Manufacturing
In 2021, one in twenty workers in Alberta worked in the manufacturing sector. The sector contributed $23.4 billion (8%) to the province’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The STEP Region has a selection of industrial/business parks, as well as large sites for heavy industrial areas, that are available for new investment with rail and major highway access.
Value-added Agriculture Manufacturing
Plant Proteins
The STEP Region can provide the necessary feedstock for value-add manufacturing. The County of St. Paul within the STEP Region has maintained a strong agriculture sector with Gross Farm Receipts over $150 million in 2021. The County has also gained significant ground in the value-added agriculture space. Complimenting the traditional crops, the County of St. Paul offers an excellent climate for various plant proteins and pulse crops including hemp, oats, dry peas, faba beans, flax and quinoa.
Biomass Generation
The crop residue that comes from heavily produced crops in the County such as wheat, barley, peas and canola, have varying end-uses or produce crop residue for biomass generation. This does not include the organic biomass generated by the livestock or the forestry sectors also located in the region.
