The St. Cloud area's growing reputation in the last decade as a regional business center in Minnesota continues to be fueled by explosive population growth and a pro-business climate. 

The population influx is best illustrated by the numbers. In 2000, St. Cloud MSA's  population totaled 167,392. The projected population for the St. Cloud MSA for 2010 is 193,490.

On the pro-business side, a prime force that's creating this business-friendly environment is The Partnership--the St. Cloud Area Economic Development Partnership, a public-private group committed to enhancing the region's already flourishing economy. A membership organization, The Partnership takes a regional approach to economic development and includes several cities, counties, colleges, universities, public utilities, and other organizations working with a single purpose: sustaining the economic vitality of the Central Minnesota region.

The Partnership works closely with both public- and private-sector entities to develop high quality jobs, a well-trained, educated workforce, and a growing tax base for the region. In addition, The Partnership focuses specifically on marketing the region to selected manufacturing sectors and regional/national service sectors. 

Retaining existing businesses (major employers in the area) and recruiting new companies are top goals of The Partnership. These retention and recruitment efforts are accomplished in a variety of ways:

• Are you a site selector or business owner looking for an existing industrial or commercial building? The Partnership can get you connected with real estate agents, managers of industrial parks,  bankers, or representatives of governmental agencies such as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
• Are you wondering about the current status of the region's economy, or need a clearer picture of the region's labor market? The Partnership coordinates and collects exhaustive research and data on items such as the labor market and publishes this data in documents such as the Quarterly Business Report and economic profile.
• Maybe you'd like to know about available economic development incentives such as tax increment financing options or loan funds. Again, The Partnership can be a helpful resource.

This web site is loaded with substantive material you'll need when deciding whether to choose St. Cloud as a place to locate your business. You'll find a section on Property, which provides all of the pertinent specifications on existing industrial and commercial sites and buildings in the Central Minnesota region. The Research and Data section has information on five components: Quarterly Business Report, Labor Market, Population, Major Employers, and Economic Profile. The Resources section provides links to our partners and helpful information.  And, about the St. Cloud Area focuses on: Infrastructure, Transportation, Education and Training, Quality of Life, Local Taxation, Local Incentives, and Market Proximity.