Indiana Celebrates Manufacturing Every Day

Brian Burton is president and CEO of the Indiana Manufacturers Association.

Four years ago, the first national manufacturing day was celebrated. Since then, our country sets aside a day (October 2) to recognize the contributions and economic vitality that are provided by our manufacturing sector. In Indiana, the nation’s most manufacturing intensive state, we celebrate manufacturing every day.

We celebrate the fact that manufacturing is the main driver of our state’s economy. In 2014, manufacturing accounted for 29.45% of our state’s gross domestic product. This amounted to $93.6 billion in manufacturing output, which is the highest percentage of any state in the country. Last year, manufacturers paid 27.4% of all wages paid in our state– also the highest percentage in the country.

Currently, 520,000 Hoosiers work in the manufacturing sector. Indiana has added the second most manufacturing jobs (+92,100) in the U.S. since July 2009. That rate of growth ranks second in the nation at +21.5%. Indiana has also grown the third most manufacturing jobs in the U.S. over the past year, adding 11,100 jobs in the manufacturing sector.

Everyone talks about the need to add high-wage, high value-added jobs to the Hoosier economy. Clearly, that is done through the expansion of our manufacturing opportunities. In the most recent wage data available (2013), average annual employee compensation amounted to $70,333 per employee in manufacturing. This greatly outpaces the average annual compensation of $43,709 for all non-farm businesses in Indiana.

Hoosier manufacturing is also a significant contributor to U.S. and world economies. Hoosier manufactured goods exported in 2014 amounted to $34.93 billion. Growth in manufactured goods exported from our state increased by 56.62% from 2009 to 2014. Employment for manufacturing exports was nearly 25% of our manufacturing employment. Our top-five export markets that accounted for 61.80% include: Canada (34.38%), Mexico (14.27%), Japan (4.66%), Germany (4.61%), and China (3.87%).

Manufacturing in Indiana is diverse. There are nearly 9,000 manufacturers with operations in our state. They include transportation equipment, automotive, fabricated and primary metal manufacturing, machinery, plastic and rubber products, food, chemicals, furniture, electronic products, wood products, paper, electrical equipment, petroleum and coal and so much more.

Not only does Indiana manufacturing drive our economy, on an individual basis, it provides for extraordinary opportunities. Today’s manufacturing jobs are just as diverse as the products we produce. Whether it is engineers, designers, computer programmers, managers or skilled production employees, tremendous opportunities exist and are expanding.

So when our nation sets aside a day to recognize the accomplishments and importance of manufacturing, Indiana, as the nation’s manufacturing leader, recognizes every day as manufacturing day. The motto of the Indiana Manufacturers Association is “What Indiana Makes, Makes Indiana.” That phrase is truer today than ever before.

Formed in 1901, the Indiana Manufacturers Association is the second oldest manufacturers association in the country and the only trade association in Indiana that exclusively focuses on manufacturing. The Indiana Manufacturers Association, representing more than 1,400 companies, is dedicated to advocating for a business climate that creates, protects and promotes quality manufacturing jobs in Indiana. The staff of the Indiana Manufacturers Association has more than 140 years of combined governmental affairs experience and is recognized as experts in many areas including tax, environment, labor relations, human resources and healthcare.