Our values aren’t a barrier — they’re the reason it can succeed here.

Minnesota has a complicated relationship with the word “growth.” Most appreciate the
benefits — opportunity, stability, strong schools, safe neighborhoods — but we often talk
about growth as if it’s something to be restricted, managed, or feared.

I understand the instinct. I used to have it myself.

Five years ago, I started a construction company in Minneapolis. I pictured building a
boutique business and keeping it that way: a tight team and a comfortable ceiling. Then
something happened that every lucky founder eventually faces: great people showed
up.

Talented team members joined us because they wanted a place where integrity matters,
where they matter, where the standard is high and work is rewarding. Over time, it
became obvious that “capping” the business would eventually cap their opportunity, too.
If we stopped growing, we’d stop creating new roles, new chances for people to build a
career and a life. No growth meant a smaller pie — and people we love would find
opportunities elsewhere.

That’s the lesson Minnesota needs to relearn. Inclusive growth only happens when we
grow. If we want wages to rise and if we want more people to move from the margins
into the middle class, we need an economy that’s expanding.

This isn’t a “grow at any cost” argument. It’s a “grow with purpose” argument.
Minnesota’s values are not a barrier to prosperity. They’re the foundation.

Look at why Minnesota continues to rank as a great place to live and raise a family: a
deep bench of talent, world-class health care, strong civic institutions, and communities
that show up for one another. In the Twin Cities, the share of adults who volunteered in
the past year is extraordinarily high — 44%, best among peer regions. That reflects
culture.

And yet, Minnesota has been in the national spotlight for difficult reasons. Operation
Metro Surge put immigration enforcement at the center of our daily lives and left us
anxious, angry, and divided. At the same time, major fraud in social services damaged
public confidence and embarrassed a state that prides itself on competence.

Those are real problems and we should face them honestly. But this gives me hope: the
same civic muscle that powers our volunteerism and community spirit is exactly what
Minnesota needs right now to move forward by making intentional decisions.

What comes next should be a renewed push to compete.

For too long, Minnesota has been getting in our own way. Too many decisions —
especially around investment, infrastructure, and permitting — are slower, more
uncertain, and more partisan than they need to be. Businesses don’t need a free pass.
We need a clear path: transparent rules, reasonable timelines, and predictable
decisions.

Encouragingly, state leaders are starting to talk about this more directly. The Governor’s
recent executive order on permitting reform recognizes that timely, transparent
permitting can protect the environment and health while also supporting economic
opportunity.

We should also be honest that competitiveness is not abstract. It’s a job site. It’s a
startup. It’s a young family deciding to stay. It’s whether the next generation sees
Minnesota as a place to build their lives — or a place that makes it too hard.

That will require more of our business leaders stepping forward— not just in
boardrooms, but in public. Minnesota once had a tradition of business leadership that
spoke clearly about progress, partnership, and standing up for what’s right. We need
that energy back — not as cheerleading, but as stewardship.

We can hold two truths: Minnesota’s values matter, and Minnesota must grow. In fact,
our values are what make growth here worth pursuing — because we can insist that
opportunity spreads, that the environment is protected, that workers are respected, and
that communities share in the gains.

At Ancoats, I’ve learned that growth is about creating room for other people to thrive.
Minnesota should think about growth the same way — not as a slogan, but as an
obligation to one another.

These past few weeks have reminded us how strong our values are. Let us reposition
our perspective to looking forward, start treating responsible growth as something we do
— together with the confidence that this state can continue to be one of the best places
in America to build a life.

Call me selfish: I want Minnesota to choose building.

— David Wood is founder and president of Ancoats, a Minneapolis-based construction
company.

 

 “Opinion | Minnesota must choose economic growth” The Minnesota Star Tribune, March 9, 2026.