According to the
2012 Minnesota Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by
Manufacturers' News, the state lost less than one percent of manufacturing jobs from October 2010 to October 2011.
Publisher Tom Dubin noted that the economic recovery is gaining momentum in Minnesota, and added that the state's educated workforce and solid infrastructure have been a draw for a variety of enterprises.
Bright spots in the past year have include the opening of a
tractor plant in Jackson, the expansion of an
ethanol plant in Welcome, and the expansion of a
pet litter production facility in Detroit Lakes.