Top 10 Manufacturing Companies in Delaware

Above: A look inside one of  AstraZeneca's U.S. facilities. AstraZeneca ranks as Delaware's largest industrial employer. Source: AstraZeneca 

With nearly 600 industrial companies, Delaware is the nation’s smallest state based on number of manufacturing facilities. But although the state’s industrial sector is small, it is also powerful, home to major pharmaceutical companies, advanced manufacturing facilities, medical equipment manufacturers and large food processing companies.

This article will explore the latest facts on Delaware’s manufacturing sector and will provide details on the top manufacturing companies in Delaware.

Key Facts on Delaware’s Manufacturing Sector

According to MNI, compiler of the industrial information that powers IndustrySelect, Delaware is currently home to 587 manufacturing companies employing 35,075 workers, making it the smallest manufacturing state in the United States.

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According to MNI, Wilmington is Delaware’s largest city based on number of industrial jobs, with 8,494 workers.

Read more: Top Manufacturing Cities in the U.S.

Other top cities in Delaware include

• Newark (5,654 jobs)
• New Castle (3,281 jobs)
• Milford (2,793 jobs)
• Georgetown (2,526 jobs)

New Castle County is Delaware’s largest in terms of manufacturing jobs, home to 21,740 workers. This is followed by Sussex County with 14,899 workers, and Kent County with 3,619 workers.

The food processing industry ranks as Delaware’s largest industrial sector based on number of jobs, employing 29% of the state’s industrial workers. This is followed by chemicals and allied products, which accounts for 24%. The instruments and related products industry accounts for 9% of Delaware’s industrial workforce, followed by industrial machinery and fabricated metals, each of which account for 6%.

MNI reports there are 2,753 executive contacts among Delaware’s manufacturing companies, including 373 presidents, 220 owners and partners; 214 vice-presidents and 185 sales, marketing and purchasing executives.

Other facts to know about Delaware manufacturers, based on IndustrySelect’s advanced criteria available to subscribers, include ownership, distribution and other trends. Let’s take a look:

• 2% of Delaware manufacturers are women-owned
• 9% are publicly owned companies
• 11% import raw materials
• 25% distribute their products internationally.

 Next, we’ll take a look at the state’s top companies.

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Editor's Note: This article was originally published in October 2021. It has been updated to reflect new statistics in Delaware manufacturing.