Industrial Directory Reports Alabama Manufacturing Employment Unchanged Over Past Year

EVANSTON, IL--May 7, 2012:  Industrial employment in Alabama remained steady over the past twelve months, according to the 2012 Alabama Manufacturers Register®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Alabama lost just 129 industrial jobs or less than one percent from March 2011 to March 2012.

Manufacturers' News reports Alabama is now home to 5,515 manufacturers employing 302,511 workers.

"The recovery is gaining momentum in Alabama 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 friendly business environment has been a draw for a variety of enterprises, particularly in the auto sector."

Bright spots for the state included auto-parts supplier Seung Chang Airtek Inc.'s opening of its second plant in Auburn; Honda's expansion of its assembly plant in Lincoln; the opening of a HONAM Petrochemical Corp. site in Auburn; and Hyundai's expansion of its engine plant in Montgomery. Auto supplier ZF plans an expansion of its Tuscaloosa factory; Mando America, a Korean auto parts maker, recently announced plans to expand its Opelika facility; Honeywell's UOP LLC will expand its plant in Mobile; and Mercedes is expanding its Tuscaloosa site.

MNI reports transportation equipment manufacturing has overtaken food products as the state's largest industrial sector by employment, with 38,224 jobs, up 8.6% from a year ago. Second-ranked food products manufacturing accounts for 36,719 jobs, up 1%. Fabricated metal products ranks third and represents 25,196 industrial jobs, down 3.7% over the past twelve months.

According to MNI, sectors that lost jobs over the past twelve months included textiles/apparel down 16.3%, following the closures of RadiciSpandex's plant in Tuscaloosa and Gildan's sock mills in Fort Payne, among others. Stone/clay/glass declined 2.9%; lumber/wood fell 2%; chemicals/allied products dropped 1.8%; and paper products declined 1.5%. Gains were seen in primary metals, up 11.7%; rubber/plastics, up 2.4%; and furniture/fixtures, up 1.3%. 

MNI reports Northeast Alabama accounts for the most industrial employment in the state, with 159,548 industrial jobs, down 1.8% over twelve months. Southeast Alabama accounts for 55,354 industrial jobs, with no significant change reported. The Northwest region of the state is home to 47,434 industrial workers, up 1.8%, while the Southwest is home to 40,175, up 6% over the year. 

Birmingham remains the state's top city by industrial employment with 31,261 manufacturing jobs, with no significant change reported over the past twelve months. Huntsville saw employment decrease 5.1% and is currently home to 26,730 industrial workers. Montgomery accounts for 14,681 industrial jobs, up 5%, while Mobile is home to 12,247, down 1.1%. Fifth-ranked Decatur accounts for 10,153 jobs, virtually unchanged from a year ago.

Detailed profiles of Alabama's 5,515 manufacturers and 1,016 distributors can be found in the 2012 Alabama Manufacturers Register®, available in print for $113, or available online through MNI's subscription-based service at EZ Select. Users may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using a variety of criteria, including area or zip code, county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 21,522 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, and number of employees. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide, and has recently launched an expansion and relocation guide for manufacturers.

Manufacturers' News, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest publisher of state manufacturers directories. For 100 years the company has identified, researched and profiled manufacturing establishments. MNI employs an 85-person editorial staff to scour yellow pages, trade journals, financial reports, and many other sources to pinpoint every manufacturing establishment in the U.S. Each manufacturer is contacted throughout the year to update their profiles, including their employee counts. For more information, contact Manufacturers' News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100. Manufacturers News. Information is also available on Facebook and Twitter.