Partnership aims to draw employers to St. Cloud area

St. Cloud did not make Arctic Cat's original list of possible expansion sites.

But when Thief River Falls-based snowmobile and ATV manufacturer learned about the area's well-educated work force, access to major suppliers and reduced-tax JOBZ program, it took a serious look.

CEO Chris Twomey did his research and spoke with local businesspeople before securing the company a spot on Opportunity Drive in 2005.

Landing a spot on lists like Arctic Cat's is not easy. But the St. Cloud Area Economic Development Partnership is going further than it ever has to promote the area and bring new businesses to Central Minnesota as more employers recognize the possibilities of the dual-highway corridor between St. Cloud and the Twin Cities.

The communities touching Interstate Highway 94 and U.S. Highway 10 are expected to almost double in population by 2030, even by conservative estimates. Corridor counties and others on the northwestern corner of the Twin Cities are among the top 100 nationwide for rapid growth.

The Partnership embarked this spring on its largest marketing effort in its 22-year history.
The latest marketing materials complement The Partnership's ongoing visits with site selectors and prospective businesses, exposure at trade conventions and newsletters.

The campaign's series of four postcards encouraged 1,000 businesses and site selectors to make St. Cloud and Central Minnesota a destination. The cards highlighted the area's "abundance of highly skilled labor," "expanding infrastructure" and "ideal location."

They led up to a June event that brought 25 site selectors and 15 business leaders to the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis to learn about the area's latest developments. The Partnership unveiled a new marketing brochure. Read more here.