Advanced Manufacturing
It's in our DNA!
The Great Lakes Bay Region understands advanced manufacturing! Saginaw is at the center of the global automotive market and is in the geographical heartland of the United States. Saginaw manufacturers are experts in precision tooling, specialty fabrication and prototype development. Synergy and cooperative efforts continue to lead to the advancement of new products and innovative processes. The region is home to a talented workforce that has the necessary skills and work ethic to lead today’s technology driven economy. Along with quality infrastructure that meets logistical demands, Saginaw County provides big city opportunities at small town prices.
The Great Lakes Bay Region has also diversified its advanced manufacturing base by adding to its strong automotive roots. The Dow Chemical Company and Dow Corning Corp. world headquarters are located in Midland and Bay Counties.
Saginaw County’s Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation is the largest producer of polycrystalline silicon in the world, which is used in one out of every three electronic devices and solar panels. Duro-Last Roofing, Inc. world headquarters are also located in Saginaw, while nationally recognized S.C. Johnson and Son is located in Bay County. These are just a few examples of the area’s diversified manufacturing base.
Saginaw County is home to 216 manufacturers according to the U.S. Census 2008 County Business Patterns report with an annual combined payroll of $605,188,000.
The Great Lakes Bay Region continues to hold an advantage when compared to the nation in the Manufacturing sector. However, significant structural changes have taken place. The share of Manufacturing employment in the Great Lakes Bay MWA was 17.0% in 2006 and 14.9% in 2010 respectively.
The industry has relied more and more on lean manufacturing processes that place importance on dynamic manufacturers that can adapt to innovative production processes in short-time cycles.
The lean manufacturing process places strong importance on small- to medium-size suppliers that can provide manufacturing inputs in a flexible, demand-driven model. In 2008, 94% of Saginaw County manufacturing establishments had less than 100 employees (Source: U.S. Census Bureau).