EVANSTON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Industrial employment in Alabama increased slightly over the past year, according to the 2013 Alabama Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports the state gained 2,411 manufacturing jobs between April 2012 and April 2013, or about one percent.
The industrial directory reports Alabama is now home to 5,476 manufacturing companies employing 301,956 workers.
“Alabama’s industrial climate continues to improve,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “Increased investment in the transportation equipment sector combined with the state’s friendly business environment has spurred plant openings and encouraged hiring.”
Several manufacturers have announced plant openings in Alabama, including Airbus, which opened its first U.S. plant in Mobile, and General Electric, which broke ground on a new aviation plant in Auburn. In addition, Raytheon established a missile assembly plant in Huntsville; Mercedes-Benz announced an expansion of its assembly plant in Tuscaloosa; and Indorama Ventures plans an expansion of its plastics facility in Decatur.
According to the industrial guide, transportation equipment remains Alabama’s largest sector by manufacturing employment with 39,510 jobs, up 7.2% over the survey period. Second-ranked food products accounts for 36,087 jobs, down 1.7%, while employment in fabricated metals increased 2.3%, with the third-ranked sector accounting for 25,667 industrial jobs.
Other industrial sectors that reported gains over the year included rubber/plastics, up 7.4%; chemicals, also up 7.4%; paper products, up 3.8%; and industrial machinery, up 2.4%. Losses were seen in textiles/apparel, down 3.6%; furniture/fixtures, also down 3.6%; lumber/wood, down 3.2%; stone/clay/glass, down 3%; and primary metals, down 1.6%.
Industrial locations announcing closures included a Hostess bakery in Birmingham; an American Apparel factory in Fort Deposit; and PEMCO’s plant in Dothan.
MNI reports Northeast Alabama accounts for the most industrial employment in the state, with 160,346 industrial jobs, down 1% over twelve months. Southeast Alabama accounts for 53,886 industrial jobs, down 2.7%. The Northwest region of the state is home to 47,834 industrial workers, up 2.7%, while the Southwest is home to 39,890, up 5.2% over the year.
According to the industrial directory, Birmingham remains the state’s top city for industrial employment, with 586 manufacturing companies employing 31,647 workers, up 1.6% from a year ago. Industrial employment in Huntsville climbed 5.6%, with the second-ranked city now home to 26,858 jobs. Third-ranked Montgomery accounts for 14,399 jobs, down 1%. Mobile accounts for 11,533 industrial jobs, down 4.8%; while Decatur is home to 10,931, up 7.6%.
Detailed profiles of Alabama’s 5,476 manufacturing companies can be found in the 2013 Alabama Manufacturers Register®, available in print for $113, or available online through MNI’s industrial database subscription service. Users may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using a variety of criteria, including region, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more. Each business profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information, 21,515 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, and more.
Manufacturers’ News, Inc. is the nation’s oldest and largest publisher of state industrial directories and manufacturers databases. For 101 years the company has identified, researched and profiled manufacturing companies. MNI employs an 85-person editorial staff to scour business registrations, trade journals, financial reports, and many other sources to pinpoint every manufacturing establishment in the U.S. Each manufacturer is contacted throughout the year to update their profiles, including their employee counts. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, http://www.manufacturersnews.com.
