Those who own a piece of St. Paul MN real estate may be interested to learn a little bit about the history of manufacturing and production in the region. After all, without the pioneering efforts of business in the days before rotary air lock valves and other modern conveniences, St. Paul wouldn't be the city it is today. In fact, many of the current manufacturing operations in the city owe their existence and success to the foundations laid in the past. Let's take a look at manufacturing and production in St. Paul, past, present, and future.
Known as the last Eastern American city for many years, St. Paul was a major stop for those taking the river routes into the Wild West. As such, it was a natural place to set up operations for those who supplied the goods pioneers and western businesses need.
One of the main concerns of these travelers, of course, was alcohol, and several brewers set up production plants within city limits. Major companies which followed would produce cabinets for the households of the population, mining materials, and automobiles. A strong man could easily find employment in the city as a sheet metal bender in any one of these factories.
Today, several of those industries and their plants remain, although product lines and company names have changed considerably. The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company which moved to the city in 1906 is better known today as 3M. This Fortune 500 company has several plants as well as headquarters in our city. They use a number of different tools, such as bite type fittings, to create everything from Scotch tape to traffic lights.
Another mainstay from the past is the Ford Motor Company Plant in St. Paul. The silica underneath the plant was long used by Ford to make windshields for its vehicles, using pin mixers and other state of the art machinery.
The presence of many old houses as well as a trend towards gentrification has meant a resurgence of the St. Paul brick industry. Packaging machines at companies such as Minnesota brick and tile work around the clock to ensure the delivery of a quality product to customers both locally and nationwide.
The future of manufacturing and production in St. Paul continue to look bright, despite ominous grumblings from some sectors. While the old Ford plant has been slated for shutdown repeatedly, current estimates state it will continue to operate at least until 2011. It's likely that many companies will similarly continue to find St. Paul a good environment to do business in the future.
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