The City of Two Harbors is looking to grow. Like many areas, it wants more people, more business, more economy, more opportunities. How to get there is a puzzle, and it’s even more of a challenge to do so in a healthy way, preserving what makes the local culture and environment shine. To help get some guidance on the process, the Two Harbors Economic Development Authority (THEDA) has hired an expert: Golden Shovel Agency, which describes itself as an Economic Development Strategy & Communications Firm. Golden Shovel Agency’s Director of Content Management, Chuck Friedbauer, was on hand at the Two Harbors City Council’s meeting on September 14th to formally introduce himself to the Council and explain how the firm works.
Growing a town requires knowing how to handle not only bringing in businesses, but keeping them and gathering the workforce to staff them. The firm would use their collective expertise to advise Two Harbors with a marketing strategy custom-suited to the area’s needs and strengths to attract both wanted businesses and people alike. The firm has worked alongside organizations and local governments nationwide, and Friedbauer emphasized that when it comes to marketing your town, no two places are alike, summing it up by stating, “Growth means something different to every community.”
To get that personal touch, Golden Shovel Agency is starting their work with local surveys, interviews, and other research on the area. Although the Council was given forms to fill out for their own answers, Friedbauer was enthusiastic to get to questions straightaway, and Councilor Robin Glaser (sitting in for Council President Uriah Hefter, who was away this session) took him up on the offer.
Friedbauer’s first question: What does successful growth look like to you?
Councilor Todd Redmann’s answer was “controlled growth”, as in keeping all major sectors of a society growing at around an equal rate. He gave an example of how more economic development needs more housing for workers, which in turn needs utility expansions, platting of new ground, and the building of new structures. “And if they get out of whack,” he continued, “it can cause problems.”
Councilor Donna Heil took another aspect for her answer, which was economic development in Two Harbors’ downtown area. She noted the City’s struggle to keep businesses going is a common problem across the country for both small towns and cities, though she is hopeful the Agate Bay project, which will add a large amount of nearby parkland and amenities to attract visitors, will help.
For his second question, Friedbauer asked each member of the Council to answer in turn: What do they consider Two Harbors’ biggest selling point, and what do they consider the town’s biggest hurdle?
Councilor Ben Redden started the group off with the positive of being on the North Shore, with “picturesque views” and a “Minnesota Nice vibe” attractive to a lot of people. A common theme for feedback he’s heard, he stated, is about the potential of Two Harbors: its place next to Lake Superior and its hiking trails being just two of the features that make it a natural destination for tourists and those looking to live in a place where they can pursue a number of outdoor interests. On the negative side, he brought up comments heard in years past of there being too many hoops to jump through for new businesses to establish themselves in town. In recent times, however, these complaints have tapered off. Redden believes that’s due to efforts by City Administrator Patty Nordean and other City staff to actively communicate and work with potential new business owners. “I think our administration has come a long way,” he said, thanking them. But there is always room for more improvement, and he ended by saying that any additional help from the agency on the topic would be appreciated.
Friedbauer acknowledged that businesses finding it onerous to work with local governments is a common issue, and that permitting and other matters relating to gaining a foothold with a new business can be a delicate balance for a city to master.
Heil was second to answer and began by agreeing with Redden regarding the region’s positives. “This is a beautiful part of the world, and we’re really blessed to be able to live on the North Shore,” she said, listing access to fresh air and fresh water, plus a degree of protection from the warming climate as large pluses. As a concern, she pointed back to Redmann’s answer to the earlier question on the difficulty Two Harbors could potentially have of maintaining a healthy balance between housing growth, hiring, and support for schools and shopping: the hurdle of “just making sure that we can keep pace with more development.”
Friedbauer agreed that it is a challenge to preserve what you have when moving to a larger scale.
Glaser answered third, emphasizing that its location was key to Two Harbors’ strengths, making it a desirable place to live. Moving forward, her concern is to keep in mind the lessons of the past and have a greater diversity of businesses. Industries go through periods of downsizing and subsequent job losses, she explained, as the region has experienced firsthand. “Without the diversity part of it, we’re setting ourselves up for failure again,” she stated. “I would love to go back to a day when our children could go to a trade school or go to college and then return back and raise their families here.” In line with what other Councilors mentioned, she sees a balance of businesses, housing, and other resources aiding with that healthier economy and thus healthier Two Harbors.
Redmann added his support for responses by the other Councilors. Keeping on the theme of balance, he brought up balance between attracting businesses and having a tax base that supports city functionality and growth. He elaborated on the types of businesses he wants in Two Harbors, namely those willing to partner with the City to have both parties “thrive and be profitable.” The City’s largest hurdle, for him, is its current aging workforce. He noted that demographically, Lake County has the 2nd oldest population in the state. In addition to solutions mentioned by others, he thinks adding housing designed and built for the aging population, “where they can enjoy the rest of their life after they’re done working,” will allow them to continue to live in the area more comfortably – say, without having to worry about shoveling snow – while freeing up housing for younger people to move in.
Mayor Lew Conner kept his statement short and agreed with the others, saying they had hit upon the major points.
Finally, Councilor Cathy Erickson chimed in over Zoom to reiterate the City’s strength of being on the North Shore. Beyond that, the number of amenities available right in town, from recreation to healthcare to the schools, makes the area more attractive to potential residents, businesses, and organizations. Her challenge to overcome was adding a skilled workforce to operate potential new businesses in the region, though she noted Two Harbors does have the additional strength of being a bedroom community for Duluth, which could help increase the potential talent pool significantly. She sees having more educational opportunities for residents as a complement to economic development.
After the Council’s answers, Heil turned it back on Friedbauer: “Exactly the same question, from your point of view.”
Friedbauer qualified his answer as being from “someone who lives in the Twin Cities” and used to live in Washington State, saying that after coming up from Duluth, he has long seen Two Harbors as the starting point of the North Shore and all it represents. He likes the area enough that, he noted, he is considering moving there now that his kids have moved out. In terms of downsides, he sees the area’s weakness as being how unknown it is. He described passing through for years while knowing little about Two Harbors, only looking at it more closely while searching for the Superior Hiking Trail office near Castle Danger Brewery. On seeing the ore docks, he said his thought was, “Wow, this is an interesting area; why don’t I know more about it?” In his eyes, Two Harbors is a wonderful area to live in; it just needs word to be spread that it is a good place to live along the North Shore without having to go as far as Grand Marais.
Redmann followed up by noting that he himself moved to the area after being a regular visitor to the North Shore over the course of his life. “We are the gateway to the North Shore, and I think that’s a selling point for us,” he said, with the wilderness and recreational opportunities to the north and the amenities of the Twin Ports to the south.
Friedbauer wrapped up his time with the Council by adding that, much like Redden, the main idea about Two Harbors that he’s had come up in interviews and talks so far has been ‘potential’. Prior to the meeting, he spent most of the day doing interviews with local stakeholders, and he stated there were more interviews to come the following day.
The Two Harbors City Council approved a marketing strategy proposal with Golden Shovel Agency on the recommendation of THEDA for $24,500 during the July 13th meeting. Golden Shovel Agency is headquartered in Little Falls, Minnesota, and has been in business for over 16 years. They boast over 400 projects completed in over 43 states and five countries, along with a 95% client retention rate.
