Description of Industries and Summary of Findings

INDUSTRY 2621, PAPER MILLS

This industry is made up of establishments primarily engaged in
manufacturing paper from wood pulp and other fiber pulp, and which may also
manufacture converted paper products. Establishments primarily engaged in
integrated operations of producing pulp and manufacturing paper are
included in this industry if primarily shipping paper or paper products.
Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing converted paper products
from purchased paper stock are classified in industry group 265 or 267.

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 2621, Paper Mills, had
employment of 130.6 thousand. The employment figure was 1 percent above the
129.1 thousand reported in 1987.

The leading States in employment in 1992 were Wisconsin, Maine, Alabama,
and New York, accounting for approximately 37 percent of the industry's
employment. These same States were the leaders in 1987 when they also
accounted for 37 percent of the industry's employment.

The total value of shipments for establishments classified in this industry
was $32.8 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 2621 shipped $29.2 billion of paper mill products considered
primary to the industry, $3.1 billion of secondary products, and had $446.4
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 90 percent
(specialization ratio). In 1987, the specialization ratio was 91 percent.

Establishments in this industry also accounted for 95 percent of products
considered primary to the industry no matter where they were actually
produced (coverage ratio). In 1987, the coverage ratio was 96 percent.

The products primary to industry 2621, no matter in what industry they were
produced, appear in file MC92F6A and aggregate to $30.9 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 paper mill industry amounted to $18.0
billion. Data on specific materials consumed appear in file MC92F7.

No establishments in this industry were excluded from the mail portion of
the census. However, for a small number of establishments, reports were not
received at the time the data were tabulated. For these establishments data
were obtained from administrative records of other agencies or developed
from industry averages. These establishments accounted for less than 1
percent of the total value of shipments.