10.02.09
PIA Examines U.S. Printing market Demographics
In its recently released 2000 Print Market Atlas, Printing Industries of America (PIA) examined the nation’s top 50 printing markets. Not surprisingly, the survey revealed four major metropolitan areas to be home to more than 15 percent of U.S. printing plants. Ranked first was Chicago, with 2,303 plants; followed by Los Angeles, 2,041; New York, 1,794; and Philadelphia, 1,168.
Other interesting demographic statistics revealed by the Print Market Atlas included the fact that the top five metropolitan areas for printing–Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and Minneapolis–employ almost 17 percent of all U.S. printing company employees. Particularly, New York-based printing establishments employ 38,545 persons, and Philadelphia-based printers employ 33,778 persons. In the northeastern U.S., these cities were followed at a distance by Boston, whose printing establishments employ 19,457 persons.
Of the five major print markets, Chicago was the undisputed leader, producing more than $8 billion in printed products a year. Next in line were Los Angeles with almost $5 billion, and New York with $4.7 billion in shipments.
Plastic Resin Production Gains
Production of a variety of plastic resins showed gains in January 2000 from January 1999, with polypropylene and linear low density polyethylene leading the way.
According to the American Plastics Council, polypropylene production rose 4.5 percent, while linear LDPE production increased by 2.7 percent in January 2000. High density polyethylene resins increased 2.1 percent over a year ago.
Low density polyethylene showed a decrease, declining 0.2 percent from January 2000 to January 1999.