Minnesota Power is pursuing a 40‑acre site near Duluth International Airport as the future home of a major new service center, a project that would replace the utility’s long‑standing Herbert Service Center on Arrowhead Road. The existing facility, built in 1969, houses nearly 300 employees, including lineworkers, technicians, mechanics, engineers and customer service staff. Company leaders say the building has been stretched far beyond its capacity.
“We’ve remodeled about as much as we can and still meet code,” said Josh Goutermont, vice president of grid operations. He noted the utility has explored relocation options for more than a decade as space constraints and aging infrastructure became increasingly limiting.
The preferred site, located on Duluth Airport Commission land along Stebner Road, would keep crews close to their current service area and maintain response times across Duluth and surrounding communities. Early construction activity could begin next year, though the full project — estimated at $75 million to $100 million — is not expected to be completed until 2032.
Rice Lake officials have already completed an environmental review and are extending sewer and water utilities with help from a federal grant, hoping the service center will anchor a new industrial park. The land lease still requires Federal Aviation Administration approval for nonaeronautical use. The future of the current service center remains undecided, though a sale is possible.
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