Industrial Directory Reports Maine Manufacturing Job Losses Slow

EVANSTON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Industrial employment in Maine dropped 1.4% over the past year according to the 2013 Maine Manufacturers Register^®, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports Maine manufacturers saw a loss of 945 manufacturing jobs between December 2011 and December 2012, a smaller drop compared to the 1.8% decline MNI reported for the state over the 2010-2011 survey period.

“However, the state’s low business costs, educated workforce, and abundant natural resources continue to be a draw for new business.”

The industrial directory reports Maine is now home to 2,198 manufacturing companies employing 65,716 workers.

“Manufacturers in Maine have yet to fully recover from the recession, and uncertainty surrounding defense contracts due to looming spending cuts has affected hiring,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “However, the state’s low business costs, educated workforce, and abundant natural resources continue to be a draw for new business.”

According to the industrial guide, transportation equipment is Maine’s largest sector by manufacturing employment with 9,568 jobs, virtually unchanged over the year. Second-ranked paper products account for 7,191 manufacturing jobs, down 3.9% over the twelve-month period. Food products saw a 3.7% decline in employment, due partially to layoffs at Barber Foods in Portland, and ranks third at 6,995 jobs.

Industrial sectors reporting gains over the year included instruments/related products, up 7.6%; textiles/apparel, up 1.9%; and industrial equipment, up 1.5%. Losses were seen in electronics, down 6.4%; lumber/wood down 4.9%; chemicals down 4.9%; printing/publishing down 4.3%; stone/clay/glass, down 3.5%; primary metals, down 2.9%; and rubber/plastics, down 2.5%.

Manufacturing companies opening in 2012 included lobster-processing plant Sea Hag Seafood, which was established in the previously shuttered Great Eastern Mussels site in Tenants Harbor by 23-year-old entrepreneur Kyle Murdock. In addition, a second lobster processing plant is expected to open in Rockland; industrial valve manufacturer Allagash International recently expanded in South Portland; Great Northern Paper reopened its mill in East Millinocket; and Procter & Gamble announced an expansion of its facility in Auburn.

According to the industrial directory, Portland remains the state’s top city for industrial employment, with 152 manufacturing companies employing 5,143 workers, virtually unchanged from a year ago. Second-ranked Bath accounts for 5,080 jobs, with no significant change reported. Industrial employment in Westbrook increased 8.2%, with the third-ranked city now home to 3,306 jobs. Auburn saw a 2.7% decrease in manufacturing employment, and is home to 3,126 jobs, while fifth-ranked Lewiston accounts for 2,279 jobs, down 4.4% over the past twelve months.

Detailed profiles of Maine’s 2,198 manufacturing companies can be found in the 2013 Maine Manufacturers Register^®, available in print for $92, or available online through MNI’s industrial database subscription service. Users may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using a variety of criteria, including region, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more. Each business profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information, 7,412 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, and more.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc. is the nation’s oldest and largest publisher of state industrial directories and manufacturers databases. For 101 years the company has identified, researched and profiled manufacturing companies. MNI employs an 85-person editorial staff to scour business registrations, 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, http://www.manufacturersnews.com