SAY Plastics, located in McSherrystown, Adams County, is an ISO-certified producer of thermoformed plastic components and assemblies. The company’s SAYtooling System effectively re-engineers metal and FRP parts, providing thermoformed, cost effective, plastic designs for a variety of industries. For more information, see sayplastics.com.
GETTYSBURG, PA (September 30, 2019) – Did you know one of every five people employed in Adams County works in manufacturing? The field is expanding and diversifying thanks in great part to technology—it’s not the same manufacturing trade from 25 or even 10 years ago.
September 30-October 4 is National Manufacturing Week, ending with Friday’s National Manufacturing Day on October 4.
“To commemorate the observance and put Adams County’s manufacturing sector in the spotlight, Adams Economic Alliance is tackling a variety of manufacturing topics this week,” said Robin Fitzpatrick, Adams Economic Alliance President. “Today, we begin with an overview of the dynamic regional manufacturing industry in South Central Pennsylvania and the incredible value and role our Adams County manufacturing industry plays within the economy.”
Regionally, the manufacturing industry employs 82,835 people across the eight-county South Central Pennsylvania (SCPa) region which includes Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lebanon, Perry and York Counties, with figures pulled from the second quarter of 2019. The breakdown includes the following employment numbers:
- Adams – 7,623 manufacturing jobs
- Cumberland – 8,989
- Dauphin – 12,303
- Franklin – 9,600
- Juniata – 2,700
- Perry – 509
- York – 31,612
In 2018, there were 1,603 manufacturing employers in the SCPa Workforce Development area, a decrease from 1,752 establishments 10 years earlier in 2008.
One of the reasons we look at the region is because not only do we share employees (residents) but we economically impact each other. As of the second quarter of 2019, manufacturers in the region made an estimated $4.1 billion in annual purchases from suppliers in the U.S., with about 21% or $.8 billion of these purchases made from businesses within the SCPa Workforce Development area.
Focusing on Adams County, our average manufacturing employee makes $49,682 compared to the county’s median wage of $32,000. Over the past 10 years, Adams County’s manufacturing wages have increased at an average rate of .8% compared to the national average of .1%.
Nearly 20% (19.8%) of Adams County’s workforce is employed in the manufacturing sector. Breaking down the specific occupational groups within the sector, 53% of Adams County’s manufacturing jobs are within production; 14% are in transportation and material moving; 10% are in office and administrative support; 6% are in installation, maintenance and repair, with the remaining 17% lumped into a miscellaneous category.
Tomorrow, we take a closer look at one segment of Adams County’s manufacturing industry—our fruit belt and food processing industry.
It is the mission of the Adams Economic Alliance to develop and implement creative community-based strategies to enhance economic opportunity and foster a dynamic framework for balanced growth and development through the Adams County Economic Development Corporation, Adams County Industrial Development Authority and Adams County General Authority. For more information, see adamsalliance.org, or follow the Alliance on Twitter (@AdamsAlliance), Facebook (Facebook.com/AdamsAlliance) and LinkedIn (Adams Economic Alliance).
MEDIA CONTACT: KAREN HENDRICKS / HENDRICKS COMMUNICATIONS / 717-253-3553
SAY Plastics, located in McSherrystown, Adams County, is an ISO-certified producer of thermoformed plastic components and assemblies. The company’s SAYtooling System effectively re-engineers metal and FRP parts, providing thermoformed, cost effective, plastic designs for a variety of industries. For more information, see sayplastics.com.
