Industrial employment in South Dakota increased 2.5% over the past twelve months according to the 2013 South Dakota Manufacturers Register, an industrial directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI) Evanston, IL. MNI reports South Dakota gained 1,186 industrial jobs between December 2011 and December 2012.

South Dakota is now home to 1,360 manufacturers employing 48,441 workers, according to MNI.

“South Dakota continues to see its manufacturing sector improve,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. “The state’s winning mix of business friendliness and abundant natural resources has led the way in the creation of new jobs.”

Bright spots for South Dakota included the long-awaited opening of Northern Beef Packers in Aberdeen after several years of delays. Bel Brands announced plans to open a new cheese plant in Brookings; Advanced Drainage Systems established a facility in Watertown; and Gavilon Liberty Grain broke ground on a site in Kimball. In addition, several manufacturers operating in South Dakota announced expansions, including Link Snack’s jerky plant in Alpena; Adams Thermal Systems in Canton; Counterpark, Inc. in Brookings; and Baldwin Filters in Yankton.

MNI reports South Dakota’s top three industries all saw increases in employment over the year. Food product manufacturing remains the state’s largest industrial sector by employment with 9,115 jobs, up 2.3% over the past twelve months. Second-ranked industrial machinery and equipment accounts for 7,097 of South Dakota’s manufacturing jobs, up 5.3% over the year. Fabricated metals ranks third with 3,933 jobs, up 2.4% over the twelve-month period.

Most other sectors in South Dakota posted an increase in jobs, with furniture/fixtures up 7.3%; transportation equipment, up 7.1%; rubber/plastics, up 6.1%; electronics, up 5.7%; and chemicals, up 2.3%. Losses were seen in textiles/apparel, down 10.7%; lumber/wood, down 3.9%; and stone/clay/glass, down 1.9%.

Notable losses for the state included the closure of Alamo Group’s farm equipment plant in Sioux Falls.

Manufacturers’ News reports the Southeast region of the state accounts for the most industrial employment with 26,124 jobs, up 2.5% over the year. The Northeast region is home to 16,419 jobs, up 3.6%, while the Southwest accounts for 4,059 jobs, down 1.6% over the past twelve months. The Northwest is home to 1,839 jobs, up 1.8%, according to MNI.

MNI’s city data shows Sioux Falls is South Dakota’s top city for manufacturing employment, home to 12,178 jobs, with no significant change reported over the year. Second-ranked Brookings accounts for 4,366 jobs, up a half percent. Watertown accounts for 3,620 industrial jobs, virtually unchanged from a year ago. Industrial employment in Rapid City decreased 1.6%, with the fourth-ranked city currently home to 3,463 manufacturing workers, while Yankton accounts for 3,011 jobs, up 8.4%.

Detailed profiles of South Dakota’s 1,360 manufacturers and 251 distributors can be found in the 2013 South Dakota Manufacturers Register^®, available in print for $81, or available online through MNI’s subscription-based service at www.ezselect.com. Users may generate custom profiles of manufacturers using a variety of criteria, including area or zip code, county, SIC, sales volume, number of employees, and more. Each profile provides up to 30 facts, including vital contact information (phone, web, e-mail), 5,180 executives by name and title, product(s) manufactured, annual sales, and number of employees. MNI also maintains IndustryNet.com, an industrial search engine designed specifically for locating manufacturers and suppliers nationwide, and has recently launched an expansion and relocation guide for manufacturers.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc. is the nation’s oldest and largest publisher of state manufacturers directories. For 101 years the company has identified, researched and profiled manufacturing establishments. MNI employs an 85-person editorial staff to scour state business registrations, trade journals, financial reports, and many other sources to pinpoint every manufacturing establishment in the U.S. Each manufacturer is contacted throughout the year to update their profiles, including their employee counts. For more information, contact Manufacturers’ News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201, 847-864-7000, FAX 847-332-1100. Information is also available on Facebook and Twitter.