ST. PAUL - Barr Engineering Co., an employee-owned engineering and environmental consulting firm with an office in Hibbing, was honored with the Governor's International Trade Award by Lt. Gov. Yvonne Prettner-Solon Tuesday at a ceremony held at the state capitol.
The Governor's International Trade Award honors Minnesota companies that have shown exceptional progress and success in foreign markets. In addition to honoring individual recipients, the award recognizes the tremendous positive effect that exports and trade have on the state's overall economy.
Barr Engineering is the first business with an Iron Range connection to receive the award since it began in 1985.
The company was nominated by Hibbing Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Lory Fedo, and was also named Business of the Year by the chamber in February.
Any Minnesota-based company is eligible to apply.
According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development companies must meet the following criteria:
• Significant portion of business is international
• Demonstrated growth in international business over at least the past three years,
with continued likelihood of growth
• Increased or maintained employment in Minnesota through the expansion of
international trade activity
• Developed novel ideas or approaches to doing business internationally.
Incorporated in 1966, Barr has offices in Minneapolis, Duluth and Hibbing; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Jefferson City, Mo.; and Bismarck, N.D. The company also has a subsidiary, Barr Engineering and Environmental Science Canada Ltd., in Calgary, Alberta.
Its staff of 700 includes engineers, scientists and technical support specialists who serve the mining, power, manufacturing and fuels industries, as well as natural-resources management organizations and municipal, state and federal agencies.
Barr Engineering's services are wide spread. Clients' projects take Barr staff across the Midwest, throughout the Americas, and around the world.
Some of the projects include: air quality permitting, environmental management and compliance assistance, water resources management, and assessment and remediation of contaminated sites. Barr's workforce also engineers and designs structures and processes, as well as designs material-handling systems.
The company set roots on the Range in 1994 when it acquired A.W. Mathews in Hibbing.