Manufacturing
Cloud County, Kansas checks all of the boxes for business leaders looking to expand or develop new operations. The region’s workforce demonstrates the work ethic and loyalty common among Midwest values. With competitive wages and a strong workforce training and education pipeline, Cloud County meets the challenges many operators face across the nation.
The Cloud County region is particularly strong in:
- Metal Tank Manufacturing
- Fabricated Metal Manufacturing
- Heavy Equipment Manufacturing
Cloud County has an extremely high concentration of Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing with a location quotient of 15.17. Location quotient (LQ) is a way of quantifying how concentrated a particular sector is in a region as compared to the nation. For example, the Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing industry in Cloud County is 15 times more concentrated in the county than the typical region.
The table below highlights some of the regions other manufacturing industry strengths in the region and state.
| Industry | Greater Region LQ | Kansas LQ |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Tank (Heavy Gauge) Manufacturing (NAICS 332420) | 1.41 | 3.48 |
| All Other Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332999) | 3.81 | 1.29 |
| Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 333111) | 40.92 | 8.50 |
| Construction Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333120) | 4.56 | 2.33 |
(Source: Emsi, 2020)
*View the chart on our desktop site.
North Central Kansas Technical College and Salina Area Technical College offer programs in welding, automated controls, computer aided drafting, machine tool technology and more to meet the needs of local employers.
Wages for manufacturing occupations are competitive when compared to Kansas and U.S. averages.
| Description | Cloud County Wages | Regional Wages | Kansas Wages | US Wages |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators | $15.44 | $15.04 | $16.44 | $15.53 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $17.24 | $18.38 | $19.84 | $20.34 |
| Machinists | $18.76 | $19.91 | $19.66 | $21.31 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | $26.71 | $27.06 | $28.96 | $29.35 |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $14.44 | $15.84 | $15.93 | $17.11 |
| Mechanical Engineers | $33.12 | $32.75 | $36.36 | $42.51 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products | $24.50 | $26.54 | $29.44 | $28.57 |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | $19.75 | $18.71 | $20.85 | $18.85 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators | $17.59 | $18.59 | $19.97 | $19.81 |
(Source: Emsi, 2020)
*View the chart on our desktop site.
