Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Ten Largest U.S. Manufacturing Industries, 2010

Rank10 Largest U.S. Manufacturing Industries2010 Revenue (Millions)Examples of Companies
1Petroleum and Coal Products$1,027,938 ExxonMobil, Chevron, Conoco
2Computers and Other Electronic Products$581,344 HP, IBM, Microsoft
3Chemicals$387,326 P&G, Dow, DuPont
4Food$284,390 ADM, Kraft, Tyson
5Pharmaceuticals$257,975 J&J, Pfizer, Abbot
6Aerospace & Defense$250,446 Boeing, United Technologies, Lockheed Martin
7Electrical Equipment & Appliances$245,307 GE, Emerson, Whirlpool
8Machinery$194,098 Caterpillar, Deere, Xerox
9Motor Vehicles$150,721 Ford, Navistar, PACCAR
10Beverages$133,619 Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper/Snapple
Source: IndustryWeek

The chart above displays the top ten largest manufacturing industries based on 2010 sales revenue.  I reported on the IndustryWeek rankings previously in this post back in February.

26 Comments:

At 7/13/2011 9:31 AM, Blogger Jet Beagle said...

Interesting, Mark. All 19 of the DJIA companies you described as manufacturing companies are also on Industry Week's list of manufacturing companies. I suppose the same critic of your list will likewise be ready to criticize Industry Week's list.

I'm not familiar with all the products which Microsoft and IBM provide their customers. Based on my exposure to those companies, I would agree with morganovich that they are not primarily manufacturing companies. At least, as I understand the government's NAIC and SIC classifications, I don't believe those two should still be considered manufacturers.

 
At 7/13/2011 9:43 AM, Blogger PeakTrader said...

Some items Microsoft manufactures:

Microsoft SideWinder Mouse
Microsoft Comfort Curve Keyboard
Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop
Microsoft Media Center Keyboard
Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard
Microsoft Wireless Notebook mouse
Microsoft Optical Desktop
XBox 360 Rock Band Drum Set
Microsoft Xbox 360 Controller
Microsoft Xbox 360

 
At 7/13/2011 9:49 AM, Blogger PeakTrader said...

Business hardware:

"Microsoft Hardware for Business, available through qualified resellers, is an easier way to purchase and deploy Microsoft Hardware. Our full line of products for business—from webcams and headsets to keyboards and mice—are designed to work seamlessly with Microsoft software and help save you money, increase productivity, and improve employee comfort."

 
At 7/13/2011 10:01 AM, Blogger morganovich said...

peak-

nope. not at all.

microsoft itself does not manufacture any of those products. every one is outsourced.

 
At 7/13/2011 10:24 AM, Blogger The Patriot said...

Would you be able to point me to where I can find how much taxes each industry paid so I can effectively show progressive friends that the oil industries effective tax rate was higher than the 35% corporate tax rate? Thanks.

 
At 7/13/2011 10:26 AM, Blogger Steamboat Lion said...

By any normal usage extracting oil and coal would be considered mining rather than manufacturing. Does this data include only value added activities like refining in "petroleum and coal" category?

 
At 7/13/2011 10:30 AM, Blogger morganovich said...

patriot-

pull XOM's 10k.

if you factor in all the taxes they pay, the rate is around 70%.

 
At 7/13/2011 10:38 AM, Blogger The Patriot said...

Thanks.
I was wondering if there is a source where they state what is the total tax oil and gas sector paid collectively?

 
At 7/13/2011 10:40 AM, Blogger PeakTrader said...

The 2010 IW 50 Best Manufacturing Companies
IndustryWeek

Microsoft is ranked 6th, Apple 3rd, IBM 21st, and HP 49th.

 
At 7/13/2011 11:27 AM, Blogger Buddy R Pacifico said...

I can understand the quibbles on categorizing IBM and Microsoft as manufacturers. It could be viewed that MSFT assembles code for resultant software products. IBM has transformed itself into a service company but it still produces "Big Iron" mainframes which they call mainframe servers.

One Dow component, McDonald's, is probably more of a manufacturer then IBM or Microsoft. Go into a McDonald's at breakfast or lunch, and watch the assembly line of food inputs into a McMuffin or McChicken.

Economist Greg Mankiw got involved in some controversy by asking: "When a fast-food restaurant sells a hamburger, for example, is it providing a 'service' or is it combining inputs to 'manufacture' a product?" Professor Mankiw was Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors under George dubya Bush. The question was academic, as posed by an academic, in non-academic WA DC.

 
At 7/13/2011 12:13 PM, Blogger Jet Beagle said...

Buddy,

The question for me is not whether IBM sells big iron mainframes, but whether they actually manufacture them.

Ignoring morganovich's limited definition of manufacturing, I'll refer instead to the federal government definition of manufacturing:

"The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction."

If IBM actually crafts the components of its Big Iron Mainframes, then it is clearly a manufacturer of them.

If IBM assembles its Big Iron Mainframes from components crafted by someone else, it is also a manufacturer of them.

But if IBM outsources the entire crafting and assembly, and only adds operating system software, then I'm not sure we should still call IBM a manufacturer of Big Iron Mainframes.

Do those distinctions make sense to you? That's how I see it.

 
At 7/13/2011 12:52 PM, Blogger Buddy R Pacifico said...

Jet, I think the problem is that the definition of manufacturing includes both transformation and assembly.

Is Boeing a manufacturer or a very large scale assembler? BA transforms some carbon fiber filaments into tail sections, but assembles the great majority of inputs, transformed by others, into aircraft.

I wonder if Greg Mankiw would concede that McDonald's is an assembler of Quarterpounders and not a manufacturer? (not trying to get Prof. Mankiw back into unjustified controversy):>)

 
At 7/13/2011 1:22 PM, Blogger Bernie Ecch said...

