Many people ask about the economic health of our local manufacturing sector.
In Cape County, more than 11% of the private sector workforce is employed in the field of manufacturing. This puts us even with the state of Missouri average.
According to the latest statistics, about 4,000 people work in more than 180 manufacturing facilities in our county. The average weekly wage for these jobs was a little more than $1,000 in 2018 accounting for more than $200 million dollars in payroll. That’s a lot of buying power and a significant piece of our local economy.
Many different products are manufactured locally and some may surprise you. We all know about the diapers, toilet paper, paper towels, and Portland cement. But did you also know Cape County is home to producers of corrugated boxes, plastic flexible packaging, electrical enclosures, closet organizers, professional performance grade music cables, fertilizer sticks, IV bag contents, restaurant grade BBQ pits, rubber carpet backing, mulch, shower enclosures, and railroad car parts? And I’ve only scratched the surface.
We are fortunate to have many different kinds of manufacturers AND many different industry sectors in Cape County. This economic diversity is what keeps our local economy strong.
I urge you to take some time to learn more about the various manufacturers we have and become informed on the opportunities they provide.
