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In Delaware, our combination of industry-leading companies, strategic location and robust infrastructure amount to one thing: one of the nation’s best states for manufacturing companies and logistics.
Today, Delaware’s manufacturing sector is our state’s second-largest traded sector. Thanks to diverse companies such as DowDuPont, ILC Dover and Agilent, manufacturing in Delaware spans a variety of industries, including chemicals, advanced materials, agriculture, bioscience and more. Furthermore, our leadership in these industries have created deep supply chains that support the market entry and growth of new businesses.
Want to see how your business can thrive in the First State? Read on to learn more about manufacturing and logistics in Delaware.
Manufacturing and Logistics
Today, Delaware’s manufacturing sector is our state’s second-largest traded sector. Thanks to diverse companies such as DuPont, ILC Dover, and Agilent, manufacturing in Delaware spans a variety of industries, including chemicals, advanced materials, agriculture, bioscience and more. Furthermore, our leadership in these industries have created deep supply chains that support the market entry and growth of new businesses.
Transportation equipment is one of Delaware’s largest manufacturing exports valued at almost $900 million, consisting of products like aircraft parts, aerospace parts, and automotive material. Other manufacturing companies focus on products like electrical equipment manufacturing, structural metals, and paper products.
Some of the top Delaware manufacturing companies include:
- Miller Metal Fabrication – a premier home-grown manufacturing company, provides state of the art (CAD) design, laser cutting, bending, machining, welding and assembly services, and
- ILC Dover – a world leader in the innovative design and production of engineered products employing high-performance flexible materials.
Some of Delaware’s most innovative manufacturers intersect with other key industries in the state like chemistry and biosciences, like:
- Agilent Technologies – a leader in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemicals.
Future of Manufacturing in Delaware
The modernized Coastal Zone Act is spurring economic growth in Delaware as it removes the restrictions on the existing industrial sites sitting abandoned or underutilized. Redevelopment of these properties is now possible. Delaware is both preparing and attracting a strong and skilled manufacturing workforce. Many Delaware manufacturers are working with Delaware Technical Community College’s workforce training department to develop future employees to handle the rigors of 21st-century advanced manufacturing.
Manufacturing Workforce and Job Growth
Manufacturing means good jobs and good wages. Delaware is a manufacturing-friendly state. More than 25,000 Delawareans and their families rely on manufacturing for jobs and income. With a steady increase in manufacturing jobs in the state, Delaware is committed to developing the next generation of manufacturers.
The top 5 manufacturing sectors leading the way in job growth are:
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing
- Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing
- Basic Chemical Manufacturing
- Other General-Purpose Machinery Manufacturing
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Quick Fact
More than 96% of our state’s global exports come from manufacturing.
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Quick Fact
Delaware’s major poultry producers are leaders in developing innovative industry trends such as organic and antibiotic-free.
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Quick Fact
Multinational companies also support Delaware agriculture by advancing R&D in areas like crop breeding, digital ag and more.
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Quick Fact
This segment of the logistics industry now accounts for nearly 5,000 jobs in the state.
Why Delaware for Your Manufacturing Company
Manufacturing in Delaware accounts for nearly 6% of the total output in the state. In 2018 alone, the state’s manufacturing companies exported $4.48 billion in manufactured goods. Manufacturing companies flourishing in Delaware see its competitive advantage over other states. Whether incorporating in Delaware or expanding operations, businesses find Delaware to be an ideal location.
Delaware is strategically located:
- It is close to major airports, with international and domestic cargo capabilities
- It is a major International port, four hours from the Atlantic Ocean
- Delaware has well-connected roads and an efficient transportation system, I-95 in Northern Delaware is the most traveled interstate in the U.S.
- The state is the First Foreign Trade Zone to receive approval with an Alternative Site Framework
- There are freight rail services throughout the state
- Delaware boasts of a very talented workforce with a great work ethic
There are a lot of opportunities for continuing manufacturing and advanced manufacturing businesses in the First State. When it comes to the manufacturing sector in Delaware, Rob Rider, CEO of O.A. Newton said it best:
“There is no better place to be in business than Delaware. What state can you make a phone call and speak to your Governor? What state can you run into every one of your legislators on a regular basis? What state can you call almost any one of the agencies and get immediate personal attention? … The people of Delaware are great! It’s still a laid back environment, it’s relaxed and people are moving here because they like the lifestyle.”
Employment Data
1,520
NUMBER OF ESTABLISHMENTS
34,035
NUMBER OF JOBS
$58,064
AVERAGE SALARY
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Success Stories
Delaware manufacturer embraces technology to bring LEAN manufacturing to reality
