Why is Owatanna Making It?

Perhaps, suggests Dave Strand, Owatonna’s community development director, it’s the water.

In the late 1880s, the small southern Minnesota city was known for its mineral springs. The related businesses are gone, but for its size, Owatonna is home to a remarkably diverse base of manufacturers, among them Viracon (architectural glass), Wenger (music-education products), Jostens (class rings), McQuay (HVAC equipment), and Cybex (exercise equipment).

Location seems like an obvious asset: easy access to Interstate 35 with the Twin Cities and the airport just 60 miles up the road. The I-35–I-90 crossroads is 35 miles to the south (but it’s worth noting that Albert Lea, which sits at that intersection, hasn’t been helped much by it). Strand says an equally significant crossroad is I-35 and U.S. Highway 14, which connects Owatonna with two other metropolitan areas, Rochester and Mankato.

Dentley Haugesag, a business development specialist with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, is loath to make comparisons with similar-sized cities. But he notes Owatonna’s long history of local-government support for business, including an industrial park developed in the 1960s and a business incubator in the ’80s. Haugesag adds that Owatonna is also becoming a retail center. A giant Cabela’s store that opened in 1998 has spurred the opening of other retail and service businesses, which could make the community more attractive to relocating companies and their workers.

Whatever the reason for its success, many other Minnesota communities no doubt wish Owatonna would bottle it.