Contact: Nick George, President 608-255-9946, Nick.George@mwfpa.org, Brian Elliott,
608-255-9946,
Brian.Elliott@mwfpa.org
The Midwest Food Products Association (MWFPA) today touted Wisconsin third-place ranking nationally for food manufacturing when measured by value of shipments. According to new figures derived from the latest U.S. Census Bureau’s annual survey of manufacturers, Wisconsin, with $43.7 billion in shipments, ranked behind California and Texas. California remained the top state for food manufacturing, accounting for $78.2 billion in shipments.
According to Nick George, president of the MWFPA, the state’s ranking is due in part “to Wisconsin’s diversified portfolio of food processing industries, including well developed processing sectors such as dairy, meat, and cheese, in addition to fruits and vegetables.”
According to the annual survey, Wisconsin’s food manufacturing industry is a leading manufacturing employer in the state. More than 64,000 people were food processing employees in 2015, representing 14.8 percent of manufacturing employment in the state. It also accounted for $3.1 billion in annual payroll and the industry’s labor income represented 13.2 percent of Wisconsin’s manufacturing total.
Other key findings from the Census Bureau’s annual survey include:
The food processing industry is Wisconsin’s largest manufacturing industry as measured by value of shipments.
The largest food processing sector, as measured by value of shipments, is dairy product processing. In 2015, dairy manufacturing reported $20 billion in shipments (43.7 percent of total food manufacturing shipments).
In 2015, the Wisconsin food manufacturing sector overall reported value added (the total worth contributed to a final product as a result of the manufacturing process) of $13.9 billion, and capital expenditures of $1.1 billion.
Dairy processing employs the largest number of workers accounting for 33.2% of all food manufacturing employment. The meat products manufacturing sector came in second place with 25.7%, followed by the fruit and vegetable processing sector with 15.9% of the food manufacturing workforce.
The Wisconsin food manufacturing industry accounted for 24.8 percent of the total value of shipments by Wisconsin manufacturers in 2015.
George noted that many people don’t know Wisconsin is home to some of the largest food manufacturing companies in the nation. The state is a major food processor hosting companies possessing national and international name recognition. In Southeast Wisconsin alone, seven of the world’s 12 largest food manufacturers have a presence in the region.
“Although we are known as ‘America’s Dairyland,’ Wisconsin’s beef, poultry and fruit and vegetable industries are also thriving. Firms engaged in the processing of agricultural commodities add income and profits to Wisconsin’s economy while they add value to the agricultural commodities themselves,” added George. “They transform crops and livestock into products worth more in the world marketplace, and they provide employment and income opportunities to Wisconsin residents.”
