Capital Region Sees Biggest Annual Increase in Solo Manufacturers
Alexandria Lambert’s Ashpond Amplification is a producer of bespoke tube amplifiers and repairer of vintage amplifiers. Curtesy Tech Valley Center of Gravity.
Highlights
- The annual increase in Capital Region solo manufacturers was greater than it has been in more than a decade.
- Manufacturing industries driving nonemployer establishment growth included food, soap, fabricated metal, and apparel products.
- Local solo manufacturers reported a 6.6% increase in sales.
As the Capital Region marks Manufacturing Month this October, more local entrepreneurs are setting out on their own to make products, and it is paying off.
New statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau show the Capital Region experienced its biggest annual increase of nonemployer manufacturing establishments in more than a decade. That growth was driven by an influx of more single-person businesses making various types of food, soap, fabricated metal, and apparel products.
Figure 1Michael Dimin, aka solobassmike, makes guitar fret boards. Curtesy Tech Valley Center of Gravity.
In 2024, the Capital Region had 1,144 nonemployer manufacturing establishments, which include gig workers, freelancers, independent contractors and other enterprises with no paid employees but at least $1,000 in annual receipts that are subject to federal income tax. That represented an increase of 77 establishments from the previous year.
“As a makerspace & incubator, The Center of Gravity is unique in providing everything a solo manufacturer needs to get started, reducing the barrier to entry and shortening the runway to success. These entrepreneurs are specifically looking for access to shared capital equipment, which reduces up-front startup costs, as well as a community of experienced makers they can learn from and network with. Our space is intentionally designed to be conducive to fabrication, providing large workbenches, ample three-phase power, compressed air, and accommodations for dust and noise,” said Dan Falkenstrom, the operations director of the Tech Valley Center of Gravity in Troy.
Expanding Industries
Food manufacturing led the region for nonemployer establishment growth, with its ranks increasing over the year by 32 to 245. Bakeries accounted for nearly three-quarters of that gain (+24). Other growing nonemployer establishment industries included soap, cleaning compound, and toilet preparation manufacturing (+11); printing and related support activities (+9); apparel manufacturing (+8); and fabricated metal product manufacturing (+6).
Vincent Aldi recently started Aldi Custom Metalwork in Clifton Park.
Over the past decade, several manufacturing industries have seen their number of nonemployer establishments more than double. They include textile product mills (+233%), seafood product preparation and packaging (+214%), bakeries and tortilla manufacturing (+150%), and machinery manufacturing (+100%).
Sales
Based on business income tax returns filed with the IRS, Capital Region solo manufacturers reported $65.7 million in sales, value of shipments or receipts, which represented an increase of 6.6 percent from the previous year. Industries with the highest average sales/receipts among local nonemployer manufacturing establishments were machinery manufacturing ($96,700), fabricated metal product manufacturing ($89,400), and transportation equipment manufacturing ($69,300).
Infinity Edges is a Clifton Park solo manufacturer that specializes in custom laser engraving, UV printing and CNC woodworking. Courtesy Infinity Edges.
“Being a solo manufacturer in the Capital Region means wearing every hat and putting my name behind every piece I make. The days are full, the challenges are real, and there’s pride in seeing an idea become something useful through my own hard work. I’m building a business one order at a time, right here in the community I call home,” said Chris Valcik, the owner of Infinity Edges in Clifton Park.
CEG INITIATIVES
As a Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center, CEG’s Manufacturing Solutions helps Capital Region manufacturers increase their productivity by providing a menu of technical support services, such as Lean Enterprise Training, ISO Certification Assistance, Technology-Driven Market Intelligence, and CoreValue benchmarking assessments.
CEG has also launched a Semiconductor Growth Access Program (SGAP) to strengthen the region’s semiconductor supply chain by providing targeted businesses with funding for legal, financial, business planning, and technical accounting assistance. Another initiative for startups is CEG’s Venture Readiness Program, which matches entrepreneurs with mentors to provide expert guidance on business model development, financial planning, market validation, and investor pitch preparation. The Venture Readiness Program provides Capital Region startups with access to seed funding from Launch NY.
CEG also drives the Manufacturing Solutions Network, a network that brings together Capital Region manufacturers to learn from experts on industry-relevant topics, participate in thematic roundtables, discuss common issues, and expand their network.
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