A recent report on the manufacturing sector in Lawrence County reveals that the community’s economy continues to maintain its historic industrial strength.
The number of manufacturing establishments has remained relatively steady at 61 over the past ten years, with variation from 63 to 61.
Together, the manufacturers in Lawrence County have a workforce of 2,529, and manufacturing employment has grown at a 2.7% rate over the past ten years, significantly higher than the national growth rate of 0.5%.
The heart of American architectural limestone industry is centered in Lawrence County due to the presence of uniquely suitable limestone deposits underlying Lawrence and parts of the surrounding counties. As a result, Nonmetallic Mineral Production Manufacturing employs 389 production workers, and carried a location quotient of 9.86, meaning that the number of employees in the field is nearly ten times more concentrated in the county than it is in the national economy.
Even more strongly concentrated in the Lawrence County economy is primary metal manufacturing, with a location quotient of 27.6. The industry employees over 900 laborers in Lawrence County and annually adds approximately 90 new workers, who primarily backfill openings in the mature industry.
Fabricated Metal Production Manufacturing, Machinery Manufacturing, Plastic and Rubber Products Manufacturing, and Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing employ over 1,000 workers and all have location quotients signifying greater sector strength than the national average economy. Together, the combined manufacturing sector in Lawrence County has a location quotient of 2.08.
The presence of the experienced manufacturing workforce has given the Lawrence County economy a competitive advantage in productivity and attractiveness – the quality of the local economy was estimated to drive a manufacturing employment increase of over 400 jobs over the past decade, which was double the job growth numbers driven by national economic growth.