Industrial Jobs in Tennessee Declined 1.4% Over Past Year

EVANSTON, Ill., Nov. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Industrial employment in Tennessee fell 1.4% over the past year according to the 2012 Tennessee Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Tennessee lost 5,645 manufacturing jobs over the past year, far less than the 22,286 jobs MNI recorded were lost over the 2009-2010 survey period.  

Manufacturers' News reports Tennessee is now home to 7,262 manufacturers employing 375,099 workers.

"The recovery is gaining momentum in Tennessee and across the U.S.," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "The state's low business costs and educated workforce have been a draw for a variety of enterprises."

Bright spots for the state included Marathon Heater's plans to open a facility in Brownsville; the expansion of Nissan's Smyrna plant; auto supplier US Farathene's plans to expand its Jackson location; the expected opening of an NYX Inc. location in Linden; the establishment of a new Eastman Chemical plant in Kingsport; and the expansion of automotive supplier SL Tennessee in Clinton. In addition, Volkswagen opened its Chattanooga plant in May and recently hired its 2,000th employee.

MNI reports Tennessee's three largest sectors by industrial jobs all increased employment over the year.  Industrial machinery and equipment is Tennessee's top manufacturing sector by employment with 41,625 jobs, up 4.4%. Second-ranked fabricated metals accounts for 40,130 jobs, up 1.1%, while third-ranked transportation equipment saw an increase of 1.3%, and currently employs 39,763 industrial workers.

Most other sectors in Tennessee lost jobs within the past twelve months including furniture/fixtures, down 10%; rubber/plastics, down 8.4%; printing/publishing, down 8%; lumber/wood, down 6.3%; textiles/apparel, down 5.2%; stone/clay/glass, down 4.8%; and chemicals, down 3%. Employment remained steady in paper products, electronics and primary metals, while jobs in food products manufacturing rose 1.6%.

Industrial locations closing over the year included Quad/Graphics plants in Dyersburg and Clarksville; a Goodyear plant in Union City; an Armstrong Wood Products facility in Oneida; Berkline LLC's location in Morristown; Triton Boats in Ashland City; ArcelorMittal's factory in Harriman; and Black & Decker's distribution center in Jackson.  

According to the industrial directory, Northeast Tennessee accounts for the largest share of the state's industrial employment with 107,569 manufacturing jobs, down 2.3% over the past twelve months. Southeast Tennessee ranks second at 107,018 manufacturing jobs, up 2% over the year. Southwest Tennessee is home to 83,220 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported, while the Northwest is home to 77,292 jobs, down 5.6%.

According to MNI, Memphis remains Tennessee's top city for manufacturing employment, with 38,304 jobs, down 2.8% over the year. Nashville ranks second with 28,099 jobs, down 1.4%. Chattanooga is home to 22,322 industrial jobs, up 12.7%. Industrial employment in Knoxville remained steady over the year with the fourth-ranked city home to 15,855 jobs, while Kingsport is home to 9,124, down 1.7% over the past twelve months.  

Detailed profiles of Tennessee's 7,262 manufacturers and 1,299 industrial distributors can be found in the 2012 Tennessee Manufacturers Register®, available in print for $121 and on CD-ROM from $195. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 27,846 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.