Duluth to get key technology infrastructure company

A team of Duluth area economic developers have worked out a deal with Visi, Inc. The company announced Thursday that construction will begin soon and be complete by next Spring.

Economic development experts are thrilled by the development because while Visi will employ only a few people at first, the services it will provide will open the door for more technology and data-driving companies.

Read the press release here.

According to a story in the Duluth News Tribune:

“VISI aims to draw much of its business from clients located within a 1½-hour drive of its facility in Duluth, but it also will offer backup protection of data for Twin Cities area clients. Sowada said that by backing up data in a remote location, such as Duluth, customers can reduce the risk of any catastrophic event wiping out vital information.

“The company boasts annual revenues of about $11 million. Its clients include Caribou Coffee, Health Partners, Gander Mountain, Star Tribune, Lund Boats and PeopleNet Communications. While the majority of VISI’s business comes from in state, Sowada said the company also has active clients in40 other states.

“Nancy Norr, a regional development manager for Minnesota Power, said VISI’s construction of a facility in Duluth could open doors for other local businesses.

“I’ve compared this project to opening an airport,” she said. “The facility itself may not employ a lot of people, but as a data center it can provide the kind of high-tech infrastructure other companies need to grow.”

Norr also expressed optimism that VISI’s decision to enter the Duluth market could send a positive “message to other technology companies looking to expand.

“It could serve as an avenue to attract other Twin Cities-based firms to locate some of their operations in the region, as well,” she said.

“Duluth’s relativelydisaster-free reputation is one of the possible attractions for companies such as VISI that specialize in providing secure data management, according to Lisa Heyesen, of the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion. She pointed out that Duluth rarely sees tornadoes and has no history of earthquakes, hurricanes or other catastrophic events that threaten other cities.

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