Minnesota Manufacturing Jobs Remain Steady Over Year

EVANSTON, Ill., Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Following several years of significant losses, industrial employment in Minnesota was little changed over the past year with the state posting only a slight loss, according to the 2012 Minnesota Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Minnesota lost 472 manufacturing jobs over the past year, or less than one percent, from October 2010 to October 2011.

Manufacturers' News reports Minnesota is now home to 9,698 manufacturers employing 455,720 workers.

"The recovery is gaining momentum in Minnesota 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 educated workforce and solid infrastructure have been a draw for a variety of enterprises."

Bright spots for the state included the opening of an AGCO Corp. tractor plant in Jackson; the expansion of Easy Energy Systems' ethanol plant in Welcome; the recent opening of a Silicon Energy photovoltaic facility in Mountain Iron; the expansion of Brunswick Corp.'s Lund Boats site in New York Mills; and the expansion of a Pet Care Systems pet litter production facility in Detroit Lakes.

MNI reports industrial machinery and equipment remains Minnesota's largest industrial sector by employment with 68,642 jobs, up 1.3% over the year. Food products manufacturing ranks second and accounts for 67,105 jobs, up 4%. Third-ranked printing/publishing represents 49,370 of the state's jobs, down 1.3% over the past twelve months.

Other sectors that lost jobs included furniture/fixtures, down 7.8%; lumber/wood, down 5.4%; rubber/plastics down 5.3%; transportation equipment, down 2.6%; electronics, down 2%; and stone/clay/glass, down 1.8%. Gains were seen in chemicals, up 5.1% and fabricated metals, up a half percent. 

Industrial locations announcing closures included Brunswick Corp.'s Little Falls aluminum boat plant; Tyco Electronics' Eden Prairie facility; and Andersen Corp.'s door and window plant in Bayport.

According to the industrial directory, East Central Minnesota accounts for the largest share of the state's industrial employment with 234,210 manufacturing jobs, down 1.1% over the year. Southeast Minnesota ranks second at 111,330 manufacturing jobs, up 2% over the year. The West Central region is home to 38,843 industrial jobs, up 2.4%, while the Southwest is home to 35,163 jobs, down 1%. Northeast Minnesota accounts for 19,581 industrial jobs, down 2%, while the Northwest is home to 16,593, down 1% over the past twelve months.

According to MNI, Minneapolis remains the state's top city for manufacturing employment, with 56,072 jobs, down 2.5% over the year. St Paul ranks second with 41,783 jobs, down 1%. Eden Prairie saw jobs decrease 4%, with the third-ranked city now home to 12,436 industrial jobs. Industrial employment in Eagan decreased 3.9% over the year with the fourth-ranked city accounting for 11,723 jobs, while Bloomington is home to 10,513, up 4.4% over the past twelve months. 

Detailed profiles of Minnesota's 9,698 manufacturers and 1,239 industrial distributors can be found in the 2012 Minnesota Manufacturers Register®, available in print for $144 and on CD-ROM from $218. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 33,690 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.