TOWER— Tower Vision 2025 principal Orlyn Kringstad and his Norwegian business partners appear close to finalizing an agreement that would establish a high-quality cabin and small home manufacturing operation here, perhaps as early as next year.
Last Thursday, Kringstad, who recently returned from an extended business trip to Norway, presented an Oct. 4 letter from Audun Skattebo to the Tower Economic Development Authority. Skattebo is the CEO of Tinde Hytter, a small home and cabin manufacturer based in Norway. “Tinde Hytter’s management and board have great interest in both the export of our small homes and cottages to the USA and for participating in the production of our Tinde units in Tower, Minnesota,” wrote Skattebo. Referencing a Memorandum of Understanding drafted during Kringstad’s trip, Skattebo added: “I want to confirm to you and your collaborating partners in Minnesota, our agreement, and intention to sign the document soonest possible.”
Kringstad said plans for the first imported cottages, which will be shipped into the port in Duluth, are already being drafted by Tinde and could be delivered as soon as December, assuming the Duluth Harbor remains ice-free until then.
The Tinde cottages are expected to be assembled in the pending development of the property formerly owned by Tom and Joe Mesojedec, which has been purchased by the principals of Your Boat Club. A more refined concept plan, presented to TEDA last week, shows 13 small cottages along the west shore of the East Two River, with several other small units located just behind the Marjo Motel. The interior of the 18-acre parcel would be developed into larger, two and three-bedroom home/cabins, with a handful of four-plexes located just off Marina Drive on a five-acre parcel currently owned by TEDA. All of the units would be linked via paved trails and road to the adjacent Your Boat Club marina.
Your Boat Club principal Luke Kujawa recently returned from a visit to Norway to visit the Tinde plant and some current construction sites where the Tinde units are being built. He said he’s more convinced than ever that the units will be an excellent fit for the property. “I’m really, really impressed by the cottages, their manufacture and construction, and their clean design. They’re also very efficient,” he said. “They have a very modern look, yet they tie in well with the natural wood and natural colors that fit the landscape.”
The visit to Tinde included Kringstad, his Norwegian business partner Lars Hansted, and local contractor Shawn Webster, of Webster’s Northland Construction, who is expected to oversee much of the expected construction on Kujawa’s site. Webster may also be involved in the potential construction of a Tinde manufacturing plant in Tower.
The TEDA board briefly discussed options for a Tinde plant, which would most likely be built in the city’s industrial park. Webster, who also attended the TEDA meeting, indicated that the plant would likely need to be around 13,000-15,000 square feet. The construction cost for a facility that size is currently unknown.
With plans for significant residential development near the Your Boat Club marina, questions have been raised about the wastewater treatment capacity of the Tower-Breitung wastewater ponds. While recent work to reduce inflow and infiltration into the sewer system appears to have freed up some capacity, it’s not clear that a development of the size that’s being considered could be fully accommodated. That’s one reason that Kujawa and Kringstad are pursuing an alternative waste treatment technology that may allow the development to treat its own wastewater.
It’s not the only way in which the new development could maintain its independence. “If I had to guess, we’ll be building the whole development to be entirely off-grid, covering all our heating and cooling needs with solar technology. If the development is ultimately connected to the electric grid, Kujawa said he hopes the development will be a net producer of power to the grid rather than a consumer. “I really want to explore and am motivated and energized to explore this as a self-sustaining development,” he said. “That’s not only something that matters in the marketplace, it’s something that matters,” he said.
He’s especially excited about a new technology, known as solar capture, being used by another Norwegian company to provide full home heating with hot water heated from the sun. The same technology also provides cooling in the summer.
“We met with some of the top engineers on solar and solar capture, and everything just started coming together,” said Kujawa, who said the engineers guaranteed that the technology would work well, even in northern Minnesota.
“This is going to be done the right way,” said Kujawa. “We want to do something that’s going to be good for the environment and the community, and that will be a model that’s replicable elsewhere.”