EVANSTON, Ill., PRNewswire - Following three years of consecutive losses, industrial employment in Nebraska increased a half percent over the past twelve months, according to the 2012 Nebraska Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Nebraska gained 624 industrial jobs between June 2010 and June 2011, in contrast to the 6,100 jobs the state lost since mid-2008.
Manufacturers' News reports Nebraska is now home to 2,927 manufacturers employing 120,928 workers.
"The recovery is gaining momentum in Nebraska and across the U.S.," says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. "Nebraska maintains a stronghold in the food products and biofuels industries and its friendly business environment has been a draw for a variety of enterprises."
Bright spots for the state included the openings of Archer Daniels Midland Company's new dry milling and ethanol plant in Columbus, and Solbar Industries Ltd.'s soy processing plant in South Sioux City. In addition, NatureWorks announced an expansion of their biopolymer facility in Blair, Hormel Foods plans an expansion of their Spam plant in Fremont, and Berton, Dickinson and Co. will expand their surgical equipment factory in Columbus West.
Food products manufacturing remains the state's top sector by industrial employment with 37,096 jobs, virtually unchanged from a year ago. Industrial machinery and equipment ranks second with 12,269 jobs, down 1%, while third-ranked fabricated metal accounts for 9,866 jobs, down 2.1% over the past twelve months.
Sectors that lost jobs over the year included electronics, down 13.8%, following the closure of a Connectivity Solutions location in Omaha and Appleton EGS's plant in Columbus, among others. Lumber/wood fell 6.8%; textiles/apparel declined 2.6%, and furniture/fixtures dropped 1.3%. Gains were seen in chemicals, up 7.6%; transportation equipment, up 6.8%; printing/publishing, up 2.6%; and rubber/plastics, up 1.9%.
Manufacturers' News reports Southeast Nebraska accounts for the largest share of the state's industrial employment with 84,686 jobs, up 1.1% over the year. Northeast Nebraska accounts for 26,017 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported, while Southwest Nebraska accounts for 7,438, virtually unchanged from a year ago.
Northwest Nebraska accounts for 2,787 industrial jobs, down 6.5% over the year.
MNI's city data shows Omaha is Nebraska's top city for manufacturing employment, home to 33,671 jobs, with the city posting a gain of 1% over the year. Second-ranked Lincoln accounts for 17,790 jobs, with employment up 1.9%. Grand Island saw a 2.7% increase in manufacturing employment and is currently home to 8,461 industrial jobs.
Fourth-ranked Columbus accounts for 5,065 industrial jobs, down 3.6%, while Dakota City accounts for 3,670, virtually unchanged from a year ago.
Detailed profiles of Nebraska's 2,927 manufacturers and 620 industrial distributors can be found in the 2012 Nebraska Manufacturers Register available in print for $96 and on CD-ROM from $129. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 11,015 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.