Business and Economy

Our business and the economy have long been founded on the food industry and agriculture.

Hormel Food Corporate Headquarters and Hormel Foods Flagship Plant

Austin is home to Hormel Foods Corporation, a mutlinational, Fortune 500 manufacturer and marketer of many of the best-known and trusted brands in the food industry. Hormel Foods has nearly 800 corporate and research and development employees as well as it's flagship manufacturing plant in Austin.

Mower County Agricultural Production

Ranked among the strongest agricultural areas in the State of Minnesota, Mower County's agricultural economy is booming. Mower ranks among the top counties in Minnesota in crop and hog production. Mower County is also a major producer of vegetables harvested for sale. Click to see Mower County Agricultural Report. Also see this article on SE Minnesota's Agricultural Sector from the MN Employment Review for more information.

University of Minnesota-Hormel Institute

The Hormel Institute is rapidly becoming a world leader in the field of cancer research. A $23.4 million expansion of The Hormel Institute, completed in 2008, symbolizes its remarkable success as a cancer research institution. The Hormel Institute now has 20 state-of-the-art research labs, more then 100 scientists and support staff, and official reserach collaboration agreements with Mayo Clinic, IBM and University of Minnesota. Austin is firmly on the map of world-class, cutting-edge medical research.

Riverland Community College

Riverland Community College is an exceptional resource for workforce and professional development. Riverland is a leader in design and delivery of highly customized training programs for it's industrial partners. With its main compus in Austin, Riverland also offers a wide-range of excellent degree programs.