Manufacturing has a long and rich history in Catawba County. Even today, 29.3% of Catawba County’s working population is engaged in manufacturing. That’s more than three times the national average of 9.6%. There are 412 manufacturers in Catawba County employing over 23,000 workers.  The Hickory MSA has the highest percentage of employees in the manufacturing sector in NC and SC, more then 3 times as specialized in manufacturing as the national average, and ranks 5th in the nation for manufacturing concentration.