Description of Industries and Summary of Findings

INDUSTRY 2241, NARROW FABRICS MILLS

This industry is made up of establishments primarily engaged in weaving or
braiding narrow fabrics of cotton, wool, silk, and manmade fibers,
including glass fibers. These fibers are generally 12 inches (30.48
centimeters) or less in their final form but may be made initially in wider
width than are specially constructed for cutting to narrow widths. Also
included in this industry are establishments primarily engaged in producing
fabric-covered elastic yarn or thread.

The 1992 definition of this industry is the same as that used in the 1987
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. The SIC number and title
also are the same.

In the 1992 Census of Manufactures, Industry 2241, Narrow Fabrics Mills,
had employment of 16.8 thousand. The employment figure was 9 percent below
the 18.5 thousand reported in 1987.

The leading States in employment in 1992 were North Carolina, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, and South Carolina, accounting for approximately 52 percent
of the industry's employment. These same States were the leaders in 1987
when they accounted for 57 percent of the industry's employment.

The total value of shipments for establishments classified in this industry
was $1.3 billion.

Establishments in virtually all industries ship secondary products as well
as products primary to the industry in which they are classified and have
some miscellaneous receipts, such as resales and contract receipts.
Industry 2241 shipped $1.2 billion of products considered primary to the
industry, $78.1 million of secondary products, and had $12.0 million of
miscellaneous receipts, resales, and contract work.  Thus, the ratio of
primary products to the total of both secondary and primary products
shipped by establishments in this industry was 94 percent (specialization
ratio). In 1987, the specialization ratio was 96 percent.

Establishments in this industry also accounted for 97 percent of products
considered primary to the industry no matter where they were actually
produced (coverage ratio). In 1987, the coverage ratio was 92 percent.

The products primary to industry 2241, no matter in what industry they were
produced, appear in file MC92F6A and aggregate to $1.3 billion. For further
explanation of specialization and coverage ratios, see file MC92F5B and the
appendixes.

The total cost of materials, services, and fuels and energy used by
establishments classified in the narrow fabrics mills industry amounted to
$605.2 million. Data on specific materials consumed appear in file MC92F7.

Single-establishment companies in this industry with less than 10 employees
were excluded from the mail portion of the census. The data for these
establishments (and a small number of larger establishments whose reports
were not received at the time the data were tabulated) were obtained from
administrative records of other agencies or developed from industry
averages. These establishments accounted for 9 percent of the total value
of shipments.