Have you ever stopped for a moment to watch workers build on a construction site? Did you look at the slurry mixer and wonder where it was made? If you have, you'll find this article on the products manufactured in Toledo, Ohio interesting. You'll also find it informative if you're a member of a skilled trade union thinking about looking for work in Toledo. Manufacturing contributes greatly to the city's economy. It represents about one fifth of all economic activity. So read on to see what's going on.
Machinery
Many cities in Ohio have a history of manufacturing with a specialty in one particular area. In Toledo's case, for many years that area was automotive manufacturing. Numerous factories in the city turned out and assembled everything from whole cars to the swaged fittings that hold the pieces together. General Motors and Chrysler are the biggest players in this sector, though their operations have declined in recent years. Items produced include: Jeeps, exhaust systems, spark plugs, other car and truck components.
Materials
A basic component in the manufacturing industry is the creation of the materials that later go on to become products. Items like sheet metal, glass, concrete, or bricks go on to be combined with other building materials to produce larger products and structures. Though metal benders have their work cut out for them at the metal products factories, Toledo's specialty is glass. Companies like Owens Corning and Pilkington produce windows, windshields, fiberglass insulation, bottles, and even art in their factories.
Medicine
Health care is a major growth industry for Toledo and not just in the area of medical care. Laboratories and pharmaceutical product manufacturers are also setting up shop in the city. The plastics, metal, and glass produced in other Toledo factories is often used by these more technologically advanced research and production facilities to produce things like test tubes, lifting slings, special furniture, or testing apparatus. The Medical College of Ohio provides a great scientific basis to this manufacturing sector.
Major Employers
For those of you who are looking at the names printed on products and hoping to recognize them (or for those using a web collaboration tool to plan a resume drop route) here's a list of the bigger manufacturers in Toledo. Daimler Chrysler, GM Corp, Libby Inc., the Dana Corporation, Owens Illinois, Sheller Globe, Electric Auto Lite, Questor, Champion Spark Plug, Libby, Pilkington, Owens Corning, and Faurecia Exhaust Systems.
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