Dee DePass
Reporter
Small BusinessOriginally from the East Coast, Dee earned her undergraduate degree at Vassar College and a master's degree in journalism at the University of Maryland. She has been a journalism fellow at several institutions including the Wharton School of Business, East West Center, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, and the Sidney Hillman Foundation. In her spare time, she enjoys travel, reading, fitness, and gardening.
Latest from Dee DePass
$71M recycled aluminum plant in Rosemount will help stem tariff costs
EGA Spectro Alloys’ new facility will add 50 jobs and will produce a much-in-demand product.
July 9, 2025
$11M Plaza de Sol development will bring food hall, small business incubator to St. Paul’s East Side
Latino Economic Development Center will open offices, commercial kitchens, event space and more at 990 Payne Av.
July 2, 2025
Trump travel ban disrupting business trips for immigrants in Minnesota
President Donald Trump said the bans, which include Somalia and Afghanistan, are for security purposes, but legal immigrants worry about how it will affect them.
June 24, 2025
Minnesota beverage company growing but rethinking $3.5M expansion because of economy
As Big Watt and more small businesses step up lobbying efforts, a U.S. Bank survey released this week found that others are in the same predicament, growing but worried about thinner profit margins.
June 18, 2025
Family-owned Smead Manufacturing, a mainstay in Hastings, sold to Illinois company
Terms of the sale to Tops Products were not disclosed.
June 10, 2025
J&E Cos. shuts three Twin Cities factories, laying off 145
Company officials said in state filing that J&E had financial problems and an attempt to sell the company failed.
June 10, 2025
Minnesota factories strained by new steel tariffs and ensuing chaos
The latest round of tariff increases, doubling levies on steel and aluminum, went into effect this week.
June 6, 2025
![Three weeks ago, Octavio Rodriguez switched from making transmission parts to casting parts for hospital bed brake assemblies at Twin City Die Castings. ] GLEN STUBBE • glen.stubbe@startribune.com Thursday, April 9, 2020 How employee-owned Twin City Die Casting, which just laid off 40 production workers of its 250 employees in what was supposed to be a good year, is trying to accelerate its pivot to growing medical parts business for ventilators, hospital beds, etc as it copes with instan](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/WNZYKGTZ5IYMUCO3KI5TR3N7WI.jpg?&w=252&ar=3:2&fit=crop)
After 60 years, federal cuts shutting down Job Corps center in St. Paul
The Hubert H. Humphrey center offers job training and stable homes to more than 150 teens. The Department of Labor is shutting down Job Corps centers across country.
June 3, 2025
Family-owned Smead Manufacturing, a mainstay in Hastings, sold to Illinois company
Terms of the sale to Tops Products were not disclosed.
June 10, 2025
J&E Cos. shuts three Twin Cities factories, laying off 145
Company officials said in state filing that J&E had financial problems and an attempt to sell the company failed.
June 10, 2025
Minnesota factories strained by new steel tariffs and ensuing chaos
The latest round of tariff increases, doubling levies on steel and aluminum, went into effect this week.
June 6, 2025
After 60 years, federal cuts shutting down Job Corps center in St. Paul
The Hubert H. Humphrey center offers job training and stable homes to more than 150 teens. The Department of Labor is shutting down Job Corps centers across country.
June 3, 2025