Alaska Manufacturing Jobs Increased 1.8 % According To Industrial Directory

EVANSTON, Ill., May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Alaska increased 1.8% over the past twelve months according to the 2012 Alaska Manufacturers Directory®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Alaska gained 634 industrial jobs from April 2011 to April 2012.

Manufacturers' News reports Alaska is home to 927 manufacturers employing 34,125 workers.

"Alaska's manufacturing sector continues to thrive," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "Its stronghold in the petroleum and seafood industries has helped boost exports and increase employment levels."

Bright spots for the state included the opening of Bear Creek Winery's new bottling plant in Homer; North Pacific Seafood's acquisition of Red Salmon Cannery and the subsequent expansion of its salmon production; and the expansion of seafood processing plants Bering Pacific Seafoods and Atka Pride Seafoods. In addition, recent Census Bureau reports show Alaska's exports in 2011 reached the highest export value level on record, at $5.2 billion.

According to MNI, Alaska's largest industrial sectors fared the best over the past twelve months. Food products accounts for the most industrial employment in the state with 11,289 jobs, up 2.7% over the year. Second-ranked oil and gas extraction accounts for 9,062 jobs, up 4.9% over the twelve-month period. Petroleum and coal products account for 3,811 jobs, up 1.2%.

Losses for the state included fabricated metals, down 8.6%; lumber/wood down 9.5%; textiles/apparel down 5.5% and printing/publishing down 3.5%. Employment remained steady in all remaining sectors.

The Directory reports over half of the state's industrial jobs are located in South Central Alaska. Jobs in Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and Kodiak Island represent 20,516 jobs, up 2.7% in the past 12 months. The Aleutian Islands represent 4,412 of the state's industrial jobs, with no significant change reported, while Fairbanks North Star is home to 1,978 jobs, down 3.4% over the year. The oil-rich North Slope region is home to 1,453 jobs, up 1% over the year.

Detailed profiles of Alaska's 927 manufacturers and 225 distributors can be found in the 2012 Alaska Manufacturers Directory®, available in print for $72, 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), 3,219 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.