State of Manufacturing® 2021
Thank you to all of our participants at this year’s event. Find complete survey results and analysis below.

Despite unprecedented uncertainties that continue to roil the COVID-era business economy, the 2021 edition of the State of Manufacturing® survey has revealed that Minnesota’s manufacturers are far more optimistic about their companies’ prospects than they were after they experienced the first wave of the pandemic.
“It’s a remarkable turnaround in expectations,” says Bob Kill, president and CEO of Enterprise Minnesota. “The worker shortage, supply chain uncertainties, and unstable pricing could provide challenges. But most manufacturers seem confident they can overcome factors that might constrain their path to profitable growth.”
The State of Manufacturing® is the annual survey of Minnesota manufacturing executives that reveals the latest trends in key business areas including growth, workforce, supply chain, economic confidence, and more. Each year, over 400 manufacturing executives are surveyed, representing a broad mix of manufacturers by region, employee count and annual revenue.
Watch the complete recorded presentation from November 10 below:

Pollster’s Analysis
Read the complete breakdown of the 2021 State of Manufacturing® survey data and what it means for the industry.

What our manufacturers said
In 2021 we conducted 13 executive focus groups to hear subjective commentary behind the survey data. Here is a sample of what we heard.
Read more about what our focus group participants said here.
View complete 2021 focus group transcripts on our Research Page.
Bob Kill, president & CEO of Enterprise Minnesota is available for comment and interview regarding the State of Manufacturing® survey. If you would like to schedule an interview, please contact Robert Lodge ([email protected]).
The State of Manufacturing survey is made possible through the support of our generous partners. If you are interested in being a part of the State of Manufacturing survey, please contact us.
The State of Manufacturing survey is conducted by Meeting Street Insights and is underwritten by Enterprise Minnesota.