Minnesota has 19 Fortune 500 companies and seven of the country’s biggest private businesses, including Cargill, an international agricultural firm that is the largest privately held company in the United States. Homegrown companies in Minnesota include 3M, General Mills, Medtronic, and Ecolab.
Home To International Firms
International companies are increasingly finding the state to their liking. Geringhoff, a German farm-implement manufacturer, began production at its first North American facility in St. Cloud in 2013. Another international firm, India-based Tata Consultancy Services, expanded operations in Bloomington in a move that brought 150 high-technology jobs to the state.
Companies consistently cite the state’s strong work force as a factor for locating here. Minnesota workers are among the most highly educated in the country and are frequently praised for their high productivity, motivation, and low absenteeism.
Another draw is state incentive programs, including the Minnesota Job Creation Fund, a new performance-based program that pays up to $1 million to businesses that meet jobs and investment criteria.
