Business, Industry & Commerce

When you locate your business in St. Joseph, you are making a sound economic decision. With a stable workforce and competitive incentives, St. Joseph is a good value for your company. St. Joseph's salary base is affordable and attractive at 17 percent below the national average. Electricity, gas, and water utility rates in St. Joseph are among the lowest in the nation. St. Joseph's favorable tax structure translates directly into industry profitability, and the City of St. Joseph and Buchanan County provide a pro-business environment with attractive tax rates and competitive incentives for growing companies. Undoubtedly one of the city’s most valuable resources is the people. St. Joseph workers have a reputation for hard work, high productivity and low absenteeism and turnover.

While St. Joseph's largest single employer is the hospital system, the city has a diversified employment base which helps maintain a healthy and growing economy. Major employers range from education to animal pharmaceutical production, aerial work platform manufacturing to riverboat gambling.

St. Joseph offers a wide array of industrial and commercial property. Mitchell Woods is a 500-acre carefully planned business community designed to serve the needs of light manufacturers, distributors, high-tech operations and other companies requiring attractive, efficient and cost competitive square footage. The St. Joseph Regional Port Authority also has sites available totaling over 250 acres, all serviced by railroad with nearby Interstate access.

The St. Joseph Enhanced Enterprise Zone can save you thousands of dollars each year and  put real dollars back into your pocket. One third of St. Joseph (45.4 square miles) is a designated Enterprise Zone. By offering business and industry lucrative tax credits and real property tax abatement, substantial economic benefits are realized by qualified firms locating within the zone.

St. Joseph is willing to go the extra mile to bring your project to town and has the workforce, customer base, incentives and civic commitment to ensure the prosperity of your business.

For more information on expanding or relocating your business to Saint Joseph, please visit the Economic Development section of this Web site.