And how many people are employed at these companies nowadays? Every few months I go past the IBM plant where my late father worked for 32 years. There are a lot less cars in the parking lot. But the corporate pay,that has skyrocketed. But it's minimum wage workers who are greedy, not corporate executives.

 
At 7/13/2011 1:24 PM, Blogger AIG said...

Unless I'm thinking of a different company, isn't United (airlines?) in "transportation" rather than aerospace?

 
At 7/13/2011 1:33 PM, Blogger Mark J. Perry said...

It's United Technologies, not United Airlines. I changed the post to clarify.

 
At 7/13/2011 2:58 PM, Blogger Jet Beagle said...

buddy: "I think the problem is that the definition of manufacturing includes both transformation and assembly."

Yes, the definition does include both. But I don't see that as a problem. Both activities are manufacturing processes.

 
At 7/13/2011 5:38 PM, Blogger PeakTrader said...

One of the "Dr Dooms" I follow is predicting a recession next year.

I doubt we'll be on a solid growth track with Obama in power:

6 hours ago

Shilling says the shock to trigger the next recession is "another big leg-down in housing."

"When you have slow growth it doesn't take much of a shock to throw you in negative territory."

Based on Shilling's research, there are 2 million to 2.5 million excess homes in the country -- a supply that will take 4-5 years to work-off.

The result: Housing prices will fall another 20% and underwater mortgages will balloon from 23% to 40%, he says.

 
At 7/13/2011 6:19 PM, Blogger VangelV said...

I'm not familiar with all the products which Microsoft and IBM provide their customers. Based on my exposure to those companies, I would agree with morganovich that they are not primarily manufacturing companies.


Notice how ADM, Boeing, United Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and GE depend on government subsidies or mandates for some of their profits? And aren't ExxonMobil, Chevron, Conoco, and the coal companies also in the mining business?

 
At 7/14/2011 8:13 AM, Blogger Jet Beagle said...

VangeIV: " aren't ExxonMobil, Chevron, Conoco, and the coal companies also in the mining business?"

Yes, that's true. I thought the Census and the BLS attempt to separate the revenues and employees of these companies into different sectors when creating statistics about manufacturing and mining.


Of course, as I commented on a prior post, ExxonMobil reports that almost 80% of its revenue from outsde the company is derived from downstream operations (chiefly refining) and chemicals production. There is no doubt in my mind that ExxonMobil is primarily a manufacturing company.

 
At 7/14/2011 8:15 AM, Blogger Jet Beagle said...

vangeiv: "Notice how ADM, Boeing, United Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and GE depend on government subsidies or mandates for some of their profits?"

Yes, that's true. Not sure about ADM, but there should be little dount that the other 4 are manufacturing companies. Not sure what point you're making.

 
At 7/14/2011 8:21 AM, Blogger Jet Beagle said...

vangeIV,

In you comment on the other manufacturing post, you semmed to argue that drug companies are not manufacturing companies, but rather drug development companies. Why do you make such a distinction? Merck most definitely manufactures the products it sells at the 77 factories it owns and operates.

Would you describe DuPont as a chemical development company rather than a chemical manufacturing company?

In any case, you nor morganovich seem to ignore the NAIC and SIC codes which are widely used by government and industry for classifying companies. Both sets of codes categorize production of defense armaments and pharmaceuticals as manufacturing.

 
At 7/14/2011 8:30 AM, Blogger Jet Beagle said...

That should have been:

"you and morganovich seem to ignore"

 
At 7/15/2011 9:59 AM, Blogger VangelV said...

There is no doubt in my mind that ExxonMobil is primarily a manufacturing company.

I have no trouble with this statement. But I do think that the case about manufacturing was overestimated by people looking for straws to grasp.

Yes, that's true. Not sure about ADM, but there should be little dount that the other 4 are manufacturing companies. Not sure what point you're making.

I am sorry. I thought that my point was clear. I was just trying to point out that without huge subsidies many of the manufacturing companies would be a lot smaller relative to the rest of the economy. Imagine how much smaller the weapons companies would be without government largesse. How much less profit would GE have without the massive green energy subsidies that allow it to cover its losses in its other segments or engine sales for jets that are not really needed.

 
At 7/15/2011 10:04 AM, Blogger VangelV said...

In you comment on the other manufacturing post, you semmed to argue that drug companies are not manufacturing companies, but rather drug development companies. Why do you make such a distinction? Merck most definitely manufactures the products it sells at the 77 factories it owns and operates.

The revenues do not come from the low margin manufacturing activities but from the patent protection granted to drugs that Merck developed.

Would you describe DuPont as a chemical development company rather than a chemical manufacturing company?

It depends on which revenue stream you look at. Off patent products are certainly in the manufacturing category. But chemicals that provide huge margins because DuPont owns the patent would fit in the development category.

In any case, you nor morganovich seem to ignore the NAIC and SIC codes which are widely used by government and industry for classifying companies. Both sets of codes categorize production of defense armaments and pharmaceuticals as manufacturing.

I cannot speak for morganovich but I do not put much faith in the way that governments report anything.

 
At 7/20/2011 10:41 AM, Blogger Michael said...

It is interesting that the oil and mining areas are the largest of the groups. Since they are so highly capital intensive and therefore demand very high returns on capital rather than labor, I wonder if this is one of the causes of seemingly low wage rates within the manufacturing sector.

 
At 7/20/2011 11:22 AM, Blogger VangelV said...

It is interesting that the oil and mining areas are the largest of the groups. Since they are so highly capital intensive and therefore demand very high returns on capital rather than labor, I wonder if this is one of the causes of seemingly low wage rates within the manufacturing sector.

Low wage rates? Where is the evidence that skilled positions in the manufacturing sector are not getting paid well enough?

 

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