A diverse, strong manufacturing industry
With more than 120 manufacturing companies that employ 2,200 people, the Brainerd Lakes Area is home to a diverse group of manufacturing businesses. Thanks to a solid infrastructure, the region is positioned to attract even more.
The majority the manufacturing companies in the county are in wood products, plastics (rotomolding and thermoforming), precision maching operations, and printing. They benefit from easy access to transportation, favorable infrastructure, a readily available workforce, and a business climate that supports manufacturing.
Local labor is skilled, affordable
The Brainerd Lakes Area has a significant number of
workers who are available to work in the manufacturing industry. These residents have the skills, experience, and education to make an immediate impact. Average wages here are 25 percent lower than statewide and national averages, giving local companies a significant edge in operational costs.
Workers and employers have access to a variety of training and educational programs through
Central Lakes College, including machine tool technology, welding, robotics technology, and more. The
Bridges Career Academies is another program that benefits the manufacturing industry through a partnership between local companies, high schools, and CLC to help prepare high school students who are considering a career in the manufacturing industry.
| Average Weekly Wage by Industry |
| |
Companies |
Emps |
Crow Wing |
MN |
U.S.
|
| All Industries |
2,170 |
27,009 |
$603 |
$871 |
$876 |
| Trade, Transportation, Utilities |
490 |
5,796 |
$489 |
$765 |
|
| Construction |
308 |
1,626 |
$899 |
$1,009 |
|
| Manufacturing |
124 |
2,231 |
$729 |
$1,031 |
|
Source: Minnesota Dept of Employment & Economic Development, 2009 Annual Data
Source: Wage Data, 4Q, 2010 (MN DEED, OES)
Manufacturing-friendly infrastructure, location
The Brainerd Lakes Area is an excellent location for manufacturing companies because of available land and properties, the existing infrastructure, and its access to major transportation corridors, including rail, highways, and air.
Area
industrial parks in the Brainerd Lakes Area have affordable land on which to build or expand, and one of them has shovel-ready sites. A number of
existing properties are also available, some of which are configured for manufacturing.
Major east-west and north-south highways cut right through the Brainerd Lakes Area, making
transportation very favorable. Interstate 94 is 50 miles south, and the Twin Cities and Duluth are only two-to-three hour drives. The Burlington Northern/Sante Fe Railroad has a hub in Brainerd, providing local companies with freight service, and the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport offers commercial service daily to the Twin Cities.
Your first step: Contact BLAEDC today
If you're considering the Brainerd Lakes Area as a location for a manufacturing business, or you're thinking of expanding here, your first call should be to the Brainerd Lakes Area Economic Development Corporation. Let us help you get started. We're ready. Let's grow!
Major Manufacturing Employers, Crow Wing County
|
| |
Employees |
| Clow Stamping |
340 |
| Bang Printing |
210 |
| Wausau Paper |
185 |
| Keystone Automotive |
130 |
| Pequot Tool & Manufacturing |
115 |
Source: BLAEDC Research, November 2010