How are Minnesota buyers and suppliers creating connections during COVID?

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses to rapidly adopt new ways of operating while limiting exposure to COVID-19. Not only have Minnesota businesses led the way in adopting these best practices, but many of them have stepped up to supply products and technologies that limit the spread of the virus. 

Jasper Engineering & Equipment is one such business. The company was founded in Hibbing in 1958 to serve the needs of the newly emerging taconite mining industry, as research from the University of Minnesota created a new market opportunity for the industry and its suppliers. Jasper Engineering, an engineered solution equipment supplier, has since grown to serve customers across seven states in a diverse range of industries, such as oil and gas, grain and biofuels, pharmaceutical and medical technology, power and municipal water treatment, food and dairy, chemical and oilseed processing. 

Earlier this year Jasper Engineering once again shifted their business to meet another market need, this time born out of a public health crisis that left businesses scrambling to figure out how they can remain open while keeping employees and customers safe. Through their relationship with their manufacturing partner, Goodview, they introduced new technologies that utilize advanced thermal detection scanners which quickly scan the internal body temperatures of anyone entering a facility. This solution allows businesses to identify potential safety threats and help mitigate large scale exposure at their site.

Jasper Engineering is also in dialogue with a supplier of unique Bluetooth tags which provide precise contact tracing, allowing employers to easily identify specific individuals at risk from exposure, thereby avoiding facility wide shutdowns.

Though the pandemic has made some B2B partnerships more difficult, there are solutions to help suppliers connect with one another. The MN Supplier Match – a database and sourcing service of the Minnesota Chamber – has been shining a spotlight on Minnesota suppliers and how businesses can connect with them.

“COVID presents countless challenges to businesses, but near the top of the list is creating and maintaining the connections needed for us to thrive,” said Dawn Whittenburg, sales and marketing manager for Jasper Engineering.  “Through the Chamber’s network of business contacts, MN Supplier Match connects buyers and suppliers from across the state.”
 

MN Supplier Match is a resource for businesses around the state to find innovative suppliers like Jasper Engineering and others. Click here and sign up for complimentary access to this database of over 1,000 Minnesota suppliers.