(Spencer)– The Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation is emphasizing the importance of manufacturing in the region by declaring the month of October as Manufacturing Month. Corridor CEO Curt Strouth says they kicked things off Monday with the signing of a proclamation…
“We brought in a lot of our key stakeholders from the four counties we serve which is Buena Vista, Emmet, Clay and Dickinson and brought everybody in. We did a proclamation signing to kind of kick off and to recognize Manufacturing Month during the month of October. And then we actually just had an open conversation about local things going on, our local manufacturers, the growth we’re experiencing and how they contribute to our region and the economy.”
And when it comes to that, Strouth says the numbers are impressive…
“It’s astonishing. I mean manufacturing, they account for the region’s highest amount of GDP which is over 800 billion dollars which is a big number. And also when you look at a labor shed statistic analysis on what contributes to our workforce, just over 17 percent of the individuals who are contributing to our labor force here in the region actually participate in the manufacturing sector. So when you think about those two numbers combined, it shows the impact that manufacturing and industry have on our region and why we support it to such a high level here in the corridor.”
Strouth says they’re also commemorating the month with visits to the region’s manufacturers. Those kicked off Wednesday with a stop at Art’s Way Manufacturing in Armstrong, with visits to other facilities in coming days…
“Next week we’ll be visiting Polaris here in Spirit Lake and Dickinson county which we’re excited about. We’ll also be making tour stops in Buena Vista county with Renco and then in Clay county with MWI Components. We’re also going to be bringing in some state leaders to help facilitate some of these visits to continue to bring more awareness to what manufacturing means to us in the region, and this will bring more exposure and really just to celebrate.”
Strouth says manufacturers in the region continue to deal with workforce issues along with a lack of child care and housing.
