Manufacturing by state - a glimpse at production in the US

By Nell Walker
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BOE – Bid-on-Equipment – has researched manufacturing trends and annual employment by state in the US to determine what products each state speciali...

BOE – Bid-on-Equipment – has researched manufacturing trends and annual employment by state in the US to determine what products each state specialises in, and the results prove that diverse American manufacturing continues to thrive.

The nation's number one industry is animal slaughtering and processing; Alaska (specifically seafood in this state), Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, and South Dakota all specialise in this sector, with most of these running through the middle of the country. Hawaii and New York are less carnivorous, producing mostly baked goods and tortillas. 

Much of the rest of the nation concentrates more on electrical and agricultural products. Motor vehicle parts are primarily produced by Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina, and Tennessee, while Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, and Washington are all heavy hitters in the aerospace products and parts business. 

Electronics are are, perhaps surprisingly, another home-grown product in many parts of America. Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Hampshire all specialise in electronic instruments, while California, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont focus more specifically on semiconductors and electronic components. 

Unsurprisingly North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas create the most agriculture, construction, and mining machinery. Even less surprisingly, Rhose Island, Virginia, and Maine concentrate on boat and ship building, Montana specialises in sawmills and wood preservation, and Mississippi's main export is furniture. Florida and Utah are the primary manufacturers are medical equipment and supplies, with New Jersey supplying the pharmaceuticals and medicine.

Plastics are covered primarily by Illinois, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, paper and printing are the remit of Nevada and Wisconsin, Louisiana focusses on chemicals, and Wyoming alone produces the most petroleum and coal.

Each industry employs tens of thousands of workers each year, enabling US manufacturing to remain alive and well. 

For more statistics and BOE's collection of infographics, click here.

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