Capital Region Manufacturing Employment Reaches 22-Year High
Dimension Fabricators is pursuing a 12,500 square foot addition to our Glenville12,500-square-foot expansion in Glenville.
The Capital Region’s manufacturing sector continued to grow in 2023 and climbed to a 22-year employment high. The region also experienced its largest annual increase in manufacturing employer establishments in more than two decades, according to a Center for Economic Growth (CEG) analysis of new data for the New York State Department of Labor.
MFG Jobs
In 2023, the eight-county Capital Region averaged 35,674 manufacturing jobs. That was a 675 (1.9 percent) increase in jobs over the previous year and the most since 2002. Among New York’s 10 economic development regions, only the Western New York region gained more manufacturing jobs over the year (+1,171).
In the Capital Region, annual job gains exceeded 100 in five manufacturing subsectors: chemical manufacturing (+449), electrical equipment and appliances and electronics (+374), beverage manufacturing (+115), machinery manufacturing (115), food manufacturing (+105), and fabricated metal product manufacturing (+105).
“Dimension Fabricators is proud to contribute to the Capital Region’s thriving manufacturing economy. We are currently constructing a 12,500 square foot addition to our Glenville, NY facility featuring cutting-edge rebar fabrication equipment. Along with our skilled workforce, this investment will position Dimension to provide premium fabricated rebar for regional infrastructure projects,” said Dimension Fabricators Vice President of Operations Greg Stevens.
Workers at GE Vernova’s onshore wind turbine component facility in Schenectady.
Some recent manufacturing expansions have included:
- GE Vernova invested $50 million in its Schenectady facility and hired 200 workers to support the assembly of components for its 6.1 MW turbine.
- G&G Industrial Lighting acquired and renovated a new 32,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Malta to optimize its production of industrial LED lighting solutions and to position it for growth.
- Canadian pipe maker Solena built a $22 million, 45,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Saratoga Springs’ WJ Grande Industrial Park.
- AgroChem and Biosan expanded their chemical manufacturing operations in the WJ Grande Industrial Park with a 27,500-square-foot facility.
- Adirondack Beverage in the Glenville Business & Technology Park invested more than $20 million on a new power substation and production line, driving the creation of more than 60 jobs.
- Polyset, a polymer materials producer, renovated two warehouses in Mechanicville for manufacturing and R&D facilities.
- Old World Provisions acquired a 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Schenectady for a specialty bakery, particularly for Carnegie Deli cheesecake products.
- Centrotherm Eco Systems nearly doubled its footprint by moving to a 122,000-square-foot in Waterford.
Manufacturing job losses last year were steepest in furniture and related product manufacturing (-115), computer and electronic product manufacturing (-129), plastics & rubber products manufacturing (-150), and printing and related support activities (-159). In 2023, there were more than 200 announced layoffs from manufacturing plant closures at Essity in South Glens Falls and Fischbach in Guilderland Center. Nearly 600 more layoffs have been announced for 2024 from plant closures at Essity’s South Glens Falls and Greenwich facilities, Quad Graphics in Saratoga Springs and Comfortex in Latham.
MFG Establishments
In 2023, the region averaged 936 manufacturing establishments. That was 42 more establishments than the previous year. Prior to that and since 2000, the region’s largest annual increase in manufacturing establishments had been 15. Industries driving 2023 manufacturing establishment increase included food and beverage manufacturing (+21), especially breweries, distilleries and bakeries. The computer and electronic product subsector, which includes semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing, also increased its establishments (+9).
CEG INITIATIVES
As a New York State MEP center, CEG also helps Capital Region manufacturers increase their productivity by providing a menu of technical support services, such as Lean Enterprise Training, ISO Certification Assistance, Technology-Driven Market Intelligence, and CoreValue benchmarking assessments.
In 2023, CEG had the following impacts on Capital Region manufacturers:
- $17 million in new and retained sales
- 115 jobs created and retained
- $10 million in new investments
- $600,000 in cost savings
CEG also drives the Manufacturing Innovation Network (MIN), a network brings together Capital Region manufacturers to learn from experts on industry relevant topics, participate in thematic roundtables, discuss common issues, and expand their network.
Don’t miss these insights into the trends that are shaping the Capital Region’s economy.
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