Published Jul-21-2010
Food and beverage manufacturing tend to be stable in recessions. While people may cut back on other purchases, they still have to eat and drink. At one level, basic food purchases are not discretionary. Lane County manufacturers supply those basic food items at companies such as Lochmead Dairy and Franz bakery. At another level, however, Lane County food and beverage manufacturers have innovated and taken advantage of trends such as organic and artisan foods, local wine and craft brewing.
Graph 1 shows the annual average employment for food manufacturing and beverage manufacturing combined. After hitting a recent low in 2004, both industries grew, adding a combined 485 jobs, or 35 percent by 2009. More impressively, the combined industries grew through the recession, while overall manufacturing experienced large losses. Between 2007 and 2009, annual average manufacturing employment declined by 7,345, or 36.9 percent. Over the same recessionary period, the combined food and beverage industries added 189 jobs, or 11 percent.
Food manufacturing added 90 jobs over the 2007 to 2009 period, growing more than 6 percent. Aside from large manufacturers such as Golden Temple, a long time natural food manufacturer, there have been additions like Hideaway Bakery - an organic, artisan bakery in Eugene.
Although food manufacturing added jobs during the recession, beverage manufacturing grew even more rapidly, adding 99 jobs or about 38 percent. One reason for this growth was the addition of several new craft brewers including Hop Valley Brewing Company in Springfield and Ninkasi Brewing Company in Eugene.
