Since joining Enterprise Minnesota in March, I’ve realized that many manufacturers don’t fully understand what our organization does. A large number associate us primarily with this magazine, which publishes outstanding and actionable information and celebrates the accomplishments of the manufacturing industry. But we’re so much more than that.
Enterprise Minnesota consists of manufacturing experts who live and work in communities throughout the state. Since 1987, when the Minnesota Legislature created Enterprise Minnesota as a statutory nonprofit, we’ve offered affordable consulting services that help clients boost productivity, sales, and profits.
Our consultants walk production floors with clients to offer insight that helps increase productivity. They help leadership teams build strategies that turn a good year into a decade of good years. They help improve talent and leadership development, because a company’s ceiling for growth is usually determined by its people.
They also guide manufacturers through ISO 9001:2015 certification, opening doors to customers and supply chains. And they run executive peer councils where leaders compare notes on the headwinds that keep them up at night.
Manufacturing fuels economies and strengthens communities across the state. Data from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce shows that manufacturers employ roughly 320,000 Minnesotans and contribute $46 billion to our gross domestic product, accounting for 12% of economic output.
The same report shows that in 2024, the average annual wage for manufacturing jobs in Minnesota was $83,000, 12% higher than the average across all industries. The impact of manufacturing is felt across the state. In five of six regions in Greater Minnesota, and in the Twin Cities metro area, manufacturing was the second-largest industrial sector.
Our mission is to build on that strength — to help companies turn potential into progress and progress into enduring profitability. Over the past five years, we’ve worked alongside 510 manufacturing clients who report that we’ve helped them boost sales by $696 million, invest $289 million, and reduce costs by $131 million. Just as important, they’ve retained or added 6,600 jobs. Consider the return on investment: Our clients report an ROI of at least $15 for every $1 spent on our services.
With every company tour I take, employee meeting I attend, or industry gathering I join, I see more clearly what those numbers represent. I see determined ingenuity behind difficult decisions — and how our consultants help manufacturers become more productive, competitive, and resilient.
So, yes, Enterprise Minnesota is a great magazine, but only insofar as it represents a team of quality consultants whose cutting-edge expertise helps manufacturers become better prepared to grow through whatever our domestic economy and world markets throw their way.
Return to the Fall 2026 issue of Enterprise Minnesota® magazine.
