Sioux Manufacturing Corporation

History of Sioux Manufacturing

Founded in 1973, Devils Lake Sioux Manufacturing Corporation (DLSMC) opened its doors for the first day of production in February 1974. Started as a joint venture between the Spirit Lake Nation (formerly the Devils Lake Sioux Tribe) and the Brunswick Corporation, DLSMC was created to provide employment opportunities for the members of the tribe.

DLSMC's initial business base consisted entirely of Department of Defense (DoD) funded contracts acquired through the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program and included the manufacture of camouflage systems for the U.S. Army and other DoD elements. Within a few short years of its creation, the company had earned a reputation as one of the most successful businesses ever to grow out of the SBA's 8(a) program.

By 1989, the Spirit Lake Nation had purchased the last remaining shares of the company owned by the Brunswick Corporation, thereby gaining full ownership of the company. Renamed Sioux Manufacturing Corporation (SMC), the company has since expanded its manufacturing capabilities into the field of composites while gaining worldwide recognition for the exceptional quality of their products.

Designed by a tribal member and adopted at the time of the company's inception, the distinctive SMC logo of lightning and a horse within a circle reflects the vision of the company's founders and the basic principles upon which they intended the business to operate. The logo embodies three elements that have strong traditional meanings for the Native American people:

Sioux Manufacturing Corporation Logo Description

Consistent with its intended purpose and staying true to the Native American belief of "the betterment of the whole," SMC's success continues to benefit not only the people of the Spirit Lake Nation, but those of the surrounding non-Indian communities as well.

Sioux Manufacturing Corporation, through its graduation from the SBA's 8(a) program to obtaining full ownership of the business, is an example of self-determination and stands as a monument to what can be accomplished when the energies of many people are focused on common goals.