Services Supporting our Ecosystem

We're all in this together.

shadows-glass-building Our professional business services are a vital part of Minnesota's economy and our wealth of local expertise can save your business time and money. From lawyers, accountants, architects and engineers to advertising experts, technology consultants and scientific researchers, Minnesota is both a great place to find all types of business assistance – and to provide it.

Professional and business services contribute $59 billion annually to the state's economy or 13% of the state's GDP. This sector is the third-highest contributor to Minnesota's GDP, after financial activities and manufacturing.

Workforce

This sector employs 167,000 people – up 27 percent between 2012 and 2022.
Professional business services have 27,400 locations in Minnesota.
The largest number of workers by industry works in computer system design, followed by Management, Scientific and Technical Services.
Professional services require highly skilled workers. The largest number of professionals employed in these services are software developers, followed by lawyers.

Occupations Employed in Business Industries

Software Developers: 13,200 jobs
Management Analysts: 10,700 jobs
Accountants and Auditors: 9,300 jobs
Lawyers: 8,800 jobs

Top Service Companies

Computer Design Systems Services

IBM: One of the leading computer companies globally, it develops and sells software and systems hardware and a broad range of infrastructure, cloud and consulting services through its operations in Rochester, Minnesota.
SPS Commerce Inc: Based in Minneapolis, the company provides cloud-based supply chain management software to retailers, suppliers, third-party logistics providers and partners.
FICO: Originally Fair Isaacs and based in California, FICO has a significant presence in Minnesota. The company is a leader in analytics software, helping businesses in 90+ countries make better decisions for growth, profitability and customer satisfaction.
Marco, Inc. Headquartered in St. Cloud, Minnesota, specializing in hosted/cloud services, managed services, business IT services, carrier services.

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services

BI Worldwide: Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company offers integrated solutions in communication, training, rewards and measuring behaviors and progress. BI Worldwide has 25 offices in the U.S, Canada, Brazil, China, India, Latin America, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
Accenture: An international company based in Ireland, Accenture has a significant presence in Minnesota. The company provides IT services comprising Artificial Intelligence, Digital Commerce, Supply Chain Management and Business Management, among other services.
Willis Towers Watson: A global corporation in 140 countries that offer risk management consulting services.
Aimia: Headquartered in Canada, the company U.S. headquarters are in Minneapolis, offering advice on long-term investments in public and private companies.

Architectural, Engineering Services

AGCO Engineering: Located in Jackson, Minnesota, the company provides design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and precision ag technology services.
MTS Systems: MTS is a leading global supplier of test and simulation systems. They simulate real-world environments for energy, transportation, renewable energy, and other environments.
Bal Seal Engineering: The company engineers custom seals, springs, and electrical contacts to improve the performance and reliability of equipment.

Legal Services

Thomson Reuters: One of the world's most trusted providers of answers for business decision-making in the areas of law, tax, compliance, government and media.
Fredrikson & Byron P.A.: Based in Minneapolis, the company provides legal services in antitrust and trade regulation, bankruptcy, and business and tax planning.
Dorsey & Whitney LLP: Headquartered in Minneapolis, the firm provides legal advice for businesses in Banking and Finance, Development and Infrastructure, Energy and Natural Resources, Health Care and Technology, and more.

Accounting Services

EY: A global company, EY offers four lines of service: Assurance, Consulting, Strategy and Transactions, and Tax.
RMS: The company offers audit, tax and consulting services with offices in Minneapolis, Duluth and Rochester, Minn.

Marketing Services

IWCO Direct: Headquartered in Chanhassen, the company is one of the nation's largest providers of data-driven direct marketing solutions. Services include Data Mining and Analysis, Conjoint Analysis, Customer Modeling and Email Behavior Targeting (EBT) services, among others.
ICF Next: It is a global consulting services company with over 7,000 full- and part-time employees, employing over 300 workers in Minneapolis, MN. It offers services in analytics, cybersecurity, and digital transformation among others.
Carmichael Lynch: Is an advertising and communications firm located in Minneapolis, MN. The firm provides expertise in four primary practice areas: Brand Marketing, Corporate, Employee Communication and Public Affairs. The company employs 275 people.
Brown and Bigelow: Headquartered in St. Paul, it offers marketing analysis, product consultation, in-house graphic, packaging and fulfillment services. The company also provides inventory management, marketing support, tracking and reporting services. Its clients include American Express, Ernst & Young, Medtronic, Miami Dolphins, State Farm Insurance and T-Mobile. The company is staffed with more than 200 sales representatives and support individuals.

