What an honor it was to keynote the “Making It in the Magic Valley” event this week!
From all of us at Idaho Commerce, I just want to give a big thank you to the Times News for hosting a wonderful event and to Idaho Power for being the title sponsor and always supporting Idaho’s economic development efforts.
Several of the honorees are companies we’ve worked closely with over the years, like Glanbia, Clear Spring Foods, Idaho Milk Products, and more recently, Fabri-Kal.
Others are companies I’ve recently gotten to know while traveling across the state in my role as Director of Idaho Commerce, and others are businesses I am excited to work with in the future and get to know better.
While reflecting on one of the honorees, DOT Foods, and my visit to their facility last summer, I was reminded of their company promise that is prominently displayed on their fleet of vehicles:
“Trusted values. Innovative solutions. Shared growth.”
That spirit perfectly encapsulates the success happening in the Magic Valley, and what has driven all of Idaho to unprecedented heights recently.
Reflecting back to 2015 when the U.S. Commerce Department Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership selected the Magic Valley as a top manufacturing community in the Food Manufacturing category, is validation of the incredible work and partnerships that have been happening in that area for decades.
Given the success Idaho has seen in job growth and economic productivity, more businesses are seeing that Idaho has a very positive economic climate and, in many ways, the Magic Valley has led the way in this expansion. And we expect this region to continue to be a strong driver in the state’s growth. In the years coming out of the recession until present, jobs in the Magic Valley grew by 12.5%, ahead of statewide growth of 11.6%, and we anticipate seeing this trend continue!
Another honoree, Glanbia, was one of our first TRI projects at Idaho Commerce and has been a staple of existing Idaho business success for a long time. Glanbia reported a 400% employee increase since 2005, including bringing their first US headquarters to Twin Falls in 2013, which created 100 new jobs.
With a footprint across the country, Fabri-Kal, another honoree, could have chosen to be most anywhere in the nation, but they chose to be in a place that understands food, that understands production, that understands innovation. There is no place better for all these important components than the Magic Valley.
Idaho’s economy is recognized nationally – even globally – as having a workforce that still makes things. Not only growing, raising, harvesting, or extracting the necessary raw materials, but imagining, designing, building, manufacturing, and finishing those goods and products better than anywhere else in the world.
There truly are few places that “make it” better than we do here in the Magic Valley!
Congratulations to the “Makings it in the Magic Valley” award winners:
- Agri-Service
- Barclay Mechanical and Crane
- Clear Springs Foods
- DOT Foods
- Everton Mattress
- Fabri-Kal
- First Ascent Fish Farm
- Glanbia Foods
- Hatfield Manufacturing
- Herrett Stocks
- Idaho Milk Products
- Mad River Laser
- Moss Greenhouse
- The Sprinkler Shop
