Development Resources

General Business Resources

Listed in alphabetical order

Business Council
The TwinWest/St. Louis Park Business Council works to address local business issues, act as a business advocate, and serve as a liaison between city government, the school district and the business community. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month (except July) at 7:30 a.m. at Citizens Independent Bank, 5000 West 36th Street. Meeting notices are posted in Event Calendar.
For more information, contact Judy Johnson, TwinWest Chamber of Commerce, at:
TwinWest Chamber of Commerce
10700 Old County Road 15, Suite 170
Plymouth, MN 55441
Phone:(763) 450.2226
Email: judy@twinwest.com

Center for Urban & Regional Affairs, University of Minnesota
CURA is an all-university center for applied research and technical assistance. It supports research and publishes policy-related reports on a wide range of urban and regional issues.

Chamber of Commerce
The TwinWest Chamber of Commerce serves St. Louis Park and eight other suburbs. It serves as an advocate for business, works to improve the business environment, and offers networking and professional development services to its members. For more information, contact Bryan Lake, TwinWest Chamber of Commerce, at (763) 450-2220, or email bryan@twinwest.com

Compare Minnesota
Use Compare MN tools to see State or Metro comparisons against other states or metro areas in the nation on a range of economic development factors – including business performance, work ethic, education, innovation and livability.

Connect with the St. Louis Park Community
St. Louis Park neighborhood associations welcome cooperative projects with local businesses. Some associations will include business information when welcoming new homeowners. To learn more, contact the Community Liaison Marney Olson at:

• (952) 924-2184
• molson@stlouispark.org

Businesses looking to participate in community events or find a volunteer opportunity, should contact City/School Volunteer Coordinator Sarah Krzesowiak (pronounced krez-wick) at:

• (952) 928- 6790
• krzesowiak.sarah@slpschools.org.

J.J. Hill Reference Library
The James J. Hill Library in downtown Saint Paul is one of the most comprehensive business libraries in the country. It houses a world-class collection of practical business information resources, both online and in print. It specializes in serving the information needs of small business. It also provides training and educational programs to companies and communities around the globe.

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis provides access to information on banking and economic policy issues.

MetroMSP
MetroMSP is an informational tool that allows one to search for available commercial or industrial properties in Minnesota's 11-county Metro MSP region, This GIS-based website enables you to locate buildings or land, pull up site-specific demographic data, and generate valuable reports.

Metropolitan Council
The Metropolitan Council is the regional planning agency serving the Twin Cities seven-county metropolitan area. The Council provides a wide variety of reports, plans, maps as well as demographic data and projections on the region and individual communities.
Minnesota Commercial Property Exchange (MNCAR)
The MNCAR Exchange is the commercial real estate industry's database of commercial properties in Minnesota. Properties are listed for Lease or For Sale and by General Use (Industrial, Mixed Use, Office or Retail). Click on Search Listings Online and search by community.

Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is the state's economic development agency, with programs promoting business recruitment, expansion and retention; workforce development; international trade; and community development. The agency's mission is to support the economic success of individuals, businesses, and communities by improving opportunities for growth.

Minnesota Department of Labor & Industry
The Department ensures that Minnesota's work and living environments are equitable, healthy and safe. It oversees construction codes and licensing, labor standards, electrical licensing and workers' compensation, OHSA, apprenticeship training programs, and labor-related policy development, research and statistics.

Minnesota Department of Revenue
The Minnesota Department of Revenue manages the state's revenue system. It administers 28 different taxes and provides information to help businesses comply with state tax laws.

Minnesota Labor Market Information
DEED provides tools for accessing comprehensive Labor Market Information (LMI) on the state, individual counties and cities.

Minnesota Land Management Information Center
Minnesota's LMIC helps other government and non-government organizations achieve better, faster and more cost-effective results through the creative use of GIS and other geospatial information technologies. LIMC coordinates GIS and data development activities, provides data and mapping services, consults with organizations on how to achieve better outcomes using GIS technology, and provides guidance on decision-support systems.

Minnesota Local Area Unemployment Statistics
LAUS is a cooperative program between the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and state agencies. The Minnesota program provides monthly estimates of labor force, employment and unemployment for the state and local areas. It bases those estimates on data from the Current Population Survey, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program, and the Unemployment Insurance (UI) statistics program.

Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota
The Center is a university-wide interdisciplinary cooperative for demographic research. As a leading developer and disseminator of demographic data, it serves 25,000 demographic researchers worldwide, as well as ten colleges and 19 departments within the University of Minnesota. It employs a research staff of nearly 100.

Minnesota Secretary of State
Minnesota's secretary of state is an elected official. The secretary is vested with a number of responsibilities including preserving documents filed with the state, providing certain business services to the public, maintaining the recording of financing statements under the Uniform Commercial Code and administering other programs. All Minnesota businesses must register with the Secretary of State.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities(MNSCU)
MNSCU offers numerous training and educational programs and assistance with workforce development.

Minnesota State Demographic Center
The Center analyzes and distributes data from state, U.S. Census Bureau and other sources. It is a source of labor force and population projections on Minnesota counties and communities.

Minnesota State Legislature
Provides information on proposed legislation and bill status, and statutes, session laws and rules.

MNPRO
MNPRO is a non-GIS site selection tool for searching available commercial buildings and land throughout Minnesota. It is operated by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

North Star Minnesota State Government Online.
North Star has financial assistance programs that offer access to financing and investment primarily from banks or other private resources.

Office for Business & Community Economic Development, University of Minnesota
The Office partners with government, private enterprise and community organizations to contribute to the economic growth and development of Minnesota communities.

Office of Business Relations, University of Minnesota The Office of Business Relations is available to help business customers find valuable University resources. Whether hiring a new graduate, accessing faculty and staff expertise, or attending a seminar or workshop, this office can help businesses access talent, technology and training.

Twin Cities Compass
Twin Cities Compass promotes the region's well-being by measuring progress, reporting findings and providing strategies for action.

U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
The BEA provides timely, relevant and accurate economic data to help promote a better understanding of the U.S. economy. The agency prepares national, regional, industry, and international accounts that present essential information on such key issues as economic growth, regional economic development, interindustry relationships, and the Nation's position in the world economy.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau is the principal fact-finding agency for the federal government in the field of labor economics and statistics. It produces relevant data on the social and economic conditions of the country, its workers, and their families. Data is available on state and county levels.

U.S. Census Bureau
American FactFinder provides quick access to population, housing, economic and geographic data.