare Carlson - North Dakota Director, USDA Rural Development
- John Richman or designee - North Dakota State College of Science President
- Dan McElroy - Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development
- Paul Lucy - Dept. of Commerce Economic Development and Finance Director
- Bob Humann – Bank of North Dakota
- Merlin Beto - Job Service North Dakota Manager, Wahpeton
- John Nyquist –Wahpeton Economic Development Corp. Chair
- Jane Priebe - Wahpeton Economic Development Director
- Brad Pauly - Wahpeton Community Development Corporation
- Shawn Kessel - Wahpeton City Administrator
- Pam Gulleson – Representing Sen. Byron Dorgan
- Marty Boeckel – Representing Sen. Kent Conrad
- Joan Carlson – Representing Rep. Earl Pomeroy
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