Connecting with Chamber Executives in Northern Minnesota

By Doug Loon
President and CEO
Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

Coming to you this week from the Cohasset area near Grand Rapids — we’re at Sugar Lake Lodge, a fantastic Chamber member and a place we frequently use for conferences and gatherings. It’s a beautiful week up here in northern Minnesota, and I’m here with the Minnesota of Commerce Chamber Executives Association. This is a professional development organization designed for local chambers of commerce, and the Minnesota Chamber partners with them to help support the chamber infrastructure across the state.

We’re here to make sure our local chambers are successful, because successful chambers build successful communities — and successful communities build a stronger state. This week, chamber execs from around Minnesota have been learning about several key topics. First, cannabis and its impact on Minnesota’s economy. We also did a deep dive into how chambers can help promote civil discourse in their communities. It was a great conversation — especially important as we all work on finding ways to communicate effectively and respectfully so that we can move good things forward.

We’ve also shared best practices and learned more about new state policies, HR issues, and compliance requirements. Chambers are businesses themselves, so they need to stay compliant — and they also play a critical role in helping their members navigate these new rules. It’s been a wealth of information and great networking here at Sugar Lake Lodge.

Meanwhile, if you’ve been following along, we are now down to the Top 16 products in the Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota contest! Participation has been fantastic, and the products are outstanding. The contenders include big names like Spam, Cirrus Aircraft, and Polaris, as well as small-town manufacturing products such as all-terrain wheelchairs, custom fire trucks and teardrop trailers. Voting for this round continues through Sunday, September 21 at midnight. Then, voting for the Top 8 will begin on Monday at noon. Be sure to head to coolestthingmn.com to see the products and cast your vote.

Looking ahead, next week’s podcast will feature State Representative, businessman and my friend, Dave Baker. He’ll join us to talk about the Paid Family and Medical Leave law that takes effect January 1, 2026. This new mandate has implications for both employers and employees, and we’ll break it down together.

And don’t forget — on October 21 the Minnesota Chamber is hosting our Workplace Compliance Conference. DEED and other experts will be on hand to explain what the Paid Family and Medical Leave program means for your business and how to prepare. You can register here.

That’s it from here at Sugar Lake Lodge. Thanks for all you do for Minnesota’s business community – I look forward to catching up with you on next week’s episode of the Minnesota Business Podcast. Have a great weekend!