News from the South Carolina Manufacturers Register
South Carolina Manufacturing Jobs Down 2% Over Twelve Months According To State Industrial Directory - October 10, 2008
Contact: Jennifer Ratcliff Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (847) 864-9440 ext. 241 jratcliff [at] manufacturersnews.com
EVANSTON, Ill, October 10th, 2008 /Manufacturers’ News, Inc./-- Industrial employment in South Carolina dropped 2% over the past twelve months according to the 2009 South Carolina Manufacturers Register, a compilation of state industry published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. The Register reports South Carolina lost 5,989 industrial jobs from August 2007 to August 2008, roughly half the losses MNI reported for the state over the August 2006-2007 survey period.
Manufacturers’ News reports South Carolina is home to 5,465 manufacturers employing 296,069 workers, ranking 21st in the US for number of industrial jobs and 27th for number of manufacturers. South Carolina’s job losses are in line with those seen across the Southeast with manufacturing jobs in Alabama down 2.2% and North Carolina and Georgia each down 2.3%, according to earlier MNI reports.
“As with the entire nation, South Carolina’s industrial employment is suffering due to automation, mergers and outsourcing,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, South Carolina’s favorable business climate should continue to help the state attract and retain industrial facilities,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing firm, which has been surveying industrial sectors since 1912.
According to the 2009 Register, employment losses in the textile and apparel sectors were offset by job gains in industrial machinery and transportation equipment manufacturing. Industrial machinery is the state’s largest manufacturing sector by employment, accounting for 39,549 of the state’s jobs, up 5.7% over the year, in part due to production increases at a GE Energy facility in Greenville. The transportation equipment sector saw employment grow by 1.5% over the year, due partially to increased production at Force Protection Industries, a Ladson-based manufacturer of ballistic and mine-protected vehicles. The sector currently accounts for 28,904 of the state’s jobs. The textiles/apparel sectors currently employ 36,478, down 11% over the past twelve months.
Other sectors losing jobs include primary metals manufacturing, down 8.8%; printing/publishing, down 2.9%; stone clay and glass, down 2.6%; rubber and miscellaneous plastics, down 1.8%; paper and allied products, down 1.6% and lumber/wood, down 1.2%. Employment in the chemicals, fabricated metals and electronics sectors remained stable over the year.
According to MNI, the Northwest region of the state accounts for 180,818 of South Carolina’s jobs or 61% of the state, down 1.1% over the year. The Northeast region is home to 58,578 of the state’s jobs, down 7.7% over the past twelve months, while the Southeast saw employment increase by 3.3% and is currently home to 32,533 industrial jobs. The Southwest part of the state represents 24,140 of South Carolina’s manufacturing jobs, down slightly less than one percent.
MNI’s city data shows Greenville manufacturers employ the most South Carolina workers at 26,736 of the state’s jobs, up 5% over the year. Spartanburg accounts for 16,844 of South Carolina’s jobs, down 5.4%. Columbia is home to 11,248 industrial workers, with jobs down 1% over the year, while fourth-ranked Greer accounts for 9,454 of the state’s jobs, with no significant change reported over the survey period. Charleston saw jobs increase by 2.6% and is currently home to 8,913 industrial workers.
Detailed profiles of South Carolina’s 5,465 manufacturers and 652 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 South Carolina Manufacturers Register, available in print for $99 and on CD-ROM from $155. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), names and titles of 18,455 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, number of employees, and more. Visitors to mnileads.com may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using thirteen different criteria, including area or zip code, county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more.
Manufacturers’ News, Inc., publisher of manufacturers’ directories since 1912, compiles and produces manufacturing guides, statistics and databases for all 50 states. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100.
"With the help of the MNI directories, we can practically put our marketing plan on autopilot!" David Lamb, President, Utilityauditors.com - Stillwater, OK & Denver, CO
