Manufacturers have a Place in Upton

Hard work in Wyoming is often synonymous with ranching and mining. But manufacturers in Wyoming have the same direction to maximum effort and dedicated business practices. This October, the Upton Economic Development Board celebrates local manufacturing companies as primary employers who drive the local economy providing employment opportunities, creating a multiplier effect locally by exporting goods and services and importing revenue to the community. 

Manufacturing Day Stretches Through the Whole Month of October

Manufacturing careers are highlighted nationally with the first Friday in October kicking off Manufacturing Month by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders. The 2021 theme is “Creators Wanted,” with the focus on building the workforce of the future and educating America’s youth about career pathways that are full of opportunity for advancement and stability in modern manufacturing.

Manufacturing in Upton

Manufacturing Month is an excellent time to call attention to Upton companies such as Unkers Therapeutic Products, Arrow Services Ready Mix plant and Wyo Services, leaders in the community with good workplace practices, production of high quality products and consistent innovation to keep in step and progress in their industries. We are proud of these businesses and the many other companies that have made their home in Upton.

Manufacturing Sector Growth in Wyoming

The importance of manufacturing is economic stability and growth. It contributes 5.39% to the Gross State Product annually, according to the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). In fact, Wyoming’s exports of manufacturing goods in 2020 was over $1.11 billion.

The Wyoming manufacturing industry employed 10,000 people in 2020, and as reported by NAM, the average annual compensation for Wyoming’s manufacturing jobs was over $75,000 in 2019. Upton high school or technical school graduates can begin working for one of northeastern Wyoming’s manufacturing companies and, within a few years, reach a level of income that surpasses the average household income in the United States.

Reasons to Locate in Upton

Transportation Assets
Upton offers several advantages to manufacturers beginning with a central North American location that offers excellent access to transportation. The town is 15 miles southeast of Interstate 90 with highway access between both coasts. Highway 85, the Heartland Express trucking route from Canada to Mexico, is 28 miles southeast of town.

Business Assets
Upton also has a significant number of business assets, highlighted by Tiger Transfer, LLC., a certified transload facility. Features of Tiger Transfer include:

• 600+ acres industrial rail-served business park
• Dual mainline rail and over 44,000 feet of track
• Full-service transloading and logistics
• ‘Shovel ready’ land for new development
• Warehouse and manufacturing space for lease or purchase

Additionally the Upton Municipal Airport, a FAA approved General Aviation airport, is located adjacent to Tiger Transfer.

Workforce Assets
Commuting is a way of life in Wyoming and that is reflected in the Upton community. The Upton workforce population is 245,269, comprising eight counties in northeast Wyoming and southwest South Dakota:

NE WY Counties:  Campbell (46,140), Crook (7,450) and Weston (6,967)
SW SD Counties:  Pennington (111,729), Meade (28,294), Lawrence (25,741), Butte (10,222), Custer (8,726)

Financial Benefits
Businesses save time and money locating in Upton due an efficient development review process, and Wyoming's favorable financial environment. Wyoming has consistently been named the nation’s “Most Business Friendly Tax Climate” by the Tax Foundation, partially due to the fact it has no corporate state income, personal state income, inventory, franchise or occupation taxes.

Community Assets
This rural town with a population of 1,100 has amenities that many big cities would envy, such as:

• Weston County School District #7 includes students in grades K-12, offering college accredited courses and technical training. 
• Access to higher education - Gillette College, Eastern Wyoming College, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Black Hills State University, and Western Dakota Tech technical college
• Joe’s Food Center, a full-service grocery store
• Monument Health Clinic and the Upton Pharmacy
• Upton Municipal 9-hole Golf Course - Cedar Pines
• Goose Landing - camping and RV park 
• Outdoor swimming pool 
• City Park
• Community Center 
• Upton Gun Club, a competition-grade outdoor range, .22 caliber indoor range and classroom that supports multiple youth gun clubs, high school team and regional competitions
• Senior Center

To learn more about how the Upton Economic Development Board can help manufacturing companies in Upton, email or call (307)282-0652.

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