The Government of Saskatchewan has proclaimed November 23-27, 2020 Saskatchewan Manufacturing Week, celebrating the innovative, entrepreneurial and competitive manufacturers that call the province home.
In 2019, Saskatchewan’s manufacturing industry had $16.3 billion in sales and provided $5.5 billion in total exports. The overall sector represented 5.6 per cent of the provincial gross domestic product. For every dollar invested in manufacturing, an economic spin off of three times is generated in the provincial economy.
Locally, manufacturing is an important part of the local economy said Yorkton Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Juanita Polegi.
“The manufacturing sector is a large player in the Yorkton economy,” she stated. “Our manufacturers provide a number of jobs with many of these for highly skilled employees. Our manufacturers contribute significantly to the diversity of the city’s economy.”
Provincially it is the same story.
“As a major wealth-generator and significant driver of the provincial economy, we’re proud of our manufacturing sector here in Saskatchewan,” Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said in a release Monday. “Manufacturing Week is a great opportunity to profile the technologies, innovations and management tools for the ongoing success and growth of the industry.”
Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sector employed 30,700 people in 2019, an increase of 9.3 per cent from 2018 and the highest increase among the provinces. In the same year, Saskatchewan ranked second for capital investment growth and second-highest in manufacturing productivity. Saskatchewan’s manufacturing revenue continues to grow steadily, with the second-highest increase in 2018 from 2017.
From 2009 to 2019, Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sector had an average annual growth rate of 0.8 per cent, with real GDP rising from $4.3 billion in 2009 to approximately $4.6 billion in 2019. Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan includes a goal to increase the value of Saskatchewan manufacturing exports by 50 per cent by 2030. That will be achieved by ensuring Saskatchewan has a competitive tax and regulatory environment, expanding access to Canadian and international markets, providing incentives that improve efficiency and accelerate capital investment and reducing unnecessary red tape.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, over 25 companies in Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sector pivoted to produce medical supplies or personal protection equipment for local businesses, the provincial school system and the health care industry in North America.
