The Clothing Industry Where did the clothing industry first develop? What were the important new clothing-producing countries in the early 21st-century? What is the hourly wage for apparel workers in the U.S. at the time the article was published? How does it compare with other areas? How does high-end apparel production differ from cheap leisure wear?

“Why Do Industries Have Different Distributions?” Industrialization “Why Do Industries Have Different Distributions?”

It’s All About THE MONEY! Industry seeks to maximize profits by minimizing production cost Geographers try to explain why one location may provide more profit than another Two geographical costs: Situation: transporting materials Site: land, labor, and capital

Situation Factors Definition – transporting materials to and from the factory Objective – minimize the costs For some companies, this is the most important factor in choosing a location

If you were building a car manufacturing plant in the U. S If you were building a car manufacturing plant in the U.S., where would you locate it?

Proximity to Inputs Every industry needs either resources from the physical environment or parts/materials made by another company Weight of the material is a factor for choosing location

Example: Copper Industry First Step: Mining the copper ore Bulk-reducing Industry Concentration mills must be near mines Purified copper is then treated at refineries Source of energy

Example 2: Steel Industry Also a bulk-reducing industry Choose location to minimize the cost of transporting inputs Steel is an alloy of iron that is produced by removing impurities in iron

Origin of Steel Industry Productions was small until the Industrial Revolution The constant heating and cooling of steel required strength, skill and a lot of time The Watt Steam Engine

More advances in the steel industry Henry Cort Puddling – reheating iron until pasty, then stirring it with iron rods until impurities are burned off Rolling – passing iron between rollers to remove remaining scum Abraham Darby – produced high quality iron smelted with purified carbon made from coal, known as coke Result – the iron industry needed to be near coalfields

U.S. Steel Industry In the mid 19th Century – the U.S. steel industry was concentrated around Pittsburgh In the first half of the 20th Century – steel mills were built near the coast Baltimore, L.A., Trenton

Changing U.S. Steel Industry Recently, many steel plants have closed Survivors – southern Lake Michigan, East Coast Successful steel mills are located close to markets Mini-mills

Proximity to Markets Transporting goods to consumers is an important locational factor for three industries: Bulk-gaining Singe market Perishable

Bulk Gaining Industries Gain weight during production Example: soft drink bottling Coca-Cola has bottling plants all over

Fabricated Metals and Machinery This is a prominent example of a bulk gaining industry A fabricated-metals factory brings together parts to make a more complex product Examples: TVs, refrigerators, air conditioners, and cars

Location of Car Manufacturing Historically – near large markets Recently – assembly plants focus on producing a single model rather than locating near all large markets

The Ford Plant in ATL (#6) has closed

Single Market Manufacturers Products are sold primarily in one location, so they cluster near the market Example: the manufacturers of automobile parts only sell to a couple of customers (GM, Toyota) Parts makers ship their products directly to assembly plants “auto alley” Average Percentage of State GDP in Automotive Manufacturing, 1998 to 2008

Perishable Products Products must be delivered to consumers ASAP! Milkshed Technology’s impact?

Ship, Rail, Truck, or Air Trucks – used for short distance Trains – longer distances Water – if available, is attractive for long distances Air – the most expensive, but more firms are using the air for speedy delivery

Break-of-Bulk Points Cost rises each time inputs are transferred from one mode to another Sometimes – the cost for one mode is lower for inputs and expensive for products, so companies locate at a “break-of-bulk” point where transfer among transportation modes is possible Seaport, airport St. Louis is a break of bulk point and you can see the multiple transportation modes intersect here

Site Factors Definition = the unique characteristics of a location Land, labor, and capital are the three traditional production factors that vary among locations The most important site factor on a global scale = labor Minimizing labor cost in VERY important for some industries

Labor Labor-intensive industry – one in which labor is a high percentage of expense Some need highly skilled, expensive labor Labor intensive is not the same is “high-wage” Textile and clothing industries – require less skilled, low cost workers 3 steps: spinning, weaving, and cutting/sewing All are labor intensive, but not equally so resulting in global distributions that are not identical

Textile and Apparel Spinning Because it is labor intensive, it is located in low-wage countries (LDCs) LDCs account for ¾ of the world’s spinning production Located where cotton is grown The U.S. is the only MDC that is a major thread producer Synthetic fibers – ½ is grown in LDCs

Textile and Apparel Weaving Labor is even more intensive Especially highly concentrated in low-wage countries: 86% of the world’s woven cotton factory is produced in PINGs China accounts for ½ of production India accounts for ¼ of production

Textile and Apparel Assembly Textiles are assembled into four main types of products Garments Carpets Home products Industrial uses Most of the 80 billion articles or clothing sold worldwide is made in Asia 3/4 of shirts ½ of dresses and suits Most of the underwear and lingerie Europeans and North Americans produce woolens

Land Most efficient – one story building = more land Land is cheaper in suburban or rural areas than in the city Industries are attracted to energy sources, low electrical rates, and amenities at the site

Capital Manufacturers typically borrow funds to establish new factories or expand existing ones Silicon Valley – capital Financial incentives The ability to borrow money in LDCs?