Target Industries

Back Office

Business Support Services

The Minneapolis MSA has one of the most dynamic business communities in the Midwest, with growing companies of all kinds and sizes – a great market for back office and business support services! Immediately due north of the Twin Cities, Anoka County offers you the available buildings, trained workers, and affordable business costs that help your business support enterprise succeed.

Available Buildings

Anoka County features many available buildings and offices, including more than a dozen with 10,000 or more available square feet.

Competitive Labor Costs

Anoka County enjoys median wages for many business service professions that are below that of the Minneapolis MSA and the state of Minnesota.

Data Centers

With access to plentiful and redundant sources of power and broadband in a place with a cool climate and low disaster risk, Anoka County is the right place for data centers and other IT-intensive projects. Add to that Minnesota’s generous tax incentives, and it’s clear that Anoka County should be on your short list.

Minnesota’s I-35 Technology Corridor runs through northeastern Anoka County. The corridor offers excellent fiber capacity with multiple carriers and access points, as well as multiple access to electric power of 69 to 230 kV and more than 200 megawatts.

• Minnesota Data Center Sales Tax Incentives – Companies that build data or network operation centers of at least 25,000 square feet and invest $30 million in the first four years qualify for valuable tax incentives.

  • In addition, Minnesota does not tax:

    • Personal property

    • Inventories

    • Utilities

    • Internet access

    • Information services

    • Custom-created software

• Fiber

  • 97.1% of Anoka County has broadband over 100+ mbps, and several locations provide access to over 1 Gbit broadband. Andover has the highest broadband coverage of all cities in Minnesota.

• Climate

  • Minnesota’s moderate climate allows for more than 300 days of free cooling annually.

• Low natural disaster risk

  • According to historical data, less than four percent of the tornadoes in the country take place in the state. This low occurrence makes Minnesota a safe place for data centers (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

Competitive Wages

Anoka County enjoys median wages for many IT professions that are below that of the Minneapolis MSA and the state of Minnesota.

Manufacturing

From medical devices to chemicals and plastics to heavy machinery, manufacturing is thriving in Anoka County. Our workforce has the skills today’s manufacturers need, and our central location provides access to suppliers and customers worldwide. Find our how Anoka County can position your manufacturing business for success!

Workforce with the Skills You Need

Extremely high concentration of the following manufacturing occupations (location quotient > 2.5)

• Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers

• Etchers and Engravers

• Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

• Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers

• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

• Computer Numerically Controlled Machine Tool Programmers, Metal and PLastic

• Computer-Controlled Machine Tool Operators, Metal and PLastic

• Machinists

• Industrial Engineering Technicians

• Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

• Medical Appliance Technicians

• Industrial Engineers

• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

• Industrial Production Managers

• Mechanical Engineering Technicians

• Tool and Die Makers

Manufacturing Specialties

Transportation and Distribution

Shipping and distribution firms in Anoka County can reach 44 million people within a day’s drive, and have excellent transportation infrastructure to reach them with. That’s why companies like Holland and Northern Wholesale Supply are reaching the world from Anoka County, Minnesota.

Cities Within Eight Hours of Anoka County

• Duluth, MN

• Sioux Falls, SD

• Fargo, SD

• Des Moines, IA

• Thunder Bay, Ontario

• Milwaukee, WI

• Chicago, IL

• Lincoln, NE

• Winnipeg, Manitoba

• Kansas City, MO

Infrastructure

However you move goods, Anoka County provides easy access to the transportation infrastructure you need.

• I-35 (to Duluth) and I-94 (to Fargo) Connect the County to Minneapolis.

• US Highway 10/65 runs North and South through the entire county.

• Anoka County Blaine-Airport serves more than 74,000 takeoffs and landings annually; 377 planes are based there. It has two runways of 5000 and 4855 feet and is served by an Instrumental Landing System.

• Located less than 52 minutes south is the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), the largest and busiest airport in the Upper Midwest region. It is Delta Airlines’ second largest hub, and a total of 17 airlines provide direct flights to 168 destinations worldwide.

• The Port of Duluth Superior is just over two hours away via I-35, providing easy shipping access to ports all over the world.

• Rail Available sites in Southwest Anoka County are served by the BNSF Railway, a Class I railroad.

Competitive Wages

Anoka County enjoys median wages for many distribution and transportation occupations that are below that of the Minneapolis MSA and the state of Minnesota.

To learn how Anoka County can position your business for success, contact us today!