Manufacturers’ News reports North Carolina is home to 11,405 manufacturers employing 633,516 workers. MNI reported a loss of 2% in North Carolina’s industrial jobs for 2007, a 1.3% loss in 2006 and a half percent loss in 2005, according to earlier MNI reports.
“As with the entire nation, weakening demand continues to hit many of North Carolina’s core sectors, while the faltering housing market has affected industries such as wood products, furniture and building products,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912.
North Carolina manufacturers such as Hickory Hill Furniture and A.O. Smith Electrical Products were among the many companies to close locations in response to the dive in the housing market.
According to MNI, North Carolina’s largest industrial sector by employment remains textiles and apparel, with 77,787 of the state’s jobs, although employment in this sector is down 12.6% over last year. Closures in the textiles/apparel sector in North Carolina included Gold Toe/Moretz, Hanesbrand and Swift Galey. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks second with 66,224 jobs, down 1.1% in 2008, while third-ranked food products manufacturing represents 57,595 of the state’s jobs, down 7.1% over the past twelve months, following the closure of a Pilgrim’s Pride chicken processing plant in Siler City, among others.
Job losses were seen across all sectors in 2008 and included instruments and related products, down 12.7%; furniture/fixtures down 9.6%; lumber/wood down 7%; electronics down 6.7%; transportation equipment down 4.7%; rubber and miscellaneous plastics down 3.4%; chemicals and allied products down 2.1%; and primary metals down 1.5%. Employment in the paper and allied products sector was up 1% or 219 jobs over the year, according to MNI.
Bright spots in the North Carolina manufacturing picture include the opening of a Shutterfly facility in Charlotte, and an opening of a Uniboard location in Moncure.
According to MNI, the Northwest portion of the state accounts for 282,599 of the state’s jobs, or 45% of the North Carolina’s industrial employment, down 4.9% over the year. The Northeast region represents 155,505 of the state’s industrial jobs, down 4.5% over the past twelve months. The Southwest is home to 122,500 of the state’s workers, down 6.3% in 2008, while North Carolina’s Southeast region saw employment drop 3.6% and currently accounts for 72,912 of the state’s industrial jobs.
Charlotte is home to the most industrial jobs in North Carolina, accounting for 44,769 jobs, down a half percent over the year. Greensboro accounts for 30,849 jobs, down another half percent. Industrial jobs in Research Triangle Park have dropped 1.8% over the year with the region accounting for 23,167 jobs. Fourth-ranked Winston-Salem accounts for 18,891 of the state’s jobs, down 4.5%, while High Point is home to 16,895 industrial workers, with employment up 2.1%.
Detailed profiles of North Carolina’s 11,405 manufacturers and 1,585 industrial distributors can be found in the 2009 North Carolina Manufacturers Register, available in print for $141 and on CD-ROM from $231. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 39,323 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.
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