Brooks Johnson
Business Reporter
Food and manufacturingRaised in Fargo and educated at the University of Montana, Johnson worked at newspapers in Idaho, Washington and Duluth before joining the Minnesota Star Tribune at its relaunched Duluth bureau in 2019. He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and their young sons.
Latest from Brooks Johnson
Midwest favorite Jack Link’s has made beef jerky the family business
The reigning meat snacks leader, founded in Wisconsin, took some uncomfortable risks in its 40-year history.
April 30, 2025
Nonprofit BioMADE picks Maple Grove for its $132M flagship plant
The pilot facility, which the state of Minnesota and U.S. Department of Defense helped pay for, is meant to kick-start the national bio-economy.
April 29, 2025
3M on track to quit making PFAS this year, but it could take longer to shake completely
PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” are deeply embedded in supply chains and critical for circuit boards, batteries and gaskets.
April 28, 2025
Why are there two seafood plants in the small Minnesota town of Motley?
Morey’s and Trident trace their history to a broken-down truck and a crate of corn.
April 25, 2025
‘Show up’ and ‘pay it forward’: How Minnesota food companies can help startups thrive
Allison Hohn, the executive director of Naturally Minnesota, wants to see local success breed success like it does in medtech.
April 24, 2025
General Mills tried natural-colored Trix. Cereal buyers wanted artificial dyes back.
The FDA announced this week it wants artificial colors out of food, like it or not, a stance U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has championed.
April 23, 2025
The New York Times’ Kathleen Hennessey is named Star Tribune’s top editor
The Midwest’s largest newsroom to be led by the St. Paul native whose career was spent at some of America’s most storied news outlets.
April 22, 2025
Maplewood-based 3M has calculated its annual tariff bill: $850 million
The Minnesota company projects up to a 5% hit to its bottom line this year due to the global trade war President Donald Trump’s tariffs ignited.
April 22, 2025
Hopkins star Paige Bueckers is already a millionaire before suiting up in the WNBA
The No. 1 pick for the Dallas Wings earned more in college name, image, likeness deals with UConn than what her rookie contract will provide.
April 15, 2025
Minnesota food companies factoring in how weight-loss drugs affect snack sales
From General Mills to Hormel, the food industry is reckoning with more consumers on GLP-1 meds who are eating healthier and less.
April 10, 2025
The latest on the effects of Trump’s tariffs on Minnesota
The U.S. paused new import taxes on many foreign goods Wednesday but increased tariffs to 125% on China.
April 9, 2025
![Gas was $2.39 at the BP gas station ay 46th Street at Lyndale in South Minneapolis. ] GLEN STUBBE * gstubbe@startribune.com Friday September 4, 2015 Pre-Labor Day gas prices in the U.S. are the lowest in 11 years, and under $2 per gallon in many states, though Minnesota's average is nearly 40 cents higher. Just one station, in Brainerd, was selling at $1.99. Checking on whether that is a promotion. Costco and Sams Clubs, usually the low price leaders, were 15 cents more. With some motorists' tho](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/4U372WPXFGGQGQHPL2CTC4SFUY.jpg?&w=252&ar=3:2&fit=crop)
Slaughterhouse cleaning crew that illegally hired minors loses Minnesota pork plant contract
Quality Pork Processors in Austin notified Fortrex, formerly known as PSSI, of the change. The sanitizing company said 72 employees will be laid off or relocated.
April 9, 2025
