by Dennis Dalman
The long-anticipated sale of 79 acres of city-owned public land in southeast Sartell to Niron Magnetics has been finalized.
The large parcel of land is located at 310 Fourth Avenue S. between Second Street and Heritage Drive, just south of the Sartell Public Works facility.
The Minneapolis-based Niron Magnetics is an advanced technology company specializing in the production of rare-earth free magnets. It plans to build a 150,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Sartell on land that was once owned by the Verso Paper Mill, which closed after an explosion and massive fire killed one Verso employee on Memorial Day, 2012. For more than 100 years, that mill – under various ownerships – was an economic and employment bedrock of Sartell and the surrounding area.
Niron Magnetics is expected to become the most significant private investment Sartell has seen since the 1980s when the paper mill undertook a $300-million expansion. Niron Magnetics will provide many jobs and help restore a lost tax base (the paper mill).
To that end, the Sartell City Council approved a business subsidy package that includes infrastructure reimbursements through tax-increment financing; a land write-down to support the purchase and development; and some waived city fees.
In return, Niron Magnetics has committed to creating 50 full-time jobs within the first two years of operations and as many as 175 more jobs within four years. Niron Magnetics has committed to paying back a portion of the subsidy should the company not meet the job-creation goals.
“Today marks a defining moment in Sartell’s economic renewal,” said Sartell Mayor Ryan Fitzthum. “The loss of the Verso Paper Mill was deeply personal for our community. It wasn’t just a facility, it was a cornerstone of our identity and a source of pride for generations.
“While we can’t replace what was lost, the arrival of Niron Magnetics represents a bold step forward. This isn’t just about repurposing land, it’s about creating a new economic engine for Sartell, built on innovation, sustainability and advanced manufacturing. It brings exactly what our community has worked so hard to rebuild – high-quality jobs, long-term investment and a renewed sense of economic momentum.”
A ground-breaking is expected to take place this fall at the site.
The new Wyndham Garden Hotel planned for Sartell (see related story) was partly the result of Niron Magnetics plans to build in Sartell.
“Bringing Niron Magnetics to Sartell created the catalyst for this (hotel) project,” said the hotel development team. “We knew there was already strong year-round demand for weekend hotel rooms, but Niron provided the weekday demand we needed to make this investment work.”
