Another Successful South Dakota Manufacturing Week Wraps Up

By: Pat Costello, Commissioner, South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development 

As the 2nd annual South Dakota Manufacturing Week comes to a close, I’d like to take a moment to extend thanks to all of the communities, companies, organizations and individuals who participated this week in celebrating South Dakota’s manufacturing industry. Our manufacturers truly do play a vital role in our state’s overall economic health, and based on historical data, we are optimistic about its future, too. Thank you to everyone who had a hand in planning and participating in local events throughout South Dakota during Manufacturing Week. Special thanks also goes to our manufacturers. I hope you know how much we appreciate what you bring to our economy.
 

One major point we want to drive home is that there is a future in manufacturing, and the future is right now. And never has it been more important to instill that in our children—after all, they are our future workforce, some of whom may even be our future leaders.

So just how important is manufacturing to South Dakota’s economy? Take a look:
 

• At the end of 2013, there were 1,128 manufacturing businesses in South Dakota. And those businesses employed 41,518 people with an average annual wage of $42,448.

• Those same businesses employ 10 percent of the state’s workforce.

• In 2013, South Dakota manufacturers had a total output of $4.25 billion, up from $4 billion in 2012, which was more than nine percent of the state’s total gross domestic product.

• South Dakota manufacturers produce a wide variety of products including machinery, food and beverage, fabricated metal, chemical products, computers and electronics, furniture, other wood products, plastic and rubber products, transportation equipment, and medical devices.

There’s no question that their impact is great and far-reaching. And we want them to continue to thrive. That’s why we started South Dakota Manufacturing Week in 2013, and will continue it in future years. Just as the industry continues to grow, we hope our efforts to generate awareness continues to grow as well.

In case you missed it, I invite you to take moment to visit our webpage www.sdreadytopartner.com/sdmfgweek2014 and our social media sites (South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development on Facebook and @SDGOED on Twitter) to catch up on the daily feature stories, search local events and view photos.

In closing, one final thank you to everyone who participated in SD Manufacturing Week. I hope you enjoyed the week as much as I did. Mark your calendars for SD Manufacturing Week 2015, coming Sept. 28-Oct. 2, 2015!