Well, Rob, a lot depends on where you are located. If "Middle MN" is near the Twin cities, you have a lot of sources you can go to. But if you mean Alexandria, then I won't be much help...
Discount Steel (now called Coremark Metals) has been the main go-to for a long time in Mpls. They keep a ton of shorts and drops around. Used to be cheap for drops, until they started to realize the gold mine they were sitting on for smaller users. Then they built a pretty new showroom and jacked all their prices way up. But they will deal with small users, which is nice. If you just want a 10' stick cut in half, they will do it for a reasonable charge. They also can do cutting, bending, etc for a charge. A whole variety of things. The key is to NOT use their website for anything other than information as the web prices are even worse. You are better off calling ahead and having them pull an order for you that you pay for on site when you PU. Much better pricing that way.
There are also a few Metals Supermarkets scattered around the metro, and I have used them a few times also. Same deal - don't use the website to order as the prices are far worse. Just call direct to the branch you want. They will also deal nicely with small users and can cut, etc. I was quite satisfied with them, but they were less convenient for me.
But for me, the best place has become Steel Towne as I am just over the border, behind the Cheddar Curtain. They have a main facility near Eau Claire and a branch close by in River Falls that I use. The RF location has expanded a lot over the past several years. Their prices are WAAAAY better than the other 2 I listed and they are great at dealing with small users. You say I want 2' of this angle, they fire up the plasma and hack it off for you. If you want an exact cut, they can put it on the bandsaw too, but they charge for that. They can do some forming and welding too. If you call ahead, they can get basically anything you want in a couple days. I used them for the 304 SS for all my railings here as they were almost half the price I was quoted from Discount/Coremark. Yes, that much lower. And they are great at customer service. Here is a shot of the railing project from that load of steel. Now this was a sizeable order, so I did send around for quotes from a few shops, and these guys always win. Yes I love working with these guys!
Edit: And yes I have bought from menards/HD/etc for small stuff, which is fine for very small orders, if they have what you need, and especially if you need it quick.
