Hess Roise was incorporated in 1990. Dedicated to high-quality research and writing, we bring knowledge, experience, and creativity to projects around the country—ranging from interpreting a railroad yard to surveying a city park system to documenting a dam to rehabilitating a vacant brewery.

Our base of operation is the Foster House, a renovated 1880s building just a block from the Mississippi River in Minneapolis’s historic warehouse district. Intrepid collectors of books, journals, newspaper clippings, and other useful sources, we have an extensive in-house reference library. With close proximity to academic, public, and private libraries and archives, we can conduct research efficiently and effectively.

Charlene Roise has been president since 1997 when the company’s cofounder, Jeff Hess, retired. Charlene enjoys working with a dedicated staff of historians, architectural historians, and researchers.

Hess Roise qualifies as a woman-owned business and is certified by a number of agencies including the Minnesota Department of Administration, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Metropolitan Airports Commission, Metropolitan Council, Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. In addition, the company is prequalified as a vendor with a number of government entities.
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