Group of workers conversing while walking through manufacturing facility
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From affordable housing and a low cost of living to welcoming neighborhoods, rural areas offer job seekers and their families plenty of opportunities that big cities can’t match. As a result, many people are deciding to give non-urban centers a try. In fact, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers has reported a rise in rural migration since 2020. However, rural manufacturers are still facing a shortage of skilled talent, and that’s a problem in a constantly changing market.
This challenge isn’t a new one, but it’s becoming increasingly urgent at a time when manufacturing is experiencing rapid turnover due to retirement. This “silver tsunami” effect has been compounded by a reticence of young people to plant long-term roots with employers in rural America.
While there isn’t one solution to this dilemma, modern recruitment, onboarding and operational strategies can help woo and retain qualified candidates to manufacturing facilities. In visiting various rural areas, I have noticed some clear success strategies being used that are helping entrepreneurship and businesses thrive. Below are several future-forward steps that manufacturers have taken to strengthen the core of their small-town workforces.
1. Advanced equipment and technology investing
Some job applicants might presume that working for a rural manufacturer would limit their access to advanced tools or workflows. However, many world-class manufacturing companies are equipping their businesses with the most advanced equipment available. That’s smart, given that seven out of 10 Gen Z workers would switch employers to gain access to more advanced technologies.
Fluid Power Support in rural Missouri is a prime example of how much of an impact that investing in emerging tech can make. I had a connection with a leader there, and he asked me to come check out their office. I was honestly expecting to walk into some dated office. Instead, I walked into a place that was more impressive than when I’ve toured an office in Palo Alto or Austin. The metal fabrication and finishing business recently made numerous equipment updates, such as a tube laser, robotic welding cells, fiber optic lasers on full automation and other leading-edge machinery (much of it with automated capabilities). This also allows them to serve areas all over Missouri and the Midwest.
As I dove in with asking the founder questions, I learned the company has also been a leader in the industry for sustainability. Ultimately, Fluid Power Support’s deliberate focus on modernization and continuous improvement has led to an engaged team of more than 100 people. Rather than going out of business like many other companies I have seen in rural areas, Fluid has consistently grown for multiple years and is currently set to grow more in 2026. In addition, when I spoke with the employees, they were thrilled to tell me about their innovative equipment and how it was serving their customers.
A good takeaway from this example is that it’s important to understand what young workers and good talent want. Gen Z values digitalization and technology, and potential employees want to see that the company is thriving in this challenging environment. For rural manufacturers to appeal to rising stars and top talent, their leaders must be willing to invest in leading-edge tools, software and devices.
2. Rewarding and strategic internships
Another technique that some rural manufacturers use to fill their candidate pools is offering internships. Here’s why: After working as an intern with a rural manufacturer, an individual may feel more comfortable (and less hesitant about) submitting an application for an open position. Indeed, internships are a proven pathway to overcome talent shortages for rural companies and construct robust cultures.
A good example of the advantage of internships comes from The DeLong Company. The company operates sites in multiple states and has established a thriving internship program. While some of its manufacturing facilities are in urban settings, others operate in more rural regions. By attracting success-minded young people to discover the company through agriculture-focused paid internships, DeLong Company ensures that it has more competent candidates ready to work anywhere.
DeLong shows how getting workers familiar with rural manufacturing when they are younger creates a dependable sourcing and branding lever for any company. It also enables young talent to experience the strong sense of community that’s a hallmark of the rural lifestyle.
3. Training for succession advancement
A third strategy to keep workers excited about staying in the field of rural manufacturing is through internal leadership training. Even if a manufacturer doesn’t have an internal training department, partnering with an outside vendor can be a way to help professionals learn how to be better leaders.
For instance, Front Line Leadership offers a training program designed for employees at manufacturing companies. Its curriculum specifically targets manufacturing supervisors and managers, offering the skills they need to improve and grow.
This kind of robust training can serve two purposes. First, it can help the manufacturer attract outside talent with the promise of education. Second, it can make internal promotion a cultural expectation. Employees have less reason to leave because they know they’re being educated in the hopes of snagging lucrative promotions through a standardized succession process.
When it comes to bringing skilled talent to rural manufacturing, taking a proactive approach is essential. I was pleasantly shocked when I walked into Fluid Power’s manufacturing facility that led me on this journey of hope for rural areas. In this AI- and technology-driven world, there are still innovations and strategies that work in smaller towns that help them compete as industry leaders. And as more talented laborers start to recognize the advantages that come from moving out of crowded urban markets, they can become a helpful recruitment source to introduce their peers to the benefits of rural working and living.