Raven Industries Sioux Falls Aerostar Plant, South Dakota

Raven Industries’ Aerostar division makes high altitude balloons and aerostats at this plant located in an industrial center next to the Air National Guard base at Sioux Falls airport. Raven Industries was formed in the 1950s by members of General Mills’ High Altitude Research division, who selected Sioux Falls for its favorable wind conditions. The company soon became an important producer of high altitude research balloons, as well as recreational hot air balloons. While today the company has diversified into agricultural technologies, it still supplies balloon and aerostats for research and military applications, including radar platforms, and worked with Google’s Loon division to produce aerial internet access portals. Raven’s headquarters is in downtown Sioiux Falls. It has a small Innovation Campus north of Sioux Falls, and an R&D presence at the state’s universities, in addition to a dozen or so offices and production facilities around the country.