APG Specialty Publications 00_MONTICELLO_RG_17_BOOK_FINAL_REDUCED | Page 18

BUSINESS
& INDUSTRY
M
onticello is a historic river town
located along Interstate 94 midway
between St. Cloud and the Twin
Cities metro area. The community benefits from
its proximity to the Twin Cities, yet exists as a
stand-alone, full-service city with numerous
advantages for businesses and residents alike.
The combination of excellent jobs, moderate
housing prices, reasonable wage rates, a variety
of services, and local amenities create a high
quality of life in Monticello.
The city was established in the mid-1850s
by 2nd generation American colonists who
were driven to re-create New England on the
western frontier. Monticello’s location along the
banks of the Mississippi River brought settlers
and commerce to the area as a prime river
crossing center. That role continued to develop
over the years with an improved bridge and
upgrades to Minnesota State Hwy. 25 which
runs through the community, crossing the river
to connect U.S. Hwy. 10 to the north and I-94 to
the south.
Manufacturing and precision machining are
also important business sectors in Monticello.
Firms like WSI, Twin City Die Castings
Company, UMC, Karlsburger Foods, Suburban
Manufacturing, Electro Industries and Cargill are
key employers in the City. Xcel Energy operates
a nuclear electrical generating facility in the
community and is among the top employers
with over 500 employees. Dahlheimer
Beverage, a beer distributor, recently added
97,000 sq. ft. to its facility and plans to add five
new jobs. The investments these companies
have made into their facilities have resulted in
Monticello experiencing the lowest tax rates in
Wright County.
The wide diversity of the business community
is a key strength of the vibrancy of Monticello.
National stores like Walmart and Home Depot
mix with quaint shops and homegrown
retailers to serve the needs of area residents
and businesses. The community also includes
pharmacies, medical and dental practitioners,
banking, legal and financial services and
automotive sales and services.
18 Chamber Member Directory
The city’s population of 13,311 (2015 estimate,
MN State Demographer) and a market trade
area of 88,203 within 15 miles of the city
continues to attract retail interest and new
investment in the community.
Numerous amenities add to livability in
Monticello, including a public library,
community center, movie theater, bowling
alley, senior center, extensive park and trail
system, and high speed internet through
dual fiber optic networks. The community
also benefits from an outstanding public
school system from early childhood through
high school and quality healthcare from
CentraCare, including a local hospital and
clinic.
The City of Monticello is continuously
working to realize its goals of being a regional
leader, connecting the community through
engagement and technology, creating and
preserving sustainable livability, strengthening
its place as a destination city, supporting a
vibrant economy, and investing in people.
These efforts include current work to define
a sense of place in the downtown area by
revitalizing the central core district with a
focus on upscale housing, entertainment,
parks, public art, and utilizing existing store
buildings to serve as low cost startup space for
entrepreneurs.
With this combination of amenities and
services, Monticello is an ideal place for making
a home or building a business.