How Shakopee netted Shutterfly: people, people, people

Sam Black 

Senior reporter- Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

Shutterfly Inc. broke ground on its new Minnesota factory Tuesday, about a year after the company first weighed Shakopee against other sites nationwide. But the deal for the site itself came together quickly — a pace that government and Shutterfly officials credit to strong relationships.

Ryan Cos. US Inc. developer Casey Hankinson described the process of landing the San Francisco-based company's expansion in the Midwest, which will include 330 full-time jobs and a new 217,000-square-foot facility. There's room on the north side of the building for an 89,000-square-foot addition.

About a year ago, Shutterfly was considering other sites in the Twin Cities and surrounding states. Hankinson sat down with officials from Shutterfly and its commercial real estate brokers from Jones Lang LaSalle to talk about Ryan's site. By this summer, the negotiations centered on Shakopee. Only 30 days later, a lease was signed. More here.