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BLADC 2020 Program Spring-Fall 2008 Introduction Crow Wing County is home to a variety of public and private industrial/business parks. Many of the first parks were successful which led to expansions. Currently, there are proposals for new parks in the greater Brainerd Lakes Area and Phase IV of the Brainerd Industrial Park is reaching completion. This data has been collected to illuminate past investments and be informative for future planning. The following research focuses on basic data analyzing the economic impact of the three municipal parks in Baxter, Brainerd,and Pequot Lakes. Public Private Proposed Baxter Industrial Park Crosslake Eggena Area Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport Brainerd Industrial Park Jenkins Business Park County Methane Digester Area Pequot Lakes Business Park Northern Pacific Center(Brainerd) Irrigation Fields(Pequot Lakes) Ironton Industrial Park Potlatch(Baxter) Weyerhaeuser(Deerwood) Crosslake Industrial Park Private(Crosby) BRHSC(Health Related) Public(Emily) Economic diversification is one of the main benefits an industrial/business park can bring to a local economy. The parks in Crow Wing County have done this by aiding in attracting and retaining manufacturing and industrial businesses. Meanwhile, the parks have also provided a home to many business support enterprises, particularly wholesale, distribution services, and warehousing. The jobs and wages created by these industries generally provide the type of income that is the stable foundation of families and communities. Typically, this type of planned development will increase consumer spending and support economic growth in the whole region.This in turn reduces the area residents'reliance on government aid and/or services. Industrial/business parks have many other benefits for neighboring communities. Besides giving support to Crow Wing County through increased local investment, higher market values, and taxes being paid, the parks provide valuable logistical support to businesses in nearby communities. Even more striking during this analysis was the extent to which industrial/business park employees lived throughout the greater Brainerd Lakes Area. Many businesses reported large portions of their staff commuting from surrounding cities and counties, often as far away as Pine River, Aitkin, and Staples. The income these local residents bring back to their communities supports their respective local businesses. 2