Manufacturing Industries, NEC

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 42,807 establishments operated in this category for part or all of 2004. Industry-wide employment totaled approximately 1.3 million workers receiving a payroll of nearly $45.5 billion. The Annual Survey of Manufactures reported that overall shipments for this widely varied industry category were valued at more than $208 billion in 2005.

This fragmented category accounts for all U.S. manufacturing activities not included under other headings. Leading the industry was S.C. Johnson & Sons, Inc. of Racine, Wisconsin, with 2006 sales of $7 billion including the popular Glade line of candle and fragrance products. International Game Technology Inc. of Reno, Nevada, was second in 2006 with sales of $2.5 billion and 5,000 employees who produced video game machines along with slot machines. Cleveland, Ohio-based American Greetings Corp. was third with 2006 sales of nearly $1.9 billion that included candle products. Also in the candle and potpourri business was fourth-ranked Blyth Inc. of Greenwich, Connecticut, with 2005 sales of nearly $1.6 billion with 5,500 employees. Blyth operated the hugely successful direct selling business PartyLite, whose items were sold via home parties, catalogs, and the Internet by company sales representatives.

Of the 14 categories of this industry, two segments composed the majority: "all other plastics product manufacturing" with 38 percent of the industry accounting for nearly $79 billion in shipping values in 2005, and "commercial lithographic printing" with 23 percent, accounting for more than $48 billion in shipping values in 2005).

The all other plastics product manufacturing industry had 7,627 establishments operating in 2004, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and experienced a great deal of growth after 1997 with shipment values increasing about 16 percent by 2005. Though the number of employees slipped from nearly 523,000 workers in 1997 to about 446,000 workers in 2004, overall wages actually increased from nearly $14 billion to $15 billion in 2004. Products of this category are varied and included plastic dinnerware; industrial machinery plastics such as gears, bearings, bushings, and cams; plastics shoe products, and electrical and electronic fabricated plastics. The leading segment was consumer, institutional, and commercial fabricated plastics (excluding foam and wire coated), with nearly 24 percent of this category's shipment values in 2002, and included plastic furniture components and furnishings, plastic utility containers, plastic bathware and sinkware, plastic garbage containers, and plastic flowerpots. Following this segment was the transportation fabricated plastics products segment with nearly 22 percent of this category's shipment values in 2002 that included fabricated plastics housings, accessories, and parts (excluding foam and reinforced plastic) for motor vehicles, aircraft, space equipment, missiles, and other transportation equipment.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the commercial lithographic printing industry had 14,232 establishments operating in 2004 that demonstrated relative consistency in performance with 2002 shipment values at more than $46 billion that increased slightly in 2005 to more than $48 billion. Employment figures declined somewhat during that same time. There were nearly 369,000 workers in 2002, but that number dropped by almost 30,000 in 2005 to 339,000 workers while wages remained steady with nearly $14 billion in 2002 and $13.3 billion in 2004. Products of this category include magazine and periodical printing (lithographic), label and wrapper printing (lithographic), catalog and directory printing (lithographic), financial and legal printing (lithographic), advertising printing (lithographic), and other commercial and general job printing (lithographic). The largest segment was advertising printing (lithographic) that accounted for 31 percent of 2002 shipment values in this category, including direct mail advertising (lithographic), display advertising poster printing (lithographic), preprinted newspaper advertising insert printing (lithographic), shopping news printing (lithographic), and book jacket printing (lithographic).

Despite its obscurity and fragmentation, the miscellaneous manufacturing industry produces a few well known items. By product group, some of the larger shares were coin-operated amusement devices, such as arcade games; chemical fire extinguishers; and candles. Although the candle sector grew exponentially in the 1990s and into the twenty-first century with 156 new products in 2000, the market became saturated and sales leveled off. Higher-end candles drove the industry into the 2000s because consumers had educated themselves about what they wanted in a candle. In 2002, candle sales were $2.3 billion. Besides S.C. Johnson's Glade, Blyth, and American Greetings, industry leaders included South Deerfield, Massachusetts-based Yankee Candle Company Inc. with 2005 sales of more than $601 million and 4,100 employees.

Other products, while making up a small total of the industry individually, made up the lion's share of the total industry collectively. These small segments included such diverse items as wigs and barber and beauty shop equipment; artificial Christmas trees and nonglass, nonelectric Christmas ornaments; artificial flowers and plants; matches; umbrellas; potpourri; and lamp shades.

The Annual Survey of Manufactures reported the all other plastics product manufacturing industry was valued at $84 billion in 2008, a decrease from the 2007 total of $89 billion. Additionally, a total of 306 million employees worked in production in 2008 (of 405,312 employees), putting in nearly 609 million hours to earn wages of more than $9.4 billion.

S.C. Johnson & Sons, Inc. reported revenues of more than $8.8 billion in 2009 with 12,000 employees. International Game Technology Inc.'s revenues began falling with a reported $2.1 billion in 2009 and $1.9 billion in 2010 with 4,900 employees. American Greetings Corp.'s revenues fell gradually before posting $1.7 billion in 2008 and $1.6 billion in 2010 with 26,000 employees. Blyth Inc. had sales of $1.1 billion in 2008, dipping slightly to $958 million in 2010 with $958 million.

According to industry statistics, 17,461 establishments operated in this category for all or part of 2009 with industry shipments of more than $16 billion and industry-wide employment of 105,710 workers. Additionally, the majority of establishments were located in California, Texas, and Florida. On average, each establishment generated about $1 million in annual sales. Coin-operated amusement machines manufacturers surpassed candle and related products manufacturers responsible for nearly $4 billion of the industry total in 2009 while candle shipments totaled nearly $2.5 billion. Another top performing industry segment, advertising curtain shipments were valued at $1.1 billion.

Other important segments contributing to the bulk of industry shipments included, hair dryers, designed for beauty salons with ($653.2 million); slot machines added ($633.6 million); education aids, devices and supplies had ($485.5 million); pet supplies added another ($446.9 million); advertising display products with ($314.8 million); hot tubs totaled ($183.8 million); novelties, bric-a-brac, and hobby kits with ($183.3 million); potpourri generated ($131.1 million); stage hardware and equipment, except lighting had ($107.2 million); and theatrical scenery with ($102.8 million).