Montana resumes regular license plate production

The Montana Department of Corrections received around 40,000 pounds of aluminum last week, allowing regular license plate production to resume after it stalled in October due to supply chain disruptions.

“Last week’s delivery provides us with enough material to make more than 200,000 aluminum license plates and take us through February or March 2022,” said Montana Correctional Enterprises Administrator Gayle Butler in a press release. “Workers in the license plate shop are working overtime to get us caught up.”

Employees in the license plate shop make a starting pay scale of $.40 to $.85 per hour, according to a 2020 report.

Montana Correctional Enterprises, which is a division of the Department of Corrections, provides training for incarcerated people reentering communities in a variety of work industries.

Aluminum shortages — from pandemic-induced supply chain issues — were felt across the country in the fall and led to a 48 percent jump in demand  for prices, which hit a 13-year high, according to Bloomberg. The department said in the release that its aluminum supply ran out at the end of October and it received “no clear guidance from suppliers regarding when the shop could expect to receive its next shipment.”

Looking at Arizona and North Carolina, which both had license plate production disrupted by supply chain kinks, Butler forecasted in October the possible evaporation of aluminum supply shortage and the resulting disruption of license plate production.

Montana Correctional Enterprises provides work experience and transitional services for incarcerated people reentering communities.

Anyone who does not receive a replacement plate by April 30, 2022, should contact MVD at [email protected] for more information.