Paul Martin's Business Update - September 17th, 2014

Traffic is picking up in the manufacturing sector both here and across the country.

Saskatchewan has a relatively modest manufacturing sector when compared to other provinces but it has been growing in importance in recent years. Small but expanding rapidly.

The latest update on the performance of manufacturers saw sales from Saskatchewan plants rise more than a full percentage point in July, surpassing the $1.4 billion mark. On a year-over-year basis, the increase was just over five per cent which suggests that July was especially strong, accounting for a fifth of the year’s increase.

The highlight of the report, though, came from Manitoba. Sales there rose an impressive 15 per cent in July compared to June. That put the province in positive territory for the year and, for the first time in a while, saw monthly sales exceed those generated in Saskatchewan manufacturing facilities.

Overall, the latest report suggests Canada’s manufacturers are beginning to generate some momentum. Growing demand in the US has helped spur activity in our plants while the softer Canadian dollar is making us more competitive.

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