Ricketts: Growing opportunities in Nebraska’s manufacturing industry

Nebraska is a state known for growing things and making things. October was Manufacturing Month in Nebraska. Throughout the month we celebrated our manufacturers who are making world-class equipment and growing great job opportunities across our state. There are 97,000 Nebraskans employed in our manufacturing industry.

Whether it’s assembling cargo doors for Kawasaki’s first American aerospace division in Lincoln, welding livestock headgates at Pearson in Thedford, or constructing center pivot irrigation equipment at Valmont in McCook, Nebraska’s manufacturers contribute $13 billion annually towards growing our state.

To celebrate Manufacturing Month and our second largest industry, I visited several Nebraska manufacturers. In each year of my administration, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and I have partnered with the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce to visit manufacturers across our state.

Our annual celebration of manufacturing encourages businesses to promote opportunities in skilled labor through company tours and community events. This year’s visits will take us to Grand Island, Sidney, Gering, Alliance, Holdrege, and Omaha.

In Nebraska, manufacturing has helped our state grow for many years. Over the last two years, the industry has helped us reach over 1 million jobs, a record level of non-farm employment for Nebraska.

This year, it also helped Nebraska win the prestigious Governor’s Cup for the most economic development projects per capita. Investments from manufacturers like Kawasaki, Smeal Fire Apparatus, State Steel, and Worldlawn Power Equipment helped bring this award to our state.

We aren’t taking future growth for granted. My administration has partnered with Nebraska’s economic development community to encourage future growth by promoting tax reform, cutting red tape, and expanding educational opportunities in fields related to manufacturing.

Continue to full article.