Metal and Steel
Primary Metal Manufacturing and Fabricated metal Product Manufacturing combined employ over 125,000 workers in Illinois, and in 2006 total value of shipments for both combined were over $24 billion.
Metals like steel and aluminum are the building blocks of modern society, and demand continues to be high not only in the U.S. but also in rapidly growing economies like those of China and India. Metal manufacturing, particularly steel and aluminum, are highly competitive global industries. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that: “Investment in modern equipment and worker training has transformed the industry from one of the Nation's most moribund to one of the world's leaders in worker productivity and the lowest cost producer for some types of steel.”
Over the last two decades advances in manufacturing technology have drastically decreased costs and reduced the number of work hours necessary for production. The use of advance technology has been central to this effort, with companies increasingly requiring greater expertise in modern techniques and computerized manufacturing equipment. Illinois’ highly skilled and well-trained workforce makes it attractive for producers for this reason. Illinois’ central location and good transportation links make it an ideal location for steel and other mental manufacturers, facilitating the shipment in of ore and scrap metal and the shipment out of finished sheet, tubular, and tin products. There is also a high demand for steel within Illinois and surrounding states because of the large existing industrial base.
Links
American Iron and Steel Institute: http://www.steel.org/
Steel Manufacturers Association: http://www.steelnet.org/
The Aluminum Association, Inc.: http://www.aluminum.org/