Operations

The 50 States of Manufacturing: What's Made Where?

Aug. 18, 2020

Every state in the union contributes to the wealth of manufacturing across America. We've taken a moment to drop into each of the 50 states and showcase one of those manufacturers.

Laura Putre,

Sometimes we don't appreciate how much manufacturing actually occurs in the United States -- and IndustryWeek editors recently set out to rectify that oversight in some small way. This slideshow gives you a tiny taste of the types of manufactured items that are produced in each state -- and by "manufactured" we include assembly, packaging, all the way to fully integrated manufacturing operations.

The guidelines behind our choices were few: 1. The company had to qualify as a manufacturer by our definition, and 2. the company had to produce manufactured goods in that state (regardless of where the company's headquarters was located, nationally or internationally). As a result, we have a wide range of big and small manufacturers across a breadth of manufactured goods. It's fair to say that by the end of this project, we each had a better understanding of the manufacturing underway in each of the states we addressed -- and also that we could do this slideshow many times over and not come close to addressing all the manufacturing companies and factories that make up our version of "Made in America."

About the Author

Laura Putre | Senior Editor, IndustryWeek

As senior editor, Laura Putre works with IndustryWeek's editorial contributors and reports on leadership and the automotive industry as they relate to manufacturing. She joined IndustryWeek in 2015 as a staff writer covering workforce issues.

Prior to IndustryWeek, Laura reported on the healthcare industry and covered local news. She was the editor of the Chicago Journal and a staff writer for Cleveland Scene. Her national bylines include The Guardian, Slate, Pacific-Standard and The Root.

Laura was a National Press Foundation fellow in 2022.

Got a story idea? Reach out to Laura at [email protected]

About the Author

Ryan Secard | Associate Editor

As talent editor, Ryan Secard reports on workforce and labor issues in manufacturing, including recruitment, labor organizations, and safety. Ryan has written IndustryWeek's Salary Survey annually since 2021 and coordinated its Talent Advisory Board since 2023. He joined IndustryWeek in 2020 as a news editor covering breaking manufacturing news.

Ryan also contributes to American Machinist and Foundry Management & Technology as an associate editor.

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Sr. Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent

Email: [email protected]

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Senior Editor Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today.

Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank.

She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

About the Author

Peter Fretty | Technology Editor

As a highly experienced journalist, Peter Fretty regularly covers advances in manufacturing, information technology, and software. He has written thousands of feature articles, cover stories, and white papers for an assortment of trade journals, business publications, and consumer magazines.

About the Author

Jill Jusko

Bio: Jill Jusko is executive editor for IndustryWeek. She has been writing about manufacturing operations leadership for more than 20 years. Her coverage spotlights companies that are in pursuit of world-class results in quality, productivity, cost and other benchmarks by implementing the latest continuous improvement and lean/Six-Sigma strategies. Jill also coordinates IndustryWeek’s Best Plants Awards Program, which annually salutes the leading manufacturing facilities in North America.

Have a story idea? Send it to [email protected].