Menu Close

Missouri Celebrates Manufacturing Day

  • October 07, 2022

Happy Manufacturing Day!

Held annually on the first Friday in October, Manufacturing Day helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers, and community leaders.

As manufacturers seek to fill 4 million high-skill, high-tech and high-paying jobs over the next decade, Manufacturing Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.

Missouri is one of the best locations in North America for manufacturing, supported by a cost-competitive, pro-business and innovative environment. Missouri’s exceptional talent pool is enhanced by extensive and customizable training programs, easy access to raw materials and a globally connected logistics infrastructure that allows companies to import needed additives and export their finished products. In fact, more than $13.7 billion in manufacturing products are exported annually.

Across the state, Missouri talent drives automotive manufacturing into the future with significant production from Ford and GM. In 2021 alone, Missouri’s workforce produced more than 475,000 vehicles at the Ford and GM plants, strategically located on the North American Automotive Alley that stretches from Toronto to Mexico City. Since 2020, more than $4 billion has been invested in Missouri automotive facilities.

Missouri also has a rich history in aviation, especially military aviation. More than 16,000 of Missouri’s highly trained workforce build the F/A-18, EA-18, F-15 and T-7A fighter jets and the MQ-25 unmanned refueler at Boeing’s Defense, Space and Security facilities, along with composite parts for the 777x and a huge array of military ordinance. Statewide, Missouri is home to 100+ aerospace manufacturing companies.

With more than 3 million educated workers, Missouri has a greater talent pool than 29 other states, including most of its neighbors.

Missouri is home to 80+ certified work ready communities. Manufacturing centers of excellence across the state include the new Robert W. Plaster Center for Advanced Manufacturing at Ozarks Technical Community College, and the recently announced St. Louis Regional Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Center.

All of this adds up to one thing: Missouri is a prime choice for advanced manufacturing companies that are looking for an existing pipeline of suppliers and world-class talent.

Check out the full agenda for Manufacturing Day in Missouri here.

What Next?