INTRODUCTION
Missouri has a long history as a high-skilled manufacturing state. In mid 2007, manufacturing employment numbered over 302,000 in Missouri. This represents 13.1 percent of the entire state’s workforce, whereas the national average was 12.1 percent.
Missouri had particularly high employment concentrations in Printing, Electrical Equipment Mfg., Transportation Equipment Mfg., and Machinery Mfg. as compared to the U.S. Missouri is specialized in these sectors.
Manufacturing accounted for just over $34 Billion in Missouri Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2006, representing 15 percent of the total state GDP.
Top
Ten Manufacturing Sectors (GDP in 2006):
1.
Transportation Equipment
2.
Food Products
3.
Fabricated Metal
4.
Machinery
5.
Chemicals
6.
Plastics and Rubber
7.
Printing
8.
Electrical Equipment
9.
Furniture
10. Miscellaneous
Top
Ten Manufacturing Exports (Value of Exports in 2007):
1.
Transportation Equipment
2.
Chemicals
3.
Machinery
4.
Food Products
5.
Electrical Equipment
6.
Computer and Electronics
7.
Fabricated Metal
8.
Primary Metal
9.
Plastics and Rubber
10. Printing
Centrally
located in the United States, Missouri is well positioned to reach markets all
over the country. The state is
within 500 miles of 43 percent of the nation’s population. The strong manufacturing history of
Missouri is a testament to the state’s highly-skilled, highly-motivated
workforce.
MANUFACTURING SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS
Automotive Assembly and Parts Manufacturing
Missouri has four major automobile assembly plants in state and one additional plant just over the border in Kansas. Supplying these assembly plants requires a large number of parts suppliers that deliver just-in-time components. Missouri is a top ten auto-producing state.
Over 250 firms employed a total of 36,223 workers in 2006. Large parts companies such as Eagle-Picher and Lear have firms operating in Missouri. The strong network of automobile parts suppliers provides a competitive advantage to Missouri in terms of talent and technology.
Missouri’s
automotive assemblers have also invested in the future of transportation. Recognizing that innovative flexible
fuel cars and flexible manufacturing processes will be necessary for long-term
industry health, several automotive plants have already begun the transition. For example, the Ford Motor Company
produces the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV in Claycomo, MO.
Chemicals
Chemical Manufacturing in Missouri is concentrated in agricultural and pharmaceutical products. Major Companies in this sector include:
Bayer
Corp
Pfizer
BASF
Corp
Willert
Home Products
Sanofi-Aventis
Furniture
Furniture Manufacturing employed just over 12,000 workers in mid-2007. Major Companies in this sector include:
W
W Wood Products
Thorco
Industries
Ameriwood
Industries
Quality
Wood Products
Duke
Manufacturing Company
Machinery
Machinery Manufacturing employed over 30,700 workers in mid-2007, representing 1.33 percent of the state’s workforce. The U.S. average was just over 1 percent. Missouri specializes in Machinery Manufacturing. Major Companies in this sector include:
Hussmann
Corporation
Altec
Industries
Paul
Mueller Company
Briggs
and Stratton Corporation
Loren
Cook Company
Plastics and Rubber
Plastics and Rubber Manufacturing employed just under 18,000 Missouri workers in mid-2007. Missouri is slightly more specialized in this sector than the national average. Major Companies in this sector include:
Hayes
Lemmerz International
3M
Company
Mark
IV Automotive
Gates
Corporation
Contico
Metal – Primary and Fabricated
Primary and Fabricated Metal Manufacturing employed just over 42,500 Missouri workers in mid-2007 making it a fairly large sector in Missouri’s manufacturing economy. Major Companies in this sector include:
EFCO
Corporation
Noranda
Aluminum
Alliance
Lake City
FAG
Bearings Corporation
Configurations
by RubberMaid
MAJOR COMPANIES
Missouri has over 7,500 manufacturing companies in the state. Some of the larger manufacturers include:
Anheuser-Busch Company – Brewery
Chrysler LLC – Automotive Assembly Plant
Ford Motor Company – Automotive Assembly Plant
General Motors Corporation – Automotive Assembly Plant
Hussmann Corp – Food Service Machinery Manufacturing
MEMC Electronic Materials – Semiconductor Wafers
Nestle Purina Petcare – Pet Food Manufacturing
Procter & Gamble – Paper Product Manufacturing
Tyson – Food Processing
Triumph
Foods –
Food Processing
KEY FACILITIES
Missouri has several small business incubators and innovation centers located throughout the state. Below is a list of selected facilities:
Center for Emerging Technologies
St. Louis, MO
This
center specializes in biotechnology, biomedical engineering, advanced materials
and technology start-ups. The centre has helped start 17 companies and has
recently completed an $8 million expansion. It was named one of the top 10
incubators in the country by the National Business Incubator Association in
2003; it was no.1 in average revenue growth.
University of Missouri
(MU) – Discovery Ridge
Columbia, MO
Discovery
Ridge is MU’s research park for businesses that directly relate to and support
research and economic development.
As such, it is an exclusive university research park dedicated to
tenants who desire proximity to the research at the University of Missouri.
Missouri
University of Science and Technology (MS&T) Innovation Park
Rolla, MO
This new technology park just came on line in 2007
and is designed to leverage the strong engineering, science and technology base
of MS&T by serving as the link for invention, commercialization,
entrepreneurship, economic development and job creation in the South Central
Missouri Region. The Innovation Park supports MS&T’s mission to become one
of the top five technological research institutions by 2010. The MS&T was formally the
University of Missouri - Rolla.
The
Roy Blunt Jordan Valley Innovation
Center (JVIC)
Springfield, MO
Located at Missouri State University, the JVIC provides advanced research and development
equipment and facilities infrastructure that corporate affiliates share for
product development. Corporate affiliates both develop products and locate
manufacturing facilities in Springfield. The JVIC has significant support
inside and outside Missouri for corporate affiliate research projects from
national security-related organizations and state agencies.
The
Missouri Research Park (MRP)
Chesterfield, MO
The MRP is a 200-acre research and development park
located near St. Louis. It has
been a catalyst for development along the Highway 40/61 high-tech corridor in
St. Charles County. It is owned
and managed by the University of Missouri. As an integral part of its
land-grant mission, the University developed and manages the Missouri Research
Park and several similar projects throughout the state with the objective of
supporting Missouri’s economic growth by developing and sustaining
research and technology alliances among the University, government agencies and
private companies.
RESEARCH – ADVANCING THE INDUSTRY
Universities throughout the state provide targeted research that is designed to help companies grow in Missouri. Particularly important to advanced manufacturing efforts are the engineering fields of study. Missouri has several large institutions throughout the state that provide engineering degrees and courses of study. The three largest engineering schools are:
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, MO
University of Missouri – Columbia
Columbia, MO
Washington University – St. Louis
St.
Louis, MO