manufacturing

We’re Built To

Thrive

Manufacturing employs more than 54,000 people in DuPage County. It’s a major part of our region’s heritage, making the right conditions for job-creation in other fields and leading to major economic growth. One of the largest industries in the County, manufacturing will help build the future of DuPage.

MANUFACTURING IN DUPAGE

  • Manufacturing employs 54,880 people in DuPage County.
  • DuPage has the 2nd largest manufacturing employment of any county in Illinois.
  • There are a total of 112,000 jobs in DuPage County directly or indirectly linked to manufacturing.
  • Manufacturers contribute $9.1 billion to the DuPage economy, accounting for 10.1% of GDP.

Source: JobsEQ, Mar 2022; Illinois Manufacturer’s Association, Sep 2019

WE HAVE ROOM TO GROW

  • DuPage County has among the lowest industrial vacancy rates in the region at 3.6%.
  • The average rate for industrial properties is $8.36/nnn.
  • There are 4.3 million SF of new industrial space under construction in DuPage County.

Source: JobsEQ, Mar 2022

OUR PLAN IS THE DIFFERENCE.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has recognized DuPage County for its economic development strengths and plans for enhancing the region’s manufacturing sector.

Named one of 12 “manufacturing communities in the nation,” we have access to $1.3 billion in federal grants through the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership Initiative. DuPage County has the right tools to welcome new business, making us the location of choice for manufacturing.

A REASON FOR SUCCESS.

ECONOMIC GROWTH DEPENDS ON MANUFACTURING:

  • For every $1 of goods produced, manufacturing generates an additional $1.89 for the economy.
  • Manufacturers contributed $304.8 billion to the U.S. economy in 2020, accounting for 12% of GDP.
  • Each manufacturing job creates at least 1.6 additional jobs elsewhere.
  • Over the past 25 years, U.S.-manufactured goods exports have quadrupled.
  • Taken alone, manufacturing in the United States would be the ninth-largest economy in the world.
  • Manufacturers are responsible for more than three-quarters of private sector research and development in the nation, driving more innovation than any other sector.

Source: Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, 2019

INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT

Currently, the leading advanced manufacturing sectors in the County (listed below) account for nearly 30% of all jobs in the industry. With an average earning of $79,139, advanced manufacturing in DuPage is paying above the national average.

Two major advanced manufacturing sectors showing emerging characteristics are: agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing; and motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing.

The Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Committee published a study in 2022 called, The Future of Manufacturing in Illinois. Follow the link to read the study.

 

LEADING INDUSTRY SECTORS BY EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT LOCATION QUOTIENT
COMMERCIAL PRINTING (EXCEPT SCREEN AND BOOKS) 3,564 3.19
ALL OTHER PLASTICS MANUFACTURING 2,027 1.65
MACHINE SHOPS 1,849 1.72
CORRUGATED AND SOLID FIBER BOX MANUFACTURING 1,590 4.07
BOLT, NUT, SCREW, RIVET AND WASHER MANUFACTURING 1,429 10.42
PRECISION TURNED PRODUCT MANUFACTURING 1,211 7.92
ALL OTHER MISCELLANEOUS FOOD MANUFACTURING 1,187 7.46
COMMERCIAL BAKERIES 1,184 2.22
MEDICINAL AND BOTANICAL MANUFACTURING 965 6.27
OTHER METAL VALVE AND PIPE FITTING MANUFACTURING 921 16.00

DuPage County is home to some of the largest privately- and publicly-held companies in the region. The top public- and privately-held companies in the manufacturing industry include:

 

PRIVATE POWERHOUSES:

  • Boler Corporation, Itasca
  • Elkay Manufacturing, Downers Grove

TOP PUBLICLY-HELD COMPANIES:

  • Navistar International Corp., Lisle
  • Dover Corp., Lisle
  • Molex, Lisle

 

MANUFACTURING RESOURCES

Symbol Training Institute is a CNC trade school in Chicago that offers hands-on CNC and advanced manufacturing training programs.

In an effort to meet the technical training needs of the manufacturing industry, the College of DuPage has announced DuPage County’s newest advanced manufacturing training and development resource, the Advanced Digital Manufacturing Center, where which will provide the space, equipment and technological expertise to train students to become highlight skilled and competitive professionals for the manufacturing industry.

IMEC is a team of improvement specialists dedicated to providing manufacturers in Illinois with the tools and techniques to excel and compete globally. The experienced hands-on team at IMEC works closely with its clients to plan critical business improvements in all areas of their organization from: Leading their Company, Planning for Success, Growing their Business, Improving their Operations, Focusing on their People, and Deciding with Data. With more than 50 full-time staff and partners positioned statewide, IMEC delivers the local expertise to not only plan and strategize, but to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of client improvements. In fact, IMEC assists more than 1,500 companies each year with successful business improvement projects. As a result, IMEC has demonstrated a return on investment that exceeds 19:1. This is made possible as organizations become more effective and efficient.

Founded in 1893, the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association is the only statewide organization dedicated exclusively to advocating on behalf of the manufacturing sector. The IMA is the state’s leading business advocate at the State Capitol representing a sector that employs 570,000 workers and contributes the single largest share of the gross state product. In addition to its award-winning legislative advocacy program, the IMA offers many benefits to its members including an energy program, discounts for parts cleaning and uniforms, reimbursement for job training costs, and a compensation/benefit survey for HR professionals.