The Institute of Makers of Explosives (IME) released an economic impact study highlighting the importance of the commercial explosives industry at the national, state and congressional district levels.
According to IME, the study revealed that the commercial explosives industry creates more than 60,000 jobs and contributes more than $19 billion each year to the U.S. economy. IME says its study was based on 2023 data.
“Few people today give much thought to the essential role commercial explosives play in our everyday lives,” says Clark Mica, president of IME. “Throughout our nation’s history, commercial explosives have not only helped build America, they have enabled our modern way of life. Whether it is the car you drive to work, the fuel you use to power your car, the roads you drive on, or the mobile phone you use to communicate, commercial explosives make all of these things possible.”
The economic impact study IME commissioned was conducted by John Dunham & Associates, an economic research firm. The study includes the direct contribution, supplier contribution and downstream positive impacts of the entire commercial explosives industry value chain – from manufacturers to distributors to users.
“This report shows the great success and impact of the commercial explosives industry,” says Tim O’Brien, president of Detotec North America who serves as chair of IME’s board of governors. “The commercial explosives industry creates good-paying career opportunities with good benefits while also being a positive economic driver in our local communities.”
The study showed that commercial explosives generated more than $1.2 billion in federal taxes and another $1 billion in state and local taxes for municipalities across the U.S. that go toward things like building roads and schools.
“Our mission is to improve the world we live in through the safe and responsible use of commercial explosives,” says Jason Rawlings, president of Austin Powder Co. who serves as vice chair of IME’s board of governors. “While there are still significant opportunities to grow our workforce, you can’t dispute the overall positive impact our industry has in the U.S.”
As IME describes, commercial explosives are essential for quarrying the aggregates required to build the nation’s infrastructure.
