Diversified Products
As the name implies, this sector represents a variety of manufacturing industries that don’t fit neatly into the other three categories. Food and beverage manufacturing is included here, and it is by far the largest of these clusters with more than half of the employment and 80% of the economic impact. This sector also incorporates printing; furniture; miscellaneous manufacturing, (including such products as medical equipment, jewelry, toys and caskets); and clothing, textiles and apparel.
This grouping contains the largest employment of any of the four major manufacturing clusters, with the food and beverage sector alone employing nearly 20% of the total manufacturing workforce.
The Difference
Three (textiles, furniture and printing) of the five sectors have experienced declining employment in the last decade (12,379 in 2001 compared to 3,595 in 2016), reflecting broader industry trends. The decline in textiles and furniture is not unique to San Antonio: as the manufacturing of these items has moved from the U.S. to foreign sites, domestic employment in these low-skill, low-wage industries has shrunk. Indeed, textiles and furniture combined now employ only a little more than a third of the number who worked there a decade ago. Similarly, the reduction of more than half of printing employment since 2001 reflects the worldwide movement to digital media.
Employment in food and beverage manufacturing has grown modestly since 2001, while the miscellaneous manufacturing workforce has declined slightly.
“SAMA’s ability to connect and represent manufactures in South Texas is critical to the sustainment of this vital engine of the Texas economy.”
Bill Rafferty, South Central Director – Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center (SwRI)
