§1The market
South Dakota had 11 private establishments in NAICS 321920, wood container and pallet manufacturing, in the 2025 annual average, 0.3% of the U.S. total of 3,143. That ranks 41st of the 50 states with QCEW data for the industry.
That is up 22.2% from 9 in 2020, against +5.8% nationally.
BLS did not disclose employment or wages for the industry in South Dakota for any year from 2020 to 2025. BLS withholds these figures when publishing them could reveal an individual employer's data.
For raw material, South Dakota had 5 sawmill establishments (NAICS 321113) in 2025, employing 129 in 2025. Pallet plants outnumber sawmills in the state.
Pallet plants were recorded in 5 counties in 2025.
Freight context: retail diesel in the Midwest (PADD 2) region averaged $6.344 a gallon in October 2026, +74.3% on a year earlier (EIA).
§2South Dakota by year
| Year | Plants | Employment | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 9 | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| 2021 | 8 | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| 2022 | 8 | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| 2023 | 8 | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| 2024 | 9 | not disclosed | not disclosed |
| 2025 | 11 | not disclosed | not disclosed |
Sawmills (NAICS 321113) in South Dakota: 2020 6, 2021 6, 2022 6, 2023 5, 2024 5, 2025 5.
§3What it means for buyers
With only 11 plants, buyers in South Dakota should expect to source across state lines, starting with Minnesota (62 plants), and should agree delivery charges and lead times carefully.
Supply clusters in Sioux Falls, SD; see the metro pages below.
States with a similar number of plants: North Dakota (7), New Hampshire (14), Montana (6), West Virginia (15).
Ask each bidder which plant will ship to you, and price delivery as its own line in the bid-leveling sheet.
§4Metro areas
| Metro area | Plants | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | 7 | 71 |
| Sioux City, IA-NE-SD | 5 | 127 |