Manufacturing Expansion: Who, What, Where and How?
Insights on manufacturing, labor, distribution and more
As we enter 2024, it’s no secret that manufacturing is growing at a nearly unprecedented rate. This cycle has been on the rise for years, and is now accelerating. Beneath the surface, some regions and sectors are growing faster than others. What are the trends we can anticipate in 2024 and beyond?
Savills Manufacturing Report: Manufacturing Megatrends
Manufacturing construction has reached historic levels in the United States in recent years. What are the growth segments? Where is the growth occuring? Savills lays out the broad strokes in this interactive map. What it calls “advanced industries” – semiconductors, batteries, electric vehicles – are responsible for much of the new manufacturing activities.
The bulk of new manufacturing facilites are being built in the industrial midwest and south, with available infrastructure, state-driven incentives, workforce and land driving decisions.
Top performing states for manufacturing growth
- With 65,000 new jobs, North Carolina has seen historic levels of manufacturing investments, focused heavily on technology verticals – batteries and semiconductors. The state has seen more growth in its traditional stronghold in biomedical manufacturing.
- Arizona (43,000 jobs) has been the focus of semiconductor activity, with 47% of its new activity in that sector.
- Georgia (58,000 jobs) has seen reshoring activity, heavy on traditional and electrical automotive projects. The state’s deep pool of skilled labor has been a primary driver in its growth.
- Tennessee (and its 54,000 new jobs) plays its role as a central hub in the so-called “battery belt” for electrical vehicles. Its labor pool aand available industrial real estate have driven its growth in multiple sectors.
- Texas (43,000 jobs) has seen growth in high-tech sectors like electrical vehicles, batteries and semiconductors, but about half of manufacturing investments in the state since 2o21 have come from other verticals. That includes traditional automotive, polymers, chemicals, and heavy equipment.
- Ohio’s (42,000 jobs) derive from diverse mix of new manufacturing plants, with 82% of its new manufacturing jobs due to reshoring and direct foreign investment.
Read the detailed report here.
Unex: Streamlining Fulfillment Packing Stations with Conveyors and Carton Flow Racks
Unex Manufacturing’s piece on order fulfillment discusses the ways conveyors, carton flow and automation converge to optimize order fulfillment.
Key takeaways
- Utilizing these tools helps reduce the time required to execute an order picking or packing process.
- Simple equipment like gravity conveyors reduce manual, physical activity that helps employees transport and position products.
- Carton flow optimizes space by concentrating more SKUs in dense configurations while increasing throughput and ergonomics. This lets you flexibly slot SKUs to the most advantageous spaces in your warehouse.
- Combining power and gravity conveyors with integrated flow storage creates efficiencies for picking and packing that are both flexible and ergojnomic,
Read more: Unex guides on a variety of topics ranging from space optimization to lean manufacturing
State by state manufacturing employment gains: Moutray
Michigan created the most net new manufacturing jobs in November, rebounding from the auto strike, adding 8,200 workers for the month. Other states with notable employment growth for the month included Illinois (up 5,400), Missouri (up 3,000), Alabama (up 2,800) and Georgia (u… pic.twitter.com/MaUNw5s8Gb
— Chad Moutray (@chadmoutray) December 22, 2023
Quick hits
- In “Keep Your Conveyor And Sortation Systems Running Efficiently By Leveraging The Data Available From Sensors,” MHI covers the ways newer conveyors and related equipment are deploying advanced sensors to improve performance and lower costs. Newer systems are frequently outfitted with data connections that give you more control and reduce downtime.
- After a slower 2023 and expected sluggishness in 2024, warehouse automation is expected to rebound to double digit growth in 2025 according to Supply Chain Dive.Â
- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce dives into labor shortages in “Understanding America’s Labor Shortage: The Most Impacted Industries.” Durable goods manufacturing leads the list.
- “The Astonishing Port of Laredo” is the largest land port in the United States according to Supply Chain Management Review. Over 14,000 trucks cross the boarder on a daily basis. Cross-border traffic between the U.S. and Mexico will ramp up as both countries increase manufacturing capacity and economic integration. Mexico has been a centerpiece of “near shore” manufacturing for years.
Tags: Manufacturing
Scott Stone is Cisco-Eagle's Vice President of Marketing with more than thirty years of experience in material handling, warehousing and industrial operations. His work is published in multiple industry journals an websites on a variety of warehousing topics. He writes about automation, warehousing, safety, manufacturing and other areas of concern for industrial operations and those who operate them.