EVANSTON, Ill., April 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Michigan fell 1.7% over the past twelve months according to the 2011 Michigan Manufacturers Directory(R), an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Michigan lost 11,188 industrial jobs and 189 manufacturers between February 2010 and February 2011, a much smaller loss than the 80,000 jobs MNI reported the state lost over the 2009-2010 survey period.
Manufacturers' News reports Michigan is now home to 14,430 manufacturers employing 628,194 workers.
"Michigan's industrial sectors continue to be affected by the housing bust and the recession, "says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "However, losses in the auto industry are starting to level off and the state's continued investments in innovative and green technologies are helping the recovery take hold."
Bright spots for the state include Nordex-USA's plans to develop a wind farm in Gratiot County; the opening of a Ford "green" Michigan Assembly Plant, which will soon start production of the Ford Electric; the opening of A123 Systems lithium ion battery manufacturing plant in Livonia, as well as auto-supplier Valeo's first manufacturing facility in Michigan. In addition, Chrysler Group's Sterling Heights plant will be adding a second shift, and Ford plans to expand its plants in Michigan over the next three years, anticipating about 1,200 new jobs. Martinrea International announced it would be expanding its Jonesville auto supplier plant, and ConAgra is expanding its health food facility in Kentwood.
Transportation equipment manufacturing remains the state's largest industrial sector by employment with 124,824 jobs, down just 1% over the year. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks second with 115,731 jobs, down 2.1% following the closures of GM's Flint Powertrain plant and Lift-Tech International, among others. Third-ranked fabricated metals accounts for 78,327 jobs, down 2.9% over the survey period.
MNI reports other sectors losing jobs over the past twelve months included furniture/fixtures down 6%; electronics down 5.3%; printing/publishing down 5.1% and stone/clay/glass down 4.2%, due partially to the closure of an Owens-Illinois glass plant in Charlotte. Lumber/wood declined 3% and paper products fell 2.9%, following the closure of DesignWare, among others. Slight gains were seen in primary metals, food products and textiles/apparel.
Southeast Michigan accounts for the most industrial employment in the state with 364,809 jobs, down 1.8% in 2010. Southwest Michigan accounts for 197,084 jobs, down 3.3%, while Northwest Michigan accounts for 32,108, down 1.8%. The Northeast region is home to 18,981 industrial workers, down 2.1%, while employment remained steady in the Upper Peninsula, with the region home to 15,212 manufacturing jobs.
Grand Rapids remains the state's top city by industrial employment with 39,430 manufacturing jobs, down 3.8% over the year. Detroit accounts for 32,700 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported. Jobs remained steady in Auburn Hills, with the third-ranked city home to 20,387 industrial workers, while Warren accounts for 15,879 of the state's jobs, down 4.5%. Fifth-ranked Holland accounts for 14,917 jobs, down 4.1% over the survey period.
Detailed profiles of Michigan's 14,430 manufacturers and 1,609 industrial distributors can be found in the 2011 Michigan Manufacturers Directory(R), available in print for $181 and on CD-ROM from $263. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 45,222 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. Information is also available on Facebook and Twitter.
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.
Manufacturers' News, Inc.
CONTACT: Jennifer Ratcliff of Manufacturers' News, Inc., +1-847-864-9440,
ext. 241, jratcliff@manufacturersnews.com
Web site: http://www.manufacturersnews.com/
