ALBDC Welcomes New Tenant, Graduates Another

The Albert Lea Business Development Center (ALBDC), housed under the ALEDA umbrella, serves as a place for entrepreneurs and small business owners of Freeborn County to gain access to the resources they need; such as SCORE mentoring, financing, entrepreneur programming through the Albert Lea Entrepreneur Advancement Program (ALEAP), and incubator space.  

Recently, Granicrete Minnesota, owned by Jean and Tom Eaton, graduated from the ALBDC and has moved to a new showroom located in the old Northpark building. A tenant since 2008, Granicrete Minnesota has seen many successes while a tenant of the ALBDC such as their numerous TV and magazine appearances and the opening of a showroom in Minneapolis. When asked about her experience in the ALBDC, Jean Eaton said, “Our years at the Incubator were great but now we have a new home with better visibility to customers which we didn’t have in our other location.  We believe in the ALBDC and would highly recommend it to any new business!” 

The Albert Lea Business Development Center has also welcomed a new tenant, CrossFit InnerDrive. CrossFit InnerDrive is a fitness gym focused on Crossfit; CrossFit is a training program that builds strength and conditioning through extremely varied and challenging workouts. When asked about choosing the ALBDC, co-owner Brittni Lair said, “The ALBDC has given us an opportunity to create a successful business. The support from the staff has helped us feel confident with our decision of bring a brand new business to Albert Lea.”

ALEDA is the local economic development organization made up of two separate entities – the City of Albert Lea Port Authority and Greater Jobs, Inc.  If you are a new or expanding business looking for assistance contact ALEDA at 507-373-3930.