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LINCOLN, NE – On Wednesday afternoon, Governor Jim Pillen proclaimed October as Manufacturing Month in Nebraska during press conferences at Structural Component Systems in Fremont and Cargill in Schuyler. The Governor also issued proclamations at TMCO and Kawasaki in Lincoln this week in celebration of each manufacturer’s 50th anniversary of doing business in Nebraska. At each event, the Governor emphasized the quality and dedication of Nebraska’s manufacturing workforce.
“As Governor, I’ve met with several manufacturers in Nebraska that have sites in multiple states across the country,” said Gov. Pillen. “Every single one tells me that their best location is in Nebraska. Our people are the difference maker. Nobody can build better than we can here.”
Per federal labor data, Nebraska’s manufacturing employment is at its highest point since October 2001. According to the Nebraska Department of Labor, the state’s manufacturing employment increased to 109,079 in September 2024. The industry added 4,333 jobs over the past year.
Structural Component Systems (SCS) is a great example of this growth. SCS Director of Human Resources Diane Mallette says the company has increased its workforce by 165% over the past eight years, expanding to a team of 570. SCS supplies trusses, wall panels, and wood products to job sites across the Midwest and beyond.
Cargill in Schuyler is among the state’s largest manufacturing sites—with well over 2,000 employees. The beef processing plant has been in Schuyler since 1968; Cargill acquired the facility in 1987. In addition to supplying beef products across the United States, the plant is a major exporter of beef to Japan.
Gov. Pillen praised the strong partnerships between industry and education in both Fremont and Schuyler, which are preparing students for great-paying careers in manufacturing. This fall, Fremont High School opened a brand-new Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center to train more students to enter fields such as welding, robotics, and product design. SCS is among the area manufacturers whose donations are supporting the CTE center. Fremont Superintendent Mark Shepard said 700 of the high school’s 1,700 students will take programming in the CTE facility this academic year. Metro Community College is partnering with FHS by providing dual-credit courses, tuition remission, and staffing for the CTE facility.
“My granddad is a welder, and I used to spend hours in the shop with him,” said Elaine Steinbach, a junior at FHS. She’s enrolled in the FHS welding academy, preparing to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps. “The welding academy and CTE center have allowed me to expand my education and skills in an area I’m really passionate about,” she said. “I’m really thankful to be able to learn there.”
At the press event in Schuyler, instructors from Central Community College (CCC) overviewed the Independent Mechatronics Education (iMEC) Curriculum, which is helping to equip area students for careers in manufacturing. The curriculum is being provided in 18 high schools in Nebraska. Behlen and BD in Columbus, and Cargill in Schuyler, each provide generous financial support to students who pursue mechatronics degrees at CCC in Columbus.
Ivan Varela graduated from Schuyler Central High School in 2022 and from CCC in 2024. He followed the instrumentation and electromechanical pathways within the mechatronics program. Ivan is currently employed at Cargill in Schuyler, where he was recently promoted due to his technical capabilities.
“I took two of the iMEC classes in high school,” said Varela. “That program helped me decide what to do in the future.” He emphasized the benefits of working at Cargill while studying at CCC, an experience that enabled him to connect his in-class learning with on-the-job responsibilities. “After I started working at Cargill, my mindset completely changed. I started learning twice as fast—while making money.”
Brianne Bachman teaches science at Leigh Community Schools. She was instrumental in bringing the iMEC program to her school—taking coursework last summer to train herself to use the equipment that her students now learn on in class.
“I jumped at the opportunity to help facilitate this program,” she said. “Students love the hands-on training. They're always engaged when they get to build and problem-solve. The kids just went on an industry tour, and they can’t wait to go on their next one. It gives them an opportunity to see where this program can take them and [opens their eyes] to possibilities they didn’t even know existed. The experiences students gain because CCC is able to offer iMEC in small, rural schools is an opportunity like no other.”
Nebraska Department of Economic Development (DED) Director K.C. Belitz spoke at the events in Fremont and Schuyler, crediting manufacturers for building wealth, creating jobs, and providing internship and apprenticeship opportunities to young Nebraskans. He also commended manufacturers for being lead investors in workforce housing projects across the state. “Manufacturers are investing—not just in their employees, not just in their business, but in their communities as well,” he said. “That’s another great reason for us to celebrate the impact that manufacturing is having in our state.”
For photos from the Governor’s Manufacturing Month events, click here.