Commerce and industry in the Mason City area has evolved with time to remain a driving force in North Iowa. Today; Fortune 500 companies work hand-in-hand with local, family-owned businesses to provide a wealth of services and employment opportunities.

Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa is the area's largest employer. Other leading employers include ConAgra Foods, Curries Company; The Principal Financial Group Pension Center, area school and Kraft Foods.

Kraft Foods is one of the major contributors to the economic development of the Mason City area. The quality of the Mason City Kraft work force and the community's progressive commitment to industry were two of the reasons Kraft Foods selected its Mason City operation as an expansion site. The expansion added jobs and increased revenue for the city, and Kraft Foods continues to be a major employer for Cerro Gordo County.

Other Fortune 500 companies have also discovered the favorable business climate in Mason City. Companies such as ConAgra Foods, Cargill and Alliant Energy continue to expand operations in Mason City and the surrounding area. The Cargill Company, which operates Sunny Fresh Foods in Mason City, has expanded twice since coming to the area; its most recent expansion added many new jobs.

In October 2003, Golden Grain Energy broke ground on a $56 million, state-of-the-art ethanol production facility. Slated to begin operations in 2005, the project will add over $1 million in taxable revenue to the rolls, in addition to increasing employment opportunities. An additional benefit for the region's agriculture industry, the plant will add a premium of five cents per bushel of corn produced by North Iowa farmers.

Meeting the increasing demands for electrical power in the area is easier with the completion of the $500 million Emery Generating Station operated by Alliant Energy. The new natural gas-fired power plant generates 500 megawatts of power annually and employs 30 people.

The continuing growth in the area is due in large part to a cooperative effort by the Mason City Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Mason City and the Mason City Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), which aggressively recruits new businesses and supports the businesses already in Mason City.

Industrial parks in the area include the Mason City Industrial Park on Southwest 15th Street, the 266 acre Indianhead Park, and the Clear Lake Industrial Park, just off Interstate 35 near the Mason City Airport. A variety of other business and industrial parks exist in the area as well. Ranging in size from 5 to 300 acres, a variety of sites are in place to foster your business. Contact the MCEDC for additional information.