Financial Services

This industry employs 142,600 people in Minnesota, offering a wide variety of financial and insurance services, including FinTech Services. Some of the largest financial institutions in the country are headquartered Minnesota:

UnitedHealth Group: Headquartered in Minnesota, it is a multinational managed healthcare and insurance. It offers health care products and insurance services. UnitedHealth Group is the largest health insurance company in the county and the second-largest healthcare company behind CVS Health by revenue, according to Fortune 500.
Ameriprise Financial Inc: Is one of the leading financial planning, asset management and insurance companies in the country. Its more than 12,000 financial advisors and registered representatives provide solutions for clients' asset accumulation, income management and insurance protection. Ameriprise Financial Inc. is a Fortune 500 company.
U.S. Bancorp: With $27.4 billion in revenue, it is one of the largest banks in the country and one of the Fortune 500 companies, it provides a range of banking, brokerage, insurance and investment services for consumers, businesses and institutions in the united states. The bank delivers its products and services through a network of more than 2,400 branch offices and over 5,000 ATMs throughout the country.
Thrivent: The organization provides mutual funds, fixed and variable annuities, and checking, individual retirement and savings accounts. it offers life, disability income, business and long-term care insurance programs. the organization offers access to professional financial guidance services.
Securian Financial Group: Headquartered in St. Paul, MN, it is one of the largest providers of financial security services for individuals and businesses. It offers loss control, underwriting, and claims filing and management, among many other financial services. The company has annual sales of $200 billion in individual insurance and nearly 680,000 customers served.

Research & Development in Biotechnology Services

Bio-Techne Corp: The Minnesota-based company provides biotechnology research services. In particular, it supplies high-quality reagents, instruments, custom manufacturing, and testing services. It has 3,200+ employees worldwide.
- R&D Systems-Biotechnology, a Bio-Techne brand, provides biotechnology research in various fields, including custom protein production, custom antibody services, genome engineering services, and more.
Pace Analytical: Headquartered in Minnesota, the company provides clinical trial manufacturing services, among others. The company has a nationwide network of over 50 environmental laboratories and 3,300+ employees.
National Marrow Donor Program: The organization conducts research to improve transplant outcomes, a global leader in bone marrow transplantation based in Minneapolis.

Patents

agco Minnesota's professional business services companies are beacons of technology registering patents in cutting-edge fields:

IBM (computer design): 9,800 patents
AGCO Engineering (ag technology): 110 patents
MTS Systems Corporation (simulation systems): 100 patents
Thomson Reuters (business decision-making services): 90 patents
Accenture (IT services): 80 patents
Fair Isaac Corporation (AKA FICO) (analytics software): 10 patents
Bio-Techne Corporation (bio-tech research): 7 patents

Note: Patents between 2000 - 2022; Source U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Exports

Minnesota has seen an increase in overall services exports of over $2 billion since 2021, boosting state economic growth:

Minnesota services exports support 74,200 jobs in Minnesota.
Minnesota services exports grew from an estimated $13.6 billion in 2021 to an estimated $15.7 billion in 2022.
Business, Professional and Technical Services exports were estimated at $9.5 billion, representing the largest category, and were followed by travel service exports at $2.4 billion and intellectual property exports at $2.2 billion in 2022.

Industry Support

Launch Minnesota is a statewide collaborative effort to accelerate the growth of startups and amplify Minnesota as a national leader in innovation. The organization seeks to elevate startup networks across the state, bringing community leaders together to maximize efforts.
Engineering Alliance Minnesota (EAM): EAM is a relevant, accessible professional development and professional engineering licensure advocacy for all engineering disciplines and industries in Minnesota. They also do outreach and leadership supporting Minnesota's future STEM workforce.
Minnesota Federation of Engineering, Science, and Technology Societies (MFESTS): The organization is an umbrella comprised of engineering-related member societies within the State of Minnesota. Currently, there are seventeen societies or chapters representing approximately 6,000 individuals.
Minnesota Structural Engineering Association (MNSEA): MNSEA represents structural engineering firms in Minnesota and provides a forum for the engineers within the local consulting structural engineering member firms to improve the quality and level of structural engineering practice in the state.
American Institute of Architects (AIA) Minnesota: As a state component of AIA National, with three local chapters, AIA Minnesota has nearly 2,300 members. The organization produces a regional convention, publishes the award-winning magazine Architecture MN, lobbies on behalf of the profession at the state legislature, and delivers continuing education to all members.
The Minnesota Technology Association fuels the state high-tech ecosystem. The association offers members access to MnTech events, sponsorships, community interest groups, peer forums and more. Members include IT, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, fintech, agtech, cleantech, and edutech organizations.
Advance IT Minnesota is the Center of Excellence in Information Technology for Minnesota, managed by the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system from Metropolitan State University's Minneapolis campus. The Center partners with IT programs from state colleges and universities to support technology businesses in the state.