Starting early in 2018, the SEMLM and CEDA, through a state appropriation to DEED, hired a consulting firm to begin a study project to create a forecasting model of the eight-county area in southeast Minnesota covering Dodge, Fillmore, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha, and Winona counties.

Cities, counties, regional entities, and various regional planning groups from in and around the SE MN region have shared their economic planning information and data for uploading to the REMI forecasting model that our consulting firm, HR&A, is implementing. This is the same modeling system used by DEED for the state economic data, and ours will be just for SE MN.

The goal is to have the SE MN REMI model create useful forecasts for counties, cities, and other planners in our region to anticipate the impacts on infrastructure and services from the combined results of all the various economic development activities throughout and adjacent to SE MN.