West Virginia's Manufacturing Employment Remained Steady Over Past Year Reports Industrial Guide
EVANSTON, Ill., Aug. 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in West Virginia remained virtually unchanged over the past twelve months according to the 2012 West Virginia Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports West Virginia lost just 687 industrial jobs or less than one percent between July 2010 and July 2011.
Manufacturers' News reports West Virginia is now home to 2,014 manufacturers employing 84,165 workers.
"The recovery is gaining momentum in West Virginia and across the U.S.," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "West Virginia's abundant natural resources has helped it maintain jobs that are difficult to outsource and its business friendly environment and upcoming reductions in the corporate tax rate have been an incentive for many companies to expand."
Bright spots for the state included Toyota's plans to expand production at their Buffalo plant, Alcon Inc.'s plans to open a location in Lesage, and TransGas Development Systems' expected opening of a coal to gas plant in Mingo County.
MNI reports West Virginia's largest manufacturing sectors by employment gained jobs over the year. Employment in coal mining increased 1.1% over the survey period, with the top-ranked sector accounting for 12,525 jobs. Second-ranked chemicals accounts for 8,786 jobs, up 1%, while industrial machinery and equipment represent 7,746 of the state's industrial jobs, up 1.1%.
Employment losses were seen in textiles/apparel, down 22.5%; lumber/wood, down 6.4%; furniture/fixtures, down 5.2%; primary metals, down 5.1%; food products, down 4.9%; and stone/clay/glass, down 4.3%. Gains were seen in rubber/plastics, up 5.3%; printing/publishing, up 4.8%; petroleum and coal products, up 2.1% and electronics, up 1.2%.
Losses for the state included layoffs at International Coal Group and at ArcelorMittal's location in Weirton. In addition, Flowers Baking Co. closed their Bluefield factory, Georgia Pacific shuttered a plant in Mount Hope and Emivest Aerospace closed their Martinsburg location.
Manufacturers' News reports the Northern region of the state accounts for 40,276 industrial jobs, up 2 % over the year. The Southwest region is home to 29,998 manufacturing jobs, down 1.3%, while Central West Virginia is home to 7,812, down 5.1%. The Southeast accounts for 6,076 industrial jobs, down 5.3% over the past twelve months.
MNI's city data shows Huntington is West Virginia's top city for manufacturing employment, home to 6,153 jobs, up 1.2% over the year. Second-ranked Morgantown accounts for 5,067 jobs, up 2.8%. Charleston is home to 4,271 industrial jobs, down 1.1% over the year, while industrial employment in Moorestown was virtually unchanged over the survey year, and is currently home to 3,183 manufacturing jobs. Martinsburg accounts for 2,753 jobs, down 2.9% over the past twelve months.
Detailed profiles of West Virginia's 2,014 manufacturers and 325 industrial distributors can be found in the 2012 West Virginia Manufacturers Register®, available in print for $86 and on CD-ROM from $108. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 7,646 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.
SOURCE Manufacturers' News, Inc.
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