Illinois Machine and Machine Tool Industry
The metalworking and the machine tools industry has always been a very major industry in Illinois, in fact Illinois produces 9.0 percent of the U.S. output. Illinois ranks third in the U.S. in metalworking machinery manufacturing, in terms of total value of shipments (as of 2006). The industry is concentrated in Rockford and in the Chicago area.
• Employment: 100,000
• Number of Business Locations: 2000
• Value of Industry: $10.3 billion
Machine tools are necessary for virtually all other types of manufacturing. Illinois’ machine tool industry thus has a mutually supportive relationship with the state’s well developed manufacturing base. Affordable electricity rates and Illinois central location as a transportation hub also make the state attractive to manufacturers. Large Machine Tool Companies in Illinois include Illinois Tool Works, Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, Triumph Twist Drill and Textron Inc.
Links:
Illinois Manufacturers’ Association http://www.ima-net.org/
National Tooling and Machining Association, Rockford Chapter: https://www.ntma.org/
