Business
Study: Montana’s manufacturing sector doing well
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersJobs in alcoholic beverage production double in 4-year span
EBS Staff
BOZEMAN – The number of jobs the manufacturing sector provides in Montana has increased at a rate more than double the national rate, according to a new report commissioned by the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center at Montana State University.
The 2017 State of Montana Manufacturing report, prepared by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana, indicates that manufacturing employment has increased 18.3 percent in the past seven years, to a total of 19,400 jobs.
“Manufacturing is really defined as anybody that takes something physically and changes the value of it,” said Paddy Fleming, the director of MMEC. Examples he listed include breweries, distilleries and even newspapers.
The report suggests a generally positive trend in manufacturing for the state. It found that company earnings in manufacturing have increased 14 percent since 2010, and there were more than 3,300 manufacturing establishments in Montana in 2015. Leading categories within the industry include miscellaneous manufacturing with 691 establishments, followed by fabricated metal manufacturing with 493 establishments and food products with 370.
The average wage for a worker in the industry was $47,227 in 2015, which is 18 percent higher than the average Montana worker’s wages.
In terms of earnings, the two largest Montana manufacturing industries in 2015 were associated with the processing of coal and crude oil (18 percent of total earnings) and the processing of wood products (15 percent).
The study noted that the production of alcoholic beverages is a rapidly growing industry in Montana. Distilleries, wineries and breweries employed 711 people in 2015, up from 267 in 2011.
Most Montana manufacturers are small businesses: 85 percent of Montana’s manufacturing businesses have fewer than 20 employees.
Fleming theorizes that the growth in Montana’s manufacturing sector is due to overall ingenuity as individuals branch out to find jobs in the state. “This is my opinion, but Montana is full of entrepreneurs and people in love with the state. Maybe they can’t find a job but they want to stay in the state so they create a job,” he said.
Growth in the manufacturing sector is good news for Montana, Fleming said. “It means we have a much more diversified economy. When grain is down, the whole economy isn’t down. It diversifies the economy so we’re not so dependent on one industry.”
The 2017 State of Montana Manufacturing report can be found at montana.edu/mmec.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome to come, if you don’t know who to bring come alone this is a great mixer event! This is an event hosted by Big Sky OUT as we work to provide queer safe spaces throughout the community.
Time
(Sunday) 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Cowboy Coffee
25 Town Center Ave. Big Sky, MT 59716