U.S. manufacturing is awash in color. If you don't think so, simply scroll to the interactive map below and behold our visual display of the 2018 IndustryWeek U.S. 500.
To review, the IW U.S. 500 is our list of the largest 500 publicly held manufacturing companies in the United States, based on revenue. We've plotted the headquarters location for every single one of those 500 manufacturers and gleaned a few insights.
For example, the mountain states aren't home to a swell of manufacturing; neither are they home to many manufacturing headquarters. Indeed, Montana and New Mexico are among 10 U.S. states without an IW U.S. 500 headquarters.
But back to the colors.
The colored pins that dot the interactive map represent more than the location of a company headquarters; they represent the type of manufacturing in which the company engages. For example, deep green pins highlight manufacturers of electrical equipment and appliances. Basic black showcases machinery makers. Want to find food and beverage manufacturers? Click on deep purple.
What do the colored pins tell us in terms of industry segmentation and geography? Certainly, there exists a cluster of automotive-related headquarters in Michigan and the neighboring states, which is not unexpected. However, headquarters of manufacturers in the transportation sector as a whole (planes, trains and automobiles) dot the landscape from Textron Inc. in Rhode Island in the east to PACCAR Inc. in Washington state and Tesla in California.
You can make the same observation about other industry segments, as well. Yes, some small clusters exist, but it appears that variables outside of industry segment determine where a manufacturer locates its headquarters.
Headquarters locations are as varied as manufacturing itself.
See for yourself. Use the key on the left of the map or click on any pin to read details about the manufacturer located at that map position.
Let our visual guide lead the way.
