General Motors Company (GM), Chesapeake Energy Corporation (CHK): What Do Oklahoma City & Seattle Have In Common?

2. Louisville, Ky.

Source: David Harpe, via Wikimedia Commons.

Louisville’s manufacturing jobs grew from 48,000 in 2009 to more than 72,000 in 2012. That type of growth — 14.7% per year — can largely be credited to two major factors. The first is that one of Ford’s largest plants is located in the greater Louisville area. The plant produces the company’s Super Duty line of trucks, which are the best-selling in America.

The second factor centers around General Electric Company (NYSE:G). For years, the company’s appliances plant had been bleeding out manufacturing jobs. But in 2012, General Electric Company (NYSE:G) opened a brand-new plant for the manufacture of a new line of GeoSpring hybrid water heaters.

1. Houston

Source: Spacecaptain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Like Oklahoma City, Houston benefits from being home to some of the largest energy companies in America. Metal fabrication has been a particular area of growth in the city, as energy companies look for the necessary tools to extract oil and gas from below the Earth’s surface.

Houston’s overall manufacturing base is enormous, almost twice as large as that of the next highest city on this list, with just under 250,000 individuals employed. That number was a much smaller 165,000 back in 2009, but thanks to yearly growth of 14.8% since then, lots of Houstonians are now employed in manufacturing.

The article 5 American Cities With a Booming Manufacturing Industry originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Brian Stoffel.

Fool contributor Brian Stoffel has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Ford and General Motors. The Motley Fool owns shares of Ford and General Electric (NYSE:GE) and has the following options: Long Jan 2014 $20 Calls on Chesapeake Energy, Long Jan 2014 $30 Calls on Chesapeake Energy, and Short Jan 2014 $15 Puts on Chesapeake Energy.

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