April 26, 1999 - Minnesota Brewing Company bottlers and brewers are on day three of a strike against the company over changes in work rules. The money losing brewery says it must cut costs.
April 20, 1999 - Northwest Airlines is reporting it lost money during the first three months of the year. But the first quarter results weren't as bad as Wall Street analysts had expected.
April 19, 1999 - Tomorrow Northwest Airlines will report its financial performance for the first quarter of 1999. Last year, for the year, Northwest lost 300 million dollars ... after record profits the year before. Industry analysts say Northwest did NOT get off to a good start in 1999. Many analysts are anticipating a nearly 60 million dollar loss for the first three months of the year. Some predict even higher losses. All seem to agree Northwest is still having trouble winning back customers after last fall's strike.
April 16, 1999 - This weekend a top official from the US Department of Justice will be in the Twin Cities to hear from farmers concerned about dropping prices and growing consolidation in agri-business. Many farmers struggling to get by, suspect one reason the prices they're being offered for their crops and livestock are so low is because there are fewer companies competing for their business.
April 8, 1999 - This afternoon President Clinton and Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji signed an aviation pact that'll significantly increase passenger and cargo flights between the two countries. Among the biggest beneficiaries of the trade agreement will be Twin Cities based Northwest Airlines.
April 5, 1999 - Sun Country Airlines and the Metropolitan Airports Commission have all but agreed to a package of short term improvements to the Hubert H. Humphrey Charter Terminal at the Minnesotaeaplis/ St. Paul airport. The agreement will significantly cut Sun Country's leasing expeneses, while enhancing the airline's facilities.
March 29, 1999 - Wells Fargo and Company says it plans to cut its workforce of 92 thousand by about 46 hundred people as a result of last year's merger with Minneapolis -based Norwest Bank. Many of cuts will be handled through attrition, however bank executives indicate some lay offs are also likely.
March 25, 1999 - Northern States Power Company today announced plans to merge with Denver-based New Century Energies. The deal would create a company with more than six and a half BILLION dollars in revenue and customers in 12 states and several foreign countries. Finalization of the merger will require the approval of numerous state and federal regulators.
March 16, 1999 - The Metropolian Airports Commission is warning people who fly in and out of the Twin Cities international airport that this summer could be a difficult one. Large scale construction on roadways and parking ramps will likely cause major delays for travellers. It's all part of a two billion dollar project that will unfold over the next few years to ensure the airport will be big enough and modern enough to serve Minnesota for the next twenty years.
March 15, 1999 - Two of the nation's largest farmer owned cooperatives, Minnesota-based Cennex Harvest States and Missouri-based Farmland Indsutries, say they're considering merging their grain businesses. They think consolidating could help them better market their member farmer's products. The move is part of a broader trend of agra business consolidation that's creating a handful of enormous conglomerates.