2005 Midwest Region New Plant Start-Ups Expected to Surpass 2004

Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Last year in the Midwest Region, 41 industrial plants commenced operations, creating 2,793 jobs. Already this year, more than half that many plants and 76 percent as many jobs have been added to the region.
Twenty-three industrial plants have already commenced commercial operation this year in the Midwest, creating 2,129 jobs. Another 31 plants are currently under construction and are scheduled to begin commercial operations by the end of the year. In addition to plants under construction there are another 26 plants in development that could begin operations in 2005. If all the plants projected to be complete in 2005 are actually built, it would mean 80 new industrial plants and more than 6,000 new employees for the Midwest Region.

In 2004, Iowa led the region with sixteen new plant start-ups. Missouri followed with eight, Kansas with five and Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota all with less than five new plants. During this same time period Kansas led the region in employees added with 888. Missouri came in second with 797 jobs, while the remaining states all added less than 450 employees each from new industrial plants.

So far this year, Iowa has added eight new plants, Missouri five, Kansas and Minnesota four each, and Nebraska just two. These plants have created 985 new jobs in Iowa and 760 in Missouri. Other employee additions range from 165 in Kansas to 117 in Minnesota and 122 in Nebraska.