For the third year in a row, industrial employment in Colorado posted a gain, according to the 2014 Colorado Manufacturers Directory, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers' News Inc. (MNI). MNI's survey of Colorado manufacturers reports the state gained 3,513 industrial jobs between June 2012 and June 2013, which was 1.5 percentage points above the national average gain. The state is now home to 6,510 manufacturers and 210,050 related jobs.
"Colorado's manufacturing sector continues to grow," says Tom Dubin, president of MNI. "The state's winning mix of an educated workforce, friendly business environment and abundant natural resources has helped the state to boost exports and expand hiring."
Bright spots over the year included the expansion of Epic Brewing's brewery in Denver; the recent announcement that a joint venture of ConAgra Foods, Cargill and CHS will open a headquarters in Denver under the name of Ardent Mills; and the expansion of Terumo BCT's manufacturing location in Lakewood. In addition, recent reports show Colorado increased its exports by 11.3 percent in 2012, a record for the state and more than triple the national average gain for the same time period.
Losses for the state included the closure of a Hostess bakery in Denver and GE's cancellation of its plans to build a solar panel factory near Denver.
Electronics manufacturing remains the state's largest sector by factory employment, accounting for 24,103 jobs. Food products manufacturing accounts for another 24,010 jobs, while third-ranked industrial machinery and equipment employs 21,200 workers.
Other industrial sectors that gained jobs included oil and gas extraction, petroleum products, stone/clay/glass, instruments/related products, fabricated metals and transportation equipment. Losses were seen in paper products, chemicals, furniture/fixtures and textiles/apparel.
MNI reports Colorado's top cities by manufacturing employment all posted gains over the year. Denver remains the state's top city for manufacturing employment with 41,070 industrial workers, while Colorado Springs accounts for 18,046 jobs. Englewood ranks third in the state with 13,641 industrial workers.
For more information, visit www.manufacturersnews.com.
