Description of Industries and Summary of Findings

INDUSTRY 2531, PUBLIC BUILDING AND RELATED FURNITURE

This industry is made up of establishments primarily engaged in
manufacturing furniture for schools, theaters, assembly halls, churches,
and libraries. Also included in this industry are establishments primarily
engaged in manufacturing seats for public conveyances, as well as seats for
automobiles and aircraft.  Establishments primarily engaged in
manufacturing stone furniture are classified in industry 3281.
Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing concrete furniture are
classified in industry 3272.

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 2531, Public Building and
Related Furniture, had employment of 28.9 thousand. The employment figure
was 33 percent above the 21.8 thousand reported in 1987.  Compared with
1991, employment increased 12 percent. The 1991 data are based on the
Census Bureau's annual survey of manufactures (ASM), which is a sample
survey conducted each year between censuses.

The leading States in employment in 1992 were Michigan, Texas, Indiana, and
Arkansas, accounting for approximately 39 percent of the industry's
employment. This represents a shift from 1987 when California, Indiana,
Michigan, and Arkansas accounted for approximately 40 percent of the
industry's employment.

The total value of shipments for establishments classified in this industry
was $4.1 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 2531 shipped $3.8 billion of public building and related furniture
products considered primary to the industry, $210.0 million of secondary
products, and had $127.5 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 95 percent (specialization ratio).  In 1987, the specialization ratio
was 92 percent.

Establishments in this industry also accounted for 93 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 2531, no matter in what industry they were
produced, appear in file MC92F6A and aggregate to $4.1 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 public building and related furniture
industry amounted to $2.5 billion. 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 6 percent of the total value
of shipments.