Manufacturing is one of the country’s most vital sectors. It adds trillions of dollars to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while also providing millions of jobs to Americans in the process. But different cities have different growth rates for manufacturing. According to a report published by USA Today, Lewiston, Idaho-Washington is the country’s fastest-growing city for manufacturing.
The report found that within five years, the number of people employed in Lewiston’s manufacturing sector has increased by more than 40% within the past five years. In 2012, there were roughly 3,200 workers employed in Lewiston’s manufacturing sector. Fast forward to 2017, and there were 4,500 workers employed. USA Today notes that the value of manufactured products and exports produced by Lewiston-based companies is estimated at $236.6 million. Based on these statistics, Lewiston is the fastest-growing U.S. city for manufacturing.
What makes Lewiston such an attractive production hub for manufacturing companies? The second-largest city in Northern Idaho, Lewiston has a convenient location that allows manufacturing companies to easily import supplies and export finished goods and products. Some of the manufactured exports of Lewiston include paper, timber and ammunition.
While Lewiston was ranked as the fastest-growing U.S. city for manufacturing, the USA Today report also mentioned several other cities where manufacturing is experiencing a strong comeback. In second place, for example, is Elkhart-Goshen, Indiana, which has experienced a 33% increase in employment within the past five years. In 2017, nearly 68,000 workers were employed in Elkhart-Goshen’s manufacturing sector. Although that number is higher than Lewiston, the rate at which new manufacturing jobs are being created in Elkhart-Goshen is slightly slower — albeit still fast — than that of its Lewiston counterpart.
Of course, Lewiston and Elkhart-Goshen are just two of many U.S. cities where manufacturing is experiencing a strong comeback. Manufacturing companies from the East Coast to the West Coast are reporting higher-than-expected profits. Several factors can be attributed to the American manufacturing industry’s revival, one of which is a newfound emphasis on manufacturing products in the United States rather than abroad. Previously, American manufacturing companies would produce their products and goods overseas to save money on taxes, labor and materials. These companies have since acknowledged the value of “made-in-America,” thereby reshoring those jobs back to the United States.
American manufacturing companies are also taking advantage of tax breaks and other financial incentives for producing their goods and products here in the United States. As this trend continues, the country’s manufacturing sector will grow even larger.