Salt Lake City ranks among the top cities in the U.S. in terms of manufacturing employment and number of companies according to the Utah Manufacturers Directory, an industrial guide published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. MNI reports Salt Lake City ranks 15th in the nation for number of manufacturers, and 20th by manufacturing employment.
MNI reports Salt Lake City is home to more manufacturing companies and jobs than many historically strong industrial cities such as Detroit, which ranks 21st on MNI's list for number of manufacturing jobs and 47th for number of manufacturers.
"The state's natural resources and growing population have provided some immunity against the industrial job losses suffered by many other states," said Tom Dubin, president of the Illinois-based publishing company, which has been surveying U.S. industry since 1912.
Manufacturers' News reports Salt Lake City is home to 1,303 manufacturers employing 53,583 workers, and accounts for 29.2 percent of Utah's manufacturers and 33 percent of its industrial jobs. MNI surveys both large and small manufacturers, including small companies with just a few employees.
Salt Lake City's printing and publishing industry is a major industrial employer, accounting for 6,752 jobs — nearly half of Utah's 13,723 printing and publishing jobs. Salt Lake City's food sector accounts for 5,180 industrial jobs, or 27 percent of Utah's food related industrial employment.
Major sub-sectors in Salt Lake City include manufacturers of communications equipment, employing 2,829 workers, business form printers, employing 2,531 and manufacturers of plastic products, employing 1,902.
MNI reports the city of Ogden ranks second in the state with 269 manufacturers employing 15,469 workers. Logan accounts for 128 manufacturers employing 8,820 workers, while fourth-ranked Provo represents 127 companies employing 5,114. Fifth-ranked Clearfield is home to 54 manufacturers and 4,836 workers.
According to MNI, there are 4,458 manufacturers employing 163,351 workers operating in the state of Utah. Northern Utah accounts for the majority of the state's manufacturing, home to 88 percent of Utah's manufacturers and 92 percent of the state's jobs, with nearly half of these jobs located in Salt Lake County. Southern Utah accounts for 313 companies employing 7,049 while Central Utah accounts for 5,975 jobs and 195 plants.
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