Key survey findings
Out of the 53 businesses surveyed:
- Overall, participants in the Northfield Connecting Businesses and Community program (CBC) have a positive view of their community.
- As a place to live, nearly 90% of respondents say Northfield is either excellent or above average.
- As a place to do business, nearly 85% of respondents say that Northfield is above average or excellent.
- About 89% of the businesses were locally owned.
- Less than one-third had another location outside of Northfield.
- One-quarter consider their facility to be “other.”
- Other common facility types include headquarters (42%), retail (42%), manufacturing (9%), and branches (9%).
- Over 70% of employees have a very short commute, traveling less than 15 minutes to work.
- Businesses estimate that 91% of workers (on a nonweighted basis) travel less than 30 minutes to their jobs in Northfield.
- A majority of the businesses (66%) have a business plan for the next three years.
- A much smaller portion of the businesses have a written transition plan (21%).
About the report
Business retention and expansion (BRE) is an essential element of local economic development efforts. The city of Northfield launched a Connecting Businesses and Community (CBC) initiative with the University of Minnesota Extension to focus on the retention and expansion of Northfield businesses.
While attracting new businesses and incubating start-ups can be important components of an overall economic development strategy, communities realize that helping existing businesses survive and grow is a practical and important strategy.
In July 2025, the Task Force developed three priority projects for near-term action:
- Industrial park development
- “All of the above” housing
- Improving public transportation in Northfield
NOTE: The data, analysis, and findings described in this report are specific to the geography, time frame, and project requirements of Northfield, Minnesota. Findings are not transferable to other jurisdictions. Extension neither approves nor endorses the use or application of findings and other contents in this report by other jurisdictions.
Reviewed in 2025