ABOUT SE MINNESOTA
When a business looks at the cost of shipping products across North America it is good to be located at the center of the continent. From here the costs of distribution to any part of the country are fairly uniform thus giving a consistant shipping cost for pricing.
Our region borders Iowa and Wisconsin and we are strategically located to these states.
Workforce
When one looks for good quality, well trained, low cost labor, you will find that Southeastern Minnesota has plenty of it. It is the goal of all of our communities to attract local employers so that we can keep our young people here in our region.
Quality of Life
Big contributors to assuring low cost labor are low property taxes, a low cost of home acquisition and readily available home and business sites. We have them all.
Mayo Clinic is located in Rochester and perhaps more important, the Mayo Healthcare System and Gundersen Lutheran have installed satellite clinic facilities in many of our communities thus providing world class healthcare access for our residents and workers. People come from all over the world to use the associated clinics and hospital facilities.
Then there is something that it is hard to describe. We Minnesotans know it as “Quality of Life.” If you’ve never had it, you’ll recognize it when you see it. If you have had it then you’ll be glad to find that it is alive and well here in Southeast Minnesota. Money Magazine described our region as “The Best Place to Live in America” three times running and it reflects that quality of life of our cities and towns in SE Minnesota. Our Q.O.L. just keeps getting better and better.
Industry
We are located in the heart of the agriculture belt with corn and soybeans grown here in abundance. These are contributing to the creation of bio-fuels for diesel and ethanol and we have plants in our region where these crops are processed. Our region is well on its way to developing cellulose crops that will provide higher conversion rates at lower cost and using less valuable non-crop land sitting idle today. The future looks good for SE Minnesota as a major energy producer.
Would you believe that SE Minnesota is also heavily involved in genetic research? A partnership between the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic is creating a premier research facility for North America for biology and genetic research. That means we have well educated, well trained, proven high IQ people living in our communities. This makes a huge difference when it comes time to brainstorm solutions to community problems. It also makes it natural to come to Southeast Minnesota and to locate medical, pharmaceutical, and medical related businesses. Whether it be medical equipment, medical supplies, or medical research, a facility located in our region and in partnership with our regional medical partners has a lot going for it.
The region is also a leader in information technology. IBM has a large development laboratory and manufacturing site located in Rochester thus there is an abundance of trained engineering and computer skills in our region. This region is a ripe natural location for partnering with IBM.
Energy and Utilities
Due to our regions natural features and advantages, we have plenty of energy to help power any company. We partner with all of the regional electrical and natural gas suppliers and thus we can meet your needs.
We also have an abundance of clean, potable water for industrial, commercial, and community use.
Transportation
Major Interstate highways run right through our region thus making trucking easy to accomplish. We are also serviced by the Canadian Pacific Railway making distribution via rail a viable offering. We have small regional airports and nearby Rochester has an International Airport with flights to major cities available daily for passengers and with expansion room and has excellent cargo facilities. UPS has a warehouse and shipping facility at the Rochester Airport and makes daily cargo flights. We are well connected to the American transportation network.
When a business looks to the use of waterways for shipping, especially by barge, it is good to be located on the Mississippi River. The river also provides recreational uses, making it a prime location for food, marina, boating sales and service, and of course tourism.
If you need contract manufacturers we have them in our region including companies like Benchmark Electronics. There is no need to ship work offshore when SE Minnesota can be used instead.
Education
We have good education facilities for K-12 and well developed higher education through the University of Minnesota, Winona State University, the Mayo Medical School, Globe College, and a variety of other private and public universities, liberal arts colleges and technical colleges. Minnesota schools rank well in national competition.
Doing business in Southeast Minnesota is a good investment!
Did we mention that we have a staff equipped to help you make investment decisions in Southeast Minnesota and that much of our services are FREE? It’s true and we can help you develop business opportunity in Southeast Minnesota.
We also have powerful partners offering incredible programs including tax free opportunities and capital help.
If you want to explore our strategic partnerships further then just click HERE.
About Southeastern Minnesota
