Saskatchewan boasts a healthy manufacturing sector

Courtesy of CME

SASKATOON — An industry leader says Saskatchewan's manufacturing sector had challenges last year but overall has seen a lot of prosperity.

Derek Lothian, vice president of Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters and executive director of the Saskatchewan Manufacturing Council, says since the year 2000, there has been 131 per cent growth in the province compared to 11 per cent nationally.

Lothian says most people think of agriculture and mining as the economic drivers in the province, but he says manufacturing is a significant sector as well.

He lists agricultural implements and mining and industrial supplies as the ones that most people might think about, but there are others.

They include road weighing systems that are sold internationally, satellite communications equipment, high-end military components, drone manufacturing, food products and plastics.

"Take agricultural implement manufacturing, for example—a sector that has struggled incrementally since the beginning of last year," says Lothian. "Even though sales in the industry plummeted 26.8 per cent in the second half of 2014, they kicked off 2015 still roughly 63 per cent higher than only one decade ago."

Food manufacturing, fabricated metal, machinery and equipment, chemicals, wood products are all repeat similar storylines, he adds.

Lothian says while there was a downturn last year, in 2014, manufacturing had about $16 billion in annual sales in Saskatchewan and employed more people than mining and forestry combined.

For more information, visit http://sk.cme-mec.ca.