Celebrating GREATER Manufacturing in St. Cloud

Manufacturing is St. Cloud’s second sector of strength with 15.2% of all employment in the area.

Many St. Cloud businesses are featured in the Made in Minnesota Directory, which is an online database of Minnesota manufacturers and suppliers. Materials, components and finished products can be bought from each other instead of out-of-state or foreign suppliers.

St. Cloud has a diverse mix of leading local, regional, and national manufacturing companies. Our area was even named a “Top Leading Location” by AreaDevelopment.com based on our diverse economy and how well St. Cloud is poised to capitalize on economic growth.

St. Cloud’s Largest Manufacturers

• New Flyer of America Heavy Duty Bus Manufacturing 
• Woodcraft Industries Wood Cabinets/Millworking 
• Essilor of America Optical Lens Manufacturing

Area Manufacturing Statistics

• 15,262 Persons Employed 
• 15.2% Of All Employment 
• $44,504 Average Annual Wage 
• $679M Annual Industry Payroll 

**MN DEED, St. Cloud MSA, April 2016

St. Cloud also has two modern business parks with 300+ acres of vacant land available for one-third the cost of comparable property in the Twin Cities: the I-94 Business Park and the Airport Business Park. For more information and statistics on the St. Cloud area’s manufacturing, watch this video.

The Minnesota Statewide Tour of Manufacturing is going on throughout the month of October, and MN Manufacturing Week took place October 1st-7th. In the St. Cloud area, we are continually celebrating manufacturing - one of our community’s biggest assets!

Our manufacturing skills are just one more reason that St. Cloud is a part of something GREATER!

6 GREATER Locations for the 2018 Photo Contest

The 2018 St. Cloud GREATER Photo/Video Contest is on! Submit photos and/or videos that show us what you think makes St. Cloud a great place to live, work, and play.

There are several categories for types of subjects and submissions, so feel free to let your camera and our city be your guide. You may win $250 in cash!

If you’re looking for places to shoot your photos, here are some of the top spots in St. Cloud to find inspiration, picturesque scenery, and moving moments of St. Cloud residents at work and play.

Veterans Plaza

The Minnesota Veterans’ Plaza is a touching tribute, dedicated to those who have served to protect the United States of America.

Munsinger Clemens Gardens

From the blooming flowers to the winding paths and brick walkways, these gardens are full of picturesque views of nature. Get up close and zoom in on plant and animal life or zoom out to capture the views in the twilight or morning light; it’s a great place for scenic shots.

Summertime by George

Wednesdays through the summer you’ll find St. Cloud residents and families at Summertime by George taking advantage of summer fun—with kids’ activities, arts & crafts, the beer garden, or middle town market food and retail vendors.

Restaurants in St. Cloud

When it comes to dining, the St. Cloud area is full of yummy platefuls and quaint locations. Try any of these local restaurants, or more that aren’t on this list, and capture the offerings that one can find in St. Cloud.

Municipal Athletic Complex (MAC)

The Municipal Athletic Complex is home to two ice sheets, two baseball stadiums, and an executive par-3 public golf course. The arenas are busy nearly year-round, and host several local sports and school teams—a great opportunity to show teamwork, school spirit, and athletic enthusiasm!

St. Cloud Downtown

For the Business or Community Life categories of the photo contest, try looking downtown! With an ever-changing downtown area and plenty of people on the move, capture the spirit of our city here.


Submissions for our photo and video contest are due by 4:30 pm on July 27, 2018. Please note that any entries featuring people with identifiable faces must submit a completed Authorization of Use of Photo/Video form with entry. Failure to do so will disqualify your entry. Click here to open a blank form. Please click here to see the full rules and list of categories, or to submit an entry.

There’s GREATER Shopping in Downtown St. Cloud

St. Cloud is a GREAT place to call home. Not only are there ample work opportunities and an affordable cost of living, but when it comes to play, there are hundreds of options right outside your door.

GREATER Shopping

Downtown St. Cloud features more than 60 retail shops – many of which are locally owned businesses. Whether you’re looking for a trendy local shop to browse unique children’s wear, a trusted place to find outdoor sports equipment, a relaxing atmosphere to unwind and get a GREAT new do, or even a generations-old local business that can help you build or remodel your home, you can find all this and more in Downtown St. Cloud. And did we mention the antique stores, game shops, and art galleries? There are tons of options! For a complete list, click here.

GREATER Eats and Treats

Not only does Downtown St. Cloud offer a wide array of shops, but it also boasts a huge variety of eating establishments – more than 55, just to give you an idea. Whether you’re in the mood for some Irish fare, something sweet, classic pizza, delicious Indian food, or simply burgers and beers,  you’ll find it all Downtown. For a full list of Downtown dining options, click here.


Beyond food and shopping, Downtown St. Cloud offers even more. Over 500 businesses and more than 70 historic buildings call Downtown St. Cloud home and they’re all within walking distance. Thanks to these wonderful businesses and many more, St. Cloud enjoys a healthy economy.

No matter what your interests, you’ll find something to love about St. Cloud, which is just one of many reasons that we think it’s a GREATER place to live!

GREATER Education in the St. Cloud Area

The City of St. Cloud boasts eclectic and advanced education options for anyone looking to learn. From private and charter schools to homeschooling and one of the largest public districts in the state, there are plenty of options!

GREATER Schools

St. Cloud is home to Minnesota's second-largest public university with around 15,000 students enrolled each year. According to the City of St. Cloud's website, “SCSU is ranked as an 'American's Top College' by Forbes magazine based on student satisfaction, post-graduate success, student debt, graduation rate and academic success and ranked as a 'Money's Best College' by Money magazine based on quality of education, affordability and outcomes.”

The St. Cloud metropolitan area serves 35,000 students at many different schools. Our St. Cloud Technical and Community College educates many students looking for local careers in advanced manufacturing, applied engineering, and health services. In 2016, SCTCC was ranked #13 in the top 50 Best Value Community Colleges. This ranking is based off graduation and transfer rates, cost of attendance, and mid-level salaries among graduates.

GREATER Opportunities

A unique opportunity given to elementary students in school district 742 are the Chinese/Spanish immersion programs. One of the great opportunities high school students are offered at Cathedral, a private Catholic high school located downtown, is the chance to serve in Africa. Students can opt to take a two-week mission trip and volunteer their time and talents to help 3rd world countries in Africa.

Another opportunity for unique education in the St. Cloud area is the plethora of post secondary enrollment options (PSEO) classes offered at local high schools. Both Tech and Apollo high school allow upperclassmen to heavily enroll in PSEO college courses at SCSU to earn college credits and advance learning.

GREATER Resources

For those who take education into their own hands, our Great River Regional Library has been recently remodeled and offers numerous branches throughout the metropolitan area. Many homeschooling groups meet and resource the library as well as countless high school and college kids. Another helpful resource we have for education is the Stearns County History Museum. The accredited museums provides guided tours and has an extensive research department as well as online archives.



These touch on just a few of the schools, opportunities, and resources St. Cloud has that make it a GREATER place to learn.