EVANSTON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the second year in a row, industrial employment in Indiana posted a gain, according to the 2013 Indiana Manufacturers Directory®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Indiana gained 8,020 manufacturing jobs from April 2012 to April 2013 or 1.4%.
Manufacturers’ News reports Indiana is now home to 9,698 manufacturers employing 556,357 workers.
“Indiana’s industrial climate continues to improve,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “ The state’s reasonable labor costs, friendly business environment, and ideal location for the shipment of goods has resulted in many companies reinvesting in its manufacturing sector, particularly those in the automotive and transportation equipment industries.”
According to the industrial directory, transportation equipment ranks first in the state for manufacturing employment with 81,567 jobs, up 4.7%. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks second with 69,866 manufacturing jobs, up 1%, while fabricated metals accounts for 55,491 jobs, up 1.2%.
The state’s auto manufacturing sector was boosted by carmakers’ continued investments in their Indiana locations. Subaru plans a $400 million expansion of its Lafayette plant, adding 900 jobs; Chrysler is investing $374 million to expand production at its Tipton and Kokomo facilities; and Toyota announced an expansion of its facility in Princeton. In response, several auto suppliers have announced openings and expansions, including Greenville Technology Corp, which opened a plant in Anderson to supply Honda, and Hitachi Powdered Metals, which plans to expand its auto parts production facility in Greensburg.
Other bright spots for the state included aerospace manufacturer L&E Engineering’s announcement of its expansion in Greenwood; Eli Lily’s plans to expand its insulin plant in Indianapolis; and the establishment of Dow AgroSciences’ new R&D plant, also in Indianapolis.
Additional industrial sectors in Indiana that posted gains in employment included instruments/related products, up 5.9%; furniture/fixtures, up 4.9%; lumber/wood, up 2.6%; chemicals, up 1.8%; and rubber/plastics, up 1%. Losses were seen in printing/publishing, down 4.1%; stone/clay/glass, down 2.1%; textiles/apparel, also down 2.1%; electronics, down 1.9%; and primary metals, down 1.7%.
Manufacturing locations in Indiana that have announced closures included Bon L. Manufacturing Co.’s location in Kentland; Exopack’s plant in Seymour; Ashland Hardware Systems’ location in Lowell; Diamond Foods’ factory in Fishers; and a Hostess plant in Indianapolis.
Northeast Indiana accounts for the most industrial employment in the state with 144,494 industrial workers, up 2.1%. The East Central region of Indiana accounts for 140,472 jobs, up a half percent over the past twelve months, while the Northwest region accounts for 88,945 jobs, down a half percent. Southwest Indiana saw manufacturing employment increase 3.2% and represents 72,561 of the state’s jobs, while jobs increased 2.4% in Southeast Indiana, with the region currently home to 57,965 industrial workers. West Central Indiana accounts for 51,920 manufacturing jobs, up 2%.
MNI’s city data shows Indianapolis remains the state’s top city for manufacturing employment, home to 73,527 jobs, down a half percent over the survey period. Second-ranked Fort Wayne is home to 25,629 jobs, up 1.7% over the past twelve months. Industrial employment in Elkhart increased 3.2% over the year, with the third-ranked city currently home to 23,259 jobs. Evansville accounts for 16,379 jobs, down 1.6%, while Lafayette is home to 14,274, virtually unchanged over the year.
Detailed profiles of Indiana’s 9,698 manufacturing companies and 1,289 distributors can be found in the 2013 Indiana Manufacturers Directory® available in print for $146, or available online through MNI’s industrial database subscription service EZSelect.com. 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, 37,590 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.
