Celebrating Minnesota Manufacturers
October 30, 2020
St. Paul – Throughout the month of October, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has been celebrating the critical role manufacturing plays in our state’s economy and drawing attention the many great employment opportunities in the sector. This diverse, technology-driven sector contributed over $52.7 billion to the state’s economy last year, is the state’s second largest industry by employment, and is the largest industry sector as measured by its share of the state’s gross domestic product at 14% in 2019.
Minnesota’s manufacturers make a diverse range of products from food to machinery to medical devices. Close to half of Minnesota’s Fortune 500 companies are involved in manufacturing, including 3M, CHS, General Mills, Land O’Lakes, Ecolab, Hormel Foods and Polaris. The state exported $21 billion in manufactured products in 2019 to countries around the world.