by Dennis Dalman
The Sartell High School Robotics Team was one of the fortunate factors that helped convince a major company, Minneapolis-based Niron Magnetics, to set up shop in Sartell.
The Sabre Robotics team has won multiple awards and even qualified to compete in early 2024 for the World Robotics Championship last year in Houston, Texas. What’s more, the team also qualified for the World Finals in 2023. Team members fund, design and build robots with input from specialized groups of students within the team and guidance from experienced mentors.
Niron Magnetics is a producer of the world’s first commercial, high-performance, rare-earth free permanent magnets. It is expected to open its new plant in Sartell sometime in 2025. It was recognized by TIME magazine as one of America’s “Top Green” (environmentally friendly) Tech Companies of 2024.
Sartell City Engagement Director Nikki Sweeter told the Newsleaders how that fortuitous coincidence between that company and the robotics team came to be. Last summer, officials at Niron Magnetics had informed Sartell it was one of 15 sites being considered for a new manufacturing plant.
“They were very forthcoming about how important building relationships with higher education and high schools was to them,” Sweeter said. “We went to the high-school superintendent and the high-school principal with that information, and they ran with it.”
School officials then invited the robotics team members to become involved with tours the city set up in Sartell for the visiting Niron Magnetics officials. During that first visit, in July, Sartell High School Principal Shayne Kusler was present and talked at length with the visiting officials about how the high school values learning programs that connect with current local businesses, such as the robotics program, and how the school intends to extend that to new businesses, including – potentially – Niron Magnetics.
That company then returned to Sartell for a regional tour in September, during which time they watched a demonstration-presentation by the Sabres’ Robotics Team.
“They (team members) did an amazing job, and Niron Magnetics was so impressed,” Sweeter said.
That company some time later decided to build in Sartell at a site along Fourth Avenue S. that used to be owned by the paper mill in the city but has been purchased, along with the former mill site, by the city.
The robotics team then made a metal “Welcome to Sartell” sign to present to a State of the City gathering. Since then, Niron Magnetics invited the robotics team members to visit its Minneapolis production facility.
“It made us all super-proud,” Sweeter said, “that those students were coming out of the Sartell-St. Stephen School District.”
Sabre Robotics Build Team members practice feeding a ring through an intake design model during a practice run on Jan. 11, 2024. The Sabre Robotics team made it into the World Championship Competition in Houston, Texas which took place April, 2024. They also made it to the World Finals in 2023. These team members are (left to right) Quinn Carlson, 15; Daniel Schultz, 16; and Alex Welte, 16, all of Sartell.
