Location

Mitchell County gives businesses a place to grow with room to expand and the location advantage of being the center point between the North American coasts, allowing for convenient shipping throughout the nation and world.

Mitchell County is located less than 25 miles from Interstate-35 and business only has to travel 11 miles to reach Interstate 90 from its northern border.

The Avenue of the Saints is located 10 miles south of Mitchell County, giving access to Interstate 80 and St. Louis going south. 

Two major railroads intersect Mitchell County, the IC & E Railroad and the Cedar Valley Railroad.  Competing railroads make for good freight rates and these two lines are less than a mile apart in the far north end of Mitchell County. 

The City of Osage houses an airport on the east end of the community with a 3400 foot long runway. The use of the hangar and pilot's lounge are available for visiting aircraft. Rochester, MN houses an international airport, which is just 60 minutes away from Mitchell County. 

Mitchell County is connected to the information highway, as most areas of the county have high-speed internet access.

Workforce

In Iowa, a business locating in Mitchell County will be well positioned for success in a state with a history of scientific and business innovation, supported by well-educated, knowledgeable employees.  The community college system in Iowa is excellent and supports both academic and career programs. 

North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) is located in Mason City and is less than a 30-minute drive.  Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is located in Calmar and is about an hour drive.  There are many state sponsored programs administered through the area community colleges to assist in training employees in the private sector. 

Iowa has a long tradition of providing a productive workforce. In Iowa, over 80 percent of those who apply for manufacturing jobs have finished high school, and many have post secondary education.  This number is higher in the Mitchell County area. 

An educated workforce means a more motivated laborer, lower start-up costs, lower training costs, fewer job-related accidents, shorter training periods and an excellence and pride in quality and production.  This reality has been a long-standing tradition in the Mitchell County area.