Colorado Manufacturing Employment Increased 1.1% Over Past Year According to Industrial Directory

EVANSTON, Ill., July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Colorado increased 1.1% over the past twelve months according to the 2012 Colorado Manufacturers Directory, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Colorado gained 2,428 industrial jobs between May 2010 and May 2011, the first gain MNI has recorded for the state since 2006.

Manufacturers' News reports Colorado is home to 6,669 manufacturers employing 207,126 workers.

"The recovery is gaining momentum in Colorado and across the U.S.," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "Colorado maintains a stronghold in the wind and solar industries and its educated workforce has been a draw for both domestic and international enterprises."

Bright spots for the state include the openings of several "green" facilities, with wind-turbine manufacturer Vestas establishing new locations in Pueblo and Brighton and planning to add 1,000 workers to all three of its Colorado factories by the end of 2011. SMA America expanded its solar component manufacturing plant in Denver, and Fotowatio Renewable Ventures plans a new solar facility at Colorado State University. Solar panel manufacturer Abound Solar has expanded production at its Longmont plant, and Aluwind Inc., a manufacturer of parts for wind turbines, opened a facility in Castle Rock.

MNI reports electronics manufacturing remains the state's largest industrial sector with 25,271 manufacturing jobs, up 4% over the past year. Second-ranked food products accounts for 23,368 manufacturing jobs, down 1.6% over the past twelve months. Industrial machinery and equipment employs 19,333 of Colorado's industrial workers, up 4% over last year.

Other sectors that gained jobs over the year included oil and gas extraction, up 8.8%; chemicals, up 6.1%; fabricated metals, up 6%; and rubber/plastics, up 5.2%. Employment losses were seen in furniture/fixtures, down 12.9%; textiles/apparel, down 4.4%; printing/publishing, down 3.2%; stone/clay/glass, down 2.4%, and lumber/wood, down 2%.

Companies seeing closures included RR Donnelly, which closed its printing plant in Greeley, and Packaging Corp. of America, which shuttered its box plant in Windsor.

Manufacturers' News reports Northeast Colorado accounts for 133,006 of the state's industrial jobs, up 2.4% over the year. Northwest Colorado accounts for 60,718, up 1.2% over the survey period. The Southwest region is home to 7,253 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported, while the Southeast is home to 6,149, up the most at 3.8%.

MNI's city data shows Denver is the state's top city for manufacturing employment, home to 41,133 jobs, with no significant change reported over the year. Second-ranked Colorado Springs accounts for 18,563 jobs, with employment down 1.4% over the past twelve months. Englewood is home to 13,714 industrial jobs, down 4.2%. Boulder accounts for 12,335 jobs, up 1%, while Littleton is home to 9,289, down 1.4% over the past twelve months.

Detailed profiles of Colorado's 6,669 manufacturers and 1,164 industrial distributors can be found in the 2012 Colorado Manufacturers Directory, available in print for $118 and on CD-ROM from $187. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 21,125 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.