Maine Manufacturing Jobs Decrease 1.8% Over Past Year

EVANSTON, Ill., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Maine dropped 1.8% over the past year according to the 2012 Maine Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI), Evanston, IL. MNI reports Maine lost 1,281 manufacturing jobs between December 2010 and December 2011, about twice the 632 jobs MNI reported the state lost over the 2009-2010 survey period.

Manufacturers' News reports Maine is now home to 2,230 manufacturers employing 66,627 workers.

"Maine's industrial sectors continue to be affected by foreign competition, economic uncertainty, and decreased domestic demand in sectors related to the housing industry, "says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "However exports have increased, particularly in electronics, food, and paper products, so hopefully this trend will continue and translate to increased employment in the future."

Bright spots for the state included L.L. Bean's announcement that it would ramp up hiring at its plant in Brunswick due to the renewed popularity of its iconic "duck boot". In addition, the owner of the previously shuttered Bushmaster Firearms in Windham announced he would open Windham Weaponry, Inc. a new rifle manufacturing plant in the same location, and F.E. Woods & Sons plan to open a wood pellet manufacturing operation in Baldwin.

MNI reports transportation equipment remains the state's largest sector by industrial employment with 9,613 jobs, virtually unchanged over the year. Second-ranked food products accounts for 7,363 manufacturing jobs, down 1.7% over the twelve-month period, following layoffs at Barber Foods, among others. Paper products saw a 2.8% decline in employment, and ranks third at 6,886 jobs. 

Industrial locations closing down included Maine Industrial Tire's facility in Gorham and Portland Valve's South Portland site.

Additional sectors that lost jobs over the year included rubber/plastics, down 9.2%; lumber/wood down 4.1%; stone/clay/glass down 3.7%; fabricated metals down 2.3%; and electronics, down 1.4%, due partially to layoffs at Alternative Manufacturing, Inc. Gains were seen in furniture/fixtures, up 6.7%; industrial machinery and equipment, up 2.1% and textiles/apparel, up a half percent.

MNI's city data shows Portland is Maine's top city for manufacturing employment, home to 5,163 jobs, with no significant change reported over the year. Second-ranked Bath accounts for 5,080 jobs, virtually unchanged from a year ago. Industrial employment in Auburn increased 2.4%, with the third-ranked city now home to 3,214 jobs. Westbrook saw a 1% increase in manufacturing employment, home to 3,055 jobs, while fifth-ranked Lewiston accounts for 2,384 jobs, down 3.5% over the past twelve months.  

Detailed profiles of Maine's 2,230 manufacturers and 453 distributors can be found in the 2012 Maine Manufacturers Register, available in print for $91, or available online through MNI's subscription-based service at www.ezselect.com. Users may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using a variety of criteria, including area or zip code, county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 7,452 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, and number of employees. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide, and has recently launched an expansion and relocation guide for manufacturers.

Manufacturers' News, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest publisher of state manufacturers directories.  For 100 years the company has identified, researched and profiled manufacturing establishments. MNI employs an 85-person editorial staff to scour yellow pages, 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, FAX 847-332-1100. www.manufacturersnews.com. Information is also available on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Manufacturers' News, Inc.