Top 10 Manufacturing Companies in Minnesota

Above: A photo of a 3M facility in Hutchinson, MN, featured in 3M's post: The new face of manufacturing: How a small community is retooling to attract a skilled workforce. Credit: 3M

With a robust economy, abundant capital funding, an educated workforce, and sharp focus on technology and innovation, Minnesota has a lot to offer manufacturers. According to CNBC’s Best States for Business study for 2019, the state of Minnesota ranks 7th in the nation for business conditions, scoring an “A-” for technology and innovation, and an “A+ for education.

Today, we’re exploring the latest statistics on Minnesota’s robust manufacturing sector and diving into the ten largest manufacturing companies in the state.

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According to data collected by MNI, compiler of the industrial information that powers IndustrySelect, Minnesota is currently home to 6,879 manufacturers employing 432,396 workers. These include some major names in food processing and medical device manufacturing, which we’ll dive into in a moment. But first, here are some key statistics on the Minnesota’s manufacturing sector based on data collected by MNI.

The Latest Facts on Minnesota’s Manufacturing Sector

According to MNI, Minneapolis is Minnesota’s largest city based on industrial employment, home to 51,090 workers. This is followed by St. Paul with 32,076 jobs and Eagan with 11,131 workers.

Read more: Top Manufacturing Cities in the U.S.

Other top cities in Minnesota include

• Eden Prairie (11,049 jobs)
• Plymouth (10,916 jobs)
• Rochester (9,905 jobs)
• Bloomington (6,300 jobs)

Taking a look at the state’s top industries, food manufacturing and industrial machinery account for a large share of the state's industrial jobs, each encompassing 15% of Minnesota's industrial workforce. Instruments and related products, printing and publishing, and fabricated metal products are also major industries in the state. 

Other facts to know about Minnesota manufacturers, based on IndustrySelect’s advanced criteria available to subscribers, include ownership, distribution and other trends. Let’s take a look:

• 2% of Minnesota manufacturers are women-owned
• 1% are minority-owned
• 9% are publicly-owned companies
• 11% import raw materials
• 26% distribute their products internationally.

Minnesota is home to a number of major companies in the food processing, electronics and medical devices industries. Next, we’ll take a look at the state’s top companies.

Top 10 Manufacturing Companies in Minnesota

About the Top 10 Manufacturing Companies in Minnesota

1. 3M (St. Paul, MN)

Founded in 1902 as a small mining operation in Minnesota, 3M is today a global leader and innovator, producing a wide range of products in the worker safety, healthcare and consumer sectors. The company’s St. Paul facility specializes in display films, large-format printing, touch screens, electronic components, filtration supplies and paper products and ranks as the state’s top industrial employer, with 10,100 workers.

2. nVent Electrical PLC (Minneapolis, MN)

nVent Electric PLC is a global manufacturer specializing in electrical connection and protection solutions. From its Minneapolis headquarters, nVent designs and produces products that safeguard electrical systems in industrial, commercial, and infrastructure applications. Its portfolio includes enclosures, heat-tracing systems, grounding and bonding solutions, and cable management products.

3. IBM (Rochester, MN)

Headquartered in Armonk, NY, IBM (International Business Machines) is a global leader in computer hardware, middleware and software. The company also provides consulting services. This location in Rochester, also known as the “Big Blue Zoo” due to its distinctive blue-paneled architecture, has produced a wide range of computer systems and software since its inception in 1958. Today, 4,400 employees work at its milelong facility, making it Minnesota’s second-largest industrial employer.

4. Cargill, Inc (Wayzata, MN)

Cargill, Inc. is a global food industry giant, and in terms of revenue, ranks as the largest private corporation in the United States. The Wayzata location serves as the company’s headquarters and employs 3,550 workers.

5. General Mills, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN)

General Mills was founded in 1866 in Minneapolis. A global leader in the food products industry, General Mills produces well-known brands such as Annie’s, Cheerios, Nature Valley, Green Giant, Hagen Daaz and more. 3,200 employees work at this location, which serves as the company’s headquarters.

6. Medtronic (Mounds View, MN)

Exemplifying Minnesota’s stronghold in the medical devices industry, this Medtronic location is one of ten Medtronics facilities in the state of Minnesota. Employing 2,500, the Structural Heart location focuses on artificial cardiac pacemakers. Founded in 1949 in Minneapolis as a medical equipment repair facility, Medtronic is today among the world’s largest medical devices companies, headquartered in Ireland, with locations in 140 countries.

7. Boston Scientific Corp. (St. Paul, MN)

Boston Scientific is major medical devices manufacturer, headquartered in Marlboro, Massachusetts. This Boston Scientific Corp in St. Paul specializes in pacemakers & automatic implantable defibrillators and employs 2,600.

8. Marvin Windows & Doors (Warroad, MN)

Marvin Windows & Doors is a family-owned and operated company and has become a household name in the lumber industry, having produced windows and doors in the U.S. for more than a century. This facility in Warroad, MN, makes wood-clad windows and doors and employs 2,600.

9. Anderson Corp. (Bayport, MN)

Another major window and door producer, Anderson Corp ranks 9th in the state with 2,500 employees at this Bayport location.

10. Taher, Inc (Minnetonka,MN)

Taher, Inc., based in Minnetonka, MN, is a leading contract food service management company. Founded in 1981 by Bruce Taher, the company has built a reputation for providing high-quality, chef-driven dining experiences. Emplying 2,500 at this location, Taher, Inc. serves a diverse range of clients, including K-12 schools, college campuses, senior living centers, and corporate dining facilities. With a focus on fresh, nutritious meals, the company manages over 400 kitchens across 10 states and serves more than 34 million meals annually

Interested in other states? Browse all of our state news here. Looking for state manufacturers directories or databases? See our state manufacturing data here. 

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Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_Rochester
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/about-3m/history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargill
https://www.cargill.com/about/company-overview
https://www.computerhope.com/comp/digi-key-electronics.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mills
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Scientific
https://www.marvin.com/our-story
https://jbssa.com/about/locations/
ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medtronic

 Editor's note: This post was originally published in February 2021. It is updated annually to reflect new statistics for the state.